Punch and Judy Show in Marriott's Walk

Every Saturday this month there is a show for children at the Marriott's Walk, Witney. We missed last week's performance, so made sure we'd be there for the Punch and Judy show.
We arrived around 12pm to find that the show has just started.
Eddie was hesitant at first to go and sit on the rug in front of the booth among the other children, but having seen that one of his class mates was there (she waved to him), he joined in.
This was the first time Eddie watched the Punch and Judy Show. This puppet show was following the classic routine, with Punch and Judy hitting each other with sticks.
This show goes back to the 17c in this country, and to even earlier times in Italy, where Punch has been named Pulcinella. Samuel Pepys described one such show in his famous diaries.

There are some pretty shocking violent scenes, when Mr Punch puts his baby in the meat grinder and turns him into a sausage.

There is a creepy looking clown, trying to use a crocodile's head as a cushion. Clowns do freak me out. There will be a clown show next Saturday. Somehow I think I'll skip that one.

Eddie was fascinated and completely absorbed in the show. He screamed with the other kids, he pointed to the puppets and prompted the show when the audience was asked to be involved.
Later, when I asked him what he liked the best, he replied "Everything, Mummy, I loved everything". It's true, he liked it so much that we watched it later in the day again, after having lunch at home. We just managed to catch the last show of the day.

Kids were screaming and laughing so loud, I saw my guy holding his ears shut for a moment.

He was glued to the show, and didn't pay any attention to me. At those moments, only the show existed for him.

Policeman Jelly Belly

It was the last show of the day, after which the carpet was folded into the car, the puppets put into boxes, but Eddie was still lingering at the square, reluctant to go back home. I could only entice him back by promising that we'd stop by our "secret place" and feed the ducks.
When we got there, two boys of about the same age as Eddie were happily splashing in the murky water.
Their father was nearby. We found out that they were also fishing, and the older boy mentioned that their Dad might catch the duck for dinner. I don't know if he was pulling Eddie's leg, or if they were truly intending to eat the duck (I hope not). From their friendly chatter, I realised they were travellers.
Eddie easily makes friends, and wanted to stay and play with the boys, but we had to go. On the way home, I explained to Eddie who the travellers were, and he told me "I wish we lived like that", bless him. He also wanted to invite them to our house.
This morning he wanted to go back to check on the duck.

Degustabox July Box

Degustabox July Box has been delivered a few days ago, and it looked as exciting as the previous food boxes, with plenty of new food and drink products to try and discover. This month's selection picked by the experts from Degustabox is varied and irresistible. From 12 products which arrived this time, I was familiar with just one of them - Geeta's Premium Mango Chutney. While I know Lambrini and Weetabix as popular brands, I haven't tried yet their new additions to the range.

If you haven't tried Degustabox before and would like to order it, I have a discount code for my blog readers which offers you £3off. It is valid until the end of October.
The code is S1BBG
Each Degustabox costs £12.99 per month including delivery, a very reasonable price. There is no fixed contract, and you may cancel at any time. With the discount code above, your box will cost £9.99 (including delivery).

What did we find in the box?

We started sampling the snacks first.
Taking the Pea is the UK's first impulse range of flavoured peas. Foil fresh English grown peas provide more protein than crisps and less fat than nuts. They are a source of high fibre, and contain less than 145 calories per packet. I absolutely loved them, and will be definitely on the lookout for them in the shops, as I'd love to try the whole range. We tried a Smoked Ham flavour. The peas were crunchy, salty, with a satisfying savoury flavour. I'm licking my lips as I write this, they were so good.

Another product which got top marks from us was Fru Snax. We tried Strawberry slices with raspberry yogurt melts and Fig slices with cherry yogurt melts, and loved both flavours. At 50 calories per pack, they are a totally guilt-free snack. A lovely treat for both kids and adults alike.

I wasn't sure if my younger son would like the freeze-dried figs, as he's a fussy eater, but he has polished a pack of Fig slices with cherry yogurt melts, and asked if we had more of them.

Strawberry slices with raspberry yogurt melts disappeared in 60 seconds as well. Not surprising, as they are really lovely, with concentrated strawberry flavour of dried berries and sweet yogurt melts. Totally lush, both flavours. I'll definitely buy them when I see them in the shops.

Say Yes to No has a very ambitious philosophy, as not only they say No to artificial flavouring and additives, they also endorse a No-policy to empty promises and marketing lies, photoshopping images and phoney advertising. These are toasted bread chips which come in different flavours. We have tried Sour cream and onion chips. They were crunchy, well toasted and thin. Though we munched a packet of chips as they were, I think they might make a lovely substitute for croutons in a salad.

Tasty Little Numbers was another food discovery for me. I received two meals in pots - Chilli beef con carne and Chicken Tikka Masala. Both pots contain 200kcal, thus making them perfect for anyone who's counting the calories. You can actually have two of them in one day if you follow 5:2 diet, thus leaving 100kcal for breakfast.

Tasty Little Numbers Chilli Beef Con Carne is made with British beef, tomatoes, red kidney beans, onion, tomato puree, red peppers, camargue red rice, garlic, sea salt, olive oil, cumin, black pepper, coriander and chilli powder. Each pot contains 200kcal. It was prepared by slow cook method. It didn't disappoint. The portion though small in size, was perfectly filling, and with a side dish of salad it will make a lovely lunch or dinner.

Tasty Little Numbers Chicken Tikka Masala is made with British chicken, onion, tomato puree, brown basmati rice, tikka curry paste and lots of spices and herbs. It was quite mild, but flavourful.

Moving on to the drinks. Most of us are familiar with Weetabix as a cereal. But it's the first time we tried Weetabix on the go breakfast drinks, which contain protein and fibre of Weetabix. It tastes like chocolate or vanilla milk shakes-smoothies, quite thick and smooth. I found them too sweet to my palate, but my men who all have a sweet tooth, appreciated the sweetness. This is a breakfast on the go for busy people who don't have time to sit at the table for breakfast.

I'm not the biggest fan of protein shakes or drinks, but I can see a great potential for these drinks for either busy people or those who due to a condition have difficulties swallowing food that needs to be chewed. Or for anyone who just loves milk shakes and smoothies.

Newton's Appl Fizzics is a blend of an apple juice with sparkling water. It doesn't have any artificial ingredients, preservatives or added sugar. It is pleasantly refreshing, with just a hint of sweetness and plenty of fizz. It contains 40% less sugar that a standard apple juice. Lovely chilled.

I cannot recollect when it was the last time I had a glass of Lambrini, but it must have been when I was much younger. Lambrini has recently unveiled a fresh new look and released a new So Strawberry drink. It is a light fizzy wine-style drink, fruity and sweet, and actually pretty good as a dessert wine. I was pleasantly surprised with a new strawberry drink. I recently made a grown up jelly with Rekordelig, and think that So Strawberry would be a great base for another grown-up jelly.

Tastes differ, and some products we liked more than the others. Alas, there are also some products which fail to impress us. It might be an acquired taste, but I struggled with VitVibe Collagen Jelly with Vitamin C. The taste was quite sweet, and the texture was weird. It was like pieces of jelly in a sweet syrup. It might be super healthy, but it's not for me. I'm sorry, but I couldn't finish it. I'd love to know what the other testers thought of it.

And now we come to the product which has been selected as Db's Discovery of the month - a splendid Geeta's Premium Mango Chutney. If you like mango chutney, this is The Chutney to buy. I don't buy the chutneys that often, as I have a zillion of jars to go through from all the apple chutneys I make, but when I do, I go for Geeta's.
Flavourful, zingy, full of spices, this is a delicious preserve which could be eaten in so many ways.
Perfect with a cheese board and oat crackers, or baguette sandwiches with soft melty brie. Great with cold meats or in marinades for BBQ.

Just the other day I cooked some chicken with some pineapple chunks and two heaped tablespoons of Geets'a mango chutney, and very tasty it was.


I also made a dressing with the mango chutney for a prawn salad. Try it, if you like seafood, the combination of flavours is pretty good.
How do you like to eat your mango chutney?

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Degustabox: I received a free monthly box for the purposes of testing and reviewing. All opinions are mine.

Mixed red onion and lemon pickle

We have finished the pickled fennel I did recently, and I fancied some different pickles. Having a good look around the kitchen, I picked two fat red onions and a lemon.

Mixed red onion and lemon pickles
Ingredients:
2 medium to big-sized red onions
1 medium lemon
1/2tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/3tsp ground turmeric
1 bay leaf
200ml cyder vinegar
150ml water
125g caster sugar
3tbsp sea salt

Slice everything thinly. If you have a mandoline slicer, it will take you a couple of minutes. I love my OXO Good Grips mandoline slicer, I have already mentioned it more than once, but it's certainly doing its job very well, and I have been using it a lot this summer for salads and pickles. The slices are all uniformly thin, you can vary the thickness, and it takes a very short time to slice a big hill of veggies.

In a small saucepan heat up the mixture of cyder vinegar (I love Aspall for its clean flavour) with water, fennel seeds, ground cloves, turmeric (not just for flavour but for a hint of colour too), bay leaf, caster sugar and sea salt, simmer on low until the sugar and salt dissolve.
Pack the red onion and lemon slices in a big sterilised jar, by alternating the layers (a few slices of lemon followed by a handful of onion slices, etc). Pack them well in, you might need to squash them a bit. Then pour the brine while still hot. Close the jar with the lid, and let to pickle for 24 hours before eating.
These pickles will keep in the fridge for up to a week, but not longer, that's why I don't make a huge amount. Just enough to have with sandwiches or cold meats, or in salads for several days.

Photo diary: week 31, 365

After a week of holidays in Cornwall I missed my baking, and on Sunday when my little man asked me to bake some cookies, I was happy to oblige. These were the eggless cookies with chopped chocolate, and very good they were too.

Apple trees in our garden are groaning under the weight of apples, getting rid of the excess and bombing any unsuspecting victims who happen to stand under the trees. We'll have lots of apples this coming autumn.

While we were grocery shopping with Eddie, I felt like having a cup of coffee. Instead of my usual Costa, Eddie asked to go to Nero, and reluctantly I followed him. I knew in the past that is was a hit and miss with Nero, depending on who makes the coffee on that day. That wasn't my lucky day obviously as the latte was so bad, I couldn't finish it. I was tempted to leave a note on the napkin, but in the end just scrunched it and didn't leave it open to read. Never again, Cafe Nero.

On Wednesday our friend Jen offered to take my boys and me by car to the Burford garden centre. I didn't need any plants or garden supplies, but knowing that my guys enjoy going there, agreed with Thanks. Eddie always has to stop by in the toy shop, and every time I have to disappoint him by not buying anything in that overpriced shop. He still couldn't resist a hug with the toy giraffe, almost strangling it with enthusiasm.

On Thursday lucky little man received a surprise in the mail. It was a prize from Beano magazine. He was ecstatic, as he loves ninja turtles.

On Friday I cooked a raspberry ripple and pistachio parfait as featured in July issue of Delicious magazine. I even cooked a honeycomb to make crumbs, but forgot to sprinkle them over the parfait for the photo.

Saturday: after being closed for more than two years, a newly rebuilt playground in The Leys was opened earlier in July. We were in Cornwall at that time, but I saw photos which friends posted on Facebook, and knew my boys would love it. It was very busy, but Eddie didn't want to go back home after trying most of the climbing frames, tunnels, slides and zip wire. I could only convince him that we really had to go under the promise that we'd go back in a couple of days.

The Boy and the Sea

Why do we love the sea? It is because it has some potent power to make us think things we like to think. (Robert Henri)

Sasha loves the sea, he is at his happiest, running in the waves. He cannot stop grinning, the sea makes him that happy.
He flaps his arms in excitement, like auties tend to do. He hums and laughs aloud.
But the sea is wise, it doesn't judge.
The sea could be a harsh and cruel entity, but Sasha does not fear it. Danger doesn't cross his mind. That's why we have to watch him closely, so that he doesn't wade in the sea too far. He can swim, but you can never trust the undercurrents. But that is our worry, not Sasha's. He feels in his element in the sea waves.

He feels an affinity with the powerful tides.
He even likes the taste of the sea.

He is free from restraints of convention, he can run and run and run, splashing in the waves, not minding if it is cold. For him nothing else matters at that moment: just the sea and him, and freedom.

Over 8 years ago, when I was in a habit of scrapbooking, I did a page of Sasha by the sea, and wrote:
"Sasha loves the sea, he treats it like a live creature, smiling to it and laughing at the sea's tricks. To him the sea plays with him personally. We have that mental image of Sasha thinking there's someone in there who rolls the waves for him".
I also wrote a text on the tag: "You're so in tune with nature, in perfect harmony with the waves and the sun, enthralled by the physical properties of nature, in intimate relationship with the elements, so much in love with the balance of the sea, the sun and the sand".
It is still the same, that love of sea.

If Sasha would have read Faust, I imagine he would exclaim like Goethe's hero "Verweile doch, du bist so schon, - Linger a while, you are so beautiful" while standing amidst the rolling waves.

Old netting on the shore

High tide

Prawn salad with mango chutney dressing

Our summer resolution of eating more salads continues. To make it more fun, I try various ingredients and flavours. I love seafood, in all its variety (I confess that I even enjoy the crab sticks which are of course just a processed biomass flavoured to resemble seafood. This is a major food crime, and I don't buy them often nowadays, but crab sticks take me back to my Uni days of cheap food and jolly dinners).

Seafood makes an excellent ingredient in all kinds of salads, hot or cold. In this salad I used crumbed prawns from Whitby Seafoods. They are already crumbed, and just need baking in the oven.

Prawn salad (serves 2)
Ingredients:
1 pack of Whitby Seafoods Prawns in Garlic & Ginger
mixed salad leaves with fennel tops
1 medium potato, cooked and cubed
1/3 big cucumber, peeled and sliced
a handful of baby tomatoes, halved
2 heaped tbsp of Geeta's mango chutney
2tbsp lemon juice
3tbsp olive oil

Cook a quartered potato in boiling salted water until done. Bake the crumbed prawns in the oven for 14 minutes. Assemble the salad - first the mixed salad leaves with fennel tops, then cubed potato, sliced cucumber and halved tomatoes. For the dressing mix Geeta's mango chutney with 2tbsp of lemon juice and 3tbsp of olive oil. Spoon the dressing over the warm prawns and serve the salad.

Whitby Seafoods Prawns in Garlic & Ginger are whole, South-East Asian prawns coated in crisp, golden crumbs. One pack of 215g makes two portions, or three if you add the other ingredients to a dish like a salad. You need to oven bake them for about 14 minutes at 200C. These juicy prawns, coated in crispy crumbs, will be also lovely with an Asian-style dip made with the soy sauce and grated ginger.

I have used Geeta's Premium Mango Chutney in the dressing, but you can use any other good quality sweet mango chutney. I have already talked about this delicious chutney on my blog (see my post Getting Creative with Geeta's Premium Mango Chutney). It has a perfect balance of sweetness and spiciness. You can find Geeta's Premium mango chutney in the latest Degustabox delivery (as well as in all major supermarkets).

Disclosure: I received a voucher to cover the cost of Whitby's Seafoods prawns for the purposes of testing and reviewing. Geeta's mango chutney is part of a Degustabox monthly food box, which I also received for the purposes of reviewing. All opinions are mine.