Under Construction!

Hello there! How are you all? I'm so sorry about my absence - it turned out to be a much bigger one than I had anticipated, but the last 2 years (yes that's how long it's really been!!!) have been full on! Full on in a good way - actually in a great way, but unfortunately just not in a way that's allowed me to blog.....and I've missed it. Not initially in all honesty as I was needing a break but now I am chomping at the bit and desperate to get back at it! However there is one problem... Vanilla Clouds and Lemon Drops is in need of a major, MAJOR, overhaul. What was a great start up platform is now tired and pretty sad looking and more so, not at all what I envision my blog to be like. So with some nervous anticipation I am going back to the beginning and starting over.

Unfortunately since I'm not nearly as computer savvy as I would like to be (read: not at all these days!) it is going to take some time. Looking at this little blog you probably wouldn't guess it but when it comes to things like this I'm actually a bit of a perfectionist which is why I can no longer stand to look at this blog! Everything it seems is wrong (layout, design and the terrible quality of photographs - just to get started!) so my next one - we'll call it Vanilla Clouds and Lemon Drops Take 2 - is going to be a labour of love and I won't be sharing it until I am completely and utterly happy with it. So I'm asking that hopefully you can bare with me a little longer for the new and improved Vanilla Clouds and Lemon Drops. I'm keeping my name because I still love that but I'll be updating most other parts. A lot of recipes will be transferred but some need the chop so if there are any in particular that you love and want to see transferred please let me know! My aim is to have a much more user friendly website so all future recipes will be printable. Of course I'll still be reviewing cookbooks - in fact it's my aim to review more and more as time goes on - and I plan to have a bigger focus on meal planning, but if there is anything else you would like to see please don't hesitate to let me know.

It's been a long time coming but hopefully I can get things up and running sooner rather than later! Thank you to all of you that have continued to follow along despite my absence and don't forget you can follow me on Facebook and Instagram as well for more regular updates.

Can't wait to talk to you all soon!

Lynds x

Challenge Update!

Well I am happy to report that so far so good! The Glad Fresh Food Challenge has really opened my eyes to how much food I would usually waste and so I have spent the last week really paying attention to what’s in my fridge and pantry and coming up with new innovative ideas of how to prevent wasting my food.

One thing I have to say is that when it comes to saving food, the freezer is your absolute best friend and I don’t know where I would be without one! This past week my freezer has seen the addition of some finely chopped herbs (which I put into little bags and labelled ready for next time I need them) and bread crumbs. I have to admit that when it comes to bread it was high on my list of items being wasted, admittedly not always...but quite a lot. This week I have just taken the time to get out my food processor and whizz up the left over dried out pieces into breadcrumbs and put them into bags and into the freezer. Never again will I buy breadcrumbs….I have plenty right at my fingertips waiting to be used!

Another great use for your freezer is for meat and fish. I am lucky to have a large chest freezer in our garage so it works best for us to buy meat in bulk (it’s cheaper that way). The key to making this work however, is to break things down into portions. Separate chicken breasts, pork chops and steaks into individual portions before you freeze them (in either freezer bags or try Glad Press & Seal for extra protection) and weigh items such as mince, ground beef or chicken thighs into 1lb portions and freeze in bags that are clearly marked with the contents, weight and date. I do this every time I buy meat and it means I waste nothing. If you want to be extra organised (and a bit of a geek like me!) stick a white board on the wall above your freezer and keep track of everything you put in and take out of the freezer so you always know exactly what you have! It works wonders and I love it!

So there you go, week 1 of the #GladFreshFoodChallenge is complete and so far I am on track! 

How would you manage with this challenge? If you waste food why not try it, you will be surprised at how much you usually throw away and aware of how much money you can save if you stop!