Why We Love... Kasabian

We've talked plenty in recent weeks, on and off-line, about our Leicester pride. Our home city has been buzzing since the football win and celebrations continue this weekend with a couple of hastily organised gigs at the LCFC stadium, headlined by locals Kasabian.

Tonight's gig is a big deal for the band. Yes, they've done Glastonbury - but this is the first time they'll be performing at the home of the club they've supported all their lives. No jumping on the bandwagon here.

I think it's fair to say we're both big fans. I've seen them perform live a fair few times now, three (soon four!) dancing alongside Elle.

Most recently we were lucky to see their surprise set at the Premier League victory parade (see video below), where we full-on sprinted across Victoria Park towards the stage as the band launched unannounced into their first song.

But it also includes that one time we pretty much on a whim - after watching them headline their own festival five minutes from my house - bought tickets to see them in Amsterdam. It turned out we weren't the only LE-postcoders who'd made the journey.

So why do we love them? Well, as I'm now getting a bit too excited to write in full paragraphs, here's a short list...

• Their music is great and very much "them" - it's instantly recognisable and instantly makes me feel upbeat and want to jump around the room
• Despite this, I can't honestly claim the band are on my "most-listened-to" list - BUT they are in my "most-seen-live" list, because they just put on such a brilliant show. I will always see Kasabian, Elbow and Laura Marling on tour.
• In fact, one of these instances probably tops my "best-gigs-ever" list, when I saw them in a hollowed out Boeing 747 - I genuinely had fears for the strength of the plane floor!
• They love Leicester as much as we do - they could've moved anywhere in the world, yet it's not uncommon to bump into any one of them in the street. Lead-singer Tom once literally ran into me at my local Sainsburys
• Not only this, but they share the local accent with the rest of the world - we will both be pulling onour Serge inspired Les-tah tshirts tonight (okay, I'm already wearing it)
• Finally - their track Fire is the best accompaniment I can ever imagine to the end credits to one of my favourite documentary films - TT3D: Closer to the Edge (don't be put off by the motorbikes if you Google it - you don't need to be a fan, I'm not)

If you're going, have an amazing time and let us know how you find it - if we don't see you there!

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Recipe: Granola

So, it's Friday again and suddenly next week sees the arrival of June. Six months into the year and I just can't believe how quickly the weeks have flown by! This is down to being busy, I know. As I type I have a wedding cake in the oven, macarons cooling in the kitchen and a weekend of baking ahead. Being busy is great, especially when working on some very exciting projects with brilliant people (watch this space...) but at the same time I can't help but worry about all the things I've forgotten to do, all the boring chores of daily life that get swept aside whilst I get carried away with the fun stuff.

This has got me thinking about time-saving and morning routines. I'm really not a morning person and It's something I need to get better at. There are a few things I can't go without in the morning to give you an idea, here's how my mornings go down, ideally.

• 6.30 - press snooze on the alarm several times, eventually wake up, brush teeth and drink a pint of water, try and avoid looking at social media on phone at all costs
• 7.00 - 20 minutes to half an hour of yoga, depending on how I'm feeling, and on weekends depending on whether I've been to the pub the night before!
• 7.30 - hit the shower
• 8.00 - a strong cup of earl grey tea
• 8.30 - a swift breakfast before heading to work, either at home or with a client
• 9.00 - coffee, strong coffee. 

Those first few hours are important I think to set me up for the day, although sometimes I have to start work at 6am which means step 2, 3 & occasionally 4 (depending on how many times I've hit snooze) are usually bypassed.

Skipping breakfast is bad right? 

So here's my solution. I always keep a batch of granola on the go. It's a fairly forgiving recipe is open to a variety of modifications to keep it interesting, feel free to experiment with different fruits, nuts and even swap the maple syrup for honey or coconut sugar. It would be rude not to touch on this recipes virtuous qualities, naturally sweetened, wholegrain and with the addition of gluten free oats could be made NGCI also. I find spending half an hour on a Sunday making granola makes a remarkable difference to my working week time-wise and I'm much less likely to skip breakfast!

You will need:

• 100ml coconut oil
• 100ml maple syrup
• 50g nut butter, such as peanut or almond
• 50g dried dates
• 150g rolled oats
• 50g nuts, almond, pecan, brazil nut, whatever you fancy
• 50g mixed seeds

Pre-heat oven to 145°C (fan). Place the coconut oil, maple syrup, nut butter and dates in a saucepan and melt together over a gentle heat, the dates will soak up some of the oil and syrup to make them extra chewy and gooey. Once melted, stir in the oats, nuts and seeds until evenly coated. Spread the mixture onto a baking tray lined with parchment and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown. Store in an airtight container for up to a couple of weeks. Combine with yoghurt and fruit in the morning for a swift healthy breakfast, even at 5.30 in the morning!

If you have any time-saving tips for early mornings or any swift recipes then do give us a shout in the comments...

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Weekend Review: Richard III

Before football success sparked the interest of the world's media, Leicester was put on the map by the discovery of Richard III in a car park. Since being thrown (or should that be 'throne' - bad pun) into the spotlight, @richard_third has impressively adapted to 21st century living - picking up thousands of Twitter followers. And now he's our Weekend Reviewer... 

Where do you call home?

Plot 1A (just to the left of the prayer book shelves)
Chapel of Christ the King
Leicester Cathedral
Peacock Lane
Leicester

What do you do for work?

I was the King of England until someone rudely stole my horse. I've recently changed careers to work in tourism. It's proving successful, though my employers are reluctant to share their new found financial gains with me...

What's been your proudest Twitter moment so far?

My work can be found in the New York Times, The Melbourne Age, the BBC News website, The Sunday Times, and I'm followed by Colette Mann, star of well know Australian television soap, Neighbours.

And your biggest achievement outside of work?

It was me and me alone who kick-started the decision to move to Leicester. I set the trend. And now everyone will follow me!

When is your weekend?

Ah, I never really get a weekend off, living in a cathedral means God's house is always open. And sleep on a Saturday night can be a problem due to party-goers and my city centre location. Sunday mornings are quite nice though, I get to hear evensong every Sunday evening.

How did you spend the last weekend?

Well, being buried in a 21st century designed tomb means I'm unable to leave to see much these days. BUT, it was designed with all mod cons, and this I have fibre optic broadband... so I can watch LCFC from the comfort of my bed. And I get a lot of emails from young history undergraduates, trying to get me to write their essays for them.

How typical was it for you?

Sadly the days are a little predictable when entombed. Now I'm formally buried I'm applying for training at Spook School, in the hope of surprisingly a few people...

Your ideal Sunday menu...

Breakfast: I don't need to eat so much these days. But I can smell Maryland Chicken from where I lie. I won't lie to you, it smells fantastic.

Lunch: See previous answer.

Dinner: See previous but one answer.

QUICK FIRE: name your absolute favourite...

Book: Professor Pollard's 'Richard III and the Princes in the Tower' appears to detail my innocence in the entire affairs. And so it's my current favourite.

Film: Richard III of course - any version!

Album: It's a single rather than an album, but Richard III by Supergrass.

Sport: Football! Leicester City til I die of course. Oh... erm... anyhow... I inspire them it seems. I take full credit for the league success.

Museum: My own of course! The fabulous newly opened Richard III Visitor Centre in Leicester. See me as an inspiration for a storm trooper, and visit my previous home under space D19 of a car park!

Member of the royal family: They are not the royal family, they are imposters. I was kicked off my own throne you know. So ME (well, I am the king).

What would you swap your kingdom for these days?

Hmm, good question...

How can people follow what you do and get in contact?

I'm available for visits during Leicester Catheral opening hours, and I'm on Twitter! Messages of love and offers of marriage can be sent to me at @richard_third

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Brunch Club: The Coach, Marlow

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of visiting Marlow for a long anticipated trip to The Hand and Flowers -  Tom Kerridge's two Michelin stared restaurant. It was incredible. But this is a post about brunch, so I'll tell you no more than that, only to say go there, go there now!

Little known to us Tom Kerridge has two restaurants in Marlow, the lesser known is The Coach, an intimate little pub in the heart of the town. It has the same approach as the hand in flowers in that its a relaxed, cozy affair with an emphasis on delivering bloody good food. 

The evening menu offers British tapas style dining with a choice of meat, no meat and sweet. We gazed upon the evening menu and a few of the dishes that caught our eye were Rotisserie of the day, chicken kiev with cauliflower cheese and smoked haddock and black pudding scotch egg. 

The Coach operates on a first come first served basis, there is no booking system and with just 40 covers it's pretty small. So as you can imagine, it gets quite busy. Fortunately we were visiting on a Friday morning and were lucky enough to get a table. Brunch was the order of the day...

Carlton (the man in my life) opted for muesli followed by a bacon sarnie. I opted for eggs Benedict (always my brunch dish of choice, always.) but needless to say, it was a little bit more special than that. The muesli is of course handmade, the bacon is honey glazed and the hollandaise for the eggs Benni is made to order.

So, enough of my ramblings, have a look for yourself and I bet your mouth will be watering by the time you've scrolled to the bottom of the page...

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Create: Herb Planter

Right off the bat I'd like to explain that my gardening skills are pretty dismal. I have visions of my garden filled with beautiful colours and texture, and perhaps a homegrown vegetable plot thrown into the mix. The reality is that my garden is a slug ridden, insect infested mess.

The grass is unruly, the flowers are nibbled to stumps by aforementioned slugs and the garden fence is half painted and falling down. I gave up on the vegetable growing about two years ago, I'm just not patient enough and after checking on my newly planted seeds every day for a week, to find nothing is happening, I then forget all about them completely. The result is hundreds of overgrown marrows, mouldy tomatoes and a big mulchy mess that has to be cleaned up, so i've stopped bothering.

Herbs however are a different matter. I love them because they can pretty much be left to their own devices and they are useful to have on hand for use in the kitchen. I believe every home should have a small herb garden or planter filled with herbs ready to be picked, chopped and thrown into whatever is cooking.

This particular planter was a birthday gift for Becca a few weeks ago, back when the sun was shining. Truffle (the cat) is always up for a bit of gardening so was on hand to oversee proceedings. We spent a lovely afternoon creating a little planter, it's pretty straightforward to make. 

You will Need:

• 1 large planter
• Sandpaper
• Masking tape
• Paintbrushes- large to use for covering and small for any areas of detail
• Paint- I used emulsion paint in cream and gold poster paint
• Compost
• Herbs - I opted for rosemary, lemon thyme and Morrocan Mint

Ensure the terracotta pot is nice and clean. Gently sand down the surfaces to be painted, this will help the paint to stick. Wash the pot and allow to dry completely before painting.

Carefully mask of any areas where you want to keep the terracotta colour. Apply paint to pot, this may take a few coats to get an even and streak free covering, allow the paint to dry completely between applications. For the gold accents I decided to go freehand as it blends nicely with the terracotta, for a neater finish I would recommend masking off areas for accuracy, be careful not to lift off any paint if masking over areas that are already painted, remove the tape slowly and cautiously. 

Fill the planter about halfway with compost, place the herbs into the planter and top up any remaining holes and spaces with more compost. After a good watering the planter is ready for display. Outside the kitchen door is the best place, so it's within grabbing distance.

The planter is no longer in my care, which is probably for the best. 

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Helen Rhodes at the Refectory Table

Once upon a time in another life I spent my days immersed in art, craft, drawing, printing and any general craftiness going. I'm a maker at heart so anything that I can get hands on immersed in works for me, and that's probably why I became a baker. Whilst that's a story for another day, It's not often I get the opportunity these days to put paintbrush to paper and throw myself head first and guilt free into creating some serious artwork. 

That was until a few week ago when I spent the day at The Refectory Table with Helen Rhodes. 

I've been hanging out at the refectory table quite a bit of late, combined with the sudden freedom that comes from working freelance i've been on the lookout for creative workshops and opened myself to the opportunity to catch up with some amazing creative people, and it's been fantastic. 

The refectory table, created and led by Janet Currie, is an all round inspiring place to be. Janet is a specialist in the arts sector who collates and collaborates with likeminded creatives, artists and makers to deliver creative artist led workshops, creative business courses and a whole host of other inspiring events.

The refectory table is quite different from other creative business workshops, its personal, intimate, relaxed and engaging. Rather than being business, business, business, theirs is a more thoughtful approach, and the focus is very much on creativity. There is passion and experience in their guidance and teachings that delivers a further level of authenticity, which I feel is quite rare and quite special. 

Janet's home is a warm and inspiring place. From the refectory table & the garden to Janet's amazing hospitality,  beautiful food and delicious cakes, most honourable mention to the divine chocolate cake!

Helen is an award winning artist who moved to Leicestershire to study Textiles at Loughborough College of Art and Design. Helen has a distinctive style, intricately combining naive compositions and visual narratives with layered textures, rich colours and detail. Local talent with an international reputation, Helen has translated her work into greetings cards, ceramics and textiles too. 

It was here that we were to learn just a few of Helen's secrets... 

Plants and Pattern

To set the scene, we arrive to a table laden with paintbrushes, paint, paper, pencils, 

There are four of us, all from different counties, yet bizarrely two of the attendees were at school together, and two of us are bakers, which makes for a most formidable group.

Helen talked us through her process, by first drawing inspiration from nature and the outdoors Helen takes simple everyday patterns and imagery and builds them into extraordinary works of art. 

Helen has a wonderfully gentle style of teaching, offering support and advice when needed whilst encouraging us to unleash our creativity and go with the flow. Through layering paint, paper treatment and building a colour palette, the beginnings of some rather exciting work starts to take shape around the table. We spent some time sketching in Janet's inspiring garden which is filled with colour and texture, you can almost feel the earth quiver and shake as the garden wakes to reveal new life in the throws of spring. 

At around lunchtime, through paper scrunching and ripping, mono printing and intricate work with paintbrushes, works of art are starting to come to life around the Refectory Table. We down tools for delicious refreshments of crushed carrot with harissa, pistachio and pitta bread, beetroot salad with sunflower seeds and green beens with tahini dressing and walnuts. All rounded off with an orange & lime ice cream, rhubarb compote and melt in the mouth all butter shortbread baked by Helen.

At around mid afternoon Helen produces something quite special and gives us a sneak peek into one of her sketchbooks, the most delightful illustrations leap from the page, intricate pattern and mark making abound.

The excitement continues as the Gold paint is unleashed and we begin to put final touches to our paintings, whilst sampling a few slices of Janet's amazing chocolate cake.

At the end of the day, when we reluctantly put down our paintbrushes and bid farewell to the refectory table that has been most accommodating, none of us really want the workshop to end. To ease the pain of having to tear ourselves away, Janet sends each of us home with a goodie bag filled to the brim with treats and delights. Postcards and a pocket mirror designed by Helen, liquorice pipes & Homemade Rhubarb compote. We also have our prints and lovely memories of a day spent with good company, good food and creativity.

Helen's workshops are exclusively available via the Refectory Table, there are two more workshops this year, as follows:

• Saturday 9th July - Plants and Pattern - This is the course I attended, exploring plants and pattern inspired by local gardens and learning the secrets to Helen's techniques. 
•  24th September - Flowers and Vessels - focusing on decorative still life using a favourite vessel filled with flowers from Janet's garden. 
• 12th November - A Winter's Tale - a workshop to create a wintery scene with decorative boarders, complete with warm cosy wintery food and drink.

You can book your place here.

In the week preceding Helen's workshop I attended a coaching course led by Janet's partner Pete Mosely Author and Creative Business Coach. Pete's course was based upon his book 'The Art of Shouting Quietly' I cannot recommend Pete's book and his course highly enough! 

Janet will be opening her garden on the 11th and 12th June for the NGS open gardens and secret craft fair. The event brings art and gardens together and will feature a whole host of artists, modern crafts, tea, cake and creative delights. You can read about all the exciting things Janet has in store for the event and a full lineup of who will be attending over on Janet's Blog, The Secateur.

We'll see you there!

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