Cooking for Spring

Gentle cleansing meals with wholefoods

Saturday 24th March

Spring is the ideal time to give our bodies a bit of a spring clean, as the season changes and we don't feel compelled to eat heavy meals. In this workshop we will look at how we can give our bodies a natural cleanse without fasting and without ending up with the seesaw effect. We will discuss a range of methods for cleansing our bodies naturally. Then we will prepare a seasonal meal that supports gentle cleansing....dessert included.

10am - 2.30pm. Cost £35

Venue is my kitchen in Spexhall; this will be a small group (max. 6)

Phone me on 01986 780939 if you would like to book, or if you have any queries. Advance booking is essential.

I look froward to welcoming you!

Cooking Workshop, January

OK, I know it's Feb, but the cooking day that we did in January is still worth a mention!  Five of us had a great morning in the kitchen (pictured), discussing and preparing a fantastic meal.  It was a meal heavy on sea vegetables, which we cooked in many different ways, even in a dairy-free tofu cheesecake dessert which proved so popular that there was none left over.

We began with a fresh, live miso soup. Then onto an aduki bean stew, enriched with shiitake mushrooms and flavoured with rosemary, a little garlic, olive oil and  brown rice miso. We sat together to prepare rice balls encased in nori (that's the sea vegetable that is used in sushi). Early on, we had pressed a salad of cabbage with red radishes, and carrots were simmered with kombu then dressed with a touch of tamari. It was fun and feedback was positive: "loved it and looking forward to taking another!" was one comment.

Beetroot Dip

I served a beetroot dip at a recent talk at The Harmony Centre.  The dip went down well with everyone.  It's such a simple yet cracking dish that I've put the recipe on my Recipes page (right).

Change of date for cooking class

I have to change my forthcoming cooking class date from 14th January to the following Saturday, the 21st January. This class will be about warming winter foods, giving you some inspiring tips on how to include sea vegetables into your diet.  These are particularly important at this time of year, supporting kidney and bladder energies, as well as supplying our bodies with a wealth of minerals.  We'll be using miso, rich in enzymes, and winter-wonder aduki beans. We will also create a dish using barley, a great locally produced winter grain. Dessert may be tofu-based and definitely will be dairy- and sugar-free.

Cooking in the healing kitchen

More details about my forthcoming cooking class this Saturday (19th November) at my kitchen in Spexhall.
This half-day event will focus on proteins of vegetable origin. We'll look first at the role protein plays in our diet and how much we need. Then on to tofu, tempeh and miso, soya products that have been fermented to render them more easily digestible. We'll look at how we can combine flavours and use different cooking methods to create tasty dishes; how we can cook beans a avoid the gas!; balancing our meal, which we will cook together. We will round off our lunch with a tasty sugar- and dairy-free dessert.
Although the food will not necessarily be oriental, we will be following the oriental principles of yin and yang and the five elements, and it could be termed macrobiotic, but don't let that put you off!  For some inspiration, if you didn't see Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall last Sunday (6th Nov), click on this link to see him helping to cook an oriental meal http://www.channel4.com/programmes/river-cottage/4od#3253182 (it's after the first advert break). You may also spot him and his fisher friends making sushi....we'll be doing this during a class next year

Free evening talk

A reminder of an evening with me at The Harmony Centre this Thursday (17th November). I'll be talking about vegetables and other foods and how working with their colours and their seasonality can help to support your health and well-being.  For example, according to oriental medicine, lung and large intestine energies are associated with autumn and also with the colour of white (metal energy). Choosing white and light coloured foods such as onions, leeks, garlic, can help support lung and large intestine energies and are also particularly helpful at this time of year. We may also touch a little on yin and yang and how to use these energies to create a balanced meal.
Start time 7.30pm, finishing by 9.30pm. This event is free (donations for beverages etc appreciated)

Body & Soul Nurture Day

Our Body & Soul Nurture Day at the beginning of this year was so successful that Alice and I have organised another one. The date will be Friday 4th November and, as the venue worked well, we will be convening at the Phoenix Centre in Dunwich again.
The day will run on similar lines as before, beginning with warm-up stretches and movement.  Then we will get together in the kitchen to create a healthy and satisfying lunch, dessert included. In the afternoon we will give each other an exchange treatment, possibly foot Reflexology under the guidance of Alice, or hand massage with me. There will also be time for a guided meditation.  The day is suitable for all. Contact me for more details.
See old blog posts for photos of January's day.

Apple & Blackberry Temptation

Apples and blackberries are a divine seasonal combo, and prolific in hedgerows and gardens, even neglected sites in towns and cities. They're ready right now. Make the most of local abundance while it lasts.

I'm lucky to have an apple tree in my garden and blackberries in the hedgerows down the lane...as this pic shows.....

The topping I've created provides an irresistible twist, yet this remains free from gluten, wheat and dairy.

Go to my Recipes page (right) for the recipe.

 

Cooking classes

Yes, I am beginning a new series of cooking classes in my new kitchen in Spexhall, up in remote north Suffolk. My kitchen is looking great and I can't wait to welcome you in to share some fun and get cooking healthy, nourishing meals.

Some of the ingredients for these cooking classes will come straight from our garden out the back.

Check out my Cooking Workshops page (right) for more details, topics and dates.

If you you're travelling from a distance, there are lots of great places to stay nearby.  Ask me and I'll reveal details of suitable boltholes, B&Bs from the divinely eccentric to the functional and practical.......
And remember, we're only 9 miles from Southwold with its unique pier, sandy beach and year-round appeal.

Shiatsu Stretch Classes

A new series of my Shiatsu Stretch exercise and relaxation classes begins on Thursday 15th September. Those of you who have been to my classes before are welcome to join the 10am class.
For newcomers, there is a Taster Class at 11.30am on Thursday 15th September. Check out the Shiatsu Stretch Classes page (see right hand side panel) or contact me for more details.

Another Fundraiser for Japan

Thank you all for coming to the Shiatsu taster sessions last week.  We raised a great total of £118 for Rose Charities.
This event was so successful that I have organised another morning of Shiatsu Massage taster sessions at Halesworth Library on Friday 13th May.  If you would like to try this for the first time, or already know how much you would enjoy a short neck and shoulders Shiatsu massage, drop in to enjoy a 10 to 15 minute session upstairs at the Library.  I'll be there between 10.30am and 12.30pm.  I hope that you will make a donation to go to Rose Charities (www.rosecharities.org.uk)
Click here to find out more at Shiatsu.

Shiatsu Sessions - Fundraising for Japan

Along with  many other Shiatsu practitioners around the country, next week I will be offering an afternoon of taster sessions at The Harmony Centre with all donations to go to the work of Rose Charities in Japan www.rosecharities.org.uk.
If you would like a taster session of Shiatsu or even a half hour or full Shiatsu treatment, book in between 2pm and 7pm on Thursday 21st April. Phone reception on 01986 784500 to book your slot.  Suggested donations for 15 minute taster is £5 to £15. Book a half hour back, neck and shoulders treatment for £23 or a full hour for £40.