Its Blackberry Season!

**This is a guest post from the lovely Marc and Laura from Living Unplugged. You can find out a little more about them and their blog at the bottom of this post! **

I’ve got a confession. I can’t resist free food. It’s a nightmare at work when there are leftover sandwiches from a meeting. Well, nightmare is probably a bit strong - but you know what I mean.

Sandwiches aside, this time of year is great for free food, and it’s great for getting the kids out and into nature.

I’m so proud of my both my boys (3 & 12 years old). Even though they complain when I drag them out the door on a Saturday morning, it’s not long before they’re running ahead in the woods and shouting out when they’ve found an interesting mushroom. I should say they’re under strict instructions not to pick it unless I’ve identified it!

Blackberries are even better, because my boys just need to understand the difference between ripe and unripe berries. Then it’s just matter of giving them plastic bowls and trying not to get stressed about the mess.
I have always had fond memories of blackberry picking. As with so many other people, it was my first experience of foraging wild food. For me, this passion for seasonal free food has gradually grown to the point where I now hunt mushrooms and pick nettles (and other foraged greens) to add to our late summer diet.

5 top tips for the perfect roast dinner!

Cooking a Sunday roast is a rite of passage once you get to a certain age. I’m now married and, having always been pretty much a disaster in the kitchen, I thought now was the time that I master the holy grail of English meals. My mum is a brilliant cook and cooks a delicious roast every Sunday and so, channeling inspiration from her, here are my top tips for getting your Sunday dinner spot on.

1.       Yorkshire puddings need hot oil

For the most delicious light Yorkshire puddings, forget all about Aunt Bessie’s. Believe it or not, Yorkshire puddings are relatively easy to get right. Heat vegetable oil in a bun tray for ten minutes at 180 degrees before adding the Yorkshire pudding mix and cooking for a further twenty minutes. Make sure you use self-raising flour and you’ll get big, fluffy Yorkshires.

2.       Fluffy on the inside, crunchy on the outside

This is the way that roast potatoes should be. Par boil potatoes for eight minutes before shaking them in a colander – this will give them their fluffy texture. Cover them with oil and the juices from your meat before roasting them for an hour or so.

3.       Not too crunchy, not too soft

Veg is a very important part of the meal and it’s usually not people’s favourite so you need to make sure that it’s the right consistency. Everyone’s had that mushy broccoli that reminds you of school dinners and that is totally not what we’re going for here. However, don’t cook them for long enough and they taste raw. Keep checking the veg throughout the cooking process to make sure it’s perfect.

4.       The creamier the better

When it comes to mash potatoes, the above really is true. No one likes lumpy mash, so to make sure it’s really smooth add butter and milk to taste (this is not a meal for those watching their weight!) and toss aside the potato masher after the first few mashes and use an electronic mixer to get them super smooth.

5.       Relax!

Although it can be a bit of a juggling act working out all the timings for all the different elements, try not to worry too much – it’ll all come together in the end. Pour yourself a glass of Prosecco and try to really enjoy the whole experience.


This post is a guest post written by the lovely Samantha from Coco Butter Blog. Here is a little about Samantha and her blog . 
"I'm Samantha and I blog over at Coco Butter Blog about all things beauty, fashion and lifestyle. From the best bars in London, to all the latest beauty products, easy peasy recipes to book reviews - if it's happened to me that day, you'll probably read about it later!" 
Here is the link to Samantha's blog why not pop over and check it out - coco-butter-blog.blogspot.co.uk.

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