Warm Chorizo Salad

A warm salad of chorizo, butternut squash and beetroot roasted with cumin, chilli and paprika, steamed broccoli, giant cous-cous, and a pomegranate dressing. Served with a jug of Pimm's that was obscenely big for just two people, and a very belated catch up.

Hmmm, it seems I may have drank a few too many cocktails last night. I also remember shots of tequila happening. And some dancing to Amerie's 'One Thing'. So I'm recovering this morning with an iced vanilla coffee, and seeking solace in that great saviour of hangovers - Pinterest.

The Oakhill Inn

It's very hot at the moment. Did you notice? As much as I'm enjoying the sun (and really I am not one to complain about the fact that we actually seem to be having a Summer this year), it does mean that I've suddenly found myself in the position of having to wear fewer clothes. Which means that suddenly, and I know that I'm not alone here, I am slightly regretting not cutting back on the old cakes and carbs before this heatwave came along and selfishly forced us to bare our poor, pale bodies.

So I'm trying to eat fewer cakes and carbs...and it's really hard. Because what I've come to realise is this: I love cakes and carbs. I don't enjoy their effects, however. So I tried going cold turkey for a couple of days, but the comedown in this heat was unbearable (in any case I don't really think it's good to go to extremes with your diet, especially if like me, you enjoy the occasional baguette). It seemed to me then, that the happy medium would be to really behave myself during the week, then allow myself a treat or two at the weekend.

By the time last weekend came around, I hadn't eaten bread in 5 days and not a single form of potato had passed my lips. So as you can imagine, the thought of a thick juicy burger served with triple cooked chips had me positively salivating.

Whilst on a country drive we stopped at the rather charming Oakhill Inn in the village of Oakhill, between the villages of Radstock and Shepton Mallet. The inn manages to have found the perfect balance between old country charm and contemporary luxuries, with the friendly and relaxed service you'd expect from a village local, but the impressive menu of a gastro pub. A couple of locals sat at the bar whilst their dogs lay sleepily on the old wooden floors. The back doors opened out onto a pretty little beer garden. The interior meanwhile was dark and cosy, with big wooden tables and worn looking armchairs. We did try sitting outside but the weather proved too much for us, so we took shelter indoors and sat at a window table near the bar.

Needless to say I devoured my burger at first, but just couldn't finish it. Whether it was the heat or the fact that I hadn't eaten red meat or white carbs all week, I can't be sure. It certainly wasn't the burger's fault - I would even go as far as to say it was one of the best burgers that I've ever eaten. And hopefully the thought of it will see me through the next week...

Are you following me on Instagram? Why the heck not?

Crumbs!

Something very exciting happened for Miss P yesterday - I had my first feature published on Crumbs magazine's online blog! Crumbs is a relatively new South West food magazine, with two editions covering the Bath/Bristol area and the Cotswolds. Despite only being in its second year it has received a lot of recognition, including a recent Guild of Food Writer's Award for Best Food Magazine. So as you can imagine it's something that I'm really proud to be a part of! I'll hopefully get the chance to work on more features based on a 'Diary of a Child Foodie', with tips and recipes for getting children excited about eating, as well as what's on for children locally in the world of food. Watch this space!

Totally Tropical Smoothie

My new rule is no more toast for breakfast, and in fact I'll be cutting back on carbs in general. Get your day off to a great start with 3 of your 5 a day in one hit - this Totally Tropical Smoothie contains 1 banana, 1 mango (diced), the flesh of 1 kiwi, 2-3 heaped tbsp natural fat-free yoghurt, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Whizz together, adding a splash of cold water if it's too thick. Now stick a straw in it and start your day on a natural high!

nb. tastes better if drank outside in the sunshine, preferably in a hammock if you happen to have one.

In My Grill

We had our first BBQ of the year yesterday - with burgers, sausages, chicken kebabs, barbecue pork belly, potato salad, a feta and bulgar wheat tabbouleh, corn on the cob, beers and Pimm's. The boys were kept happy in the paddling pool (perhaps the best £3 I've ever spent), and the grown ups were happy to witness Andy Murray winning Wimbledon. Cannot wait for more Summer days...

Weekend.

This weekend... it's going to be a heatwave, and I'm getting the BBQ out. Happy Friday!

Mackerel.

Last night's dinner: smoked mackerel with bulgur wheat, cherry tomatoes and garlic roasted broccoli. Squeeze over some fresh lemon juice, and drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil.

Enough cake talk. I'm going on another health kick...starting today with a strawberry, banana and spinach smoothie. Just feeling like I haven't been looking after myself lately, so I'm going BIG on the fruits and vegetables for a while. Wish me luck!

Afternoon Tea at The Royal Crescent

Sometimes it's great to be a bit of a tourist in your own city. Especially when one of the tourist destinations happens to be as lovely as The Royal Crescent, which we visited at the weekend for afternoon tea, as a birthday treat for my boyfriend.

The weather was gorgeous so we sat in the hotel gardens, under a fruit tree. Having never been for afternoon tea before, I was a little apprehensive that at £25 a head we might leave feeling hungry. Thankfully that wasn't the case - the tiered stand was filled with sandwiches, perfectly spiced Bath buns, freshly baked (and still warm) scones, topped with a final tier of pastries, cakes and a delicious strawberry and rose meringue. We did ask for more sandwiches which, looking back, was a bit greedy of us. I'd like to say that we did it to test the service, but really I think we just wanted our money's worth! The service itself was charming, traditional (plenty of Sir's and Madam's) and not too intrusive. We were left to relax and take our time over our tea for a couple of hours, and were offered to have our pots of tea refreshed more than once (which we accepted of course - I mean, £25!)

It has to be said, the service may have been so great that day because The Rolling Stones were staying there before playing Glastonbury. That was also a massive bonus for us as we saw Charlie Watts in the lobby and had a brief chat with Ronnie Woods, who was taking a stroll in the gardens, red Hunter wellies on and a cigarette in hand. Now that in itself was a truly priceless experience.

The afternoon tea certainly isn't something you'll be doing every weekend, but for a special occasion it was a real treat. Rock stars not guaranteed.