I’m half way through my challenge of a year without refined sugar. That doesn’t mean nothing sweet – honey, maple syrup and date molasses are all natural sugars, so my almond and olive oil granola passes muster.

The difference it’s made isn’t that I feel healthier or lighter, it’s more a rewiring of the desire for sweet treats. I don’t feel like I’m denying myself cakes and biscuits, it’s that I don’t want to eat them in the first place anymore.

We’ve never had more information to help us eat healthily but it can also be utterly overwhelming. For anyone who struggles I highly recommend Claire Thomson’s 5 O’clock Apron Instagram (and Facebook) who posts short videos with the recipe of what she’s cooking for dinner. They’re healthy, simple, inexpensive and easy to follow.

Another profile I like is Switch the UPF on Instagram and Facebook. She visits different supermarkets from Aldi to Waitrose and highlights products free from ultra processed ingredients to help us make whole food choices.

Have a  super month

Claire X

Double bubble on Saturday with me at Heavenly Hellens and my daughter Syra caretaking Great Malvern Food Festival for me. Full details are on the Events page.

♻️ Remember to bring your empties ♻️

🌟 60 containers were returned in June 🌟

I’m all about the new and love exploring ideas for olive-related products. My most recent brainwave was proper mayonnaise made with our olive oil. I created a classic, a garlic mayo and a lemony one, testing them at Stroud Farmers Market. 

The feedback was 100% positive so I set about researching the food safety aspects to bring it on as a new line. Oh dear, it’s way too risky a product what with raw egg and temperature sensitive ingredients so sadly I’ve parked it.

Instead I’m sharing the recipe. Homemade mayonnaise is altogether a different thing to what you buy in the shops and definitely deserves being described as a hero product. 

In a jar with a neck wide enough to fit a stick blender first add an egg, then 180ml of our olive oil followed by a teaspoon of mustard, ½ tsp of salt and finally ½ tbsp of white wine/apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. Lower the stick blender to the bottom of the jar, blitz, and about 20 seconds later you have a beautiful creamy mayonnaise.

 The original inspo came from Corner of this Parish.

This is Villa Moda’s clever kitchen where everything can be shut away in bespoke cupboards. It’s so fabulous it featured in an interiors magazine. Villa Moda is a gorgeous luxe holiday home that sleeps up to 8 guests in four bedrooms with 3 bathrooms and a saltwater infinity pool with stunning views over the valley.

Organic raw milk from Wicton Farm who’ve started selling at Local to Ludlow Market and Great Malvern Farmers Market.   Adding Marches Mushrooms‘ lions mane powder to my raw milk and frothing it to transform my morning cappuccino into a caffeine+ hit.   The creativity of my friend Sara who, alongside running the livery yard where I keep my horses, makes brilliant bespoke cakes.