MERRY CHRISTMAS

Hope you're all having a wonderful day or have had a wonderful Yule!

Here at Gaia Cottage, todays menu consists of slow roasted Organic Brisket, Roast Potatoes and Parsnips, Shredded Cabbage and Carrots followed by Hughs Pear and Almond Pudding Cake. Unusual Christmas fare granted but where is the law stating we have to eat turkey every year?

Brunch was a wonderful mixture of Toasted Waffles, Crushed (slighty sweetened) Organic Raspberries and a spot of cream washed down with some Bucks Fizz.

So it's time to break out the Christmas films here and Miracle of 34th Street is the first in the machine as we watched Patrick Stewarts version of A Christmas Carol yesterday. I adore that film in it's many re-makings and have watched the afore mentioned film every Christmas for the last few years! It has become somewhat of a Chrismtas ritual to sit down and watch it, I almost know the script by now but it never seems to lose it's magic for me.

Unfortunately all the snow has gone here in London so it's not quite the white Christmas we thought it was going to be but we're enjoying it all the same as it's our last Christmas in London as we are fast approaching the 8th January where we move into our new cottage in Cornwall!

All that's left is to raise my glass to you all, thankyou for reading my blog this year and I promise it will get better next year and wish you a Happy Christmas and a safe and prosperous 2010.

HARD PEARS!

No, not a greengrocers insult but the perfect ingredient for Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstalls Pear and Almond Pudding Cake... possibly the most heavenly of food I or everyone who had a piece of the one I baked had ever tasted!

So, move over Lemon Coconut Cake, I have a new love in my life and it doesn't contain lemon nor coconut infact it contains almonds, wholemeal self raising flour and hard pears which are sautéed in a spot of butter and sugar until softened... but lets get to the recipe shall we?

ORGANIC... WHAT?

Yesterday we went shopping at Tesco whom I’m sure you are aware are one of the largest Supermarket chains in Europe. You’d think they would stock a good deal of organic and free range items for their customers wouldn’t you? Sadly, this isn’t the case at all.

I am aware they stock their stores according to their area but please, are you seriously telling me that there are that many people who are not interested in free range or organic produce? Now there was a Halal counter which was as far as the eye could see, Indian specialities, Polish, Jamaican and a whole load of other things dedicated to specialized areas of produce but when it came to finding organic produce it was as if that has slipped their minds.

For instance on our shopping list was good quality organic / free range sausages and a roasting joint or perhaps an organic / free range chicken. Well, there was just ONE single range of organic sausages out of what must have been 30 or 40 different kinds and as for organic meats, well, lets just say we had a hard time finding anything at all. Out of a huge Lamb shelf there was about 3 packets of one brand of Lamb, Chicken there was just a single lonely hugely overpriced one, Beef... well, we didn’t find any organic beef whatsoever.

Then we were onto the cheese... we bought no cheese so I guess that tells you about the situation for organic cheeses doesn't it?

I left Tesco's feeling aghast at their lack of choice for people who actually care about what they eat and let down by them for not giving people a choice.

Now, I have been watching alot of Jamie Oliver programs recently and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall of whom I enjoy watching greatly and their efforts to make Britain wake up and get eating good, well produced, free range and organic foods but how can we if the likes of Tesco won't wake up and smell the coffee? Now I'm aware they would probably say find a good butchers but truly, unless you want Halal meat (which I don't) they are very few and far between in the area of SE London I live in and although we have a car, some people don't so are left with very limited choices.

However, we will keep on with our mission to improve our lives and if that means voting with our feet then that's what we shall be doing.

I am aware we are not perfect, not everything we buy is organic as we are on a strictly limited budget (so it's no use you guys complaining about not enough money) but we'll get there in the end! Tescos however... well I think in 20 years time they will still be selling their cheap chickens and TV dinners pumped full of who knows what and people will still be being forced into making bad choices about what they eat and ultimately their health.

Please feel free to watch this programme by Jamie Oliver entitled: Eat to Save Your Life but ***BE WARNED*** this programme contains scenes of an autopsy and other scenes of anatomy viewers may find disturbing!! >> Eat to Save Your Life <<

Also there is Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstalls programme: The River Cottage Treatment but ***BE WARNED*** this series contains animal slaughter and butchery which may upset some viewers!! >> The River Cottage Treatment <<

Now you know why we are so adamant about good, healthy food and organic, free range chickens!