Here are a few ideas of things to do this week from Country and Townhouse:

What three practices does Deliciously Ella founder Ella Mills do to stay happy, and the Croatian monastery-turned-hotel to book this summer

FIVE THINGS TO DO THIS WEEK

Lamenting the loss of this year’s Glastonbury? Take your bubble to Lancashire for the UK’s first socially-distanced festival, Gisburne Park Pop Up. Launching this weekend and running until the end of August, the event will see performances from the likes of Jonas Blue alongside immersive movie nights, gourmet pub roasts and cocktails from top London bars. No need to bring your own tent: it’s glamping only, with five-metre wide bell tents furnished with double beds, electricity and access to private showers.

Treat yourself to afternoon tea at The Ritz, the only UK hotel to have its own certified tea sommelier. Taking place in the gilded Palm Court – which reopens its doors on 18 July – the world-renowned experience features finger sandwiches, warm scones and pastries, accompanied by classic music from resident pianist Ian Gomes.

Sleep within the walls of a 15th century monastery on the Croatian island of Lopud, found in the heart of the Elaphiti islands. Constructed in 1483 as a cloistered sanctuary for Franciscan monks, the 5,000 square foot medieval complex has been restored over the last 20 years under the guidance of Francesca Thyssen-Bornemisza, and is now welcoming guests on an exclusive-use basis for personalised holidays or retreats. Available for exclusive hire from July – September 2020. Rates from €10,000 (approx. £9,040) per night on a B&B basis. For more information, contact: booking@lopud1483.com

Stretch it out at a yoga class on Fulham’s very own beach, Neverland London: a large stretch of land tucked away by the Thames. The Pop Up Yoga Club is returning to the palm-tree bedecked venue for a series of 75-minute Saturday morning flows, led by founder Cassie McClements alongside guest teachers. Classes cost £20pp.

Head to Houghton Hall in Norfolk to see the largest UK exhibition of outdoor sculptures by celebrated British sculptor Anish Kapoor, launching on 12 July. The exhibition – which was originally due to open in March – features 24 seminal works from Kapoor, including Sky Mirror, a five-metre diameter mirror of stainless steel that reflects and transforms the space around it. Image credit: courtesy of the artist and Lisson Gallery. © Anish Kapoor. All rights reserved DACS, 2020. Photo: Pete Huggins.

MY WEEK IN WELLNESS

BY ELLA MILLS

Each week we ask a special guest to share a handful of top picks from their field. This week it’s Ella Mills, founder of Deliciously Ella, with her nuggets of wisdom for living a happy, healthy life.

When it comes to health and wellness, look for fun, long-term hobbies that you love and that truly bring more joy to your day. My three top practices are: walking with our dog Austin and our little girl Skye, spending time on the yoga mat, and doing five to ten minute guided meditations. I also try to read before bed rather than scroll Instagram – it’s easier said than done but makes the world of difference. In terms of cooking, eat in a way that you enjoy, every time. A healthy lifestyle is a genuinely enjoyable one, one that you look forward to and that never sacrifices flavour, abundance, texture and colour. I love warming, hearty, spicy food so always opt for something with rice, potatoes or sweet potatoes as the base – I’m starving an hour later otherwise. I love sautéed spices in coconut milk curries and dahls, miso marinated roasted veggies, nutty noodles and banana bread. I can’t stand a green salad or lettuce in any variety.

Image credit: Sophie Spring.

WHAT’S COOKING?

Nut butter chocolate chip cookies, taken from Ella’s new recipe book Deliciously Ella, Quick & Easy.

"These are no-fuss, no-equipment, short-on-time vegan cookies. They are easy, incredibly delicious, a little crispy on the outside, soft in the middle and full of big chocolate chunks."

INGREDIENTS

5 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

100g coconut sugar (or demerara sugar)

150g plain flour (we use a gluten-free flour)

1 teaspoon baking powder

50–100g dark chocolate (we like 70% cocoa solids), chopped

5 tablespoons almond or oat milk

2 tablespoons almond butter or any other nut butter (we also love cashew or peanut butter)

Pinch of salt

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C fan. Line a large baking tray with baking parchment.

2. Place the coconut oil in a bowl and mix in the sugar, flour, baking powder and dark chocolate. Add the almond milk, almond butter and salt, and mix well until the mixture comes together.

3. The mix may look crumbly, but it should stick together when pressed in your hands. Use a tablespoon of mixture for each cookie, pressing the mix firmly together and shaping it into a ball.

4. Place the cookies on to the lined tray and bake for 12 minutes. They need quite a lot of space between them as they might spread as they bake. When they come out of the oven, they’ll still be a little soft, which is exactly what you want. Leave them to cool on the tray and they’ll finish setting. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Recipe extracted from Deliciously Ella Quick & Easy, published by Yellow Kite, out now.

This week Online Assistant Daniella Saunders is reading Alice Vincent’s Rootbound: Rewilding a Life.

“Picking up this book in the midst of a pandemic was one of the best things I could have done – aside from the ceaseless bread baking. While it’s easy to become bogged down with negative headlines and dispiriting social media posts of late, Alice Vincent’s Rootbound reminds us of the therapeutic benefits of gardening, as well as nature’s tenacious spirit – something we humans could learn a lot from. Biography and botanicals are melded effortlessly in this transformative novel which details the writer’s efforts to ‘rewild’ her life following heartbreak. Green-fingered enthusiast or not, I guarantee you’ll find comfort in Vincent’s relatable life journey and joy in her impassioned commentary on nature’s delights.”