Introducing the Vegetarian Society Approved vegan trademark and free Just V show tickets!

Last month I was invited down to the Vegetarian Society Cookery School in Altrincham to celebrate the launch of the brand new Vegetarian Society Approved vegan trademark, this is the Vegetarian Society’s second trademark, which will complement their highly successful vegetarian one that currently certifies over 15,000 products.

Along with a small group of foodie bloggers, I was given a fabulous introduction into the world of vegan cookery in the form of the vegan toolkit workshop. 

As a special treat for my readers, I also have news about how you can get completely free tickets to the Just V show in London this weekend, read down to the bottom for full details!


This new Vegetarian Society Approved vegan trademark offers the assurance of strict checks to ensure products’ vegan credentials making sure they are free from:

• animal-derived ingredients,
• cross-contamination during production,
• GMOs,
• animal testing either directly or via commissioned processes.

As well as food products, the new trademark will soon be seen appearing on cruelty-free cosmetics, beauty products and even vegan cafes and restaurants such as The Retreat Kitchen in Richmond.will carry it across their homemade range.

I've found the original Vegetarian Society Approved trademark extremely useful over the years when shopping for packaged produce and I will be looking out for the new trademark appearing in shops, especially to provide reassurance and clarity on cosmetic and skincare products.

I've been a vegetarian for over twenty years and despite a brief dalliance with veganism during my university years, I've always had some reservations about cooking meals without dairy, being a rather fussy eater anyway, I was worried it would significantly limit my options.

However, I am always open to trying new things and I am very glad that I did. During the day I learned some great tips and tricks, from how to make perfect vegan meringues and eggless mayonnaise to great recipes for vegan pesto, cashew cream, how to best prepare tofu and  I even discovered entirely new foods to me such as Jamaican Ackee and breadfruit.

Photo courtesy of the Vegetarian Society

Our day was led by Alex Connell, the friendly, funny and passionate principal tutor of the Vegetarian Society Cookery School. Under his expert tuition, I was delighted to discover that vegan cookery is nothing to be scared of. In fact, I have come away with so much inspiration that I am introducing a vegan day at least once a week in our house and so far the whole family has happily embraced it!

Photo courtesy of the Vegetarian Society

After learning some basic skills in the morning, such as pureeing garlic, chopping onion and celery, as well as making pasta, pesto and mayonnaise, we each chose a recipe to follow to contribute to a wonderful vegan feast that we enjoyed later in the afternoon.

 My recipe of choice for the day was a Spicy Chickpea Tagine with Aubergine Harissa, which I enjoyed so much (despite not usually being a lover of aubergine/eggplant) that I have made it again twice already!

Photo courtesy of the Vegetarian Society

Photo courtesy of the Vegetarian Society

I enjoyed a wonderful day filled with delicious food and fabulous company and I'd like to thank everyone at the Vegetarian Society Cookery School for making us all feel so welcome as well as my fellow bloggers Jenny, Nicky, Helen, Ellie, Annabelle and Emily.

You can follow the Vegetarian Society on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube to keep up to date with their latest news!

As I hinted above, I also have new of a great freebie for you...

The Vegetarian Society will be at the Just V Show at Olympia in London this weekend ( 7-9th July ) and you can claim FREE tickets to the Just V Show via the Vegetarian Society website, what's more, if you stop by the Vegetarian Society stand you'll be treated to a fabulous goody bag full of samples and vouchers to take home!

This post was commissioned by the Vegetarian Society. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Getting excited about Just So Festival 2015!

I love festivals and I'm delighted that we will be attending the Just So Festival this Summer! In the day's before I answered to the name Mummy, I was a regular festival goer and really do miss  them, we have attended lots of day events and for a few years now my husband and I have been talking about taking the children to a family friendly festival and the Just So Festival is the ideal first camping festival for the whole family!

The annual weekend-long camping festival for children and their families provides an imaginative outdoor adventure like no other, showcasing the art, music, literature, comedy and theatre for children of all ages all taking place in the amazing landscape of woodland clearings and parkland that is Rode Hall Estate in Cheshire from the 21st to the 23rd of August. Both Day tickets and weekend camping tickets are available to suit the inquisitive newcomer or the seasoned adventurer.

We are seasoned campers so a little bit of mud doesn't bother us, although I'd love the sun to be shining on the Cheshire for us this weekend for us to enjoy a journey of mischief and mayhem, to lands full of magical midnight feasts, raucous pillow fights, tribal tournaments, curious creatures and breathtaking beauty.

Inquisitive and adventure driven family explorers like ourselves can look fr forward to touring the most curious of lands and encounter creatures and characters beyond our wildest dreams.

Here's a taste of what we're looking forward to the most...

ON THE VILLAGE GREEN
 IAN DOUGLAS: JACK ON THE GREENWe’re all familiar with Jack and the Beanstalk, or Jack the Giant Killer, but there are many more Jacks, and in this brand new show Ian Douglas will be weaving a tapestry of stories on that most traditional of storytelling venues, the village green. A long time ago there was a young lad called Jack, who lived on his wits and never looked back. Jack’s journeys were many, his adventures well known, from humble beginnings his legend has grown. But all is not well in his fairy tale world; the stories we know have all twisted and twirled. Who knows what will happen if things don’t go back, to the way that things were when Jack was a lad. So come let’s adventure to where we think we have been, let’s go back to the time of Jack on the Green.’  

SPINELESS CLASSICS: CONSEQUENCESHe said… she said… and the consequence was…  Spineless Classics will be welcoming you to the Village Green for a large and rather ridiculous game of Consequences. Come with your most nonsensical scenarios, ideas for the most outrageous of costumes and let’s see how the story turns out. (Spineless Classics publish whole books on single sheets and  believe that having a great work form part of the backdrop of your life figuratively shouldn't stop you having it there literally.)

 IN THE SPELLBOUND FOREST
 HANDMADE THEATRE: FLYING THE NESTWelcome to Hatchling College, an eggciting place to learn all about native birds and how to be a good birder.  Join us in this interactive eggsperience led by our three eggstrodinary professors.  Filled with a fantastic mix of music, puppetry, facts and fun, this humorous show brings to life native bird characters in a new and engaging way. A newly devised show inspired by British Bird, an interactive theatrical experience designed with and for children and families including those with Special Education Needs. 

JAMES CAMPBELLFor children over 6, their parents and anyone who likes comedy without the rude words, a show which might or might not discuss lollipop ladies, quantum chromatic disruption machines and tartan badgers.  Performing a very special gig in our woodland theatre, come and see comedian James Campbell, a playwright, comedian and storyteller do his thing. He has been described as ‘the only stand-up comedian for children in the known universe’. Last but not least, he’s also an author, of books.

  IN HEAD OVER HEELS THE BULLZINI FAMILYRecently married 25m in the air, The Bullzini Family are a British high-wire couple, who will be performing the most incredible of tightrope shows and feats of equilibrium for your enjoyment and delight.  A storytelling show at its heart, where the past in future blur together as you hear and see stories of famous Victorian wire walkers performing their most spectacular stunts.Christopher ‘Anaspitos’ Bullzini Has been wowing crowds with his rope walking daredevilry for over 10 years combing nostalgia with wonder. Phoebe Babette Bullzini, has been learning the ropes from Chris for the last 3 1/2 years, originally from a theatrical costume making background. She fell in love and ran away with the circus. 

IN THE HIGH SEAS MUFTI DOES GAMES: MASSIVE BATTLESHIPSA super-sized team version of the classic naval guessing game, played across Just So’s High Seas. The cowardly Captain has abandoned his post, leaving just the brave but clueless cabin-boy in charge of the whole fleet! Will you step aboard to save the day? Using binoculars, with flags and flashcards to signal spectacular hits and unlucky misses hundreds of yards apart, it's all hands on deck to try and sink the enemy's aircraft carriers, destroyers and submarines before they sink yours. Join the crew and use all your cunning to call in the shots and plot your opponents' downfall. Mufti make fun, playable experiences for all ages, based on childhood amusements. They are completely bonkers

 AT THE SILVER SCREEN ARGO THEATRE: ACTIOOOON!Take a trip to the beginnings of the world cinema. A small producer with big doses of humor embarks on one of the biggest overproductions. Three characters from different places meet to travel round the city with sole aim “to find the actors to make a film”. Could you be one of those actors d’you think? 

AT GRAND CENTRAL THE MARIE CELESTIALA mystery metallic creature of unknown origin has crash landed on Earth. Departed from an unknown location in outer space, it has seen untold wonders and unimaginable danger. It has lain at the bottom of an ocean for many long years. Its kind and peace loving crew is missing. This poor, sad machine is broken, but at its core, exposed by the ravages of deep space travel, a gigantic lonely heart is beating. The mysteries of its voyage are about to be unlocked and its secret mission revealed.  Live circus theatre performed on board a mechanical, space-faring beast, the Marie Celestial is  a magical performance, incorporating large-scale puppetry, suitable for all the family.This is the Marie Celestial’s debut National tour,  co-commissioned by the Northern FestivalsNetwork and  Glastonbury Festival.

IN PEEKABOO THE ADVENTURES OF POMYellow petals, singing birds, soft grass beneath your feet; welcome to spring. Find yourself a lovely spot and stay a while. And here is Pom: climber of trees, chaser of butterflies, daughter of the gods. Her lovely cheeky face makes her mum so happy and all is good. But what’s this tiny hole in the lush green grass? This deep dark twinkling hole…you don’t want to go down there, do you? Pom recreates the Greek myth of Persephone for babies and little ones. Explore the sensory world of spring through projections, soundscapes, storytelling, live music and sensory objects. Follow the maze in to the Underworld and help save Pom! Leading early-years story-teller and performance artist Ruthie Boycott-Garnett has been commissioned by Big Imaginations to create a visual and sensory exploration of a Greek Myth with Live music and puppetry that will inspire and delight.

 IN GRAND CENTRAL OH THE PLACES YOU’LL GOAs you arrive at Just So 2015 come and read aloud this tip top book, by Dr Seuss, with some hollers and yells for good measure. “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go…” Geoff Bird, author and producer will be leading great swathes of audience members in readings of Dr Seuss aloud together.
 AT FOOTLIGHTS JOHN HEGLEY: I AM A POETATO
Poet, comic, singer, ukulele-player and glasses-wearer, John Hegley has an entertaining poem for every letter of the alphabet. In his A to Z of people, pets and potatoes, meet the inquisitive Quibble, Guillemot the bird and the Christmas Caterpillar who surprises Santa. He says … At Just SoI will talk potatoand armadilloand I will singabout stringin a one hour show.I will alsopoint my toein a danceand I will speak of Franceand my gran who came from there.Oh Yeah.Sit back and relax  

DAVID GIBB: LETTERS THROUGH YOUR DOORAward winning songwriter, storyteller and tallest man in Derbyshire, David Gibb’s new musical children’s piece Letters Through Your Door is a fun and exciting stage show packed full of catchy and toe tapping numbers. 

IN HEAD OVER HEELS EMMA CARROLL: THE GIRL WHO WALKED ON AIRRoll up! Roll up! Do you have dreams of the circus? So does Louie, the tight rope walker in Emma Carroll’s novel The Girl Who Walked on Air, and now might just be her chance. Join Emma to hear a reading from Louie’s story, and find out all about how Emma put her circus together. Trapezes, mysteries and daring stunts await! Emma Carroll is a secondary school English teacher. She has also worked as a news reporter, an avocado picker and the person who punches holes into filofax paper. She recently graduated with distinction from Bath Spa University’s MA in Writing For Young People.  

IN THE SPELLBOUND FOREST
EMMA CARROLL: IN DARKLING WOODJoin Emma Carroll for a session packed with magic. In her new book In Darkling Wood, two girls – one in the present and one in the past – start to suspect there are fairies in the woods at the bottom of their gardens.  But they both have their own worries: Alice’s brother is ill and her grandmother wants to chop down the woods, and Florence is waiting for her missing brother to return from the front line. Settle down for a story of hope, faith and fairies. 

ON THE VILLAGE GREEN PAUL STICKLANDJoin Paul Stickland for a pop up monster workshop, where you can create your own amazing pop up monsters, and hear him read from Dinosaur Roar. Paul is the creator of many bestselling books, including Dinosaur Roar, Ten Terrible Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs Galore, The Christmas Bear, One Bear One Dog, A Number of Dinosaurs, Swamp Stomp,Truck Jam, Big Dig and Big Bug Little Bug. 

ELSEWHERE ….. Join best-selling author Holly Webb for an interactive story-telling event to celebrate her 100th book The Truffle Mouse. Find out all about the ideas and themes that bring her books to life and the real animals that inspired her, in an event full of stories and a Q&A. Abi Elphenstein will be inviting participation in her exploration of The Dreamsnatcher.
 Tamsyn Murray will reveal the story behind her book Stunt Bunny whilst getting audience
members up on stage to perform Stunt Bunny - The Play. Louise The Poet will be performing a modern fairytale; a re-telling of ‘The Princess and the Pea.’  The story of an adventurous girl, her sleepy Dad and a dog called Prince.  A build-your-own audio pop-up poetry book of a tale.
 GLOSSATREE. Hidden on the grounds of Rode Hall Estate — cultivated in secret by a select group of accomplished wordsmiths and scribblers-in-the-know — The Glossatree is the world’s greatest source of soon to be discovered words. Now fully-grown and brimming with unplucked verbosity, Just So Festival invites you to harvest…
Beanstalk, the national reading charity, will be hosting themed reading in The High Seas
Macclesfield Library will be hosting the 2015 Just So Festival book club and will be reading some of the best children’s fiction such as Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell.
The Just So Festival 2015 bookshop is housed in a lovely painted caravan. Stock up on some old and new classics.

Winners of Festival Kidz Gold Award for three years running, Just So Festival aims to create memories treasured by families year-round.  Rowan Hoban and Sarah Bird, Directors of Wild Rumpus who produce large scale family arts events in wild natural landscapes set up Just So Festival in 2009 to create a spellbinding weekend where families could play, dance and create together and see the world class breathtaking outdoor arts. Rowan says “At Just So 2015, audience members will be journeying through the most magical, awe-inspiring landscape for three nights. They must watch carefully the whole journey…as Roald Dahl once said, the best adventures and greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places”.
 Sarah says “we immerse families into a world of imagination, letting their creativity run wild. We believe in the power of a wonderful moment to change the way that a family engages in the arts together. If we don’t give you goosebumps we are not doing it right.” 

Here's a short video from last year's festival to give you a taste of what's in store...



There are still a limited amount of day tickets available so if you fancy joining in the fun, be quick!

If you've going to be coming don't forget to plan your journey by checking the travel information and why not get a head start on planning the weekend's activities by checking out the full line up on the website.

Connect with the folks behind the festival on their social media channels:

Twitter :            @justsofestival

Facebook:        https://www.facebook.com/justsofestival 

Pinterest:         https://www.pinterest.com/wild_rumpus/

Instagram:       https://instagram.com/justsofestival/

I'll also be sharing our experiences on social media and you can follow our weekend on facebook, instagram and twitter

Easter Egg Hunting and Fun in the Sun at Dunham Massey

Yesterday we planned to visit one of our favourite National Trust locations to take part in their annual Easter Egg Hunt with Cadbury's. We were a little disappointed  to wake to cloudy skies and fog however we packed up our picnic and set off with hope that the sun would still come out to play.

Thankfully our wishes came true and not long after we arrived the fog cleared and the skies turned a brilliant shade of blue.

The magnificent hall at Dunham Massey has been transformed into the Stamford Military Hospital as it was almost 100 years ago, during the First World War. We decided to take the tour around the house learning about some of the characters that worked and were treated there during the war years. I found it really interesting but I have to admit there wasn't a lot to hold the children's attention.

They were much happier when we stepped outside into the beautiful gardens to begin the Easter Egg Hunt. They have been looking forward to this all weekend and loved every second!

Despite a huge amount of visitors, the staff were extremely organised and we had soon parked up the scooters and collected the Maps and guides ready to follow the Easter Egg hunt! The clues all centered around Buzz the dog who had befriended the soldiers when Dunham Massey was a hospital during the war. The children excitedly skipped from one clue to the next while my husband and I trailed behind, enjoying the natural beauty of the gardens.

After figuring out all six clues Ben and Elizabeth eagerly exchanged their sheets for a Cadburys chocolate EggHead each while Daddy headed to the car to collect our picnic.

The beautiful sunshine warranted a sweet treat so we queued up for a delicious ice cream, that was definitely worth the forty minute wait!

Despite being a very busy bank holiday, Dunham Massey didn't feel too crowded and we enjoyed relaxing on the grass watching the children play with their scooters until it as time to go home.

We had a wonderful Easter Monday and thanks to being National Trust members it only cost us the price of our ice creams!

I've written before about the benefits of our Family National Trust membership for an annual fee of just over £100 not only do we contribute to a very worthwhile charity we also have unlimited entry to a  multitude of amazing places to visit. We're already looking forward to our next National Trust adventure at St Michael's Mount on our Cornish holidays.

Did you have an Easter Egg hunt for your children?

Win Tickets to Foodies Festival in Tatton Park

Foodies Festival is returning to the North West this summer, offering foodies from the region a fantastic opportunity to experience live performances from top local Chefs in the Chef's Theatre, taste wines, beers, spirits and cocktails as well as learn about food matching in the Drinks Theatre, sample signature dishes from the best local dining experiences in the pop up restaurants and have a really great day out in a beautiful setting!

For families with mini foodies, the Children's cookery theatre will not disappoint! With demonstrations and hands on classes taking place throughout the day there will be lots to keep those budding chefs entertained!

This years has lot of new editions to the festival including the mouth watering Chocolate, cake, bakes and preserves Theatre, a daily cocktail competition and the Vintage Tea Tent offering a tempting spread of afternoon tea and daily tea dances!

We were lucky enough to attend the festival last July and we had a really fun family day out! 

This year the festival returns to Tatton Park in Cheshire on the 18th 19th and 20th of July.

Tickets are now on sale now and you can click here to buy yours!

Standards tickets are  £10 for Friday, £12 for Saturday and Sunday and children under 12 go free!

Foodies Festival also have a fantastic VIP package for £35 on Friday or £38 on Saturday and Sunday, this package includes: free glass of bubbly, free showguide, goody bag, use of VIP area with views of entertainment stage, private bar and refreshments/tea/coffee/biscuits all day, priority entry to 1 Chefs Theatre/1 Drinks theatre/1 Cake & Bake Theatre ( tickets released on the day and subject to availability) 

Do be aware that Tatton Park has a £5 parking charge which is not included in the price of your ticket, there is also a fantastic playarea that children of all ages will enjoy!
You can also follow news from Foodies Festival on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest. Prepare to start drooling at their amazing foodie pictures!

I have three pairs of standard tickets to give away to my readers, follow the rafflecopter instructions below to enter...

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Win tickets to the Tatton Park Foodies Festival!

The UK’s largest celebration of food and drink The Foodies Festival returns for the third consecutive year to the beautiful Tatton Park next weekend, 17th - 19th May.   

Top chefs, including David Mooney of the New Moon Pub Company, star of the BBC’s Great British Menu Mary-Ellen McTague of Aumbry, Thai restaurant Chaophraya’s executive chef Kim Kaewkraikhot, celebrity chef Rachel Green, Brent Hulena from Hipping Hall, Malaysian chef Norman Musa of Ning, and brownie queen Justine Forrest will cook their signature dishes live in the Chefs’ Theatre and explain how amateur cooks can prepare the same dishes at home. 

The theatre will be compered by Blue Peter presenter and Celebrity Masterchef star Zoe Salmon, she commented: “I have a passion for all things food so I am absolutely thrilled to be involved with Foodies Festival and can't wait to see what's cooking up a storm in 2013".

Tickets can be purchased here and are priced as below...

1 Day Adult Ticket £12 (£10 concs)
3 Day Adult Ticket £18 (£15 concs)
1 Day VIP Ticket £38

I'm really excited to be visiting the festival with my family to meet up with other lovely bloggers from Blogs Up North. And I'm even more excited to be able to offer you, my lovely readers the chance to win 2 pairs of tickets for your choice of Day! But be quick to enter as it's only running for a few days! Follow the instructions below to enter...

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