tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59788751230173832092024-02-02T08:47:02.749+00:00Coffee With CroissantsAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08272991191063858254noreply@blogger.comBlogger88125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5978875123017383209.post-64208813081283094572013-09-01T21:52:00.000+01:002013-09-01T21:54:16.105+01:00September GranolaI've always been fascinated with the idea of looking at food as a culture and how, in looking at it that way, you can take inspiration from different regions, diets or even time scales in the case of British Nostalgia baking. Last year, my big favourite was South East Asian food. I still look to the styles of cooking there a lot now, by creating a nutritious Chinese-style stir fry, or picking up some sushi for lunch in town.<br />
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At the moment, I am really interested in 'health foods' -raw, vegan and even <a href="http://thepaleodiet.com/">Paleo</a>. These are focused on eating healthily, naturally and simply. Because of this, they can often be seen as restrictive, which is why I wouldn't look to eating in any of these ways exclusively. This last month, I've been eating as a pescatarian, which I will be blogging about very soon. This, in comparison, was a very relaxed diet as I could eat everything but land meat, and there were times, say when travelling across country to the <a href="http://coffeewithcroissants.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/bird-fair-2013.html">Bird Fair </a>when finding lunch was pretty damn hard. However, I really love how choosing to eat in this more natural way causes you to be a much more creative chef. Juices are obviously a big one for this, being totally natural, raw and plant based. At York Station's <a href="http://www.filmoreandunion.com/">Filmore and Union</a>, they make the most delicious juices, and I am starting to look into getting one of my own.<br />
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So when I found out that Belle Gibson who I follow on Instagram, was launching a new app, The Whole Pantry, I was pretty stoked. The app features wholefood recipes and 'Lifestyle and Wellness guides'. It is especially good for anyone looking for healthier snacks, and all the recipes, I believe, are vegetarian and gluten free.<br />
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When yesterday, I decided to stock up on a breakfast staple of mine -granola -I looked to The Whole Pantry for ideas. Belle's recipe didn't include any oats at all, which I though was an impressive use of ingredients. My granola ended up quite different due to the ingredients that I had to hand, but I loved some of the methods and flavours in this. The use of coconut oil rather than butter or sunflower oil is one that I will be using all the time now, and having a splash of vanilla essence gave my mix a floral undertone that made me think of the scents of late summer. You can play around with this as much as you like too; just stick roughly to the ratios of dry to wet ingredients for optimum results. I've used cup measurements for this, as it seemed to be much easier for the recipe.<br />
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<b>September Granola</b><br />
<ul>
<li><b>Two cups of rolled oats OR flaked coconut.</b></li>
<li><b>1-1.5 cups of mixed seeds. I used pumpkin, sunflower and sesame.</b></li>
<li><b>1 cup coarsely chopped nuts such as pecan, almond, walnut or hazelnut.</b></li>
<li><b>3 tbsp honey, agave syrup or malt rice syrup.</b></li>
<li><b>2 heaped tbsp (1/4 cup) coconut oil, melted.</b></li>
<li><b>1/2 tsp seasalt flakes (optional)</b></li>
<li><b>1 tsp vanilla extract</b></li>
<li><b>2 tsp cinnamon</b></li>
<li><b>Ginger: 2cm cubed fresh grated, or 1 tsp dried.</b></li>
</ul>
Preheat the oven to gas mark one / 125'C.<br />
Simply mix all the ingredients together, and tip on two lined trays. Pop them in the oven, ideally both on the same mid-low shelf, and bake for 30 minutes, turning once. For a crunchier bake, which I prefer, leave for forty, <b>but keep checking it</b>. The granola will catch quite quickly, so make sure that you're keeping half an eye out on it.<br />
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Toppings inspiration anyone? Plums or apricots and figs -perfect fruit for the summer-autumn season.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08272991191063858254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5978875123017383209.post-77817968205352185062013-08-22T15:56:00.000+01:002013-08-22T15:59:44.545+01:00Bird Fair 2013I needn't of had any worry of a dull summer, because these last few weeks have been simply non stop. I think that this coming Saturday will be my first day not to have something or another going on, and I'm not sure what to do with myself -though no doubt I will end up on the laptop getting some extra summer work and research in...<br />
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This last weekend, I headed down to Rutland Water to volunteer on the RSPB Phoenix and Wildlife Explorers stand at the annual Bird Fair, which has just celebrated it's 25th year. I always enjoy working as an exhibitor here as it makes you feel almost on par with well known environmentalists and television presenters, like Simon King, Bill Oddie and Nick Baker; who's long-suffering relationship with the Phoenix Forum reached comical heights after this year's photo contest... <br />
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I love working here; it is a privilege to spend the weekend alongside people with similar passions to you. And I always learn so much -like seriously, I can barely see that bird/dragonfly/moth and you've already identified it right down to it's age and gender? Wow. It does inspire you to learn more though; to understand what it is you are working to protect and conserve.<br />
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I love the variety of companies and people at the fair -from well-known conservation brands like the RSPB to wildlife holidays across the globe, to local charities and reserves. I feel like the name Bird Fair no longer fully covers the range of stands that one can expect to find, with artwork marquee's, protection groups for insects and mammals, and some eye-wateringly gorgeous, but expensive, camera equipment. Compared to the same scale of the Bird Fair's origins, this growth is impressive -it has even been dubbed the Glastonbury of the natural world. Just, shh, don't disturb the wildlife..!<br />
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The Bird Fair is located on the beautiful Rutland Water reserve and has always been a haven for wildlife. The current favourite animal to come and see here is the Osprey, a bird of prey which Rutland has breeding here. I think on a short morning walk we picked out some 77 species of birds and insects; and the crazy thing is, is that when walking out in the countryside, you're potentially walking past numbers like that <i>every day.</i><br />
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Closing in on a hare. I was so close it was unreal. I could of probably got even closer for a better shot, but I didn't want to spook it further, so I took my shot and backed off quietly. <br />
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For more information on the <a href="http://www.rspb.org.uk/">RSPB</a>, head over to the website. If you are under 18, are interested in wildlife, debate or just want to know what on earth that strange creature in your garden is, pop over to the Phoenix Official's page on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/205484546214566/?fref=ts">Facebook</a>. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08272991191063858254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5978875123017383209.post-10741789492968906232013-08-14T19:06:00.000+01:002013-08-14T21:38:13.483+01:00Turkey #3 Boat Trips and divingOne thing that I knew that I wanted to get out of my holiday was being busy. I booked myself six days unlimited sailing and windsurfing, and spent a few evenings practising yoga with the most incredibly talented, flexible teacher, Monica. She could see our bodies' limits with a glance, and helped everyone attending to get the best possible benefit from each pose.<br />
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I addition to this, I also wanted to get a practise dive in. Both of my parents are open water qualified divers, and I've always wanted to join them, but up until now, I hadn't had a chance myself. I absolutely loved it, which is a good thing, since I want to become a European Scientific Diver as part of my journey to becoming a marine biologist. Breathing underwater felt surprisingly natural and comfortable, and luckily for me, my ears equalise from pressure easily, which should help me should I ever go for deeper dives. Had we been staying a little longer, I would have seriously been tempted to pay for my PADI open water certificate there and then.<br />
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Mama with the adorable ship's dog! <br />
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Another day was spent on the Mediterranean waters on a boat trip. We cruised around the coastline, stopping at various points to go swimming in the clear sea. The captain and his sons looked after us all really well, and we were treated to a feast of a lunch, with salads, stuffed mushrooms, savoury pastries and the centre piece: fresh sea bream, grilled in front of us on a barbecue. Throughout the afternoon, we were kept well fed with gooey sweet figs and cactus fruit (prickly pears). <br />
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On our last stop, we entered a pretty cove where fish swarmed to eat the scraps of fruit and bread that we threw to them, and geese swam from outside the little house of their owner in a glimpse of an older Turkish lifestyle. Suddenly, a little boat approached us -an ice cream boat! That really was too cool. Ice creams abroad are always better than in the UK, because even the big brands sell a much greater variety of flavours -I treated myself to both strawberry and pistachio Magnums throughout the week. <br />
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We finished back outside our hotel's beach front; close enough to swim luxuriously back to shore. <br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08272991191063858254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5978875123017383209.post-72823849698014197172013-08-12T16:45:00.000+01:002013-08-12T16:46:14.362+01:00Turkey #2 Turkish BazaarsI was in Turkey in one of the hottest weeks of the year, with almost every day surpassing the 40 degree mark. Because of this, it was hard to go anywhere away from the coast for much of the day. So last Thursday, Mum and I found myself on a Dolmus, a local minibus service, first thing in the morning, zooming across the rugged countryside to reach Yalikavak Bazaar before it got too hot.<br />
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Turkish bazaars are markets that are feasts for the eyes. Yalikavak's bazaar was largely food based, on a huge scale. Each seller filled overflowing basket with an array of fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and spices. Had we not been staying in a half-board hotel, I would have made some serious foodie purchases, but as it was, I had to steer away from most of the perishable items. Luckily, bazaars don't stop there, and we wended our way around to stalls filled with jewellery, textiles and ceramics. I love how the markets are all organised into clear sections for different products, which made working our way around all the stalls much easier.<br />
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This overhead cover was a godsend against the heat of the sun:<br />
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I purchased a few bracelets and an anklet, as well as this gorgeous handmade bowl. I probably paid over the odds for all of it... I need to get better at bartering! But despite the tourist-inflated prices, it was hardly expensive, so I wasn't too worried.<br />
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Afterwards, my Mother and I walked down to the marina for a drink and some light lunch, cooled by the gentle sea breeze.<br />
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The temperature was well up by then, so we walked back through the shopping quarter -filled with independent shops -and hopped onto anther Dolmus and headed back to the hotel.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08272991191063858254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5978875123017383209.post-29245815019822957632013-08-08T11:22:00.002+01:002013-08-08T11:23:43.159+01:00Turkey #1I spent last week on a glorious, sun drenched holiday in Bodrum, Turkey. We didn't go abroad last year, so it was really nice to go travelling further afield again and to explore new places. As it is pretty much the peak of summer temperatures, most days reached the 40'C mark. Luckily, I was stationed just a few meters from the Mediterranean on my beach-front hotel, with a cool breeze and plenty of water; sea and pool; to keep me cool.<br />
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We stayed at the <a href="http://www.tamariskbeachhotel.com/">Tamarisk Beach Hotel</a>, a small, friendly business that doesn't advertise or work with the larger travel companies. The hotel was made up of small buildings that housed rooms and suites, which were laid out to give a more intimate, neighbourly feel than the faceless, block structure that many hotels have. <br />
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The Tamarisk provided a range of Turkish and more "western" meals to cater for a variety of tastes. I tried to stick to the country's dishes as much as I could, and the Turkish breakfasts were my favourite meal to indulge in every day. Fresh fruit, especially figs, sweet breads, local yogurt, drizzled over with rich palm honey and oats, washed down with a cup of Turkish coffee. Too good!<br />
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I also became quite partial to the scrambled Turkish omelette, filled with roasted tomatoes and peppers.<br />
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Keep tuned over the next couple of weeks for some more photos and tales of my time in Turkey! </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08272991191063858254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5978875123017383209.post-23723074507566883112013-08-01T05:00:00.000+01:002013-08-06T13:12:26.795+01:00Lemon Drizzle Traybake<br />
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As summer rolls on, thoughts turn to picnics and I begin to plan outdoor-friendly meals. A favourite of mine last year was this Quiche Lorraine, but this week I decided to bake a lemon drizzle cake, using Mary Berry's recipe to adapt it into a picnic-friendly traybake. My friends and I have made a trip to Victoria Park in Bath for the last couple of years for a picnic, but since moving to Yorkshire, I need to find a new spot.<br />
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The sponge is lighter than the traditional loaf form, but still gets a good crunch from the lemon syrup. I am really impressed with this recipe, and haven't adjusted it at all, except to mix in the ingredients one at a time, rather than the suggested all in one recipe. This will fill a 30 x 23cm tin to produce 15 generous squares, or 30 bite sized ones.<br />
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<b>Lemon Drizzle Traybake</b><br />
<ul>
<li><b>225g softened butter</b></li>
<li><b>225g caster sugar</b></li>
<li><b>4 free range eggs </b></li>
<li><b>Zest of two large lemons</b></li>
<li><b>275g self raising flour</b></li>
<li><b>2 tsp baking powder</b></li>
<li><b>4 tbsp milk</b></li>
</ul>
<b>For the Topping:</b><br />
<ul>
<li><b>175g granulated sugar</b></li>
<li><b>Juice of the two lemons </b></li>
</ul>
Grease and line the tin, and preheat the oven to gas mark 3/160'C.<br />
Cream together the butter and sugar before beating in the eggs, one at a time, along with a spoonful of flour to avoid curdling and adding the zest. Mix or fold in the flour baking powder, and add the milk to give a light dropping texture.<br />
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Pour the mix into the prepared tin, and gently smooth over with a spatula. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the sponge is lightly golden, and springs back when touched. Meanwhile, combine the lemon juice and sugar in a bowl for the syrup.<br />
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Rest for a few minutes, before transfering to a lined cooling rack with a tray underneath. Dot over a few holes with a fork to help the syrup run through. Gently spoon over the lemon syrup, taking care to make sure that no area is neglected. When it is cooled completely, cut into squares, ready to take with you to your summer events.<br />
<ul></ul>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08272991191063858254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5978875123017383209.post-57350494832874741052013-07-27T15:17:00.000+01:002013-07-27T15:18:03.344+01:00The Simple Things: English Summer Garden<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I had a few quiet hours yesterday, so I decided to lend a hand in tidying up our garden; weeding, trimming, and pulling up old lettuces and overgrown radishes to be replaced with new seeds. Afterwards, I picked a punnet-full of our strawberries, and treated myself to some whilst I sat in the sunshine. The sweet peas have just begun to flower, so I cut a few to fill up my room with their delicate scent.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08272991191063858254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5978875123017383209.post-77082711610553420242013-07-24T20:42:00.000+01:002013-07-24T20:43:19.691+01:00Take Three<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>#1.</b> Taking advantage of later summer opening times, Mum and I treated ourselves to an ice cream at the new parlour in town, which sells local Yorkshire Wolds ice cream. Today, they were trialling a new flavour, pistachio. This has got to be my favourite ice cream flavour, but it isn't one that I come across often, so I was pretty pleased. I wasn't the only one, it seemed, as we got the very last scoop out from the box; so hopefully we should be seeing this flavour more often. It was the perfect antidote to the confusion of the stormy, humid weather that we've seen this week.<br />
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<b>#2.</b> Congratulations to my gorgeous Mum for graduating from a Master's degree of science with clinical research. I am so in awe of the fact that this is now her third degree... I have a lot to live up to! It was a busy day of cancelled flights down to Southampton, but I am so proud.<br />
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<b>#3.</b> Happy summer holidays! I am finally off for the next six weeks. I've ended up baking twice in two days -flapjacks and lemon drizzle traybakes -and I am looking forward to taking inspiration from my Flavour Thesaurus to start experimenting a little more, like in this post. Today's leisurely lunch was a wrap filled with turkey, cooked peppers, and guacamole (which I make with avocado, lemon juice, mango chutney and chopped chillies). Delish.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08272991191063858254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5978875123017383209.post-7361201405620211982013-07-23T10:38:00.000+01:002013-07-23T10:46:43.025+01:00All those hazy, lazy days of summerThis last term, post exams, has seemed to have gone on forever! Happily though, I am finally on my summer break, with a bit more time on my hands to spend on my interests and blogging. I should even be starting driving lessons soon, after some seven months of procrastination, so watch out if you find yourself on the roads near me!<br />
<br />
I am all ready to go off to Turkey on holiday, and finally get some sailing in, since I am currently on the market for a new boat and haven't been out on the water this year. I'll also be windsurfing, doing early morning yoga and hopefully trying a bit of diving -in short, keeping myself as close to the water in the mid-summer Mediterranean heat as possible! Then, I'll be hoping onto a train and making my way down to see the lovely Miriam of <a href="http://englishmademoisellediaries.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">The English Mademoiselle Diaries</a>.<br />
<br />
My challenge for August is to take the veggie challenge. I'd like to spend a few weeks with a lower impact diet, by removing the more intensive, polluting meat from my plate, and hopefully becoming a more inventive cook in the process. I will allow myself a couple of seafood dishes a week, since I don't eat much of that anyway, and as seafood is still largely a wild product. I should be keeping a food diary on this, so you can all see how I am doing. <br />
<br />
In the meantime though, I am looking at updating my blog layout, so watch this space! <br />
<br />
Until next time xxxAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5978875123017383209.post-3483665533154674232013-07-04T18:40:00.000+01:002013-07-04T20:47:14.158+01:00Thyme-infused GanacheRecently, I was asked to take part in a flavour pairing event run by Aero. I was soon sent my kit in the post containing the impressively-sized <i>Flavour Thesaurus</i> by Niki Segnit, along with a bar of Aero mint and orange bubbles. The chocolate was spotted immediately by my family, and disappeared before you could say "Nestle".<br />
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The book however, provided me with a more lasting satisfaction as I perused through all the listed combinations with chocolate. The Flavour Thesaurus, although not something that I might of necessarily bought myself, looks like it may well prove to be invaluable, as a brief skim through has left me feeling inspired and ready to become more experimental in the kitchen.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">http://adventuresofalondonkiwi.blogspot.co.uk/</span></div>
Lots of ingredient combinations caught my interest, but in the end I decided to pair my chocolate dish with thyme. As soon as I read this, I knew that it would work; I could imagine the flavours in my head and knew exactly what I wanted to make.<br />
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We have plenty of thyme in our garden, so after arriving home today, I set about preparing my infused ganache. Make sure that the cream isn't too hot; if your 37 degree skin can melt chocolate, then boiling liquid will almost certainly cause it to split.<br />
<br />
<b>Thyme-infused Chocolate Ganache</b><br />
<ul>
<li><b>125g good quality dark chocolate (I used 70%)</b></li>
<li><b>100ml double cream, extra thick if it is availible</b></li>
<li><b>2-3tsp fresh thyme </b></li>
</ul>
Chop the chocolate up as finely as possible, and place in a bowl.<br />
Add the cream and thyme to a milk pan, and gently heat, using a really low heat to allow the thyme to infuse its flavour fully. When the cream starts to feel hot to touch, but not boiling, remove from the heat. Strain off the thyme leaves, and pour evenly over the chocolate. Let it sit for a couple of minutes while the chocolate melts, then stir into a smooth, glossy mixture.<br />
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Line a rectangular tin with greaseproof paper, and pour over the ganache, spreading into a even layer between 1cm and 1.5cm thick. Leave in a cool place -not the fridge if you can help it -to set, before cutting it up into squares, shapes using icing cutters. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5978875123017383209.post-20197648865022856692013-06-28T22:09:00.000+01:002013-06-28T22:10:24.363+01:00Passionfruit Sponge Cake<div id="yiv723657641">
<div id="yui_3_7_2_27_1372452677977_74">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="yui_3_7_2_27_1372452677977_54" style="line-height: 24px;">I
hardly need an excuse to bake, but my Mother's birthday this week gave
me the perfect reason to get the mixing bowl out midweek. It lead to a
funny sort of day; diving into M&S first thing to grab some
passionfruit, via a gorgeous deli for almond croissants; carefully
taking my precious parcels into school, then back out to a short trip to
Leeds, before dashing back home again to get the oven on.</span></span></span><div class="yui_3_7_2_27_1372452677977_55" style="line-height: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br id="yui_3_7_2_27_1372452677977_76" /></span></span></div>
<div class="yui_3_7_2_27_1372452677977_56" style="line-height: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I
strained out the pulp of the passionfruit and used my fail-safe <a href="http://coffeewithcroissants.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/back-to-basics-victoria-sponge.html" target="_blank">Victoria Sponge</a> recipe, replacing the vanilla essence with a spoonful of
the fruit pulp. I've heard that you can purchase passionfruit extract to get a stronger depth of flavour in the sponge. While that was baking, I whipped up my first
ever batch of passionfruit curd, using a recipe from <a href="http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/passionfruit-curd-164" target="_blank">Nigella Lawson</a>.
I was surprised at how quick and easy the curd was to make, so I will
most definitely be making a few more fruit curds in the future! I was
getting a little pressed for time at this point; so I tidied up and left
everything to cool overnight. </span></span></div>
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<div class="yui_3_7_2_27_1372452677977_58" style="line-height: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">5:30am the
next morning, I was in the kitchen again prepping the cake. After
sandwiching the curd between the sponge layers, I made half a batch of
my <a href="http://coffeewithcroissants.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/handbook-of-icings.html" target="_blank">cream cheese frosting</a>, replacing the butter with a tablespoon or so
of left over curd. I couldn't use e electric whisk without waking
everyone, so for the next half hour, while I warmed up the croissants
and finished getting ready I kept on nipping back to beat the icing, and
seem to get perfectly acceptable results for spreading over the top. I
think marscapone would taste even better, with just a little icing sugar
beaten in, as an alternative, so do try that too and let me know what
you think.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</span></span></div>
<div class="yui_3_7_2_27_1372452677977_60" style="line-height: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">By
half past six, breakfast in bed was ready for my Mama, and the cake,
finished with a sprinkling of pale pink pearls, was lit. I had to leave
for my early train at 7, but not before I'd made sure that my gift had
been opened and the day's surprises revealed -namely a spa package
courtesy of my Father to the <a href="http://www.fevershamarmshotel.com/verbena-spa" target="_blank">Feversham Arms</a>.... I'm so jealous! Sufficed
to say, I am pretty pleased with our efforts for this year -my Mother
is by far the easiest person to buy for! Who do you like to treat? </span></span></div>
<div class="yui_3_7_2_27_1372452677977_61" style="line-height: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="yui_3_7_2_27_1372452677977_62" style="line-height: 24px;">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Passionfruit Curd</span></span></b></div>
<div class="yui_3_7_2_27_1372452677977_64" style="line-height: 24px;">
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">5 passionfruit</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">50g unsealed butter</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 large organic egg </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 egg yolk</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">75g caster sugar (I used golden)</span></span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="yui_3_7_2_27_1372452677977_65" style="line-height: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="yui_3_7_2_27_1372452677977_66" style="line-height: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Blitz the passionfruit pulp in an electric mix, and strain it into a bowl. Save a small amount of the unstrained seeds.</span></span></div>
<div class="yui_3_7_2_27_1372452677977_67" style="line-height: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Melt
the butter gently in a heavy based saucepan. Beat together the eggs,
yolk and sugar and pour into the saucepan, along with the passionfruit
juice, stirring continually until the mixture begins to thicken.</span></span></div>
<div class="yui_3_7_2_27_1372452677977_68" style="line-height: 24px;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Add
the reserved seeds, and remove from the heat. Decant all this into a
sterilised jar or two, and leave, ideally overnight, to cool.</span></span></div>
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Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5978875123017383209.post-53105120335901847062013-06-19T18:46:00.000+01:002013-06-19T19:07:47.893+01:00Competition WinsHello! Today I thought I'd share some recent competition wins. I won most of these within the space of a few days which made for a pretty exciting winning streak.<br />
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Firstly I arrived home from an exam to a message from Holly of <a href="http://www.hollysbeautybox.co.uk/" target="_blank">HollysBeautyBox</a> saying that I'd won her hair and nails gift box. The gift contained a Bristows leave in conditioner; Neals Yard Hand Cream; Nails Inc Gel Effect Top Coat; Undressing Cream By Bumble & Bumble; Collection nail polish in Candy Floss; Maybelline Gel Polish In Coral Reef; OPI Play The Peonies and also a Mellor & Russell PINK Hairdye!<br />
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I've found myself using some of the products pretty regularly, especially the Neal's Yard organic honey hand cream, which smells so good! I especially love how Neal's Yard are donating £10 000 per year to bee-conservation projects, as protection against bee numbers falling is something that I strongly support. I'm also loving having a Nails Inc top coat, and a bit of Bumble and Bumble for holiday.<br />
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On the very same day I was then tweeted by Debenhams notifying me that I'd won their Pinterest <i>My Dream Prom</i> competition (see my winning board <a href="http://pinterest.com/cafecroissants/my-dream-prom/" target="_blank">here</a>).<br />
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I was lucky enough to be given the whole range of Elemis' Fresh Skin skincare. There's so much I love -the cleanser, exfoliator, serums and moisturisers.... I will definitely be repurchasing!<br />
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Then, on a quick 20 Question-style twitter competition run by Benefit cosmetics I had my third win. We had to guess the product to win it, and luckily for me, the product that I happened to guess wasn't only the correct one, but also the blusher, Hervana, that I had been saving up for. I don't tend to treat myself to make up very often, so I was really excited about this one!<br />
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Lastly, I won this adorable frog prince charm, courtesy of <a href="http://www.johngreedjewellery.com/" target="_blank">John Greed Jewellery</a>. It's so cute! At the risk of sounding a bit soppy, I think that this is the perfect romantic charm to be bought.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5978875123017383209.post-24653700504078611012013-06-06T11:58:00.000+01:002013-06-06T12:00:46.911+01:00The Finish LineAfter three months of hard revision, I am happy to say that I have finished all my exams for this year! It is such a relief... I can have "me" time again! Plus I can now give my blog some much needed love since I've had to neglect it for a while. I had seven exams, nine including general studies, and hopefully everything went okay. There were a couple of tough exams, but I'm not going to worry about any of it until August.<br />
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Exams haven't been the only thing that I have been finishing; on Sunday I completed my first ever Race for Life. I've been thinking about doing it for years, so when a friend of mine, Abbie suggested that we entered, I decided it was finally time to go for it. One problem though -I only had a month to get running again! I'd ran a little over summer 2012, but I hadn't been properly training for ages. So I've spent the last month exploring my local area as I gradually picked up my pace again, and I was so pleased to run the whole 5km without stopping in 31 minutes. It was pretty slow by most people's standards, but I'll be keeping up training to beat my time next year, or maybe go for the 10km. Abbie has a couple of photos of us, I think, so I'll pop them up on <a href="https://twitter.com/EleanorMayC" target="_blank">twitter </a>if I can get hold of them.<br />
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The Race for Life was really well organised and was so fun. My JustGiving page is still running, although is looking a little empty since I've been mostly getting sponsorship in hand, so if you feel like donating to Cancer Research, my page is <a href="https://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/eleanormayc" target="_blank">here </a>;) Thank you!<br />
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The closest I could get to any photo's of me!! My forehead and a swish of my hair!<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">All photo's from the <a href="http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/pics/galleries/raceforlife2013/" target="_blank">York Press website</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">So here's to feeling summery. Our garden is looking well on it's way to being productive and I'll hopefully be getting lots of salad leaves and strawberries soon; and there is nothing nicer than nipping onto the terrace for a few sprigs of fragrant thyme. Hope that you're all feeling as good as I am!</span></div>
Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5978875123017383209.post-27571038481882887152013-05-30T19:32:00.000+01:002013-05-30T19:32:43.603+01:00VegereeIn a bid to introduce more vegetable-based meals into our diet, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's book, <i>River Cottage Veg Everyday</i> has been taken from the bookcase and firmly installed in the kitchen with our other favourite recipe books. I love this book and need to try more of the recipes. Tonight's recipe was a take on a family favourite, kedgeree. Vegetable kedgeree -or vegeree as Hugh christened it -is a gorgeous dish for capturing the tastes of seasonal produce, and can easily be adapted by what food is currently in your veg box.<br />
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<b>Vegeree</b><br />
<ul>
<li><b>3 medium onions</b></li>
<li><b>1 large aubergine</b></li>
<li><b>2 medium courgettes</b></li>
<li><b>1 red pepper </b></li>
<li><b>3 tbsp olive oil</b></li>
<li><b>Around 1 tbsp curry powder, depending on how much of a kick you like</b></li>
<li><b>300g basmati rice</b></li>
<li><b> 4 large eggs, at room temperature</b></li>
<li><b>Sea salt and black pepper </b></li>
</ul>
Preheat your oven to 190'C/gas mark 5. Slice the onions lengthwise and chop the aubergine, courgette and peppers into 1cm chunks.<br />
Pop all the veg into a roasting pan, and toss with the oil, curry powder and plenty of salt and pepper. Roast for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.<br />
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Meanwhile, cook the rice according to pack instructions, or to a preferred method. Bring a pan of water to a gentle simmer, add the eggs and cook for 7 minutes for a "soft-hard boil", and then immediately cool in a bowl of cold water before peeling and cutting into quarters. <br />
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Mix the rice with the roasted vegetables, seasoning if needed, and add the eggs. Have a rummage in your cupboard to see if you have any mango chutney; I can never resist adding a good dollop! <br />
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<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5978875123017383209.post-52812721911464508962013-05-22T10:49:00.000+01:002013-05-23T17:46:05.706+01:00Betty's at Malton Food FestivalOn Saturday, whist at the <a href="http://coffeewithcroissants.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/malton-food-lovers-festival.html" target="_blank">food festival</a>, I had booked myself into the cookery school marquee for a lesson with <a href="http://www.bettyscookeryschool.co.uk/BettysHTML/index.html" target="_blank">Betty's</a>. I was pretty pleased to have booked early and got a place, as I have since heard that the demand for tickets was so high that the event could have easily sold out ten times over. I've been wanting to book myself into one of Betty's courses for a while now, but I've been stuck in trying to pick exactly which one to go on; so this was a good introductory taste.<br />
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I think that there were about ten of us in all, and I was partnered with the lovely Anne, who was also new to the Betty's school experience. We spent an hour cheerily working through together, helping each other out with juggling pans over the hob and passing around our ingredients. The lesson was hosted by Amy and Lisa, both senior tutors at Betty's Cookery School in Harrogate. I'd actually met Lisa back in November when she was doing a demonstration at the Country Living Christmas Fair. They both guided us all through the dishes step by step, checking up on us all the way, so that nobody was left behind, or with anything other than delicious results.<br />
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We made potato rösti and pikelets, which are like a flat crumpet. The rösti were absolutely, mouth wateringly gorgeous, filled with Gruyère cheese and special Betty's bacon lardons. My Father got hold of my finished rösti, and before we'd even left the tent it had shrunk in size considerably! I won't be sharing either recipe, since I don't believe that they are publicly available, but a tip for the rösti is to partially boil the potato the night before, and not to be shy with the butter -this is not the most healthy of dishes!<br />
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The pikelets were lovely too; I'm not entirely sure exactly how they differ in terms of ingredients to crumpets, but since they don't require extra equipment like crumpet rings, they are much less fuss to make; simply needing to be poured in small batches like pancakes onto a pan, ideally a crepe pan if you have one. We were each given a pot of Betty's own lemon curd for the pikelets, along with a recipe card to make our own. I am really pleased about this, as I can honestly say that it was the best lemon curd that I have ever tasted; full of flavour and with a decent kick of sharpness to it. I ate a couple of my pikelets warm the next day, slathed with the lemon curd and served with fresh strawberries, which was heavenly.<br />
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I thoroughly enjoyed the session, and I will certainly be looking into booking myself a full day's course with Betty's in the future. The whole team ensured that the session ran smoothly despite the atrocious weather on Saturday, and helped to make the event a really enjoyable experience. If you ever find yourself in the North Yorkshire area, do try and book yourself in for a lesson, or afternoon tea at on of Betty's Tearooms. You won't be disappointed.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5978875123017383209.post-88721753744582087872013-05-20T17:25:00.000+01:002013-05-20T17:25:47.848+01:00Malton Food Lover's FestivalThis weekend saw Malton <a href="http://www.maltonfoodfestival.co.uk/" target="_blank">Food Lover's Festival</a> bring thousands of foodies together in two days of culinary heaven. Undeterred by Saturday's rain, I headed in early to explore, and I was impressed by what I found. Cars had been banned from all around the market square to allow the roads to contain the overflowing glut of stands and marquee's, and, if it weren't for the rain, one could have been in a traditional French market town.<br />
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Malton is a community that is becoming known for its artisan food companies, with a monthly market, under the same name as the festival, running alongside the traditional one. On any given Saturday morning, the town will be bustling with shoppers shunning the supermarkets in favour of the local butcher's and grocery shops; and friends meeting for a drink in one of the tearooms, or award-winning Leoni's coffee shop. This culinary status has been cemented for the last four years by the annual Food Festival.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image: <span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">t</span>hepatisseriemalton.co.uk</span></span></div>
There was a huge range and variety of stalls, and before long it was too busy for me to get any good photographs of many of the producers, as crowds flooded in. As well as companies from across Yorkshire, it was good to see Malton businesses getting involved, including <a href="http://www.thepatisseriemalton.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Patisserie</a>, which has to be one of my favourite places to go to in Malton for beautiful pasties and tarts.<br />
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Ryan Jepson cheeses, from whom we bought some <i>Brunost, </i>which is a rich, treacle-y golden brown cheese from Norway.<br />
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I was pleased to see that a key theme of the Festival was organic, local produce, such as <a href="http://goodnessgrowing.co.uk/" target="_blank">Goodness Growing</a> (pictured) and <a href="http://www.riverford.co.uk/" target="_blank">Riverford's Organics</a> vegbox company.<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brunost" title="Brunost"></a><br />
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As well as traditional foodstuff, it was interesting to see different products, such as rapeseed oil from the appropriately named <a href="http://www.goldfromthewold.co.uk/" target="_blank">Gold from the Wold</a>.<br />
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Sweet treats were definitely a theme of the day, with a mind boggling amount of goodies to choose from. We brought home a selection of tarts, almond croissants (of course!) for breakfast the next day and a oozing Baklava that took some sittings to eat. One stand, that I didn't have a chance to sample from, was <a href="http://bedazzledcupcakes.co.uk/" target="_blank">Bedazzled Cupcakes</a>. On display was a refreshingly wide variety of flavours, and some beautifully displayed gift boxes, which were just lovely.</div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image</span>: Bedazzledcupcakes.co.uk</span></div>
I was lucky enough to be able to get a place at Betty's Cookery School in the workshop marquee, which I will be writing about this week. I adore Betty's, to the point where I have to restrain myself from going in every time I pass one of their tearooms, so I was really pleased to be able to attend the workshop. <br />
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There were lots of demonstrations, dining sessions and talks going on throughout the weekend. The choice of talk in my household was Jay Rayner's talk on his new book "A Greedy Man in a Hungry World". It is really worth going to talks like these, as you move away from the frivolity of early evening chat shows, find out more about the depth of the author's knowledge and are presented with a much more balanced argument when issues are raised. In his book, Rayner discusses the implications of an exponentially growing global population where agriculture is struggling to keep up. He challenges the concept of a farmer's market as "the lifestyle choice for middle classes" and suggests a need for "sustainable intensification". The talk itself was engaging and left the audience intrigued about reading the rest of the book. <br />
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For my first taste of Malton Food Festival, I found the event superbly organised, with lots of staff and an information tent to help you out; a shuttle bus for transporting visitors to and fro; and a well thought-out layout, with stalls that were well equipped to deal with the great British weather. With a branding of "Malton in Yorkshire is the 'county's culinary capital'" from Antonio Carluccio, I had high expectations, and these were greatly surpassed. After all the rain of Saturday, Sunday dawned bright and beautiful. Sadly, I couldn't make it, but I am sure that the <a href="http://www.yummyyorkshire.co.uk/index.php" target="_blank">Yummy Yorkshire</a> Ice Cream Company's liquorice ice cream (yes really) went down a treat with the crowds. Their <a href="http://www.yummyyorkshire.co.uk/flavours.php" target="_blank">flavours </a>left my mouth watering, as did the rest of the festival. One thing is certain; you'll find me there next year.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5978875123017383209.post-19774534189161384092013-05-16T21:51:00.000+01:002013-05-16T21:51:01.410+01:00Piperade-Style BeansThanks to school holidays and study leave, I've found myself at home a fair bit lately, which allowed me to come up with some more creative, yet healthy, lunches. Here, I was inspired by a piperade, a traditional Basque dish made by sautéing onions, tomatos and peppers, into which eggs are scrambled. It is commonly served as a side dish, and so to make it suitable for a light meal in it's own right, I added celery and butter beans. I then served steaming dish up with a slice of fresh Irish wheaten bread; a perfect hint of summer for a gloomy day. <br />
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<b><i>Serves two</i> </b><br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<ul>
<li><b>Olive oil </b></li>
<li><b>1 small onion or shallot </b></li>
<li><b>Clove of garlic, crushed</b></li>
<li><b>Sprig of thyme</b></li>
<li><b>1/2 tsp espelette pepper, or chilli powder</b></li>
<li><b>1 pepper</b></li>
<li><b>2-3 sticks of celery</b></li>
<li><b>3 medium tomatoes, or a handful of cherry tomatoes</b></li>
<li><b>Tin of butter, or bortoli beans, drained</b></li>
</ul>
Chop the onions, garlic and all vegetables. <br />
Place a frying pan over a medium-high heat, add about a tablespoon of olive oil and sauté the onion and garlic with the thyme for five minutes. Add pepper or chilli powder, and then the rest of the ingredients, save the beans, and cook with the lid on for a further 10 minutes, until soft.<br />
Toss in the beans, allowing them to heat through for a minute. You could omit the beans and stir in a beaten egg for a proper piperade. Serve immediately.<br />
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Apologies for the poor quality photos; the piperade was so steamy!<br />
<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5978875123017383209.post-63628520552986890152013-05-16T14:01:00.001+01:002013-05-16T14:04:20.988+01:00Nearly there...Hello again loves! I am on study leave now as exams have just started and I couldn't wait any longer to get blogging again. I have a busy week ahead of me, with a full weekend's working and then five exams next week! If it wasn't for retakes and general studies, I would of just had one, but I'm trying not to think about that one too much...<br />
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So, apart from being chained to the old revision desk, what have I been up to? Firstly, I finally got my own ebay account after years of buying and selling via my parents accounts. Thanks to this, I had a perfect boredom buster for whenever revision has got too much, and I have been stocking up on summer dresses and pretty things for my room, to the point where I have banned any further spending this month...<br />
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In the kitchen, I have been trying out some new dishes, including some more meat-free fare. I'd love to take up the challenge of going veggie for a month, particularly with summer produce growing as we speak, but first I need to develop my repertoire or else I'll be living off jacket spuds, salads and quiches. I'll be posting up these recipes over the coming weeks, and I have also got a few bits of news and bits to share, but all in good time...<br />
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Incidentally, whilst the weather has been pretty pleasant today; has anyone else got caught out? I keep on getting rained on on my way home, and last week I arrived looking like a slightly hysterical drowned rat! Roll on holidays.....<br />
<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5978875123017383209.post-32419026126769251322013-04-22T20:54:00.000+01:002013-04-22T20:54:10.514+01:00A Little Break...I was hoping to avoid doing this, but due to exam commitments, I am going to have to take a bit of a break from blogging -goodness knows that I'm not even getting a chance to do anything to blog about other than revision!! I'll be writing when I can, but in the meantime, keep up with me on <a href="https://twitter.com/EleanorMayC" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, especially on Mondays at 8:00pm for #FoodBloggers chat.<br />
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Speak soon,<br />
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Eleanor xxAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5978875123017383209.post-56493011826628896852013-04-15T21:59:00.000+01:002013-04-21T21:05:22.117+01:00Take Three.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>#1. </b>This mysterious package arrived last week. I couldn't think what it was for a minute, then, with a suppressed squeal of excitement, I realised that it was my signed copy of <i>The Little Paris Kitchen </i>and original print from the lovely <a href="http://www.rachelkhoo.com/" target="_blank">Rachel Khoo</a>. As soon as I have a chance to get to our local framers, which annoyingly only runs 9-5 Monday-Friday, I will be displaying my print with a few other pieces above my desk to keep me inspired. So thank you again Rachel; I couldn't think of a nicer, more unique prize to celebrate <i>The Little Paris Kitchen</i>'s first birthday.<br />
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<b>#2</b><i>. </i>This weekend I visited an artisan food market. Saturday was the second market since it started running on a monthly basis, and it really was excellent. We picked up a few bits for the week ahead, including a lovely sourdough loaf, and a plethora of scones. I also discovered <a href="http://www.butterflieschocolates.co.uk/" target="_blank">Butterflies Chocolates</a>, a new company that produces beautiful chocolates, with lots of innovative flavours. The theme for this month was rhubarb, which I love and am craving. Actually, I think buying some for stewing may have just become a necessity...<br />
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I'm looking forward to trying a few rhubarb-based recipe's. Where I work the chefs make the most beautiful rhubarb Panna Cotta, and, more simply, I am awaiting summer with glee so that I can make a strawberry and rhubarb pie, inspired by <a href="http://cupcakesandcashmere.com/strawberry-rhubarb-pie/" target="_blank">Cupcakes and Cashmere</a>. A family favourite pairing is rhubarb with ginger; whenever a crumble is knocked up in my household, a few chopped up pieces of crystallised ginger is an essential.<br />
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<b>#3.</b> Commuting just got a whole lot nicer. Remember my new <a href="http://coffeewithcroissants.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/spring-cycling.html" target="_blank">bike basket</a>? Well it got it's first commuter outing today. It seemed to cope with the swap from flowers to folders quite happily, and cycling home from the station today, in the first proper bit of warmth and sun this year, was absolute bliss. While waiting for my train this afternoon, the relaxing spring picture was continued as I sat outside with a cup of real leaf green tea from Filmore and Union, flicking through a copy of Grand Designs magazine. It's the little things that count.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5978875123017383209.post-58892147206822705502013-04-14T16:19:00.000+01:002013-04-14T16:20:05.828+01:00Design SolutionsToday I have a little challenge for you all: what should I do with this space?<br />
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My room is almost finished now, having received my curtains last week, and just needs really two things: my photos and pictures getting hung up, and deciding what place in this little gap. To help set the scene, I am planning on popping my decorative hangers on the wall above, and pinning a retro print above my bedside table, to the right of the photo.<br />
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I need just a little extra area for <strike>sticking stuff</strike> displaying my things. Some of my ideas so far:<br />
<ul>
<li>A chair or stool</li>
<li>A small table</li>
<li>A slim chest of drawers (like <a href="http://www.frenchbedroomcompany.co.uk/store/storage/drawers-cabinets/product/coco-white-chest" target="_blank">this</a>)</li>
<li>A mannequin for holding bags and jewellery</li>
</ul>
What do you think? Do you like any of these, or do you have some better ideas of your own?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5978875123017383209.post-73545374445437574622013-04-12T13:47:00.002+01:002013-04-12T13:49:14.527+01:00Currently Lusting: Anthropologie's HomewearsAs the world is undeniably a global village, a lot of the blogs that I read and follow are based in America, or are in London and have access to flagship stores and travel the world like the airport is part of their daily commute. Consequently, I hear about a lot of global brands that we don't have the same access to in the UK, including <a href="http://www.anthropologie.eu/" target="_blank">Anthropologie</a>. I hadn't really bothered look at their website until now, figuring that it wouldn't be as good an experience as visiting one of the London shops (WHY are there two or three stores across London, one in Edinburgh and nowhere else? I mean, they could have put one in Cardiff or Birmingham, just to spread things out a little? Gah). <br />
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Anyway, eventually, I caved in, looked online, and fell head-over-heels in love with all their home accessories, especially all their patterned bowls. I just wish that they stocked more!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xcyNKxtgVyo/UWfznfHb6aI/AAAAAAAABJM/2E1f7sBx4y8/s1600/anthropologie+bowl+large+green.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xcyNKxtgVyo/UWfznfHb6aI/AAAAAAAABJM/2E1f7sBx4y8/s640/anthropologie+bowl+large+green.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.anthropologie.eu/en/uk/serveware/atom-art-serving-bowl-green/invt/7543601050022c/" target="_blank"> </a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.anthropologie.eu/en/uk/serveware/atom-art-serving-bowl-green/invt/7543601050022c/" target="_blank">Large serving bowl</a>, £22</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gxc790sDJS0/UWfzq-hBshI/AAAAAAAABJk/tU2K9ybEzUw/s1600/anthropologie+bowl+swirl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gxc790sDJS0/UWfzq-hBshI/AAAAAAAABJk/tU2K9ybEzUw/s640/anthropologie+bowl+swirl.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.anthropologie.eu/en/uk/inside-out-bowl-red/invt/7544601050020c/" target="_blank">S<span style="font-size: x-small;">ma</span>ll 'inside-out' red bowl,</a> £8</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0MBJXqSLa8E/UWfznto1CiI/AAAAAAAABJQ/hd41aCWV6Dw/s1600/anthropologie+bowl+large+stripe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0MBJXqSLa8E/UWfznto1CiI/AAAAAAAABJQ/hd41aCWV6Dw/s640/anthropologie+bowl+large+stripe.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.anthropologie.eu/en/uk/inside-out-bowl-stripes/invt/7544601050020/&bklist=icat,6,shop,forhome,shopbyhome,tabletopandlinens,bowls" target="_blank">Small str</a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.anthropologie.eu/en/uk/inside-out-bowl-stripes/invt/7544601050020/&bklist=icat,6,shop,forhome,shopbyhome,tabletopandlinens,bowls" target="_blank">ipe bowl</a>, £8</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JCt78u20aoI/UWfzrTHS2nI/AAAAAAAABJo/_0vzAnZg3ag/s1600/anthrpologie+small+bowl1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JCt78u20aoI/UWfzrTHS2nI/AAAAAAAABJo/_0vzAnZg3ag/s640/anthrpologie+small+bowl1.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.anthropologie.eu/en/uk/bowls/tiled-and-dotted-bowl/invt/7544601813109/&bklist=icat,6,shop,forhome,shopbyhome,tabletopandlinens,bowls&colour=Blue&bklist=icat,6,shop,forhome,shopbyhome,tabletopandlinens,bowls" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Small t</span>iled and dotted </span>bowl</a>, £8</div>
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While the large bowls create a lot of impact, I love the idea of brightening up my morning yoghurt or porridge with one of their smaller bowls. <br />
Anthropologie has also got lots of sweet little things for around the home. I adore <a href="http://www.anthropologie.eu/en/uk/at-the-desk/looking-back-looking-forward-planner/invt/7580600822716/" target="_blank">this notebook</a>: <br />
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And, while I know that loads of people have this <a href="http://www.anthropologie.eu/en/uk/at-the-desk/sleepy-hollow-pencil-cup/invt/7580432650001/" target="_blank">little owl pot</a>, I think it would make a lovely gift, or a treat for yourself.</div>
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What are you currently lusting after?</div>
Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5978875123017383209.post-74898978861375852992013-04-10T19:51:00.000+01:002013-04-10T19:52:10.779+01:00Pizza NightsTo round off <a href="http://coffeechanellipstick.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Miriam</a>'s visit, we organised a pizza night. It is such a good, relaxed way to spend an evening with friends and is good for catering for lots of different people and tastes.<br />
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For the base we knead together all the ingredients below for 10-15 minutes and leave to prove for a couple of hours, before rolling into 6-8 small pizzas.<br />
<ul>
<li>250g strong white flour</li>
<li>250g plain flour</li>
<li>5g dried yeast (or 10g live yeast)</li>
<li>10g salt </li>
<li>325ml water</li>
<li>1 tbsp oil (I use olive)</li>
</ul>
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A tomato base is a must; if you have time, make your own from scratch, using 500g sieved tomatoes, roasted for 30-45 minutes with olive oil and garlic. My favourite cheat however, is to use a little pasta sauce, such as puttanesca , instead. The best thing about this is that we usually end up with half a jar left, which means I can use it to make a quick <a href="http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/eggs-in-purgatory" target="_blank">eggs in purgatory</a>!<br />
My favourite toppings -<br />
<ul>
<li>garlic-infused oil, artichoke hearts, mascarpone, Parmesan and basil</li>
<li> Tomato sauce, prosciutto, black olives, peppers and mozzerella</li>
<li>Tomato sauce, onions, basil pesto and goats cheese</li>
<li>Others -Hawaiian, chicken and sweetcorn, whatever I can find...</li>
</ul>
To cook -have the oven preheating to it's highest setting. Ideally you should have a pizza stone as this cooks the pizza much faster. Alternatively use a tray, and give an extra couple of minutes in the oven. Stick the pizza stone or tray in the oven to get hot whilst you roll out your pizza. Slide the rolled pizza dough onto the stone (hot: use oven gloves!). I find that it is easier to add my toppings onto the pizza after placing on the stone; just remember to use oven gloves and a heat-proof mat!<br />
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Bake until the cheese is bubbling and the pizza or exposed toppings are starting to look a little charred. This only takes 6-9 minutes in a domestic oven, but if you're lucky enough to have an outdoor, wood-fired oven, you an have pizzas made in under two minutes. Now if that isn't fast food, I don't know what is!<br />
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Do make sure that you save a little dough (and room in your stomach!) to make a sweet pizza. I've heard of lots of fruity varieties, but I adore spreading on lots of soft Nutella, bananas and chopped hazelnuts, walnuts or almonds. The Nutella tastes even better on a warm pizza, and the caramelised bananas are heavenly.<br />
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Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5978875123017383209.post-36248078811067560072013-04-09T18:49:00.000+01:002013-04-09T18:50:36.303+01:00Take Three<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>#1.</b> The sun finally came out and brought with it a little warmth to the wintry April air. Admittedly the briefly pleasant spell has blown over and away from our little island, but it was enough to bring some spring flowers out, including the Narcissus that I bought for in my room, and it is now too late for them to change their minds. So even if the sky looks rather gloomy once again the ground (and my window sill) look vaguely cheerful.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image: <a href="http://soanthro.com/tag/cupcakes-and-cashmere/" target="_blank">soanthro .com<span id="goog_602032599"></span><span id="goog_602032600"></span>/</a></span><a href="http://soanthro.com/tag/cupcakes-and-cashmere/" target="_blank"> </a></div>
<b>#2.</b> I was really excited to get <a href="http://cupcakesandcashmere.com/" target="_blank">Emily Schuman</a>'s book Cupcakes and Cashmere, inspired by her blog of the same name, especially as it arrived earlier than expected. <a href="http://coffeechanellipstick.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Miriam</a> and I enjoyed flicking through over morning coffee. I've also been reading Kate Mosse's <i>Citadel</i>, which was excellent.<br />
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<b>#3.</b> The Great British Sewing Bee (8pm on Tuesdays on BBC2). Specifically Tilly's gorgeous -and presumably handmade -vintage-style skirts and dresses, and Lauren's pretty tops. Actually, I've just been reading Lauren's 'about' page on the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0165nj8/profiles/lauren" target="_blank">Sewing Bee page</a> and I am feeling pretty inspired, so go have a look.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5978875123017383209.post-91534829392496710102013-04-05T15:26:00.000+01:002013-04-05T15:27:22.377+01:00Spring CyclingThe sun seems to have finally come out in time to give us a proper, blustery April, albiet a little cooler than desired <i>still.</i> I'm not sure if it is going to last, but I'll be making the most of the weather while I can. Tomorrow, I am meeting one of my oldest friends, Miriam from <a href="http://coffeechanellipstick.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Coffee Chanel Lipstick</a>, who is staying for a few days, and we'll be marching out to go shopping, regardless of the weather. <i>So</i> excited! <br />
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Today however, the sun was reliably present, and I took myself off into town on my bike, and finally bought myself a bike basket. I'm such a sucker for nostalgia, and the fact that I can now ride in style without bags piled onto my back is making me feel pretty pleased with myself. I'd love to have a vintage-style bike too, but since they come with a pretty hefty price tag, I'll definitely be sticking to my trusty little hybrid bike.<br />
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I'd had possibly preferred a larger, slightly more durable model, but hopefully this will be just what I need, especially as I am planning to start cycling as part of my daily commute.<br />
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I'm really ready for some warmer weather now -all my winter clothes are wanting a break! Roll on summer! xx<br />
<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0