Monday 20th January 2014 - Sunset at Brighton Beach
Monday, 20 January 2014
Thursday, 18 July 2013
Wednesday, 10 July 2013
GLASTONBURY FESTIVAL 2013
One weekend a year anything goes!
This was my third year at Glastonbury & I still haven't seen it all. Glastonbury has everything from dancing all night to hippy massage tents. Huge bands playing such as the amazing Rolling Stones, craft workshops, theater performances, eco phone charging and just about anything else you can think of.
These are my BEST BITS.
Delicious Yeo Valley yogurt just £1 a pot with a free pot of muesli in the mornings AND a free tote bag if you desire.
Beautiful police horses dressed for the occasion.
Make your own hair garment with ringaringaroses! Just £5 each & you can sit in the sunshine choosing flowers, ribbons, buttons, feathers & other crafty bits to make a lovely hair piece.
Cake & smoothies - Smooth Criminals
A brilliant girl band from Sweden - First Aid Kit
Sisters with beautiful voices, I predict they will be big this summer.
General playing in the mud when it rains.
My favourite stage, you can watch the sunset & rise in the park. It's very relaxing if you wanted to get away from the crowds for a while. The park also has a great view point to look over the rest of the festival.
SugarRush Fudge! A great quick fix sugar hit & so many flavours! You'll find it just around the corner from the Pyramid Stage.
CAT POWER. She headlined The Park on Sunday night & was spectacular!
Playing lots of tracks from her new album, a really fun summery vibe.
The Rolling Stones of course! 50 years on & they are still going.
Bravo guys, it was amazing to see you play all the classics.
Thank you Glastonbury & see you next year!
x
What were your favourite bits?
Tweet me HERE <3
Saturday, 1 June 2013
The Royal Victoria Sponge Recipe
THE PERFECT CAKE.
Great for tea parties & birthdays
Ingredients: (aprox 8 slices)
4 free range eggs or use no egg (dairy free)
225g caster sugar
225g butter/dairy free spread
225g plain flour
2 tspn baking powder
For the filling:
a small punnet of strawberries
200g mascapone
50g icing sugar
4 tbsn strawberry jam
2 cake tins aprox 20cm each
an oven
greeseproof paper
mixing bowl & whisk
cooling racks
MAKE
1. Pre heat your oven to 180oc & grease your 2 cake tins with butter/spread & line with greeseproof paper ready for later.
2. Beat your eggs in the bowl first, add the sugar followed by the flour, baking powder & butter/spread.
(If you have an electric whisk it would be handy to use it now.)
3. Mix everything in the bowl until the ingredients are well combined. Using an electric whisk would make it easier but you could also use a wooden spoon & some elbow grease until the mixture reaches 'dropping' consistency.
4. Pour your mixture into the can tins as evenly as possible, use a spatula to remove any excess mixture in the bowl.
5. Bake your cakes for 25 minutes until they are golden on the surface. You can test the sponge by gently touching its surface & if it springs back they are ready to bring out & cool.
6. Whilst your cakes are cooling put your mascapone in to a bowl & sieve the icing sugar in with it.
7. Gently mix them together with a spatula being careful not to over work it.
8. Cut the tops off your strawberries & cut them in half length ways, if they are large cut them into quarters.
9. Once the sponges are cool remove them from the cake tin, you may need to use a knife to help them get out. Once out make sure you have both sides of the cake facing up that will be the center of the cake.
10. Find a pallet knife or just a flat knife a spread a layer of strawberry jam on the top-facing side of each sponge. After this spread a layer of the mascapone mix on top of the jam layer, you can be quite generous.
11. Decide which sponge will be your base & spread out the strawberries on to the mascapone layer on this one sponge saving a few for the topping.
12. Gently pick up your top sponge & place in on the base sponge so your cake is built. Spread any extra mascapone mix on top of the cake and add any extra strawberries to the middle.
13. Finish off with a dusting of icing sugar.
FIN.
1. Pre heat your oven to 180oc & grease your 2 cake tins with butter/spread & line with greeseproof paper ready for later.
2. Beat your eggs in the bowl first, add the sugar followed by the flour, baking powder & butter/spread.
(If you have an electric whisk it would be handy to use it now.)
3. Mix everything in the bowl until the ingredients are well combined. Using an electric whisk would make it easier but you could also use a wooden spoon & some elbow grease until the mixture reaches 'dropping' consistency.
4. Pour your mixture into the can tins as evenly as possible, use a spatula to remove any excess mixture in the bowl.
5. Bake your cakes for 25 minutes until they are golden on the surface. You can test the sponge by gently touching its surface & if it springs back they are ready to bring out & cool.
6. Whilst your cakes are cooling put your mascapone in to a bowl & sieve the icing sugar in with it.
7. Gently mix them together with a spatula being careful not to over work it.
8. Cut the tops off your strawberries & cut them in half length ways, if they are large cut them into quarters.
9. Once the sponges are cool remove them from the cake tin, you may need to use a knife to help them get out. Once out make sure you have both sides of the cake facing up that will be the center of the cake.
10. Find a pallet knife or just a flat knife a spread a layer of strawberry jam on the top-facing side of each sponge. After this spread a layer of the mascapone mix on top of the jam layer, you can be quite generous.
11. Decide which sponge will be your base & spread out the strawberries on to the mascapone layer on this one sponge saving a few for the topping.
12. Gently pick up your top sponge & place in on the base sponge so your cake is built. Spread any extra mascapone mix on top of the cake and add any extra strawberries to the middle.
13. Finish off with a dusting of icing sugar.
FIN.
Great with tea.
A classic British summer cake.
Sunday, 31 March 2013
Spring me eggs - HOT CROSS BUNS
EASTER
It's Spring! The baby animals are being born and flowers are blossoming. This Christian holiday is celebrated with food. Food food food. For some reason chocolate gets mega cheap and everyone eats loads of it, why are chocolate eggs so cheap? This is a celebration for me because its a 4 day weekend so I thought it would be lovely to make a batch of hot cross buns. Fruity and sweet hot cross buns, simple easy good food.
(You may want to have a book/zine handy, you'll find there is lots of bun rising time).
THE BUN RECIPE
Ingredients: (makes aprox 20 buns)
625mg STRONG flour
2 tspn mixed spice powder
45g butter/soya spread
1 lemon zest
1 egg (use no-egg for a dairy free alternative)
150ml milk (cow or any dairy free alternative)
75g sugar
1 1/2 tbsp yeast
125g dried fruit
golden syrup
oil
butter/soya spread
baking paper
1 plastic bag
a large baking tray
oven
MAKE
1. Sieve the flour into a large mixing bowl and crumble in the butter (make sure the butter isn't too hard).
2. Make a well in the center, add the sugar, lemon zest and yeast.
3.Beat in the egg and pour in the milk. This should form a bread like dough. (Add water to your mixture if its too wet).
5. Work and knead your dough for 5 minutes adding in your dried fruit.
6. Grease a large warm bowl with butter and place your dough inside with a tea towel over the top, in a warm place for an hour.
7. Read and tea break.
8. Knead and knock your dough about for a few minutes then put back into the bowl for a further 30 minutes.
9. Brake the dough into about 20 pieces and roll each piece into a bun shape then cover with your tea towel and rest for 10 minutes.
10. Grease your baking tray and place your buns onto the tray.
TOP TIP: Wrap the bun covered tray in baking paper and put a plastic bag around it, seal so not air will get in for the last rising.
11. Leave your buns to rise for 40 minutes and set your oven to 240oc.
12.Mix 2 tbsp of flour with 2 tbsp of water and mix into a paste. Make a small paper cone with your baking paper and pipe a cross on top of each bun.
13. Finally pop your buns in to the oven for 8-12 minutes and once they are golden brown bring them out and brush with golden syrup immediately.
EAT.
Happy Easter feasting!
X
How did the buns go down?
I'm looking for a great bun recipe with chocolate and orange. If you have one please tweet it my way.
Thursday, 31 January 2013
Perfect Party Dress - Valentines Special
PARTY DRESS SEASON IS HERE!
Valentines day (puke) should be a party occasion. Here I have found the perfect party dress for any lady.
This beautiful dress will make you sparkle, the sweetheart neckline flatters any shape and this dress feels lovely on. You can dance, dine or date in this lovely number and 2013 is the year for sequins!
This dress is available in silver or purple in UK sizes 8-18 and is currently on sale!
originally £55.00 now ONLY £24.50
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| Once I put this dress on, I didn't want to take it off EVER! |
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| Mmm sequins... |
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| Dress companion |
What do you think of this number?
Sunday, 13 January 2013
Dylan
On Wednesday afternoon I was informed that a box of Lurcher cross puppies had be dumped next to an A road in Lamberhurst, Kent. There were 5 puppies in total and they were probably 3 months old. After hearing this, of course I wanted to save 1 or even all of them! Luckily my boyfriend & Jackie (his mum) felt the same so say hello to DYLAN! (named after Bob)
We found out later at the vets Dylan is only 9 weeks old and should still be with his mother so we can't take him outside for a few weeks.
All the puppies were homed the day they were dumped which is great.
How does this still happen?
X
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