I’m keeping up with my health kick and National Vegetarian Week and tonight for dinner, I think I will give the Egg, Chip and Pepper Bake a go.
This is completely syn-free on the extra-easy and green day plans with Slimming World and it looks very filling. It will also warm you up if you have been feeling the cold like many of us these last couple of days.
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The weather may be gloomy and wet but that hasn’t stopped me watching the Chelsea Flower Show for some inspiration for my own garden.
I have been researching new products and different plants and doing so, I came across a product called Garden on a Roll.
Garden on a Roll is a product that makes gardening easier for anyone. Whether you are young, old, and new to gardening or you only have a small garden and you want to bring it to life, Garden on a Roll is a great little kit that gives you everything you need.
The pack comes with seeds, a selection of plants, the roll which you can make a border with and it marks where your plants can go, fertilizer, DVDs on how to get started a trowel or hand fork and a leaflet.
The packs start from £140, depending on what size you would like, and they are a great investment to liven up any garden. I also think that they are great for getting the grandchildren involved as the paper rolls have markings on so you can match the plants and the seeds to designated sections.
Depending on what you want in your garden, there are also different types of plants and themes such as the Bee and Butterfly Border, the Sensory Border and the Evergreen Border. I like the sound of the Sensory Border, it has been catered to people with poor eyesight and children with learning difficulties so the smell and touch of the plants can help them get more engaged with nature.
You can also purchase Garden on a Roll from Homebase and I think it would be a lovely project to work on over this coming bank holiday weekend.
by I’ve been sticking to my vegetarian diet this week and after the very indulgent Ploughdue I posted on Monday, I’ve turned to Slimming World for some inspiration on healthy vegetarian dishes that the whole family can enjoy.
This Lentil Dahl is a perfect healthy meal and if you have any left overs, it can be frozen. You can also add as little or as much chilli and spice to the recipe as you like, especially if you have any fussy grandchildren.
The Veggie Pakoras make a great side dish or starter and grandchildren will love picking at these. Again, you can make them as spicy as you like. The recipe says to use frozen veg but if you have any leftover or fresh veg this can also be used.
Serve your Dahl with boiled rice or syn-free chips and enjoy!
by When you think of a DJ, you think a huge set of turntables, flashing lights and loud thumping music or maybe even a hip twenty-something sitting in a studio playing the latest music to the nation.
This morning I read about Margaret Leigh-Jones who at 91-years-old, has been named as Britain’s Oldest DJ.
Presenting her two-hour show twice a week, Margaret started out at the non-profit station Angel Radio answering phone calls and was then offered a regular spot. A station with a predominately elderly audience, there are phone-in discussions, people sharing wartime memories and music requests.
The station’s slogan of ‘snap, crackle but not pop’ is true to its word and Margaret has no intentions to play any music by boy bands or pop princesses of today, she refuses to play any music produced after 1959. After all, they do say that the old songs are the best songs.
Margaret is also a keen cyclist and rides her bike every day; she says that her active lifestyle is the key to saying young. There are also no signs of her retiring from her current role and she admits that it makes her feel young at heart.
After reports last week that women in TV and radio broadcasting aren’t given much airtime after the age of 50, it is great to know that it is not always the case and I hope Margaret helps change the attitude of the entertainment industry.
by It is currently the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and as I blogged this morning, there is a wonderful selection of beautiful, unique gardens to show artistic flare and inspire others to get their gardens into shape.
Image | The Sentinel
The awards for the gardens were announced this morning which included an award for a garden designed in Bath-Knight’s hometown of Stoke-on-Trent. The garden’s representation of the pottery industry and the city’s heritage fits the historical theme of this year’s event perfectly and is one of the 15 gardens on display until the show’s close on Saturday 25th May.
Before the show was opened to the public, the Stoke-on-Trent garden was viewed by various celebrities including Kirsty Allsopp, Ringo Starr, Judith Chalmers and Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen. Even the Queen had a tour of the display.
Each item had been made in Staffordshire and took 17 days to assemble. Local firms supplied the materials for the fountain and seating and local students also had a hand in designing and bringing the garden to life.
I think it’s brilliant that the garden is at the show, as well as earning a Silver Award. I think the garden is lovely, I personally wouldn’t have a replica bottle kiln in my garden but the flowers and the arrangement of the garden is just lovely.
According to reports, it will be auctioned off following the close of the show. I think it would be great to have as a seating area or a sensory garden for children or elderly people in the city and I hope whoever does buy it preserves its beauty.
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Today, the RHS Chelsea Flower Show opens to the public and yesterday saw the official opening with the Royal Family and various gardening experts and television presenters.
Celebrating 100 years of the show, the Queen arrived for the press day and inspected a garden that has been created for Prince Harry. The garden, which has been created in aid of the charity Sentebale, has been named the Forget-Me-Not Garden. The charity helps venerable orphans in the African country Lesotho.
Awards have already been handed out this morning including the Young Chelsea Florist of the Year and the Best Floral Arrangement. The Gold Awards have also been handed out to The Telegraph Garden, the Homebase Garden and the Arthritis Research UK Garden. I was also pleased to see that the Stoke-on-Trent Story of Transformation had received a Silver Award.
I was lucky enough to visit the Chelsea Flower Show many years ago and have followed the annual event for years because I admire the creativity of the gardens that are often designed with specific occasions in mind. Many of this year’s gardeners have taken into account the historic theme of the show and there are some beautiful displays, especially the Japanese garden.
An Alcove Tokonoma Garden has been designed to enchant the visitors with its tatami room and in Japanese culture, meetings with important people would be held in such a space. I wouldn’t mind having a business meeting held in such a peaceful place!
Best in Show this year has gone to The Fleming Nursery and they have also made history by becoming the first Australian entry to claim the prize.
For a full list of the medal winners and the section winners so far, you can click here.
The coverage on television has been great so far, there are also regular updates and articles from The Telegraph too.
I will be blogging about the RHS Chelsea Flower Show for the rest of the week and if anyone has attended this year, I would love to see your pictures!
by After reading a report last week that retirement is bad for peoples’ health and can make them mentally unwell, it was refreshing to read an article that diminishes those claims and it’s not all doom and gloom, whether you are still in work or have taken up retirement.
According to the Telegraph, people over the age of 55 smiles more than 10 times a day compared to the 18 to 34 age groups and 35 – 44 year olds only smiling a few times a day. We are also more likely to smile when the weather is lovely, no wonder some people find it hard to smile at the minute!
National Smile Month is an event organised and run by the British Dental Health Foundation and is dedicated to improving and raising awareness of oral health by providing free dental advice. This is a great event, especially to over 55s as over the last 37 years of the event, adults with no natural teeth has decreased to just 6%.
I think we should all make an effort to smile as much as possible, whether it’s a small gesture such as someone holding a door open for you. Even forcing a smile can make you feel instantly better and after all, smiling uses fewer muscles than frowning so it is all the more reason to grin, something the younger generation should remember when they forget to smile!
by This week it’s National Vegetarian Week and although I’m not a vegetarian, I do enjoy veggie dishes and making healthier alternatives to some classic foods.
Throughout the week, I will be posting my favourite recipes, from super healthy dinners to delicious indulgent treats.
Today’s recipe is from BBC’s The Hairy Bikers who are usually keen carnivores but this Ploughdue (Ploughman’s Fondue) is a great side dish or starter for a vegetarian dinner party. You can also use whatever you want to dip into the fondue from celery, peppers and pickles to fresh crusty bread.
by Today is World Baking Day 2013 and what better way to spend a Sunday morning or afternoon baking scrumptious treats for the whole family.
The World Baking Day website has set levels of baking ability and depending on your level of expertise; there is a recipe you can follow.
I’m going to be indulgent and go for the Raspberry and White Chocolate Cupcakes.
This recipe was taken from So Whipped
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Missouri Star Quilting Co – One of my favourite hobbies is quilt making and as you will see from my previous blog posts, arts and crafts are something I enjoy regularly.
I came across the Missouri Star Quilting Co when I was searching for materials and new ideas. Although this website is based in America, Jenny (the main quilter) has some wonderful tutorial videos whether there is a particular patter you wish to follow or a technique you are currently struggling with. You can also send your own tutorials to Jenny and the team and request a tutorial if there is something you can’t already find on the website.
Click here for all the available tutorials
Quilting takes a lot of time and patience but it is simple to get into and they make beautiful personal gifts to loved ones.
Eurovision Song Contest– It’s that time of year yet again, the most over the top, pop-tastic event in European music yes, it’s the Eurovision Song Contest. Packed full of updates and videos, you can see the full list of finalists, the order in which they will perform and you can also catch up on the semi-final shows that have been on this week.
This year the event will be held in Sweden and representing Great Britain this year is legendary 80s singer Bonnie Tyler. Switzerland also entered the contest with the oldest performer in the history of the event. 94-year-old Emil Ramsauer plays bass guitar for the Salvation Army and is joining rock group, Takasa to play the double bass. To see how they got on in the semi-finals, click here.
Chelsea Flower Show– Marking its 100th year, the RHS Chelsea Flower Show is back from 21st – 25th May 2013 with a superb line-up of show gardens.
As it is the centenary of the show, this year’s theme is a historical one but there are definitely going to be displays that are out of this world. One particular garden that caught my attention is a Twitter-controlled garden. Created by staff and students at the University of Lincoln, a Perspex wall will run along the garden and will respond to Twitter activity as it has been adapted to become an outdoor computer.
Every year, the Chelsea Flower Show gives me new inspiration for my own garden and I love seeing all of the different gardens, whether it is something extremely quirky or a garden that conforms to tradition. And for the gnome lovers this year, the ban has been lifted!
I shall also be blogging about the Chelsea Flower Show throughout next week so check in for regular updates.
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Bath-Knight Blog
