Tuesday 30 November 2010

Sugarcrafting Workshop

Last week, on Thursday, Ruth Hawes ran a sugarcrafting workshop at the cafe. It was an evenign full of focus, concentration and careful driving on the way home. Despite the steady 70mph on the motorway and the careful cornering my snowman lost his nose. Jan's seagull (although she insists it is a penguin) lost something too but i can't remember what. Tip of the day was a piece of uncooked spaghetti poked through the body is perfect for keeping on the heads. Please bear this in mind if you are tempted to nibble on sugarcraft mpodels through the Chrismas season. If you want any tips or advice on what we learnt, please don't hesitate to ask.
All the resources

Carole and Jan making snowmen

Jan's Christmas seagull and her snowman

Joey's scary penguin

Busy Sandy


My Snowman


Monday 29 November 2010

Printing Workshop

Another fabulous printing workshop at the Cafe this morning. This week the group had a ball marbling as you can see from the photos below. Sarah Hewlett is offering 10 minute taster session of either refexology and acupressure so Tracey popped out to enjoy a bit of that. The whole group went home with blue fingers so if you see someone around and think they have particularly cold appendages, give them no sympathy - it's our mucky pups!




Wednesday 24 November 2010

Up and Coming Events at Cafe Sustain

Wednesday, 24 November
Feldenkrais Workshop - Force of Habit Part 2
Thursday, 25 November
 25% off everything SALE at Cafe Sustain
Christmas Sugar Crafting Workshop - Evening
Monday, 29 November
 Free 10 Minute Tasters - Reflexology & Acupressure 9:30am-2:30pm

Come along and have a chat with Sarah Hewlett and found out how reflexology and acupressure may help you.
 Tuesday, 30 November

 Free 10 Minute Tasters - Reflexology & Acupressure 3pm-5:30pm
Come along and have a chat with Sarah Hewlett and found out how reflexology and acupressure may help you.
Wednesday, 1 December

 Feldenkrais Workshop - Force of Habit Part 2
Thursday, 2 December
 Pottery Painting - Handprints & Footprints 10am onwards
Drop in session with Katy Foster. Pop by with your little one to create a really special Christmas present for someone special. For more details phone 01884 831300 and ask for the cafe.
Tuesday, 7 December

 UPSTREAM's Christmas Crafting drop-in (All welcome) 2-4pm
Wednesday, 8 December
 Pottery Painting - Handprints and Footprints 10am onwards
Drop in session with Katy Foster. Pop by with your little one to create a really special Christmas present for someone special. For more details phone 01884 831300 and ask for the cafe.
Thursday, 9 December

 Make your own willow star decoration - Drop In Session 10am-12noon
Willow Artist, Barbara Clift, will hold a drop in session at the cafe to make willow star decorations for Christmas. Everybody welcome. 
 We also have our christmas hamper raffle and christmas pudding raffle too.

Monday 22 November 2010

Printing Workshop

This morning we had a fabulous printing workshop with Lisa Purchase. Lisa was starting a new project on stencilling.We had new members today which was lovely for all of us. 

A busy and creative printing workshop

Tracey and family getting stuck in


Charlie's tank inspired art

Sunday 21 November 2010

THE BIG HAT SALE starts on Monday!

THE BIG HAT SALE starts on Monday 22nd November at 9am. So come and grab your favourite before someone else does! We are selling all the wonderful hand-knitted hats knitted for our 'Knit a Hat' competition. All funds raised go to Children's Hospice South West.

Wednesday 17 November 2010

Living Medicine - Alex Laird's Workshop

Medicinal Foods for Energy and Weight Loss Handout
Addes 24th November 2010...
This is my Greek Salad inspired Alex meal. 

It is a mixture of grains cooked as before, roast vegetables, fresh tomatoes and feta in a warm oregano, cider vinegar and olive oil  dressing.


Added 22nd November 2010...Ok Lottie and I have a new favourite Alex adapted recipe...
Now this might not look amazing but in the photo but this was the yummiest supper we've had in ages. So good it required a high-five between the chefs. It is our grainy mixure a la Alex, grilled mushroom with rosemary and butter, and Pipers Farm steak in homemade sticky sauce (3tbsp sunflower oil, 2tbsp soya sauce, 1tbsp Dijon mustard and 2 tbsp honey). Bit of a treat but so so good. We both had our special breakfast (see below) and Lottie was sure she wasn't as hungry when lunchtime arrived and thought it would be a good idea if she had some of the oatmeal mix after school sprinkled on her chocolate cake. I suggested it might be better in yoghurt and she agreed.

Added 21st Novemeber 2010...Well Alex has caused quite a stir with her workshops. I bumped into one course attendee on the way back from buying my ingredients and she had put what she learnt into practice with her whole family, I know Emma is trying things out because I see her progress on Facebook, Andi has written comments below and so it must have had a positive impact on her and I am well and truely on the way to eating better. What we are all amazed by is that a short session with Alex who taught us three simple recipes could have such an impact so quickly. I have found a breakfast that not only to I really enjoy but it is fun to make and it's doing me good. I have frozen raspberries in the freezer and I warm them in the microwave, spoon on organic plain yoghurt and then put 4 spoonfuls of my 'Alex mix' on the top. I don't have those mid-morning sugar cravings any more.




The salad and grain recipe are so simple and easily adaptable. I have put all my grains and pulses into jars so I pick and mix which makes it good fun and when Lottie (my little one) and I make dinner tonight it will be fun for her too as she can do the choosing. The grains are put into a pan with sliced root ginger, herbs (I love rosemary), garlic (unpealed), peppercorns and water and boiled gently until cooked. Then you use that as your staple. On Friday I mixed mine with tinned mackeral, Alex's beetroot salad, rocket and covered in dressing as an emergency supper after a long drive then yesterday I had it with sausages, sweet chilli sauce and left over roast vegetables. Tonight we are going to have it with thai curry paste and yoghurt. I am not sure what Alex would make of the mixing and additions but I will await her feedback.


I wasn't so keen on the seaweed and I have a lothing of bananas but I think that's ok. The point is that I am now eating fabulous things that make me feel so much better, they taste better than what I was eating before and they are wonderfully cheap to buy! The other bonus is that I have a store cupboard of things now to make a delicious instant supper with. I am always late home to an empty fridge but now I can always knock something up. Clever Alex and smug Joey. If this isn't very well explained and you would like to know more, email me. We can cook together at the cafe and I can do my best to show you what Alex showed us at her workshop. Or go to http://www.livingmedicine.org/ click on 'news and events' and then go to 'Foods for Energy and Weight Loss' and look at the notes.


This afternoon and tonight's course were excellent and I will tell you all about it at the weekend as it is too late in the evening to make any real sense and I am of to a conference for the next two days but I have put a link to the handout above and photos below.














Tuesday 16 November 2010

Tell us your favourite soups

Dear Blog Readers,

Please comment below and let me know your favourite soups.We are doing a bit of market research.

Thank you,

Joey

Herb of the Month

This month's Herb of the Month is Rosehip. Please take a moment to read Helen's Living Medicine board in the entrance of the Culm Valley Integrated Centre for Health. Also take a moment to find out how the cafe team are using the herb of the month in the cafe.
The Herb  of the Month board at the
Culm Valley Integrated Centre for Health

Monday 15 November 2010

How to make an Origami Star Pot...

Lisa Purchase, who runs our Monday printing workshops shows us how to make an origami pot.

Wednesday's Course

We still have a couple of place left for Wednesday's course in the evening. The daytime one is full.
Alex Laird, Living Medicine, has kindly agreed to come down from London to run two sessions at the cafe.

Friday 12 November 2010

The Devon Life Food & Drink Awards

I was lucky enough to be invited to the Devon Life Food & Drink Awards. Not because we were up for an award (!) but because I have a good friend who was. It was a fantastic celebration of all that is foody in Devon. Someone from outside the county stood up to give his speech and asked if we knew how the rest of the country viewed us. We laughed. But he genuinely meant that we are lucky to be in this part of the world with a wealth of locally grown/produced/foraged food that is fabulous. We love and support our local growers and producers and they support us :) Luscombe Organic Drinks, Maddocks Farm Organics, Pipers Farm and Hawkridge Dairy

The Cafe's Knit and Natter Group

 The wonderful Knit and Natter Group had thirteen last week. Unlucky for some but not for the lucky recipients of their creations.
Jacquie knits the most amazing tea cosies. She doesn't use patterns!


These are Jacquie's fabulous mice



 The latest competition is Jan's 'Knit a Hat' competition:
This competition is open to everyone.
The competition is in aid of Children’s Hospice South West.
All hats need to be handed in at Café Sustain by Friday 19th November 2010.
We are asking all hats to be donated so they can be sold in aid of Children’s Hospice South West
Please safety pin a piece of paper inside the hat with your name and contact number as well as washing instructions for the buyer.
Hats will be put on display in the waiting room prior to selling.
The winner will be picked by Dr Matthews and the prize is a goody bag full of knitting things.
Thank you for your support. The more hats we receive the more money we can raise so please spread the word.
The closing date is 19th November 2010

Wednesday 10 November 2010

Plants to Combat Coughs, Colds and Sneezes

Helen Kearney, Living Medicine, ran a fantastic session at the cafe on Wednesday night. The course tonight was excellent. I have lots to tell you about it but will do so tomorrow. Tonight I have a new blend of tea to drink, onion syrup to try and a mustard food bath to get my feet into!
This is Helen Kearney

Making Onion Syrup (for productive coughs) by layering onions, garlic and sugar.

Leave overnight and strain the syrup into a clean jar. Store in the fridge. 



We made our own teas by mixing the herbs. Helen labelled each herb with its uses. I made a rose, calendula and lime tea.

Etoille tested Helen's thyme and licorice syrup and her wild cherry bark syrup.


Non Shaw's fabulous poster

Our choice of herbs for tea-making



This is take two of four! Tomorrow we will show you from start to finish how to make onion syrup...
 
Helen says:
"Here is a recipe for elderberry syrup

Pick elderberries that are ripe with no signs of mold ( September to late ish October).

Using a fork remove the elderberries from their stalks.

Place elderberries in a large saucepan and just cover with water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15-20mins.

Strain the berries through a muslin cloth, squeezing out all the juice.

Add 400g of white sugar to 600ml of juice and half the juice of a lemon.

Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes.

Pour in to hot, sterilized bottles and screw on well fitting lids.( I use passata jars, they work well as the liquid cools it contracts and forms a vacuum seal with the lid)

Un opened the syrup will keep for months. Store in the fridge when opened. Use the syrup with hot water and maybe lemon, ginger added as a winter warmer and to combat colds and flus/help relieve symptoms.

The onions from the onion syrup I added to some stewed red cabbage that I made last night and it was very good!

Two shops where you can buy loose herbs (much cheeper than supermarkets) to make teas and use in cooking are Seasons on Wells street in Exeter and Reapers in Tiverton."