Review: You and Your Tween (a Netmums book) - with Hollie Smith

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A lot has been said recently about The Tween. Not still a ‘kid’ (my mum would tell me off for that - ‘they’re not goats!’), and yet not really a teenager, the tween is a pretty modern phenomenon. Netmums’ new book, You and Your Tween, looks at ‘managing the years from 9 to 13′ with Hollie Smith, a parenting expert and author of no less than eight books on parenting. She should know what she’s talking about, then…

The sections are well thought-out and do make the book easy to dip in and out of when you need advice on a specific subject. There are chapters on conflict and communication, education, friends and peers, puberty (including the dreaded sex and relationships) modern media, good health, emotional issues, and independence and responsibility. Each section is enhanced, in my opinion, with the addition of the experiences of real mums. Sometimes these mums have tried different methods to those recommended in the book, or have approached a problem from a different angle. I like this - those ‘holier than thou you must do it my way’ books aren’t my cup of tea at all. I enjoyed reading how other mums deal with issues such as online time and homework, and really felt like I’d learned some new ideas and things to try.

Worthy of a mention, I thought, were the tips for talking and listening (I think we all need reminding to stay calm when dealing with our children, and the advice about giving your tweens your full attention when they’re talking is something that I will try hard to remember). I read a bit of the puberty section out to my own two, just for the sheer joy of watching them squirm, but even they admitted that the book’s approach was a good one - no nonsense and factual. It was also really interesting to read the varying approaches to on-screen time - ranging from no TV during the week, to no rules at all. The reminder that ‘when setting ground-rules for our tweens, most of us could still benefit from taking a long hard look at our own leisure habits’ struck a chord. So often in parenting we adopt a ‘do as I say not do as I do’ system, which is far from ideal.

All in all, I’d thoroughly recommend this book - with my oldest now 16, I wish I’d read it a good few years ago. If you’ve got a tween, or a nearly-tween, I’d give this a go. While nothing in parenting might be completely new (even if we put a new label on it), the advice is sound and the opinions are intelligent. And hey, who doesn’t need a little help?

Review: Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean On Stranger Tides

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First things first, when I’d promised to take de brevren out to see Pirates of the Caribbean On Stranger Tides, I’d forgotten that blimmin’ Kings of Leon were on at Slane. Practically every route had some kind of diversion or was absolutely jammed with Dublin buses, coaches and cars all headed for the gig. Arriving 5 minutes late, we actually headed into the 2D version instead of the 3D, so sadly I can’t tell you if the 3D photography was any good.

I’m a huge Disney fan, as you know, and a massive ‘Pirates’ fan to boot. I was, however, a bit nervous about this one, mostly because with Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom missing, I wondered if it was going to turn into the equivalent of Grease 2 or American Pie 3 - movies that just shouldn’t have been made. Happily, this honestly wasn’t the case.

What I adore about the ‘Pirates’ franchise is the enormity of it all - nobody does epic scenery, massive ships rolling upon broiling seas and lush desert islands quite like Jerry Bruckheimer. Johnny Depp brings his usual humour and quirkiness to the role of Jack Sparrow and Angelica, the ‘is she or isn’t she?’ daughter of Blackbeard played by Penelope Cruz, steps into the ‘love interest/feisty girly’ role really really well (although certain pronunciations did make us laugh a teeny bit). There was tons of chemistry between Angelica and Jack, even if the actual story of their past was a little murky.

Best bits? Well I don’t want to spoil it for you, but all I’ll say is look out for the mermaids - absolutely incredible. The French girl that plays Syrena, the mermaid they actually catch, is fabulous - the spark between her and missionary Philip Swift makes for a really nice bit of 0ff-plot interest. The swordfight between Barbosa and Jack in the unstable shipwreck is really cleverly done too. Ian McShane’s Blackbeard is a fabulously evil character (I’m always fascinated with their teeth - how do they get them so realistic-looking? Disgusting!).

All in all I’d say it’s every bit as good as the previous movies. Well worth battling through Slane traffic to go and see. The film is rated as 12A here in Ireland (presumably the same everywhere else but I know it’s not always the case). For parents of younger ones, though, I’d warn you that there are some bloody scary bits in (you’ll never look at Ariel the Little Mermaid in quite the same light), and several people took younger kids out crying. 9/10.

Operation Yeo Valley. In which I ask Laura to ‘knob for me’, we act like children, get told off and drink gin in a tin.

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So yes, I’ll admit it: Operation Yeo Valley was a tad complicated. It went something like this:

1. Pack bag. Check passport and ticket.

2. Threaten de brevren with death should there be any fighting, throwing things, torturing of the cat or breakage.

3. Check bag. Double check passport and ticket.

4. Lose car keys

5. Reiterate threats, adding loss of iPhones for EVER if anything gets broken/anyone gets bruised.

6.Find car keys. Leave for airport

7. Leave car in short-stay car park, leave key on front wheel (I know, I know) for Hubby (who has flown in from UK to mind kids) and text position of car.

8. Phone brevren and reiterate all threats whilst cleverly hiding this as final goodbye phone call.

9. Fly to Bristol, worrying about abovementioned fighting/throwing things/cat torture.

10. Land at Bristol to find that Husband has been delayed and won’t be home for another hour.

11. Implore husband to ring offspring and reiterate the threats of death for fighting/throwing things/cat torture.

12. Catch cab to B&B. Start to worry when cabbie won’t drive across gravel at B&B in case the owner’s wrath is incurred.

13. Get text from Laura to say that she has arrived at B&B after possibly the most expensive cab journey in the history of the world and been shown to her room, but a request to show me up there when I arrive was declined in case we ‘disturb’ other guests. Realise that Landlady possibly has us pegged as trouble.

14. Walk in door of B&B. Take shoes off (as directed by large sign). Meet B&B lady. Explain what a blogger is. Get show to downstairs room. Realise she has put me as far away as possible from Laura.

15. Realise that Laura has gin. Hatch an escape plan.

16. Spin ridiculous story to landlady about how I need to ‘brief Laura for tomorrow’. There is tutting. Sneak up to Laura’s room. Wince at squeaky stairs. Use special ‘password knock’ to gain entry.

17. Indulge in contraband Gin in a Tin (the stuff of gods - thank you M&S), and giggle a lot. It all feels slightly ‘Mallory Towers midnight feast in the dorm room’. Except with gin.

18. Text threats once more, just for good measure. Sleep.

19. Wake up. Send text to Laura in which I ask her to ‘knob for me’. Curse predictive text. I meant knock.

20. Have breakfast. Explain what a blogger is again. Meet lovely A from Yeo Valley and cackle like witches all the way to the fabulous Holt Farm Organic Gardens (more of this very soon), eat copiously and manage to say the word ‘knobber’ twice during brainstorming session.

Next time: serious garden envy, copious gnomage, aggressive roosters and how to eat so much yoghurt you think you’re going to explode.

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Michelle Obama’s speech at Oxford University: inspirational.

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I think I’ve got a bit of a crush on Michelle Obama (ahem, a totally girly non-pervy one).

Her speech to schoolgirls visiting Oxford University this afternoon was amazing: incredibly inspiring and uplifting.

I bet every mother of young women would pay a fortune to have their daughter in that room and be inspired by that speech.

On education: ‘Don’t be afraid to fail. Don’t be afraid to take risks. Learn to use your voice. Ask questions… ask stupid questions! Be laughed at. Get it wrong: trip, fall… and then get back up.’

And on choosing her husband: ‘I knew he was special… it was how he felt about his mother… his work ethic… he was smart… he was low key and he was funny…’ . You could tell she was really sharing. I loved the sense of intimacy.

On relationships: ‘Reach for partners that make you better… do not bring people into your life that weigh you down. Trust your instincts: good relationships feel good, they feel right. They don’t hurt - they’re not painful’.

On friendship: ’We as women in particular… starting today you all have to be supportive of each other. You can’t be jealous and push and trip… it’s hard enough, so in your lives now… be kind to each other, support each other because there’s room for everybody to succeed’.

What awesome advice.

And wowzers, her dress sense is pretty good as well. Check out the gorgeous gown she wore for the state dinner with the Queen. What say you?

Cinnamon buns

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When we were in the incredible Dubai Mall, searching for a place to sit down and have a quick coffee, we stumbled upon a cinnamon bun shop. The place makes amazing cinnamon buns, very similar to our Chelsea buns, but much more gooey. I didn’t actually eat one - not like me, but we were about to go on a rollercoaster - but the others were raving, and when I told my American chums on Twitter, they all swooned at the mere mention of the name.

When I got home, I was telling de brevren all about the heavenly smell emanating from these little swirls of delight. ’Ooh, make them, Mum!’ came the inevitable cry, ‘you have to make them for us!’. And being in that Saturday afternoon mood for a bit of lazy fiddling about in the kitchen, I set about making an attempt at recreating them (recipe at the bottom).

Cinnamon Buns

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450g strong white bread flour

1 tsp salt

75g sugar

1 x 7g sachet dried yeast

150ml milk

150ml water

50g butter

For the filling:

170g brown sugar

75g butter, softened

Pinch salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp good quality cocoa powder

So for the dough, I just used the same recipe as I use for my squishy iced buns. Basically just sieve the flour into a large bowl, then stir in the salt, sugar, and dried yeast. In a small saucepan, warm the milk, water, and butter over a low heat until the butter has just melted, then turn off the heat. The liquid should be at no more than blood temperature when it’s added to the dry ingredients. You can do this in the microwave, but remove it as soon as the butter starts to melt and stir gently until it’s all combined, otherwise you’ll be waiting for ages for it to be cool enough.

Pour most of the milky mixture into the dry ingredients and stir it around with a knife until you get a light dough. Leave it as sticky as you can bear as this will make your dough really plumptiously, pillow-soft. You can always add a bit of flour. Now start kneading. If you need any help, check out my ‘how to knead’ guide.

When you’ve kneaded for about 5 minutes and your dough is springy, soft and - brace yourself, you know I’m going to say it - looks exactly like a nice, round bottom-cheek, cover it with clingfilm and leave it in the airing cupboard or somewhere else warm until it’s doubled in size.

While your dough is proving, make your filling by creaming together all the ingredients. Put it aside, covered, but not in the fridge.

When the dough is risen, just knock it back with your fist and roll it out into a large rectangle. Spread over the filling, then roll it up into a long sausage. Cut into inch/inch and a half slices, and place them flat on a buttered baking tray. Cover them again for about half an hour until they’re really plump and lovely, then just bake them at gas 5/190 degrees C until golden brown. They’ll only take about 15/20 minutes.

If you want, you can add a topping (I reckon it’s probably similar to the cream cheese icing that you add to carrot cake). Fankly, I feel that the buns are already a little heart-attack in the making - but hey, feel free.

In which our hero discovers that Dubai is great for family holidays (and wants to go back)

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L to r: Gordon, Lucy, Abbie, me, Laura, Jennifer, Lynn

So Dubai, then. What springs to mind when you think of the place? For most of us I’d guess it’s that whole millionaire’s playground thing: fast cars, enormous luxury malls… oh and maybe you’d also worry about covering yourself up? Being arrested for kissing in the street?

Well that was more or less my view anyway. And I’m happy to admit that I couldn’t have been more wrong. I didn’t wear any of the stuff I’d packed to cover myself up, and the people are absolutely lovely - kind, respectful and courteous. And yes, you can hold hands (it’s pretty common for male friends to hold hands) and kiss your kids in the street, or your other half, with no problem at all. Real, full-on Public Displays of Affection (PDAs) would be considered pretty rude, but I don’t think many people anywhere would really want to pass people on the street full-on snogging would they? The Emirati are a peaceful, respectful bunch - they encourage tolerance (I was surprised to hear that every religion is encouraged here - you’ll find Hindu temples, Christian churches, everything you can think of) and we were welcomed inside the Jumeirah Mosque and encouraged to ask any questions we wanted (more of this later).

So what did we get up to? We had a packed schedule - we visited quite a few different hotels and apartments, all at different budgets - we went to a mosque, to an aquarium… an ice rink… on a desert jeep safari… an amazing variety. I really wanted to approach the trip with a view to bringing my family.

At the risk of boring the pants off you all, I thought I’d split this into sections. Here’s what I discovered:

Hotels

We visited the whole gamut of accommodation, from self catering apartments to the amazing luxury of the Burj Al Arab (the one shaped like a sail).

The Madinat Jumeirah

Our hotel was at the Madinat Jumeirah - an enormous resort containing two hotels, villas, tons of restaurants, a souk and masses more. It’s all linked together by an amazing waterway system so you can get everywhere you like by just hailing an Abra (water taxi). We stayed in the Mina A’Salam - a beautiful boutique hotel with views over the Burj Al Arab.

Check out my room!

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Here’s the view from my balcony:

There’s a great kids’ club there - with all-day facilities should you wish to leave your little ones. Their attention to safety is amazing - we counted three lifeguards around the baby pool alone:

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They’re also in the process of building a climbing wall and a kids’ gym too.

The Jumeirah Beach Hotel

This fabulous, wave-shaped hotel would be a great choice for anyone with school-aged kids, as the hotel is attached to the Wild Wadi water park and guests get free access (you can also access the water park from the Jumeirah Madinat by hailing one of the golf buggies that take people around the resorts). They’ve also got loads of amazing themed restaurants (wild west dining, anyone?) and the manager, Margaret Paul, was very keen to tell me that they’re not just a ‘chicken nuggets and chips’ kind of place (although of course you’ll find that on the menu too!).

This is the view from one of the rooms at the Jumeirah Beach overlooking the Wild Wadi water park - how cool is that?!

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The Oasis Beach Tower

If you fancy going self-catering, a great affordable (but still luxe) option is to head to the Oasis Beach Tower (right next to Frankie’s - Marco Pierre White and Frankie Dettori’s joint venture restaurant) in the Jumeirah Beach area, very close to the lovely Dubai Marina area:

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The apartments are huge, with two, three, or even four big bedrooms (each with a bathroom), a really well appointed kitchen (you can have a chef come in and cook for you if you’re feeling lazy - or of course there’s the miriad restaurants in the marina area):

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We ate in the Thyme Mediterranean restaurant in the tower, and I have to say it was one of my favourite meals - a lovely mezze starter with tons of lovely Arabian bread to dip in was followed by a huge slab of beef from the carvery:

We all loved the creamy cabbage accompaniment so much that we had to ask the chef for the recipe, and the roasted herby pumpkin was just delicious. Finished off with a gooey chocolate fondant, we waddled out of the place replete and delighted. I’d go back tomorrow.

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The Burj Al Arab

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Of course if you want luxe luxe, then look no further than the beautiful, spectacular, amazing Burj Al Arab. Designed to look like the sail of a dow, it is luxe on such a major scale that some journalists have declared it 7 star (although they’re far too polite to actually say that themselves). We felt like such interlopers looking around - it was amazing. Each suite is a duplex, with living accommodation on one floor:

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…and then your own stairs up to the bedrooms above:

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This is the master suite:

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and for the kids…

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Check out the bathroom:

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And oh, the food… these were only nibbles:

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Nothing is too much trouble and the service is bloody amazing.

I won’t bore you with all my photos, but if you do fancy having a look, they’re on my Facebook page: www.facebook.com/englishmumdotcom

Do also check out my ‘ten amazing family activities in Dubai’ over at havealovelytime.com.

Up, up and away! My helicopter adventure in Hertfordshire

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So when the email came through last week saying ‘fancy going to Dubai on Friday to check out what facilities they have for children?’, my initial reaction was ‘Friday? What, THIS Friday?’. It just seemed an impossibility. I was especially disappointed as after I’d had to turn down a once in a lifetime invitation to join the Disney Dream inaugural cruise, I’d kind of promised myself that I wouldn’t let another amazing opportunity pass me by. I’d decided that, come what may, I’d always embrace every opportunity that comes my way. Hey, life is short. Carpe diem and all that.

Sadly, after consulting with English Dad, who was too busy at work to come over and look after de brevren, it seemed like it was not to be. With a heavy heart, I sent a ‘thanks but no thanks’ email back to lovely Abbie, the PR.

Not ten minutes later, he sent a text: ‘wait, why don’t you bring the boys over here?’, and suddenly, it was that easy. The Mad Prof wanted to stay here, but with nobody to pop in and check he was okay, we decided to bring him too. Armed with books, and with his Xbox in his hand luggage, we hopped on a Ryanair - the Death Wish Child already frantically texting friends to meet him at the skate park.

We got up at ridiculous o’clock, flew to Luton, and then went back to English Grandma’s for a few hours. The plan was that English Dad would rush home from work, pick me up and drop me at Heathrow in time for my flight.

And then another setback. A text: ‘I’m stuck at Battersea Heliport. Not going to make it, sorry’. Nooooo! After all our planning and hard work, the trip was just doomed to failure.

Or was it? Another text: ‘can you get to the cricket club? I’ve got a plan’. So we rushed to the cricket club. And this happened:

And so I got to travel in style to start my holiday! It was really amazing. I made sure he kept his hands on the controls…

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While I had a quick nosey out the window as Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire spread out below me:

And before long we were landing in High Wycombe:

Huge thanks to the amazing, fantastic, talented, gorgeous and utterly brilliant Leon for the loan of his pilot and aircraft!

On, then, to Heathrow Airport, and 7 hours later, Dubai, where the 40 degree heat hit us all like the blast of a hairdryer. Much much more to tell you, but talking of helicopters, I’ll leave you for now with this little shot of the Burj Al’Arab:

Oh and by the way, if you fancy going up, up and away just like me, or even fancy having a go at flying yourself (ably assisted by my rather talented other half) you can contact the wonderful Helicopter Services here.

English Mum’s Big Bakeoff - win a Bush frost free fridge freezer from Argos!

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I’ve seen some pretty fabulous cakes recently…. there’s Amy‘s fabulous Xbox cake, made for her husband’s birthday:

And my gorgeous Jen, BFF and maker of our wedding cake, made this fabulous handbag and shoe cake (the detail on the shoe is quite incredible):

And then I was chatting on twitter to the lovely Helen at Aardvark Cakes about how she made her amazing Gruffalo Cake:

… and she even went as far as publishing a tutorial so we can all have a go at making that amazing Gruffalo!

So all this gorgeous baking is making me think that it’s time for another bakeoff. Now obviously I’m not expecting Xbox cakes or Gruffalos, but just anything you’ve made yourself that you’re proud of. Maybe it’s a batch of fairy cakes, or a lovely pie that you made for tea? Maybe a great loaf of bread or a stonking batch of brownies?

The Rules

As usual, there are very few rules (still sad about the scrapping of the ‘send English Mum a piece of each one’ rule, to be honest):

1. You’ve actually got to bake something (although see below re: sneaky rule breaking)

2. Take a picture

3. Email it to me at english[dot]towers[at]gmail[dot]com or via the contact form at the top of the page, telling me what it is and who you are. Entries must be received by midnight on the last day of May.

The Cheaty Bits

As usual, sneakiness is encouraged, and any entertaining reason why your entry should still be considered will be looked upon favourably. For example, if your trifle is beautiful, but obviously not exactly baked, let me know. I’m a flexible type and I’ll probably allow it. No lying though. Okay, a bit of lying then, but not too much…

Techy Stuff

If you’re a blogger, please link back to this post, and if you’re a tweeter, please use the hashtag #Bigbakeoff - you can find Argos on Twitter here: @Argos_Online. If you’re neither, then just ignore this bit completely.

The Prize

The frankly fabulous chaps at Argos have agreed to give the winner an amazing Bush BAFF55161S Frost Free Fridge Freezer in Silver, worth £359.99 (don’t forget to check out the rest of Argos’ fridge freezers).

Entries will be displayed in one enormous blog post heralded by a complete mental breakdown (usually made public on Twitter – but hey, what’s a bakeoff without a little hysteria).

The Judge

The wondrous and gorgeous winner of the last bakeoff, Arlene from The Fuzzy Times has foolishly agreed to be the judge. All bribes and approaches of a dubious nature are to be made directly to her and not via this blog. The judge’s decision is final.

So that’s it, then. You’ve got loads of time, plenty of inspiration, and some very ambiguous rules. Let’s get baking!

The small print
This competition is UK only unless onward transport is arranged by the winner
Delivery will be within 28 days of Argos receiving the winner’s address, and the competition prize may vary at the discretion of Argos
The prize as described will be supplied direct from Argos, and there is no cash alternative

Review: Douwe Egberts Aromettes

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I’m not a coffee fan. Oh I like it in cakey bun form, for example in a coffee and walnut cake, or added to brownies to complement dark chocolate, but hot and in a cup? Not so much.

When Douwe Egberts asked me to trial their cute little Aromettes, then, I rushed straight round to Poppy’s Mum’s house, knowing that Poppy’s Dad is somewhat of a coffee connoisseur.

The concept is quite a cute one. Each little ‘aromette’ is a compressed coffee-bean shape of roasted and ground coffee, the theory being that they’re perfectly portioned - one bean per person.

You just pop the little beans into your cafetière or filter machine in place of your normal ground coffee – one bean for one cup, two beans for two cups, and so on. The water breaks down the compressed ground coffee, and (I quote) ‘the fresh taste and aroma is released, giving you a delicious coffee that’s full of flavour’.

So did they work? Over to Poppy’s Dad:

Were the little beans the right amount for a single serving?

We tested the “smooth aroma” Aromettes (Strength 3) and “intense aroma”Aaromettes (strength 5). ‘I used a coffee-press and thought the “smooth aroma” nuggets were too weak, ending up using 1.5-2 nuggets per cup. The “intense aroma” nuggets were my favourite, just the right strength.’

And the coffee?

‘Great coffee (subject to one’s strength preferences) and intensely convenient.’

So there you have it. Its a thumbs up for the Douwe Egberts Aromettes. Don’t say I don’t work my friends hard on your behalf.

Douwe Egberts Aromettes are available from most supermarkets priced £3.69 for a resealable tin containing 30 beans.

In which our hero makes decisions and does lots of sighing

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So Easter was blimmin’ fab. Two weeks of blistering sunshine at home - two weeks with English Dad, and lots of time to see the family (although my beautiful niece Turtle finally had her tonsils out and then wasn’t allowed to socialise with any of us for fear of her catching all our germans, so our barbecue had to be cancelled. Still, there’ll be other times).

I’ve got loads of stuff to tell you about - I’ve already done Portobello Road and not one, but two birthdays, but there’s much more - we had a fabulous and very boozy visit to the Sipsmiths, we ate out more than I thought humanly possible, and on The Mad Professor’s birthday, before going for a lovely Chinese meal, the Disreputable Dad took us up to the bluebell woods up at Ringshall in Hertfordshire. The light was filtering through the trees, and the deer were sauntering around just by the side of the road. Just beautiful.

The main reason for the visit, though, was decision making. We both knew that things would have to change (read all about it here) and amongst all the eating, drinking and socialising, stuff was sorted.

The biggest decision, not unexpectedly, is that we’re moving back to England.

*sigh*

Yes, I love English Towers. I love Ireland full stop. I’ve made some precious friends here. But a house is not a home unless it’s filled with the people you love. There’ll be other kitchens (I keep telling myself this) but there’s only one family. And we need to be together. Hell, the oldest is now 16 - we won’t all be together for too much longer. Our precious family time must be savoured.

So my lovely friend Poppy’s Mum has decided that she’ll keep the chooks (they were at her house for their ‘heniday’ anyway). I’ll miss them, but now they’re finally settled (after some interesting turf wars) it seems mean to mess them about again…. and poor Ninja Cat of Death will have to relive the ‘poo of shame’ in her cat basket on the ferry again.

Yesterday, feeling that I should crack on with the epic task that is packing (I hate packing) I enlisted the Death Wish One to help be get started going through my massive collection of cookery books, packing them into boxes, and trying to set aside ones that I really don’t need. This ended badly after about 15 minutes of him holding up books and going ‘surely you don’t need this one?’ and me bleating about really needing it and not being able to live without it. A Nigella classic was hurled. The subject is now closed.

Turns out, I need all of them…

Gin o’clock! A visit to the Sipsmith Distillery

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A Londres encore! This time we headed to Hammersmith to visit the wonderful chaps at Sipsmith. I first met James at the Real Food Festival (incidentally, you can win tickets to this year’s festival over at My Daddy Cooks), and was enchanted by the fantastic aromas of their bespoke London Dry Gin (you know I love a gin). At the time he said ‘oh you must come and see us’, but then we headed back to Ireland and I’d all but put it out of my head, until our visit home this week and a chance ‘tweetup’ with lovely Sipsmith Sam.

Anyhoo, the first surprise was the actual distillery. I’m not quite sure what I was expecting - a factory? a warehouse? - but I don’t think it was a plain blue door tucked down a quiet little London side street:

The Distillery

We were met by a very friendly Sam (sadly, his partner Fairfax had already headed off for the Easter weekend) and the lovely James. I’m keen to hear about their history and Sam doesn’t disappoint. Sam and Fairfax were childhood friends. Both worked at large drinks companies, and both had a hankering to form a distillery that was small, bespoke and original. The thing I most admire about the Sipsmiths is their sheer enthusiasm. The next hour was full of effusive chat, about everything from gin’s pretty awful reputation (historically - mother’s ruin and all that), to a bit about the science as to how the gorgeous Prudence, their beautiful copper still (handmade in Bavaria) , actually changes the ‘raw’ alcohol into the gorgeously fragrant London Gin and Barley Vodka that is Sipsmith’s end product.

Sam was so generous with his time - and his expertise - letting us see, taste and touch the raw materials that go into making Sipsmith’s gin so amazing. He fielded all my mental questions (‘do you have to clean Prudence?’ - they do, and it’s a gargantuan task - she’s becoming redder and more fiery looking as she ages) and his eyes practically glittered as he told us how Sipsmith’s first batch was ‘born’ on the same day as Fairfax’s daughter, Emily. To this day, you can log on to their website and see what amazing thing happened on the day your batch was ‘born’.

Sam introduced us to the botanicals that make the gin smell so divine and give it its unique flavours… we crushed coriander seeds in our hands and smelled them - have you ever done it? The scent is amazingly floral - you can actually smell lavender and fresh grass! Likewise juniper - the smell is heady and gorgeous when you crush the little brown seeds in your fingers. We buried our noses in a huge jar of the marzipan-scented bitter almond and chewed Chinese cassia bark. The experience was amazing: sight, touch, taste… a little glimpse into the magic that Fairfax and Sam create in their flame-haired Bavarian beauty.

We also talked about Sipsmith’s Barley Vodka: don’t think vodka tastes of anything? Wait ’til you taste Sipsmith’s - your mouth is filled with the flavour - and it’s not harsh and burny.. it’s almost, well, rich-tasting - does that sound weird?

I ask Sam how he likes to drink his own creations: ‘well you can’t beat a Vesper’ (remember the drink that James Bond names after Vesper in Casino Royale?’):

Bond: ‘Three measures of Gordon’s, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it’s ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon peel. Got it?”

And what’s next for the talented Sipsmiths? Well, there’s a move to bigger premises planned, and there’s a batch of Sloe Gin (we tasted it, it’s incredible - not gloopy and thick, but light and citrussy) and a new product: Damson Vodka, gently steeping, ‘ready for rolling out on the glorious 12th’

I can’t wait!

Massive thanks to Sam and James for their time (and for the bottle of gin that we clutched happily on the tube all the way home!) xx

You can find Sipsmiths stockists here.

Step by step chicken stock, chicken soup and herby cheesy bread

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Friday was a roast chicken kind of day. We lazed around, watched the Royal Wedding (which incidentally, I thought I’d feel really ‘meh’ about, but loved every minute and even had a bit of a blub - wasn’t she divine?) and did very little.

Our dinner was a chicken, roasted with a ‘lemon up its bum’ (won’t make a page in my recipe book, admittedly, but it’s a family favourite) and some local new season potatoes and simple veggies. Afterwards, we sat chatting at the table, picking at the leftover chicken with our fingers. ‘This is my favourite way to eat chicken’, said the Mad Professor. I have to agree.

Of course, the very best thing about chicken is that you get to make chicken soup the next day. I’m a bit of a random soup maker, so there could be anything in there - parsnips… potatoes… a handful or two of lentils… leftover bacon… whatever takes my fancy. Generally, though, my method is the same.

For the basic stock:

First, pick over the chicken - you’ll be surprised how much meat you can still get off, even when you think it’s nearly finished. With the carcass on a board, have a bowl and a large stock pot in front of you. As you pick, place the nice bits of chicken in the bowl, and any dodgy bits or skin in the pot. When you’ve finished, chuck the rest of the carcass in the pot, cover generously with water (anything up to 2L really) and then bung in your flavourings, popping the bowl of choice chicken back into the fridge.

Flavourings:

Depending on your personal preference, and what you’ve got leftover, this could be a couple of onions, a couple of carrots, a few peppercorns, parsley stalks, bay leaves, garlic… Pop in a generous pinch of sea salt, but don’t go mad, you can adjust this later.

Then just boil it up - leave it for as long as you want as the flavours will just intensify - I’ll often leave it bubbling away for a couple of hours.

Now just cool and strain. I can’t bear to throw away anything remotely edible like the carrots, onions, etc, but of course you can. At this stage you can freeze the stock, or carry on and make soup.

To make soup:

Pop in a couple of carrots, parsnips, leeks… (again, whatever you have) and then add a couple of handfuls of lentils - this thickens it up nicely. Leave it to simmer and get on with the bread…

Cheesy herby bread:

225g self raising flour

50g butter

110g strong cheddar, grated

Couple tbsp chopped herbs - whatever you have - I often just use dried mixed herbs

1 egg

200ml milk

Of course these wedges are really more like scones, but they’re so easy to make and go perfectly with soup.

Put the flour into a large bowl, season generously with salt and pepper, then rub in the butter just like you would for, say, a crumble, until it looks breadcrumby. Grate the cheese and stir into the flour mixture with a fork until well blended (you don’t want big lumps of cheese) and add in the herbs. Then measure out your milk in a jug, add the egg and whisk until combined. Pour slowly into the floury cheesy mixture, mixing until it just comes together and makes a soft dough. You can reserve any leftover egg/milk mixture to brush onto the top before baking.

Tip the dough out onto a floured surface and give it a gentle knead just until it comes together in a nice ball. Flatten it out until it’s about 2″ thick and vaguely circular and then just divide it into six or eight wedges. Brush with the leftover milky mixture and bake at 200 degrees for about 15 minutes.

Lastly, blend up the soup and add back in the nice bits of chicken, stirring to warm them through well. Serve with some yummy herby cheesy bread, and feel all smug and self-sufficient.

Oh, and remember if you’re a food blogger - it’s best to take the picture before they eat the food.