Since it is autumn/winter time now, we are doing full English breakfasts on weekends from 11a.m to warm  and fill you up. There are 3 choices: a full meat breakfast with bacon, sausages, eggs, toast, beans, mushrooms, even  fried apple rings!, or a vegeterian breakfast or a vegan breakfast( with vegan rashers). The breakfasts are priced at £5/person  to be affordable and your money’s worth. The curries are still on too,  daytime if you like an Indian curry to kick start your day with spices. Evenings are curries as usual though the curries etc keep changing so there are always new things for you to enjoy.

Just before Christmas ,  we will be serving  very unique roast dinners for weekends  to make  this winter special for you. These include medieval roast of birds packed into one another and roasted with very traditional  spices used in medieval times(I  am still doing my research into these!). I  will keep prices as low as possible for these meals so they are affordable  as my interest is in sharing with you the pleasures of very unique exploratative cooking going beyond the usual stuff you find in restaurants and cookbooks and the internet. Food involves creativity, art, chemistry, romanticism  and imagination etc but  I  will go into these in more detail in the cookery section which  I  hope to slowly build up into a book for you.

As of 18. 11.10, we are getting some very beautiful brochures of our cafe that we designed back from the printers. Please drop in and ask to be given some of them to be displayed at your work place if you like what we do and wish to support us.

Its October now and there is autumn in the air in the U.K. Low pressure accompanied by wind, lower temperatures and rain. It feels cold and windy, and winter seems near. Now is when we reach for those woolens and jumpers we stashed away in april/may.

Changing seasons means a need to adjust our food, clothing and lifestyle accordingly. This can be tricky because on one hand we need to be active, not so dressed, and awake but on the other, we just want to wrap up and hibernate.

My day in these autumn season usually starts very early as the hormones of dawn such as cortisol and adrenaline, following my circadian rhythm, start circulating to induce me to sit up and meditate . Later, Liam brings me latte and a sandwich before he is off to college. Liam, who is from Switzerland, is the newest addition to the Take 5 family clan preparing to study architecture soon.

Then, I have a cold shower to start the day, dry myself, then use a moisturising mix of almond oil and a few drops of orange, lemon or lavender oil for my hair and face, followed by dressing up in light and bright colours, and having a protein rich sandwich or my own home-made breakfast bar and warm tea to kick start the day, together with a zinc and vitamin b6 supplement. This helps to activate me, cook my curries for the day for Take 5, do shopping, socialise with customers, and other work and personal activities. Dinner is usually around 5-6 p.m which is usually a family affair with Rob, Liam, Ana and other members of the Take 5 clan downstairs at Take 5 as we are open in the evenings too. Usually this is followed by a nice dessert cooked by Matthew (he keeps feeding us with apple crumble) with warm custard cooked by me.

In the evenings, I bring closure to the day as it gets even colder by having a warm calming bath, followed by a moisturiser mix of almond oil mixed with drops of ylang ylang etc as this help to prepare the mind to relax for sleeping. A warm herbal tea of dandelion or nettle is ideal after this too. After a few more hours, it is usually time to fall asleep so the hormones of darkness such as melatonine can get started in producing more of themselves and repairing this biological human body machine. Chanting a mantra silently within, following the breathing movements of in and out quickly induces me into a baby like -like sleep state!

This is also the right time to be digging out thermal tshirts etc because thermals reduce the need to wear too many layers. Thermal socks help keep the feet warm too. During the day, try to fight the urge to wear dark jackets, dark tshirts or dark dresses if you are a lady. Instead, choose bright colours like white or pastels to match the day light. You can blend in darker clothes as the day darkens into night slowly.

At Take 5, this is when we start getting busy with student parties, christmas dinner bookings, etc. This means more shopping, more staff and more planning. We also start changing the decor to make Take 5 look more warm, and inviting.The menu starts having a range of warm healthy breakfasts and warm soups. This autumn I am planning to even have a medieval roast on some sundays. We saw this advertised at a pub in Cheltenham recently and this idea caught our fancy. We are also toying with the idea of a range of smoothies and milkshakes with modern names such as an emo milkshake, gothic milkshake etc hehe.

Apart from buying lattes and herbal teas at Take 5 and other coffee shops, its a really nice idea to know how to make your own cappucino or latte at home so do check on the recipe section of this site as I will be posting that soon. Also stock up on a small range of herbal teas to keep you warm and if you are middle aged or more, now is the time for your annual flu jab.

Enjoy a pleasant autumn!….. and get ready for winter!

Its 1st october 2010 and the current academic year has just begun. Bristol which is a university town is suddenly aflush with students. Autumn is fast setting in too. I see students everywhere buying everything from chopping boards to knifes to bags of shopping to set up in their new homes for the year and they come from everywhere around the world and U.K! Welcome dear students, summer gets rather quiet when you guys are not around.

I always do my very best for these students by making them feel Take 5 is a place in Bristol they can receive the human friendships and caring these students received back home, apart from feeling a sense of being acknowledged and recognised. My worst nightmare is being in a town where you are treated as a stranger and have no places where you can drop in and feel at home. Over the last 14 years, Take 5 has been a place where students can have dinners, birthdays and parties or just drop in to use the wi-fi, have a latte or a quick chat.

Every time I see a student, I see a potential adult taking the crucial step of education in his/her path to the fulfillment of career and life goals. Nowadays, education involves taking out huge student loans even for hefty fees and I wish there were more ways they received advice and tips as to how to cut their costs. Some tips I can share are as follows:

1) Cut out unnecessary activities which zap money like smoking or buying drugs. Reduce drinking to a minimum as well as clubbing.

2)Use your credit card only for emergencies. Budget all your expenditure and buy only what is absolutely necessary . Shun expensive labels and always eat before you go shopping

3)Food is a big expenditure. Hence look for places that serve affordable value meals and limit your eating out. Plan your food shopping very diligently by making a list of meals you wish to eat in a week. Utilise all left overs. Try making food from scratch without wasting too much energy and time on it. One pineapple for around £1 will make you about 3 jars of fresh pineapple jam. Likewise one whole chicken for around £4 could be hacked up and roasted into a curry lasting 3 days. Try making your own humus, guacomole etc. Your refrigerator will be stocked with food that you made yourself cheaply that you can pack into sandwiches and share with others. Always share what you cook to spread love!

4) You can also do away with most face creams and hair creams etc. Instead buy a bottle of carrier oils such as almond, grapeseed or coconut oil and a few tiny bottles of aromatherapy oils you like e.g lavender, lemon, orange etc(these are unisex oils with fresh citrus smells). In the palm of your hand stir a few drops of carrier oil and a few of your favourite aromatherapy oil and massage it gently into your scalp and to your face. This will be cheaper, fresher and chemical free.

5) Use your hot water, heating and electricity with care to cut out wastage

6)Try to get part-time/casual work so that instead of going out on weekends and getting drunk and losing all your money, you could be working on friday/saturday evenings at a hotel earning money , meeting nice guests, learning bar work and gaining work experience.

7)Learn to say no, instead of a big yes to every invite for a night out. Instead focus on staying at the library, and doing assignments, preparing for exams, reading up etc.

8)Treasure every penny and pound you have. That is either borrowed or hard earned money in your wallet and it needs a rethink before you spend it. Always think of alternative ways of doing things, and arranging your schedule, friendships and activities, so they are not timewasting, tiring, destructive and a strain on your finances.

9)Choose your friendships wisely. Some friendships can result in bankruptcy, hurt, becoming alcoholic and drug dependent. Others can result in an improvement of lifestyle and personal empowerment and enrichment.

10)Exercise care and caution so you are not a target of parking fines or pickpockets or muggers. Bristol offers a lot of support for any problem you may have and never be shy of discussing things with your gp, personal tutor, or support organisations.