Pretty in pink

Every Spring I forget how much I adore the taste of rhubarb & while this year was no different it was in a most spectacular style. Last weekend I had THE most delicious dessert at No Man's Grace, of vanilla creme brulee, rhubarb doughnuts & rhubarb sorbet. Of course there is no photo as it was eaten far too quickly.

Obviously the next day I hit the local green grocers & purchased an armful of Yorkshire's finest. So far it's been roasted with vanilla to have with yoghurt or icecream...

Chopped up & added to gin

Helpfully the only jar I could find was pink, so it's a bit difficult to see the gin turning colour! Recipe based on this one, minus the sugar which I'll add when the fruit is taken out.

Cooked, whizzed up & frozen for sorbet..

I made the mistake of starting this off late at night & so couldn't do the mixing hence why it looks a bit strange. It doesn't make it any the less tasty though. Recipe source

And while I was on a rhubarb kick, I saw this in the local supermarket & snapped it up. It's very tart & very delicious.

2015

Less a set of resolutions but more about being positive and making life more simple.

1. De-clutter
This is a big one. I'm messy and untidy, doesn't matter if it's at home or at work, you will know about it. Having less 'stuff' means less to actually make untidy, at least that's what I'm hoping.

This also applies to my on-line life. So far this year I've unsubscribed from various emailing lists, muted, blocked, unfollowed Twitter feeds & blogs that were no longer interesting or having a positive impact on me. And deactivated Facebook, this was kind of on a whim and so far the world hasn't ended.

2. Be more conscious when spending
Following on from number 1, simply buy less things. Now I'm not one for spending hours and hours going round shops, but I too easily end up picking up bits and bobs in my lunch hour and doing quite a lot of on-line shopping. This all adds up and most of it isn't even needed. Currently I'm trying to do a bit of a spending ban, basically no new clothes, unless spending a voucher and only purchase new beauty items when something needs replacing. I'm hoping with a bit of patience I'll get out of the habit of spending but it's not as easy as I was expecting.

3. Positive body image
I've been going to Pilates for about a year now and while there's definitely been improvement in terms of strength, physically there hasn't been the changes I would have liked. I spend a lot of time looking on the ingredients of products that I use on my body and around the house and now need to focus on what goes in. Finding better alternatives for the food that I crave (such a sweet tooth!) with my activity levels should leave me feeling happier in my own skin.

Graffiti on Picton Street, Montpelier