Center Parcs and visiting family

It's been a busy two weeks in the Bite-Sized Thoughts household, as we followed a long weekend away with a visit from my sister and her boyfriend from Australia. Both were wonderful. My sister is now in France for a wedding but we're looking forward to welcoming her back for two further nights next week.

Coffee #1 in Warminster

We spent most of my sister's visit around our town and the adjoining countryside, but also made a day trip to Bodiam Castle. This is one of my favourite English castles with its intact exterior and impressive moat, but semi-ruined interior that you can climb around and explore without the confines of a tour. The picture below shows Mini Bite taking advantage of the opportunity to clamber. I first visited Bodiam as a 10-year-old and my family have returned regularly over the years, so it was also nice to go back with my sister and add to childhood memories

Mini Bite exploring Bodiam

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In my kitchen - April 2018

I am linking this into the monthly In My Kitchen round-up, hosted by Sherry of Sherry's Pickings.

In my kitchen there is an impressive amount of chocolate. I could attribute this to Easter, but that would be somewhat unfair. In truth, there is always a lot of chocolate in our house and Easter has just increased the quantities further.

Vegan friendly hazelnut chocolate bars, thanks to Marks and Spencer

Not directly related to Easter are dairy free chocolate bars from Marks and Spencer, as pictured above. UK vegans may know the hazelnut studded Vego chocolate bars, which are delicious and moreish and akin to Nutella in chocolate bar form. M&S have brought out a comparable bar of their own, the Gianduja bar. As shown below, it even looks the same as the Vego equivalent. It is also just as tasty and just as dangerous to have in the house! The Novi' block, pictured in the middle above, also features hazelnuts but I'm yet to try this.

Also not Easter-related, albeit bought when buying other people Easter chocolates, are the sour cherries in dark chocolate sold by Lidl. I've had these before and they strike a nice balance between sweet dark chocolate and sour dried cherry interior.

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Deal, Sandwich and The Lane Cafe / Restaurant - The Kent Coast

I'm glad so many of you liked the carrot and red lentil soup of my last post. I made it again this morning and it is equally good this time (fifth time!) around. Mini Bite even managed two bowls of it this evening, despite being under the weather with a temperature.

Lunch from The Lane Cafe/Restaurant, Deal

Like the soup, this post has been sitting in draft form for a little while. It relays sights and memories from a day trip Mr Bite and I made back in February, when we each took the day off work and left Mini Bite in nursery while we went exploring. It is the second time we've done this, and while it feels a bit mean as parents, it gives us much needed and rather rare time as a couple.

On this occasion, we drove the 90 minutes to the nearby towns of Deal and Sandwich on the Kent coast. For those not familiar with England, Kent is a south-east county bordering London on one side and the coast on the other. We are on the London side, and despite living in the area for 2.5 years, we have yet to explore many of the coastal towns.

Deal Castle

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Springing into Dorset

Lulworth Cove, Dorset

We returned yesterday from five days in Dorset, which provided sun, sea and sand if not the weather for swimming (that would have been too much to expect in early March). After our snowy start to spring it was delightful to have 10'C days without rain - especially as this weekend brings yet more snow both at home and around the UK. We were fortunate to have our holiday when we did.

Here are some highlights from the week away...

Lulworth Cove, Dorset

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In my kitchen - March 2018

I am linking this into the monthly In My Kitchen round-up, hosted by Sherry of Sherry's Pickings.

I mentioned snow in my February IMK post and March has started the same way. Spring is yet to spring in the UK and last week brought the heaviest snow I've seen. My kitchen overlooked white scenes and a good foot of snow that lasted several days.

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Eat Dairy Free: Cookbook review + recipe

I was recently given the opportunity to review Eat Dairy Free by Alisa Fleming (BenBella Books, 2018). The book isn't vegan (or even vegetarian) but it includes many recipes which are. The author also includes details of her personal experiences cutting out dairy and offers lots of tips on how to make the transition.

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Zizzi's vegan eats - Salad and cake

We continue to enjoy my parent's company, although after today they are off visiting other family before returning to us for their final few nights in mid-January. Mostly we have relished the time with them, but an extra bonus last week was the opportunity to head out for dinner with Mr Bite and not Mini Bite. We have never left Mini Bite with a babysitter and this was our first night out as a couple in over 17 months. Quite the novelty!

Being the laid back pair we are, we didn't head anywhere fancy. Rather, we went to the local Zizzi so I could expand my experience of their vegan menu and Mr Bite could enjoy his usual pizza favourite.

Zizzi paved the way for vegan pizza a few years back, offering any of their pizzas with a 'vegan mozzarella alternative' instead of regular cheese. Said 'alternative' is made with coconut oil and I liked it well enough when I tried it, which is significant given I don't usually like cheese or non-dairy cheese. However, for me, I still prefer vegetarian pizza without cheese at all.

More recently, Zizzi has gone a step further and ensured that vegan customers can choose from a range of options for starters, mains and dessert. For some time I've wanted to try their sticky chocolate and praline torte, and last week was my opportunity.

Green goddess salad

To ensure I had room for dessert, I bypassed vegan pizza or pasta for the green goddess salad with broccoli. Despite sounding super-healthy, this is a delicious salad full of flavour and contrasting texture. It includes tenderstem broccoli, cannellini beans, tomatoes, mixed leaves, crunchy 'winter slaw' and a pesto with purple basil, pea shoots and toasted seeds. It's a salad, but a hearty one.

Fortunately, it isn't so hearty that dessert can't fit in too. In addition to the vegan torte, there is a vegan dessert calzone on offer and one day I will try this too (it features banana, berry coulis and crushed honeycomb). However, I had my heart set on torte this time around. It consisted of a super creamy, mousse-like chocolate cake on top of a date, hazelnut and walnut base and it came with coconut and chocolate ripple gelato. Both components were utterly delicious and enjoyed by me as well as Mr Bite.

All in all, it was a wonderful meal out and has motivated us to try Zizzi again before too long - even if the next visit may be a lunchtime with a toddler in tow!

On an unrelated but timely note - wishing all of my readers a very happy start to 2018 and a wonderful year to come.

Have you enjoyed any recent meals out?

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Holidaying with a 15-month-old: A week in Suffolk

This last week has been a clear example of how our lives have changed since having Mini Bite. Two years ago, Mr Bite and I were travelling Scotland, thinking nothing of driving 4+ hours in a day, and walking extensively whatever the weather. Fast forward to now and we just had a week in Suffolk - all of 1.5 hours north of our home - where the key factors in our accommodation choice were the presence of a playground, indoor swimming pool, and animals for Mini Bite to visit. It was a different holiday, although equally enjoyable in its own way.

Gladwins Farm

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Cookbook reviews + giveaways: Sweet, Savory & Free and The One Peaceful World Cookbook

I recently reviewed two digital cookbooks kindly sent to me by BenBella Books. I am pleased to share them with you today and give you a chance to win a digital copy of each, or a print copy if you live in the US or Canada.

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In my kitchen - July 2017

I am linking this in to the monthly In My Kitchen round-up, now hosted by Sherry of Sherry's Pickings.

Well. Hello. I didn't intend to drop off the blogging radar for a fortnight, although in hindsight I could probably have predicted it. The shift from maternity leave to work wasn't quite as monumental as the opposite transition a year ago (work to new motherhood), but it isn't far off. Time is short and time for blogging is not, if I am honest, at the top of my list.

Given all of this, I am pleased to be able to check in now and showcase my busy July kitchen.

Local strawberries, blackberries and cherries

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Cookbook review + recipe: Earl Grey and Strawberry Granola from Heather Crosby's YumUniverse Pantry to Plate

I was provided with a copy of YumUniverse Pantry To Plate: Improvise Meals You Love – from What You Have in order to write this review. My opinions are my own.

I think we can all agree that there are a lot of cookbooks out there. What's more, many of us don't use the ones we have - especially if you are like me and struggle to follow recipes exactly. I will bookmark recipes in my cookbooks with the best of intentions, but even if I do make them (and often I don't!), I tend to adapt the recipe and use it for inspiration rather than as a step-by-step guide. In this context, I am truly delighted to share today's cookbook review. Heather Crosby has developed a novel "recipe playbook" that is perfectly suited to those of us who like to mix and match recipe ideas.

© Heather Crosby, 2017

YumUniverse Pantry To Plate: Improvise Meals You Love – from What You Have is a plant-based, gluten-free guide that provides 30 recipe templates as well as specific recipe examples. For example, Heather outlines the wet, dry and add-in ingredients you can combine to make breakfast cookies and then offers two specific cookie recipes for inspiration (Banana Chocolate Chip and Pumpkin-Pecan). In total, there are nearly 100 recipes to go with the 30 templates, across the following categories:

• Breakfast scrambles
• Granola
• Pancakes and waffles
• Muffins
• Warm cereals
• Breakfast cookies
• Compotes and fruit butters
• Coconut yogurt
• Dairy free milks
• Crackers
• Amazeballs
• Probiotic cream cheese
• Dips and spreads
• Crunchies (like roasted chickpeas)
• Fermented veggies
• Bites and tots
• Veggie fries
• Soups
• Cheesy comfort food
• Epic salads
• Mmmaki (sushi rolls)
• Tacos and wraps
• 'Banzo bakes
• Veggie burgers
• Hand pies
• Cookies
• Nice crispy bars
• Sneaky brownies
• Nice cream
• Crisps and crumbles

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Vegan Life Magazine - issues 23 and 24 (February and March 2017)

I receive complimentary digital copies of Vegan Life, which allows me to post reviews with screenshots included. My reflections on the magazine are entirely my own.

I always enjoy downloading the latest copy of Vegan Life and am pleased to share highlights from the last two editions. Back in February, I was inspired by a mushroom twist on Vietnamese Banh Mi...

...as well as this recipe for apple bircher muesli with spelt and rye flakes as well as oats.

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In my kitchen - March 2017

I am linking this in to the monthly In My Kitchen round up, currently hosted by Lizzy of Bizzy Lizzy's Good Things.

Spring flowers - visible from my kitchen

Happy autumn to my Australian readers. We have a few weeks until spring officially starts in the UK, but it is starting to feel spring-like as the days grow longer and spring flowers start to appear. Indeed, some are visible from my kitchen, thanks to the bulbs I planted last year starting to sprout.

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Vegan Life Magazine, issues 18 + 19 (September + October)

I receive complimentary digital copies of Vegan Life, which allows me to post reviews with screenshots included. My reflections on the magazine are entirely my own.

The latest edition of Vegan Life Magazine acknowledges and celebrates the arrival of autumn. Traditionally autumn was my favourite season and I still love the cozy evenings and brisk outdoor walks it provides, as well as the beauty of changing leaves. However, since moving to the UK I have also loved spring and summer for their long days and the increased outdoor options that mild sunshine permits. So, it is with mixed feelings that I welcome autumn this week - but full enthusiasm that I share some of the autumn highlights from Vegan Life. I also share some highlights from the September edition, which I haven't posted on yet.

The cover for this month features an impressive autumn and Halloween themed triple chocolate cheesecake. I love the candied nuts decorating the top and the drizzle of chocolate down the sides, even as I know I'm unlikely to manage either myself!

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Hampton Court Palace and Gardens

Rear wing of Hampton Court palace with formal gardens

With my parents visiting and the summery weather, we've had a good excuse to visit London and south-east England attractions. Some of our outings have been free and local and others more adventurous - a key highlight being a visit to Hampton Court Palace last week.

Front courtyard entry to Hampton Court Palace

I've wanted to visit Hampton Court since we moved to the UK in mid-2014. Consequently, I was very excited to finally get there. As some readers may remember, I am a big fan of historical fiction and Tudor-period history in particular. To see where so much of that history took place was both surreal and inspiring. However, even if you aren't already a fan of Tudor history I suspect that Hampton Court would impress. The palace is huge and its architecture inspiring, whilst the gardens are expansive and beautifully designed.

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In my kitchen - July 2016

There is no central In My Kitchen round-up this month, but I am sharing some of my July highlights.

There is a lot happening in my kitchen this month. I think one of the most exciting things is the presence of home grown raspberries. My raspberry bushes are doing incredibly well and I'm picking 6-10 berries every few days. This is not something I could do in Australia!

When I'm not eating raspberries I may be found eating local Kent cherries. These are now available at roadside stalls all around us. The stalls aren't noticeably cheaper than the supermarket (unless you buy enormous quantities that one cherry eater really can't justify) but they are a nice way to support farmers directly.

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Vegan Life Magazine, issues 16 and 17 (June and July 2016)

I receive complimentary digital copies of Vegan Life, which allows me to post reviews with screenshots included. My reflections on the magazine are entirely my own.

I'm sharing highlights from the last two editions of Vegan Life today. However, I also can't resist some comment on the UK's referendum on membership of the European Union. I don't usually veer into politics and intend to keep that trend, but am hugely saddened by the leave result that came in on Friday morning. Like many of us who voted to remain (and, it turns out, many who voted to leave) I am also shocked that the outcome went that way. Reading news reports over the weekend, I confess to a fair dose of anger as well. If the reports are to be believed, there are a fair few people who admit to voting leave "because I didn't think it would happen" and an even larger number who now regret or doubt their leave vote. It would seem wise to think one's vote through before voting, but clearly that is a lesson learnt too late for some.

Anyway, moving on! As always, Vegan Life provides a great collection of stories, recipes and product revelations. The June edition also had an interesting report on the increased number of vegans in Britain and their demographic characteristics. There are more female vegans than male, many more in urban areas than in rural, and a bias towards Masters or PhD level qualifications. Interestingly, you are also less likely to be married or have children if you are vegan - whether by choice or not is unclear.

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Two years in the UK - a celebratory day trip to Lewes and Brighton

Today marks 2 years since we flew into London from Australia. In many ways, it feels like much longer. The last year has been particularly eventful - we moved out of London to Kent, bought a car, and consequently made it from almost the bottom of the UK (Cornwall) to the top (Scotland), as well as seeing lots of places in between. I smiled when I re-read my post from last June on 'One year in London'. I spoke then about adjusting to life in a one-bed flat without a car, and it is safe to say we have since adjusted out again to life with more space and driving. Overall, I would also say that we are very settled now into life in the UK.

Lewes Castle

To mark the 2 years since our move, we ventured south yesterday to Lewes and Brighton, both in Sussex. I don't think I'd ever been to Lewes before and we were both impressed by the town, which is dominated by an impressive castle (above and below) and has a mix of attractive streets and parks.

Lewes Castle

Whilst Brighton is a hot-bed of vegan food, I knew we would struggle to get there for lunch and so directed us to Laportes in Lewes instead. Laportes is a cafe and food store with an emphasis on fresh, local, organic produce. They aren't specifically vegan or gluten-free but cater to both of those requirements if required. They also have an attractive garden at the rear of the cafe for outdoor eating when the weather permits.

Laportes lunches

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Out and about in England: Norfolk

It's been a long weekend here in England and Mr Bite and I have just returned from 2 nights in Norfolk. I organised the trip as a birthday present for Mr Bite, although given his birthday was in April, it's been a rather delayed present for him to experience!

Norfolk flowers

Norfolk was one of the few counties we hadn't visited as a couple and I don't think I had visited it at all. It's not really en route to anywhere else and it doesn't have any 'star attractions'. However, the county has a character all of its own and the main city, Norwich, is particularly appealing. We had an enjoyable and relaxing few days exploring the area, and so I thought I'd share some highlights in photo form.

Norfolk Broads

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In my kitchen - May 2016

I am linking this in to the monthly In My Kitchen event, hosted by Maureen of The Orgasmic Chef.

In my kitchen, I can't quite believe it is May. Despite my disbelief, there are more and more signs of spring, from bought tulips (courtesy of my mother-in-law, who is with us until Friday) to bright buds on my apple tree. The weather is still quite variable, but the bright sunny spells are more frequent and longer lasting. Plus, it's going to be 23'C this weekend! That's a positive heat wave for the UK in May.

Leaving aside the weather, my kitchen also features this 'energy boost' mix of lucuma, maca, hemp and cacao. I bought it on special and enjoy adding it to cereal / porridge, yoghurt and drinks.

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