This week (20th – 26th May) is British Sandwich Week. Working outside in mostly rural areas, sandwiches (and food in general) are a standard part of our working day and the boys always like to compare what each of them has in their ‘grub box’.  Believe me, ‘food time’ is a big thing when you work outside and have a physical job – we are all a bit like Labradors!

Sandwiches that have won awards in previous years include the ‘Smokey Roll’ and was described as, ‘A stupendous sandwich, featuring locally sourced smoked brisket, smoked rich Gouda cheese, mushrooms, horseradish sauce and herbs.’

Two vegetarian award-winning options are the  ‘Just Peachy’ sandwich, consisting of creamy whipped feta with honey and thyme baked peaches, crystallised pistachios and rocket with a drizzle of honey in between two slabs of all-butter croissant French toast.  Or use a filling of cream cheese, caramelised bananas, caramelised rice puffs and Miso caramel.  Imagine making those for your lunch box every day!

Apparently the most popular vegan sandwich options are the good old-fashioned chip butty, (not so good cold), peanut butter and marmite (together) and avocado with pickled red onion.  I would definitely enter my Nan’s favourite in this category –  the unbeatable basic sliced tomato with a sprinkling of salt. 

As well as trying to avoid too many calories - and nesting birds - I am also having to be aware of the little froglets that are currently ‘under manoeuvres’ in the long, damp grass.  The humid conditions have meant that they are out and about earlier than usual and being so small, they are often quite difficult to spot unless you disturb them.   I recently read – and thoroughly enjoyed – The Book of the Frog, by Sally Coulthard. The little book is full of fascinating facts and ways in which you can help frogs in your garden. 

Frogs are one of those ‘garden guardians’ that we often overlook, and they have some amazing ‘claims to fame’ - some are so poisonous that one tiny little frog can harbour enough poison to kill ten people. Ironically, many others have the key to many lifesaving medicines and treatments.

It is difficult book to put down as there are so many ‘toadally’ fascinating facts about both toads and frogs.  For example, all toads are frogs, but not all frogs are toads.  The name for a group of frogs is an army and a group of toads are called a knot.  There are facts that will make you cringe and facts that will make you smile – and probably my most-loved one is that every year when a frog goes into hibernation, a new layer of bone is formed.  This means that you can actually count these rings in a frog – like you would count the rings on a tree – to find out how old it is.  Please don’t try this at home.

Sally has also written several other similarly ‘addictive’ books including, The Book of the Earthworm, The Hedgehog handbook, A Short History of the World According to Sheep  (you could never imagine the role sheep have played across the centuries), and even crafty topics like How to Build a Shed and Shed Chic.  Her love of sheds is no surprise as that’s where she writes from and says, “Turns out you can write about lots of different things if you lock yourself in a shed for hours on end.”  She also confides that ‘No one else in the family is allowed to use her she-shed’ and claims having your own space can help your marriage as well as your career.   www.sallycoulthard.co.uk