Social Distancing At English Heritage Properies

English Heritage have started opening a number of their properties up and as soon as I heard I jumped straight on the booking site which I have to say was slightly easier than the National Trust as I could book far in advance with English Heritage.The first property we decided to go for was Kenilworth Castle as we hadn't been there in their yonks and we were desperate for green space and fresh air as we hadn't been further than the end of our noses in weeks and weeks.

And the signs were clear and the staff were remarkably well informed and there was a very calm atmosphere about the place.Social distancing is the new normal and it’s taking a bit of getting used to.

Kenilworth Castle is perfect for a relaxed stroll and it really does help to blow the cobwebs away.

Slow Cooker Spanish Style Chicken With Pitted Green Olives In A Piquillo Pepper Sauce

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I was provided with some of the ingredients for this meal and the place curtesy of Sous Chef and of course it is up to you where you get your ingredients from you will find the links to the ingredients I was sent obviously in the ingredients list.







Ingredients

Chicken breasts for the number of people  you want

Chopped peppers

Fried chopped Onion

2 tins of chopped tomatoes

1 can of chicken soup

2 teaspoons of smoked Paprika from Sous Chef 

pitted green olives from Sosu Chef 

Chicken herb seasonings or chicken stock

Piquillo Pepper Paste from Sous Chef 


Method

Fry the onion to begin with

Add the tins of chopped tomatoes and soup to the slow cooker along with the chicken , chopped peppers and fried onions

add in some chicken stock or a cup or 2 or water along with some chicken seasonings

Switch the slow cooker on medium and least for at least 5 hours ( longer is ok )

Serve with rice or Cous Cous 

Please do look at Sous Chef's Spanish collection 

Those Little Steps For your Mental Health

Now I will be brutally honest my mental health has not been the greatest at times and it isn't always linked to myself being autistic there are many other factors at play, depression is a complicated beast and can strike at anytime and lifting yourself out of it can be a herculean task i do have to say.

But do what you need to do to give yourself and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.It is as they say unprecedented times and we all deal with stuff in our own way. I have had periods of depression strike and it was hard for me before I knew I was autistic as I just couldn't get a handle on how I was feeling or why.I was never a take of pills for depression and why well they just didn't suit me personally as I later found out due to me being autistic they messed with my autistic function.This will not be the same for everyone and if you want and need to take tablets then do then is nothing wrong or shameful in doing so.

What helps me is music I telly love classical music and repetition is key for me it is the equivalent of someone stroking my forehead in a soothing manner and is like cool breeze on the soul.I partucalry love Beethoven and also I love at the minute the music of Joshua Bell when je played the theme Ladies in Lavender.


What helps though sometimes it is a murky place is social media I can tweet and Facebook all I like with I have to say unambiguous statuses and someone will come along and offer wisdom and advice.I have to look for the innate light in the darkness and I have to cling onto any chink of light I can fight to find my way again.And given lockdown it has been a topsey Turvey time.

There’s Hope In Green #30DaysWild

There’s hope in Green there’s hope in Green I find there’s always something Green about and it’s a very sensible backdrop colour to the world , Green is dependable  like a favourite pair of shoes.And yesterday we embarked like explorers on a walk to the shops well it was a scouting mission for my husband and his Photograghy.My husband remember s playing in certain woods as a child and was happy to reminisce as we walked and he was surprised that it wasn't further as in total we did 6 miles which let me tell you after an eternity in lockdown didn't seem like thousands of miles. But it was lovely for us all to get out as a family and my husband had a couple of days which to take off.

It is these type of days which like a memory marker for us and roots of memories are essential to enable to make sense of the world and everything that is going on.. I mean at the minute Mondays seem to blend into the next Monday with even more mediocrity than they did before.And though Monday is the mediocrity fullstops of the week I like my weeks to be full of adventure and wonder and excitement and that could be anything though I draw the line at sky diving.





I have more Green adventures on the horizon and what joyful situation that is and I can finally see beyond the end of my nose and I tell you it is a very short journey to the end of my nose.Geen distracts me from the turmoils of the world which I know will be changed but Green in nature doesn't care , Green cares.





It’s the month of June and I have to write that to remind myself ! and it’s #30dayswild and I’m loving rewilding myself from my garden to the ever so great outdoors.

Chickpeas With Braised Onion , Peppers And Green Beans

I wanted a change from potatoes so instead I literally threw this together and what is good about it it can also be used as a base for a fakeway Chinese for another day , this is my favourite lockdown sort of cooking where I can can make the best use of what I have to hand.We have been cooking for our son who was forced back form university when lockdown struck and so we have had to be inventive with the meals .Lockdown has not only made an impact on our food but also on our finances as well so I have to be inventive where I can and I hope in helping ourselves then this little old blog post can perhaps help someone else.But I don’t want to have to long a backstory that leaves you reaching for a pot noodle instead.






Ingredients

Sliced Onions

Sliced Peppers

Green Beans

Onion Gravy powder



Method

Start off add some water in to a pan heat up and then add the onions , sliced peppers ,green beans and onion gravy powder.


Keep cooking until the onions are really soft


Then add the chickpeas and continue to heat through for little longer

Then you’re ready to serve with whatever dish you like from steak to adding into a Chinese .