Spudman

It’s been a while since I last wrote a foodie blog, so I thought I’d write about my experience of TikTok sensation Spudman! Spudman, aka Ben Newman, has been serving jacket potatoes for over 20 years in Tamworth but recently he has taken the internet by storm with videos of serving customers, giving away freebies and trips to Bookers to buy everything he needs. I had seen Spudman in Tamworth before but I hadn’t thought to try one of his jacket potatoes. His recent success online made me curious to see what all the hype is about.

It was towards the end of January when I started seeing Spudman appear on my Facebook news feed, mostly videos of him giving away free jacket potatoes to unsuspecting customers. Over the past weeks the hype peaked with two hour long queues of people travelling from afar to try a jacket potato. There have been people travelling all the way from Canada and Malaysia! It seems I picked the right day and time to go; I went on Saturday and joined the queue just after 11am. I wouldn’t normally have lunch this early in the day, but I only queued for 10 minutes rather than a few hours!

Only a short queue

After much debate from looking at the menu, I decided to try Spudman’s homemade chilli con carne with cheese and crispy onions. I asked Spudman if it was spicy and he said it as mild, which I was glad about it as I don’t like chilli that’s too hot. It didn’t take long for the jacket potato to be prepared and I had a picture taken with Spudman.

I decided to eat my jacket potato in the castle grounds which was a short walk from Spudman’s van. When I unwrapped the foil and opened the box, the smell was heavenly – a concoction of melted butter and cheese with the comforting smell of the chilli. In his videos, Spudman demonstrates what he calls a cheese pull, where he uses a fork to scoop up some food with cheese with its stringy texture when it’s melted. I did the same in the photo below when I tried my first bite.

The chilli was delicious, especially with the melted cheese and crispy onions. The jacket potato was soft and fluffy and I saved the skin (my favourite part) until last. The portion size was definitely generous, especially for the price. It cost my £6 for the jacket potato with everything I had; there were no extra charges for the cheese and the crispy onions. I only knew about the crispy onions from watching Spudman’s videos.

Personally I wouldn’t have queued two hours, but it was a delicious lunch and I will definitely go back for another spud in the future. I’m not sure why the hype started, but Spudman’s popularity is definitely benefitting Tamworth as it’s a town which is run down and needs investment. I imagine local businesses are thrilled with the number of people visiting; there’s a traditional sweet shop a short walk from Spudman which has particularly been doing well. Food certainly has a way of encouraging people to travel from afar!

Happy reading and blogging!

Clare Bear 🙂 xx

Testing Times

Hello… it’s been a long time since I last posted on here (over eight months ago in fact!). The main reason for not posting is my dad’s health. In May last year, my dad had a fall and what my family and I thought was a pulled back quickly cascaded to an infection which wreaked havoc in his body. We were advised to prepare for the worst case scenario, which was a huge shock as my dad was fit and healthy before his fall.

It was terrifying to see my dad in intensive care. He was put into an induced coma early on in his illness and was heavily dependent on oxygen at one point. He had so many drips going into his body and he was on dialysis for some time when his kidneys were starting to fail. Despite feeling hopeless and bleak, and the odds given by the consultants, my dad made it! Throughout the ordeal he showed incredible strength and determination, making it through spine surgery without becoming paralysed and surviving open heart surgery. Even more incredible, my dad was only in hospital for three months! Considering what he had been through, he was declared fit for medical discharge in early August.

While my dad was in hospital, I was living and working in between my home in Tamworth and at my parent’s house in Leicester. I helped my mum and visited my dad as often as I could. I managed to squeeze in a holiday to Weymouth in early July, which was a much needed trip away. Weymouth is now one of my favourite seaside towns with lovely views and attractions; I’ve never felt sand so soft in my life.

One of my favourite views from Weymouth Bridge

Following the announcement of my dad’s discharge from hospital, I helped my mum to prepare the house. Specialist equipment was delivered and one of my mum’s friends lent a single bed for my dad to use in the lounge, as he was not mobile enough to get upstairs. We prepared the best we could for my dad’s return.

It was truly a remarkable moment when the ambulance dropped my dad back off at home. I initially restrained the dogs as I thought they would get over excited after not seeing my dad for three months, but they were incredibly calm. A care support package was in place to help my parents during the first few months, providing some informative and kind carers.

My dad’s recovery since he’s been home has been amazing. Considering what he had been through, my dad has been making great progress. He’s much more mobile now and can walk short distances without using an aid. He can also shower by himself (although he’s not been able to shower recently due to his wound on his spine opening up and getting infected, which has almost cleared now luckily with antibiotics). My dad was told by consultants that other patients who experienced what he did were not so lucky. I believe my dad’s fitness and active lifestyle helped him to survive. His determination to live would have also helped as he has thrived through illness in the past.

With my dad at Twickenham Stadium, London

Unfortunately 2023 was not a great year for my family and their close friends. There were other family members and friends who experienced illness as well, and sadly a few of them passed away after fighting the best they could. Just like 2020, 2023 was another year I was glad to see the back of. It was a harrowing reminder that you never know what is round the corner and how fragile life really is. However, it was also a year where I witnessed incredible strength, determination and kindness. I’m so fortunate to be surrounded by resilient individuals who have inspired me to remain strong through times where I felt hopeless.

Despite trying to start on a strong note for 2024, another major event has recently occurred and I feel so sorry for my parents, especially with that they went through in 2023. Their house flooded in the early hours of Wednesday morning following a very wet December and Storm Henk. The entire downstairs was submerged in about a foot of water which eventually cleared by early Wednesday afternoon. My parents and the dogs had to wait upstairs until the water cleared. Luckily my dad was able to get upstairs with being more mobile, as he has still been sleeping in the lounge following his discharge from hospital.

I popped round on Wednesday evening to help with a little bit of clearing up and I took the dogs back with me. They are living with me now for the foreseeable whilst my parents are living in a hotel down the road from their house. I think once an assessor has been around to assess the flood damage and propose timescales for remediation works, then my parents will decide how to proceed forward. They will either move into a property offered by the insurance company, or they will live with myself or friends. My dad’s car was also submerged by the flood water, so my parents have a hire car until they find out whether their car is repairable.

The aftermath from outside 😦

So as you can see, the majority of 2023 and the start of 2024 have been testing times for my family and I. I’ve been prioritising my time for other things, although writing this post has reminded me how therapeutic it can be for me to work on my blog. Some people asked me throughout 2023 if I was still blogging, which I honestly found difficult to answer. I’ve fell down the wayside with my fitness, I rarely write about feminism and I’ve not been so adventurous as a foodie as of late. Have I lost my feminist, fitness, foodie touch?

I may not be blogging as much as I used to, but I’d like to continue. I’ve written plenty of posts not related to feminism, fitness and food. One area I explored in recent years was mental health, which I definitely need to take care of following recent events. Everyone has different coping processes and writing down my thoughts and experiences serves as a therapeutic process for me.

As always, happy reading and blogging! I wish you all a healthy, safe and prosperous 2024.

Clare Bear xx

A Quiche fit for Royalty

It seems to be a tradition in the UK to commemorate the Royal Family’s special occasions with signature dishes. The coronation of the late Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 inspired Coronation Chicken, and her Platinum Jubilee was celebrated with a special pudding trifle, made with lemon swiss roll and amaretti biscuits. One of my colleagues did a fantastic job of making the trifle last year – it was an impressive pudding fit for a Queen.

The Royal Family recently announced a somewhat less extravagant dish to commemorate the coronation of Charles III, but it is appropriate for the current cost of living crisis. The dish, known as Coronation Quiche, was created by royal chef Mark Flanagan and chosen by Charles III and Camilla due to its versatility for coronation parties. The quiche can be served hot or cold, is easy to share and can be made with alternative ingredients to suit dietary requirements. The quiche is also fairly easy and not too costly to make.

I decided to have a go at making the Coronation Quiche, as I was curious to see what it would taste like. Interestingly, the quiche contains broad beans and tarragon. I couldn’t remember the last time I had eaten broad beans and I’ll admit, I hadn’t used tarragon in cooking before. There are various websites which have published the recipe but in my usual fashion, I consulted the BBC Good Food website.

However, not in my usual fashion, I used shop bought pastry! I usually make my own shortcrust pastry, as I’ve done various times to make recipes which I’ve shared on my blog, including broccoli and cheese quiche and mince pies. This time round, I thought I’d cheat. It did save a lot of time and it was much easier to put the pastry in the tin, and it was already rolled out to an ideal thickness.

The only amends I made to the recipe was using dried tarragon as I couldn’t find any fresh in the supermarket, and I used two large eggs rather than medium. This could be why the filling leaked over the pastry slightly after I blind baked the base.

Ready for the oven

The recipe states to cook the quiche for 20-30 minutes at gas mark 3. I checked after 20 minutes and the quiche wasn’t ready yet, so I let it cook for another 10 minutes. It still wasn’t ready after 30 minutes – in the end I think it took around 45 minutes until the filling was set and the top was golden brown.

Cooked quiche

Despite greasing the dish, the quiche was difficult to remove. I had bought a new and supposedly non stick dish, but some of the pastry had become stuck. I cut the quiche into slices to remove it from the pan, and was impressed with how each slice looked with the layers.

Slice of the action

The recipe states to sprinkle grated cheese on the blind baked base, followed by the broad beans and spinach and then the liquid mixture of eggs, double cream and milk, topped off with grated cheese. I liked the grated cheese on the base but I found the spinach a bit heavy in places. Next time I would probably mix all of the ingredients together and pour over the cheese base, to help distribute the ingredients in the filling a bit more, or I could use less spinach. I couldn’t really taste the tarragon either so I may need to use fresh next time, or add more dried tarragon.

Overall it’s a simple dish for a royal occasion, but one that can be enjoyed at upcoming street parties and served with salad and boiled potatoes, as suggested by Charles and Camilla.

Happy reading and blogging!

Clare Bear 🙂 xx

Sun, Sea and Serenity

I recently enjoyed a week away in Spain to see my parents, who have been away for three months with the dogs. They stayed in a lovely 1st floor apartment in a town called Lo Pagán in the Murcia region. The apartment offered stunning views of the Mar Menor, a lagoon which is enclosed by the long strip of mainland Spain known as La Manga, which you could see in the distance.

Stunning afternoon and morning view from the apartment

I spent many mornings and afternoons sitting on the balcony. I tried reading some of Kate Mosse’s book which I recently bought at her show, and even completing sudoku puzzles whilst on the balcony. To be honest, all I really did was watch the world go by and practiced mindfulness. It was relaxing sitting in the sun, gazing at the sea and people walking by and feeling serene by really experiencing the present moment.

The weather was definitely in my favour, which is what I needed. Each day saw temperatures at mid to high 20s with clear skies most days. I have a lovely tan as a result. Last year I stayed in Mar de Cristal with my parents, which is further down the Mar Menor coast. It was my first time travelling following Covid restrictions; it was extremely exciting being able to go away. Unfortunately the weather wasn’t great last year with the red sun phenomenon, which caused the sky to turn a dull red colour, and it was mostly overcast with rain. The sun really made my holiday in Spain this year.

I didn’t just relax by sitting on the balcony. Lo Pagán is known for Baños de lodo (mud baths) which were only a short walk up the road from the apartment. I first heard about these mud baths when watching an episode of the Hairy Bikers. I had also heard about the benefits of mud bathing, such as the rich mixture of nutrients which clean and purify the skin, and even help with skin conditions such as eczema. I had some eczema flaring up on my right hand and wrist, which is now almost gone thanks to the mud baths. Despite the potent smell, it was somewhat therapeutic lathering myself in the thick mud. Once the mud had dried after about 20-30 minutes, I washed it off and my skin felt so smooth and refreshed, like a new born baby. I visited the mud baths three times whilst I was away – I highly recommend it to anyone visiting the area.

Covered in mud!

The temperature of the water in the Mar Menor was much warmer compared to the Mediterranean. My parents and I visited a couple of dog friendly beaches further up the coast in the region of Valencia. Whilst the water was much deeper which made swimming easier, the water was much cooler. I only went swimming in the Mediterranean once, but the dogs certainly enjoyed themselves in the cooler water!

Enjoying a paddle with the dogs in the Mar Manor

I certainly did a lot of walking whilst on holiday, from browsing around local markets to taking the dogs for walks along beaches. I enjoyed a few long walks with my mum in the evenings, which was a great way to explore the local area and catch up with my mum. The longest walk was past the mud baths to the Molino de La Calcetera, a windmill near the edge of the Mar Menor and near La Manga. Even though it was rather windy, the walk was pleasant with beautiful views all around.

Molino de La Calcetera

Of course, no holiday is complete without enjoying local food and drink. My parents and I had some lovely meals out at local restaurants. There was one place my parents regularly went to throughout their holiday, where there was a very long happy hour from 3-6pm every day. I enjoyed some cocktails for only three euros, as well as a delicious meal of calamares with fries and a very tasty salad.

Calamares a la romana

My week away flew by but it was certainly needed. I hadn’t really had a break since moving into my new house. The holiday gave me the chance to decompress and relax, explore a new area of Spain and spend quality time with my parents and the dogs. I feel refreshed, especially after trying out the mud baths and tanning in the sun. All I can think about is where my next holiday will be! It’s important to take time out to relax and have something to look forward to throughout the year. I think my next break will be somewhere in the UK, or even Ireland – who knows!

Happy reading and blogging!

Clare Bear 🙂 xx

An Evening with Kate Mosse

It’s been way too long since I wrote a feminist post on my blog! I definitely felt inspired last Wednesday when I went to the Nottingham Playhouse to see one of my favourite authors perform a one woman show based on her book of the same name: Warrior Queens & Quiet Revolutionaries: How Women (Also) Built The World.

I love Kate’s historical fiction, which is mostly set in the city of Carcassone in France. It was my father was originally got me into reading Kate, and we both went to visit Carcassone many years ago after reading the Languedoc trilogy, which consists of Labyrinth, Sepulchre and Citadel. Kate portrays powerful female characters in all of her books, demonstrating their bravery and resilience during periods of turmoil throughout history.

I found out about Kate’s show while scrolling through Facebook, and I managed to book a front row seat which was very exciting! The majority of the audience were women, which created a real sense of empowerment throughout the show when Kate spoke to the audience. The stage was set with props to represent the women Kate talked about, such as a lantern for the founder of modern nursing Florence Nightingale (1820 – 1910), and a seat from a bus for American Activist Rosa Parks (1913 – 2005).

Throughout the show, Kate discussed how women have been purposefully eradicated from history and their contributions to revolutionary changes, the majority of which men took full credit for. Kate mentioned so many women who I had never heard of before. One remarkable example was Eunice Newton Foote (1819 – 1888), an early climate scientist pioneer who discovered in 1856 that carbon dioxide contributes to warming the Earth’s atmosphere. Eunice did not receive the recognition she so clearly warranted, with her male colleague Joseph Henry presenting her findings and only being included in a small section of David A. Wells’ Annual of Scientific Discovery 1857 volume. Another eye-opening example Kate mentioned was Mary Sommerville (1780 – 1872), the first person to be coined with the term ‘scientist’, which I thought was incredible!

Kate’s show was a celebration of women’s achievements and how equality has slowly progressed. The show was a clear reminder that women have wanted to be treated equally as men, raising questions throughout history such as ‘Why can’t women have equal access to education?’, ‘Why are women not entitled to vote?’ and ‘Why should women be treated like property and not a human being?’ Another woman I hadn’t heard of until last Wednesday was Barbara Bodichon (1827–1891), a key figure in promoting women’s rights and releasing women from coverture, which meant married women had no independent legal rights. By 1882, the Married Women’s Property Act was passed in parliament, enabling married women to have custody over their children and rights to properties.

T-Shirt and Kate’s book 🙂

Kate named her book Warrior Queens & Quiet Revolutionaries to recognise all women who have played their part in reforming history, whether they portrayed a fighting spirit and raised their voices, or reservedly initiated change. A beautiful example of Quiet Revolutionaries were Emily Williamson (1835 – 1936) and Eliza Phillips (1823 – 1916), who both founded the Plumage League in 1889 to campaign against the slaughtering of birds for their feathers. The feathers of exotic birds were particularly fashionable in the Victorian era, but shouldn’t have been at the expense of killing birds with many species nearly reaching extinction. The Plumage League then became what we now know as the RSPB (The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) – what a fantastic reform in history!

I am really looking forward to the next book in Kate’s Mosses Joubert Family Chronicles, called Ghost Ship. Kate mentioned during the show that Ghost Ship is based on the history of two notorious female pirates called Mary Read and Anne Bonny (yet again two more women I had never heard of before). Ghost Ship will be published in July this year, which will make great summer time reading.

My signed copy of Kate’s recent book 🙂

After the show Kate stayed in the foyer of the theatre to sign books and meet the audience. I brought my copy of the Burning Chambers just in case I got to meet Kate afterwards. I felt very privileged to meet Kate and she was lovely to talk to. I thanked her for educating myself and audience members about women unknown throughout history, and mentioned about my love of Carcassone, which is thanks to her historical fiction. Kate signed both the Burning Chambers and my copy of Warrior Queens and Quiet Revolutionaries, and she was more than happy to have a photo with me!

Kate Mosse! 🙂

I would definitely identify myself as a Quiet Revolutionary as I am not a very outspoken feminist however, I hope that the feminist posts I’ve written on my blog have inspired others to pave the way for a future of equality for everyone, however they identify themselves. I was overjoyed after the show – it was an incredible and eye opening experience, and it felt amazing to meet one of my favourite contemporary authors. Thank you Kate!

Happy reading and blogging!

Clare Bear 🙂 xx

The Power of Routine

I’ve read a lot of LinkedIn posts recently about mental health. January was quite a popular month for talking about mental health, especially when people want to strong start to the New Year and aim to maintain this mindset throughout the year. There was a lot of conversation around Blue Monday (the third Monday of January) and most recently Time to Talk day, which was on the 2nd February and founded by mental health charity Mind. Whilst the former example was coined following a press release from a travel company in 2005, it is great to see so many people being open about their mental health experiences, especially on a platform such as LinkedIn.

Seeing all of these posts has made me reflect on my own mental health journey and recent experiences. I don’t think the major life changes I have experienced have quite settled in, nor have I really reflected on how these changes have impacted me, as they all happened in such quick succession. In early July last year I broke up with my ex-partner, who I had been with for 4 1/2 years. I moved back in with my parents in Leicester and then by the end of August, I had an offer accepted on the house which I now call home. Between August and November I was quickly learning about the housing market, mortgages and interest rates, liaising with my solicitor and mortgage advisor, and researching into specialist insurance as my house has had a history of subsidence (that caused a lot of stress during the house buying process). By early December I had moved back to Tamworth in my new home, to live on my own for the very first time.

Writing this blog post has definitely made me realise how much I have experienced throughout the past seven months. Even though I wrote a self-reflective blog at the end of 2022, I didn’t fully take into account the life changes I have been through. This process of reflection has reminded me of the importance of routine, something which I didn’t really establish when I moved back to Leicester temporarily. My mind and my mood was and has been all over the place, as I had gone from living with my ex to moving back in with my parents (when I thought I had flown the nest), and now I am living independently. The uncertainty and changes have at times been challenging for me to comprehend, and may have been easier to do so with a routine in place.

While I was living in Leicester, I became comfortable being back with my parents (i.e., putting on body weight). Of course, I am so grateful that my parents let me move back in. I occasionally practiced meditation, although the dogs definitely helped with my mental health, and being in the company of my family was nice as well. I was training for my second half marathon whilst being back in Leicester, although my determination had somewhat diminished, especially with buying my new home and adjusting to living with my parents.

When I seriously started to look after my mental health two years ago, I established a routine which made me feel happier and healthier in myself. My routine included things like being more conscious in my food choices, practicing mindful eating, minimising screen time on my phone (e.g., scrolling through Facebook) etc. I wrote about the changes I made in two blog posts about the importance of self-care, which you can access in the following links (Post #1; Post #2).

Having a routine can help you to feel more grounded and manage daily stresses as they arise. Sticking to my routine may have helped me whilst adjusting to recent major life changes, especially with managing the stressful situations I encountered. Of course I am very fortunate to have such a strong support network through my family, friends and work colleagues; they have all definitely helped me navigate the changes over the past seven months.

Since moving into my new home, I have been trying to re-establish a routine to fit around my new way of living. I have started running again after work, aiming for at least twice a week. The National Running Show reignited my interest and it helps that it’s not as dark in the evenings when I finish work. I’m also trying to focus on mindfulness through regular meditation and observing my surroundings when I walk to work. It helps that I’m about a 20 minute walk away from the office, which is a nice way to start and finish my day, and fit in exercise. I bought myself a colour in calendar which includes a design for each month of the year. I find colouring relaxing and a way to wind down with music playing in the background.

January took 3 hours to colour in!

Despite everything that I’ve experienced, I feel happy more than anything to have my own place to call home. I always try to maintain a positive outlook on life and I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. A year ago I never dreamt I would be living on my own in my own house, but here I am. I will definitely aim to keep to a routine, so that I feel more grounded and ready for whatever the next major life change will be.

Happy reading and blogging!

Clare Bear 🙂 xx

The National Running Show 2023

After attending The National Running Show last year, I definitely wanted to go again. I received complimentary tickets just like last year, and this time my friend Brian joined me, who I recently ran the Hertfordshire Half Marathon with. Brian had the honour of being the first guest to stay in my new home over the weekend, as the NEC is fairly local to me. We ventured over to the show on Saturday and it was yet another day of inspiration.

The entrance to the show

The layout of the show was very similar to last year with the same stages for talks and demonstrations, and many of the same companies attended again. Brian and I certainly had plenty of free samples throughout the day, in particular protein bars and iPro drinks. There were lots of colourful leggings again this year, although I didn’t treat myself to a pair as I still have the running leggings I bought at last year’s show. Brian and I also entered various competitions, such as entry to the Benidorm half marathon in November 2023, which would certainly be an interesting run to complete.

Brian and I at the show 🙂

There were plenty of opportunities to trial products designed for recovery. Brian and I both tried an electric massager on our lower backs which felt quite nice. We both saw various stalls with full leg massagers and I was curious to have a go. In the end I tried out Pulse Roll’s leg massagers, which was a strange and interesting experience. I had a separate massager for each leg and was zipped in right to the top of my thighs. The sales representative set a programme and let the massagers do their work. At points the pressure was rather intense, but not so much that it was painful. The massagers worked up and down my legs and around my feet, imitating a sports massage. If I had not long completed a long distance run (maybe after the Hertfordshire Half Marathon), the massage would have felt more beneficial but it was fun to try out nonetheless.

Brian and I listened to two talks on Saturday. The first one we joined was a panel of speakers at the Running Skills Theatre for a talk called “Mental health – building resilience and a better you”. The speakers were very insightful and open about their experiences, and how running has helped with looking after their mental health. The talk reminded Brian and I that everyone has their own problems and struggles, and that essentially everyone’s experience of their mental health and how they manage it is unique to each individual. The important thing is to be open and talk about your experiences, which in turn encourages others to do the same and take those steps forward to improving our mental health.

For example, one of the panelists was Suzanne Shaw (who I didn’t realise was a member of the pop group Hear-Say). The stardom she experienced at such as young age took a toll on her mental health. Later in life she found that running was a brilliant way for her to decompress and clear her mind. Suzanne now advocates good mental health and a healthy lifestyle via her social media channels.

Mental Health Panel

The second talk Brian and I joined was called “The happiness of being you” by a guy called Danny Bent at the Inspiration Stage. Danny was voted one of the 100 happiest people in the UK and one of the 50 most inspirational people in London. His talk was definitely not what I expected, as he talked about his cycling and travelling adventures which were hair raising, but he found the positives in these situations. The most emotional part of the talk was about the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013, where was one of Danny’s friends was seriously injured and extremely lucky to survive. Following the bombing, Danny set up and founded One Run for Boston, a 3328.2 mile relay run across the US which raised $550,000 for those affected by the bombings. Over 2000 runners participated in the event, which demonstrated the support and sense of community from runners.

After Danny’s talk, Brian and I had a final quick walk around the show to make sure we had seen all of the stalls, and then we headed back to mine. I didn’t buy as many items this year, but I was pleased with my moderate haul of items. I’m particularly pleased with my new bum bag which has a nice floral design on it. The bag is elasticated and has been designed to stay in place around your waist. I also bought myself some more Fit Kit products, including recovery shower gel and a new moisturiser which is applied to the body before bed, following an intense exercise.

A moderate haul this time

The show has definitely ignited my interest in running again. It reminded me of why I like running and that it’s accessible whatever your age, weight and fitness. I haven’t been for a run since moving back to Tamworth, but I definitely want to go out soon. The cold weather and short days makes it difficult at times, although I can work around it and make time for running again. I definitely feel better in myself when I’m running regularly.

Happy reading and blogging!

Clare Bear 🙂 xx

Air Fryer-Maniac!

I’ve only gone and joined the air fryer craze, but it certainly seems to be an investment well spent so far.

My mum spotted some air fryers in her local Asda supermarket just before Christmas. I believe it was during the Black Friday sales, so it was no wonder they were all gone when my mum went back a few days later to pick one up. Luckily I spotted some air fryers at Asda in Tamworth between Christmas and New Year. I bought one for myself, my parents and my sister and brother-in-law.

It cost £32 for the air fryer, which has a 1.5 litre capacity with a guide of cooking for 1-2 people (I bought my sister and brother-in-law a larger air fryer for £45 as they have their son as well). I’ve heard positive reviews from various people about using an air fryer, particularly around how economical they are and their ease of use. This prompted me to invest in one, and I’m so glad that I have.

My Air Fryer from Asda

With living on my own, the air fryer is an ideal alternative to using my gas oven. I’ve had a smart meter recently installed and when the air fryer is being used, it doesn’t seem to consume too much electricity which will help my utilities bills. The air fryer is very easy to use with a temperature dial in degrees and a timer. Usually I pre heat my air fryer for around five minutes before adding the food for cooking. It it also very easy to clean with a draw and detachable basket.

So far I’ve cooked wedges, a pasty, a toastie, a fish cake, and a jacket potato in the air fryer. I recently decided to try out a toastie during my lunch break. I do like a toastie now and again for lunch but have always been reluctant to buy a sandwich toaster, as I feel it wouldn’t be used enough. Essentially I made my toastie as if it was a sandwich, filling it with ham, Red Leicester cheese and sliced tomato. I popped it in the air fryer at 180 degrees for 10 minutes, then turned it over and cooked for a further 5 minutes. The toastie was nice although I’ll probably cook it at a higher temperature next time (around 200 degrees) or for a bit longer, so that the cheese melts a bit more.

Air fryed ham, cheese and tomato toastie 🙂

I followed my sister’s advice for cooking a jacket potato in the air fryer. After 5 minutes in the microwave, I popped my jacket potato in the air fryer for about 10 minutes at 200 degrees. The potato skin crisped off nicely and the inside was nice and soft.

I’m happy with my air fryer so far, but I am reluctant to try food with a high fat content, such as bacon and sausages. I’ve read horror stories of air fryers setting alight or being damaged from such foods being cooked in them. The manual included with my air fryer states that most foods can be cooked, but does caution against food with a lot of fat. I’ll have to read around to see what else I can try in my air fryer and I’m open to suggestions for things to try.

Happy reading and blogging!

Clare Bear 🙂 xx

End of an Era; New Beginnings

Sorry it’s been a while since my last blog post! In case you were wondering, I did complete my second half marathon on Sunday 30th October at Knebworth House with my friend Brian. I ran the half marathon in 2 hours and 45 minutes, whilst Brian smashed his first attempt in 1 hour and 53 minutes! While I was hoping for a better result, the route was very challenging with lots of hills and inclines. The lovely views made up for it, and Brian and I both agreed we made the right decision to run at Knebworth House. It was an incredible feeling for us both running across the finish line and the atmosphere in general was fantastic. We also caught up with university friends and visited the University of Hertfordshire campus, which was very nostalgic indeed.

After the Hertfordshire Half Marathon!

The main reason for not posting recently was due to buying and moving into a house! I made an offer on a house in Tamworth at the end of August, which was accepted. Three months later, I picked up the keys which happened to be on the same day as my work’s Christmas party. I won’t go into detail, but the process of buying my house was rather stressful and I had an issue with the house insurance just two days before I was due to pick up the keys. Luckily everything worked out ok and I was able to relax and celebrate with my colleagues at the Christmas party in Birmingham.

At the work Christmas party

I’ve called this blog post ‘End of an Era; New Beginnings’ not just because it’s almost the end of 2022 and the start of a new year, but because I recently celebrated my 30th birthday. Honestly, I can’t believe where my twenties have gone. I really didn’t want to turn 30 but I’ve been ok so far, which I think is due to the fact I managed to buy a house on my own just before I turned 30 (especially with the current economic climate). I was well and truly spoilt by my family this year. My parents took me to Hambleton Hall in Rutland Water for a fine dining experience. The food was incredible and the chocolate artwork in the photo below was a nice touch.

Lovely chocolate artwork

The past few months have been rather busy, hence why I haven’t posted on my blog. Usually I write a self-reflective blog around the New Year. It was interesting to re-read my reflective blog posts for last year and for 2020. Both of these were heavily focused on the Covid-19 pandemic, as restrictions were imposed across the globe and impacted our daily lives. Last year’s post also focused on the importance of looking after your mental health, which I still aim to keep to this day.

This year has felt almost ‘normal’ again. It’s strange to think that we lived through all of the restrictions such as having to present negative lateral flow tests and/or show a Covid passport as proof of vaccination. What I have appreciated the most this year was being able to celebrate Christmas my family, as Covid restricted this in 2020 and 2021. It felt very special being with my family and reminded me of just how grateful I am for them, especially my parents who let me move back in with them in July and they helped me recently move into my new home.

The first half of 2022 saw a relentless focus on training for my second half marathon, which fizzled out during the summer. In July I broke up with my partner of 4 1/2 years. It was difficult to break up, but my ex and I both agreed it was the right thing to do. Moving back to my parents in Leicester and starting the process of house hunting/purchasing took up time and energy, and I found it difficult to anchor myself back to the focus I had at the start of 2022. Despite this, I managed to do some training in Leicester and it was nice to reminisce over my old running routes when I was training for my first half marathon. I’ve decided my focus for 2023 will be to run shorter distances in faster times. I’m still proud that I managed to complete 5km at the Lichfield parkrun in less than 30 minutes back in March; it would be nice to finish 5km in an even faster time, such as in less than 29 minutes.

While I will always continue to work on my fitness, I must remember to carry on being myself. I was so happy that I received the ‘Ray of Light’ award at the work’s Christmas party, which was for the most positive/caring employee. As well as receiving a certificate, I was given a pair of smiley face slippers (in the photo below). They are very comfy and I wear them in the office whilst at work (the office has a very homely feel).

Smiley face slippers 🙂

The main takeaway for 2022 which I will take into 2023 is to continue looking after myself whilst continuing to be myself (if that makes sense!). I’ve been through a lot emotionally this year and perhaps I could have made more of an effort to look after myself. I will enjoy my thirties and make the most of opportunities as they arise. Despite what feels like a dreary world, I will continue to have a positive outlook on life (mindfulness and meditation really helps with this) and remember to enjoy and savour every moment.

Happy reading and blogging, and a very Happy New Year!

Clare Bear 🙂 xx

The Final Countdown

It all feels a bit surreal when your race pack arrives in the post. I received mine yesterday for the Hertfordshire Half Marathon, which is taking place this Sunday!

My race number

I found it quite comical when I saw my race number, as the two zeros in the middle of 1001 looks like a pair of eyes. A baggage label and time tracking label are also attached to my race number. The time tracking label will be attached to one of my trainers, which should be activated when I run across the start line and the finish line. I will of course be wearing my Fitbit to keep track of time throughout the half marathon.

I must admit, I felt a bit apprehensive last night when opening my race pack. I’m worried that I’ve been a bit too complacent in my training, especially as I struggled last Saturday during my final long distance run before the big day. I was very eager on Saturday and completed the first 5km a bit too quickly. After 10km it was very challenging and I stopped after 14km. I walked 2km back to my parent’s house, feeling achy and sorry for myself. It doesn’t help that I’m fighting off a cold, which probably added to my struggle on Saturday.

I’m in the mindset that I’ve ran a half marathon before and that I’ll be fine on the day. While the adrenaline will kick in on Sunday from the atmosphere and running alongside my friend, I must remember to stay focussed and keep to my own speed, in order to avoid a similar scenario to Saturday.

While I’m feeling anxious, I’m looking forward to running with my friend who asked me to run a half marathon with him. We’re both planning to dress up for Halloween which will add to the fun and excitement of the big day! I’m also looking forward to spending time with my friends from university and having a trip down memory lane over the weekend.

Happy reading and blogging!

Clare Bear 🙂

xx