Karen an Avid Organiker

Re-Cycling

2012-02-13T12:16:00.002+01:00

Avid is 100% committed to re-cycling where possible. However, whilst I am happy to take empty AVID delivery boxes away, I am no longer able to take any other items you may have. I truly appreciate your kind and well meaning thoughts, when you hand over empty vegetable boxes (collected from retailers other than Avid), but unfortunately it could lead to disaster! This week I have received several vegetable packing boxes for non organic produce, which could lead me liable to prosecution…….!

So, please, to help me sleep at night, return AVID boxes only.

Thank you!

RECIPE Gluten Free Polenta Corn Pancakes

2012-02-13T11:11:00.000+01:00

These gluten free, more-ish savoury bites are my alternative to traditional pancakes. Too tasty to save for Pancake Day!

Ingredients
1 can organic sweet corn drained
60g organic polenta grain
60g organic rice flour
1 tsp organic dried herbs
1 small organic pepper; finely diced
2 free range organic eggs, beaten
1 tbsp organic olive oil
seasoning to taste

Method
Place half the sweet corn into a food processor & blitz, until finely chopped.
Empty into a large bowl & add the remaining sweet corn, polenta, flour, dried herbs & diced pepper.
Carefully mix in the beaten eggs, a little at a time.
Season well.
Heat the oil in a large griddle pan, or non stick frying pan. Place spoonfuls of the batter, spaced well apart, into the hot pan.
Cook for 3mins and then carefully turn with a spatula. Cook for a further 3mins.
Cook in batches, until the batter is used up, adding more oil to the pan if necessary.

Fry in batches on a griddle

Lovely homely food

Serve warm.

I enjoy mine with my bean & veg chilli.

Penistone Farmers Market Feb 2012

2012-02-11T21:21:00.000+01:00

6.30am this morning, as I started my van, my heart sunk a little.
OK. A lot.
Minus 6 degrees flashing neon, was enough to make me shudder.
Penistone, not known for it's 'mild' climate, would be minus 10.
Guaranteed.
And then there was the fact that the new market building, whilst beautiful, was designed by someone who'd clearly never visited the Baltic town it was intended for. Apparently it's structure draws air inwards and up. Fantastic in hot climates; not so great in one of the coldest Penine towns. Even mid Summer last year, market traders were in their thermals.
So, this morning I knew, despite my woolly tights, wellie socks, seal skin socks (no seals harmed, honest), fur lined walking boots, two pairs of gloves, daft hat, scarf, three coats (I kid you not), it was going to be harsh.
And boy, was I right.
Put it this way: I would have wrote this blog EIGHT hours ago...but my fingers have only just thawed out.
It was FREEZING!!!
I keep feeling the end of my nose, to make sure it's still there. It is. Only just.
Overall, it was a good day. My lasagne's and pies sold out within an hour and I came home with just one carrot cake (shame...that's all MINE).
The best thing about the day, though, was my talk with Hacking Hill Farm. They do amazing pedigree sausages, hand made meat pies (including traditionally made pork pies) and suchlike, my husband and daughter adore. I'm off to see them on Thursday to discuss discounted rates for Avid customers.
I'll keep you posted

Breakfast Bounce Flapjack

2012-02-11T16:58:00.000+01:00

With my husband a keen long distance cyclist and myself a runner, we're always after high protein snacks. My Breakfast Bounce Flapjacks are perfect, any time of the day. Stuffed full of seeds, walnuts, dried fruit & ginger they hit the spot nicely.

Cuddle up Lasagne

2012-02-10T10:00:00.000+01:00

And finally (for today), my Cuddle up Lasagne. Slow cooked lentils in a rich tomato sauce, layered with organic pasta & tasty bechamel.

Traditional warming fodder.

Big enough for a family....or a feast for two love birds....

I also have two gluten free varieties available at the Farmers Market, Penistone Sat 11th Feb 8am-12pm.

Love Tarts

2012-02-10T09:46:00.000+01:00

Organic Seasonal Veg & Cheese Tart (with sage crust)

Gluten Free Spicy Lentil tart

My tarts always sell well at the Farmers Markets. Here are my Valentines Organic Seasonal Veg & Cheese (with sage crust) and Gluten Free Spiced Lentil. Serve warm or cold. Suitable for freezing....though why would you when they're screaming EAT ME NOW....?

Roast Squash (me) Love Pies

2012-02-10T09:34:00.000+01:00

These pies are made with my experimental roast pepper, shortcrust pastry. I added diced, roast peppers & dried herbs to the pastry dough. I admit I was a little dubious it would hold-but the result was amazing. A very short, crispy pastry with a smokey pepper flavour.

That pastry will knock your loved ones socks off......

Love Pies. Perfect for Valentines

With a filling of slow roast organic squash & garlic, in a rich tomato sauce, they're perfect for Valentines. They are my Squash (me) Love Pies. I have four......on sale at Penistone Farmers Market Sat 11th Feb.

Take a bow...exit stage left......

Apricot Date & Nutmeg Loaf

2012-02-09T18:53:00.000+01:00

This evening is all about proving my love for making bread is still alive and kicking.

My Apricot Date & Nutmeg Loaf.

The leftover dough was made into buns, with home made orange marmalade, brown sugar & flaked almonds..........drooooool

Farmers Market Sat 11th Feb

2012-02-09T10:36:00.000+01:00

Ok, so the offerings for the Farmers Mkt this Sat:
Family sized Veggie Lasagne (or snuggle up & share with your Valentine)
Gluten Free Veggie Lasagne
Roast Butternut Squash (me) Love Pies-with a roasted pepper pastry crust (just a bit gorgeous)
Gluten Free Curried Lentil Tarts
Seasonal Veg & Cheese Tarts
Organic Carrot Cake
Gluten free Carrot Cake
Walnut Tea Bread
Fresh veggies...probably frozen (straight from the field)
RIGHT...PINNY ON..........

The Hungry Gap

2012-02-08T13:04:00.000+01:00

'The Hungry Gap'; you may have heard of it, but are unsure of its' meaning. Not suprising really, as it's significance in developed countries has decreased alongside importation growth. These days, people can (and do) indulge in year round fruit and veg, much of which is imported.
And not just in the Winter.
Instilled shopping habits have made us greedy for 'pretty' vegetables, with no consideration of where they are from, or how they got here. It's a sad fact: the majority of people are ignorant to seasonal fluctuations and hence, The Hungry Gap is no longer an issue.
Except it is.
Well, it is for those who CARE about the origin of their food and how it TASTES.
Such people, are those you'll find shopping with Avid. Organics aside, they CARE that UK seasonal produce tastes better than half-hearted, watery week old offerings from some far flung country. So, on the whole, they go with the seasons. Just like the 'good old days' when we relied on allotments and back gardens to fill our plates.
Seasonal eating in the UK is great....until we get to The Hungry Gap. Then it gets a bit tricky.
By definition, 'the hungry gap is the name for the period in spring when there is little or no fresh produce available. It usually starts when overwintered brassica vegetables "bolt" (run up to flower) as the days get warmer and longer, but sooner if a very hard frost kills these crops. It ends when the new season's first broad beans are ready'
In a nutshell, it's when we have naff all in the fields and our stores are either running out, (or well past their best).
Thankfully, The Hungry Gap doesn't last long. It's arrival and length depends very much on Mother Nature. So, we can remain loyal to our own produce, only 'topping up' from further afield, when absolutely necessary.
Just so you know, Avid ALWAYS favours produce from the UK, before Europe. And even then, all produce is non air freight.
Importing is not perfect-but then I'm realistic.
No one wants cabbage broth for three weeks.
And I don't want customers drifting into the supermarket, where frankly, making money comes first.

March Shut Down

2012-02-07T19:16:00.002+01:00

In March I will be closing Avid down for a week, whilst I recover from a minor operation. I apologise in advance for any inconvenience this may cause.

The shut down will affect the following delivery dates:

Tues 13^th, Wed 14^th, Thurs 15^th & Fri 16^th March.

Deliveries will resume Tues 20^th March.

If you are on a fortnightly schedule and would like an additional delivery to bridge the gap, please email or call me.

If you currently pay by standing order and have credit on your account, please feel free to temporarily freeze your payments, until credits are used up. Alternatively, any accumulated credits can be used against additional orders in the future.

Thank you for your patience!

COMPETITION-Winner! Offer next week-FREE Organic Spuds

2012-02-07T07:38:00.000+01:00

And the winner is…

Well done Katie Hilton (Sheffield) for coming up with this great offer! By winning the Create an Offer competition, Katie has won the very offer she designed!

Katie informs me next week (w/c) 21st Feb, is National Chip Week. To celebrate, she suggested Avid gives away organic spuds. Perfect! So, deliveries 14th-18th Feb, thanks to Katie, you’ll get a free 1kg of organic potatoes with every order over £10. Simply place items up to, or over the value of £10 into your basket and then go to the Special Offers/Fresh Produce aisle, to pick up your free spuds.

If you don’t fancy chips, visit the Recipes page or my blog for a healthy spiced potato wedge & honey dip recipe. (shhhhh I won’t tell…….)

RECIPE: National Chip Week Spiced Wedges with Honey Dip

2012-02-06T08:42:00.000+01:00

The chunkier you make these, the healthier they will be, as fatter wedges absorb less oil.
Ingredients

1kg organic potatoes
2 tbsp organic olive oil
½ tsp each organic paprika, turmeric, ground cumin & ground coriander
sea salt flakes to taste

For the dip
1 tbsp organic wholegrain mustard
1 tbsp organic clear honey
6 tbsp organic mayonnaise

Method

Preheat the oven to hot (200C/gas 6) Cut each potato into six wedges & cook in boiling water for 5mins. Drain really well.
Whilst the cooking pan is still warm, add the oil, spices and salt. With the lid on, toss the potatoes until well coated.
Transfer the seasoned wedges to a large baking sheet, (two if necessary). Cook for 20-25mins, turning regularly, or until evenly crisped.

To make the dip, combine the ingredients in a bowl, season to taste & chill until required.

Serve hot out of the oven.

COMPETITION

2012-02-04T11:15:00.000+01:00

I'm all offered out....
....and still searching for my next best offer.
So, here I am, offering YOU the chance to come up with a viable Special Offer for deliveries 14th-17th Feb, with the chance of winning that very offer!
So, maybe it will be a buy one get one free...a reduced price, or a specially themed box.
You decide.
The best one wins.
When creating your offer, you need to remember the following:
-be realistic. The offer should not bankrupt Avid....offers are there to encourage sales in slow areas.
-be inventive, but don't over complicate things. No one wants to jump through hoops to get a few pence off an organic carrot.
-think of ways to attract new customers, whilst still considering the old. Don't alienate regular customers!
Once you have come up with your offer, email it to me at the usual address or follow the link to the site contact page.
The best offer will be announced Mon 6th Feb.

http://www.avidorganics.co.uk/contact.asp

The Trials & Tribulations of an Organic Box Scheme

2012-02-04T10:39:00.001+01:00

It's started.
My winter anxiety.
The frozen lettuce kicked it off.
There it was, sitting on the top of a veggie box, yesterday morning, winking at me.
I'M FROZEN! It yelled, just before crumbling into tiny pieces.
Arrrggghhhhhh!
So, it's official.
The annual 'Curtain Twitching, come Weather Forecast Obsession Season' has landed.
For the next two months you'll find me growling at excited kids (and adults, with the day off work) on sledges, as I contemplate the complexities of:
a) getting produce out of frozen fields
b) getting produce to my door, when the snow arrives
c) coping with frost damaged veggies
d) getting produce to my customers (the majority of whom live at the back of beyond, up a ruddy snow-capped, polar ice mountain, with Billy Goats....okay, the goats are an exaggeration, but you get my drift?)
I keep reminding myself that this year, so far, we've got away lightly. Last year the annual Curtain Twitching, come Weather Forecast Obsession Season started in October. And it wasn't just a frozen lettuce winking at me that signalled it's arrival; it was the several tons of snow dumped overnight, that gave the game away. The memory of carrots shattering and veggie boxes freezing to packing shelves will stay with me forever. As will the vision of my husband sledging down a main road, in Holmfirth, on an empty veggie box......
The problem with my business is that, (for some bizarrely sick reason), the snow ALWAYS arrives about three minutes after I've accepted delivery of several hundred pounds worth of produce.
So, after I've accepted delivery, I really appreciate customers calling me, (to let me know they can manage without their order), but by golly, am I going to try and get to them.....my family like veggies...but not THAT many veggies.
I've been weather watching for the past twenty four hours now.
Do you know how many weather programs there are on TV?
Loads.
And then, there's the Internet and phone apps.
I can tell you what time the snow is due to arrive (in every area), how long it's going to last and when it's going to stop.
So, until around March 31st, you'll find me in a permanent state of mini meltdown...roll on the Easter Bunny.

Low Calorie Upside Down Pud

2012-02-03T16:40:00.000+01:00

I made this very moist, low calorie upside down pudding using wholemeal flour & Rachel's Organic Natural Yoghurt. Delicious....with a big fat dollop of organic cream.....

New Organic Veggie on the Block

2012-02-02T08:36:00.000+01:00

This week, I hope to introduce you to the organic Flower Sprout; a cross between kale and Brussels sprouts. A relatively new vegetable, I’ve not yet tasted, I’m assured it tastes similar to sprouts and is best eaten steamed or stir fried.

Kale and Brussels sprouts are part of the same family called Brassicas, with similar genetics, despite their different appearance. Similar genetics allows cross-fertilisation, where pollen of one species is used to fertilise the flower of the other, thus creating new hybrids.

Both kale and sprouts are classed as super foods as they are good sources of dietary fibre and B vitamins, as well as being high in folate and iron.

Let me know what you think!

What's in Season FEBRUARY

2012-02-01T12:32:00.002+01:00


Ugly organic celeriac.....beautiful taste
Veg In Season Artichoke-Jerusalem Brussels Sprouts Broccoli-Purple Sprouting Cauliflower Celeriac Chard EndiveKale Kohlrabi Leeks Lettuce Spinach Swede Turnips		Veg & Fruit From Store Apples Pears Beetroot Garlic Parsnip Potatoes Squash
Veg to Look Forward To Radishes		Veg & Fruit Available During a Good Harvest Cabbages Carrots Chicory Onions
Fruit Forced Rhubarb

Better than half price James White Juice

2012-01-31T13:16:00.001+01:00

James White organic juices taste divine, but remain relatively undiscovered by Avid customers. That’s about to change, with next weeks special offer! Better than half price, you can pick up a 750ml bottle of fresh pressed Apple & Ginger for just £1.52, with every No Top Ups Box purchased. The juice is made with freshly crushed root ginger, not extract, so it’s smooth and gently warming. This really is a bargain, as my No Top Ups box, containing a variety of seasonal British & European veg/salad/fruit items is already heavily discounted.

To collect your better than half price juice, first collect a No Top Ups Box from the Go Shopping/Colder Season Boxes aisle (Click the link below). Then, enter the Special Offers/Other Goods aisle and select the discounted juice. Continue shopping and check out as usual.

Please note this offer is valid for deliveries 7^th-10^th Feb only, or until stocks run out.

http://www.avidorganics.co.uk/go_shopping.asp

Organic Banana & Nutmeg Ice Cream

2012-01-30T13:11:00.000+01:00

Continuing in my mission to banish food waste, this week I'm using up over ripe bananas and organic cream I've had in the freezer since Xmas. (I freeze double cream regularly with great success)
This recipe makes a deliciously rich, soft scoop ice cream, without the need for any expensive equipment.

Ingredients

4 x over ripe (black is best) organic bananas
500ml organic double cream
75g organic sugar
1/2tsp organic nutmeg

Method

Place all the ingredients in a food processor & whizz until smooth.

Pour into a plastic tub, with a lid and place in the freezer.

Stir well every two-three hours until frozen.

Life's Mysteries

2012-01-29T11:28:00.000+01:00

There are many things in life which are a mystery to me:
Why, for example, am I the only person in our house, who takes empty loo rolls off the holder? (Instead of propping new ones on top).
Or, when exactly did Radio Two become more appealing, on a Sunday morning, than Radio One?
And why does that first coffee in the morning taste so good?
ETC.........
I started thinking about lifes' little mysteries, last night, after receiving an order. My first thought was, 'oo it's been a while since I heard from them'. On further investigation, I realised this customer had only ever ordered once from me.
Exactly a one year ago.
Why, I thought, has this person ordered on exactly the same week, twelve months on?
Sometimes, when odd, unexpected orders come through, I can guess the reason for them. Three bottles of champers, six bags of organic nibbles and a chocolate cake, kind of point to PARTY. But, the two orders, twelve months apart, were 'normal'. One aubergine, carrots, potatoes etc. I began going through every possibility; Annual bonus? Annual one week organic splurge? Annual Moussaka bake off?
My husband, quite rightly, pointed out there's an answer for everything.
You're the only person to take empty loo rolls off, because you are the only person who gets wound up about it.
You're fast approaching 40. Get used to it. Listening to people 'shout' on Sunday morning radio is no longer entertaining.
Your first coffee tastes great, because you're an addict.
And your random, annual customer? Just ask for goodness sakes......
So, here I am asking.
What exactly makes you order from me? Weekly, monthly, yearly...whatever.
Help me resolve one of my life's mysteries.

Work Experience

2012-01-27T12:28:00.000+01:00

I have to admit, when asked by a customer, to provide a work experience placement for her daughter, I was, ever so slightly, flattered.
If you don't count my well meaning, father in law 'Dynamic Dave, Delivery Driver Extrodinaire', I've not had staff for over three years, so frankly, the thought of being (acting) responsible again, made me a 'little' anxious. Today, that feeling has been upped to 'quite' anxious....
.....following a visit from Mr DE..DE...DER INSPECTOR.
Note to self: I MUST to grow up (before my work placement girl arrives). Sniggering with my husband, behind the front door, about how much Mr Inspector looks like a Health & Safety Inspector should look, as he walks up the drive, is NOT, not not mature.
I'm sorry, I don't mean to be offensive to any Health & Safety Inspectors out there, but this guy looked like he'd walked straight out of Mr Bean.
(I hope to goodness he doesn't read this).
Mr Inspector was very nice and all that, but clearly ultra sensible; not the type for general chitter chatter.
Oh dear. Chitter and chatter are my forte.
I must learn to shut up.
During his visit (inspection) he pointed out several 'rules' regarding work placements. Like for example, how students are not allowed to use their mobile telephones.
Can I use mine? I enquired.
He also asked questions like 'is there was anywhere the student should not go?' I was tempted to say 'in the loo after my son', but by this point had realised pretty much, every word I uttered, was being typed onto his computer.
Most of the inspection time was spent going over his list of things my student will be doing.
Him: 'working with chemicals, meat slicers, deep fat fryers?'
Me: 'organic, vegetarian, healthy. Nope. None of the above'
Him: 'setting tables, conversing with customers, cleaning tables'
Me: 'not unless she wants to clean up after my family'.
Him: Silence. Tap...tap...tap.....
Me: 'but she will be accepting produce deliveries, packing veg, preparing & cooking food, attending deliveries, invoicing, coming up with special offers, marketing via Twitter & Face book, creating promotional emails via Mail chimp, updating customer accounts, creating pictorial campaigns, collating orders, banking, generating wholesale orders, inventing new & exciting dishes......'
Him: 'oh. I don't have any of that on my list......'
Yes, I utterly bamboozled Mr Inspector, but in his own sensible way, he appeared impressed. Not with the silly, immature lady in front of him, but with the woman who knows her onions and loves her business enough to want to share it.
Yes, I may have to be a little more grown up when my student arrives, but by no means am I going to be anyone other than me.
Lets hope my student enjoys it.....

Recycled Cookies

2012-01-26T17:29:00.000+01:00

Continuing my CUT FOOD WASTE theme, today, I felt it necessary to recycle my daughters uneaten Xmas chocs and toffees into these cookies. I'm sure she won't mind.......

Oven Baked Vegetable Crisps

2012-01-25T10:27:00.000+01:00

In my mission to get us all to save money & avoid food waste, I’d like to share this brilliant recipe for vegetable crisps. They are my current favourite snack, but bought in trendy packs, cost a small fortune. Instead, make these from past their best, organic veggies and serve them with a yoghurt dip….tons more crisps at a fraction of the price.

Ingredients

3tbsp organic sunflower oil
2 fat organic carrots, scrubbed
1 organic potato, scrubbed
2 fat organic parsnips, scrubbed
1 tsp organic dried mixed herbs
sea salt

Method
Preheat the oven to hot (200 degrees)
Prepare the vegetables: first top & tail the carrots & parsnips. Now VERY thinly slice all the vegetables, using a mandolin if you have one, or a food processer, on the finest setting. You can also do this by hand.
Place the vegetables in a large mixing bowl with the oil, dried herbs & salt. Toss to evenly coat.
Spread the vegetables in one single layer on a baking sheet, or two baking sheets if necessary. Cook for 25mins, turning every 5mins. It’s important to keep checking the vegetables, as they will burn very quickly.
Once evenly browned, remove from the oven & spread over a wire cooling rack. Once cool the vegetables crisps will turn crunchy.

BRASSIC

2012-01-24T07:22:00.001+01:00

January is traditionally an expensive month; for us, it's been ridiculous. We're normally very good with money, but Sods Law has come into play leaving us brassic.
First, was the incident with the dog, when she broke into the house, Goldilocks style and fell asleep on the sofa.
After peeing on our CREAM living room carpet.
(Not sure Goldilocks peed on the floor, but stay with me).
She positioned herself just right, in the middle of the room, to make sure we couldn't bodge a repair.
Lovely.
We cleaned it up, as best we could and stuck a rug over the top.
Then went away (leaving the house and dog in the hands of my son)
And she broke in again.
And peed again.
Ten metres away from the first puddle.
Our rug was too small. So, we had to buy another, the size of the moon and the cost of the earth.
The back door is now bolted.
Next was my husbands car, that failed its' MOT and cost £300.
Then, my van, which has decided braking is for wimps. I need new brakes.
Finally, the shower handle, that snapped off in my husbands hand last night. Yep, that's the one we can't replace, so we're now looking at a brand new shower.....
After all this wallet bashing, I was glad of a bit of TV distraction. So, I watched a programme claiming to show us how to save the pennies.
It taught me how to stick talcum powder in my eyeballs and carpet grippers on the fence (to upset burglars...and cats...and neighbours....and the police...).
Mmmmm. Think I'll be giving those handy tips a wide berth.

Veggie News

2012-01-23T11:09:00.000+01:00

Newsflash:
Organic courgettes can now be used as a replacement for gold jewellery, with organic peppers staking their claim in the silver category.
The price of produce form Europe has rocketed this week, due to bad weather and poor crops. Hence, demand for such produce is ultra high.
Euro Veggie boxes will be affected. I'm not sure many people need courgettes so much, they have to re mortgage the house......parsnip ratatouille anyone?

Gluten Free Pie

2012-01-23T11:02:00.000+01:00

My gluten fee veggie pie. Suitable for vegans. You'd never know it's gluten free....clever me :-)

Fruity All Butter Shortbread

2012-01-22T13:14:00.002+01:00

So today is mainly all about fruity all butter shortbread. NICE...go on treat yourself :-)

Slow Cooked Versatile Veggies

2012-01-20T18:01:00.000+01:00

As the owner of an organic box scheme and someone who can't bear food waste, our weekend dining depends, very much, on Avids' sub standard produce cast offs. Items failing to reach customers' grade: manky carrots, battered spuds, bruised courgettes...I reinvent. This handy talent of recycling less than pretty produce into tasty meals, comes from values instilled by mum. Whilst growing up, any food I didn't eat was rehashed for breakfast. She'd NEVER throw food away...including fish, which I now despise with a passion....
Last week, hard overnight frost took us by surprise, even the farmers, who delivered a mountain of frozen, unsellable tomatoes. Today, I've added them to other veggies to make a dish I intend to use as a pie filling, serve with cous cous and even, add a tin of organic tomatoes to & blitz into a soup. Try it yourself, with anything kicking around, before you bin it. It's a perfect post Xmas dish, as you don't add any fat in the slow cooking process. If you don't have a slow cooker, I recommend you invest in one! Not expensive to buy and economical to run, the initial outlay will be compensated as soon as your food wastage reduces.

Slow Cooked Versatile Veggies

Ingredients
Approx 300g of soft veggies of your choice-peppers, courgettes, mushrooms etc, chopped into 1inch pieces
Approx 200g of root veggies of your choice-potato, carrots, squash etc diced into 1cm pieces
6 large over ripe tomatoes, chopped, or one can of organic chopped tomatoes
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
4 tbsp organic tomato puree
2 tsp dried organic basil
1 tbsp Marigold Organic Bouillon Powder
1 tsp organic sugar
150ml organic red wine
100ml water
Freshly ground pepper & salt

Method
Place all the ingredients in the slow cooker and stir to mix. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, adding more water if it looks dry.

Yoghurt No Egg Scones

2012-01-20T16:06:00.001+01:00

These scones are made with left over Rachel's Whole milk Yoghurt instead of egg. They're deliciously light and naturally sweeter with the addition of yoghurt.

Back to work....

2012-01-19T09:13:00.000+01:00

So, I've had my spa day with my best friend and it was lovely.
As I write this, I'm sat in my spa dressing gown and throw away slippers, listening to soothing bird song, drinking good, (but cold) coffee. I'm in the communal WI FI area, attempting to catch up on work missed yesterday, but frankly, it's a little bit tough.
For a start I can't concentrate, as the distraction of humming birds and pan pipes, is actually quite immense. I've never been a great lover of 'relaxing' music. I'm forever waiting for this track to end, the next to start and the sound of crickets sets me on edge.
Then, there's the chirpy greetings of the perfectly presented staff. All lovely girls, but goodness, they rabbit on. I've 'overheard'...OK, I've listened to, at least, four conversations which are proving to be very interesting. Note to self: I must get out more.
Next distraction is my excitement of seeing my little girl. Apparently, yesterday, she asked her daddy if I was gone forever. News of this led to a mini meltdown from yours truly, followed by a few long drinks. And that will be another reason why I'm sat writing my blog in my dressing gown. Yes, the dull head throb gathering momentum......
Mmm maybe the work can wait.......

Maintaining Resolutions

2012-01-18T07:36:00.002+01:00

In my quest to keep my resolution 'have more time with family and friends', today, I'm abandoning my family, to spend time with my best friend, at a spa.
We're staying overnight.
It's a pretty big deal, on account of the fact that I've not left my husband overnight, for twelve years and I've NEVER left my little girl on her own, with daddy, for longer than ten hours.
It'll be interesting to see how they cope. Of course, secretly, I don't want them to cope at all. I want them to fall apart at the seams and realise what a wonderful wife stroke mummy, they have.
It's looking doubtful.
My husband is finding it hard to contain his glee at the thought of full ownership of the remote control and my daughter is watering at the mouth, at the promise of a very non organic, non vegetarian, dinner at an establishment mummy doesn't approve of. You know, the one where you get a free toy.......
The last time I left my husband, (then boyfriend), I came home to a big pot of 'pasta a la Richardo'. It was one of the five times he's ever cooked for me. We were in the very early stages of our relationship, so I'm not expecting a repetition. No, I should imagine I'll come home to the sink full of pots and not a lot more.
Whatever, I'm determined to enjoy myself.
They used to call Spa's Health Farms, you know. They don't any more. I wonder if it's because people like me and my friend go with a big bottle of gin and a huge smile?
I'm going to try my hardest to not miss my little brood, too much; I know I will.
But then, for me, it's going to be part of the fun of going.
Coming home.
To big hugs and a sink full of pots.

Budget Pudding

2012-01-17T18:12:00.000+01:00

On a budget? This pudding is made with stale bread, organic sultanas & milk. It's gorgeous...honest!!

Organic Muesli & Croissants Combo Offer-Save £1

2012-01-17T13:37:00.000+01:00

Start the New Year as you mean to go on, with a healthy breakfast each day.

Why stick to boring flakes? Mix things up with delicious organic croissants and fruit compote, or quality muesli served with Greek yoghurt and sliced organic banana.

My offer for deliveries 23^rd-27^th Jan is a limited one, so you need to be quick.

Buy a pack of organic all butter croissants and Pimhill Farm muesli together, to save £1. Bought separately, these two items cost £5.80, but for just one week you can have them for £4.80. The croissants freeze and the muesli has a long date, so you needn’t worry about using them up straight away either.

Pick up your offer from the GO SHOPPING/SPECIAL OFFERS/OTHER GOODS aisle.

http://www.avidorganics.co.uk/go_shopping.asp

Savoury Rhubarb?

2012-01-16T13:44:00.000+01:00

My husband has taken to listening to Radio Four. It's provided him with a never ending, supply of witty jokes and 'useless'  trivia.
Bizarrely, Radio Fours' new number one fan, has also provided me with perfect blogging  material. Take last night, for example, when he asked the question;
'Did you know, Rhubarb NEEDS frost to grow?'
Apparently, Radio Four have been discussing the fact Rhubarb needs frost to convert carbohydrates into glucose, to help the buds grow.
I'm ashamed to admit, it's not something I've given much thought to. I've been more than happy that the frost is not as hard this year, as last. The ground was so solid, farmers were unable to harvest crops. Cabbages, caulies and even sprouts, were badly affected.
Regardless, my husbands revelation led to a lively dinner discussion; which is more important, rhubarb or cauliflower? From my vegetarian and business point of view, of course it's cauliflower. Few customers would revel in the thought of a weekly bunch of rhubarb to serve with their risotto. From my husbands point of view, its the rhubarb. After all, he can have beans with his bangers and nothing is nicer than rhubarb crumble and custard.....
The discussion ended with my husband suggesting a dish of rhubarb and cheese, as a substitute for cauliflower cheese. I told him to stop being ridiculous.
This morning, unable to leave a good 'debate' alone, I've done a bit of digging.
Savoury rhubarb.
He may be onto something (for goodness sake, don't tell him, or I'll never hear the end of it).
Yes. Savoury rhubarb. I've been missing a trick.
Last year instead of stressing about frozen veg, I should have shared this gem of a recipe I've found:

Spiced Lentil & Rhubarb Stew

Ingredients
3 stalks rhubarb, chopped
250g green lentils
1 inch piece organic ginger, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
4 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
2 cloves
Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Method
Combine all ingredients except salt in a saucepan and add water to cover by about 1 inch. Cook at a steady simmer until lentils and rhubarb are quite soft, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove cloves and cardamom pods. Add salt, then taste and adjust seasoning. Serve with crusty bread

It's been a bit chilly this morning........not to worry, if they can't get the caulies out of the ground, there's always the rhubarb...shhhhhhhhhh

Vegetarian French Onion Soup Recipe

2012-01-13T14:32:00.002+01:00

Traditionally French Onion Soup is made with beef stock & butter. Try this vegetarian version, which can be further adapted to vegan/dairy free by using a cheese substitution.

Ingredients for 4
1kg yellow onions, thinly sliced
3 tbsp organic sunflower oil
1 tsp organic dried thyme
2 bay leaves
300ml organic/vegan dry white wine
1.2L water
1 tbsp organic plain flour
1 tbsp organic Marigold vegetable bouillon
For the topping:
1 organic garlic clove crushed
1 tbsp organic olive oil
4 thick slices from a sourdough baguette
75g organic mature cheddar, grated

Method
Heat the oil in a large stock pan, stir in the onions, thyme & bay leaves. Season well.
Cook over a high heat for 5mins, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat & slowly cook uncovered for a further 35mins, stirring frequently. Now, increase the heat to caramelise the onions. Cook for 12mins, scraping the bottom of the pan often, to mix in the brown sticky bits. Once all the onions are brown & sticky, stir in the flour and pour over the wine. Mix well. Cook over a high heat for 2mins and then, add the water & bouillon. Bring to the boil & simmer for 15mins.
Meanwhile, make the topping. Heat the oven to high. Mix the oil & garlic together & brush over the bread slices. Place on a baking sheet & bake in the oven for 8mins, then scatter with cheese & return to the oven until the cheese has melted & bubbling.
To serve, ladle the soup into bowls & place a crispy bread slice on top.

The Great British Bake Off

2012-01-12T15:33:00.000+01:00

It's no secret my favourite TV treat, of ALL time, is The Great British Bake Off. Unlike other cooking programmes, which frankly, feel like 'homework', this one 'gets me' every time.
I'm not sure if it's the overwhelming urge to achieve seemingly unachievable standards, set by Mr Hollywood, or the need to please granny (sorry Mary Berry), that hooks me. Either way, this week, I'm in heaven. Four evenings, back to back, of Celebrity Great British Bake Off.
Last night was hysterical. Watching celebs attempt pastry, had me tickled pink. I shouldn't laugh. A few years ago, I was right there with them; picking welded smatterings of gloopy pastry off worktops, yelling through oven doors at shrinking cases, scooping baking beans from unlined flans....
These days, thanks to my mum, pastry doesn't phase me. I just follow her recipe-half fat to flour. If you use margarine, rather than butter, use less water to bind. Don't overwork and always rest in the fridge. (I also let it rest after rolling into shape too). Blind bake, for a little longer than you think you should, to crisp your bottom. And, if you're using a really wet filling, brush the case with egg wash halfway through the blind bake. Trust me, all of this works!
Today, I've made a gorgeous roast veg and cheese tart, for a customer. This evening, I'm using the leftover pastry to make my husband a creamy bacon and sweetcorn deep dish tart. I know he'll be checking the bottom, after his comment 'do you learn anything from this program?'
Thank goodness the days of brick like pastry have long gone.
Otherwise it may smart a bit, when it's chucked at his bonce.....

Meaty Issue

2012-01-11T09:52:00.000+01:00

I've been vegetarian for the past 24 years. I don't 'miss' meat. I don't crave it. I hear of vegetarians drooling at the chops, at the smell of bacon. Not me; I get away as quickly as possible, to avoid smelling like a post hangover breakfast.
My family eat meat.
My husband is very good. As long as he tastes meat a few times a week, he's happy.
My daughter is an utter carnivore. She can't get enough.
My son eats Pot Noodles and drinks lager. He's nearly twenty. I've given up......
I've never tried to force my eating habits, or beliefs on anyone. What people eat, is up to them. I do, however, think if you eat meat, you should know where it's come from.
I refuse to pussy foot around my little girl when she's eating a ham sandwich, at the kids farm. Yes, that ham did come from one of those nice piggies....
I now face a dilemma.
My business is primarily vegetarian, because it's all I know. 90% of my customers, however, are meat eaters.
I have the opportunity to sell some meaty, made from scratch 'ready meals'. They are top end organic dishes, with full provenance.
Initially, I would look to sell them at the monthly market, in Penistone, due to limited storage and stock turnover issues. Then, if popular, I may consider adding them to my price list.
I've also been thinking about working alongside a local farm shop, who supply my daughter and husband with sausages they adore. We know exactly where the meat comes from and exactly what each product contains.
My dilemma is whether I should go down this road, or should I stick to just veggies?
Opinions please........

Cheery Buns

2012-01-10T19:43:00.000+01:00

It has to be said today has been pretty rubbish. For all kinds of reasons. So I've just cheered myself up with, possibly, THE BEST EVER sticky bun. Courtesy of our artisan baker, Dave.
Trust me.
You need these buns in your life......

Clunk....that's the wheel coming off...

2012-01-09T13:19:00.000+01:00

So, I start today full of good intentions.
Structure, structure, structure...all the way.
Work from 9.30-5.30pm.
Clunk...that's the wheel coming off.
Why?
From 9.30am-10.15am I was sat in the doctors surgery with my daughter (ear infection).
From 10.15am-11am I was sat in a busy chemist (waiting for 'Fairy Medicine').
I returned home at 11.30am.
My lunch break is supposed to be 12pm.
Not sure the boss will like me taking my break after half an hours work?

Baked Eggs with Sage Recipe

2012-01-09T12:24:00.000+01:00

Serve this simple supper dish with a chunk of artisan sourdough, lightly toasted and buttered.

Ingredients
1 tbsp organic sunflower oil
1 large organic leek, trimmed, washed & thinly sliced
1 organic onion, thinly sliced
1 large organic carrot, peeled & grated
1 large organic parsnip, peeled & grated
2 organic garlic cloves, finely chopped
50ml vegetable stock
4 large free range eggs
2 tsp organic dried sage
freshly ground black pepper & salt

Method
Preheat the oven to high. Heat the oil in a large frying pan; add the prepared vegetables, garlic & herbs. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the stock & cook for a further 3 minutes. Season well & divide the mixture between 4 ramekins.
Make a well in the centre of each ramekin and crack an egg into each.
Cook in the oven for 8 minutes, or until the eggs are set.

Structure and Sanity

2012-01-07T13:07:00.001+01:00

One of my resolutions for 2012 is to spend more QUALITY time with family and friends.
It dawned on me, last week, as I dared to peek at my ever growing mountain of work, this particular good intention, may fall into the 'broke it within a month' category.
Something needs to change.
I'm happy to say, our post Christmas holiday this year, has provided the solution.
Whilst away, attempts to log onto the Internet from the rabbit hutch we called 'home', failed colossally. After a mini meltdown (How was I going to get my email out?...How was I going to put my farmers order in?...How was I going to post my recipe?....How was I going to BLOG...etc etc) I accepted my fate and gave up. I would HAVE to enjoy myself and face work when I got home.
Our return journey was 'interesting'. I could feel my pulse galloping, as I thought of tasks I would need to get through. And then, I remembered my words of advice to a stressed friend, a few months ago. I told her to organise her day, choose a cut off point and finish work. Put things into boxes and deal with each task logically.
I asked myself why on earth I'd never followed my own advice?
I choose to let work take over-I HAD to answer EVERY email immediately, despite knowing the sender of such email turned their computer off and wouldn't see my response for a day anyway. I HAD to get this bit of work done NOW...despite knowing I could do it tomorrow.
With a deep breath I said to my husband (because that makes it real), 'I'm going to structure my day'. 'I'm going to work from Mon-Fri 9.30am-5pm with a proper lunch break and a maximum of two hours per day at the weekend'.
And last night, at 5pm, I did something I have NEVER done. I turned off my computer and forgot the tasks I still needed to complete. Instead, I had fun with my daughter and went to bed knowing that today, I would be working for just two hours.
I cannot tell you how much I feel relief. Yes, I still have a mountain of work-but with structured working hours I am gradually plodding through and catching up. I don't feel stressed and out of control. I don't feel that my work has taken over.
Amazing.
It's only taken me six years and a crappy old rabbit hutch to figure it out........

SMILE!

2012-01-06T17:16:00.000+01:00

I'm home from my holiday and back to reality with a big fat bump.
It's a bump with a smile though.
Whilst away, I've aquired two new customers and one lady who wishes to send her friend a birthday gift basket, as she's heard how great Avid is!
Brilliant.
Bump...bump...bump...SMILE!

Cheese & Pickle Frittata (Gluten Free)

2012-01-06T16:23:00.003+01:00

A frittata is basically an omelette made more substantial with the addition of potatoes. If you enjoy cheese and pickle as much as me, you’ll love this easy supper dish. Choose a good quality, organic pickle, or use the leftovers from Xmas.

Ingredients

2 large organic baking potatoes, scrubbed & thinly sliced
3 tbsp organic olive oil
6 large, free range organic eggs
200g organic mature cheddar
freshly ground black pepper & salt
3 tbsp good quality, organic pickle

Method

Preheat the grill to high.

Meanwhile, heat 2tbsp of the oil in a large frying pan, with a heat proof handle & fry the potato slices for ten minutes, tossing to brown on both sides.
Break the eggs into a large bowl. Whisk in the grated cheese and remaining 1tbsp oil. Stir through the pickle & season to taste.
Pour the egg mixture over the cooked potatoes and cook, undisturbed for 3 mins, until the eggs begin to set. Place the pan under the grill for five minutes until the frittata is golden brown & cooked throughout.

Mashed Potato Mountains & Broccoli Forests

2012-01-04T17:47:00.000+01:00

I’m so sorry, but I need to rant.

It’s only when I’m on holiday, with others, I realise just how ‘diverse’ eating habits can be.

I like to think I’m ‘healthy’. I eat three meals a day, two snacks and exercise five times a week.

I eat well above my ‘five a day’ and of course, 80-90% of my diet is organic. Because these are the habits I follow, it makes sense so too do my family. After all, I am Chief Cook (and bottle washer). If they don’t like my food-they know where the kitchen is. Having said that, I’m aware, my three year old daughter’s future eating habits are very much, shaped by what she’s subjected to now; with her I’m a little less ‘if you don’t like it, get something else’ and rather more ‘if you don’t like it I’ll shape it into a face…or a tree…or a bird…or a princess, until you DO like it…’.

RANT alert:
This week, I’m away with possibly THE fussiest eater I have ever met in my entire life. I’ve always known he’s had ‘issues’ with textures of certain foods-scrambled eggs, dumplings and such like, but until this day, I didn’t realise just how picky he is. And apparently, it’s all down to childhood experiences-(he’s nearly 40).

For the past four days I’ve heard

‘Can’t eat THAT. It’s slimy. I had a bad experience at school. Can’t eat THAT. It’s the wrong colour. I had a bad experience with my mum. Can’t eat THAT. It smells. I had a bad experience whilst in the womb.’

The first day we were here, I baked a turkey and veg pie, with hand made pastry, served with thick cut chips and baked beans.
He turned it down, in favour for a shop bought, ready meal-shepherds pie.
The reason? Apparently the pastry wasn’t puff (shop bought). That’s all he will eat. Hand made is a definite NO.
The dessert, home made apple crumble and custard were rejected in favour for a supermarket cookie.
The reason? The texture of home made crumble is ‘wrong’.

Day two wasn’t so bad, but then, I didn’t cook. He ate the chilli made with sauce from a jar and positively marvelled at the packet of crisps served alongside.
I could go on, but honestly, it would bore you to death…….

As much as I got a perverse sense of satisfaction, explaining how yoghurt is made, whilst he was eating a yoghurt (this man won’t even think about touching milk which has been open for longer than a day), today, I feel an overwhelming urge to take him hand. The options I have are to:

a) Slap him

b) Sit him on the ‘naughty step’

c) Take him to a hypnotist to regress him… (Does this work? I have no idea)

If those don’t work, this evening, I’m crafting his carrots into Cocoa the Clown, his broccoli into a woodland forest and ‘hiding’ them under a snowy capped mash potato mountain……

Resolutions

2011-12-31T21:50:00.000+01:00

It's that time again....the time of promises.
Here goes.......
In 2012, I promise to:
-spend more time with my family
-spend more time with my friends
-spend more time laughing
-stop drinking coffee and eating chocolate........don't be ridiculous-this is my 'token resolution'-the one to break within half an hour.
-learn a new skill-holding a bat maybe? Yes. Holding a bat without having a minor meltdown, when a ball is lobbed in my direction
-be more motivated to get up, off my backside in the evening. (Apparently, evenings are for grown ups and don't end at 9pm...zzzzzzz).
-encourage my husband to be more tidy by calmly pointing out every sock, pair of underpants, bag, hat, coat, lunchbox, pen, waste paper, junk letter, tissue, used plate, empty glass/mug, bike (yes, bike) he happens to leave lying around. Instead of chucking it all at his head and screaming hysterically......
-stop growling at the dog. She's old and doesn't mean to break into the house to pee on the living room floor.
-stop deleting my husbands crappy programmes on the planner and pretending it was the dog...who broke in to pee on the floor and happened to sit on the remote control.
-stop petrifying people into NOT cooking for me. Please SOMEONE, ANYONE cook for me......
-stop calling my in-laws the Gnomes. Yes. Another 'token resolution'.
-stop thinking it's hysterically funny to watch my husband being electrocuted by his TENS machine. It's NOT funny. He is in pain. Snigger....oops, that's that one binned then....
-eat fish. Barf...nope, another one gone...
-be more 'patient' with certain neighbours. To smile a bit more sweetly, when they rant about NOTHING. Maybe they can cook for me? Knowing my luck, the miserable buggers would cook fish....aw pants, another one bites the dust......

OK now I've got to the bottom of the barrel, what's yours?

HAPPY NEW YEAR LOVELY PEOPLE! Thanks for listening :-))

Seasonal Produce Info Jan

2011-12-31T19:32:00.001+01:00

http://www.avidorganics.co.uk/seasonal-produce.asp

Click the link for info on whats in store January.

Half Price Soup Offer

2011-12-30T16:02:00.000+01:00

Avid home made soup-healthy convenience food, jam packed with organic goodness. Perfect for New Year health kicks.

For one week; deliveries 10^th-13^th January, pick up a pot of my gorgeous, Organic Parsnip Soup for half price, when you purchase any other full price, home made Avid Soup. All my freshly made soups are suitable to freeze and feed two hungry people.

To collect your half price pot, first click on the link below, to visit the GO SHOPPING page. Enter the Hand Made Yummy Stuff/Home Made Soups aisle and select a full price soup. Now, enter the Special Offers/Other Goods aisle to collect your ½ price Home Made Parsnip Soup. Continue shopping and checkout as usual. Please note: all orders for the soup must be placed by midnight Friday 6^th Jan.

http://www.avidorganics.co.uk/go_shopping.asp

Hearty Parsnip Soup-Fill yer (wellie) boots....

Gluten Free Bubble & Squeak Pancakes

2011-12-29T18:11:00.002+01:00

A new take on bubble and squeak, these pancakes are a brilliant way to use up leftover veg.

Ingredients

200g cooked leftover veg, such as parsnips, cabbage, carrots etc. chopped into 1cm dice
1 tsp organic cumin seed
½ tsp dried chilli flakes
1 tsp organic ground coriander
½ tsp organic ground turmeric
1 tsp gluten free baking powder
100g organic gram flour
50g organic polenta
1 inch piece organic ginger, grated
4 tbsp organic sunflower oil

Method

Combine all the ingredients, other than the oil, with 200ml cold water. Season well and mix until a thick batter is achieved.

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large frying pan and drop in approx two tablespoons of batter, per pancake. Cook in batches of three-four (depending on the size of your pan), using more oil for each batch. Cook the pancakes evenly on each side and keep warm in a low oven.

Serve with yoghurt and mint dip.

Naughty naughty....

2011-12-27T14:30:00.000+01:00

Sometimes a little of what you fancy...

All butter shortbread base, salted toffee layer, malted milk chocolate cheesecake layer, white chocolate malted cheesecake layer...all topped with some naughty chocs.

Leftover Christmas Dinner Pie

2011-12-27T14:20:00.002+01:00

Waste not want not......

Avid Advent Day Twenty Four-Merry Christmas!!

2011-12-24T19:12:00.000+01:00

What a lovely day.
Cooking, film watching, eating and being merry.
Oh, how I love Christmas.
And so my Advent is done, for if you excuse me, I'll bow out tomorrow.
All that remains is for me to thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for the support and encouragement you have shown Avid, over the past twelve months. Each and every one of you inspire me to keep my little business alive and consequently, my dream.
Have a very very merry Christmas and a healthy New Year.
Karen xx

Avid Advent Day Twenty Three-Roll on Day Twenty Four...

2011-12-23T21:10:00.000+01:00

When I was little, December 23rd was always a day of torture...nothing has changed.
Growing up, it was the 'almost, but not quite', day.
It was, the day that dragged on and on and on.....and....
The day before the day you got your bonus chocolate, in the advent calender.
The day before the day you could eat half a selection pack, for breakfast.
The day before the day you could watch films, all day long.
The day before the day you could stay in your PJ's, until lunch time.
These days, for me, it's a rarity I'm not working, so the torture aspect has been thin on the ground. Until now.
Today, December the 23rd, I've been tortured by a three year old, asking EVERY two seconds, 'Mummy is Santa coming today? Mummy why is it not snowing? Mummy can Santa eat my mince pies? Mummy is Santa coming today? Mummy why is it not snowing? Mummy can Santa eat my mince pies? Mummy is Santa coming today? Mummy why is it not snowing? Mummy can Santa eat my mince pies? Mummy is Santa coming today? Mummy why is it not snowing? Mummy can Santa eat my mince pies?'
I'm thinking it's revenge, for me telling her every other second, if she isn't a good girl, Santa won't come.....
Roll on tomorrow for my advent bonus, selection box breakfast...followed by a day long film session in my PJ's....

Avid Advent Day Twenty Two-All the trimmings

2011-12-22T18:22:00.000+01:00

Today, I'm so 'into' Christmas.
I'm starting my divine bread sauce. Flavouring milk with spices...mmmm.
As usual, only mum and I will eat it, but frankly, I don't care.
I gave up taking my husbands family's refusal to eat my, 'made from scratch trimmings', as personally, years ago. I've realised some people will NEVER change. They'll always prefer Paxo and Aunt Bessies...(heathens).
The first family Christmas I 'hosted', our table was positively heaving under the weight of 'made from scratch trimmings'. The response from the in-law camp, was one I'll never forget:
Sniff....'Our Timmy (name changed to protect the innocent) ALWAYS puts on a GOOD spread'.
So, what the bloody hell was THAT? To me, it looked like a 'spread' fit for a king. Apparently not. It was missing the Bisto......
After much poking and prodding of 'made from scratch trimmings' the in-law camp declared,
'We don't have big appetites'.
Forgive me, but from where I was sat, they certainly looked like they enjoyed their food....
Year two was a little more appreciative. By then, they'd realised acting negatively within three hundred yards of my food, led to a temper tantrums and a mini meltdown. Not pleasant to witness; especially on Christmas day. They took a few token spoonfuls of cranberry sauce.....and left it on their plates.
By year three, I'd gone past caring. I pretty much chucked the food on the table and ignored them.
And it's been that way ever since.
So truthfully, although I always cook for a minimum of eight, I only ever think of my mum, my husband and my daughter. I did think about my son, once....but then decided Pot Noodles wouldn't be appropriate for Christmas dinner.
Like I've said...some people will NEVER change.....but hey, that's what makes this time of year so special.

Gluten Free Ginger Cake

2011-12-22T11:48:00.002+01:00

With ginger fudge icing

Avid Advent Day Twenty One-Turning the Corner

2011-12-21T15:05:00.000+01:00

Today, I've turned the corner.
Having just made: three hampers, three carrot cakes, two ginger cakes, four batches of marzipan biscuits, one savoury loaf and three gift baskets, I'm just about done...
...if you don't count packing the veggie boxes, making moussaka and doing a little dance tomorrow.
Come Friday, at 11.30am, when I'm sat in the hairdressers chair, I will breath an almighty sigh of relief. Another year done. Only my family Christmas dinner (for eight), wrapping presents, writing cards.....etc etc to do.
The plan, for my two week break, is to relax. We're going away for a short break, leaving my nineteen year old son in charge of the house and dog, so it's a bit of a contradiction in terms.
Relax; son looking after house....you get the drift.
I can't hold him entirely responsible for the fact I WON'T 100% relax, despite my best intentions.
I KNOW I'll get itchy feet and soon, be inventing hair-brained schemes, on how to make my business prosper in 2012.
It's the way I am. I just don't 'do' chilling out. I blame my mum. She made me this way. It's all her fault (love you mum).
Having said all that, this afternoon, that corner I turned led me straight to the sofa...the TV...and a take away. It's vital training I need for my two weeks off........

Avid Advent Day Twenty-Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree

2011-12-20T19:15:00.000+01:00

Has anyone else had their fill of Christmas songs yet?
Our TV has been playing back to back 'Last Christmas' and 'Rockin' around the Christmas Tree' for three weeks solid, now.
My husband is, ever so slightly, obsessed with Christmas music. He's a cheap compilation CD creators ultimate dream.
I'm convinced it's something to do with the fact most festive ditties are simple. Not that my husband has simple tastes (he can't have; he married me). It's just that he's RUBBISH when it comes to singing the right words. He makes it up as he goes along. It's one of those things you could cite as 'unreasonable behaviour'.....
The problem I face now, is it's not just him who insists on listening to Shakin' Stevens and Wham, all day and night. It's my three year old daughter too. If the lyrics don't contain a festive reference, it's OFF! Jingly jangly bells and men dressed as Santa rule our airwaves.
This evening, as I write this, I'm being subjected to Mariah in a Santa suit.....both husband and daughter are mesmerised.
Oh and now Bros....
Time for the ear muffs me thinks.....

Avid Advent Day Nineteen-Deflated

2011-12-19T09:59:00.000+01:00

I know it could have been SO much worse.
Even still, today, I'm a little deflated.
This morning, I'm armed with the final 2011 total turnover for Avid. And, as predicted, it's down from last year; common among businesses fighting the recession.
It's not critical, but it's not great either. It's a trend I'd rather not be following. One I've tried really hard to beat.
A common problem with organic box schemes, is that customers are VERY easy to loose; not so easy to keep. It's something, I've just about mastered. I can HONESTLY say, I've not (knowingly) lost a customer through dissatisfaction, for over three years. Yes, they go because personal circumstances change, but departure is normally, accompanied with very sweet messages, thanking me. And that makes me happy.
One hurdle ALL box schemes are up against, is the recruitment of new customers. The word 'organic' still conjures up visions of 'expensive', 'rubbish produce'. It's frustrating, but fact.
So, the past year, I've put energy into introducing new people to my world of organics, (whilst still remaining focused on existing customers). It's been hard, but enjoyable.
The result of the slog has been a few, very welcome (and very nice), new customers. But, unfortunately, existing customers have tightened their belts at the same time. So, now I have more orders, with less revenue.
My husband, who to be fair, talks a lot of sense (accept when I'm RIGHT...which is most of the time), said he'd heard the best time to have a business is in a recession. Crazy, I thought, until he explained the logic; if you can keep a business afloat during a recession, you will be a strong, established one, come the boom.
Today, I'll probably feel miserable, but no doubt, this evening, I'll have come up with a master plan on how to move on in 2012.
You see, you fight for the things you love, don't you?
Let battle commence......

Avid Advent Day Eighteen-SHORTBREAD

2011-12-18T13:24:00.000+01:00

If you could think of one smell that evokes the Christmas in you, what would it be?
Mulled wine, clementines, turkey....?
For me it's buttery, crumbly, melt in the mouth shortbread.
I LOVE it.
It's my all time comfort fodder; only to be brought out at Christmas, (for fear of heart failure....)
Honestly, my mum used to make Christmas shortbread, when I was very little and I still remember to this day, the utter joy in being allowed a biscuit. Mum was a bit 'strict' shall we say, when it came to sweets and cakes; probably the reason why I'm now utterly fascinated by them now.
This morning, I've been baking batches of shortbread rounds, for orders later next week.
I've literally been drooling...
This afternoon, before the mayhem of the next five days begins, I'm off to visit a friend. I was going to take a round of shortbread...but I just can't.
If my customers get their shortbread I'll be amazed.
In my head, I'm dreaming of the Wizard of Oz, mugs of tea and full rounds of buttery shortbread....

Avid Advent Day Seventeen-The Calm Before the Storm

2011-12-17T13:02:00.000+01:00

I can almost hear the leaves whistling through the air.
It's the calm before my storm.
Too early to bake.
Too early to cook.
Too early to pack veggies.
Too early to order.
Too early to wholesale.
Too early to invoice.
Come Monday....
BANG!!!
That's the wheel coming off.
BAKING....
COOKING
PACKING....
ORDERING...
WHOLESALING.....
INVOICING....
Panicking.
So today, I'll get a quick lesson on my new spang dangly emailing system, visit a friend and sit on my hands.
The adrenaline is kicking in hard and fast now. Last night I slept poorly.
By Friday I'll be a WRECK.
By Saturday, I'll have had one too many egg nogs.
By Sunday, I'll be planning my New Year special offers.........

Avid Advent Day Sixteen-Grumpy

2011-12-16T09:38:00.000+01:00

Oh dear.
My little girl has her GRUMPY head on.
This morning, as I stroked her head and sang lullaby style, to rouse her gently from slumber, she opened one eye and said:
'DON'T WAKE ME UP Mummy!'
Oops.
Clearly, a full day spent with her pal and Cinders has whacked her out.
Shame really, as today is party day at school. I fear tears and tantrums over jelly and ice cream......
My daughters mood will NOT NOT NOT phase me today (honest).
I've some serious catching up to do.
Baking, invoices, ordering, meetings...
....oh and the small matter of organising my own Christmas.....
Whoopsie...
Cheese butty anyone?

Avid Advent Day Fifteen-HE'S BEHIND YOU.....

2011-12-15T10:04:00.000+01:00

Pre Christmas panic has taken hold and what am I doing?
Wagging it.....
For those of you scratching your heads, 'wagging it' is a predominantly, northern phrase, which describes, taking the day off (on the sly), when you should REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, be at work...or school...
Mine is a 'forced' wagging though.
My three year old daughter is my partner in crime.
Last month, when I booked the panto, I imagined I'd be super organised; ready for an afternoon of childhood drama.
Wrong.
I'm so NOT super organised.
I so shouldn't be wagging it....
But I am. So I'll go with it. Catch up tomorrow...HA!
I must admit, I am a little dubious about today's performance. Already disappointed, hearing actors no longer lob sweets at you (it's ALL I remember from my childhood pantos), I'm also a little worried it may not live up to Ellie's expectations. We are taking Abi, her pre school pal, stroke therapist, with us. Yesterday I heard Ellie describing the 'Panty Off Mime' as 'MAGIC'.
Mmmmmm......
Local knackered theatre.
Amateur actors.
Magic?
Not quite sure....

I'll keep you posted.....

Fruit & Nut Onion Marmalade

2011-12-14T15:45:00.001+01:00

I love this recipe; it perks up even the simplest of supper dishes, such as cheese on toast. The addition of fruit & nuts makes it perfect for Xmas, but you can leave them out if you prefer. To make it suitable for vegans, replace the butter with a dairy free alternative.

Ingredients
2 large organic yellow onions
4 organic red onions
4 cloves organic garlic finely chopped
5 tbsp organic olive oil
30g organic butter
2 tsp organic mustard seeds
2 tsp organic coriander
5 tbsp organic red wine vinegar
4 tbsp organic dark brown sugar
zest of one organic orange
100g organic raisins (optional)
100g organic walnuts (optional)
freshly ground black pepper

Method

Cook the onions, garlic, mustard & coriander in the butter & olive oil, in a large, heavy based saucepan, over a low heat, for twenty mins. Stir every now and then.
Add the sugar, vinegar, orange zest & raisins, if using. Cook for 20 mins longer, until the onions are translucent and the cooking liquid reduced. Add 75ml water & cook for a further 10-15mins, until the marmalade is sticky. Finally stir through the walnuts & season with the pepper

Store once cooled, in sterilised jars for up to two months.

Avid Advent Day Fourteen-PANIC!!!!!!!

2011-12-14T11:14:00.001+01:00

Is it me, or has Christmas crept up this year?
It dawned on me, this morning, when I wrote my reminder email, that next week is Christmas delivery week.
The panic set in....
Usually, I'm quite switched on.
Sprout stock pile sorted.
Spud mountain built.
Walnut stash hidden.
This year, I've NOTHING prepared.
Yes, I've got my hamper schedule penned.
Yes, I've shipped out the last Christmas cake.
But, NO I've not yet had my regular begging, stroke bribing, call to the farmers.
The one that goes like this:
'Please save me a tonne of your best sprouts and I'll give you a carrot cake.'
'Please save me a tonne of your best parsnips and I'll give you a Christmas cake'
'Please save me a zillion red caggages and I'll give you a Christmas pudding'
I'd better get my backside in gear.
Otherwise I'll be sending Dave out in a hard hat next week...........

Avid Advent Day Thirteen-The Cards

2011-12-13T07:59:00.000+01:00

It's 6.30am.
I'm sat in my kitchen, with the smell of sweet potato & butternut squash soup wafting, ever so gently, up my nose.
I have a full day ahead.
Deliveries, wholesaling, packing, cooking, invoicing....
Tuesdays are always fraught, so from Ellie being little, she's spent the morning with grandma and grandad Gnome.
It's an arrangement I've mixed feelings about.
On the one hand, it's great; Ellie gets to spend time with her grandparents whilst I work.
On the other, it WINDS ME UP.
You see, my parents in law are VERY, very proud of their grand daughter.
She can do NO wrong.
And, amazingly enough, like a little performing monkey, she does EVERYTHING first at their house. Walking, talking, eating.....
Yes, it's a load of rubbish, but I bite my tongue and let them have their moment.
Today will be different.
There will be no tongue biting, as Ellie will genuinely do something with them, for the first time ever.
It all came about yesterday, when I picked her up from pre-school and in her mitts, were two Christmas cards. One from 'Foo'? and one from 'Joseph'.
It dawned on me we didn't have any cards for her classroom pals (bad mummy), so I sent grandad out to get some.
We 'wrote' them last night.
Now, don't get me wrong, I AM a very proactive mummy; I'm involved in as many pre school activities as possible, but it doesn't mean I know all the kids names in her class. Nope, I know of about three and that's my lot. It became apparent last night, my daughter's in the same boat.
She did, however, come up with fifteen names. At first, I thought we were on a roll, until Pedro Pony and Danny Dog came out of the bag.....
This morning, she'll be armed with her cards when grandma and grandad take her to school. So, yes this morning will go down as a first. The first ever time grandma and grandad will help give her cards out, by shouting the names in the classroom........
PEDRO PONY
DANNY DOG
PEPPA? PEPPA PIG.......
Snigger...........

Avid Advent Day Twelve-Seeing the Light

2011-12-12T21:21:00.000+01:00

In our house we have a bit of a ritual where, before my little girl snuggles into bed, she looks out of the window and waves to the gnomes at the bottom of the garden.
They wave back, we shut the curtains and Ellie goes to sleep happy.
Before you think I have ABSOLUTELY lost the plot, the 'Gnomes' are my mother and father in law, who live in the bungalow in our back garden.
Two night ago, the wheel came off.
After bath, we dutifully went to the window to wave.
But instead of waving, Ellie screamed in delight.
Yes, Mr 'I'm going to outdo the ENTIRE street AND drain the National Grid, whilst I'm at it, with my magical outdoor illumination display' had been busy at work. Before our very eyes was a flashing, neon, multicoloured extravaganza; one the Griswold's themselves would be proud of.
Ellie, not far from wetting herself, squeaked, 'Mummy why have they got all those lights?'
My reply 'so that Santa can find them' was probably NOT the best, off the cuff, spur of the moment, genius response.......
Yes, you can write it yourself can't you?
Wail........'HOW IS SANTA GOING TO FIND ME!! WE DON'T HAVE ANY LIGHTS!'
Cue a trip to the Christmas light shop on Sunday....
And a return to the Christmas light shop on Monday, (by daddy), because only four of the one thousand 'magical fairy lights' work.......
This evening, Daddy has arrived home with a box of luminous BLUE lights. Guided by Ellie (shouting HIGHER.....LOWER......RIGHT.....LEFT) he attempted to wrap said lights prettily around our front garden tree.
And failed.
SILLY Daddy only bought ONE box of lights, meaning only a third of the tree was decorated.
We left him to it.....
After much huffing and puffing, he returned indoors (looking slightly soggy) and instructed us all to close our eyes before the great reveal....
'TA DA'
We opened our eyes to be greeted with perhaps, the funniest thing I've seen all year...
My husband, designer extraordinaire, had given up on the tree and had instead, wrapped the blue lights around and around the BIRD TABLE. Before us stood a magnificent glowing blue, disco station for Robin redbreast and his pals.
Ellie looked mortified.
If she could have, she'd have said 'HOW THE HELL is Santa going to land his sleigh on THAT Daddy?....but she was literally lost for words.
Daddy was sent back out in the rain to unwrap the bird table.
We now have one pathetic string of lights, lighting up the rooms at the front like the Blue Lagoon.
Honestly, it's hysterical.
Our house looks like a public loo with UV anti drug lights.
It's OK though. Ellie's happy that Santa can find us now.
And the birds are thanking god that my husband saw the light.......

Mince Pies with Almond Shortbread Pastry

2011-12-11T19:20:00.002+01:00

Ooooooh NICE!!

Avid Advent Day 11-The Christmas Tree

2011-12-11T19:14:00.001+01:00

Last year, I persuaded my husband to bin our naff plastic Christmas tree and buy a new one.
A real one.
A real live one.
One with roots.
A happy tree in a pot.
After the trimmings were put away, we took it outside, expecting it to die. Not known for keeping anything in a pot alive, we'd try; that was the main thing.
Amazingly, throughout the Summer, we watched it thrive; growing a good 6 inches taller.
And today, like proud parents, it was brought indoors, for another round of festive frivolities.
I have to say, this year, has been hard for me.
I'm usually quite 'uptight', shall we say, when it comes to decorating a tree. Big baubles on the bottom, middling ones in the middle, small ones at the top.......
This year, my three year old, now FULLY aware of Christmas and it's traditions, has been 'helping'. As a mummy, keen to embrace child participation, I've had to sit on my hands to stop myself from ripping all the baubles from the tree and starting again.
So here's my tree.
Please note-it may only look like this until 8pm; bedtime......

Decorated by Ellie...age 3

Avid Advent Day Ten-Rick Astley? Bring him on....

2011-12-10T18:29:00.000+01:00

Today was my last Farmers Market before Christmas. It's official; despite good intentions, we ARE in the middle of a recession.
Gone is any pre-Christmas lunacy, where everything and anything goes.
We ARE more cautious.
Whilst today may not have been my busiest market, it has to go down as one of the more 'fun' ones. There's something about a 'slow', cold market that pulls good traders together. We strive to keep each others spirits up.
Trading at this time of year is tough slog.
It's FREEZING in Penistone. The icy wind whistles through the market building. Within five minutes of standing, you can't feel your nose, toes, or fingers.
So what do we do?
We do the following:
-find a battered old radio, pump it up and dance 'dad' style to Wet Wet Wet, Rick Astley and such like
-systematically buy each others products. Today I came away with bread, coffee, syrup, piccalilli, hand made chocolate and sausage meat (for hubby)
-guard each others stalls, whilst we take it in turns to go to the loo...(to blow dry our hands, toes, nose etc etc)
-make jokes (generally at other stall holders expense)
-play games
You get the gist.
We're all suffering from the economic downturn, but all keep going. It's because we're in the same boat. All self employed, local producers who WANT the market to work. It's why we drag ourselves into the cold, knowing trade will be poor.
So yes, it was a bit of a let down, but do you know what? For me, it's reaffirmed the Christmas spirit is alive and well. All the money in the world can't buy genuine connections. Through difficulty those connections are growing stronger.
I'm not at the market in January, as I'm on holiday.
I'm actually quite sad.......something I never would have said, if I'd been too busy to notice people around me.
Rick Astley?
Bring him on..........

Bread News

2011-12-10T15:37:00.000+01:00

I’ve always been a big believer in doing the things you are good at, to the best of your ability. By letting others do the same, you don’t weigh yourself down with too many tasks, compromising the quality of the ones you excel in.

With this in mind, I have decided to step back from making the bread.

Boo hiss….

I know you LOVE Avid bread, but to be honest, although I love that you love it, I’m not a fan of making it.

I have to get up very early to make it and as I’m making a few loaves here, a few loaves there, it’s more of a love/hate hobby, than an income source.

Before, you get upset….my saviour, in the form of Dave; Chef on Bike has arrived to take over. His artisan, traditionally baked bread has gone down a storm. So much so, I’m happy to hand him my pinny. The added bonus is that, because Dave bakes larger quantities; making bread is ALL he does, the costs are lower. Lower costs that can be passed directly to you. Hoorah!

Dave has agreed to bake some of the more unusual bread varieties, such as sun dried tomato and onion & poppy seed, so it really is for the best.

The new lines will be on the price list soon.

Avid Advent Day Nine-At Last!

2011-12-09T20:21:00.001+01:00

At last!
The festive spirit came knocking at my door today.
And boy, did it thump hard.
So hard, I sobbed, solid, for forty minutes.
Whoever invented children's nativity, is GENIUS.
I admit, I worried a little bit that my three year old, (who'd refused to sing a word at Harvest Festival, only a month ago), would fight tooth and nail, when it came to wearing the Angel outfit.
I shouldn't have.
No, she may not have had a starring role but, by golly, did she win the costume styles stakes. No skanky t towel tied with a bit of string for my girl. Nope. She had a full on, winter wonderland princess dress....HA! My girl knew what she was doing. I can hear her now.....
Mary?
Mary? The one wearing the sack cloth and flip flops?
I think NOT!
I'll take the white dress with glitter, thank you.
There's something about twenty kids no older than four, singing 'We wish you a merry christmas' that breaks even the biggest of 'bah humbugs'.
Just as, there's something about a rickety old trolley, disguised as Santa's sleigh, being dragged about, while little Billy forgets his lines and Tommy falls off the edge of the stage (to be quickly hush, hushed by Mrs Over Zealous teacher; AKA Temporary Stage Director) that just makes you want to make the Christmas magic last forever and ever.....
Honestly, if you don't have kids, shut your eyes and remember, as hard as you can, the best Christmas you ever had and hold on to that thought. You'll be where I am right now......in cozy bliss.
I have just one thing to say about today.
Thank you.
Thank you for blessing me with the gift of children, so that I can indulge in the magic of life.

Avid Advent Day Eight-The 'Goose' is getting Fat

2011-12-08T18:37:00.000+01:00

It's 5pm and I can't move.
I am well and truly STUFFED.
It's a hazard of my job; a particularly dangerous one at this time of year.
Why? Well, what makes a good cook?
Amongst other things such as practise, experience, bravery....there's one vital component...the desire to TASTE, TASTE, TASTE. I mean, how can anyone serve food, without tasting it? It's like drawing a picture without looking at it......
As I've absolutely no desire to taste meat, but cook it for family, I ask my husband to taste my non veggie concoctions. I'm never sure if the mmmmmm's and ahhhhhhhh's are genuine, or kindness. To be honest, I don't give a hoot if people like my meaty meals. If they hate them, all the better. They should eat veg.......
Today, I've been making savoury hazelnut & barley loaves, veggie tarts and gluten free chocolate brownies. The brownies required the most attention. That chocolate, you just HAVE to keep tasting it.......
Altogether now!
Christmas is coming...the organic box woman is getting fat............

Gluten Free Chocolate Brownies

2011-12-08T15:22:00.000+01:00

Chocolate Heaven

Nuff said

Hazelnut & Barley Loaf

2011-12-08T15:00:00.000+01:00

Perfect sliced with all the trimmings this Christmas......hide from the meat eaters!

Avid Advent Day Seven-And Off to Market

2011-12-07T09:26:00.000+01:00

Today, I start preparations for my final market of the year. It's not without a sense of relief.
I have mixed emotions, when it comes to markets.
The run up to them is more than, a little crazy; baking, packing, pricing...
Then, market day arrives and after an initial early morning rush to get set up (usually in battering wind and rain), it all goes a bit dull....
...and cold...and odd.
Market etiquette, something I thought I'd made up in my own head, (until I read another traders blog), is a difficult thing to grasp.
Stand up? Sit down?
Talk? Keep quiet?
Ask if browsers need help? Ignore them?
Look at customers? Avoid eye contact?
Eat? Starve?
It's a mine field I, invariably, get wrong. There's been many an occasion, I've taken a sneaky bite of a buttie and slurp of tea, only to be faced with a customer demanding attention. As a lady of manners, I can't talk with my gob full, can I? It's just not done....
I suppose, the thing about market trading, is you are on show. Your produce takes centre stage, but YOU are the performer. Get it wrong, the reviews are bad. Get it right and you take very little home.
So, do I love or loathe the markets?
Honestly, I don't know.
I LOVE the adrenaline rush, as I proudly unpack my goodies. And I LOVE the buzz of a busy day.
But, I HATE the quiet, cold markets, when you stare longingly, into the distance, willing customers in your direction. And leave with most of what you arrived with.
Saturday's market could go one of two ways; it will either be busy, with last minute Christmas shoppers, or will be very quiet with the 'stay indoors and drink mugs of hot chocolate option' winning hands down.
For me, it's a flask of hot chocolate, drunk under my stall, with my fingers crossed......

Free Whole Foods!

2011-12-07T06:59:00.000+01:00

Getting into the spirit of gift giving, next week spend over £21 and you can have a freebie whole food gift on me.

All gifts are pot luck and could be anything from organic oats, to a bottle of organic beer! To claim your freebie gift, first click on the link to the GO SHOPPING page of Avid Organics and fill your basket with goods up to, or over the value of £21. Then, enter the Special Offers aisle and select the FREE Whole food Gift. Checkout as usual.

http://www.avidorganics.co.uk/go_shopping.asp

Please note: minimum spend cannot be achieved from any other item from the Special Offers aisle and does not include delivery/credit card fees.

Avid Advent Day Six-The Great Sprout Debate

2011-12-06T19:16:00.002+01:00

During my time as an Organic Box Scheme owner, I've learnt a lot.
I've learnt, sometimes, you can influence others opinions. The impact of pesticides on the environment, for example.
I've learnt sometimes, you can influence others actions. Encouraging seasonal eating, for example.
I've also learnt that, even with the best will in the world, you'll NEVER crack the toughest nuts; the SPROUT HATERS.
Yes, this gang is impenetrable. Don't think recipes of buttery chestnut, smoked bacon and hazel crusted combinations will crack them either. No, tried that; this little group are steadfast. Sprouts are the work of the devil and that's that.
I've lost count of the number of times I've ducked for cover, as a member of the SPROUT HATERS gang has discovered a rogue green beastie, menacing their delivery. Trust me, it's messy. Far worse than the ARTICHOKE HATERS and even the BEETROOT HATERS.
So, this time of year, I feel the need to send out Dave, my father in law, (AKA Speedy Delivery Driver Extraordinaire) in sprout body armour. The problem is that, unlike the BEETROOT HATERS and the ARTICHOKE HATERS, the SPROUT HATERS have a rival. The SPROUT LOVERS.
It gets VERY confusing as to which gang people belong.
See my logic is; hate cabbage, hate sprouts. Love cabbage, love sprouts. A logic that's tripped me up so many times, I've lost count.
Being mummy to a three year old is, however, helping my understanding of the SPROUT HATERS gang. Subjected to some particularly underdone, offencive ones, a few days ago during a meal out, she immediately subscribed to SPROUT HATERS. And today, whilst packing my lovely organic specimens, she informed me:
'Mummy I DON'T like THOSE! They look like boogies'.
So, I fear it's all down to our early memories and experiences. I feel I've failed my daughter and my sprouts. As a fully affiliated member of the SPROUT LOVERS gang, I should have been a little more proactive in the fight against recruitment into the SPROUT HATERS gang.
Which gang are you in.....?

Chick Pea & Chestnut Falafel

2011-12-05T16:05:00.002+01:00

Really good party food, with a festive twist. If you don’t want to go to the fuss of roasting your chestnuts, The Festive Collection does a good, ready cooked & peeled chestnuts line.

Ingredients
300g organic tinned chickpeas
100g organic whole cooked & peeled chestnuts
1 small organic onion roughly chopped
1 organic clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp each of organic whole cumin seeds & ground coriander
½ tsp each of organic chilli powder & salt
2 tbsp organic gram flour
3 tbsp organic sunflower oil

Method
Blend the chickpeas, chestnuts, onion & garlic in a food processer until smooth. Stir through the spices, salt & flour until well combined. Shape into 8 balls and place in the fridge covered, for thirty minutes.
Heat the oil to sizzling hot, in a large frying pan. Cook the falafel in batches, until evenly browned & crispy. Serve hot or cold with organic Greek yoghurt and toasted pitta.

Avid Advent Day Five-Frozen lettuce

2011-12-05T11:52:00.001+01:00

I promise not to moan today.
I promise.
I promise.
I'll just mention I'm full of cold and have to pack lovely organic fruit and vegetables, in zero degrees, outside.
That's it.
No moaning.
I should to thank my lucky stars really. This time last year, we were three foot deep in snow. It was a nightmare. Cauliflowers were being pulled from the ground frozen. Bananas were black. Carrots were so cold they smashed like china, if you dropped them. The first week of the 'big freeze' I dutifully packed my veg boxes, shut the outside packing area door and sighed a big sigh. The upside of being so cold, was I didn't have to fire up my gigantic fridge, to keep produce fresh.
Wrong.
The following morning, I opened the packing door and immediately went backside over boob. The floor had iced over and every single, painstakingly packed box was frozen to the wooden shelving. Frozen lettuce. Not nice.
So, once again the gigantic fridge was fired up......to keep the produce warm.
This morning, there's been a wee bit of snow. Enough to get Ellie running around the house, yelling, 'MUMMY we can build sand castles now......!'. I didn't have the heart to tell her....
I suppose if it gets a bit whiter, at least, it will start to feel like Christmas is nearly here. I'm still festively struggling a little. Even the red tinsel, delivered to school this morning (it was Ellie's 'homework' to find something beginning with 'R' to decorate the tree-VERY clever. Get all the mums and dads to cough up for decorating the school....) failed to muster a craving for mince pies.
I need to snap out of my negativity.
Perhaps the organic clementines will do it this afternoon.......

Day Four-Bah Humbug

2011-12-04T15:33:00.000+01:00

Eurrrgggh. Rain and cold. A poor start to day four of Avid Advent.
I promise, the festive spirit WILL get to me soon-but right now, all I can think about is how rough I feel, after my arctic escapades yesterday.
My husband suggested decorating the Christmas tree, but I fully intend to catch up on work (invoicing, collating orders, ordering from wholesalers, cooking plans, recipes......etc) and then, I'm indulging in a lazy duvet day. OK, a lazy duvet few hours....accompanied by a hot toddy or three and a big box of tissues....
...bah humbug.

Avid Advent Day Three-Arctic

2011-12-03T20:06:00.002+01:00

At the risk of sounding like an eternal moaner, day three of Avid Advent was not looking great at 6am. After finishing work at 9pm, the previous day, I was up, getting ready for the Christmas Market in ARCTIC Penistone.
Arctic...something I'm becoming acclimatised to.
Last night, I discovered the bedroom window long past it's sell by date, had blown open. Try as I might to shut it, I failed miserably. Now, we're not talking a little air vent here-nope, it's more like a glass door for a ten year old. As my husband was on his Christmas do and my toolbox of a fork, hair slide and front door key were not cutting it, I went to bed.
In my socks, t shirt, dressing gown....
...and hat.
When my husband arrived home at1am, I'd still not been to sleep. I stupidly pointed to the window, which had the following effect:
1-me, awake for another hour, due to extreme agitation at being accused of 'breaking' the window, by a slightly intoxicated bloke.
2-no curtains, as slightly intoxicated husband, whilst trying to 'fix' said window, stumbled and made a grab for the nearest thing to prevent falling, (giving the game away that he was slightly intoxicated).
In the morning, my market outfit comprised: a pair of thermal tights, a pair of leggings, jeans, two t shirts, one jumper, one cardigan, three pairs of socks, one coat, one body warmer, a hat, a scarf and two pairs of gloves. For those of you not familiar with Penistone Market building, I must explain my attire.It's a beautiful, open wooden structure, apparently designed to circulate air. Clearly the numpties who designed it have NEVER been to the North Pole, AKA Penistone, in winter. So, standing in it is akin to standing in the freezer section of a supermarket, whilst having bags of frozen peas shoved in your shoes, gloves and pants.....oh and then add an industrial ice blaster fan into the equation and you're pretty much there.
The market itself was lovely by the afternoon. Carol singers and mulled wine. And twenty FROZEN traders, all sporting wind burn and unable to move fingers, toes, mouths.....
I've been home for two hours now and I'm just about thawing out.
The good thing is I only have four Xmas cakes and two gift baskets left.
Ho ho ho.......

Avid Advent Day Two-Early Starts and Sore Heads

2011-12-02T14:22:00.001+01:00

Day two of Avid Advent began badly.
My early, bread making start (5.30am), was positively hellish.
Ellies' early, door opening quest (6am), was not that great either. My little girl has THREE advent calenders, which has caused MUCH confusion, as she's now opened SIX doors. Santa Clews is only 19 days away......NO!! NO!! NO!!
I spent the morning finishing preparations for the Christmas market, come Light Switch On, come Carol Concert, come Mayors Outing, come Foot Freezing Off Event, to be held in Penistone Market building tomorrow. (YES that IS a plug. I've spent HOURS, DAYS, WEEKS making hampers. I REALLY, REALLY REALLY don't want to bring them home.........) Amongst various glitter and tinsel activities, one of the final preparations included the all time favourite (not); chalking on mini blackboards. Problem is, mini blackboards are a bit too mini, for my fat hands, which rub out the chalk I've painstakingly crafted.
It's now lunch time and I've an afternoon of 'quality' Christmas events to look forward to. First, the school Christmas Fair. Apparently, Santa Clews is going to be there, so we can't miss it. My little girl would never forgive me for depriving her of the opportunity to scream at the old geezer in the fake white beard; the one scaring the kids to death and charging parents four quid for the privilege.
Second, once the mentally scarred three year old is in bed, comes my annual re jigging of delivery schedules. Something I have to have peace and quiet for. Getting my head around 2011 and 2012 dates, takes a lot of concentration and a little bit of computer lobbing, paper tearing and foot stamping.
Third and this has to be the best one, is the 'taking care of ' my husband, post Xmas bash. Yes, tonight is the big night. Despite him protesting otherwise, my husband does not do vast quantities of beer very 'well'. And, I'm ashamed to say, I don't do drunk husbands very well. Especially when they are trying to act sober and INSIST they are NOT drunk....I just hope the annual delivery rejigging and computer lobbing is done before he gets home, or he may find his head sore for reasons other than too much beer....

Avid Advent-Day One The Great Door Opening Begins

2011-12-01T15:45:00.001+01:00

As December is Avids' busiest, most exciting time of year, (for the foodies amongst us), it occurred to me I should blog my Avid Advent.
For three reasons:
First: I always forget just how hard I work pre-Christmas. It would be good to have something 'solid' to look back on, as opposed to my post Christmas, euphoric and ever so slightly (well known and very naughty) liqueur disorientated blur.
Second: to put any mad fools, considering launching an organic box scheme, well and truly off.
And finally: to provide my lovely friends and family with more than a one word explanation, as to why I can't attend long lost cousin Rogers' pre Xmas bash, or Auntie Mauds' afternoon sherry and mince pie get together. I can just mumble 'blog' and all will make sense....
Today, day one of Advent, should have been lovely. It's the first year my daughter, now three and a half, has 'got' the concept of Christmas. And given that she's been watching me churn out Christmas cakes for a month now, she's growing slightly 'impatient', shall we say, for the appearance of Santa Clews (as she calls him), Rudolf and Ralph.
Yesterday, as she ate a full pack of ham in practise for their arrival (yes, my girl thinks the idea of organic carrots and a mince pie is completely insane. Only the best ham will do-she's 'testing' every variety to ensure it's up to the acceptable standard for her furry friends), I decided it was time to bring out the advent calendar and explain how we open ONE door, until the big day. Lovely. She went to bed happy, excited at the prospect of door opening.
I'm not sure if it was my sons alarm going off for the first time at 6am, or the subsequent 10 second snooze alarms for the next THIRTY MINUTES, that put the entire house in a grumpy mood, but whatever, there wasn't much HO HO HO coming from this neck of the woods.
So, door one was opened and yes, the inevitable happened. Fifteen minutes of reasoning as to why we can't open all the other doors to make Christmas come NOW.
I was relieved when pre school time came, being just one more, 'BUT mummy if we open THIS door Santa Clews will HAVE to come', away from cracking; shattering her newly discovered illusions about Santa.....
It didn't take long for my festive glimmer to start fizzing again, when the postman arrived. He was carrying a letter from Santa-one I had arranged through the NSPCC a few weeks ago.
Brilliant!
The timing was perfect, as yesterday we'd posted a bit of scrap paper covered in glue, feathers and glitter to the big man himself. At lunchtime, on her arrival home, I excitedly let her 'find' the letter on the doormat. The initial response was a little zealous and unfortunately, in the rush to get into the envelope, she ripped half of it. Which of course, led to tears......
Having not had the best start to the day, I reluctantly began to pack gift baskets and hampers for the Christmas market in Penistone, on Saturday. I have to say, it's not a job I enjoy; even at the best of times. I find myself arranging, re arranging, titivating, untitivating, wrapping, unwrapping.....my house generally looks like Santa's grotto after a small whirlwind. It takes me HOURS to do one sodding hamper....and that's just not festive at all is it??
Due to the fact that I've been packing hampers all week, I've just about finished now. So, in ten minutes, I can spend a few hours cleaning up and then, get on with my 'normal' work. I should finish about seven o'clock tonight...ho ho ho......

Comfort Fodder. Lentil Hotpot.

2011-11-30T19:09:00.000+01:00

A welcome dinner after a cold day packing veg.

Gluten Free Spicy Chickpea & Pasta Soup

2011-11-30T10:14:00.000+01:00

Dove’s Farm do a brilliant range of organic, gluten free, brown rice pasta. Even if you don’t follow a gluten free diet, it’s worth trying the pasta for its nutty, wholesome flavour.
Ingredients
2 tbsp organic olive oil
1 large organic onion, finely chopped
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
2 cloves organic garlic, peeled & finely chopped
1L hot organic vegetable stock, made with Marigold Bouillon
1 tin organic chopped tomatoes
1 tin organic chickpeas drained & rinsed
115g Dove’s Farm maize & rice spaghetti, snapped into small pieces
Freshly ground pepper & salt

Method
Heat the oil in a large saucepan and cook the onion for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and chilli flakes. Cook for a further two minutes.
Stir in the tomatoes, stock and chickpeas and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
Add the pasta to the soup and simmer for a further 5 eight minutes, or until tender. Season to taste and serve in big bowls with crusty sour dough bread.

Hand Made Luxury Gift Hampers

2011-11-30T08:08:00.000+01:00

Who wouldn't want one of these....?
On sale at Penistone light turn on Sat 3rd Dec 11am-5pm.
Hurry! They'll go fast.....

Wheat Free Very Nutty Granola

2011-11-29T14:36:00.000+01:00

Wheat free, vegan Granola-crammed with organic seeds, dried fruit & nuts.
Made with lovely organic Pimhill Farm Oats.
I enjoy mine served with Greek yoghurt (Rachel's coconut is my favourite) and organic chopped banana.

IMPORTANT XMAS DELIVERY & SHUTDOWN NEWS

2011-11-28T11:05:00.002+01:00

Xmas Deliveries
Ho ho ho. Christmas is here again!!
This year, to help with your Xmas planning, I am offering alternative delivery days. Deliveries will be as follows:

Tuesday Dec 20^th selected Sheffield areas
Wednesday 21^st Dec usual HD9 areas
Thursday 22^nd Dec Sheffield & Barnsley areas
Friday 23^rd Dec Huddersfield areas, including HD9 areas

Please place your Xmas order as usual and checkout with your regular delivery day. If you would like to opt for one of the alternative days, please email, or call me: info@avidorganics.co.uk 07969 611 917. Please note, adjusted delivery slots are limited, so you will need to place your order and choose your delivery time early, to avoid disappointment.

If you are currently on a fortnightly delivery schedule which falls w/c 12^th Dec and you would like an additional pre Xmas delivery w/c 19^th Dec, please email, or call me.

Xmas Shutdown

After all the chaos, myself and driver Dave are taking our usual two week rest. There will be no deliveries:

Tues 27^th,Wed 28^th, Thurs 29^th, Fri 30^th Dec 2011
Tues 3^rd, Wed 4^th, Thurs 5^th, Fri 6^th Jan 2012

Deliveries will resume TUES 10^th January 2012.
All deliveries will commence from this date, regardless of current weekly/fortnightly schedule. If you would prefer not to have your first post Xmas box on w/c 9^th Jan, please email, or call me.

Can I take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you, customers new and old, for your continued support and enthusiasm in my business. It is a joy to know you!

HAVE A HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND A HEALTHY NEW YEAR XX

Grown Up Tiffin with Vegan Tips

2011-11-26T15:49:00.000+01:00

Tiffin is a delicious treat and really simple to make.
Sorry, I'm not about to give away my recipe, but I will give you a few pointers on how to make a vegan friendly batch.

(1) Use a good quality, organic cocoa powder suitable for vegans. Green & Black's is my favourite.
(2) Use an organic biscuit, suitable for vegans. Dove's Farm do a great range.
(3) Use organic vegan chocolate. Plamil, or Organica are good options.
(4) Substitute butter for an organic, dairy free spread. Try Pure Organic.

Once made, Tiffin makes a gorgeous gift. Wrap in clear bags, tie with pretty ribbon and Voila a gift any vegan foodie would be pleased to receive!

Sesame Noodles (gluten free/vegan)

2011-11-25T10:16:00.000+01:00

This is one of my favourite fast meal fixes. My pre prepared, organic stir fry packs are a healthy shortcut too. If you require this dish to be 100% gluten free, be careful not to replace the Tamari with a standard Soy sauce, as many varieties contain wheat flour.

Ingredients (to serve four hungry people)
3 tbsp organic sunflower oil
2 cloves organic garlic, finely chopped
1 inch piece fresh organic ginger, scrubbed & finely chopped
1tbsp cumin seeds
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
1x Avid Organics pre-prepared stir fry pack, or approx 400g of mixed organic vegetables, thinly sliced (onions, peppers, squash, mushrooms, celery etc)
100ml organic gluten free Tamari (try Yakso)
2 tbsp organic toasted sesame oil

200g King Soba organic, gluten free, brown rice noodles

To Garnish:
2 tbsp organic sesame seeds, lightly toasted in a dry frying pan set over a low heat

Method
First, cook the noodles according to the pack instructions. Plunge into cold water & set aside until you are ready to use them.

Heat the sunflower oil in a large wok .Cook the garlic & ginger for one minute. Be careful not to have the heat too high, or the garlic will burn. Add the cumin seeds & chilli flakes, cook for one minute further, before turning up the heat and adding the prepared vegetables. Stir fry for five minutes.

Drain the noodles well & add to the pan with the Tamari & sesame oil. Stir well, remove from the heat & serve in bowls scattered with the toasted sesame seeds.

Blowing My Own Trumpet

2011-11-24T08:17:00.002+01:00

An email from the Soil Association:

Your licence is renewed
'Thank you for your time at inspection. We appreciate your hard work in running an organic operation and maintaining Soil Association organic standards. We are pleased to confirm that we have renewed your licence and there are no further actions you need to take now.
We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you on your successful certification and encourage you to display your certificate prominently to gain maximum benefit from the strength of the Soil Association symbol'
Takes a bow and exits stage left..........

Oatcakes with added seeds

2011-11-23T15:15:00.000+01:00

Been busy today making seeded oatcakes, using Pimhill Farm oats.
Now on sale from the Bread aisle. To order yours, click the link: http://www.avidorganics.co.uk/go_shopping.asp

Apologies...Ho Ho HO....

2011-11-23T12:36:00.000+01:00

I feel the need to apologise.
I'm SORRY!!
I'm uncomfortably aware you'll be sick of me rabbiting on about Xmas.
It's only ruddy November, after all.
I used to be the same.
Pre Avid, (or Wow, for those who can think back that far), I was a steadfast: 'Don't mention Xmas, until we're at least in Advent' type of person. It would get right up my nose that after the 'Back to School' banners came down, the 'Ho Ho Ho' ones went up.
I don't think you appreciate the race to promote Xmas until you're in the retail game.
Trust me, it really is a race.
You have to be first to offer your Xmas wares, for fear rival business's, a little more savvy, nick all your potential pudding & pie orders.
It's ridiculous.
We're not even into December and already I feel the 'if I have to look at another raisin, cranberry, or piece of marzipan, I'll go quietly crazy', jitters coming on.
What's more, my house constantly smells like Santa's grotto, sending my three year old into meltdown. She's convinced Rudolf is going to land any day now.
All to win the race...
Thank goodness I'm not in the holiday trade. Because the minute the turkey is carved, I'd be stripping off to my bikini, to advertise the special Summer deals on offer.....

Florentines

2011-11-22T19:33:00.000+01:00

Organic almonds, cranberries & raisins, drenched in dark & white chocolate. Ooooo Florentines to get excited about.....

Almond Slow Cooked Rice Pudding

2011-11-21T18:54:00.000+01:00

This is possibly the best rice pud I’ve ever tasted and it’s posh enough for dinner parties. To adapt to vegan/dairy free, replace the milk & cream with vanilla rice milk and dairy free cream. For extra goodness, top with toasted, flaked almonds.

Ingredients-serves 4 -6

175g organic sugar
125g organic pudding rice
50g organic raisins
30g organic ground almonds
zest of one organic lemon
pinch salt
1L organic whole milk
250ml organic double cream
30g organic unsalted butter
1 tsp organic almond extract

Method
Place all the ingredients into a slow cooker.
Stir.
Switch to med and leave to cook for approximately four hours, or until the rice is tender.

Spiced Seasonal Tagine

2011-11-21T11:56:00.000+01:00

I know it's just not 'normal'.
My kitchen was full of the wonderful aroma of this seasonal spiced tagine, at 6am this morning. Cumin, cinnamon, garlic....I serve it with a fruity cous cous.
S'pose cous cous is kind of breakfast like...?

Local Producers Take Your Pick Offer

2011-11-21T09:49:00.000+01:00

To help support local suppliers, my offer for the next two weeks is ‘Take Your Pick’.
Spend £27, or over to receive either a FREE box of free range eggs, OR a FREE locally produced artisan loaf.
The small print:
Minimum spend excludes items from the Special Offer aisle and delivery/credit card fees.
Minimum spend relates to one delivery scheduled between 29^th Nov-2^nd Dec 2011, or 6^th-9^th Dec 2011.
One free item allowed per delivery.
To collect your Take Your Pick freebie, first, fill your basket with goodies from the GO SHOPPING aisles of www.avidorganics.co.uk up to or over the value of £27. Then enter the Special Offers/Other Goods aisle and select which item you would like.

Almond Butter Biscuits (with melting marzipan middles)

2011-11-18T16:08:00.000+01:00

Perfect for my Xmas gift baskets & hampers

Backpackers Spicy Squash Nachos

2011-11-18T08:19:00.002+01:00

Five ingredients and five steps to a tasty meal? No problem..........

This recipe is really easy to make; perfect for hungry backpackers. Serve on one big plate & allow fellow hungry backpackers to dig in…

Ingredients
(1) 1 med sized organic butternut squash (if you cant get butternut, any other variety will do)
(2) 1 large tin organic kidney beans drained
(3) 1 large tin organic chopped tomatoes
(4) 1 large bag plain, or salted organic tortilla chips
(5) 200g organic grated mozzarella
Spices-1 tsp each of chilli flakes & cumin seeds, ½ tsp salt

Method
(1) Prepare the squash-peel, deseed & chop into 1 inch squares
(2) Place squash, tomatoes, kidney beans, spices & salt into a pan, set over a low heat. Cook covered for 5 mins, or until the squash is tender.
(3) Open the tortilla chips and spread over an oven proof serving plate.
(4) Top tortilla chips with squash mixture and grated mozzarella
(5) Place plate under a hot grill until the cheese is melted and bubbling

Ingredients available from www.avidorganics.co.uk

I'm a lumberjack.......

2011-11-16T18:56:00.000+01:00

11am:
Right now, I’m sat in a FREEZING house, boiling pans of hot chocolate, on my gas stove, writing this on a word document, on my laptop, which is about to die...........ten minutes of battery life left and counting…….
We have no electric.
I should be grateful; we did get a warning.
A letter.
Dear Sir/Madam, on Wednesday 16^Th November 2011, your power supply MAY be affected between the hours of 08.30-17.00, due to essential maintenance work of local trees.
08.31….puff!
Electric off.
11am…still no electric.
FREEZING house.
THIRD hot chocolate on the go.
The lack of electricity has got me pondering a number of things:

1-what did I ever do without it? I can’t get in my garage to pack veggies (electric doors).
I can’t make cake (electric oven)
I can’t make bread (too ruddy cold)
I can’t get on the Internet for site updates, accounting etc (I’ll be posting this as soon as I can…if you were confused)
I can’t have a wash (I’m not into cold water torture)
The list goes on……….

2-why does hot chocolate always taste better in times of need?
Trust me, this stuff tastes great in a freezing house with no electric.

3-why does tree maintenance mean I have to sit in a freezing house all day?
And more importantly, where are the trees that are being maintained? I’ve been out for a five mile jog, this morning. There were no lumberjacks to be seen.

4-why don’t they say:
Dear Sir/Madam, on Wednesday 16^Th November 2011, your power supply WILL TURNED OFF AT PRECISELY 08.31, NO QUESTION. DON’T THINK FOR ONE SECOND, THERE IS ANY ‘MAY’ ABOUT IT. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE USED YOUR HAIR DRYER/STRAIGHTENERS/SHOWER/KETTLE/OVEN/INTERNET CONNECTION BY THEN, OR YOU WILL BE, AS USUAL, TRAPPED IN A FREEZING HOUSE, STINKING, WITH MESSY HAIR, UNABLE TO VENTURE OUT OF THE DOOR, FOR FEAR OF SCARING PEOPLE HALF TO DEATH……

Yes I’ve been in this situation before. Precisely a year ago, when they ‘maintained’ the trees, I’m yet to find.
I should be grateful.
Last year we were three foot deep in snow…..the lumberjacks are clearly devoted to their work.
In half an hour I’m putting on a hat, breaking open the deodorant and perfume bottles and I’m off out.
To pick the little one up from pre-school to do some serious loitering, in warm shops and cafes. Until precisely 17.01….