It's nearly holiday time... just two more days and we are off to the South of France to join family and then a week at the beach with just my partner and boys... looking forward to it!

This will be my last blog until the 'new year'... anyone reading this for a while now will know that the 1st September is the real new year for me - a time to come back with renewed energy from the sunshine and relaxation of the summer (and not exhausted after Christmas!)

To get in the mood for the seaside, I thought I would share with you a gift from the sea...

Perhaps you are already used to eating the plants from the sea, but for many people the seaweed section of the health shop remains unexplored territory. I was also hesitant at first as I am not much of a fan of the sea taste... but over time I have discovered some easy ways to get the benefits of seaweeds easily and that I enjoy.

But maybe a word about why to bother with seaweeds... one thing I love to remember about them is that they are a good source of omega 3... those oily fish that we are all told to eat get their omegas from their food too ;-)

Here's 3 of my favourite super easy seaweeds:

1) Nori - the sushi sheets that you know well. But no need to save them for the sushi chef, you can use them as a wrap for any rice, vegetable dish you have made or filled with raw veggies and avocado.

2) Kombu- used as a flavour enhancer in Japan, a small strip of kombu added to rice, grains or beans while cooking them both adds flavour and ups their mineral content.

3) Arame - black stringy seaweed - just add a handful to your pan of soup in the last 5-10 minutes of cooking. I do this instead of using any vegetable stock and the flavour is great

Anyway else got some favourite and easy seaweed tips to share? Would love to hear them!