Fun and Frustration

It’s the weekend. I’m back in Dorset. The weekend didn’t start how I had planned. We’ve been overrun with orders this week. Part of me is thrilled that Go Free is doing so well, but it is sheer hard graft just ensuring everything is done. And by everything, I mean the most urgent tasks. My to do list is endless. But I don’t want to moan. Sometimes life feels a bit surreal when you are driving cakes around the country at 11pm on a Friday night, having not slept for at least three nights in the week. I had to stop at Fleet services for a cheeky snooze – I was literally falling asleep at the wheel. I am two weeks off of my 27^th birthday. Part of me is really proud of everything I have achieved to date and all the exciting plans that lie ahead of me. The other part of me, however does wish I could just relax and enjoy life a bit more like my friends. I can’t remember what it’s like to come home in the evening and just relax. I’m always working until the wee hours. Always thinking about the next steps and just getting through, day by day.

But this weekend hasn’t all been about hard graft. On Saturday I was lucky enough to meet with my wonderful friends Nicole and Philippa. It was such a treat to see Nicole, my oldest friend and her beautiful baby boy, who are over from Paris. We went to the local pub and sat in the sunshine. I spent the morning in my nearest town, Wimborne. I had an interview in the diary for my Hello! Magazine.com blog. It went so well. I was genuinely touched by how lovely some people are. I also stumbled across some exciting new foodie destinations in town which I will be blogging about soon. There is a great energy in the Dorset food world at present.

On the way home, I was practically pulling the car into the driveway, when I noticed a neighbour had put out a stand of vegetables from her garden. I screeched to a holt and jumped out of the car and relieved my very sweet elderly neighbour of some lovely runner beans and marrows.  Together with some really lovely damsons and rhubarb I picked up from the greengrocers in town, I knew I had a busy afternoon ahead of me.  I laid everything out in the kitchen when I got back and just had to take a snap it looked so good

There is something so satisfying about cooking at the weekend. It is so different when you are not pushed to get a meal on the table quickly. I picked up some lovely Yorkshire rhubarb and made some jars of Vanessa Kimbell’s rhubarb jam from Prepped.

I decided to make the scone recipe from the book too

There have been some advantages to being antisocial.  I am saving.  I feel about 10 years old again as I have been asking for money for my birthday. I’m going to be buying a super duper Canon SLR camera and a Macbook Pro. I am embarrassed by the quality of my photos and my elderly laptop is on its last legs.  So, I hope my blogging will be looking much better in the coming weeks.