Hadrian’s Walk
So today, some of my loveliest blogger friends will be attempting Hadrian’s Walk in support of The Joseph Salmon Trust, a wonderful charity providing financial support for those who have lost a child.
Basically, the nutters are walking the entire length of Hadrian’s Wall, yes, that’s 84 miles across the entire width of England.
And they need our help. Check out the blog, here:
Enter the raffle, here:
Donate here:
And support all my wonderful blogging friends by visiting their blogs and giving them a few words of support (what? of course they’ll be checking, they’re bloggers):
http://www.insomniacmummy.com/
http://singleparentdad.blogspot.com/
and bigging the walk up on Facebook and Twitter (if you’re a fellow nerd), or just sending them happy, blister-free thoughts.
Please, please dig deep – the trust is a shining beacon in the darkness of every parent’s worst nightmare and seriously needs our support.
Thank you.
Good luck, guys!
The Great British Blog Festival. ‘Finding my voice’
This post is brought to you by Muddling Along Mummy and is the last in the series of hosted blogs as part of The Great British Blog Festival.
Blogging was something I discovered whilst confined to bed rest during my pregnancy with Babygirl – it was a way of being able to meet people and to talk about what was going on whilst I spent far too much time lying on my left side trying to keep Babygirl safe.
Faced with my return to work after my maternity leave I was suddenly confronted with the question as to whether I would be able to continue to blog or whether I would have to consign it to the list of nice things I did whilst on leave, along with coffee with my friends and afternoon naps.
I figured it was worth giving it a go, not least because I’d become mildly addicted to twitter and reckoned it might be useful having an outlet and to be able to pick the brains of others who had been there, seen it, done it and got several t-shirts.
I did have a nagging concern about the time required given I was already in need of another 6 hours a day and the worry that work might find out about my blog and that it could cause issues for me professionally.
The professional reputation thing does still worry me. But I hope that my colleagues and clients won’t be looking for me to write a ‘mummy blog’.
The time thing was harder. I discovered I could write posts on my phone on the train, that I could think about them whilst putting the girls to bed, that I could find ways to make it fit in. To be honest it was difficult finding a balance – finding time to spend with my husband whilst still keeping a toe in the blogworld.
What was a real life saver was occasionally taking a proper coffee break. Going to the coffee shop around the corner from my office and taking half an hour out of my working day – half an hour to chat to my friends on twitter, to read blog posts, to remind myself that whilst there might not have been likeminded people in my office there certainly were in the virtual world and they were on my side.
So yes, I can combine blogging with a full time job, two children and sometimes talking to my husband. I do read less posts than I want to (sorry if I’ve missed something great you’ve written – send me an email, tell me on twitter, and I will read it) and do spend less time than perhaps I’d like BUT I’ve discovered that blogging is an important thing to me, it’s a facet of my life and as such I’m continuing to do it.
Its in blogging about trying to find this balance that I have found my blog ‘voice’, the thing that stands behind my blog, its philosophy and the reason why I do it.
The Great British Blog Festival. ‘Blogging: Stranger danger?’
This post is brought to you by Young Mummy as part of The Great British Blog Festival.
‘Well, blogging’s for weirdos, isn’t it?’
My mum’s comment immediately made me regret telling her I was writing a blog about my life with newborn twins. I regretted it even more when she started giving me articles about the dangers lurking online, and warning me about any strangers who may try to befriend me – they might have been reading my blog and be after my babies. She views the blogging world with a paranoia and suspicion she is unable to shake.
I started my blog to help my in-laws feel involved in their grandchildren’s lives, despite living a long way away. Then I stumbled upon British Mummy Bloggers, and discovered that blogging is about being part of a community and interacting with others. Since then I’ve thrown myself in, following lots of blogs, commenting regularly, and forging friendships with other bloggers. Twitter was the final breakthrough and now I share more with a lot of my online friends than I do with my friends in the ‘real’ world.
From an outsider’s perspective, it all seems pretty strange. If I get spotted tweeting on a night out with friends, I brace myself for a barrage of ‘geek!’ taunts. I think most of my friends’ knowledge and experience of social networking begins and ends with Facebook – where they know all their ‘friends’ personally. Trying to explain why I would be answering comments on my blog from people I’ve never met is met with a blank, uncomprehending expression. ‘Why would you want to talk to people you don’t know?’ The fact that I am attending a blogging conference (Cybermummy) has caused great hilarity and derision.
But it’s worth it.
Blogging has filled a void caused by my discomfort talking about my babies with my ‘real’ friends, most of whom don’t have children. In the blogosphere I’m allowed to write about whatever I like, and I don’t have to worry I’m becoming a ‘baby bore.’ I’ve made connections with people I would never have some across in daily life. I’ve started meeting some of my online friends in person now, and it’s been fantastic.
Some of my ‘real’ friends who follow my blog have enjoyed it so much that they’ve been drawn into the blogosphere. They don’t blog themselves, but through my blog have discovered new blogs to read. Their enthusiasm and support in the face of so much negativity has meant the world to me.
And my parents-in-law – the reason I started the blog in the first place – they read it religiously. And that makes me happy.
The Great British Blog Festival. ‘Inspired to Create’
This post is brought to you by Snaffles Mummy as part of The Great British Blog Festival.
I can still remember being around 10 years old and my grandma teaching me to knit. Since then I have been literally hooked on crafting. Knitting, scrap booking, card making, sewing, baking and more recently crocheting.
From holey scarves at age 10 to the intricate lace shawls I now make.
Each craft discovered after trawling through books, magazines and internet sites for tips and techniques on my latest hobby.
As with any crafter my hands and fingers are always itching for the next project. It is impossible for me to have only one project on the go.
Since discovering the blogging community my love for crafting has only grown. My recently learnt crocheting was inspired after seeing the beautiful creations of other bloggers. Patterns, guides and techniques discovered from a variety of blogs until eventually I was able to recreate some of the items which had originally inspired me.
What has struck me the most about the blogging community is how open and willing they are to share their crafts with others.
They are not simply sharing photos of their creations to attract praise. From their patterns, recipes , and material suppliers they are willing to share it all with you.
Carefully thought out tutorials with photographs of every step, helpful comments and links to sites which may also help. If you get stuck you know they will be willing to help if they can.
I am overwhelmed at how sharing other bloggers are. There are no secrets, no aim to keep their craft to themselves. They are willing to share their love with others and eager to see how you interpret their craft.
Nothing pleases a crafter more than seeing what you inspired others to create.
I have been so inspired that my list of things to re-create is getting longer each day. To see a collection of what has inspiring me have a look at my posterous site where you will find full photos, links and instructions to an array of beautiful items.
Here are just a few of the items which have inspired me recently and here are my interpretations of them:
Sugar cubes inspired by The Mad House
Gathered Clutch inspired by Noodlehead
No Sew Bunting inspired by Red Ted Art
I hope that the blogging community continues to be so open, honest and sharing.
The Great British Blog Festival. ‘Blogging is my pub’
This post is brought to you by Moon from Rambling Thoughts of Moon, as part of The Great British Blog Festival:
So… why do we blog … ?
Well, I know exactly why I blog … to tell and talk to people about my crazy choice of life !
I started blogging when English Mum introduced me to her blog. I saw it as a great way to be able to talk with my family, friends about my adventures, and for me to introduce myself to an ever growing list of friends I was making all over the world. You see, I made an interesting life choice in March of 2008. I had met a wonderful Slovak girl, and we were very happy. I was working in The City as a commercial Underwriter, loving my job, successful, BMW in the drive .. all happy times. She went off on a business trip to Mexico and then California, only for her company to ask her to stay on a while in the USA. ‘A While’ was eventually for 2 years !. I decided to pack my things, leave my job, rent my house and fly to live out in Newport Beach for 2 years. We went through the hassles of Visa, a 3 month period of me being stranded in Canada, got married, and loved every experience we could get in America. We saw some of the wonders of the world, drove 1000′s of miles to see as many national parks as we could, walked on the beach at night, and generally lived the dream.
This all came crashing down when I my renewal of my visa was delayed, I was again stranded in Canada, and this time I lost my job. So, we decided there and then to pack up and leave. I flew home, and left my wife to close out 2 years of our lives on her own. A huge effort from her, whilst I waited helplessly at home. So, onto a simpler life in the UK… not for us. within a week of her coming back, we shipped everything to Slovakia .. and here I am … learning a new language, new culture, new family… and a baby on the way. I have no work as yet… and we are about to buy an old cottage that will need so many alterations … we must be crazy !!!!!
So… why I blog … well, how else could I possible get to tell people this story… my old friends…. my new friends, and just interested passers through my blog. simply, you couldn’t, and I would be bored of typing 60 emails a week to let them now how the roller coaster ride is going. We love our photographs too, and I show them off as often as I can. I don’t know of anyone who has actually seen Slovakia as a country, as far as I am aware, I am the only Slovak blogger. It’s an amazing country, so full of beauty and history. The people are warm and kind, the food is good, and the beer is cold !
Why do others blog ?.. I guess you would have to ask them, but I think we all have a small ego that wants to be out there and noticed, and with a blog it can be done from home, no public speaking and often anonymous. I choose not to be anonymous, I don’t really mind if people know who I am. Once my little one comes along I will change and never post pictures etc, but for me I am happy to be out there. Blogging is my pub. My place to chat, express views, laughs, even some tears at times. I get people logging in from all over the world, some great old friends, some people I will never meet. It’s a great feeling when you have written a long blog, and then the replies and comments start to come in. We all live for comments don’t we ?… I get surprised when I write a meaningless post and I get lots of comments, and then other days I think my blog was pretty good… and I get nothing ! I post pictures, and people like the worst of them… I like to hear their opinions, and they can comment without being judged.
It’s an weird community us bloggers…. glad I am one of them !
The Great British Blog: a thing of beauty
This post is part of The Great British Blog Festival, where bloggers from all walks of life, all fields, all specialities, all interests, will be joining in and celebrating this fabulous thing that is blogging (or web-logging, as it first started out). Click the link to find more great blog entries for the festival over at LittleMummy.com.
Englishmum.com is a host blog for the festival, so this week, on here, as well as on various other host blogs, you’ll find a different blogger writing every day about something to do with blogging, whether it be a vlog (video blog), a post about the technical aspects of blogging, personal experiences, tutorials or list posts – do pop in and have a read – there’ll be something for everyone. Kicking off the week, then, is… erm… me:
But what exactly is a blog, or a web-log or whatever, I hear you ask? Well, according to Wikipedia, it is:
“a type of website or part of a website. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order. “Blog” can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog.”
A blog can be anything from an online diary of day to day family life, through to a collection of 140 character cake reviews – a celebration of everything British, or a ‘letter home’ from foreign climes.
The great thing about blogging is that whoever you are or whatever you write about, there’ll be a little community just waiting to welcome you. There are parenting communities, foodie communities, and fabulous fashion blogging communities. Maybe you’re a woman who likes to write – be it fiction, poetry or even travel writing? Well you can join Judith’s Room, where you can submit your work for other people to read, chat to other writers, or get support if things aren’t going right?
These communities show the sheer power of blogging – a blogger is never alone, there’s always someone, somewhere floating about in the dark recesses of the internet with similar view or interests, or five minutes to spare. And what better example than Bloggers for Haiti? What started out as an email between friends suggesting that we each do a blog post raising money for a JustGiving page, ended up spreading across the whole of the country, and even across the world. The generosity of my wonderful, supportive commenters (some of whom have been reading my blog since I started writing four years ago) absolutely amazed me, and I discovered some fantastic new blogs to read too. Bloggers for Haiti raised £4351.50, plus numerous other donations to the DEC fund. A fantastic achievement and an example of the sheer force of community in blogging.
If you’re a mum and fancy having a go at writing a blog, check out my lovely friend Erica’s fantastic new Mum Blogger Ebook (if you’re not a Mum, don’t be put off by the title – there’s lots in here for any form of blogging: right from starting your own blog, to Search Engine Optimisation, right through to dealing with the press and PR companies (which you will, once you become a famous blogger in your own right!). I’ve been blogging for four years, but still learned absolutely loads.
The eBook is £25 at full price, but you can buy it for £20 (including the monetise your blog download as a bonus chapter which sells separately for £5). Just enter the discount code: ENGLISHMUM20
The Real Food Festival
So yesterday, me and my chief photographer, AKA The Death Wish Child (armed with his new camera) travelled to The Real Food Festival at Earls Court as guests of the lovely Nick from My Daddy Cooks
With the big four dominating our food industry (yes, yes, I know it’s convenient to buy strawberries at Christmas, but sheesh…) The Real Food Festival is a great idea to give our fabulous small food producers a push. The organisers of the festival even go so far as to subsidise food and drink producers so they can join the festival and get their names (and their fabulous products) out there for everyone to see.
Here’s a few highlights of our day:
Watching Nick (and little Archie) up on the bandstand talking about My Daddy Cooks (and even welling up a little listening to all that applause!)
Tasting the scrumptious ‘Britfruit’ frozen yogurt and talking mango with the lovely Chris from Arctic Farm very near English Towers up at High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire.
Stroking beautiful, gentle Petal the Water Buffalo from Laverstoke Park Farm and talking to her ‘Dad’ all about the benefits of buffalo milk (much easier to digest than normal cow’s milk)
Meeting walking chilli encyclopaedia and all round nice girl Joanna Plumb from Edible Ornamentals who supplies, amongst others, former Masterchef winner Thomasina Miers’ fabulous Mexican Restaurant, Wahaca.
Bagging an invitation from Simon Mead to come and visit P E Mead and Sons and watch them making their fabulous Chiltern Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Rapeseed Oil!
Sampling the wares of the amazing vodka- and gin-making legends that are Sipsmith (shout out to lovely James for his enthusiasm – and big samples!). I’m not a big vodka drinker, but their gin was absolutely delicious – really floral and aromatic. Nom nom:
Chatting to the lovely Rob Bookham from Bookham’s Real Food about his gorgeous parmesan-like cheese, fantastically named Not Just a Pasta Cheese, and trying out his new Sussex Charmer, a delicious cross between Cheddar and Parmesan. Drool.
Indulging in a rare old tasting session with Penny from Bramley and Gage the liqueur makers, and getting great advice about using their Organic Sloe Gin to add to champagne to make a ‘Sloegasm’ (ooh, and their Elderflower Liqueur is out of this world too).
Meeting Paul Wayne Gregory and trying his amazing popping candy chocolate, while chatting about his chocolate making courses.
Meeting (and tweeting) the lovelies from Vegware and finally getting to see their amazing collection of fully compostable food packaging (yup, they even do cupcake boxes – with see through windows made of corn starch – clever buggers!).
Sharing some beautiful, fragrant Jasmine tea at the Mad Hatters’ Tea Party with the equally beautiful and fragrant Henrietta from The Rare Tea Company.
And finally, the temptation was strong, but we finally managed to tear ourselves away without shoving one of these gorgeous little piglets up our jumpers:
Guest Post Day: in which Rosie Scribble takes over at English Mum
The surreal and unpredictable world of blogging
It is with some apprehension, I suspect, that English Mum has handed her blog over to me for the day while she guest posts on mine. She has given me free reign over her corner of cyberspace and permission to write whatever I like. Only in the rather surreal world of blogging would anyone invite a friend over despite the fact they have never actually met in real life. Thankfully, English Mum is a great ‘virtual’ friend so I’m comfortable visiting here and she has left her fridge well stocked for me. There’s even a cupcake or two with my name on.
My own blog is generally a light-hearted look at life as the single parent of a six-year-old who thinks she runs the household. However, I do catch people off guard at times by throwing in a very heavy post or by attempting to tackle issues I feel strongly about – like six year olds taking SATS exams.
As a result, English Mum really has no idea what angle this post is going to take or where any of this is heading…
Well, it’s all about the surreal and unpredictable world of blogging. Several months ago I received an email from a fabulous blogger whose posts I’d read but had never had contact with before. She asked a group of us if we would be interested in using our blogs to raise money for the Haiti earthquake victims. Naturally, we all agreed and between us we managed to raise over £4000. That blogger was English Mum. We have emailed and tweeted ever since and have become good friends. I’ve read her posts with interest, she has commented on mine, and I’ve also become friends with @EnglishGrandma on twitter, who I must add is a gem.
Now, thanks to Little Mummy’s Guest Blog Day, I have been given this unexpected opportunity to guest post on English Mum’s blog. Only in Blogland could things like this happen.
My life is slightly different to English Mum’s. For one thing I cannot bake – a fact that may alarm many readers. So, there will be no recipe suggestions here. Also, I am yet to enter the slightly scary and unpredictable world of parenting teenagers. My daughter is just six.
So while English Mum tackles the issues of secondary schools, homework, adopting greyhounds, dog training, handling sleepovers, writing sensible book reviews, producing incredible recipes, and tackling the issue of political correctness with a teenager on her own blog, my life is a little different.
Conversations with a six-year-old tend to start with questions such as these:
• Is Santa watching me?
• Why is Grandpa’s hair grey but Granny’s isn’t?
• Why can’t I have chocolate for breakfast?
• Is Granny the same age as you?
• Can I have a pair of high-heeled shoes?
• Where do babies come from?
So you see, slightly different, for now at least, although things will change of course as they always do. You never know, one day I may become inspired to start baking. Stranger things have happened.
For regular readers hoping for a more food-themed post, my daughter has obliged by posing with her favourite party cake book:
She has also chosen a complicated Mermaid cake with elaborate blue icing that I suspect only English Mum could bake. There’s time though, her birthday is not until July 
If you want to find me today, I’m over at Rosie Scribble’s blog making Lemon Meringue Cupcakes – pop over and say hi!
EM xx
In which my mojo returns and I make ganache with Green & Black’s
So as you know, I kinda lost my blogging mojo.
It all started to really bug me. I mean, what am I exactly? A foodie blogger? In which case, should I concentrate on food, and not talk so much arse? Or am I a ‘mummy blogger’ (how I hate the term)? A foodie mummy blogger? A foodie blogger who’s also a mummy? A doggy blogger? A foodie doggy mummy blogger? A blogging mummy foodie… er… dogger?
I think I’m kind of ‘none of the above’, really. I’m a blogger who happens to be a mother of two ridiculously fantastic and hilariously funny boys of whom I’m immensely proud. And I’m a foodie. But I’m also a wife, a very occasional journalist (One article this year so far, count it: one.), and a daughter of quite the most spectacularly mental parents you could wish for. I write about food, yes, and I write about kids, but then I write about all sorts of old rubbish besides those two things and an awful lot more besides: greyhounds, chickens, ‘bollocks’ pies, sexual gymnastics…
So I decided I wouldn’t pigeonhole myself. I would let my verbal vomit run free. I would practice ‘no holds barred’ blogging – ‘blogging sans frontieres’, if you would. And do you know what? My mojo came back.
The return of the missing mojo was also partly due to the lovely chaps at Green & Black’s sending me a mahoosive parcel of chocolate. I mean, whose mojo could remain missing when surrounded by about ten different flavours of the most fabulous chocolate in the world?
And seeing as we’ve got the ginormous Cupcake Challenge in the offing, I thought I’d say a few words about chocolate and a few more about ganache:
A few words about chocolate
Chocolate, especially decent chocolate like Green and Black’s needs gentle treatment. That means that melting it in the microwave is a bit of a no no in my book, as the microwave can create hotspots and burn the chocolate or turn it grainy. The best way is to place it in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of hot water. Make sure the water isn’t touching the bottom of the bowl, and when the water starts to bubble, just turn it off and allow the chocolate to melt gently. I’m a bit anal, but I don’t like to stir until it’s completely melted:
Furthermore, there’s no point in bunging in a bar of Cadbury’s Dairy Milk (as nice as it is) – you need something good quality with a high cocoa content, and for cooking, good cocoa butter content will make for easier melting. I tried Green and Black’s Milk Cook’s Chocolate (one of many in my stash) and was really pleased with the result: melted easily? Check. Nice milky taste? Check. No hint of graininess? Check. Furthermore, each little square weighs exactly 5g. Magic!
A few more about ganache:
There’s some kind of ridiculous snobbery about ganache. I mean, just because it’s got a poncy French name it doesn’t mean it has to be poncy itself: it’s just cream and chocolate for goodness’ sake. If you make it runny you can pour it over things as a glaze, or if you make it stiffer you can make truffles, you can chill it and whip it and then pipe it on things too, but it’s still just chocolate and cream.
Anyhoo, so just whisk your cream into your melted chocolate until you get the required consistency (as above), then pour or spread over your cake as required. For piping, bung it in the fridge, then give it a whisk before filling your piping bag.
Et voila. Ganache. Magnifique, n’est-ce pas?
(Oh and these little beauties are red velvet cupcakes, taken from an awesomely, beautiful new book called ‘Eat Me’ by Xanthe Milton which is due to be published on Mar 4th – and guess who’s getting a review copy?!)
In which the YTPR comes to tea and talks me into being sociable
I am miserable.
I am also baking.
This is a bad mixture. At the best of times, I am the most spectacularly messy baker in the history of messy baking so I’m crashing stuff around, I have flour on my nose, every surface in the kitchen is covered in packets, bowls, utensils, half-chopped almonds and blobs of cookie dough… the mixer is going full pelt…
The doorbell rings and I yell at #2 to get the door.
It’s the YTPR, Craig. He obviously has the same amazing ability as Mr Lovely for sniffing out baking the moment it goes into the oven.
‘Hello!’, says the Rev, ‘I’m stalking you’.
‘Come in’, says I, ‘…and two emails and one blog comment don’t technically count as stalking. Cup of tea?’
‘Oh go on, then’, he says, ‘ooh, are you baking?’
We chat and drink tea as I continue to hurl things into the Very Special Anniversary KitchenAid. He threatens to tell Jen that I moaned that the whisk doesn’t get right to the edges.
He’s noticed, via my blog posts (that’s the way my life works) that I seem a bit down. We chat some more. He mentions that several of his female parisioners get together on a Tuesday for a few nibbles and a chat – nothing heavy or religious, just a bit of mutual support and a few cookies…
‘Whoah…’
[Cue sound of needle screeching across record]
‘I’m not very good at socialising’, says I. It’s true. I don’t know what’s wrong with me, really, as I’m quite friendly – but there’s something about socialising that scares the living crap out of me. I envisage a group of women all chatting and having fun. I walk in, and it goes all quiet like that scene in the pub in American Werewolf. I then continue to compound my awkward situation by uttering a string of increasingly absurd things. Eventually, they all throw their cookies at me and leave. Stupid, I know, but I can’t help it.
He reassures me that they’re all really friendly. His wife goes (I like his wife). One lady is a real foodie and does catering and makes chutneys and stuff…
‘What, like chutneys and chilli jam and stuff?’
‘Yeah, stuff like that’
‘Okay then, I’ll think about it. Biscuit?’
‘Oh go on, then.’
