Friday, 26 September 2014

Friends of Glass ~A cookery session with Cherry Healey and a giveaway




Friends of glass is a movement of people who believe that glass is good for them, for their families and for the environment. There are many good reasons to use glass, it comes in many sizes shapes and styles. Glass, unlike other packaging materials, won’t release unhealthy chemicals and tastes into your food. It is Dishwater safe so you can be sure your storage containers are thoroughly sterilised and don’t harbour smells and harmful bacteria. It is environmentally friendly and glass is recyclable. Glass jars and bottles are perfect for storage, transporting food, for serving drinks at parties or simply using them for decoration. They make perfect pen pots, flower vases, and utensil holders. You can create many gift idea with them too.

A couple of weeks ago I was invited by friends of glass to attend a cookery session hosted by Cherry Healey. The cookery class was held at Michel Roux Jr. cactus kitchens cookery school in Battersea. This is the place where Saturday kitchen is filmed.


On arrival we were led to a lovely drawing room for a light breakfast of pastries and coffee and given our aprons. Once breakfast over, we were ushered into the magnificent kitchen for a demonstration of the day’s recipes with Cara the chef and Cherry Healey. The recipes on the menu were Mint Julep, strawberry smoothies, beetroot hummus, Butternut squash, wild mushroon and spinach pie in a jar and Autumn trifle with poached pears . All were recipes were created and served in jars.


During the demonstration we were able to sample the hummus and the smoothies and then we set off to our workstations to get hands on experience of creating the Butternut squash and wild mushroom and spinach pie in a jar and the Autumn trifle with poached pears . Chef Cara and Cherry Healey were very interactive during the cooking session in the cactus kitchen, which made the experience very enjoyable. I had lots of fun especially as all the washing up magically disappeared.


My finished creations : 
Butternut Squash, wild mushroom and spinach pie in a jar and the Autumn Trifle with poached Pears. 



We were able to eat them whilst sipping mint juleps in the drawing room. To our surprise the friends of glass team had judged out trifles and I was really excited to win the 1st prize for my creation a lovely blue glass jar.



I came away from the class with lots of inspiration and ideas about presenting food in glass. You can see a video of our day below



I love glassware and here you can see some recipes that I have created in glass:

Date Milk Shake
Mixed Berry Smoothie

 

 

I had a lovely time at cactus kitchens and would like to thanks friends of glass for the lovely goody bag they gave me. Not only that but friends of glass have also given me a set of 6 glass jars as a competition prize for one simplyfood reader.



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140 comments:

  1. A breakfast yoghurt, oats & fruit glass jar YUM!

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  2. I would use them to make deserts inside it, or salads

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  3. I have been using jars for years. I simply think they are sturdy and better than plastic. I truly have cut back on using plastic storage containers too. I am all for this. Blessings, Catherine

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  4. We use old jars and paint them on the inside and use them to store pencils and other bits and pieces. Sarah Hurrell

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  5. Breakfast on the go! Oats, nuts and yogurt in a jar topped with blueberries is a great way to start the day.

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  6. Make homemade jams or chutney to put in them

    Ashleigh

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  7. To store your on-the-go breakfast (layered muesli/granola with yogurt and fruit compote) :-)

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  8. for storing home made chutney

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  9. Oh I absolutely agree with this movement - my Kilner jars have become my mugs, lunchbox and dining set. So much better than the chemical leeching plastics. x

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  10. I love glass! You can see the food you're drinking and eating versus colored plastic that puts shavings of plastic in your food and is horrible to clean!

    I love smoothies and those look so refreshing! So glad you made a day of it. Cooking helps soothe the soul!

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  11. So many wonderful ideas to present and cook with glass. I use jars for storing dry goods, jams and even my hot chocolate mix. Sounds like you had an awesome time at Cactus Kitchen. Must have been an amazing experience.

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  12. What delicious-looking foods, and I love how they are packaged in glass containers to look so pretty!

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  13. I'm a fan of glass jars too, they look so much nicer and store food better. Those smoothies look amazing!

    #UKBloggers

    http://fashion-mommy.com

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  14. Salads with mixed nuts looks great served in a glass jar (and everything retains its crispness if you need to store it for a while before eating). Also useful to store smaller kitchen equipment, like baking goodies, cake candles & cake decorations, piping nozzles, sweetcorn forks etc. I find using glass jars of all sizes, shapes and colours useful in pretty much every room and so easy to co-ordinate as they can be personalised, customised, decorated, labeled etc. Transparent glass for when I need to see the contents or display them, coloured glass for storing items such as crafting pieces, buttons, beads, sequins, shiny jars for make-up brushes and other cosmetic items, wrapped jars as pen-holders. One of those simple but great inventions with many uses - fingers crossed.

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  15. My elderflower cordial with soda water

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  16. I would make mini cheesecakes in these - they would look fab and be great!

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  17. A take to work salad bowl, layered with different delicious items.

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  18. I use jars for many things. They are of course great for storing food. But i also use them for putting scented crystals in for in the bathroom and use them for storing crayons for the grandchildren. but they are great for making gifts from, crochet a little cover for them and then fill with whatever suits the person you are sending the gift too.

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  19. I would use them to store homemade jams or chutneys

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  20. wow looks like a lot of fun! that milkshake is looking oh so appealing right now!

    Abbi xx
    Stealstylist.com

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  21. I may be going a little 'Blue Peter' on you but you can make your own snow-globe ornament with glass jars

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  22. fab idea - love presenting little dishes in glassware

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  23. Blackberry vodka (just blackberries, vodka and sugar). The hardest part is waiting for 3 months before you can try it!

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  24. I would use them to store dried fruit, nuts, and seeds in. They would look really pretty as well as being useful.

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  25. Everything looks so delicious .. love the presentation and clicks..

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  26. Everything always looks so nice when it is presented in glass.

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  27. A bake your own cookie or brownie kit to give to a friend as a gift with a wooden spoon.

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  28. To hold your make up brushes :) just tie a ribbon around it or maybe spray paint it over a stencil :)

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  29. I would use them for Salads to go.

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  30. I would use them to store homemade Jams and preserves

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  31. Moonshine! I've watched too many US hillbilly type programs :)

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  32. I'd use them to store sweets and things and also to store my hair grips (they always seem to go missing!)

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  33. I like filling them with sweets!

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  34. Oh, I have jars all over the house for various jobs, from storing foodstuffs, to holding craft bits, and filled with scented wax balls for making the house smell lovely. You can never have enough!

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  35. Lunchtime salad layered in a jar would be lush

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  36. Fill them with sweets, then give them as presents

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  37. Wow !! I would love to store my daily spice powders that are currently in plastic .
    Cumin powder, Coriander Powder, Rasam Powder, Sambar Powder,Garam Masala and Dried Red Chillies.

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  38. For presenting trifle in a different way :-)

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  39. For homemade fudge and they would be great for christmas presents.

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  40. For homemade milkshakes like the one you have a recipe for, or to put tealights in as a rustic table decoration :)

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  41. To put "bits and bobs" in ~~

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  42. to make pickles

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  43. we use a jar for my son's reward marbles. with a scale up the side & everytie my son is rewarded a marble for good behaviour he puts it in the jar. he gains a treat if it gets full enough

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  44. I use a lovely glass Kilner jar for my sourdough starter - it's very happy in there!

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  45. Homemade Scented Candles xx

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  46. Jams and chutneys i'd use them for!

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  47. Definetly stationary or paints!

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  48. I would use them for jelly :)

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  49. My children have these for drinking out of, after seeing it on one of their fav programms, they love them!!!I do love giving them as gifts though - cake/biscuit mix!

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  50. I use them to store lentils and couscous in. Also homemade chutneys, yum!

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  51. I use glass jars to make salad dressings in :)

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  52. I make overnight oats in jars and then take them to work for breakfast.

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  53. Overnight oats- oats layered with fruit and yoghurt in the fridge equals a yummy breakfast, both of my daughters love it!

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  54. I make a lot of candles, or put my make up brushes in them and pretty them up a bit with ribbon etc. (:

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  55. I am currently using 40 glass jars to fill with goodies as wedding favours for my daughters wedding - they look so pretty too with ribbons and labels tied to them

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  56. i make my own jams so they would be very useful to keep and re-use time and time again. barbara madden

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  57. i use them to keep pulses,spices and rice in

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  58. For a lovely breakfast Mmmmmmmm yoghurt, compote and crunchy muesli yummy

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  59. They're great to serve cheesecakes in!

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  60. Cranachan with golden and red raspberries, whisky liquer cream and honey, topped with toasted oats.

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  61. I love using them for my green juice breakfast

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  62. It's what you put your home made blackberry jam in :)

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  63. smoothies :-)

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  64. To put homemade individual trifles in

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  65. I would use them to serve pink lemonade in at my wedding :D

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  66. I love jars, I use then for everything. They are great for storing buttons and trinkets in & make lovely gifts when filled with sweets or dry ingredients for cookies.

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  67. cover the outside with old lace then use white spray paint to spray over the glass, remove the lace & voila! You have a lovely patterned tea light holder! :)

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  68. A thousand uses. Storing dried fruit for cake making is my favourite though.

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  69. For ice cream puddings!

    trevor linvell

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  70. For my homemade jams & chutney

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  71. food presents! its a great form of presentation

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  72. Keeping those pesky loom bands in

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  73. Glass jars are so funky for storing all sorts of things! I like that you can see what's in them. I have jars in the study with stationery and jars in the kitchen with food stuff! I even have a jar full of conkers on a shelf in my bedroom! :-)

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  74. Overnight Bircher muesli, all ready for brekky next morning!

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  75. For my breakfast nuts and seeds.

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  76. I use jars for homemade chutneys

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  77. granola, fruit and yogurt and take it to work

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  78. Overnight oats with fruit filling - YUM!

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  79. For making raspberry vinegar. Delicious :)

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  80. Chilli mix in a jar (layers or beans, spices, etc.) for Christmas presents.

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  81. apple and blackberry jam

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  82. Peanut butter & chocolate milkshake

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  83. I've been making marrow and ginger jam today using the last of the marrows from the allotment. Plenty of glass jar action going on in my kitchen!

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  84. Sweetie Gift in a jar - layer favourite sweets to fill the jar and wrap as a gift.

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  85. Breakfast in a jar - Oats, yoghurt and berries left to soak overnight

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  86. Our friends printed their weddng date on mason jars the attached a handmade wooden name tag for each guest so we had our cup for the night then a keepsake at the end, a lovely idea!

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  87. Malibu and coke jar for me ;-) hehe

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  88. I love these! I would use them for a cocktail night with the girls x

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  89. For storing homemade truffles in for Christmas

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  90. Thanks for sharing your thoughts about cost of head gasket repair.
    Regards

    My web site - bars leak head gasket repair

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