New alcohol guidelines? Bottoms up!

In 2014 my evening 'mum drinking' had crept up to one large glass of wine a night when I got in from work. It was lovely, tasted great and relaxed me.

But by the end of 2014 not only had I found myself drinking one large glass a night in the week, I was drinking even more at the weekend. All this drinking had led to a rather unexpected (but looking back on it pretty obvious) outcome, I'd gained a stone in weight.

Fearful lest the gradual weight gain continue until I needed new trousers I decided to do 'Dry January' in 2015 and to embark on a diet.

Dry January was as awful as you would imagine, but after successfully completing it I decided that I would not go back to drinking in the week. (for a rather vague definition of 'in the week' which was mainly Monday through Thursday, I think we can all agree the weekend starts when work finishes on Friday and ends when one goes to be on Sunday)

So reading today's news that the UK drinking guidelines have been rewritten I was interested to see how I fitted in.

It seems we (all of us, men and women) now have the same guidelines, regardless of weight, height, age or political party affiliation :-)

We are told to drink fewer that 14 units a week, to have at least a couple of 'dry days' and not to drink all 14 units at once.

Currently I'm doing dry January again (glutton for punishment) but on a 'normal' week I now drink 1/2 bottle of cava on Friday, 1/2 bottle Saturday and a whole bottle on Sunday. (I don't always drink on the Saturday - depends what I'm doing.) I don't drink any alcohol on the other days.

So how many units are in a bottle of cava? 8.6 it appears (same as a bottle of prosecco for those that are wondering) So I am going to be marginally (OK, OK, 3 units) over the 'low risk' amount for a week. Will I change my drinking? No.

Life is full of risk and we take them daily, I drive, I fly to holiday destinations, I eat street food, I cycle, I do all sorts of risky things. I will add drinking 17 units of alcohol a week to my risk list.

Will the new guidelines change your habits? Or maybe you are already teetotal? Let me know via Twitter, or my Facebook page.

Ten things I love about Christmas

• Time with my family. Not everyone gets to have time off over Christmas, and this year I have to work on Boxing Day, but I do love time with my family. Visiting distant relatives is easier too as roads are less busy (assuming you drive at what is usually the rush hour) and it's lovely to sit and just be, with people you love.
• Mince pies. People get a bit weird if you eat them at other times of the year, but I do love the slightly sharp, slightly sweet, often alcohol infused, taste of a mince pie. Best made at home with homemade pastry - though I've yet to be brave enough to make my own mincemeat. (and yes American readers, it really is meat - well suet - and fruit, the tudors were big on meat and fruit, and jolly well done I say!) 
• Marzipan. Life should contain more marzipan, Christmas seems happy to take up the slack left by the rest of the year. From marzipan fruits to dark chocolate covered marzipan and marzipan on a cake...mmmm marzipan.
• Eating odd foods at odd times. Turkey leftovers for breakfast, cake for lunch, toast for tea, Christmas seems to be a time when a sudden urge to eat walnuts is acceptable. The joy of eating what you like, when you like is oddly freeing (matched only by festival living) and while one may end up over full, it's only a couple of days so I think we can risk it..another sausage roll?
• Alcohol for breakfast. Bucksfizz, drunk only on wedding mornings and Christmas. An excuse to drink cava or champagne with the strange idea that it's healthy because of the orange juice. (don't have alcohol for breakfast if you are planning to drive and visit relatives, obviously)
• Watching people open gifts. I like getting presents but I know I'm a grown up because I now genuinely prefer to see other people open their gifts. The sight of a child realising as they tear the wrapping that it's the thing they've always (for the last 6 months) wanted...priceless.
• Helping Father Christmas. Sometimes the great man can't be at every house and so it falls to us parents to take up the slack, obviously we don't have to do this every year and he sends us special instructions when we do, but creeping into a sleeping child's room, hearing them (pretending to) sleep, watching the flicker of eyelids as they dream, and then popping their gifts into a stocking, is the best feeling.

• Left overs. Related to the eating anything at anytime, but left overs are great. Bubble and squeak, refried christmas pudding (fry a slice in butter - you're welcome) , picking turkey from the bones when you nip to the fridge for more beer, I love leftovers.
• Christmas lights. I love the festive look the twinkling lights of Christmas give to a home. Once our tree is up adding a coloured warmth to the lounge I never want to take it down.

• Memories. Memories that are being made and memories of Christmases past, each year we buy a new decoration for the tree and so I remember 2 year old DD choosing a shining toy soldier or a 4 year old DD choose a tinkling ginerbreadman bell. Each Christmas stored in a memory on the tree. I look forward to more memories being created this year too. Not all memories are so happy, as we think of loved ones no longer with us, but somehow the warmth and hope of Christmas (or it may be the sherry) let's us remember the happy times we shared with them.

I hope Christmas holds much joy for you and yours. And that memories, even the sad ones,  flow as liberally as the sherry.

Top Ten Smoothie Making Tips

I use a Smoothie2Go smoothie maker that was a gift. I like it because it’s simple, cheap and easy to clean, so it hasn’t been used once and ignored! Summer is coming and I’m feeling fruity! I thought you might be too so here are my top ten smoothie making tips.

Copyright: / 123RF Stock Photo

• Use recipes. If you are new to smoothies don’t be scared to follow someone else’s plan. Once you get used to making them you’ll get more adventurous, but at the start, before you are sure which fruits complement each other, use some recipes.

• Use a cheaper juice as the liquid. Smoothie makers smooth and blend fruit into a liquid but they need some liquid to start with! Use common juices as a base, orange, pineapple, apple. Later when you try new things branch out into coconut, cranberry or guava.

• Don’t add ice. Some people will suggest you add ice when blending to cool the smoothie, don’t. Ice just dilutes the smoothie and might stop the fruits blending. If the fruit is very warm the ice will melt even faster and not make a noticeable difference. Try using a chilled ‘base juice’

• Use frozen berries and fruit. Perfect to make a frozen smoothie but without ice! Buy a bag of frozen berries in the supermarket and you’ll always have fruit on hand for a smoothie. Or freeze your own when it’s in season.

• Add alcohol to a frozen smoothie. Make your own exotic cocktail (over 18s only) to drink on a sunny day or after work …mmmmm… almost healthy.

• Smoothies are best made and drunk fresh. Storing them is OK but they can separate or change colour as the fruit acids oxidise. Short term storage won’t hurt you but kids might be put off by the ‘weird’ look. So try and drink them fresh.

• Use milk and yogurt sometimes instead of (or with) fruit. Lots of recipes for more filling smoothies are out there. Ice cream is another fun dairy based addition, mix and match some flavours and make your own thick shakes. Honey is good as a sweetener for both milk and fruit based drinks.

• Warm smoothies are nice! You can make warm smoothies using milk bases and oats, apple, honey and cinnamon for example, tastes like apple pie! Delicious, and great for bedtime.

• Buy some smoothie straws. Ordinary straws are too narrow for smoothies. ‘Bits’ will get stuck in the straw and the power you need to suck a thick juice up a thin straw is surprising! Buy a box of wider smoothie straws, and maybe long spoons for those really thick frozen smoothies.

• Once you are used to the proportions of fruit/frozen fruit/juice or milk etc, take some risks and try your own recipes. Try some of your favourite fruits together. Experiment with tinned fruits too. Some fruits are more watery and bland than others, you need very few raspberries to add flavour but most strawberries are tasteless for example (in my opinion) Fruit that is getting past its best is great in a smoothie…bananas looking over ripe? Make a banana ice cream smoothie!

Good luck – Do you have a favourite recipe to share?

Poldark drinking game

First there was the Merlin drinking game, then there was the Musketeers (that's still on, do play along!) and now with the joy that is Aidan Turner as Ross Poldark in the new BBC adaptation of Poldark...there is the Poldark drinking game.

As before the rules are simple, if you see a thing on this list happen in the show, you drink. Choose wisely, use shots at your peril, maybe mouthfuls of wine (or tea) or even play with mini marshmallows or skittles, the choice is yours. Have fun, drink responsibly (because those stains won't come out of that sofa)

A beautiful Cornish sunset/sunrise - 1 drink

Two people share a horse - 1 drink

Anyone bleeds - 1 drink

Ross Poldark is topless - 1 drink

Anyone is naked - 2 drinks

Someone leaps to their feet knocking over wine glasses etc - 1 drink

A fight where anyone rolls up their sleeves or removes a coat first - 1 drink

Ross Poldark's ruffled shirt is undone - 1 drink

Ross Poldark brushes sweaty hair from his eyes - 1 drink
Cute dog in the scene - 1 drink

Heaving bosom - 1 drink

A woman slaps a man - 1 drink

A woman tends to a mans wounds - 1 drink

Someone pays for drinks in a pub by flinging money - 1 drink

Bar brawl - 1 drink
Horse canters across the Cornish fields in wide shot to music- 1 drink
Anyone on a cliff top gazing out to sea, includes on horseback - 1 drink 
Every time Ross Poldark has an alcoholic drink - match him drink for drink

That's enough to be going on with. I don't want to die.

Edited 15/03/2015 - Having now watched episode one I have added a couple to the list - sorely tempted to add 'drink anytime the music is so intrusive it makes you scream - but there is not enough alcohol in the land.

Let me know if you play.

What’s been happening in the world of TM - a catch up post

What’s been happening in the world of TM . Well Dry January is finally passed and I managed it without too much hassle. The discovery of a nice non-alcoholic red wine and a non-alcoholic lager did help. I also discovered a fair few juices and soft drinks that I liked too, not least the lemonade from Cawston, sharp and delicious, and the yummy rhubarb and apple. It was equally nice to celebrate a month of the booze with a whole bottle of cava on Sunday, leaving me a tad tipsy and struggling to make sense in tweets.

I think @tattooed_mummy has been celebrating the end of #DryJanuary! 😂 pic.twitter.com/CBrH20UTX1
— Samantha Gouldson (@SamGouldson) February 1, 2015

The experience of dry January has meant I plan to go back to only drinking alcohol at weekends, and sticking with my new non-alcoholic discoveries in the week. This is partly down to health but more down to my weight! Since before Christmas extra lard seems to have been sneaking its way under my skin in that cunning way it does. As you will remember I found a nice free diet app to help me keep track of what I was eating, and by cutting down I’ve so far lost half a stone in January. I hope to continue the slow weight loss until I’m under 10 stone, at which point I will be less strict with my diet but still keep an eye on things. As a deliberate (I’m pretty sure) attack on this, people keep bringing cakes into work, I am resisting.

I received my tower of London poppy back in January and finally put it all together and set it in a plant pot (next to my home-grown avocado) in the conservatory, it’s giving a splash of colour and reminding us daily of the futility of war – not that anyone in power seems to have noticed that, but still…

My tower poppy finally in place, with it's avocado friend. #towerpoppies @TowerPoppies pic.twitter.com/2OuoDb3GDt
— Tattooed_Mummy (@tattooed_mummy) January 31, 2015

On Friday DD bravely had a 3rd tooth extracted – ready for her new braces, in preparation for gorgeous film star teeth, I’ve promised she can have them whitened too when they are finally straight, people will mistake her for an American!

On Saturday we had a teensy bit of snow that barely hung around long enough for comment.

Our Dogs, RIP

On Sunday afternoon Mr TM foolishly mentioned he had been toying with the idea of getting a dog again. It’s been over a year since we lost our last dog and the house is ominously hair and mud free, his daily walks are boring and I think he would like to remedy all that. Of course DD and I were way too excited and keen and instantly began scouring lists of rescue dogs. Initially put off rescue when we saw some of the ‘rules’ the smaller charities had, we were heartened to see that the Dogs Trust is keener on making sure dogs and people are matched up and happy than in red tape, also the adoption fee was much less! Mr TM has now forbidden us to speak of dogs again until he’s made up his mind. This is me not saying that there are some extremely cute dogs at the Dogs Trust…and if we got one (which I’m not talking about) she would probably be a small, cute, young female, not a Jack Russell …maybe a staffy…but as I said…I’m not talking about dogs.

Dry January

I'm taking part in dry January this year. For those not au fait with what this entails, dry January is sadly not a guarantee of a rain free month but a chance for people that normally imbibe to ...erm...not.

So for 31 long days I shall be shunning alcohol, no sneaky beer after work, no bottle of cava (and subsequent drunken blog post) on a Sunday after noon, no downing shots until I puke during The Musketeers (well not until February anyway).

What is the point? Well may you ask, it's not long enough to really rest the liver or help my liver function in any way (though I am going to take some milk thistle to see what that might achieve!) and I'm not doing it to raise money for charity (do not get me started on sponsored stuff - that's a whole other post).

I'm doing it because it will be good for me, for me, I'm not saying it would be good for you or you should do it. I hope it will help me sleep better (actually I barely need help there, but maybe I'll be more refreshed from the sleep I do get), I know it will help me save money, at around £5 for a bottle of wine or case of beer I should be £10....£20 .....£30 .... quite a bit better off for not buying it. I also hope it will break the habit of an alcoholic drink each night after work, maybe letting me get back to 'not on a school night'. I'm not a saint or a martyr or better than you, I'm just choosing to not drink alcohol during January.

Why tell us all about it them? Another good question. I think it will be easier and dare I suggest, more fun, to do this as a group with other friends in real life and on social media, also a promise is somehow easier to stick to when you tell everyone about it.

Do you think it's really such a big deal? Well no, not really, I gave up booze no problem for 9 months when I was pregnant and only drank small amounts for the ten months after that as I was breastfeeding, so no I don't think it will be anything other than a minor annoyance.

I'm spending some money on drinks though, just non alccoholic ones. I will be stocking up on Ginger Beer, J2O, sparkling water and various fruit juices, not becasue I think they are healthy but I know I'll get bored of tap water.

Are you taking part? If so what are your reasons? And what will you be drinking instead? I'd love to know.

What I did in my holidays - Camp Bestival

I shall rely mainly on the medium of slightly odd drunken photos to share my experiences of Camp Bestival this year.

As you know I was given the amazing privilege of attending on of the 'funnest' festivals of the summer as an Official Camp Bestival Blogger. Sadly this did not enable me to grope any famous beards.(I might have kissed a beard though....shhhh )

We arrived on the Thursday as I know from experience that the fields fill quickly and the best (flattest) spots in the camp site will be taken by Friday. As I was meeting up with my brother and his family it was vital i secured a large enough pitch. We had two young teens with us who shared their own tent. So we were a 3 tent group (though not such pitch hoggers as to bring a gazebo too!).

After setting up (in the Purple campsite) we were too lazy to really explore past the portable chemical toilets (the usual functional but grim toilets - which ran out of loo roll and hand gel on day 1, so glad we were prepared!) and the nearby food places, sadly no Grill this year, but a nice coffee stall and a smoothie place.

And then on Friday the fun began. My brother, at his first ever festival, enjoyed the kids field and perfected his circus skills

We chilled to Courtney Pine

Were thrilled by the Insect (and mollusc) Circus

Saturday was fancy dress day, and we dressed in our Circus best, with me as Ringmaster, trying hard to control the big cats (and the bearded lady and the fortune teller)

The jousting was great fun, so much so that we went twice

A little Chap-Hop with  Mr B the Gentleman Rhymer was spiffing!

And the food was so good that I kept forgetting to photograph it!!

The Dingly Dell was filled with excited children getting back to nature and down and dirty...

I fell in love with, and got a bit tipsy on, the jam jar cocktails, specifically the Bloody Mary

The weather was lovely (I managed to sunburn my breasts - don't ask)

The entertainment was second to none as always, a bright splash of colour across a gorgeous landscape

We Met up with Juggle Mum and her family for Sunday Roast with the Surplus Supper Club

Then after comedy, more food, more booze etc there was the fabulous firework display (DD was slightly sad there was no cartoon show this year on the castle, but my brother was extremely pleased that his favourite band Queen provided the soundscape for the incredible light show.)

All in all it was a fantastic weekend.

And then, on Monday, we went home...staggering up the hills to the car park

Very impressed with how clean people left the campsite!

Early bird tickets are already sold out!! But why not join us next year? You can pay in instalments and spread the cost. Check out TicketLine for details.

all these photos and more at Flickr

British Summer - Cider Giveaway

British summer, the smell of strawberries, festivals across the countryside, birds chirping, sun beating down on your pink skin, the crack of leather on willow, a buzzard circling on a warm thermal...and a glass of iced spiced cider in a pub beer garden.

*Thunder*

*heavy rain*

Everyone runs inside. British summer, rain on the windows, soggy camping plans, a wet dog, shaking out your umbrella when you get to the pub. A warm glass of spiced cider in the nook and a game of darts.

You see how spiced cider made both scenarios lovely?

Well here's the thing. Haywoods Drinks have given me some Eliot's spicy cider to try, it's in a bag in a box, perfect for festivals (all 3L of it!) and it's delicious, reminded me of Glastonbury and the cider bus, I do love a mulled cider... and it's equally good over ice (I've tried both, it's a tough job but I think I'm up to it)

Eliot's are set to try and revolutionise the drinks industry, and move with the times and with peoples drinking habits, they are looking at a new drinks dispenser that would heat the cider as you served it! Great for pubs and parties, and they have started a social wave, and by supporting their Indiegogo campaign, you will be helping to develop the entire Eliot’s brand, including snacks, drinks and technology developments and be the first in-line for updates on the dispenser development and availability (est 2015). Do go and take a look, lots of opportunities for free stuff too! And the snacks sound nibblesome.

Haywood Drinks invite you to join the #eliotscrowd, and help to develop Eliot’s Drinks, a brand committed to the traditional Pub and Bar, as THE places to socialise, meet people, unwind and have fun as Brit’s have done for decades, centuries in fact!

And now the best bit. I have a 3L bag in a box of delicious Eliot's Spicy Cider to give away!! Yes really.
Obviously it's for over 18s only and you must reside in the UK

So use the RaffleCopter thingy below. The giveaway close on 12th July. see T&C for details

a Rafflecopter giveaway


You must leave a comment here and tell me which of of the Eliot's hot alcoholic drinks you'd most like to try next, and sign into the Rafflecopter thingy to be in with a chance, Rafflecopter randomly picks a winner, there are extra entries for tweeting etc.  Best of luck.

They're Changing Guard at Buckingham Palace...

They're changing guard at Buckingham Palace -
Christopher Robin went down with Alice.
Alice is marrying one of the guard.
"A soldier's life is terrible hard,"
                                                                    Says Alice.

We went to London on Saturday, as we live on the coast it's up for us, not down, and we are neither called Christopher, nor Alice..I'm not sure where this is going except I recited this poem to DD when we were at Buckingham Palace, I feel if when you see this

and don't recite that perfect poem by A.A. Milne you are wasting everyone's time.

We were not in London to visit the Queen though, nor a little mouse under her chair. We were there to meet up with the simply marvelous totally barking authors that I met up with back in January but this time DD was coming along too.

First I went to John Lewis with £200 worth of vouchers that I'd won online burning the proverbial hole in my pocket. After an hour of um-ing and ahhh-ing and with help from DD I settled on a lovely chiffon dress in black, with a butterfly motif (£105 !! *faints*) and a White Stuff reversible cotton skirt with a bird patterm (£45) I also stocked up on 'my smell' (as DD calls it) Clarins Dynamisante (£32)

Then it was a rush to the pub, to meet for Lunch. We were late of course. We met at the Mayflower, the pub was charming, and after a brief confusion where I was upstairs and alone with Dd and a bottle of wine while everone one else was downstairs, we settled down to chatting about all sorts of odd things, books, food, women, sex, cats, watches...sometimes several from that list at once.

The food was delicious. The waitress put up with our happy mildly tipsy behaviour. No one danced on the table, or got naked, though Andy and Tony downed shots of Tabasco sauce to impress us. We were suitably impressed...and a little bit worried!

All in all the meet up was lovely (well I enjoyed it - I do hope the others did!) DD has declared all authors (but especially Andy Stanton and Anthony McGowan) 'barking' ... after the Tabasco affair I fear she has a point.

Emily, Tony, TM, DD

Sally, Andy and Jane

Later we walked back from the tube via Green Park and Buckingham Palace.

What a super day!