Prague - perfect place to meet up with my faaaaaaraway bestest buddy

Miffy Moments

Spring has definitely made a few appearances here in Derbyshire. We've had a few gloriously sunny days where the gorgeous shot of yellow daffodils brightens your day no end.

We've been out to feed newborn lambs and I've already been asked when Easter Bunny visits! 

We had a bit of a change around at half term so we had an empty room for a night. What better excuse for some indoor camping? 

Apparently, the tent was a bit smelly! They also fell asleep long before midnight so completely missed out on their stash of midnight treats! Back to school brought World Book Day, so an after school craft session making a Miffy mask and matching carrot...

One Miffy outfit later - courtesy of H&M - and off to school we go, swiftly followed by tears as a confidence crisis hit. Least she had her favourite bunny to cuddle. When I collected her from school she was all smiles. We dashed to the shops to use the book voucher and she keenly dived into her new book. 

This post follows the sad news that Dick Bruna, Miffy's creator, has passed away. Not before selling 85million copies of his little square books, ideal for small hands. We will be eternally grateful for his imagination in creating such a sweet little bunny. His stories certainly prompted a love of reading from a young age and I really hope that continues. 

Miffy lights available here 

https://www.miffyshop.co.uk/product/582d80f1882ef23a0b8b4568/miffy-string-fairy-lights-classicred

The Gallery Café, Ashbourne, Derbyshire

Right in the middle of Ashbourne town centre, you'll find The Gallery Café house in a lovely, bright & spacious upstairs space. The walls are decorated with beautiful art work from various artists, there are greetings cards and gifts available to purchase too.

The café has twice won Derbyshire's best café awards and it's easy to see why. There's a fantastic menu to choose from, lovely warm soups, delicious and healthy salads, generous sandwiches as well as a brilliamt brunch menu that includes pancakes with bacon and maple syrup or blueberry pancakes with syrup. The menu is clearly marked with GF so it's really easy for coeliacs to order from the menu. 

Apparently they're going to trial a glutenfree version of their pancake dishes soon, which would be great. The café is also a stockist for Friedmans Glutenfree bread so if you choose the soup or sandwich option, you'll be pleased to know it will be served in a great glutenfree roll with delicious homemade potato salad and green salad topped with amaranth.

The staff are all super friendly and offered to adjust the menu for little ones, anything can be served as a half portion and even if it's not on the menu, they suggested simple child friendly sandwich options for us. Mark pointed out the fantastic collection of children's books and crayons that they have available which helped the grown ups enjoy an extra coffee and hot chocolate!

So we enjoyed a child's glutenfree cheese roll, a regular portion of pancakes with bacon and maple syrup, a regular open sandwich with masses of smoked salmon, cream cheese, fresh chives and plenty of fresh salads & I enjoyed a warm beetroot, spinach, goats cheese, walnut and balsamic salad. All of these were absolutely delicious.

Perhaps the best bit of all is the fact that ALL of their freshly baked cakes are gluten free. So we had a free choice of flapjacks, brownie, lemon drizzle, chocolate, orange & almond, chocolate cake, apple and cinnamon freshly baked cakes! Spoilt for choice.

What I love about his café is how spacious it is being arranged over two floors with large tables for a family of four. They are very welcoming as far as children are concerned. Most of all, the food that is offered here is always made freshly to order just for you.

The bread they use is also available for glutenfree customers to order in for themselves to take home, so it's a great way of getting a good quality bread on your doorstep.

We all enjoyed a lovely, leisurely lunch here today. If you visit, I sincerely hope you do too. 

Happy half-term from Ashbourne! 

 

What's this madness? 10 degrees the week before Christmas

Yes it IS the 17th of December, so it shouldn't really be 11 degrees outside but it is. Not that I'm complaining, I hate the cold weather and the heating in my kitchen is broken at the moment so I hope the mild weather carries on a bit longer. The only problem is I don't think it feels as if Christmas is only a week away, there's hardly been any frost let alone snow...

Anyway, I'm sure Winter will hit us in its own time and I'll be hoping to fast forward directly to Spring! I've had quite a few new tulip bulbs planted out. We have a resident squirrel who at first I was quite fond of. However I'm sure he has something to do with the fact that less than half of the bulbs ever show up, so I'm less keen on the little pest now! We'll be keeping a keen eye on one set of tulip bulbs though...

We received a very special delivery of some Miffy tulip bulbs. The character Miffy is the famous white bunny who is the subject of a huge series of childrens story books, written by Dick Bruna 60 years ago. The author himself is from the Netherlands hence the connection with tulips! 

Apparently this perfect Miffy "red" has taken 15 years of cross-fertilisation & patient cultivation to develop. They are hoping to have the variety widely available for sale in 2017/18, so we're lucky to have some this early, as only 2500 exist. 

We chose a Sunday morning to plant them up in a safe pot which we can keep  an eye on. My youngest still loves gardening. She learnt to love picking peas from her Grandad and was amazed when a blueberry bush we bought last year actually GREW fruit - so was I!

Little one loves the fact that the instructions featured Miffy explaining what to do! 

Some of these special bulbs have been planted in the famous Kerkenhof Gardens in the Netherlands. The gardens are open in 2017 from 23rd March to 21st May. A trip to them has been on my dream travel list for a couple of years, ever since watching a feature by Rachel de Thame. I didn't know until recently, that there is also a Miffy garden within the park! Not sure I'll get there next year, so maybe I should plan ahead for 2018 - it doesn't look like the Miffy fan is going to outgrow her obsession anytime soon 😀

https://keukenhof.nl/en/#

http://www.miffyshop.co.uk/?gclid=CjwKEAiA4dPCBRCM4dqhlv2R1R8SJABom9pHDRji2U5YDfEj4xXWJKUWxxfsPwBtdok-2ycfyUEMFxoCeHvw_wcB

Twice As Nice Bakery

Having followed this 100% bakery on Twitter for ages, I finally got round to making a special trip to visit them.

The café is situated in Newcastle-under-Lyme so it's almost an hour away from Ashbourne but it was worth it. Twice as nice has a small grocery store, even stocking Coori pasta, Voakes pies as found in Selfridges.  There's a wide range of take out food and the café has two small tables so you choose to eat in. 

My special guest was the youngest gluten-freer in our family and she chose a cheese sandwich.

 I had a goats cheese, grated carrot salad and peppers sandwich. Both were desktop made on a small loaf of very tasty bread. The flour used for the bread contains millet flour, which I've not used before. 

I then went for a vanilla doughnut, it was SO airy, it seemed to melt in my mouth. I wish they came in giant sizes as I honestly think I could eat about five of them! 

We selected a chocolate and stout cake, and a brownie to take home and they were delicious too. Laura has developed all the recipes herself and has won several awards over the past year. I noticed that many of the menu items were also dairy free and some were vegan too. 

I got a bit lost trying to find the café so we didn't have very long to enjoy the surroundings but I'd say it was a perfect spot if you need a safe gluten-free lunch and ideal place to order freshly baked bread and grab an afternoon treat. 

 

http://twiceasnicebakery.co.uk

Perhaps the perfect holiday...

The one time that being coeliac bothers me the most is when planning and going on holiday. This year is the first time I've had to factor in travelling with a gluten-free child too. Previously, I've always taken a few snack bars for me in case of extended trips out, but this time I took a whole heap of Glutenfree food so that there was little chance of her feeling left out. I took some Doves Flour and xanthum gum to make pancakes a couple of times, Scahr chocolix bars & chocolate fingers to pack as treats if cafés had no gf desserts, a packet of Natures Path O's cereal, Prewetts chocolate biscuits, Pink Panther wafer biscuits, Delicious Alchemy brownie mix, Sweet Pea Pantry flapjack mix, Grass Roots Bakery bread roll mix, Venchii chocolate spread and Meridian Peanut Butter and I packed toaster bags! I'm not exactly known for packing light but even I have to admit that I thought I'd gone a bit OTT! Bet I'm not alone though, sure there are other parents of kids with allergies who do the same...?

So now you're probably wondering how I managed to fit in any clothes or other holiday essentials? Well, we were taking our car, which despite being a large 4x4, it was jam packed! Our destination was Jersey. I've been curious about Jersey for years and very excited to discover the island. 

Previously, the definition of luxury on holiday might have been about the stunning sea-view, or a super special hotel with butler service, maybe a safari where the host fills quails eggs with bath oil. This time, luxury means a little playground right outside a self-catering apartment, an English speaking kids channel on TV, a kids bedroom that stays dark in the morning & a pool within throwing distance. All of this courtesy of Les Ormes. A spacious apartment, not particularly stylish but all the mod-cons including a washer-dryer. This meant that I could sun worship as soon as I woke up, kids could play instantly & hubbie could relax until he was ready to join us. They have lots of extra activities that you can book as well as an indoor pool, a FunZone indoor play area, and sports clinic on site. I managed to book into a last minute Pilates lesson with Sonja which felt great. 

https://www.lesormesjersey.co.uk

The other benefit of travelling to Jersey with gluten-free travellers is that just up the road there was a Waitrose and a Marks & Spencer. Perfect for stocking up on gluten-free bread, quiche, beer etc. Also just up the road we found a farm shop that had a considerable gf range including products from a nearby gf bakery. 

http://classicfarmshop.com

Now don't get me wrong, one of the pleasures of being on holiday is discovering new foods and eating out & Jersey restaurants were fantastic. Here are a few highlights;

Seafish Café, St Aubin

http://www.seafishcafe.com

A fantastic upmarket fish and chip restaurant with a wealth of other seafood options and the warmest welcome. Typical fish and chips was available Gluten-free & in mini portions. My favourite was the asparagus & crab starter, closely followed by a red mullet, chorizo, butter bean special 

The teeny harbour at Rozel Bay is a beautiful spot. Our girls loved dipping their toes in the sea after dinner and we made a return trip to build sandcastles on the beach the following day. It's a great small beach for families as there's a little stone wall at the side where you can pop your bags and keep them sand-free. 

As well as The Navigator which is open for lunch and dinner, there's a cafe called The Hungry Man & Rozel's tea-room which looks unimposing from outside but has a lovely sun terrace and a huge selection of gluten-free food. 

Navigator, Rozel Bay 

https://navigatorjersey.com/about-2/

Caramelised fig with the starter was a nice touch & my sea bass dish was really delicious.

Rozel Bay tea room

http://www.rozelbaytearoom.co.uk/all-day-breakfasts/

Gluten-free scones, a sausage & egg sandwich and a brownie were quickly devoured here after an early start for a stunning boat ride. 

Portlet Bay Café

http://www.porteletbaycafe.com

Think this little bay was my absolute favourite. You have to park at the top near a pub and walk down 130 steps. Walk along the beach a short while and you'll see a wooden building that houses a pizza cafe. Usually they have Glutenfree pizza bases, but not suitable for coeliacs due to cross-contamination. I knew this in advance and was expecting to order a salad, but was relying on the pizza option for our gluten sensitive child. They had run out. I thought we were going to have to climb the 130 steps straight away and it was boiling. We ordered a drink to cool down & then I asked if little one could have a little pick and mix plate of various pizza toppings and salad bits & bobs. She was SO good about not getting a pizza and we had a lovely evening. We watched the kids walk down to the beach after they'd finished eating and joined them for a play before catching the sunset. 

El Tico

http://www.elticojersey.com/home

Driving along the west coast, we were running a bit late for lunch when we drove straight past this place. We decided to turn around and I'm so glad we did. El Tico is beach side café, the ceiling is decorated with surfboards, there's loads of outdoor seating, and a very varied menu. Little one chose grilled chicken and chips and I had a huge and really tasty salad. The rest of the family had desserts whilst I sipped a large glass of super chilled wine - perfect pit stop. 

We did plenty of self-catered breakfasts and lunches and the occasional evening meal if the kids seemed too tired. Jersey has a fabulous selection of family friendly restaurants and we found them all to be very approachable in terms of allergies. We treated ourselves to a couple of very special eating out experiences for our last couple of days on the island. 

Mark Jordan At The Beach 

http://www.markjordanatthebeach.com/location

This is right on the beach although our table was by the entrance so we didn't really appreciate the view on this occasion. This didn't matter though as we ate the most delicious food of our whole trip & one of my favourite desserts ever! 

I enjoyed an ox tongue and scallops with minted peas starter, a perfectly cooked pink lamb, tomato, garlic and onion dish with dauphinoise potatoes and then fantastic desserts. Mine was a soufflé with passion fruit ice-cream, perfect!  The service here was exemplary and makes me wish we'd made time to experience The Atlantic Hotel - maybe next time!

Longueville Manor 

http://www.longuevillemanor.com

After experiencing the most relaxing spa session ever - I actually felt my body momentarily drop off asleep during a facial and why i didn't give into it rather than snap back awake, I'll never know - the family joined me at Longueville Manor Hotel. We had pre-ordered afternoon tea, specifying that we needed gluten-free. The hotel which has 30 rooms appeared smaller than I'd imagined. The grounds were so peaceful and calming. There is a tranquil garden, tennis courts, a huge kitchen garden and a lovely, small swimming pool, with comfortable sun loungers in various corners. 

There's also a lake with a tree swing that our girls adored! As well as a small climbing frame with a slide hidden amongst trees. If I were visiting without children, I am sure the attentive service and private feel to this hotel would be my first choice. I'm not sure that the atmosphere is best for allowing children to let their hair down and enjoy being kids. In fairness, the hotel's brochure describes making children feel very welcome, they can even stay for free, with babysitting to dedicated menus, from interconnecting rooms to kid's DVDs, they do their utmost to make younger guests feel at home, but I heard parents telling kids to shhhhh - which I do enough of at home! Anyway back to the afternoon tea...knowing that our youngest wouldn't eat the grown-up sandwiches she enjoyed a plain choice. We all thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon tea, the Glutenfree scones were delicious, the jam they were served with was a superior quality choice. I loved the fact that the gf version was very similar to their regular tea with only one little pastry substituted. Chocolate pavé, raspberry macaron, summer berries macaron & a panecotta cake. A very special occasion indeed. 

I loved the seaside cottages around Jersey that reminded me of Cornish fishing villages as well as the gorgeous homes that reminded me of mini French chateaux! Place names such as Bonne Nuit, house names such as Le Bon Coin, Le petit chatelet.

Jersey gardeners LOVE hydrangeas, they are everywhere! They're used alongside roads instead of hedges, used on grassy verges, in every colour you could imagine. 

(Photo https://www.lamarewineestate.com )

Little roadside honesty boxes with stalls selling garden flowers, jersey royals, free range eggs, chutney and veggies were very common. 

If you decide to visit Jersey, I'd highly recommend booking a Seafari trip before you travel. Our girls said this was their favourite activity and I have to agree with them. A fantastic & exciting way to see the coast. 

https://www.jerseyseafaris.com

Le Mare Wine Estate & chocolate room, the small Jersey Lavender farm, Durrell wildlife park with a baby bear and Gorillas were our other highlights. We also enjoyed a pony trek with Le Claire Riding School which was a lovely way to spend an hour. There are so many other tourist attractions though that I think we'll have make a return visit. 

https://www.lamarewineestate.com

http://www.jerseylavender.co.uk

https://www.durrell.org/wildlife/

https://www.facebook.com/Le-Claire-Riding-Stables-528067930566242/

We had fantastic weather, stayed on GMT which keeps life simple with kids! We all enjoyed the French influence, fantastic food, gorgeous scenery and sunsets and made some really special family memories. Now, if anyone would like to invite us back we'll be with you in a jiffy! 

Thanks Jersey! 

Other practical info; 

- If you choose to travel by ferry, Condor ferries offer soup & jacket potatoes as gluten-free options 

- Our satnav didn't work in Jersey, cue initial panic over using an actual map! However, excellent 3G/4G coverage so google maps to the rescue

- many of the cafés and restaurants featured are small, you would be best to book in advance 

PS let me know if you follow in our footsteps?! X