Tell us about your valentine...

Is there someone special in your life who deserves a Valentine’s Day treat?

Are you looking for the perfect way to show your mother, partner, friend, relative or neighbour just how much you love them?

Then look no further.

Cuckfield Life has teamed up with Chez Fleur to offer one lucky reader a chance to surprise their loved one with a beautiful Valentine’s bouquet.

Village florist Belinda Campopiano will create an exclusive bouquet of red roses to make this Valentine’s Day extra special.

“Valentine’s Day provides the perfect opportunity to show someone just how much you care and what better way than to say it with flowers,“ said Belinda. “I’m really looking forward to reading the nominations, helping to choose a winner and creating the perfect bouquet for them.”

To nominate the special person in your life, just send us an email telling us why you think they deserve to be surprised this Valentine’s Day.

Don’t forget to include an address where you would like the flowers to be delivered. (Recipients must live in the RH16/RH17 postal area.)

Entries must be emailed to competition@cuckfieldlife.co.uk
by Monday 3rd February.

The lucky winner will be presented with the flowers on the morning of 14th February.

 For those not lucky enough to win, Belinda is still happy to take orders for Valentine’s Day and create and deliver the perfect bouquet. Orders must be placed by Friday 7th February.

Since starting her business two years ago Belinda has been delighting customers with her floral creations, from dazzling wedding bouquets, arrangements for the home, as well as churches and corporate events.

She is also well known in the village for her demonstrations and workshops, where she shares her tips with those wanting to have a go at creating their own displays and arrangements.

For more information about Chez Fleur visit
www.chezfleur.co.uk

*We hope to feature the lucky winner in a future edition of Cuckfield Life, so it’s important the nominees aren’t camera shy!

Tom parties with the stars

Christmas came early for Cuckfield schoolboy Tom George when he partied with TV, film and sporting stars at Number 11 Downing Street.

Tom, 10, a pupil at Holy Trinity School, travelled to London with his mum Sarah to join the party, hosted by the Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osbourne. He was one of a group of 40 children invited to the event by the Starlight Children’s Foundation, a charity that grants wishes to seriously ill children.

The children were greeted by celebrities and sporting stars, including Chelsea Football Club’s Frank Lampard, rugby star and Strictly Come Dancing contestant Ben Cohen, former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell and Harry Potter actor Rupert Grint.

But Tom’s personal favourites were childrens’ TV stars Dick and Dom (pictured).

“They were really good fun,” said Tom, who added that entering 11 Downing Street was “a bit like going into the Tardis!” 

Another special moment for Tom was having his face painted by one of London theatre’s top make up artists. Tom chose a dramatic tiger. “It was brilliant - so good he was reluctant to wash it off at the end of the day,” said dad Philip.

Read the full story by Claire Cooper on page 16 of Jan/Feb magazine.

The perfect Nut Roast

Ingredients:

2 large parsnips

Oil, to grease

1 small savoy cabbage, 4–6 outer leaves only 

150g hazelnuts

40g butter

1 red onion, finely chopped

150g chestnut mushrooms, finely chopped

100g cooked chestnuts, roughly chopped

100g stilton, crumbled (or other vegetarian-friendly cheese of your choice)

100g brown breadcrumbs

2 tbsp chopped fresh sage

1 free-range egg, beaten

Method:    

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C. Peel and quarter the parsnips, and cook in boiling, salted water until tender, drain well and mash.

2. Grease a loaf tin approximately 20cm x 10cm x 7cm, then line with foil and grease this generously. Blanch 6 savoy cabbage leaves in boiling, salted water for 2 minutes: you’ll need enough to line the tin with overlapping leaves but how many depends on the size of your cabbage, so make sure you have enough before you tip away the water. Immediately plunge the leaves into iced water.

3. Toast the hazelnuts in a frying pan over a high heat until starting to colour, then set aside. Turn the heat down to medium, add the butter and chopped onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for another 7 minutes until nicely softened.

4. Roughly chop the hazelnuts and put them in a large bowl along with the chopped chestnuts, crumbled stilton, breadcrumbs and chopped sage. Add the mashed parsnip and softened onions and mushrooms, followed by the beaten egg. Season and stir together well.

5. Line the prepared tin with overlapping cabbage leaves, leaving any excess hanging over the sides, then spoon in the mixture, pressing it down well, and fold any overhanging cabbage leaves back over the top. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes. (Alternatively, you can keep it in the fridge for a day or so before baking.)

6. Remove the foil from the top and put the loaf back in the oven for another 15 minutes, then take out of the oven and put a large serving plate over the top of the tin. Holding the tin with oven gloves, turn the plate over so the loaf inverts on to the plate. Carefully peel off the foil and cut into slices to serve.