Buttercups & Unicorns

Where to stay: We stayed at the Stonecross Manor Hotel. We booked last minute and bagged a room for £110 a night including breakfast. The breakfast was delicious and included a Full English, cereals and fruits. We also had an evening meal there too. I had the Pork Stack which included a black pudding mash that was delicious! There were also Spa facilities on site which we didn't use but which were available to guests. 

The ye olde world streets are pretty to walk along. There are lots of hidden alleyways - I love the art work in this one!

I love this signpost! 

There were plenty of places to eat in the town centre. We stopped off at the Booths Cafe for afternoon tea which was delicious and very reasonable too at £20 for two people. This included a selection of sandwiches (salmon, cream cheese, coronation chicken), a scone each with clotted cream and jam and also a selection of cakes. We were so full we had to take some home with us!

Winter is coming - the pinch of autumn is in the air and the shops are full of not so subtle hints that Christmas is just around the corner. If you are looking for a yummy hot dessert to see you through the cold nights then this quick Apple Strudel recipe is perfect for you. The shop bought puff pastry means this dessert can be made in only half and hour. 

Ingredients

5 Apples 

10 dates or a handful of sultanas 

A handful of chopped nuts (I used walnuts but pecans would be just as yummy!)

Brown Muscavado Sugar 75g

The juice and zest of 1 lemon 

2 tsp of cornflour 

2 tsp cinnamon 

Puff Pastry (1 sheet of pre-made)

1 beaten egg and 1 further tbsp of brown muscavado sugar to finish 

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C (lower is fan assisted)

2. Peel the apples and cut into 1cm cubes. Chop the dates and nuts into small chunks. 

3. Pop the following ingredients into your mixing bowl and stir;  apples, nuts, sugar, lemon juice and zest, corn flour, cinnamon 

4. Your puff pastry should already but a perfect size for your strudel. Place on a piece of greased proof paper and sit on a baking tray 

5. When it comes to gulling your strudel, simply spoon the mix down the centre of the pasty sheet - just make sure it isn't too close to the far edges!

6. Here comes the part which will make you look like a pro baker! Slice the pastry either side of the mix into inch long strips. Cross the strips alternately over the mix in the centre - these strips should overlap and give the appearance of a plait. 

7. Finally - brush you strudel with a beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar. Place in the oven until golden brown (roughly 30 minutes)

Using the milling blade on your blender - blend down down walnuts so they are chopped into a rough powdered consistency 

Dip each of the apple slices into the peanut butter so that they are half covered and then dip into the chopped nut mix

Ingredients

1 Banana 

1 Cup of Curly Kale (or spinach if you prefer)

1 Cup of Frozen Fruits

1 Cup of Almond Milk (I used Unsweetened Almond Milk from Aldi)

1 Tbsp of a nut butter (Peanut Butter in this case - but you could try almond butter or cashew butter - these can be a little bit more on the pricey side!)

1 Tbsp of Milled Linseed (for plenty of fibre!)

Chia Seeds to finish (I got mine from Tesco for £1)

Here is the finished product - I topped my smoothie bowl with chia seeds but other toppings you could consider are:

Desiccated Coconut

Raspberries 

Kiwi Slices

Bananas 

Chopped nuts e.g. almonds, walnuts

Golgi Berries