#CountryKids at Kendal Festival of Food

For our second day at Kendal Festival of Food it was all about the children. They had wristbands for the family section and we headed there before anyone else. There were lots of activities to do starting with vegetable printing on bags with Felltarn Friends:

So one bag for me and one for my mum! Next up my daughter had her face painted beautifully:

After this my son spotted sushi making with Bento Bunny. They got to make scenes with various healthy ingredients:

Reasons to be Cheerful week 14 #R2BC

I've handed back to the lovely Jo at Ojo's World for April, I know she will look after everyone! So back to my own reasons:

1) Family fun

We had a super weekend enjoying the Kendal Festival of Food. A couple of days exploring the foods that Cumbria has on offer plus sunshine and cute animals:

I had a huge smile on my face for most of the weekend!

2) Mother's Day

I felt thoroughly spoilt this Mother's Day weekend. The children had made beautiful cards at school and my son couldn't wait to give me his so I had it Friday night! Then on Saturday I was awarded a lie in and breakfast in bed cooked by my daughter:

I was given the hand sewn bookmark my son had made at school:

Then whilst we were out my son chose me this heart necklace from a charity shop:

On Sunday I was presented with Choco Snaps in bed by my son before we headed back into town for more food festival! My final treat was Sunday dinner at Table Table - yummy.

3) Blue Skies

There is nothing quite like blue sky to keep you smiling:

If you are smiling then join in the hop!

Kendal Festival of Food 2014

Its hard to believe its a year since we were last at this festival. Kendal certainly knows how to run a Food Festival and this year it seems to be even bigger and better than in 2013. It was a bonus that this year it was ever so much warmer than last year and we mostly had blue sky:

Kendal Town Hall

There were plenty of tempting stalls once again offering tastings as well as selling yummy locally produced goodies:

Cake stall

I am really hoping that having strawberries and grapes with my chocolate made it less unhealthy:

I did also sample a yummy pork pie but my photograph was terrible! The children loved seeing the farm animals that were there to show where the food all came from:

My daughter holding tiny chicken

Sheep with two lambs

The lambs were bigger than the ones my daughter held last year so we didn't ask for a cuddle this time!

We had a quick trip to the Brewery for my parents and I to taste a beer at the Beer festival before going to see Just So Stories at the theatre. We all really enjoyed the performance:

Then it was back up the road to more food festival fun. We even found time to nip in to Colin Reynolds (one of my photography course tutors) new photograph shop. Very inspirational to see all his work!

We bought the children their wrist bands for the children's food festival for tomorrow before heading to the Birdcage in time to catch Not Only 4 Boys theatre group (who happen to all be students at the school I work at!): 

Not Only 4 Boys Theatre Group

Of course my daughter managed to get in on the action:

Helping make the stage recipe

Because I know the cast she got to pose afterwards with the main character from the show too:

Posing with Claude Peppe

By now my purse was empty and my legs were tired so we headed home. Back tomorrow to see what there is especially for children in the Family Festival Village - just wish we hadn't missed CBBC’s Gastronaut Stefan Gates as he was only on today when we were at the theatre.. oh well!

iamtired.com

Sometimes you really know you have been overdoing things when you want to go to bed before your children! Its been an incredible couple of weeks but think I am approaching burn out..

We have enjoyed some fantastic days out as a family: Kendal Festival of Food, a trip to Manchester Museum of Science and Industry, walking more as a family and on my own in all weathers.  These have all been fabulous but they all take out a lot of energy. An almost full day out and about on Mother's Day (as part of our 5 miles that day) was fun but knackering too:

On top of that I am increasing my training runs for the Star Walk 10 k run which I am really enjoying but its stretching my endurance and stamina. Having that 30 minutes or so of being out on my own on the roads (albeit with friendly faces to wave at en route) is a lovely break in my day though!

This week my back up childcare plan and football class takers have been away so I have been doing everything with both children in tow. Its been rushing everywhere as the walking has reduced the gaps between events. 

Today I started a 3 day first aid course for work which is a full day instead of my usual half day. So we are all having to leave the house 15 minutes earlier than normal so that my children can be dropped off to be taken to school. 

Housework is being kept to a minimum due to lack of time and energy but of course its not being done by anyone else so I need to catch up soon! I am glad I did the charity walk but next time I need to do it when the rest of my life is a lot less manic... Right now I am only still up as I've only been able to out the washing machine on at about 8:30 so I have to wait for it to finish to hang it up to dry!

I am so looking forward to my Saturday lie in and I am not doing anything outside the home but I will have to catch up on all that housework.... Do you ever feel like you have taken on too much?

Kendal Festival of Food 2013

This weekend its the annual Kendal Festival of Food and this year under new ownership its much bigger with lots going on. Its a celebration of local food and drink with a chance to try, buy and see top local chefs in action. Today the centre of Kendal was pretty busy with people coming to see what was on offer:

There was plenty of local produce on offer both to eat there and then or take away for later. Ubarrow sausages were doing a roaring trade with these beauties:

Being in farming country just round the corner there was a chance to get up close and touch the animals from which all the meat comes from!

Herdwick sheep

Dairy cow Mary

2 week old lamb

"Call me Mr Ram"

As well as meat items there were plenty of stalls selling chutnies, jams, cakes etc. My daughter soon got the hang of the the tasting process:

Friendly Food and Drink: Chocolate and Orange Curd

Sarah M's Damson Jam

The town crier was out and about to remind everyone about the demonstrations going on in the Town Hall and elsewhere:

Its lovely having a proper town crier and he does a grand job. As the children weren't interested in any of the demos he mentioned I dragged them down to the Vats Bar at the Brewery where there was a mini beer festival. There was a good range of local ales to choose from:

I was pretty abstemious and just had 2 halves which meant I only sampled Barngates Brewery - Red Bull Terrier and Bowness Bay Brewing -Teal Tipple. Both nice mid range ales. I still haven't got around to trying this:

With all of us fortified by pizza it was time to collect a Herdy trail which used cryptic clues and anagrams to take us round some of the lovely local Kendal shops. We had to find the Herdy and answer a question as to which item he was with. This took us over quite a bit of the central shopping area and down the yards. Just hope one of our entries wins us the Herdy prizes.

There were plenty of other prize draws at other stalls too so several chances to win local produce or meals out. On Sunday there are more children's activities with things like Little Kickers in the market place. If you live near enough its a great day out for people of all ages. We are looking forward to the 2014 festival!