Reading...at last!

I love to read. It is one of my favourite things to do in the world. Having a little baby I haven't been able to find the time to read and I have found not reading to be difficult. Reading is like going on a holiday inside your brain. Right now there are naps and when there are naps I read! And drink tea! At the moment I am reading MaddAddam by Margaret Atwood. I love her!

It is a dystopian novel that takes place in a post-apocalyptic future. The writing is brilliant. It pulls you into its world so deeply that you get withdrawal symptoms when you are forced to surface. I will be devastated when I finish it. I have read all of Margaret Atwood work and waiting for her to write new material feels like an eternity!

Soap

I like to keep things as natural as possible (within reason) when it comes to body products. I eschewed shower gel this week in favour of an old fashioned bar of soap. This soaps biggest selling point is the fact that it is free from sodium laureate sulphate. It still lathers up beautifully.

I went for the lavender and citrus scent and I found it really relaxing. There was also a peppermint scent available. In truth I wanted to buy both!

Coffee Table Snacks

Fruit and Veg delivery box

This is my fourth week using The Organic Supermarket's fruit and vegetable subscription service. I get a small box of organic fruit and vegetables delivered every week. I had some minor teething problems in the beginning but I am very happy that I stuck it out. The staff were customer focused and patient in fixing the problem and it was resolved quickly. I have to say that I actually get so excited about my delivery before it comes! There is a fantastic variety in the box and it is different every week. I find that it is really getting me out of the cooking rut that I had fallen into. I am pushed into using vegetables that I would probably overlook in the supermarket. I thought I hated courgettes and aubergines thanks to some dodgy ratatouille experiences in France as a teenager. Well! It turns out that I LOVE them. I can't get enough of them! I also made coleslaw with a cabbage - I never buy cabbage. I have roasted beetroot for the first time. I love that all of the produce is organic. I much prefer to use organic food but the selection in supermarkets is limited and expensive.

Well, what is in my exciting box of fruit and vegetables today?.... Let's take a look! Today I received: 1 leek, 1 fennel bulb, 1 courgette, 1 cucumber, 1 brocolli head, 1 cabbage head, 1 lettuce head, celery, 1 aubergine, 4 carrots, 2 onions, 1 beetroot, 3 tomatoes, 1 pepper, a bag of baby potatoes, 4 pears, 3 apples, 4 bananas, 3 oranges, 4 kiwis, 1 pack of blueberries.

I also received this strange looking thing. I don't know what it is but it looks like a fancy cauliflower. This is why I love this subscription service. There is always something new to force me to expand my cooking horizons. This cauliflower bad boy and I are about to embark on a culinary adventure!

Princess Shed

This is my garden shed. I LOVE IT!!! I love that it has window boxes. I got it from Boyne Garden Sheds in Navan, County Meath. It has a metal roof so it is very sturdy. It is the one part of my home that is always complemented. They have a beautiful gothic style shed that I originally wanted but it looks better in a smaller size and we wanted something a bit bigger.

Explaining my absence

I haven't updated my blog since February. I haven't even read one of the blogs that I follow since February. Things have been really crazy for me at home. My baby started solid foods in March so I have been working really hard to make sure that he has the most delicious, organic food that it is in my power to make. I have been working really hard to incorporate all of the spices that I use in my day to day cooking in order to develop his palette. I want him to be able to eat exactly what we eat. I have also been endeavouring to get him into a sleep routine. He really hates to sleep! In the last few months I have been thinking about this blog a lot. I have been thinking about what it is and what it is not. I am more focused in the direction it is going to take now. I feel it should be a reflection of me and what I am doing. At the moment I am at home so it will be home focused. This week I will put up a review of The Organic Supermarket and my granola recipe. I am really looking forward to blogging more!

Infused water

I actually hate water. There! I said it!!! I hardly ever drink it. I must be part cameloid to have survived this long without it. However, I have decided that I probably SHOULD drink more water. For me water has to be room temperature (I get a brain freeze and sore teeth from cold drinks). I also love infused water. Today I infused my water with lemon and basil. So fresh! So summery!

I bought the jar with the tap in Marks and Spencer last year. They are still in stock. Kilner also do a glass one (it's actually nicer than the one I have...grr). Other successful infusions have included mandarin and ginger, raspberry and mint, blueberry and raspberry. If you are infusing raspberry be aware that the water leaches the colour out in addition to the flavour. It tastes great but it looks unappetising to say the least!