Little Happenings

I am writing this having had a pretty LOVELY and perfectly needed sort of a Saturday.  A lazy late wake-up after having my eyes shut so tight that i had the smallest hint of a headache when i woke up and a dream about Mary Berry coming into work to ask me why i hadn't applied for The Great British Bake-Off!  Luckily my headache soon disappeared after a mug as big as my head of milky Lady Grey under the duvet and then three large slices of Fig & Hazelnut bread, toasted and spread with bitter orange marmalade.  Whilst LATELY has sort of wiped me out; i was flipping through my photos this morning and thought it just plain rude to not share them - they are HEAVEN!  Not at all because of my photo-taking ability; just because i think i was in the right place at the right time.  And you know sometimes you feel like you're exhausted and run-ragged and then really, in amongst all of that; there are SOUL-fixers like bright blue skies, temperatures that aren't below freezing and particularly lovely lunches.  And then there's always blossom too.  And if that doesn't cheer you up then you need to see someone about that, really!  In between the busy-ness, my LATELY has been pretty alright and looking at these photos instantly filled me with happy thoughts!

Getting OUT and ABOUT makes me feel better whatever the time of year but i'd be lying if i said it wasn't so much easier come Spring.  Whether you're lucky enough to own two wheels, four wheels or no wheels {feet like just as much of an adventure too!} there's no denying that being outside does WONDERS for those endorphins.  I'm pretty hardcore.  I'm the silly sausage you'll spot trying to cycle against a force-ten gale; or hiding my head under a hood and hat and a million layers on the frostiest day ever.  Or wearing a big high-vis sash and fairy-lights on an icy December evening just so I can get OUT.  Even if the thought of it is miserable, i just know i'll feel better afterwards.  It's not a coincidence that i tend to feel much happier throughout the Spring and Summer months, it's  a result of being out in the fresh air so much more! 

Feeling the LOVE for all things GREEN lately too - i think that's a no brainer!  In fact, there's even a green inspired mood board in progress at Tangle Towers which i'm excited to share with you once it's all done.  While we welcome the rusts and rich colours that the end of the year brings, i always feel so READY for some colour and first comes GREEN.  Isn't it just the colour of Spring personified?!  See ^that^ there?  That right before your eyes is a see of wild garlic.  Each year i vow to pick a bunch and whizz up a pesto.  I've heard wild garlic goes particularly well with walnuts too.  I'm definitely doing it this year.  We'll be eating our wild garlic and walnut pesto with spelt fusilli or spreading it on top of homemade pizza bases which we'll scatter with spinach, ricotta & speck ham.  I can hardly WAIT!  If you fancy in on the action, wild garlic is at it's peak in April and it's the leaves that pack the flavour punch; unlike the bulbs of it's traditional garlic sister.  Maybe i might share a recipe or two?

 If you don't already KNOW, i'm a little bit obsessed with blossom come this time of year - me and the rest of the world.  For me, nothing signifies SPRING like it.  I got some funny looks from an elderly couple sat to the right of the top photo.  I must have looked like some kind of proud cycle parent {?!} taking that photo.  But man ALIVE was it worth the bending and playing with light and different distances.  It could be my favourite photo in a long, long time.  Blossom and blue sky equal HAPPINESS times a squillion!

Eating LIGHTER and BRIGHTER go hand in hand with LIGHTER and BRIGHTER days don't they?!  I like to think we don't do too badly for eating quite well around these parts, but it's certainly much easier to eat better as the days get brighter and lighter.  I'll even go as far as to say that i CRAVE green come this time of year:  I had a real craving for raw carrot and peanut butter on Wednesday's day off and i've been loving taking a little pot of hummus and raw celery to eat alongside my work lunches over the last few weeks.  Saturday's quick lunch before a trip to get my hair cut looked like ^THAT^ and it tasted like heaven! 
 It was a cobbled together/what was hiding in the fridge sort of a lunch and these are always my favourites. It was leftover falafels crumbled; some cold steamed broccoli florets mixed into red quinoa, spiced cous-cous, mixed nuts and seeds, a small avocado and a generous spoonful of hummus and a drizzle of olive oil.  I felt like i could of eaten it again straight after but that's just my eyes getting a little big for my little TUM!  We quite often have this for a quick dinner if leftovers allow.  Except i usually cook some cinnamon sweet potato wedges to make it a little more dinner-like. Mmmm! *  *  * What has your 'Lately' looked like?  Have you been snapping blossom-ey branches 'til your heart's content like me?!  Have you had a LOVELY weekend so far?  The Mr is off today and so weather pending {and everything crossed that is crossable} we might head out into The Lakes for an adventure tomorrow.  Either way whatever happens we have already planned that we are having homemade burgers for dinner tomorrow evening and that, makes me SO excited! It's all about balance you know…