I am very pleased to announce that I’ve been given a Liebster Award for my blog! Thank you to the lovely Lyndsey at What You Sow for nominating me. What You Sow is an online gardening shop selling beautiful hand picked products to help you grow vegetables and flowers in style. It’s a real must for anyone who loves the green space in their life.
The Liebster Award is passed from one blog to another to help showcase blogs that are on the smaller side of the spectrum. The person who nominates you asks a series of questions. Here are my answers to Lyndsey’s questions:
Describe the nicest day of your summer so far
This summer seems to have gone rather quickly for me, but my favourite day has to be when I visited the Artisan School of Food in Nottinghamshire to learn how to make ice cream. The setting was absolutely beautiful, driving into the grounds felt like I’d arrived at Downtown Abbey. It was also my boyfriend and I’s anniversary, so he treated us to a hotel with a spa. I came back home feeling inspired and refreshed.
Ever eaten anything you’ve grown from seed?
Yes. This year was the first year with our newly designed garden, so I planted lots of veg from seed. The thing I’m most proud of eating from seed is our courgettes direct from Italy. Last year when visiting my family in Puglia my Uncle gave me a big marrow, he told me to scoop out the seeds, dry them and then plant them. I was skeptical, but it worked! They’re delicious. Only difference is our Italian courgettes seem to be hairier than our British ones – just like Italian men!
What have you worn in 2013 that you wouldn’t have worn 5 years ago?
I guess it would be sandals. Until now, I was a dress and trainer kinda girl.
What do you love best about your day job?
At the moment I’m working as a food and nutrition technician at a secondary school. I get really long holidays, which is fantastic because it gives me time to work on my blog.
Spring, Summer, Autumn or Winter?
Definitely Spring, I love seeing all the buds starting to grow on the trees and daffodils pushing up through the ground. I’m also a big fan of Easter.
What books have you been reading this summer?
I haven’t read many this year, but on holiday I read Gone Girl. It was very gripping, so a great holiday read, especially if you like crime thrillers. I also read Ciao Bella this summer, a real life story about a woman and her Italian Father. A book I really enjoyed, but I read it last summer so it’s cheating, is Blood, Bones and Butter a chef’s memoir by Gabrielle Hamilton. She writes about her life experiences surrounding food, as well as her time spent in Puglia with her Italian husband.
What’s your favourite thing about your home?
My garden. It’s such a luxury to have a big garden in central Brighton, I feel very lucky. I’m not a materialistic person, but I really love my sofa. It’s a dark brown John Lewis corner sofa and we got it on ebay for a complete bargain.
Do you have a favourite cocktail?
Not so much a cocktail but an Aperitivo – Prosecco Spritz. It’s 3 parts Prosecco, 2 parts Aperol and 1 part soda served with a slice of orange and lots of ice – sunshine in a glass.
What is your proudest charity shop find?
It sounds really dull, but it was a Regatta waterproof jacket. It cost me about £5 and I’ve got so much use out of it.
What would your dream garden be filled with?
Row after row of vegetables, beautiful wild flowers with bees buzzing on them, a pen full of chickens, a terrace with a large table for entertaining guests, a handmade pizza oven and a cherry tree, it was my mums favourite and reminds me of her.
Now it is my turn… I have nominated 3 lovely blogs that I follow:
Miss. Culley is a fashion, food and lifestyle blogger. She is also the co-founder of the amazing Super + Super in Brighton.
Admin support for creative women. Kathryn’s blog offers some really great advice. She also recently founded The Business of introverts, a blog sharing experiences of introverts who have started up their own businesses.
Christina is a Brighton based lifestyle blogger. Be sure to check out the cute pictures of her cat Rasputin and great vegan treats.
My questions to you are:
1. What was your favourite thing to eat as a child?
2. Where is the one place you would like to visit most in the world?
3. Do you have a favourite photograph that you treasure?
4. Describe what your ideal day would be filled with?
5. Cat or Dog?
6. What is your favourite meal to cook and why?
7. Do you have a favourite restaurant?
8. What is the most memorable exhibition you’ve been to?
9. Beach holiday or city break?
10. What’s the strangest thing you’ve eaten?
Looking forward to seeing all your answers! Gabriella, Mangia Bene x
Mangia Bene 