At other times (most of the time) it all feels a little bit overwhelming and I get Paula Abdul stuck taking an eternity to walk down some steps with a MC Skat Kat as an ear worm ("I take two steps forwards I take two steps back" - you're welcome). What with packing up our house and moving to the land it was all I could do to get presents... Continue Reading →, Sometimes it's hard to see progress. That's fine too. The... Continue Reading →, Ever since this madcap journey to Dream Farm began we have been besieged by calls of madness. We love both. Lesson well and truly learnt. In all honesty I played a complete blinder by giving my Ma some vouchers for Mother's Day. We are still arguing about wallabies and emus, We have put doors on the barns and locked them with old locks we have found in the yard, We have removed the concrete floor from the long barn, We have created an entertaining space in the milking Parlour. Soft Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies 5. Glastonbury Festival is our deadline for the completed works but we took her into Somerset for a mini festival this weekend and she's looking pretty good.My summer wardrobe is all about glitter and sparkle (and... Continue Reading →, I have had Rachel Demuth's recipe for beetroot and potato patties for ages and finally got round to making them tonight. Any combination of fruit will do but a firm favourite recently has been Yeo Valley... Continue Reading →, Having now tasted my cordial, here is the simple and super tasty recipe:Ingredients30 Elderflower heads3 pints boiling water900g caster sugar50g citric acid2 unwaxed oranges sliced3 unwaxed lemons sliced1. I have learned that having the Christmas spirit in our home takes planning and some work on my part, but I wasn't sure what to do about it this year. Selfishly it's also a great excuse for some Mama time for me and of course her super awesome cooking!My Mum is my number one go to person for all things food (number two is... Continue Reading →, This week with the sun shining down on us we have been getting Priscilla our truck ready for the summer. Kitchen Tip: I use this pot, this pectin, these jars and these jars when making this recipe. ).I have also given up sugar this week so with sugar craving in full swing I decided to make a leftovers lunch.... Continue Reading →, These are just a few of the sculptures at Ekeberg Sculpture Park in Oslo. But frankly I don't care about any of that any more. The Three Little Words We Have Been Longing to Hear, A Foray into the Mad World of Overnight Oats, Water Water Everywhere…Except In The Taps, Three Reasons Why This Is Not The Hell You Are Imagining, The Foodie Bugle: A Little Hidden Gem in Bath, Seven Course Banquet in a Field in Northamptonshire, Beetroot patties and fruit, yoghurt and oat smoothie, A lighthearted blog gets heavy…for a little bit. Paula Dean. They are great as a post training protein boost or just as a sweet snack... Continue Reading →, My wonderful friend and bootcamp instructor Kate came round for lunch today and provided the perfect excuse for a healthy lunch. Back when I was striving to be a career woman, I never could have imagined being this happy or feeling so fulfilled and proud of what I do. 3,541 likes. Flood proofing the stream with the dumper... ...and flood proofing the stream with the tractor! However instead of blurting it all out in one post like an over excited friend you haven't seen for... Continue Reading →, Now the weather is getting warmer we have had a chance to explore our local woods and my oh my are they amazing! For the album by The Dollyrots, see Barefoot and Pregnant. This one may not seem like a lot but this has even the single biggest thing that has occupied us in the last year, We have created a mud bath in the process, We got hot water (one week before baby was born), We have found caves and met the local cavers. And all the Bits In between. We don't see the rate at which our children grow until someone shrieks "look how tall he is now" across a room. I really have surpassed myself with this one. The one thing I wanted to avoid was moving on Christmas eve and we were feeling distinctly un-festive this time last year. From the eco-loveliness of Soulshine... Continue Reading →, It has been a while (seven months in fact) since my last planning update but we finally have another one. Getting ready for Glastonbury has this week consisted mainly of making curtains. What a difference a year makes. However, we get to wake up every morning and listen to the birds, to walk out and drink our morning coffee in a farmyard and picnic in a beautiful glade where once there was a quarry, all without leaving home which is quite frankly, perfect. And yet, as... Continue Reading →, It has now been one year since we moved on to the farm. Barefoot in the Kitchen Adventures in Cooking and Food. by Diego Galán. We got a cat and simultaneously eradicated our rat problem (we hope), although I would not recommend getting a kitten and a newborn at the same time unless you are ambivalent to the future of your nipples ladies. In the meantime here are some pictures from Glastonbury, our first with the boy and truly fabulous as ever. This fabulous throw is a fun piece to add to any home decor. The trip was amazing, taking us through Northern France (full of Brits), Belgium (they drive pretty fast), The Netherlands (Utrecht is a treasure), Germany (watching the harvest... Continue Reading →, First of all congratulations and thank you to all of you who were baited by this most boring of post titles! Barefoot Caravans. Then there was Scottish Power who we contacted to try and get a meter. Curved, chic and unique, our Barefoot Caravans will accommodate you in style, wherever you dream to go. Add in the sage/poultry seasoning; cook for 1 … Kitchen tip: I use these bowls and this pan to make this recipe. Just a few more last minute touches then we're ready for a week in a field! So strong was my aversion to exercise that I was the... Continue Reading →, For the last five months I have been on a mission to get my health and fitness back after a far more sedentary pregnancy than I had planned. Breads. Barefoot in the Kitchen, Commerce, GA. 767 likes. The other advantage to joining the NFU is that they have tonnes of advice on hand for all sorts of things including feed in energy tariffs. That is slightly unfair - Big G's speciality is buying and selling vehicles so when he says that he can buy a digger and sell it for a profit once we are done with it I am inclined to believe him. I was feeling super lazy after a day of poorly baby and festival preparation so I simply served them with avocado and mozzarella with a... Continue Reading →, As the sun goes down on a beautiful weekend of springtime sunshine some pictures of the shire looking its absolute best. Having finally got planning... Continue Reading →. Bonjour being able to hoover and dry my hair at the same time. And lets not forget the meter installation that was delayed by 10 days because the man was neither trained nor insured to go higher than four rungs on his ladder and this was, and I quote, "a five or six rung job". See more ideas about recipes, food, cooking recipes. international title: Barefoot in the Kitchen: original title: Con la pata quebrada: country: Spain: Particularly if you're living through a process. councils all seem to work at that pace all the time! How wrong we were and how many other things we have been wrong about in the last twelve months. The other mistake we made was not to unpack all of our kitchen boxes when we first moved - in one crate in the barn was one opened packed of lasagne sheets...which they rats absolutely destroyed, along with some nearby clothing. A modern British classic, with retro styling, the Barefoot caravan has been beautifully designed, inside and out. You know that bit of buying a house when your waiting for a piece of paper to go from one solicitors desk to another's? Swooning all around the table. They are really easy and didn't feel too unhealthy. I know that I have said it before but on paper, moving into a caravan without power, water or heating, in the winter, 5 months pregnant, with a toddler, to convert a barn that seemed to get no daylight, in a yard at the bottom of a hill where the fog settles for most of the year, without planning permission in place, with a listed barn and no idea what we were doing, sounds like the worst thing we could have done. In other words it’s right up my Strasser! This time last... Continue Reading →, Since I last posted we have mainly been on holiday (get us), taking some much needed time out to travel across Europe for a friend's Birthday in Sweden. We have registered as smallholders and are soon to be the proud owners of sheep and chickens. Tomorrow morning I will be able to walk from my bed into my bathroom and have a hot shower, with the light on,          without first having to put my wellies on and go outside to turn the generator on. Last weekend we had our first camp on the land which has given us lots of ideas for how to shape the space and where to focus our energies whilst we wait for our planning decision. How wrong we were and how many other things we have been wrong about in the last twelve months. It cost us less that £100 for the land that we have and in 30 minutes on their website we learnt more about what we are permitted and not permitted to do without planning consent even being needed than in the three months of 'consultation' with our 'advisor'. Well gnocchi at least. However I have now seen so many, usually level headed people extolling the virtues of overnight oats that I... Continue Reading →, To date this blog has been an unswerving battery of positivity. They can be found on our land every Wednesday and Saturday. Baby induced radio silence is however over and there is so much to say about project farm that I could write for days, baby and toddler willing. We have met some wonderful new people many of whom had their first spliff/drink/snog in our quarry. I realise that this is not a great start but I am being deadly serious. We have uncovered caves that mankind has never seen before and rediscovered caves that have not been seen for 50 years. So it was with joy that we went to check out Hauser and Wirth's latest... Continue Reading →, Last month, whilst the family were over from Norway for two weeks we were lucky enough to get a tour round Westcombe Dairy from Tom Calver. Having also learnt about the antioxidant power of raspberries I made this quick and delicious smoothie. Yesterday, I sat down to make a list of things to do with my family this Christmas season, but after just a few ideas I was feeling stumped. Mmmmm I made your bread today. ... Continue Reading →, It's been a little while but really that is because not a lot has happened in the dreary winter days since my last post. I used a Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall recipe and cheated with some pesto I had in the fridge. We have learnt that you need to provide special homes for bats when you want to disturb their peace by turning their home into your home. "Barefoot in the Kitchen" Right Foot (dance step quilt square) #4 by Kay Jay (Stitched in Stone) January 2021 I know a man who fell in love with a woman with a Snow Shovel. Now don't get all excited folks. It seems like a lifetime ago that we first saw the corner of Somerset that we now call home but in reality it has been a mere two years since we first saw (and fell in... Continue Reading →, It has been pretty quiet on the project barn front recently. Peanut Butter Layer – Combine the peanut butter, butter, and vanilla in a glass bowl and melt in the microwave for 90 seconds. Barefoot in the kitchen Friday, 22 December 2017. I made it last night and it wasn't half bad even if I do say so myself. My blog is about food, cooking, and hospitality. Littlest boy did us proud and proved his party credentials by falling asleep as soon as the band came on! Rather than try to do justice to their brilliance, listen to it here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01ycqx3While you do... Continue Reading →. Barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen This article is about the figure of speech. Get on the phone and badger these people politely rather than assuming, like we did, that things just have to take a long time. Welcome to the ability to use the washing machine and the tumble dryer AT THE SAME TIME. We rejoiced at the realisation that we live 3.5 miles form the site of Glastonbury Festival. A chronicle of how Spanish cinema has portrayed women, and their evolution from the 1930s to this day, by means of 180 film fragments. When I say infested I really mean it...after catching two of the little darlings in my car we realised that thanks to some half eaten strawberries (toddler) and an open window (me) we had had rats TRAPPED IN MY CAR for two weeks. You are more resilient and it will be more brilliant than you think! There would be accolades about my cooking prowess. We have learnt and continue to learn lots about the planning process, primarily that it is most akin to dating (if I remember dating accurately) complete with mysterious etiquette, politics, goodies and baddies and obscure rules that only become apparent after you have bulldozed your way through them with good intentions. Growing out a hairstyle or growing a baby takes 400 times longer when you live it because you don't see the daily, incremental nudges that stack up to make a whole lot of change or an entire human in miniature form. At the end of our not-so-grand tour, Hayley looked at us in horror and said "you do realise you've just reeled off twenty different business ideas"! Enter the kitchen with your partner or kids and give it a try. Come past o. Suns out here in Oxford... doesn’t it just make 1-2 teaspoons pepper to taste. We don't see the rate at which our children grow until someone shrieks "look how tall he is now" across a room. It's all part  of the journey and we ARE loving it. I was honestly unsure of how I would cope with life in our caravan and Big G was certainly a little nervous when I pushed for us to be in before Christmas when there was no hope of water let along hot water at that stage. Aunt Judy’s Cheddar Cheese Ball. We now know that the north facing barn that we though would be bathed in shade during the summer months is anything but and that what will one day be our garden is in fact bathed in sunlight from dawn until dusk during the few months that we might actually be able to sit outside. As summer slides into autumn and the new season gilds the trees with orange it has, somehow, been one year since we thought we didn't stand a chance of getting our Dream Farm. Growing out a hairstyle or growing a baby takes 400 times longer when you live it because you don't see... Continue Reading →, As I write this I am sitting in the caravan with the television on at a normal volume, not overly loud to be audible over the hum of the generator. Put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and set it over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally, until completely melted and smooth. We have found a wall to a grand house that used to stand on our land over 400 years ago and which had concrete poured on it about 50 years ago. What with packing up our house and moving to the land it was all I could do to get presents for everyone let along spread any festive fun. I may not have the cinematographic references to give a full blown review but I can tell you that Tracks, the true story of a woman who walked nearly 2000 miles across Australia with four wild camels and her dog, is exquisite.Mia Wasikowska plays... Continue Reading →, Bath in Fashion is now in full swing but with little man in tow and a summer of festivals to get ready for it looks sadly as if it is going to have to deal without me this year. We are open & the sun is shining !!!! Kitchen Tip: I use this bowl, this spatula, and this tray to make this recipe. ...or, to be more specific, when life gives you summer make a dumper truck paddling pool, invite some friends over and drink some wine. Cranberry Pepper Jam Recipe. I have finally made the curtains that I smugly bragged I would have time to make between finishing work and giving birth last spring! Which of course it may not. Now we have to wait and see what comments are made on the application and keep everything crossed that we don't come up against too much negativity. A year on and we are still in the caravan and still waiting for a decision on our planning application so it does good to remember what we have achieved in the last 365 days: We have power, real, actual electricity. This week we have been rewarded for our patience with some late winter sunshine; you know the kind of sunshine that really makes you... Continue Reading →, After 505 days of playing it cool (bloody freezing) in the caravan, gazing longingly at our one-day-forever-home, trying desperately not to seem too keen, treading gently for fear of putting a foot wrong at this early stage in our relationship with Somerset, and doing everything in our power to woo the locality with our wit... Continue Reading →, If I am being entirely honest the idea of cold oats in the morning is one which held little appeal for me until recently. Our little corner of Somerset is besieged by fog for much of the autumn and winter. Main Dishes. The one thing I wanted to avoid was moving on Christmas eve and we were feeling distinctly un-festive this time last year. Adios taking our washing to the grannies on rotation. 1 can cream of chicken soup. She (obviously) didn't want to do it alone and so I found myself with a baby free,... Continue Reading →. This is how it is with the Farm. We have totally fallen in love with both the idea and the reality of living in Somerset. No more sugar, wheat, dairy or processed foods; much less coffee and wine on occasions only.Clean eating works on the idea that if it hasn't been around naturally for millennia... Continue Reading →, Sometimes I lament how infrequently I make it to London to visit shows and galleries and yet frequently I have to remind myself that even when I worked for Tate I managed to see an astoundingly small amount of art. Madness at the enormity of the project, but mainly our friends and family have talked about the madness of moving into a caravan in Winter! As our planning application rumbles on, it has become clear that because we are learning in a vertical where the hell did the ground go kind of way, it is inevitably going to be more complicated, stressful and lengthy than we had at first thought. They will be living with us in our home when we finally get to convert it, We have registered as small holders ready to get our first sheep and chickens in the new year. I really have surpassed myself with this one. All Recipes. We have had a glimpse of the murky and totally mystifying world of the mendip cavers (for cavers read a bonkers few who opt to spend their weekends and evenings in the cold and the dark, wading through water and squeezing through crevices). BAREFOOT IN THE KITCHEN. This teeny pedestrian street has always been an indie haven-off the beaten track yet within spitting distance of The Royal Crescent-but is now stronger than ever in the indie department. With the boy and I left to our own devices, a quick weekend house clean was followed by a much needed sort out of my recipe folder......and the realisation that I couldn't possibly cook any of the recipies it now very neatly contains (this is the food... Continue Reading →, All week BBC Woman's hour has been taken over by a series of guest editors and today's was BBC 6 Music presenter and bloody marvellous lady Lauren Laverne. 1 cup diced celery. Meanwhile we are clearing the yard of rubble and making some paths in the quarry to give what is essentially a glade some shape and structure. ... Running the oven in summer in Texas is unconscionable; it heats the kitchen up too much. I took my boys down to Brighton last night for Komedia's 20th Birthday party and what a great night! As an ex politics and current philosophy student things like this really matter to me:Only 9 days before a European election (and incidentally a year before the next general election), all I have had posted through my letterbox is UKIP tosh, two identical leaflets (one entirely superfluous) of Tory counter-tosh and... Continue Reading →, We were given a beautiful big cauliflower last week and not wanting to make the same old boring cauliflower cheese (and having forgotten to buy anything for supper!) We have learnt about bats and have three of them living in the barn-that-will-be-home. by Marybeth. First of all congratulations and thank you to all of you who were baited by this most boring of post titles! After recently taking it upon myself to bake a mountain (literal not figurative) of lemon drizzle cakes for a party of 40 I was asked this week to bake an egg-free birthday cake for a neighbour who is allergic to eggs.The irony of this is that baking is in no way my strong point, my... Continue Reading →, ...and to celebrate, Little Man and I went to the pictures. They took vagueness and the customer service for which the Big Six energy companies are famed to a dizzying new high with the explanation that "someone will probably be in touch with you to arrange a date in about two weeks". On a near daily basis one of us will discover a new view of Glastonbury Tor and will wax lyrical to the other about it despite our land being pretty much the only land in this part of Somerset that does not actually have a view of the Tor...watch this space for Tor-viewing-treehouse-construction news. And for a while that was that; a slightly crazy, never to be realised idea born out of... Continue Reading →, I was lucky enough recently to be taken to Demuth's Cookery School to do an evening course in Vegetarian Mezze cooking. Behind every concrete wall is an old wall of dreams. However when he decided to buy a second dumper truck because "we need a bigger one to move that pile of rocks over there faster" I did raise and eyebrow. In reality it is the best thing we have ever done and I would urge anyone to move heaven and earth to make your dreams a reality. Needless to say it was not me. Children begging for seconds. Our work is underpinned by our … As I sit and write this post the now familiar and oddly comforting drone of the breast pump is my sonic backdrop (as it has been for most if... Continue Reading →, A super quick note to herald the arrival of my first foray into pasta. Life is an adventure! Nearly two years since we bought our dream spot I am delighted, excited, overjoyed and delirious to say that we have some...wait for it...WALLS! 1 talking about this. Rinse the elderflower to wash and get rid of any bugs.2. When we first bought the land, I remember walking some friends around, talking about all the ideas we had and all the amazing possibilities the space held. In practice it is like our own bespoke brand of mindfullness. Barefoot Kitchen CIC is a social enterprise that works at the grassroots level to create revolutionary, regenerative and resilient communities in the Tees Valley through food growing, cooking and sharing initiatives - from plot to plate! Madness at the amount of land we have taken on. It is becoming more like fully togged up in slippers in the kitchen as the next phase of this little life begins...but let's start from the beginning. Everyday low … We are still waiting for them to get back in touch with us. Barefoot in the kitchen is morphing into something else. Buckeye Fudge Recipe. Almond Cake 5. I practically refused to drive my car for weeks afterwards and Big G had to reconcile himself to the idea of killing other animals. The reason for my total abandonment of the blog has been a super busy year where I opened a business and if I'm honest that... Continue Reading →. "Well done you"'s and "Oh it's lovely"'s can roll off the polite British tongue faster than an overly polite "sorry" or "golly gosh". It might actually be more accurate to say that we have been besieged by weather problems. Combine the chocolate chips, the milk, and the butter in a medium-size glass …