The days are getting shorter, the mornings are getting chillier, the comfort food is coming out…that’s right, Autumn is here! It’s a wrench on the heart to say goodbye to Summer, especially since last Summer holds so many special memories for me; but all good things must come to an end (apparently!). So, I’m looking back on Summer and the big changes it involved for me, as well as looking forward to beautiful new season ahead – and something tells me it’s going to be a good one!
Rewind
When I last wrote a blog post it was to share tales from my trip to Finland, and I promised that I’d take the important values I’d learnt over there and apply it to my life back in the UK. How did I do? Not too badly! Although I worked for most of Summer, I factored in plenty of time relaxing with my family and friends, and embraced the simple, but important things in life. I also finally got round to celebrating my official move into the adult world by hosting a housewarming party! It was a long time coming, and I was in my element as a hostess, making fresh pizzas and a triple layered cheesecake for everyone to enjoy! We rounded off the celebrations with a crisp glass of prosecco from my favourite bottle, a generous gift from Premier Estates wine merchants. That night was a celebration of so many things: a new start, friendship, freedom…it couldn’t have gone any better, so I’m already waiting for the next one!
The rest of Summer was spent working on my business, and so menu and recipe development were a key focus, along with a few pieces of commissioned work too. But the biggest development on the work front was the launch of my nutrition workshops! The first one took place as part of Loughborough National Centre swimmer Ed Baxter’s Swim Clinic and involved a talk about nutrition for young swimmers, followed by a demo and taster of some of my most-loved snacks. Since then I’ve delivered talks for a corporate company and more athletes, and there are plenty more booked in for the rest of Autumn too! I love delivering these workshops as it gives me chance to share my passion for food and nutrition, as well as educate people without the need for a boring lecture! And of course, having a few treats to try as part of the workshop really sweetens the deal too!
In at the Deep End
Here we are – it’s October already, the swimming season is in full swing, and so is my work with the British Swimming team in Loughborough! We’ve held 2 Breakfast Clubs so far this season and have been lucky enough to be supported by companies such as Whitworths, Soreen and The Chia Co, who kindly provided us with donations of their delicious products. It was great to have the group back together again after a short break between seasons, and I can really tell how focused everyone is – it is an Olympic season, after all! Unfortunately, our Breakfast Clubs will be on hold for a couple of weeks as the groups divide for different training camps in the US, but there is some good news… As I write this post, I am on my way to join one of the groups in Florida to serve as their Team Chef for the camp! This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity came out of the blue, and it’s been a whirlwind few weeks getting everything prepared ready to go, but I know it will be so worth it! For a girl who’s never yet travelled outside of Europe, it’s both a dream come true and a daunting prospect to spend 9 hours on a plane to a completely unfamiliar country. But I’m a traveller at heart, and the thought of all the incredible sights, experiences, and foods over there is enough to win me over.
So as you may have guessed, my next post will be a round-up of my trip to America! You can expect plenty of photos and details about my work and culinary creations, plus a full account of the health and well-being scene over there! Until then, I’ll leave you with a short and sweet message from me to take away:
If you dream big and work hard, the big dreams will seem a little bit closer, and the hard work will feel a little bit easier.
-The Cooking Yam
