Tuesday, 26 April 2011

Windsor Wedding Fever

Don't know if you heard, but there's a little wedding come up. Two people called Wills and Kate? The mind boggles.

So in celebration, I took myself to Windsor to see just what all the fuss was about.

Here is what I got up to:









For top ice cream visit Mauds and for a top lunch, head to the Two Brewers - located at the top of the Long Walk - adjacent to the castle gates.

Tuesday, 19 April 2011

Scared of the Sun with THESE Legs

When the sun came out last week everybody rejoiced, I swear I heard a little delight across the whole of the UK as people ditched the bus and decided to walk instead to work, and finally dug out those last year sandals which we didn't expect to have to use for another couple of months.

But somewhere inside, I felt a little dread and a lot of worry. I was certianly nowhere near summer ready. I was as white as a ghost, nails not quite the perfect colour and winter clothes still being worn. So, I figured, if I was ever going to brace the UK's pavements again, I had better get prepared and get myself ready.

TASK 1: TAN
I'm not much of a sunbed user, I've heard the horror stories and to be honest they have stuck. As for fake-tan I swear I am the only person in the world who it doesn't work on. Think ridiculously dark and streaky and you're thinking about me when I give it a go. So instead, I popped along to trusty Boots and gave this a whirl:

This is St. Tropez's gradual mousse tanner. It slides on like a little dream and a little goes a long way. It gives you that kind of summer-kissed look, not the I've-just-come-home-from-the-sun look which we all want to keep away from.

TASK 2: NAILS
I am a slight nail-obsesser, I'm talking, probably paint them about three times a week. My nail polish collection is utterly ridiculous and I probably haven't seen my bare nails in about 5 years. So when the sun put its hat on it was time for some summer colour baby! This is what I'm talking about:




Yes, I'm talking block orange and bring purple, from my best nail friend, Barry M.

TASK 3: SUMMER CLOTHING
My summer sandals from last year were looking well past their sell-by date and so I thought, there really is no better excuse, to visit the beloved Topshop.


LONG MAY THE SUN SHINE.

Tuesday, 12 April 2011

Mama's BBQ

If there's one thing my Mum does well, it's a BBQ. It is big, it is huge, it is yummy. We're not just talking sausages and burgers, on no my friend, the list is endless. Olives, 5 types of cheeses, a variety of sausages, marinated chickens, homemade italian bread, raspberry and stilton salads...the food just keeps coming and coming. So when the sun shone on the weekend, I knew for certain that dinner was going to be a big event - and I was right:













Tuesday, 5 April 2011

Are You Freakin' Kidding Me?

Just last week I popped along to the Docs in hope of a few answers. I was praying for an easy and quick response, you know the kind, 'eat more cake and the symptoms will just go.' No? Never heard that before? Our Doctors need retraining.

Anyway, I had a few things on my mind that I was certainly not hoping for, with one of them being, a wheat intolerance. 'Please God,' I thought, 'do not let them tell me I have to give up all things wheat.'

After a lot of deliberation on his and my part he came to a conclusion:

'I think you have an intolerance to chocolate.'

'Are you freakin' kidding me?'

'No.'

Oh-my-God. Does that even exist? I thought not, apparently it does. Whenever people tell me they are giving up chocolate for lent I give the usual response: 'why the hell would you do that? Freak.' Usually, they do not have a good enough answer that satisfies my questioning.

So I have now gone 12 days without chocolate. I have joined the weird-band of people who give up chocolate, although, mine is certainly not for fun. Yes, that's right, 12 days. For a person that usually would kill for something like this...

(Eaten 3 days before the bad news)

... it has proved, well, pretty difficult. Now I am not quite at the sweating and shaking stage, but when I bypassed a chocolate torte this afternoon, I was nearly at breaking point.

Wish me luck.

*Screams into pillow*



Thursday, 31 March 2011

The Most Perfect Italian Pesto and Pumps



The majority of the time, when it comes to cooking I am, as my friends say a 'precision cooker.' That means that I measure, I weigh, I certainly do not estimate.

This is probably a transferal from my super-organized, pain-in-the-ass, have to be on time and everything looking perfect life. Yep that's right, I'm an organised super-freak and dare I say it, am slightly proud of it. It has always served me well. I am certainly never late, I plan everything down to the last detail and in my years I have not once missed so much as a train, plane or bus.

But when it comes to some foods I just throw this all out the window and throw caution to the wind. My Mum is always telling me to 'take a few more risks', 'go on, have a risky, naughty day' she says.

Now I haven't quite gotten that far yet. She advises that one day I leave the house slightly later in the morning, or perhaps one day, pull a fake sickie. But I can proudly say that when it comes to making pesto, I pull it all out of the bag. (Small steps people!)

With some foods, measuring and weighing is just not needed, sometimes it is just better to go with your gut, no not the rumblings, but rather what it is telling you. Too salty? Too spicy? Then fix it in a matter of seconds.

When it comes to my pesto, this is the mantra I like to stick to and so I am passing it over to you. Give it a go.

You simply require a basil plant, olive oil, garlic, and pine nuts. Throw it in a food processor how you see fit and give it a taste. It's pretty liberating. Enjoy.

Meanwhile, I have been searching for the perfect ballet pump for absolute yonks. I wasn't looking to spend a fortune because I like a few colours but wanted them to be, well, just right you know? And I finally found them:


Perfect for running around in. 

Thursday, 24 March 2011

The Easiest Lemon Chicken in the Book


Ingredients:
1 whole free-range chicken
2 lemons halved
Handful of fresh sage, parsley, tarragon
2 whole garlic cloves peeled
Olive oil

How to go about it:
1. Cut up the whole chicken into sections. Place in oven tray.
2. Drizzle over olive oil - don't go easy.
3. Put all of the herbs in and mix around.
4. Place in the lemons, halved.
5. Pop in the garlic cloves.
6. Swirl it around.
7. Pop in oven at 220, for around 50 minutes or until ready.

So that's it folks, it really is that easy and according to my meat-eating family it tastes utterly gorgeous, much like a spit-roast.

In other news, aren't you loving the sun? I went out today in jeans and just a floaty long top. That's right, not a coat, or scarf in sight. I felt completely liberated after our long, hard winter.

Enjoy your chicken.


Monday, 14 March 2011

Swing Like Your Mama Did in the 60's



THE 60'S ARE MAKING A COMEBACK...

Did you hear? Well it's all I seemed to hear over the past fashion weeks, it was everywhere, and to be completely honest, I could not be happier. Reinvent the best of the 60's and make it look rockin' again in 2012.

Just the other day my Nan was sorting through her old clothes collection (from a dusty loft) and discovered a fabulous belt from the past. I fell in love and it quickly took up residence in my wardrobe. That's the best think about this resurfacing of fashion, recycle, recycle, recycle.


 
If you are prone to preferring fresh, clean clothes not from your Mama's old loft, then here are a selection on offer right now - and it's set to get even bigger next year. I'm tallking 60's swing dresses, coats and oh-so-beautiful bold colours (and eye makeup!)

ASOS '60s Mac With Contrast Trim £75.00


ASOS Sixties Skater With Belt Dress £40.00


ASOS '60s Bow Pocket Coat £95.00 Now: £41.00

Sunday, 13 March 2011

Roll Up, Roll Up ... It's Cupcake Time!


Just the other day I was invited to one of my good friend's hen do's. I have always been one of those have-to-turn-up-with-something-in-my-hand kind of people, and this, was no exception.

So I searched my little brain for something to arrive with. I already had a lovely gift for the wedding so that just wouldn't do and then I suddenly had a light-bulb kind of moment. What on earth could be better than beautiful cupcakes with buttercream icing and love-hearts to match? A la, perfect.

So I got cracking on the unbelievably easy to make cupcakes and this is the finished result. They are very sweet, but oh so good. And they're only teeny tiny, so, we'll forget about all the sugar for now!

My secret is to never allow the buttercream icing to go too hard (by leaving it in the fridge) and also, always alow the cakes to completely cool before icing them. A touch of edible glitter always looks fabulous and decorate appropriately.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:
  • 250g unsalted butter, softened
  • 250g caster sugar
  • 250g self-raising flour
  • 4 medium eggs (free range, ofcourse)
  • 4 tablespoons milk
  • 2 x 12-hole muffin tins, lined with paper cases
Recipe:
  1. Set the oven to 190°C.
  2. Put the butter into a bowl and beat it until softened. Add the flour, sugar, eggs and milk and whisk until smooth.
  3. Divide the mixture between all the paper cases.
  4. Place in oven for 15 minutes, then turn and bake for a further 4-7 minutes, until light golden.
  5. Remove the tins from the oven. Leave the cupcakes to cool in the tins for a few minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool.
Butter Icing:
  • 140g butter softened
  • 280g icing sugar
  • Chosen colour of food colouring (just a few drops)
  • 1 tbsp of milk
Recipe:
  1. Beat the butter in a large bowl until soft. Add half of the icing sugar and beat until smooth.
  2. Add the rest of the icing sugar and just one tablespoon of the milk and beat the mixture until beautifully soft and creamy.
  3. Seperate into seperate bowl if you want multiple colours, stir in the food colouring until well combined.
  4. Place into piping bags and pipe away!

Tuesday, 8 March 2011

It's Pancake Day!


So the day has arrived once again. How do you like yours? Savoury? Sweet?

I think you can probably see from my pic that I live in an all-sweet household. Bring on the sugar, chocolate sauce and syrup.

Enjoy!