Crumbs to Crunch

We are all familiar with the importance of eating well and exercising regularly to look after our physical health. Looking after our mental health is equally as important. Doing things you love is an excellent way to ensure that you feel as well as you can be. For some, that could be running, meditation or yoga but for me, baking brings so much joy. Baking gives me a sense of achievement . It is incredibly satisfying seeing the final product and knowing that I created something that tastes good. Baking requires precision such as measuring ingredients and using a range of techniques. Last week, I made my first pavlova that wasn’t burnt on the outside and raw in the middle! I felt almost euphoric that I had finally mastered the skill of making meringues and it tasted fabulous! Creativity you can eat! Having a creative outlet is hugely beneficial but that doesn’t mean you have to be artistic. Most of my cakes taste a lot better than they look! Some people do fabulous

The most famous literary tea party is the Mad Hatter's tea party in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland so where better to have tea than Guildford, the town where Lewis Carroll wrote Through the Looking Glass ?  Guildford has many links with Lewis Carroll who bought a cottage there for his six sisters. Throughout his life he was a frequent visitor to the town and is even buried in the local cemetery. There is a lovely statue of Alice through the looking glass which is just a stone's throw from where Carroll's sisters lived. On the riverbank, there is another fun statue of Alice chasing the white rabbit.  Delving into the world of Alice couldn't be complete without my own mini tea party! I went to Caracoli , a bright café with huge windows overlooking the High Street. As the weather was rather autumnal, I tried the buttermilk spice cake which was a rich sponge with a tangy icing. I was intrigued by the Monk pear tea, purely because of its name. This bla