montytheford

<strong>About Us</strong>
Welcome folks I’m Pip from @montytheford. I live in my 41 year old yellow motorhome with my boyfriend Dan and our two cheeky rescue dogs Jango and Steve. We have been living in the van for over 18 months now. Living small has been better than we had ever imagined. We have less outgoings, less possessions, less worries. Most of the time we are parked up in a tranquil spot with family in rural England, in a village close to where we both grew up. Even during lockdown with all its restrictions, we have been surrounded by beautiful birdsong, soothing sunsets and dainty wild flowers.

<strong>Lockdown</strong>
When the virus started to restrict travel in Europe, we were in mountainous Northern Spain. Dashing to Calais to cross the channel, we returned home safely after three months exploring. We were so focused on getting back, we hadn’t really thought about what we would do afterwards. My job as a supply teacher didn’t exist anymore. We couldn’t see friends or family, despite already having three months apart. Things weren’t as we had expected. But, there were positives. Suddenly we were flooded with a lot of extra time, so I decided to immerse myself in creative hobbies…

<strong>Baking</strong>
As I child, I did a lot of baking. I am the eldest of four children, so baking was a cheap and cheerful way for Mum to keep us all occupied (she is an amazing baker). Even at university, cake Tuesdays became a regular feature as I whipped up delicious sweet treats every week for my house mates. But as work took centre stage, baking slowly drifted away from me as I became more and more pushed for time.

This is no longer the case. Every Sunday morning for the past two months, myself and two good friends - Sarah and Carys - video chat together whilst baking the same recipe. It works amazingly well. We share our progress, ask for a second opinion, adapt the recipe a little as we go. Basically, we support each other. And despite our range of baking experience, everything has come out tasting just as it should – and gets eaten very quickly.

If you are looking for social contact without having to take part in a quiz, I couldn’t recommend virtual baking enough! It’s cheap, you learn a new skill, catch up with friends and have something delicious to eat at the end.

I will be sharing a few of my favourite bakes on here that I have made with Sarah and Carys. Each bake has been prepared in the van using basic cooking equipment, and the recipes are easy to follow, whatever your previous experience. I hope you enjoy following them as much as I have. Happy baking!