Journal

Weekly Meals: ‘Simple’ by Dianna Henry

Post author By CharlieSwift
Post date July 1, 2017
Categories In NOURISH
No Comments on Weekly Meals: ‘Simple’ by Dianna Henry

Cookbook Club is a regular meet up with some lovely ladies I’ve met through Instagram where we all bring a different dish from one cookbook or cookery writer and spend the evening eating and talking about delicious food. Our cookbook of choice for this month’s Cookbook Club is ‘Simple‘ by food writer Dianna Henry. It’s a book that my friends at cookbook club have been raving about for months but until recently I hadn’t delved into. To get properly aquatinted with a new cookbook I love to immerse myself in it by trying out lots of the recipes that catch my eye in quick succession. Planning week’s worth of evening meals from the one book is a great way to do this.

Both my husband Will and I love to cook and the recipes in ‘Simple’ are just up our street; simple, rustic dishes that are big on flavour but have smallish ingredients lists. Here’s what we cooked from the book to get stuck in…

Meal Plan

Monday: Linguine All’amalfitana // page 106

I’m actually not a huge pasta fan so when I say that I could happily eat this walnut and anchovy linguine dish over and over again know that it’s high praise indeed! This recipe uses the pasta water to create a lovely glossy sauce, which reminds me of my favourite Anna Jones pasta dish.

Tuesday: Breton tuna & white bean gratin // page 78

This is the only recipe that we weren’t so sure on. Not sure if I took a misstep when executing but I found that blending the beans meant we had a rather sloppy unappetising end product. I do however love that it’s made up of store cupboard ingredients but if I attempt it again I think I’ll leave some of the white beans whole for more texture in the gratin.

Wednesday: New York takeout noodles // page 97

We’ve already cooked these noodles three times in as many weeks, so it’s safe to say this recipe is an early favourite! The sauce for the noodles combines so many of my favourite things – garlic, chilli, peanuts, sesame and soy.

Thursday: Baked merguez with beans eggs & feta // page 81

This dish featuring merguez sausages, beans and feta sprinkled on top was a great upgrade on our usual baked eggs which are already a huge favourite our ours.

Friday: Parmesan roast chicken with cauliflower & thyme

In the book, Dianna Henry says this dish was created out of a craving for roast chicken and cauliflower cheese, without a creamy sauce it didn’t quite hit that spot for me but it was delicious none the less and certainly perfect comfort food. The more traybake recipes up my sleeve the better I say!

Aside from one, these are all recipes I’ll be sure to make again and some I can see making frequent appearances on our dining table. There are so many more dishes in the book that I can’t wait to try so I think another week of cooking from Simple might be in order!

Glimpses of a summer on film

Post author By CharlieSwift
Post date June 3, 2017
Categories In INSPIRE
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Diana Mini Photography Glastonbury Festival

I’ve had my Lomography Diana Mini a couple of years now but this is only the second film I have had developed from it. I go through phases of taking it with me on adventures and then forgetting about it all together for a while meaning that the shots I’ve got back span across a number of different occasions. This recent roll goes all the way back from Glastonbury 2015 to a friends wedding in August the following year!

The nature of the Diana mini brings lots of light leaks and double exposures, which with practice could surely use to greater effect, but for the most part I end up with happy accidents (plus a few disappointments) in the developed roll.

Regardless of the results it’s always fun to get a film back, discover what’s on there and take a little glimpse back in time. This little collection are the epitome of my summer – my favourite views at Glastonbury, cold drinks on hot days and friends looking dapper in summer wedding attire thrown in for good measure!

Diana Mini Photography Glastonbury Festival

Dear April…

Bristol Botanical Gardens Lilypads Oh how we love to dwell on the weather! But wasn’t April a month of two halves weather-wise though? It’s funny to think given how cold it’s been again recently that at the beginning of the month we were so sure summer had started.

The sunshine during the first weekend of the month drove us out into the garden and we spent a beautiful Sunday cutting back and clearing creepers, shrubs and weeds in our small back yard. It’s going to be the first full summer that we’ve had an outside space to call our own and I’m already appreciating it so much.

The following weekend brought the first barbecue of the year and a day of drinking prosecco in the sun to celebrate a friend’s birthday. This was quickly followed by our second barbie of the season, as Will had got his heart set on making maybe the most ridiculous meat dish I’ve ever had. Moink Balls, as featured in our Grillstock BBQ cookbook, involve homemade beef meatballs wrapped in streaky bacon, basted in BBQ sauce and cooked on the BBQ grill. They were kind of incredible but also definitely made me want to have a meat induced lie-down.

Rachael Seth Style

This month I had the great pleasure of meeting a good Instagram friend in real life. The lovely Rachael (@seth.style) stopped over in Bristol on a week of travels and we had a great time hanging out and chatting away over iced coffees at Little Victories. I’m always so full of gratitude for the connections and friends Instagram brings and transitioning from online to in person hangs is just the best.

For the four-day Easter weekend we headed to Devon to catch up with family and friends. The mini-break brought lunch out, walks to the local pub, a BBQ (yes another), foraging for wild garlic, a fair deal of chilling out and plenty of Easter chocolate!

Bristol Botanical Gardens Palm Leaves

The next weekend brought more friend catch ups and a wonderful visit to the Botanical Gardens. I can’t believe I hadn’t paid them a visit before, the beautiful gardens and glasshouses were a joy to look around and are a Instagramer’s dream! 🌿💚 Mooching around in beautiful surroundings with your favourite ones followed by an evening of good food and putting the world to rights – it was the sort of Saturday that had me saying “I’ve had such a lovely day” over and over.

Maximo Park Bristol

Not to be out done the last week and weekend of the month were just a full and lovely at the rest, especially as my favourite band were in town for a little in-store gig. Although I have tickets to see Maximo Park them on their tour next month I couldn’t miss the opportunity to see them in such an intimate setting, say hello and have them sign my new vinyl. I love them so much I even named this blog Once, A Glimpse after one of their songs <mega fan-girl>

We rounded off the month with another long weekend, which was definitely more chilled than the previous few. A walk along the river was a highlight, I’ll always love how easy it is to escape the city in Bristol.

The Rhythm Of My Working Day

Post author By CharlieSwift
Post date April 29, 2017
Categories In INTENTION, WORK
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“The value of a watch is not in being able to tell how much time has passed, but in being aware of the need to make that time count.”

I’ve written this post in collaboration with JORD wooden watches, this quote from their website sums up something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. Now I work for myself and my time is entirely my own to schedule and manage how I see fit, I find I’m acutely aware of the need to make my days productive and make the time spent working count.

Something that has become apparent in the half a year that I’ve been freelancing and working from home is how much the routines and rhythm of my day can impact on the way I work and my productivity. I don’t necessarily work on set tasks on particular days and my workload can vary from week to week so I like to think more about the way my days flow. Each day may look slightly different but if they follow the same rhythm it can keep me on track. There are a few habits and rituals I practice to help me out…

My-working-day-JORD-Watch-blossom

Time to focus

The early hours are all about getting in the right headspace to set me up right for the day.

Meditation helps me clear my mind and focus on one thing at a time and has become an important part of setting the rhythm for my day. I sit down to meditate as soon as I’ve got dressed, usually for 15-20 minutes in the morning before switching my computer on for the day. Sometimes I’ll take 5 minutes later in the day to do a min-meditation, this can be really useful to help switch from one project to another.

Although I love working from home I did use to enjoy that time spent walking to the office in the morning. So a few days a week I will make sure I get out of the house for a run at the local park or even just a short walk around the block.

My-working-week-JORD-Watches

Time to work

When it comes to getting down to work I’ll usually find myself sat at the dining table, or at the desk in our spare room.

Working from home by myself all day I’ve been so much more aware of any shifts in my focus and attention. Of course, there are no traditional distractions such as colleagues chatting or the office phone ringing but there’s still factors that will throw off my concentration. The very nature of working in social media means that constant notifications from multiple client accounts are inevitable, emails ping in, the housework can be hard to ignore and the postman even more so.

However, I’ve discovered that if I’ve got a long to-do list, I really benefit from adopting the Pomodoro method of time-management. It works by working in bursts of 25 minutes to focus only on one task and then taking a 5 minutes break. I really recommend it for people whose brains, like mine, try to think about a hundred things at once!

I always try to have a break away from my screen at lunch time. I love that being at home means I can always prepare a simple but nourishing lunch (often involving eggs). As the weather gets nicer I’ll take my plate outside and enjoy the sunshine at the garden as I eat. To accompany my break I will put on one of my favourite podcasts. I’ll usually turn to an inspirational creative show, such as Being Boss or Make It Happen, to spur me on with motivation for the afternoon.

As I said not every day is the same, sometime a have a busy day of meetings, a lot of writing to do or a day being more creative. The good thing about establishing a rhythm over a set routine is that it allows the flexibility to chance-up what I’m doing but stay on track.

Time to unwind

I suppose for some, the beauty of setting your schedule means being able to work outside of the traditional 9-5 office hours. I can see this being great if you’re a night owl or have children to consider, but for the most part working a standard day makes the most sense for me and means that once my husband gets home we have the evening to chill out together.

It’s funny, as I always thought I would be someone who preferred a less structured schedule but I definitely need a rhythm in place to keep my from feeling overwhelmed and to get the work done.

My-working-day-JORD-Watch-blossom

Keeping Time

I’ve written this post in collaboration with JORD wooden watches. I haven’t had a watch for years but the moment my Frankie 35 sandalwood watch arrived from JORD I fell for it completely and it’s barely left my wrist since. It’s a simple pleasure but it’s so nice to be able to keep track of time during the day without looking at my phone!

If you’d like to fall for a JORD Wooden Watch yourself you can enter to win a $100 voucher here. Open until May 14th.

Luxury Wooden Watch

Words: A Day Away

Every person needs to take one day away.
A day in which one consciously separates the past from the future.
Jobs, family, employers, and friends can exist one day without any one of us,
and if our egos permit us to confess, they could exist eternally in our absence.

Each person deserves a day away in which no problems are confronted,
no solutions searched for.
Each of us needs to withdraw from the cares which will not withdraw from us.

Maya Angelou (full poem here)

Perhaps the trend of sharing inspirational quotes and phrases online is seen as cheesy by some and I suppose there are some more famous quotations that get bandied about to the point of cliche. However, personally I’m thankful for this type of sharing because I think there’s something so special about coming across words that really resonate with you.

It might just be for a moment; you read a quote that lifts you up, provides inspiration or spurs some motivation that you were otherwise lacking. Or sometimes you come across quotes or phrases that speak to something deeper inside you and you know theses words will stay with you for a lot longer.

That’s how I felt when I first read A Day Away by Maya Angelou. Discovered on Instagram of course, these words although articulating something so simple just resonated with me. They are beautiful yet they feel instructional too; like a recipe for a more joyful life. Everyone needs A Day Away – to find some headspace, to unplug, to defend against burnout – it just makes a lot of sense doesn’t it?

Durdle Door Walking Away

For me a day away definitely involves a ‘digital detox’. I feel like it’s a cliche to say that these days, but I think it’s so important to take a break from the constant checking notifications and the mindless scrolling. Especially because all the apps and social channels are tools of my work, if I’m having a day away proper then I really have to disconnect entirely. I rely on social media daily; for distraction, for inspiration, for community and comfort, and to be honest I don’t mind relying on it for those things, but it definitely feels good to break the habit every now and then. I find that after a day or two of a blanket ban I am much more mindful of my usage – at least for a little while.

Ideally a day away for me would mean getting out of city; to the sea or the mountains. My head becomes the clearest when out in the wild and breathing in fresh air. I’m sure you might feel the same. That said, a day away doesn’t, and shouldn’t, have to be about literally getting away. It could be taking yourself to your favourite cafe or park, to a spa or to see a film.

I think the key, taking our cue from Maya Angelou, is a day spent not thinking about obligations or worrying on problems. Often it’s in those moments when you’re not searching for answers when things suddenly become oh so clear.

…

Maybe it’s something in the Spring air but I’ve noticed a couple of my blogging friends have recently put down thoughts in a similar vein. I urge you to go and read Lyzi’s post on Taking Time as well as Siobhan’s Lessons from the Mountains. Both are beautifully written, insightful pieces on taking a day (or days) away.

On Blogging

So, it’s been a good couple of months since I posted here. The hiatus wasn’t exactly planned, but it also wasn’t entirely unintentional either. Although I’ve been blogging in one form or another for the best part of a decade, I’ve never exactly been great when it comes to consistency. During the final few months of last year I found that having my focus on other things just didn’t allow the time, or creative headspace, to put into writing blog posts and I found myself thinking a lot about how I wanted proceed with blogging – if at all.

In October 2016 I signed up for Me & Orla’s Instagram E course and really threw myself into improving, developing and growing my Instagram channel. I found taking the course so inspiring and the work I’ve been putting in there has definitely been paying off. Along with improving my photography and growing my following and engagement, I have also made some lovely new friendships with fellow Instagrammers (a few of whom I’m hoping will be reading 🙋🏻). The thing is as I’ve been getting so much fulfilment out of Instagram I found myself wondering if there’s much point in keeping up blogging.

I now plan and create for Instagram the way I used to for my blog. It used to be if I was going to and event, out for a walk or even baking a cake, my DSLR would be right with me to document and the occasion would (eventually) find its way onto my blog. Although I never grew a particularly large readership, that little old blog helped me show off some skills in a couple of different job interviews and really was my way into a career in social media.

Despite launching with big ideas I haven’t given this space here at Once, A Glimpse anywhere near as much dedication as I did my old site. But yet here I am…

To be fair, when I launched this blog last spring I was on the cusp of a year that would prove to be full-on; I turned 30, bought a house and moved, we had a major family bereavement, I got made redundant and began working for myself. Despite not finding the time or general wherewithal to publish posts I never stopped writing, albeit in a sporadic kind of way. I have been writing content for clients along the way and contributed a few bits to local sites. Intermittently I got into the practice of doing morning pages, I’d scribble down ideas, kept gratitude journals on-and off and fill note books pages with half-formed blogs posts in-amongst to-do lists.

I think ultimately it’s that desire to keep writing that makes me know I’m not done with blogging. But I want to give more of myself to this space, not just hop on to re-hash Instagram content or post a quick playlist, not just keep up with the bare minimum so I can use it on my CV!

I toyed with the idea of trying something a bit different with the blog, to rekindle my inspiration… choosing a particular theme, or something like that. But, ultimately I realised I would be creating more of a rod for my own back. So, I decided instead to just chill about it… and lo and behold there’s three posts scheduled for this month already!

There’s a few things I know I would like to work towards on the blog – like including posts related to social media and other elements of my freelance work, sharing some of the changes I’ve been making over the last year and generally just go deeper with my blog writing…but no grand plans or promises to stick to a posting schedule. I’ll be here, more wholeheartedly and hopefully more often, and when I’m not – you know where to find me.

Dear January…

Dear January, for me you were a month of contrasts – busy yet slow, pretty darn damp but also “dry”, not particularly blue necessarily but undoubtably bleak. At times I’ve wanted to bury my head in the sand and ignore what’s going on in the world, but at others I’ve been unable to tear myself away from the news.

The new year brought new clients and exciting new work opportunities. Aware that so much newness all at once could threaten to overwhelm, I did my best to “arm myself”- meditating before starting work most mornings, trying to managing my time well, leaning into the business and enjoying my full days. It’s a constant learning curve.

As much as your weekdays were busy, your weekends were quiet and slow; reserved for movies, lie-ins, mooching, friends and cooking of course. There was the therapeutic new year clear out, continuing the epic decluttering that began in 2016, each purge feels more and more freeing. This year even unwanted Christmas presents went straight into bags for charity, taking with them the usually inevitable feeling of guilt that comes months later when these items have had no use. Smug ex-hoarder here – sorry!

charlie swift, craspedia billy ball flowers

You then went oddly musical in the middle there January, as I greeted grey mornings with bursts of ‘Another Day of Sun’ and spent days singing along so loudly I’m sure I drove my neighbours La La!

January, your last day felt much like your first – minus the hangover – grey, damp, dreary. But underneath it there’s something more, daffodils in the shop, fresh growth in the garden, longer days , with a promise to soon bloom and bring brighter days.

Playlist: Winter Winds

Winter Winds playlist

This is a playlist I return to every year around this time. A playlist of songs that aren’t quite Chrismassy but seem to evoke the seasonal spirit.

It’s perfect if you’re beginning to feel festive but you aren’t quite ready to embrace Bing just yet…maybe you’re a Grinchy Christmas music hater, or maybe you just love folky types singing about winter – either way, this one’s for you!

Track List

Kate Bush – Army Dreamers
Antony and the Johnsons – For Today I am A Boy
Mumford & Sons – Winter Winds
Laura Marling – Goodbye England Covered In Snow
Martin Grech – Push
The Staves – Winter Trees
Joni Mitchell – River
Matthew and the Atlas – Come Out Of The Woods
Rufus Wainwright – Hallelujah

Check out my other playlists and recommendations in the Music + Playlists series.

(image via Unsplash)

Squash Watch

During autumn over the last few years I have been sharing pumpkin pictures on Instagram with the hashtag #SquashWatch.

When I started popping the Squash Watch tag on my posts back in 2014 it was really just so I could look back through them myself; nothing makes me happier than the sight of pretty pumpkins at this time of year. The idea of the Instagram community connecting via a hashtag was not so much of a thing two years ago as it is today, not in a way I was aware of anyhow.

Since my lovely friend Kym shared the #SquashWatch love, the # feed has been filling up and looking so very gourd-geous! This post features just a few of my favourites but please jump on to Instagram and marvel at the beautifully styled shots on the feed; it is entirely my happy place right now. And of course, keep tagging #SquashWatch – Halloween may have been and gone but the pumpkin party is still going strong on Instagram!

The Pig near Bath: Our First Wedding Anniversary

Post author By CharlieSwift
Post date October 29, 2016
Categories In WANDER
No Comments on The Pig near Bath: Our First Wedding Anniversary

The Pig is a small chain of hotels with five locations across the south of England. As a self-proclaimed “restaurant with rooms” The Pig is a dream getaway for foodies so treating ourselves to a night at The Pig near Bath was the perfect way to celebrate our first wedding anniversary.

The Pig near Bath the-pig-near-bath-01 The Pig near Bath, hotel room, bed

Wanting to make the most of our time away we headed out of Bristol just after lunchtime and checked in at The Pig in the early afternoon.

Opting for a ‘Snug’ room (The Pig’s smallest, cheapest option) certainly didn’t feel as though we were scrimping in terms of luxury at all. The lovely room, with its Pinterest-worthy bathroom, huge bed and gorgeous countryside view was perfect for us and included all those little touches that make a stay feel that bit more special. I’m almost certain you won’t find such a well-stocked room fridge in any other hotel! As tempting as it was to just don robes and stay in bed all day devouring the contents of the mini-larder, heading out to explore the grounds won out.

The gardens at The Pig near Bath are some of the best kitchen gardens I’ve ever had the pleasure of wandering around. I think we were especially lucky to visit at what, in my opinion at least, is the best time for gorgeous produce; surely there is nothing better than a greenhouse full of pumpkins?! We had such a dreamy afternoon wandering around the grounds, admiring the abundance of veg, visiting the resident pigs and deer. We also shared a pizza from the outdoor oven and enjoyed a couple of beers in the September sun.
The Pig near Bath The Pig near Bath, Pizza The Pig near Bath, bread trolley

One of the things I love about The Pig near Bath is how many different spots there are to just stop and sit and enjoy your surroundings. There’s just something that delights me so much about a well-placed bench in a secluded spot or a vintage armchair in a cosy nook – it conjures up and encourages ultimate relaxing experiences – drinks on the terrace, conversations under the trees, watching the sunset over the deer field, reading by the fireside. Of course, all this luxuriating and relaxing can be taken to the next level as The Pig has a potting shed spa treatment room – next time maybe!

The Pig near Bath The Pig near Bath, The Pig near Bath, greenhouse

Starting with a celebratory cocktail in the bar, dinner was divine. In our typical indecisive nature, we opted to share a selection of ‘Piggy Bits’, starters and small plates to try as much of the menu as possible. Everything was delicious with Will and I agreeing that the cured salmon, which is smoked on site, was honestly some of the very best smoked salmon we’d ever had; and despite all the amazing things we sampled our resounding favourite dish was the bacon jam on toast!

After dinner we decided to retire to the library room to enjoy a cheese board and another couple glasses of red wine, we even found our favourite board game. Sat in the cosy room by a roaring fire, playing backgammon with cheese and wine we felt quite at home.

The Pig near Bath, greenhouse The Pig near Bath, dining room The Pig near Bath, sunset

The breakfast spread at The Pig is what I imagine mornings must look like in heaven – fresh sourdough, homemade granola, boil-your-own eggs; plus we ordered from the cooked breakfast menu to boot!

Determined to squeeze every last moment out of our stay, we ordered a final coffee after we checked out and whiled away another hour with a book in the comfort of the drawing room. Can you tell I would have happily stayed at The Pig near Bath forever!?

The Pig near Bath The Pig near Bath, dining room

I’m a girl who enjoys life’s simple pleasures so to me, true luxury is feeling totally relaxed in beautiful surroundings accompanied by good food… that said, what can’t be improved on by a sea view and fresh seafood? Pig on the Beach I’ve got my eye on you for the next special occasion!