OUR WEEKEND IN DERBY

Last Saturday, September 17, 2016, we (with husband) went to Derby for the weekend and I love it! We took the National Express from London Victoria Coach Station.  This was our second time to book with National Express, what's great about this coach is if you book your ticket well in advance you get a great deal off your ticket.  We stayed in the Premiere Inn (Cathedral Quarter) and it was awesome.  The room clean, the bed was so comfortable and the best part of the room was the view of the Silk Mill and the river Derwent from our hotel room window perfect.

What I would like to have done differently was arrive Friday afternoon instead of Saturday in order to get inside Derby Museum and Art Gallery to visit the world's largest collection of Joseph Wright's paintings and Derby Silk Mill.

Here are the reasons why I love Derby and why it's a must visit.

1.  Derby Pyclet Parlour

I love these flat crumpets!  I think they are better than crumpets in my humble opinion.  Paul tried it with salmon and horseradish cream and he loved it.  I tried it with Stilton, honey and walnuts, and even though I'm not a big fan of Stilton, the combination of the three was so perfect that I'm now converted. I love it. Great news you can now order online at  http://www.pycletparlour.co.uk

2.  Derby Cathedral

This magnificent cathedral dates back from 14th century and one of Derby's dominant and majestic landmarks.  I love the tower and it's cathedral bells.  Each day the bells played out different tune sounding out nine in the morning, at noon and six in the evening.  We were so pleased to attend the Cathedral Eucharist on Sunday.  The service was beautiful and the choir was excellent.  For more information visit their website at http://www.derbycathedral.org

3.  Silk Mill Ale & Cider House

I highly recommend this place and make sure to book in advance to avoid disappointment as the place was busy.  We walked in and we were lucky to get a table.  The food was great and the staff friendly.  We both ordered from the fish menu.  Paul had Brixed Grill and I had Port Issac and we both loved our choices.  For more information visit their website at http://www.thesilkmillderby.co.uk

4.  Cathedral Green, Derby Silk Mill and river Derwent

In 2009, the whole area of the cathedral green leading to the river Derwent was beautifully landscaped at a cost of £4.2 million.  At the banks of the river Derwent stands Derby's stunning Silk Mill and is the gateway to the UNESCO world heritage site.  The Silk Mill is open Thursday 3PM - 9PM, Friday and Saturday 1PM - 5PM and Sunday 11AM - 3PM and entrance is Free.

Statue of Bonnie Prince Charlie at the Cathedral Green

Derby Silk Mill and River Derwent

View from our hotel window

5.  Cathedral Quarter Free Audio Tour

Explore the Cathedral Quarter by downloading these tours onto your MP3 player or by accessing them on your mobile phone through the i-tags on the signboards in the streets.  I suggest doing this tour first thing in the morning when there are not many people around.

http://www.derbycathedralquarter.co.uk/media/

i-tags on the signboard

Follow me on Instagram for more of my city trips https://www.instagram.com/bbjing23/

Please leave me a comment on what city in England  I will do next.  Happy travels.

#ChallenJing40

MY VISIT TO THE CATHEDRAL CITY OF PETERBOROUGH

Hello everyone!  So today, my husband and I visited Peterborough, the second city in England I visited as part of my challenge. We took the Cooks coach from Basildon, Essex.  We arrived in Peterborough at 1130 AM and had 5 hours to spend in the city.  So we headed straight to the Cathedral because I booked a 2 PM Cathedral tour and to be honest we are hoping to catch the tower tour which starts at 1130 AM but when we got there obviously the tower tour already started right on time. They had another Tower tour at 1:45 PM but it conflicts with the 2 PM Cathedral tour we booked.  So the Cathedral volunteer suggested we can just add £2 each on top of our prebooked Cathedral Tour to join the Tower tour at 1:45 PM.  And then purchase a Cathedral pocket guide for £3 to walk around the Cathedral on our own.  Since we had plenty of time to spare due to the rainy weather and we can't explore the city without getting soaking wet we decided to do just that.  It was a brilliant idea at that time until we got up to the tower.  I forgot that I have a fear of heights and the steps leading up to the towers were very steep so WARNING it's not for the faint-hearted.  We understand now why we need to sign a disclaimer form.  I survived it but I was holding the rails for dear life!  But you'll be rewarded with a spectacular view of Peterborough on a bright, sunny day.  For us not so spectacular as it was raining.  But still a great experience I will never forget.

Entrance to the cathedral is free but if you want to take photographs or films you will need to purchase a camera permit for £3.  But since we booked a tour, the camera permit is already included in the price.  There are 3 tours you can book in advance online before you get there or you can pay at the cathedral shop. £8 (£6 concessions) for the Cathedral Tour (2 PM Monday to Saturday), £10 (£8 concessions) for the Tower tours (selected date only) and £8 (£6 concessions) for the Precints tours (selected date only).  They have a special price when you book both the Cathedral tour and Precints tour for the same date for £13 (£10 concessions).   For more information you can check out their website at http://www.peterborough-cathedral.org.uk

I highly recommend you to visit this magnificent cathedral.

After we visited Peterborough Cathedral, we only have time for a late lunch so we went to Argo Lounge.  They are located just right outside the cathedral along Bridge street, right next to Natwest Bank.  I love this place, the food were great, the atmosphere was pretty relax and they have a vegan and gluten free option.  For more information you can visit their website at http://thelounges.co.uk/lounges/argo-lounge/

Despite the rainy weather we enjoyed our day trip to Peterborough.

MY DAY TRIP IN THE CITY OF NORWICH

Today I visited Norwich with my husband.  It is my first time to visit this beautiful city full of history.  We took a coach trip and only had 4 hours to spend in the city so we had to scale down our list of places to see and do.  Generally whenever I visit a new city I always make a list of important things I want to see and do.  It will always include a visit to a Cathedral or church, an old pub to either grab a drink or a quick bite to eat and a special place that is unique to that particular city.  So here are my top 3 must see and do in Norwich if you only have a day or a few hours, in our case. 

1.  NORWICH CATHEDRAL

First on my list of must visit is this 900 year old cathedral.  It's full of history that I suggest you take the free guided tour in order to gain a greater insight into this 900 year old building.  Tour starts on the hour from 1100am - 300pm Monday to Saturday, lasting for an hour and departing from the rear of the nave.  Entrance to the cathedral is free but they have a suggested donation of £5 for adult. And if you're not one of these people who enjoys a guided tour, they also have a welcome brochure provided to all visitors so you can explore the cathedral building at your own pace.  Allow 2 hours at least for your visit. For more information you can visit http://www.cathedral.org.uk

My top 3 favourites from the tour are the roof bosses, the cloisters and the ornate wood carvings of the misericords.

The famous green man roof boss

The Cloisters

one of the beautiful wood carvings of the choir seats

2.  ELM HILL

The most famous street of Norwich with its beautiful cobbled street, rows of character merchant's houses, specialty shops and small cafes.  I loved walking along this street, it's like travelling back in time.

3.  THE MURDERERS AND THE GARDENERS ARMS PUB

I like a good old pub with an interesting history to go with it.  This one dates back to 1696.  The trading name is The Gardeners Arms Pub but the pub is famously known as The Murderers due to its grisly and macabre history.  For more information visit their website 

http://www.themurderers.co.uk/#_=_

This used to be an alleyway (The entrance to the Murderers)

Our visit to Norwich was short but sweet but we had such a wonderful time. I hope to visit this beautiful city again.  If you want to know more about the city of Norwich you can visit their website http://www.visitnorwich.co.uk or you can leave me a comment and I will try my best to answer your questions.

Please check out this 40 seconds video clip  of  my visit.

VEGAN AND GLUTEN FREE LASAGNA

This recipe serves 4.

Ingredients:

1 cup green lentils from M&S
1 can Italian chopped tomatoes from Cook Italian
2 garlic cloves chopped
3 small shallots chopped
1 stick celery chopped
1 carrot shredded
1 bell pepper chopped
2 Tbsp rapeseed oil
1 pint hot water
1 heaped Tbsp vegan bouillon powder from Marigold
Free from lasagna sheets from M&S
half a tub of garlic & herb from Creamy Sheese
vegan mozzarella from Vbites

Method:

Saute garlic, shallots, celery, carrot & bell pepper in oil until softened.

Add lentil and cook for 10 minutes.

Add tomatoes and stock (mixing bouillon powder in hot water).

Cook for at least an hour in low heat - the longer and slower you cook the better.

Check the sauce, season according to your taste for me I did not need to add any salt or pepper.

You want the sauce to be nice and thick.

In a 26 x 20 cm roasting tin layer the bolognese sauce, then lasagna sheets, then spread the creamy sheese, then another layer of sauce, pasta sheets, creamy sheese and top with bolognese sauce a thinly sliced mozzarella.

Baked for 30 mins in an 180C oven and further 10 mins on 200C oven to brown the cheese.

Serve hot.  Enjoy!

The bolognese sauce is also perfect for any pasta base like spaghetti, tagliatelle, etc.

Please share your creation on Instagram with a #ChallenJing40

VISIT 40 CITIES IN ENGLAND

As of 2015, there are currently a total of 69 cities in the United Kingdom.  51 in England, 7 in Scotland, 6 in Wales and 5 in Northern Ireland. (Wikipedia)

My challenge focus on visiting 40 of 51 cities in England which I have never visited before.  Here are the list of 51 cities in England:

1.  Bath √
2.  Birmingham √
3.  Bradford
4.  Brighton & Hove √
5.  Bristol
6.  Cambridge √
7.  Canterbury √
8.  Carlisle
9.  Chelmsford √
10.  Chester
11.  Chichester √
12.  Coventry
13.  Derby √
14.  Durham
15.  Ely √
16.  Exeter
17.  Gloucester
18.  Hereford
19.  Kingston upon Hull
20.  Lancaster
21.  Leeds
22.  Leicester
23.  Lichfield
24.  Lincoln
25.  Liverpool √
26.  City of London √
27.  Manchester √
28.  Newcastle upon Tyne
29.  Norwich √
30.  Nottingham
31.  Oxford √
32.  Peterborough √
33.  Plymouth
34.  Portsmouth
35.  Preston
36.  Ripon
37.  St. Albans √
38.  Salford
39.  Salisbury √
40.  Sheffield
41.  Southampton
42.  Stoke on Trent
43.  Sunderland
44.  Truro
45.  Wakefield
46.  Wells
47.  City of Westminster √
48.  Winchester √
49.  Wolverhampton
50.  Worcester
51.  York √

Fun Facts:

*  So what is a city you may ask?  The Oxford English dictionary defines 'city' as a 'large town' or  'a town created a city by charter and containing a cathedral'.
*  In the United Kingdom however, not every city has a cathedral and not all cathedrals are found in the city.
*  Not all large towns in the United Kingdom are officially designated as cities and there are a number of UK cities which are no bigger than an average towns or even villages.
*  There are no specific criteria which automatically grant city status in the United Kingdom.
*  In present times, city status in the United Kingdom is granted by the British monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II.

Source:  http://www.ukcities.co.uk

So join me in discovering new cities in your own country and share it in any of my social media.  Subscribe or follow me so you will have an up to date information of my challenges with a

#ChallenJing40

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First stop on the list will be Norwich.  Blog to follow after my trip.  Please like and share.

Charity to sponsor to follow.

DRESS WITH 40 ITEMS OR LESS IN 40 DAYS

It's been a month since I started going vegan and gluten free for 40 days. I must admit it wasn't easy!  There are days that I wanted to quit but I am still holding on. I kept reminding myself this is for charities.  So please support and help whenever you can. I still have 9 more days to go and I will give you my thoughts and experiences on my next blog once I've completed these challenges. For a week I also took the pledge to go plastic free. http://www.plasticfreejuly.org I also updated my 40 challenges.  So please check my previous blog out.

For the month of August I will be doing a few more challenges on my list. But this blog will focus more on #36 of my challenge, make over my wardrobe and dress with 40 items or less in 40 days.  This is loosely based on Project 333. http://bemorewithless.com/project-333/ 

If you want to join me on this challenge, here are the rules:

WHEN:  For 40 days (It's never too late to start so join in anytime!)

WHAT:  40 items including clothing, accessories, jewellery, outerwear and shoes

WHAT NOT:  These items are not counted as part of the 40 items - wedding ring or another sentimental piece of jewellery that you never take off, underwear, sleep wear, in-home lounge wear and workout clothing (you can only wear your workout clothing to workout)

HOW:  Choose your 40 items, box up the remainder of your fashion statement and put it out of sight.

WHAT ELSE:  Remember this is not a project in suffering. If your clothes don't fit or are in poor condition, replace them.  

WHICH CHARITY:  OXFAM

WHY:  Since 2008 M&S in partnership with OXFAM  have been shwopping old clothes to help OXFAM's work to end poverty.  Shwopped clothes are resold, reused and recycled providing clean water, saving lives and re-building communities.  For more information please visit M&S website.  

So join me it will be fun and you will be helping OXFAM with all their wonderful work!

If you want to join me, please leave me a comment here or to any of my other social media and share your experience with a #ChallenJing40  

https://twitter.com/BbJing23
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Thank you for being so cool and supportive!

VEGAN AND GLUTEN FREE OKONOMIYAKI

I have been wanting to try this recipe out for ages and today I finally cooked this for dinner.   I've searched the internet, watched several videos for some inspirations and learned that there are different types of okonomiyaki.  The only thing that doesn't change on the recipe is the cabbage.   Great way to eat cabbage if you're not a big fan and I got my husband to eat one of his least favourite vegetables which was amazing! And here is my take on the vegan and gluten free okonomiyaki.  Hope you like it! (serves 2)

For the ingredients you will need:

1 cup gluten free plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon milled flaxseed (egg substitute)

3/4 cup hot water

1 packet Clearspring organic brown rice instant miso soup paste (or alternative miso paste)

Fry light cooking spray (I used coconut oil)

2 cups thinly sliced cabbage

1 cup beansprout

1 spring onions chopped

1/2 cup Cauldron marinated tofu pieces

vegan mayo for garnish (substitute for vegan kewpie mayonnaise)

Sweet Mandarin barbecue sauce for garnish (substitute for okonomi sauce)

Roasted Sweet Potato chips for garnish

1.  In a bowl add 1 cup of plain flour and baking powder and whisk together.

2.  In a jug add 1 tablespoon milled flaxseed, 3/4 cup hot water and the miso paste whisk together to combine and set aside.

3.  In a non stick hot pan spray a thin layer of oil and cook the cabbage (in traditional okonomiyaki recipe you add raw cabbage to the batter mix I prefer to slightly cook the vegetables).  Remove the cabbage and then slightly cook the beansprout.

4.  Add the miso liquid to the flour mixture and whisk until the batter is free from lump.

5.  Add the spring onions, cabbage, beansprout and tofu pieces.

6.  Traditionally okonomiyaki is cooked on the grill/griddle but I used a non stick pan.  Spray the coconut oil in the hot pan.  Add the batter mixture to form a size of a pancake, cover with lid while cooking.  Cook both sides until golden brown.

7.  Serve immediately with your choice of garnish on top.  I had some roasted sweet potatoes.  Enjoy!

BANANA AND PEANUT BUTTER PANCAKE

yields 2 pancakes

Ingredients:

1 banana, medium size
1 tablespoon milled flaxseed, I used Linwoods
1 tablespoon milled chia seed, I used Chia Bia
1 tablespoon gluten free oat bran, I used Bob's Red Mill
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1 teaspoon pure maple syrup, or more if you prefer your pancake sweet
100 ml almond milk, more if you don't like it thick
pinch of cinnamon
coconut oil for frying
yogurt
blueberries
strawberries


1.  Blend the first 8 ingredients in a food processor until smooth (I used my smoothie maker).  Add extra milk if you prefer your batter thin in consistency.
2.  In a non stick pan or griddle add coconut oil over a very low heat swirl the coconut oil around the pan until melted and the pan is well coated with oil.
3.  Add the batter and fry gently until golden brown and flip onto the other to cook.
4.  Serve immediately with yogurt, blueberries and strawberries or any fruit you prefer.  Drizzle with more maple syrup on top.

GOING VEGAN AND GLUTEN FREE FOR 40 DAYS

A week ago I turned 40 years old, an age I was not sure I would reach.  Tomorrow July 1st will be the end of my 6 weeks recovery post hysterectomy.  And I am getting better and better each day.  On my birthday last week I decided to set myself 40 challenges in my 40th year (you can read my previous blog 40 Challenges in My 40th Year). So far I achieved one challenge on my birthday party and the money (£70) went to British Heart Foundation.  Thank you for your generous donation.  So on to the next challenge on my list.  Starting tomorrow July 1st, I will go vegan and gluten free for 40 days, not an easy thing to do and I will need all your help, support and encouragement.  I will set up a just giving fundraising page for 3 charities (as I'll be doing 2 challenges from my list).  The Charities PETA UK and The Vegan Society for my vegan challenge and Coeliac UK for my gluten free challenge.  If you would like to donate you can go to my just giving page.

https://www.justgiving.com/account/your-pages/Janette-Kemp

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Janette-Kemp1
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Janette-Kemp2

You can also follow me on my other social media to see how I'm getting on with a  #ChallenJing40

https://twitter.com/BbJing23

https://www.instagram.com/BbJing23/

https://www.facebook.com

https://www.youtube.com/user/BbJing23

Once again thank you for all your support. Don't forget to leave me a comment on any of my social media and please share and spread the word.  

MY 40th BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

Thank you to all my family and friends who came and celebrate my 40th birthday despite the lightning, thunderstorm and heavy rain.  It was great to see you all and I had such a wonderful time.  I also would like to thank you all for the birthday cards, wonderful presents and most especially for helping my chosen charity British Heart Foundation.  We've raised a total of £70.  Thank you so much for your generosity.  I also met one of my challenges yehey! (no. 19 buy a complete outfit for £40).  And here's how I did it!

For my cardigan I got ages ago on sale from Primark for under £10 bargain.  

The T-shirt I bought from Amazon  for £4.99 including postage.

 https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00XP65NDU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The skirt again from amazon for £10.99.  Postage is free because I've got an Amazon prime.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00UV7H5F0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The belt was old and I bought on sale but a similar on Amazon cost from £3.99.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Vintage-Fashion-Elastic-Stretch-Waistband/dp/B01AN53Y18/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1466954287&sr=8-2&keywords=vintage+style+belt

Finally my shoes I also bought on Amazon for £6.99.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01AGOU2SO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

A total of £36.96!

Once again thank you for all your support so far and for celebrating my 40th birthday with me.  And I am very excited and looking forward to starting my other challenges very soon.  You can follow me on my other social media to see how I'm getting on.

https://twitter.com/BbJing23

https://www.instagram.com/BbJing23/

https://www.facebook.com

Please leave me a comment or suggestions on any of my social media and please share.  Thank you!

40 CHALLENGES IN MY 40TH YEAR

I am now only 5 days away from hitting 40 (June 23), an age I thought I wasn't sure that I would ever reach.  A year ago, I felt pain and a big lump on my abdomen that I thought was cancer.  Thank goodness they were fibroids (had 2), which are a benign muscular growths within the wall of the uterus causing heavy and painful periods.  

And on 20th of May I went and had a laparoscopic hysterectomy, to those who doesn't know what a hysterectomy is, it's an operation to remove your womb (uterus).  I'm now in my week 5 post surgery and was wondering (been doing that a lot) recently what I could do meaningful and productive on my 40th birthday.  

So whilst searching the internet, I discovered a lot of bucket lists (most common trend is 40 things to do before 40), but since I only have a few days  left before I turn 40 it won't be possible.  So instead I set myself 40 challenges to do before my next birthday.  I decided the list would be a good mix of fun things and some tough things that will make me work hard to raise fund for a good cause.  I came up with more than 40 just in case one or two become impossible. The target is to raise £4000, helping 40 charities.  

To kickstart my fundraising, I thought I will start with a charity that is very close to my heart on my 40th birthday party, British Heart Foundation.  If you would like to donate you can go to my justgiving page or you can find it at http://www.justgiving.com/BbJing23

Many thanks for your support in advance!

Janette x

Here are my 40+ challenges all for charity in no particular order!

1.  Get 40 people to support and do at least one of the challenges with me

2.  Collect 40 shiny £1 coin

3.  Get ingredients donated to bake 40 cakes and sell them (September McMillan Coffee Morning)

4.  Bake & sell 40 cupcakes (Bake for Heroes)

5.  Make 40 cups of tea in a day

6.  Climb 40 floors in a building (Tower 42 Vertical Rush for Shelter)

7.  Read 40 books 

8.  Receive postcards from 40 people from 40 different countries (Postcrossing)

9.  Go plastic free for a week in the month of July http://www.plasticfreejuly.org √
10.  Go gluten free diet for 40 days √

11.  Make & sell 40 greeting cards (Movember in November)

12.  Fast for 40 hours

13.  Eat 40 different types of fruit

14.  Try 40 different types of cheeses (Cheese Leadenhall)

15.  Go vegan diet for 40 days √

16.  Visit 40 pubs in 40 different towns or villages in Essex

17.  Post 40 blog entries

18.  Cook or bake 40 new recipes

19.  Buy a complete outfit for £40 √

20.  Have a movie marathon with 40 in the title or watch 40 movies on the imdb top 250 list

http://www.imdb.com/chart/top

21.  Do 40 hours volunteering

22.  Get a signed photo of a celebrity who is going to be 40 this year

23.  Sell 40 things on eBay

24.  Visit 40 interesting national trust houses & buildings

25.  learn to say hello in 40 languages (Postcrossing)

26.  Do a charity walk (complete 40 km)

27.  Send 40 postcards from my home town (Postcrossing)

28.  learn to say thank you in 40 languages (Postcrossing)

29.  Drink only water for 40 days (January 2017 for WaterAid UK)

30.  Make £40 at a car boot sale

31.  Find 40 people with the same name

32.  Visit 40 of London's most unusual museums 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/united-kingdom/england/london/articles/Londons-most-unusual-museums-50-of-the-best-part-one/

33.  Do 40 hours sponsored silence

34.  Turn my phone & computer off & have no Facebook, Twitter or Instagram contact for 40 hours

35.  Visit 40 cities in England
36.  Make over my wardrobe (dress with 40 items or less in 40 days) loosely based on project 333

http://bemorewithless.com/project-333/

37.  Listen to the top 40 best selling singles of all time non stop

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_singles

38.  Listen to the top 40 best selling album of all time for 40 consecutive days

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_albums

39.  Go on a road trip/drive 40 miles on the A40/M40

40.  Give 40 Free Hugs in a day

41.  Ride for 40 minutes on a horse

42.  Have a party for at least 40 people

43.  Do 10,000 steps a day for 40 days (September for Cancer Research UK)
44.  Do Hadrian's Wall Trek (16 June 2017)
45.  Vlogging for 40 days (October & December 2016)

I am going to give you an update for some of the challenges below.  So where I have to get 40 people or read 40 books or listened to CDs, etc.  you can see my progress and what I've done!

You can also follow me on my Twitter, Instagram & Facebook account 

https://twitter.com/BbJing23

https://www.instagram.com/BbJing23/

https://www.facebook.com

Please leave me a comment or two or suggestions on any of my social media pages and spread the word.   I can and I will!!!