By Kate Hodges
01st June 2023
FORAGE AND RECIPE FLOWER POWER
Elderflower season is go! The fragrant heads are hanging low on trees and in hedges, perfect for flavouring cordial, cakes and fritters with their deep sweetness. This year, we’re making more than ever, ready to make Elderflower Ice Lollies. The combination of pretty flowers and ice into a delicately refreshing ice is tempting us to go further – find Tropical Mango Pansy Pops, Lavender Pops and Paloma Pop recipes here or a more general, all-purpose recipe for floral ices here.
Alternatively, floating clouds in elderflower custard is super-sweet but light, elderflower jelly makes a whisper-delicate pudding, and we can’t wait to try Yotam Ottolenghi’s weird and wonderful elderflower pickle. Keep some aside for healing; elderflower can be used to treat colds and flu, and makes an effective antiseptic gargle and mouthwash. Find out more here
DO GO WILD
Want to get outside with your family? Spend a month immersing yourselves in nature with the Wildlife Trust’s month of challenges. 30 Days Wild is now a much-loved institution, with tens of thousands of people signed up to take on daily ‘random acts of wildness’ that might include ‘eating a wild lunch’, ‘tuning in by switching off’ and ‘tickling toes in the grass’. Get a free 30 Days Wild pack here and be inspired!
EVENT BERRY GOOD
Cambridge’s most popular free event has been filling the town’s Midsummer Common with colour, noise and spectacle for over 40 years, bringing together over 30,000 people, and the free, volunteer-run Strawberry Fair is happening all over again this Saturday; this year the theme is revolution! There are little stages and wonder-filled tents dotted around the common; choose from Shady Nasty’s subversive and satirical blend of funk, punk, brass and hip hop, visit the druids circle, sacred space and herbal apothecary at Scarecrow Corner, or hang out in the family friendly Kids Park. The Fair is committed to taking care of the environment with generator-free zones, recycled decor, no plastic bottles and a free online programme. Sweet!
EVENT AND DO PEDAL PUSHERS
Cycling is an incredible solution to many challenges; more of us biking can help fix air pollution, lower obesity rates, and ease poor mental health and traffic congestion. Cycling UK aims to help make it easier for more people to ride. Bike Week runs from June 5-11, so make time to get on your two-wheeler and ride! This year’s event is targeted at employers and workplaces, but we’ll take any excuse to celebrate riding as a family. Why not set up a bike wash, cycle to school, or do a cycling treasure hunt!
Find pedal powered inspiration at The Green Parent. Discover our favourite woodland cycle routes here, how to choose a bike for a child here and how motherhood inspired writer Laura Cooke to get on her bike here.
EVENT MOTHERS OF INVENTION
Step into a world of creativity from past to present in London’s National Archives, situated near Kew in Richmond. The Spirit of Invention exhibition showcases designs from the Victorian era to modern inventions. This Saturday, join a festival celebration with hands-on activities and workshops with the Junk Orchestra, an inflatable planetarium and real-life inventors Ruth Amos and Stephen Guy. Find out more here
WHAT WE’RE EATING Vegan Layer Cheesecake My business has grown out of a genuine happiness at being in the kitchen says Bee Berrie. Whilst building a business itself isn’t always fun, creating, baking and selling cakes and cookies most definitely is. Here’s a Vegan Layer Cheesecake recipe that’s just a little bit special! Find the recipe here
WHAT WE’RE READING I was in my 20s and depressed – then my mother moved into my bed: “In the face of not being able to do anything else for her adult child, she had chosen to be there through the night. And it did help, if not in any obvious or instantaneous way. Her body had anchored me in the knowledge I was loved. The proponents of co-sleeping argue that separation occurs naturally – there’s no way you’ll end up in the same bed with your adult child. But I guess there are exceptions.” Read more here
