From locally made jewellery to vintage china, bow-boutique.co.uk is a super new website.  It’s great to a fabulous place growing in this way.  Good luck Susanna!

Take a look at Bow online at:  www.bow-boutique.co.uk.
If you fancy a trip to the shop, click here for full details.

Each month I award someone from the site ‘place/producer of the month’.  For March it’s Pumpkiz in Draycott.  Hidden away in The Courtyard off Market Street is a great place to head to for a cosy seat, coffee and a bite to eat.  If you’re a regular user of fabulousplaces.co.uk you’ll recognise the photo of the coffee and walnut cake…it’s one of my favourite photos and, of course, I love cake!

If heading to Draycott is a little out of the way for you, there are plenty of fabulous places nearby to visit while you’re in the area…Frox is just upstairs from Pumpkinz and The Beetroot Tree is a short walk down Market Street.  Near to Draycott is Breaston where you’ll find Andersons Deli and Cachepot.

Happy travels!

I am delighted to announce that the next fabulousplaces.co.uk event will be taking place on the evening of Thursday 4th March at the stunning Blackbrook House nr Belper.

Indulgence Evening
An exclusive evening of shopping, demonstrations & indulgence
Thursday 4th March 2010 (7-10pm)
Blackbrook House nr Belper, Derbyshire
Tickets are £5 each (event is free to Derbyshire Card holders)
Click here to get your ticket

Guests will receive a drink, mini cupcake & goody bag on arrival.  There will be a selection of fabulous places and producers to browse and there will be demonstrations being held throughout the evening.  Blackbrook House will also be holding cheese and wine tasting.  With the event being so close to Mothers Day, it will be the perfect opportunity to find something special for Mum.  Even better…why not take your Mum with you for a treat.

The event will be supporting the Wirksworth Rotary Club Aquabox Scheme, which sends vital resources and water filtering units to locations of natural disasters like the recent Haiti earthquake.  Proceeds from the entry ticket and raffle will be donated to the charity.

Exhibitors include:

Quirky Cookies & Cakes
Cocomine Chocolates
Lucy Sheeran Cards
Anney Grace Jewellery
Cameo Cupcakes
Housley & Co
Blossom Tree
Jamie Oliver Home & Giftware
Ribbon
Hearts & Homespun
Nina Carolyn Jewellery
Carol Cummins (handmade home accessories)
Lavender grey
Jack Rabbits
Eco Eco
Raggedy Homespun Crafts
Bow at the Printworks 

More fabulous businesses added daily…

Click here to get your ticket to the Indulgence Evening
Click here to get your Derbyshire Card.  If you are already a Derbyshire Card holder please click here to let us know you will be attending.

I would like to say a big thank you to the following businesses for supporting this event:
Blackbrook House, Belper
Dorset Cereals
Teapigs
Cameo Cupcakes
Quirky Cookies & Cakes

I decided earlier this week that the next blog would have a green theme and straight away contacted the lovely Alison, owner of eco eco in Hope to ask for her advice.  Alison owns the fabulous eco eco home & eco eco clothing in Hope, Derbyshire.

I would categorise myself as a beginner when it comes to being green…I’ve made lots of changes to the way I live over the past 12 months and proudly own a monitor that tells me how much electricity I’m using around my home at any one time, which is absolutely fantastic and, frankly, lifestyle changing!  Saying that, I know there are many more changes I can make.

Here are some tips and advice from Alison to help you if you’re wondering how you can make some changes to your lifestyle:

Buy local

The distance travelled by much of our food is pretty scary. Do we REALLY need to buy strawberries from Africa in the middle of winter?  Click here to read up on the implications of long-haul veggies.

Consider buying seasonal and local produce where possible. The Big Barn website can help you find sources in your area and also provides recipes using seasonal ingredients.

The fabulousplaces.co.uk website can help you find local producers, like The Loaf in Crich, Bluebells Dairy in Spondon, Crow Wood Farm in Spondon & I Should Cocoa in Belper.

Local box schemes are a good idea as they usually concentrate on sourcing food from local producers. Search for one near you at the Find A Box Scheme website.

Reduce travel

Reducing the amount you travel doesn’t have to mean staying at home. Opt for public transport where available, ride a bike to reduce your carbon footprint (with the added advantage of improving fitness), or try car-sharing. Journeys with only one person per vehicle are wasteful and have a large environmental impact so share the journey and the cost of the trip between the passengers.

Before you travel consider each journey – is it really necessary? Don’t pop down to the shops for one or two items but wait until you need to do a proper shop.  Alternatively walk instead of taking the car; another way to save money, get fit and reduce your carbon footprint.

Buy less, make more

Unfortunately we seem to live in a society where shopping is considered a recreation. There is increasing pressure to buy new products even when we don’t really need them; one might argue we don’t even want them until we’re told we do! Buying a new phone just because it’s a prettier colour or has an interesting feature that we’ll never use is not a good use of our money. When you go shopping think carefully about everything you buy. If necessary go off and have a coffee before committing; perhaps the desire to buy will wear off!

Alternatively have a go at making things yourself. Knitting, crochet, dressmaking and DIY are enjoyable and constructive and you can create items that are  far more interesting and individual than the mass-produced goods available from shops. Instead of buying gifts, spend a little time poring over books or wandering round the internet to find ideas for things to make. Home-made presents show more thought. Even if you can’t knit or sew, a jar full of cookie mix or a plant from your garden is a lovely and unexpected treat that will be enjoyed far more than yet another corporate bodycare product.

Some useful websites full of ideas include the Martha Stewart website and allaboutyou.com.

When you do need to buy, consider where and how the product was made. Instead of buying something that is disposable, can you find a similar item that will last? How about looking at second-hand furniture instead of just rushing to IKEA again? Alternatively, support local craftspeople and makers by buying goods that are made with skill and care, giving pleasure every time you look at them. Bear in mind that cheap products were probably made by companies with less than ethical policies. That two quid t-shirt might seem like a bargain but how long will it last and how many people suffered to make it? Start thinking rather than just shopping.

Enjoy nature, reduce consumption

Got a day off with the family? Instead of heading for the high street you could go for a walk together, ending up with a picnic. Even in towns and cities there are points of interest that you might not notice when you drive past, and local parks provide a safe place to finish. Failing that, aim for a local coffee shop or restaurant.  If there are children in the party you can create or download nature-based games for them to play from the Wildlife Watch website and the BBC website.

Alternatively spend a little while before going out researching the area. Investigate local buildings and history or make up ‘spotting’ games, awarding points for different categories, perhaps 3 points for a yellow front door, or 1 point for a blue van. Using imagination can make even apparently uninspiring walks fun.

Detoxify your home

Take a look around your house at the cleaning products you use, then examine everything in your bathroom cabinet and make-up bag. Read the labels and then consult some of these sites; www.non-toxic.info and www.ewg.org.

Many of the products we use contain petroleum-based ingredients which will become increasingly expensive if present predictions regarding oil supplies are correct. However, more worryingly, a large number of chemicals in household products and personal care are actually harmful. Be aware of the risks to your health by educating yourself, and bear in mind the environmental impact of products that poison watercourses and kill wildlife.

Consider making your own bodycare and cleaning products from site such as www.ehow.com and www.care2.com.

Alternatively, buy from reputable companies that sell non-toxic alternatives.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

A big thank you to Alison Jackson-Bass from eco eco in Hope for the eco hints and tips!  Click here for full information about the fabulous eco eco.

Alison will be exhibiting at the next fabulousplaces.co.uk…a shopping indulgence evening at the gorgeous Blackbrook House nr Belper.  Tickets are £5 each and the event will be supporting the Wirksworth Rotary Club’s Aquabox Scheme.

**UPDATE**
I am delighted to announce that the next fabulousplaces.co.uk event will be taking place on the evening of Thursday 4th March at the stunning Blackbrook House nr Belper.

Indulgence Evening
Shopping, demonstrations & indulgence
Thursday 4th March 2010
Blackbrook House nr Belper, Derbyshire
Tickets are £5 each (event is free to Derbyshire Card holders)
Click here to get your ticket

Guests will receive a drink, mini cupcake & goody bag on arrival.  There will be a selection of fabulous places and producers to browse and there will be demonstrations being held throughout the evening.  Blackbrook House will also be holding cheese and wine tasting.  With the event being so close to Mothers Day, it will be the perfect opportunity to find something special for Mum.  Even better…why not take your Mum with you for a treat.

The event will be supporting the Wirksworth Rotary Club Aquabox Scheme, which sends vital resources and water filtering units to locations of natural disasters like the recent Haiti earthquake.  Proceeds from the entry ticket and raffle will be donated to the charity.

Exhibitors include:

Quirky Cookies & Cakes
Cocomine Chocolates
Lucy Sheeran Cards
Anney Grace Jewellery
Cameo Cupcakes
Housley & Co
Blossom Tree
Jamie Oliver Home & Giftware
Ribbon
Hearts & Homespun
Nina Carolyn Jewellery
Carol Cummins (handmade home accessories)
Lavender grey
Jack Rabbits
Eco Eco

More fabulous businesses added daily…

Click here to get your ticket to the Indulgence Evening
Click here to get your Derbyshire Card.  If you are already a Derbyshire Card holder please click here to let us know you will be attending.

I would like to say a big thank you to the following businesses for supporting this event:
Blackbrook House, Belper
Dorset Cereals
Teapigs
Cameo Cupcakes
Quirky Cookies & Cakes

The Studio, Mickleover
Portrait & Wedding Photography…click here to find out more.

Jackie Thompson Couture
Wedding dress designers with a difference…click here to find out more.

]]> http://blog.fabulousplaces.co.uk/index.php/2010/01/18/new-to-fabulousplaces-co-uk/feed/ 0 http://blog.fabulousplaces.co.uk/index.php/2010/01/01/fabulous-new-year/ http://blog.fabulousplaces.co.uk/index.php/2010/01/01/fabulous-new-year/#comments Fri, 01 Jan 2010 01:18:32 +0000 admin http://blog.fabulousplaces.co.uk/?p=408 Happy New Year!

For fabulousplaces.co.uk, 2009 has been wonderful…great events, 1st birthday celebration, lots of fabulous new places and producers, the launch of FP Nottinghamshire and much more.  In good old fashioned end of year style…here’s a summary:

The first event…Showcase at Shottle Hall, Derbyshire
22nd January 2009
The first event I arranged through fabulousplaces.co.uk was a small and perfectly formed 2 hour event held at the gorgeous Shottle Hall Country House Hotel.  For me, the event was a trial to see how a Fab Places event would be received. The event was a great success…a goody bag for each guest and a drink on arrival.  The event was supported by some great companies including Belvoir Fruit Farms, Dorset Cereals, Weleda and Teapigs. It definitely showed me that there was space for ‘fabulous’ events in Derbyshire!

fabulousplaces.co.uk celebrates its first Birthday!
July 5th 2009
I decided to celebrate the website’s first birthday in style and invite all the wonderful fabulous place owners and producers for an evening at Blackbrook House.  With amazing food and drinks, it was the perfect way to say thank you to them for being part of the website.

The Summer Fete
Sunday 26th July 2009, Blackbrook House
The Summer Fete was a huge success and exceeded all my expectations. With approximately 5,000 visitors throughout the day the event couldn’t have gone any better.  With over 30 fabulous places and producers selling their wares, tombola, raffle, bbq, games and much more…the event was a special day for all the family.

fabulousplaces.co.uk launches in Nottinghamshire!
October 2009
Up until the age of 21 I grew up in Nottingham, so it seemed a natural progression to take the website there and with the fabulous Lucy, who has come onboard to help with the Nottingham site, we are delighted with the selection of fabulous places and producers we have found for you.  Click here to take a look…I’m sure you won’t be disappointed!

Christmas Market
Saturday 21st & Sunday 22nd November 2009, Blackbrook House
This was my favourite event…over 34 fabulous places and producers selling festive goodies for all the family, face painting, lucky dips, festive music, wine tasting, food market, craft corner, tombola and much more.  The Market was a festive treat for all the family and something I can’t wait to organise again.

The fabulousplaces.co.uk Derbyshire Card
November 2009
I had always thought that Derbyshire was missing a card which supports shopping with local independent shops, cafes and producers and after much consideration I decided to launch one through fabulousplaces.co.uk.  The Derbyshire Card costs £10 and offers you special offers and discounts with many of the places and producers featured on the site.  With each Card there is a free Derbyshire shopper bag.  To buy your card please click here, alternatively click here to buy a Derbyshire shopper bag for just £3.50 (inc p&p).

So what’s next?
Well, 2010 is going to be a very exciting year for fabulousplaces.co.uk!  I’m working away to bring you the fabulousplaces.co.uk online shop, there will be more fabulous events throughout the year and, of course, lots more fabulous places and producers for you to enjoy!  Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any comments or suggestions.

Thank you all so much for supporting fabulousplaces.co.uk…I’m delighted that you find it useful and thrilled to show you how many fabulous places and producers there are around the county.  I am so very proud of my little website…a Sunday morning idea over coffee turned into my new life!

I hope you enjoy using the website as much as I do working on it.

Debs

Breakfast Pancakes

For a small batch of around 8 pancakes just mix:

125g plain flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder (if you have not got baking powder you can use self raising flour instead and miss it out)
1 large egg
150mls of milk
1 tablespoon of melted butter.

Lightly mix or whisk together and use immediately.  Spoon tablespoons of the gloopy mixture into a medium hot, lightly oiled non stick pan and flip them over when the edges start to bubble.

Serve with maple or golden syrup and cream or fruit.  Double amounts is our usual order of the day and makes around 14 pancakes. For Christmas Day Brunch we tripled the amounts (3 eggs) and served them with sausages, bacon and maple syrup.

Risotto time

Here’s a great recipe for winter warming risotto.

Chop 1 onion, 2 carrots, 1-2 sticks of celery, 2 garlic cloves, 1 pack of thinly sliced pancetta. In a sauce pan heat a litre of good hot chicken stock…or turkey stock!

In a large, preferably non stick pan, fry off the pancetta until all the fat has run out. Then stir in the carrot, celery, onion and garlic. and cook down until most of the moisture is gone and the quantity has halved, adding a bit of olive oil if things start to brown too quickly. Stir in half a pack, 250g, of Carnaroli Risotto Rice and stir until it crackles.

Flamboyantly throw in a glass of Vermouth or white wine and stir well. Then start adding ladles full of hot stock, one at a time, as you keep stirring and stirring. Only add a new ladle full when the last one has been absorbed. When you have added most or all of the stock and the rice is just about done, take it off the heat. Add a handful of parmesan and an ounce of butter. Stir and leave it with the lid on for 10 minutes. This is when I add any interesting extras like skinned and deseeded tomatoes or fresh peas.

The great thing with risotto is that the additions can change with the seasons or whatever you fancy at the time…fish, mushrooms, pine nuts, prawns, asparagus etc.

Here’s one I made earlier:

A big thank you to Claire for kindly letting me include her recipes in the fabulousplaces.co.uk blog…I hope you decide to have a go!  Click here to visit Claire’s blog, ‘Things We Make’, where you can find lots of other fab recipes.

Also, if you’re looking for somewhere to go during the holidays click here to go to the fabulousplaces.co.uk search page for some fabulous inspiration for some trips out and about in Derbyshire.  Happy Holidays!

Deb

The reason for this post is to encourage you to take a look through the places and producers on this website and consider shopping at independent places when looking for Christmas gifts this year…I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised  )

Click here to go to the search page.

Don’t forget that the fabulousplaces.co.uk Derbyshire Card has now been launched and there are lots of fabulous promotions and discounts at many places and producers featured on the website.  Click here to find out more.

If you’ve found some great Derbyshire goodies at independent places around Derbyshire please leave a comment and let us know all about them!

Buy your fabulousplaces.co.uk Derbyshire Card before 11th December 2009 to be entered into the draw.

If you love fabulousplaces.co.uk, you’ll love the Derbyshire Card!  The Derbyshire Card is your perfect companion when shopping at many of Derbyshire’s independent places and producers featured  on fabulousplaces.co.uk.

Derbyshire Card holders will also be invited to exclusive fabulousplaces.co.uk events held throughout the year.  Be part of it…exclusive events, special offers and promotions!

A Derbyshire Card costs just £10 and can on fabulousplaces.co.uk by clicking here.