The Saffron Ice Cream Company

The Saffron Ice Cream Company are a small business not to far from me making fantastic ice cream from a little barn in the wilds of North West Essex. I thought I'd do a little shout out for these guys and my local readers! They have a regular slot at the Saffron Walden market on a Saturday and I've also seen their ice cream being sold in the Eight Bells pub and also my favourite new tea room, Teacake in Shepreth.

The focus is on mainly locally produced ingredients and seasonal flavours. They have a 'seasonal flavour chart' which tells you when the different flavours are produced depending on the time of year, which is such a brilliant idea, I love it. Right now Henham Honey & Lavender and Summer Strawberries & Cream are in season. They also have year round mainstays - Chocolate, Vanilla and Ginger. And even better the ice creams are produced without any horrible preservatives that you can't pronounce.

If you spot them on your travels I urge you to try them out, they sell little and big tubs at the market, and also at these farm shops in Cambridgeshire.

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We're Going To Rome..

a picture of coffee seemed apt, 

this was actually a shockingly bad cup in a cafe in London, hoping for much better in Rome. 

This time next week we'll have just landed in Rome and all ready for a much needed holiday.

I'd love some recommendations from my readers of places to go, and very much more importantly, places to eat. We're staying in the Trastevere area which seems to be the place to be for interesting shops and restaurants.

Any tips gratefully received. :)

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My Favourite Tea

Tea is very important to me, whilst I do drink coffee I am a tea drinker at heart. Since going to my first Secluded Tea Party I have been broadening my tea horizons a lot. A 'normal' cup of black tea with milk is my staple and early morning wake up call but I have lots of different kinds in my kitchen which all serve different purposes. Peppermint, rooibos, rhubarb and custard, earl grey, lady grey, chai...

So I though I'd do a little run down of my favourite tea and tea companies, there are lots of independent tea companies around making some great blends.

Rhubarb & Custard by Tea Box Online




One of the first teas I tried in the quest to broaden my tastes. This is a rooibos tea with rhubarb and sunflower, it is naturally sweet - works with or without milk.

Pick Me Up at 3 Tea - The Tea Shed

I am drinking a cup of this right now. Good if you like a traditional cuppa, it is caffeine rich so good for an afternoon slump or for keeping you alert whilst writing blog posts! I also bought their Tea & Biscuits multi-pack which is a great way to introduce yourself to all their range, and they are a really ingenious gift idea for tea lovers.

Kandula Tea - Ebony Chai

Shout out for a local company! Kandula Tea are based in Cambridge, their loose leaf and tea gems are stocked in lots of local delis and shops in and around the city. 

I've just placed a big order from Kandula for peppermint, pink ceylon (which is actually pink, lovely) and English breakfast. Their chai tea is just gorgeous. I tried some as recommended with some chocolate, they go so well together. The loose leaf blend (and the tea gems) come with real whole spices in it and it tastes really fresh instead of the usual musty chai you get. Really looking forward to receiving my order.

Pukka Three Mint

Pukka are an independent tea company but slightly bigger than the others I've featured, they have about 40 staff and they sell health food products as well as a great range of teas. Their teas are available in most supermarkets in lots of different flavours. Their three mint tea is one of my regular cuppas, I drink peppermint a few times a day and this one is the most minty of the teas you can buy in mainstream shops. They have loads of different flavours which I want to try, and also I am a sucker for their lovely packaging. 

Hope you enjoyed my tea round up, what is your favourite tea? Do you have any other independent tea companies to recommend? 

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Healthier Eating - Buddha Bowl

Contrary to how it may look it isn't all cakes, meals out and sandwich cookies around here. Unfortunately I have had to recently rein in my unhealthy eating which has meant exploring a whole new area of the food blogging world - healthy food blogs.

I've found lots of them, some can be a little more extreme than others but they are all good to get tips from for how to eat healthily and cutting out processed food. One of the things I have discovered is something called a Buddha Bowl, which is basically a bowl full of goodness which has to / should contain certain things. The 'formula' for a buddha bowl is (adapted from Keeping Healthy Getting Stylish )

- Healthy complex carb- quinoa, bulgar, brown rice, cous cous or Starchy Veg - sweet potato or squash
- Protein - beans, chickpeas, tofu if you are keeping it veggie - or grilled chicken / fish
- Vegetables - green ones are best - spring greens, broccoli, spinach, sugar snap peas, peas
- Healthy fat - mine is an avocado or you could try seeds or nuts
- Dressing - I usually go for simple olive oil / balsamic, or olive oil and mustard, you can try soy and honey. As long as it isn't a fatty creamy dressing.

My most recent one was a base of cooked quinoa, chickpeas (canned), peas, chopped carrot, sliced avocado, local cherry tomatoes and a mustard, olive oil and honey dressing. It was so filling, fresh and very summery. It took about 10 minutes to prepare, whilst I waited for the quinoa to cook I drained and add chickpeas, chopped veggies and made my dressing in a little jar. I sliced my avocado before eating to stop it being brown.

I've tried it again a couple of times since then - using cannelini beans, spring greens, spinach, bulgar and my usual dressing, and my trusty avocado. Toasted pine nuts are also a nice addition, I always toast too many when I make pesto.

Now I have a formula I feel armed with the ability to make better lunches!

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Baked Raspberry & Coconut Oatmeal

Baked oatmeal is the answer for anyone who is just terrible at eating breakfast in a calm, prepared fashion. I rarely eat a proper breakfast in the weekdays, I admit it, I prefer to sleep a bit longer. Anything I can grab on the way out works for me, and I do admit that sometimes a chocolate bar or a piece of cake does the job. But I have been better lately and a banana or a nakd bar comes in their place.

I tried Baked Oatmeal recently after reading about Allie's recipe for it. I had previously made Heidi Swanson's baked oatmeal which was also great, although more of a pudding because it does have a fair bit of sugar and butter in it. Allie's recipe is healthier and therefore much more acceptable for breakfast. I made this first with raspberries and shaved coconut, and again with just coconut, I added a big squidge of honey the second time because it wasn't quite sweet enough for me the first.

Baked Oatmeal, from Allie in Londonland

1 ripe banana
1 egg
1 1/4 cups of non dairy milk - I used Kara coconut milk
2 cups of porridge oats
1 punnet of raspberries (about 200g)
About 2 tablespoons of shaved coconut plus extra for the top.

Preheat the oven to 190c.
Mush up the banana in a large bowl with a fork, then beat in the egg and then the milk. Fold in the oats and then your choice of fruit/other things.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until firm in the centre.
Cut in to squares when it is still slightly warm, eat!

When I get up early enough to eat breakfast from a bowl, I've been having it with yoghurt and any extra fruit I have, and with a drizzle of honey. The best thing is that you can wrap in in foil and store it in the freezer - and then just take one out the night before and grab it before work.

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Friday Favourites

Being as I seem to star, favourite, retweet and pin so many food posts each week I think a little favourites post is a good idea, and it keeps me blogging!

Some things from this week:

Hakka, Cambridge - interesting looking Chinese restaurant in Cambridge, blogged by Ireena

20 Minute Croissant Dough - The Boy Who Bakes

Roasted Green Beans with Parmesan - so easy!

Green Monster Smoothies  - this blog post is both hilarious and also gives you a less daunting introduction to green smoothies. They are yummy, promise.

Avocado Toast - how I love avocadoes

Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Pancakes - an old pin but one I found again and now I need to make these.

Hari Chutney - mint, coriander and chilli - looks very similar to the chutney you'll find at Chaat houses

Other non food things

Pretty, pretty dress

Please can I have hair like this lady 

Nice biscuit chopping board

I think this weekend I'll be searching out green beans and snacking on some avocado toast, good summer food.

enjoy the sun everyone!

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The Cambridge Chop House

Finding a decent Sunday Roast in Cambridge can feel like a bit of a mission sometimes, especially when you are as picky as I am. On one cold, rainy Sunday the only thing that was going to warm me up was a nice roast dinner in a cosy spot. I've been to the Chop House before and I was glad that I had the brainwave to go along to try their Sunday dinners.

The location, opposite Kings College, would make you think it is an awful tourist trap, and whilst it probably can be the food is really good, hurrah. Last time we visited I had some of their housemade sausages and mash, and a sticky toffee pud.

I had roast pork this time around and Mr had the vegetarian wellington. The pork was quite huge, with all the requisite veggies and extra crackling! The veggie wellington was nicely thought out- with a big mushroom inside, greens and other veggies, with a mustardy mushroom sauce and greens. We shared a sticky toffee pudding (to which the neighbouring table all exclaimed 'wow' when it arrived, I think they ordered one too).

I really like it here, the food is homely, well made and the puds to die for.  I was really glad to hear the waitress say they have taken over the Tickell Arms in Whittlesford, which is a stones throw away from home. We'll definitely be going when it opens - they are blogging about the progress too - http://www.tickellarms.co.uk/

Cambridge Chop House
http://www.cambridgechophouse.co.uk/

Other places for a Sunday Roast (we're getting there..)
The Eight Bells, Saffron Walden 
Clarendon Arms, Cambridge - yet to try out
The First and Last - review from Ireena over here.

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