Tent Sniffing for Beginners

Wasps haven't been as numerous this year as other years and I for one am grateful for that. I know that all creatures have their place in the food chain, and that destroying every wasp on the planet would be bad, but it's pretty hard to love a wasp. In the spring they are industrious little gits, bringing up the wasp babies and catching and eating many a caterpillar and maggot, helping the gardener (though causing many butterfly tears no doubt as yet another baby is carried off to the paper house of death) Photo Copyright: viktor2013 / 123RF Stock Photo   In the summer they potter about looking for fruit and as the year progresses they become the total pain in the arses we all know and hate. Inebriated on fermented apple, and searching for a fight like the angry drunks they are, they waiver about the place indecisively looking for places to land. Drawn as they are to meat (I once watched amazed as one tried and almost succeeded to fly off with a piece of steak twice...

Friday again and I'm still after your outside food posts. (see how persistent I am? You may as well join in!) This week has seen me back at work after a summer of festivals and camping. So this weeks outdoor food is a fondly remembered meal in a field at a festival. I do wish I could be at festivals all summer long, they really are fabulous! Have you been eating outside and blogged about it? Have you a recipe that travels well for a camper or hiker? A cake that resists squashing in a rucksack? All outdoor food themed posts gladly accepted. Please grab a badge for your blog (I'd love if you did this even if you don't have a post to link up) and link up below. Please also share on social media if you can - I'd like some posts to read! Thank you (I'll try and do a recipe next week - what sort of things would be good? warming winter soups or cake for mountain walks?)  Outdoor Food on Friday Linky Click Here

I know how time and calendars work but still, September! Gosh it seems time is whizzing by - I'm so many blog posts behind as I've been having such a fun summer under canvas, now you'll all be able to catch up with what I've been up to as I catch up with blog posts during the long wet weekends of autumn and winter. But more of that later! Fire in an upcycled washing machine drum, great for windy days (and marshmallows) Right now it's Outdoor food time. Last week I was braving torrential rain, gale force winds and the wild camp sites of the Isle of Wight with my daughter, my brother, and my niece. Despite the atrocious weather we did manage to cook and eat outside a fair bit - large fried breakfasts being a favourite, with bottles of cava and brandy in the evening, well you have to keep the chill at bay! Have you been cooking or eating outside? Do you have a recipe to share? Please grab the badge (copy and paste the code in the box below) and display it on ...

Well! It's the end of August (almost) and next outdoor food linky day all the kids will be back at school. Will we all still find time to eat outside? I suspect that a cup of tea in the garden will start to be the only outdoor food I get. But I hope that doesn't stop you finding a recipe to link up - something you plan to try on a next camping trip, a sandwich you think might travel well, not only to school but for a picnic. What items would you add to the prefect end of summer picnic? Have you had a last outdoor meal with the children before school? Do grab a badge and link up below, I'd love to read your post! center "> href =" http :// www . tentsandfestivals .co. uk /search/label/ ofof " title="Outdoor Food on Friday"> img src =" http ://4. bp . blogspot .com/- BFvoDsEdUxY /VXCmIJW9gII/ AAAAAAAAQZo / fmXjckoTDtU /s1600/ rsz _2img_2605%2Bsmall. jpg " alt="Outdoor Food on Friday" style="border:none;"...

Friday is here again and once more I'm putting my linky out there to see if you'll share an outdoor eating or cooking post. As you are reading this I will be driving off to Wadfest , a small festival full of large hearted people. There will be zombie Nerf battles, murder mystery parties and outdoor cocktail parties. I'm hoping to cook some bacon this trip (I keep forgetting to take any!) and maybe some eggs, I'm also tempted to try pancakes and maybe the apple pancake recipe I mentioned on my other blog! (don't panic, I'll link it below) I haven't had a camping fry up in ages, now if the rain could just keep off that would be great! Do you have a fab camping recipe? Have you blogged about a family BBQ or picnic? I need to know! Grab a badge and link up below. center "> href =" http :// www . tentsandfestivals .co. uk /search/label/ ofof " title="Outdoor Food on Friday"> img src =" http ://4. bp . blogspot .co...

Not my competition but one I saw online, you might like to try and win a camping holiday. Fairly easy to enter via social media, though you'll have to act fast as it closes on 23rd August The competition is being run by Stavely Head Insurance and you can find out all about it and the prizes here. HERE’S HOW TO ENTER Follow Staveley Head on  Twitter  or like them on  Facebook Share your favourite (or funniest) memories of camping holidays by tweeting them @Staveley_Head  or posting on their Facebook Page   using the hashtag #CampingMemories– photos are welcome too! They’ll choose their favourite entry and announce the winner on the 24 th  August and that's it! I might have to tell them about the ants nest!

I’ve been quiet on the blog lately. It’s summer time (yes really, despite the weird weather) and so it is my favourite time, Festival Season. I started in May of course, then there was a long gap  (picture my sad face here) but then it was July and at the end of it there was Camp Bestival! Yippee! This year the headliners were the Kaiser Chiefs so with a huge dose of over excitement I had bought my tickets as soon as they were available. I once thought DD had grown too old for Camp Bestival, after all it’s Bestival’s younger sibling; a festival that caters for breastfeeding mums, tiny babies, toddlers, and over excited 4 year old Mr Tumble fans. But since the arrival of the Den and this year a really excellent lineup (my teen demanded a T shirt with the band list on the back this year, a sure fire way to check if your festival is ‘cool’) we are both back in love again, in fact DD has declared it once again has the top slot in her ‘favourite festivals’. We arrived on Thurs...