Just Humans Being...

When we think about having a meal out, we often forget about  The Lost Gardens Of Heligan , which is just on our doorstep. For the last year, the chefs have been much more adventurous & on occasions have whipped up great food especially for us.  Today we were tired & hungry, we'd popped into the farm shop next door to Heligan & thought we'd just see if there was anything on...  Imagine our delight when we discovered they were doing a vegan gardener's lunch - simple meals using their garden produce... It was cheaper than usual & when they mentioned that the soup was also vegan, we got very excited - we just had to have it!  Delicious pumpkin, coconut & ginger Soup... Nut roast, mashed sweet potato, roasted beetroot, greens & gravy... A wonderfully tasty meal! And to top it all - we bagged the table with the exotic view! Kay & Sime xx

Another day in the Smith household...  This is what happens very early in the morning - Bebe gets up at around 6am (when she does sleep) & she likes to get herself ready for the day! After the video I spent ages looking for her other lilac sock & eventually found that she'd put them both on the same foot - which does happen sometimes!  On other occasions, Bebe can be fully dressed complete with her lace up shoes tied & yet she can't work out how to tie them when I'm in the room! Have a good day! Kay xx

Sunday night we made a lentil & vegetable stew, which we forgot to photograph... Nevermind here's 3 nights of leftovers! Monday night, we added the last of the kale (buried on the right), butter beans & rice... Tuesday night, we made more rice, turned the stew into a curry & baked sweet potato wedges & cauliflower... Tonight, we warmed up the remainder, baked some potatoes & fried up (in water & soy sauce) some leeks, tofu, mushrooms & fresh turmeric... We keep our cooking simple when working lots & never waste a morsel! Hugo & Jess will be pleased to hear that there will be something fresh for tomorrow night's dinner! Kay & Sime xx

I took this video at the beginning of the month, Bebe's sundowning was getting worse & this was actually the third video that evening - you can also hear my frustration of going through the same things for the umpteenth time in an hour... We have found that when Bebe becomes agitated, she soon calms down once she sees the camera... Since returning from respite yesterday, she has been a happy bunny - they too reported a good weekend with her, so we're keeping our fingers crossed that the new tablets are finally doing their job.  We hate the fact she has to take them, but if they stop her from becoming anxious & distressed, then that has to be a good thing - it's lovely to see her calm & content again! Kay xx

What are you going to be eating this Christmas? Kay & Sime xx

We have shared many a pot of porridge with family, friends & guests... We eat it every day throughout the year & look forward to our bowlful each morning! Sime is the champion porridge maker & he spends time simmering the pot to perfection... Oats, chia seeds, rose hips, hemp powder, sesame seeds, ground pumpkin & flax seeds, sliced banana & apple (sometimes puréed apple), nutmeg, ginger, blueberries & water - occasionally we have molasses in it & at the table we add cinnamon, as well as sometimes a little sugar free jam or maple syrup (we have the real Canadian stuff - thanks to our Canadian friends)!   Early start today, as lots to do...  Bebe's returning from respite & we've not really achieved everything we wanted to do & the house is in chaos - surprise, surprise!!! Nevermind - we'll get on top of everything one day! Bye for now, Kay & Sime xx

Yesterday, we had a Bebe free day out with Hugo - Which was lovely & as the weather was miserable - we decided to visit Plymouth, which has to include a visit to Samphire, a veggie/vegan brasserie... They are quite different to Wildebeest in Falmouth, which is deliciously wholesome & although they do feature healthy alternatives on their menu, they also cook up great vegan grub! Our side salad with vegan coleslaw... Kay's pizza with scrambled tofu, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes & caramelised onions. Sime's all day breakfast with lentil burger & tempeh slices. Hugo's seitan burger, chips, onion rings & salad. Hugo's kidney bean chocolate brownie with vegan ice cream... We both opted for the vanilla cheese(less)cake with ginger & shredded halva topping. Then on to the Hoe - Smeaton's Tower now... And then - before WW2. Tinside Lido , built in 1935. Above the pool now... And back in 195

Another old recipe booklet... Isn't it great? Published in 1969 by  Beauty Without Cruelty's  Lady Muriel Dowding (later becoming Baroness) who was a vegetarian animal rights activist - along with her Husband, Baron Hugh Dowding. Night, night. Kay & Sime xx

Addiction to meat and dairy products and to factory processed food has got such a hold on the minds of people of the dominant western culture that they not only find it difficult to question it in their own lives but, often with the best intention, they are spreading it throughout the world. This wasteful trend must be arrested if the famines of today are not to be repeated on an even more horrifying scale as the population of the world increases. All men of good will are challenged to strive ceaselessly for that change of heart and habit that can alone safeguard the earth and bring the hope of a better future for man and his fellow creatures.   ~ Kathleen Jannaway 1974 We dug out this old book last night, which Sime found at our local rubbish tip in the late 80s...  It was amongst lots of vegetarian booklets published in the 60s & early 70s - which we still have too! First Hand, First Rate was published in 1974.  All the recipe ingredients in this wonderful littl

Many British people think the meat industry over here is superior to that of most other countries.  They believe the animals destined for their plate are well cared for & of course killed humanely... No death is humane - it is MURDER!!!  Thanks to Viva!  we get to see the reality... This video is important, please watch it especially if you are a meat eater & maybe you too will make the connection. No animal wants to die & end up on a plate!!! Kay & Sime xx 

Last night's pasta dish... And tonight's chilli - made from the leftover sauce. Our bowls look much bigger than they really are... Honest! Kay & Sime xx

If you want to successfully change your diet & regain health then check out this great  Free McDougall Meal Plan . Here is what Dr McDougall says about plant-based nutrition: To understand why the McDougall Program is such powerful medicine, you must start by recognizing that plant foods are the most abundant sources of nutrition on earth. Nutrients are the raw materials your body needs to function properly and can generally be split into two types – the ones your body can make by itself and the ones it can derive only from your food. The latter are called “essential” nutrients. There are 13 essential vitamins. Eleven are made in abundance by plants. The two that are not produced by plants are vitamins D and B12, both of which are stored in your tissues for long periods of time. You’ll get enough vitamin D with adequate exposure to sunlight and B12 can be easily supplemented. I tell pregnant and nursing women, and people who follow my diet strictly for more than 3

"There's something radically wrong...Is it this dementia business?"  Bebe asks several times every day. It's a year ago since Bebe moved in with us & although she now tells everyone that we forced her against her will; she chose to come - ok, we had tried to persuade her for years, but it wasn't until she was removed from her home & placed in a psychiatric unit, that she finally accepted that she could no longer cope on her own. We were asked to look into moving her into a care home, but instead - suggested she at last made the move to Cornwall. For the most part it has been fine, but the occasional blips have increased over the last couple of months & her mood swings have become more extreme. We have had memory service involvement for a few months & the community psychiatric nurse's input has been invaluable. Bebe, as do most people with dementia - thrives on routine, so she has been struggling lately to adjust from attending d