Lemon Iced Tea

Well it has been a little while since my last post, but this b-e-a-youuuu-tiful weather that we have been enjoy has inspired me to write a little bit about this weekend's happenings.

After a hellish journey from London to Southampton on Saturday morning (we stupidly cherished a little bit of a lie in, instead of beating all the revellers on their way to Bournemouth), we got down there about lunchtime.

Firing up the BBQ right away, we needed the perfect accompaniments in the form of some refreshing beverages - what better than some iced tea on the hottest day of the year? Now I love a cup of tea at the best of times, but this summer alternative is just what you want after a 3hr car journey in 30 degrees and no air con..

Here's how to do it...

• Ice - lots
• Black teabags - you can use whatever kind you like. We used English Breakfast, but I quite like it with Earl Grey for a bit more flavour.
• 2 lemons
• 2 tbsp sugar
• A hot sunny day - optional

Source

This is a super quick and even easier recipe, if you can call it that. First things first, you're gunna need a lot of ice - more than you think, trust me. If you haven't got enough, cheat and pop to the shops, if you have then pop the kettle on instead.

Whilst the kettle is boiling, grab yourself a big jug, the one you usually make Pimms in would be perfect! Add in a couple of tea bags depending on how strong you like it, and once the kettle is boiled, fill to almost the top but leaving about 10cm.

Extract your teabags, Stir in two big dessert spoons of sugar and squeeze in your whole lemon.

Now, fill with ice. The first bits will disappear in the boiling water, obviously. So keep adding until the jug is full. Pop in the fridge and then when you are ready for a glass, pop some more ice into a tumbler with a slice of lemon and pour over for a delicious and cooling treat!

If you were doing this for a picnic or had some friends around, you could use old jam jars for cups and add a sprig of mint. You could also experiment with adding orange or lime instead of lemon, I have even heard people use mango, watermelon or raspberry - yum. Topped off with a fancy straw, this is sure to be a crowd pleaser, if I do say so myself.

E x

Weekend #16

This weekend was spent in London so naturally we made the most of it with lots of sight seeing and getting out and about. We had the weather for it and who knows how much longer it will last...

On Saturday we planned to spend most of the day at Portobello Market. Because this would require lots of energy, we filled ourselves up on these. When we got there, we did the whole thing, from right at the top by Notting Hill Gate, all the way down to Kensington. There were sooo many lovely things that I would have loved to have filled not just one, but many houses with but alas, I do not have the room for any of them! Perhaps I'll take a trip back when I have my own place ;)

In the evening, we took ourselves for the early bird menu at Charlotte's Bistro, a really lovely little restaurant in Chiswick. This places boasts a great menu and if you are happy to eat before 7.30, you can get it for their early dinner prices - £26.95 for 3 courses and an aperitif. I would have taken some snaps but it was quite a small place and not too busy that early so felt a bit concious! I had a scrummy partridge salad to start, Cornish gurnard for the main and earl grey and fig crème caramel for dessert. J had venison tartare to start, slow cooked pork belly for main and the cheese selection to follow. After stuffing our faces, we rolled home for some movies and bed time.

Sunday we popped off to J's parents for some lovely home cooked Sunday lunch. A little taste of fresh air and home life, in the midst of London madness is always appreciated. After gorging ourselves again, we headed back to London, chilled out and then it was time for J to head back to Southampton and me to fall swiftly asleep - all that food tired me out!

The song that I have been listening to a lot recently is Ellie Goulding's new one, Anything Could Happen. I really enjoy this song and it is great to have her back making music again after she has been away for a while.

E x

Weekend #15

...is with an ooey, gooey, calorific but delicious, breakfast. Let's just say that I have no idea, nor do I want to know, how many calories, saturated fat or other artery clogging factors this stack of wonder has but it sure tasted good - and we all know that calories don't count at the weekend.

Let me introduce to you, bacon cakes...

Smothered in maple syrup, with a sneaky rasher of crispy streaky bacon nestled in the middle, these are to die for. Enjoy best by sprinkling on fresh berries, covering in maple syrups and pouring yourself a glass of cold orange juice.

I wish I could lay claim to this scrummy delight, but all thanks has to go to the culinary genius that is, Rose from The Londoner. Her blog is full of the tastiest dinners and treats that you could ever dream of. The full recipe for bacon cakes can be found here.

Rose's recipe calls for mixed berries but you could always add any sort of fruit you fancy. If you are feeling very glutenous, there is always room for whipped cream. Personally, I think the sharp and juiciness of the berries was the perfect counterbalance for the bacon and syrup.

E x

Weekend #14

This weekend has been a very quiet one, with a couple of very self indulgent and relaxing lie-ins, lots of yummy food and general chilling out. In between all of the relaxing, it has been one for crossing all the 't's and dotting all the 'i's, catching up on boring life admin, car insurance, backing up files etc. - thrilling!

We also had a couple of housemate birthdays so the house has been filled with lots of cake and laughter which has been nice. We were paid a little visit by my housemate's boyfriend's pooch, Austin (see top right for lots of snaps of him, or Instagram!) who I absolutely fell in love with. Lots of cuddling and tennis ball throwing ensued. 

On the Saturday, my housemate did my nails with Shellac, which was a pampering treat. She has the kit to do it at home, saving on lots of pennies and is actually very easy to do and not to expensive to set yourself up with. I love it so far and can't stop touching it!

Soundtrack to this weekend definitely has to be this song, One Day/Reckoning Song by Asaf Avidan and is the Wankelmut Remix (mouthful of an introduction!). This was another track I heard on the radio when driving around and thought it was super catchy, couldn't stop humming it and had to track it down. I hope anyone who listens to it enjoys it as much as I do, it's a toe tapper!

E x

Weekend #13

There isn't much to report about this weekend just gone apart from the fact it was another craaaaazy busy one helping J settle in to his new house, buying lots of storage solutions and poster frames galore.

We spent most of Saturday whizzing around town picking up all sorts of things. We just grabbed enough time to have a hog roast bap in the sunshine which was yummy, lots of apply sauce of course ;). I also treated myself to some new make up brushes as my old ones had started to shed a bit too far and becoming a bit sparse. I justified this as a 'need' purchase, rather than a 'want' so this was ok...yes?

We went out in Bedford Place for a few drinks in the evening but nothing to raucous as J was on call. Home for some late night pizza and we hit the hay - both exhausted from the days efforts.

Sunday, more of the same, housey things for most of the morning and afternoon. We took the evening off to cook some steaks as a treat for all of our hard work. We watched the film "We Need to Talk About Kevin" which I thought was brilliant, but someone had spoiled the ending for J so he was a bit disinterested. Somewhere in this madness, I managed to stir up a batch of the infamous Slutty Brownies so we kicked back with a cup of tea and some of these before it was time for me to hit the motorway, back to London.

This week sees all change in our little London house with some new housemates who I cannot wait to get to know a bit better. Lots of wine and telly I think! Right up my street :)

Found it a bit hard to pick a Sunday Sound this week as we were a bit too busy to stop to even listen to any music! I have my housemate to thank for this current choice as I asked her what she was currently listening to. She told me about this band she liked called 'Tallest Man on Earth'. I've been listening lots this evening and I love it. The perfect soundtrack for a Sunday night chillout. This song is called 'The Dreamer' but they are all good tracks. Definitely one to watch out for...

E x

Weekend #11

Well another whirlwind weekend has gone past in a flash! It all began on Friday night when J met me after work now he is back from his holiday work trip, and we went for some Thai food for dinner. We then whizzed home quickly as we were off out for a big night as too of my housemates are moving out over the next two weeks. We partied the night away in a bar called Wax Jambu near Angel and it was great, amazing drinks, even better music and the best company.

We were all feeling a little delicate the next morning but managed to hold some more housemate viewings and finally found 'the one', to our relief. After a quick nap and lots of food, J and I headed down to Southampton as he is also on the house hunt and I played chauffeur for the afternoon. We rewarded our hungover states with a mountain of fish and chips and got an early night - we were still exhausted from being out all night, reminding us that our student days are long since over!

Today, we popped in to Southampton for the morning, I dropped J off at HMV and took myself over to the beauty counters of John Lewis (more to come on that!). After poking around there, I went over to Boots. To my surprise (and delight) the Southampton Boots has had a massive overhaul and there were lots of new counters that I was shocked (and pleased) to see. There is now a Bare Minerals (also more on that) an Ojon, Smashbox, Philosophy and lots more. It is nice to be able to look around these brands without the usual shoving of Oxford Street/Westfield.

Back home we went to cook ourselves up a whopping Sunday roast, delicious. After lots more house hunting online we watched some of the Paralympics - inspirational stuff. I then winded my way back to London for a cuppa and a quick catch up with everyone before getting myself some well deserved rest!

This weekend, a song that popped up a lot and has been getting lots of Radio One exposure is 'Little Talks' by Of Monsters and Men. This is a tune that you can't help yourself bopping along too or tapping your foot. It's also mega catchy and you will catch yourself humming it for the rest of the day. I haven't checked out much more of their stuff but I know Fearne Cotton has been playing them loads and they were big at Reading/Leeds - a good sign of things to come! Most people have probably heard it by now, but if not - you're welcome ;) You should also watch the video, it has a great little animation. I keep hitting refresh!

I can hardly keep my eyes open any longer! Off to sleep for me :)

E x

Cinnamon & Orange Tea Cake

In yesterday's post, I wrote about how to make the most tasty glazed ham. I also wrote about how this beast took nearly 4 hours to cook in total, with a long waiting period of 3 hours in the middle. Seeing as between us we had the ingredients for something cake like, we thought we would rustle one up. 

I always have a cupboard load of cinnamon, I put it on most things - cereal, porridge, hot chocolate, most hot drinks and I could go on. We also had some leftover oranges from the ham glaze. Voila - cinnamon and orange cake was born. 

This was the most perfect cake to compliment the sweet, juicy ham of dinner time. We all sat down with a big cup of tea, put our feet up and admired our efforts for the day, over a nice slab of cake :)

Unsure as to why there is a lack of marg in this photo (sorry).

For this delicious cake, you will need:

• 6oz margarine or butter, whichever you prefer. We used marg.
• 6oz Self Raising Flour 
• 6oz caster sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 orange
• 1tsp cinnamon
• Extra sugar and cinnamon for the topping
• Large mixing bowl
• Cake tins or high sided baking tray if you want to make it into a tray bake
• Cup of tea to enjoy it with once cooked :)

N.B. The ingredients for this cake can be substituted for their 'free from' cousins. I know for a fact that it works just as well with wheat/gluten free flour and dairy free margarine. Thought I would let you know so that most people can join in! I'm not sure of an egg substitute but will keep an eye out.

How to:

The beauty of this recipe is how easy it is to make. No more creaming butter and sugar etc. just all of the ingredients in one bowl. You don't even need a blender.

First things first, preheat your oven to 180C and recruit someone to grease your cake tins/baking tray.

Then, in your large mixing bowl, throw in the margarine/butter, flour, sugar, eggs, zest of the orange, juice of half of the orange and the cinnamon into a bowl and then beat well together until smooth and creamy. If, like us, you cannot find an orange zester, you can always use a potato peeler to take off the zest, and then chop this up finely.

Once all evenly blended, divide between baking tins as you wish. This amount of mixture nicely fills your normal sized cake tins.

Bake in the oven for around 20-30 minutes, checking at 20. The age old test is always a winner, pop a clean knife in to the centre, if it comes out clean, then the cake is done. If it does not, then pop in back in for another 5. Repeat until ready.

Once you have taken your tins out of the oven, pop them on a heatproof side, still in the tins. Pour the juice of the rest of the orange over the cake while it is still warm.

Leave in the tins until the cake is cool enough to handle, by which point you can turn them out on to a cooling rack.

Mix together even quantities of caster sugar and cinnamon, depending on how much cinnamon you like to have (I like a lot!). You will most likely need around 2tsps of each. Sprinkle this mixture over the top of the cake.

Sadly, seeing as this cake was something of an afterthought, we didn't have anything to hand to use as a filling. I would suggest perhaps a lovely orange buttercream filling or even some plain whipped cream. Instead, we ended up with two round, deliciously light tea cakes which was great. Both in taste terms, and also for our waistlines!

All that was left to do now, was put the kettle on, grab a still warm slice and enjoy.

E x

Bank Holiday Ham, with Marmalade & Honey Glaze

So in the spirit of a true bank holiday, my housemates and I took the opportunity to do a spot of cooking. We had a ham bone in the freezer for a while that was initially intended for a soup, but we decided it would be best put to use as a yummy bank holiday dinner. One of my favourite things about Christmas is actually the ham that we have, filling the house with delicious smells of honey and spices, so I was more than agreeable. 

First things first, the obligatory chef hats were made.

Now, on to the ham. We followed a recipe from the Hairy Bikers.

You will need:

For the gammon/ham -

• 6kg/13lb 3½oz gammon joint
• Fresh orange juice, to cover
• Water, to cover
• 8 cloves, plus extra for studding the gammon
• 2 onions, peeled, halved
• 4 large bay leaves
• Chunky bread is optional, although it makes for a great sandwich

For the glaze -

• 120g/4oz soft brown sugar
• 3 oranges, zest of three, juice of two
• 3 tbsp clear honey
• 3 heaped tbsp orange marmalade
• 3 tbsp wholegrain mustard

Preparation method:

For the gammon, place the gammon into a large, deep pan and cover with water. Bring to the boil, then remove from the heat and drain.

Return the gammon to the pan, then pour in enough orange juice to cover half of the gammon. Pour in enough cold water to cover the gammon completely. 

Push two cloves into each onion half and add to the pan along with the bay leaves. Cover with a lid and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook gently for three hours, adding more hot water to the pan as necessary.

When your time is nearly up, preheat the oven to 180C/360F/Gas 4.

Remove the gammon from the pan and place into a roasting tin. Be careful at this point because the meat will be a bit fragile and may fall away from the bone in transit from pan to pan. 

Remove the skin, leaving behind a thin layer of fat. Score the gammon in a diamond pattern with the tip of a sharp knife. Stud the centre of each diamond with a clove (if yours ends up a little mis-shapen, like ours, do not fear and poke the clove in as best you can. It all tastes the same in the end!).

For the glaze, mix together all of the glaze ingredients in a bowl until well combined. Spoon the glaze evenly over the gammon.

Roast the gammon in the oven for 45 minutes, basting frequently with the glaze and pan juices, until the gammon is cooked through and golden-brown all over.

Set aside to rest, then carve into thick slices to serve. Alternatively, the gammon can be eaten cold. The Hairy Bikers suggest that you should serve this with apple compote and pickled red cabbage, but I went for the more traditional roasted new potatoes and broccoli. For the potatoes, just pop them straight in the oven in a heatproof dish, with a splash of oil and a sprinkling of salt. They take about 30 minutes and come out lovely and fluffy, and just a little bit crispy around the edges - just how I like them. They are a great summerly alternative to a full on roast potato and compliment most meals.

This meal does take a bit of time but it is actually fairly little effort for something that tastes AMAZING - the oven does most of the work. I cannot describe how gorgeous the house smells the whole time this is cooking. All of the spices and then the honey and marmalade make for a mouthwatering scent. A perfect way to finish off what has been a most lovely bank holiday weekend :)

If you are lucky, you will have a bit left over - perfect for tomorrow's sandwiches.

E x

Weekend #10

It feels rather strange to be doing a weekend round up, when it isn't actually over yet. Long live bank holidays! This one has been absolutely lush, I have fallen in love with London all over again!

After work drinks on Friday meant a nice long lie in on Saturday morning was needed. Following this, I tootled up to Chiswick High Road to meet a friend for lunch and a poke around the charity shops. You never know what you can pick up in an area like this, the throw-outs of all the wealthy Chiswick-ites! We were having a lovely time when the heavens well and truly opened so we sought refuge in Cafe Rouge and stayed for a glass of wine and their lunch menu - will do me! This was all fine and good until the water started pouring down the wall behind us, creating puddles on the floor all around. We promptly got the bill and headed to the shops, despite the thunderstorm going on! 

Saturday evening was incredibly glamorous. Housemate and I popped to Sainsbury's to pick up some treats. Once fully stocked on ice cream we devoured it on the sofa whilst watching good old Twilight - proper girls night in, we know how to live ;)

Today, after another lie in, a couple of housemates and I popped in to Central and winded our way up Regents and Carnaby street for a spot of shopping. Prices, a far cry away from the charity shops, meant I came home empty handed, but I still enjoyed a good browse. Lots of things on the mental wishlist for a payday treat (maybe)!

Lunch was spent in a brilliant little spot which happened to be having a beach party, complete with sand all over the floor, buckets and spades, and shells on the table! Felt very strange to have sand between your toes and still be in Central London. This weekend I have so much love for our capital city. It never fails to amaze me and I love taking the time to explore. We went all over, we even took ourselves for a poke around Sloane Square, somewhere I had not been before.

On the walk back we caught a glimpse of the filming for the new Diana film, potentially spotting Naomi Watts, but she was running so it could very well have been her stunt double. Will have to have a see when the film comes out!

This evening, back home to finish last nights ice cream with a marathon film sesh including Beethoven, Beauty and the Beast, and Atonement. That will do me. Tomorrow will be filled with more housemate fun, we are cooking a ham joint and baking some cakes. No doubt there will be more films in the evening and a glass of wine or three - perfect.

Whilst getting our bake on, I plan to listen to this song. A lot. I first heard this when played by Radio One's Dev and loved it. It is by Zedd, a German electronic dance producer and DJ. A bit different to my normal Sunday Sounds but is definitely one to get you up out of your seat and do something. Dancing around whilst getting ready is my number one choice ;)

I challenge you all not to get itchy feet when you listen to this.

E x

Weekend #9

First things first, I cannot say a single thing about this weekend before mentioning how bloomin' lovely the weather was. Honestly, where did that come from?! I thought we had already had our allocated one hot day of the year, back in July. A big thank you to whoever doled that one out, it was much needed/appreciated.

Due to the absolutely beautiful weather, I spent most of it in the garden. We have the most perfect little decking area out the back with a big table and lots of chairs (great for doubling up as sunbeds - sit on one, feet up on the other!). Both days were pretty much spent out here in the sun, reading and chatting to housemates. Although, this afternoon was rudely interrupted by a bit of a thunderstorm and some rain drops - not happy. Thankfully the sun showed his face again a bit later on.

This was the perfect weekend to a very busy week. I have not had many evenings at home or free time, hence the 'no blog' period since last Sunday! I have been catching up with old friends from home, seeing good friends from university and generally running around like a crazy thing. It was perfect to just chill in the sunshine and think about nothing. I do feel slightly guilty that I haven't left the house since Friday evening, but hey, when the weather is as nice as it is, it would be a shame to do anything else other than sit in it!

I also took this sunny opportunity to crack open some of the lovely wine that I bought back from France, In July (with lots of ice cubes in mind, no one likes warm wine!). It was also a chance to catch up on the tan that J will come back with following his month in Bahrain (cheeky). No one likes being the less tanned one in the relationship and I usually win this battle!

We have mostly had the radio but right now I am listening to a little bit of Jessie Ware. I first heard her on I think it was Zane Lowe's Radio One show whilst driving back from Southampton on a Sunday evening (correct me if I'm wrong and this isn't Zane Lowe's slot). She played a couple of songs and I really enjoyed her voice, she was also really nice and down to Earth too. I couldn't remember for ages what her name was until it popped up again another time and I made a mental note to check her out. Her music is really great, I think, so definitely check her out. I know she is very out there at the moment and I bet she will be a big hit over the next few months. I LOVE this song, it is called Wildest Moments :)

I also really enjoy this song, it is perfect for a Sunday evening in the garden. This one is called 110%.

Happy weekend, everyone,

E x

Weekend #8

I mentioned yesterday that this was my first solo weekend in London so I have been making the most of it! It's been great to just chill and catch up on life for the weekend, getting all of those odd jobs or things you wanted to get done but never do. Not so sure I will be loving it so much by next weekend but we shall see! It has been so lovely to have both a Friday night and a Sunday evening again though. I am used to dedicating them to my love affair (not) with the M3/M4.

Yesterday I had a lovely breakfast out with a friend and then an afternoon in the garden, enjoying the sun. The evening was filled with a big yummy BBQ with some more friends. We were all marvelling at how nice it is to sit outside past 6pm and it still be warm - very pleasant.

Today was mostly spent relaxing, I actually had a very low key day - the highlight was a trip to Sainsbury's! I loved it all the same. I bought myself a yummy steak and my housemates and I watched the Olympic closing ceremony with a glass of wine in hand. These last two weeks have gone so fast, I can't believe it is drawing to a close already. What will we all watch on telly now?!

I can't pretend I have been listening to this all weekend, but here is a small tribute to everyone's (?!) favourite girl band from the 90's, the Spice Girls. Their show tonight may have been brief, and not everyone's cup of tea, but it sure was good/nostalgic to see them strutting their stuff again :) 

I hope everyone else has had as nice a relaxing/chilled weekend as me :)

E x

Weekend TLC

This weekend is a different one for me, J is away for work for three weeks so I am in London, kicking it by myself :) It feels very strange as this is the first time this has happened since I move here in April. Usually I'm either in Southampton, he's here or I'm home/another location! I can't believe I have been here this long and still not stuck around for a whole weekend.

This morning was lovely as I met a friend for breakfast in a lovely French cafe, I had eggs Benedict of course, can't get enough of them! We then headed back here to sit in the garden and soak up some rays over a cup of tea. This was so nice as I don't usually get to just kick back and relax like this, we're usually cramming in some sight seeing or checking out places we haven't been before. 

Seeing as I have all of this 'me' time, I plan on doing some pampering. First in line, will be my unruly hair. I am still trying to bring it back to life after it was dried to within an inch of itself with certain shampoos, but that's a story for another day. 

The other weekend, I went out and bought myself a wide tooth detangling comb as I read that brushes can cause damage by breaking the ends off of dry hair. This was only a couple of pounds or so from Boots own range. There were more expensive ones on offer but I honestly couldn't see the difference so I went for this one.

 To put on my hair, I still have some samples of the Damage Remedy hair masks from Aveda. On Sunday evening I plan to slather on some of that, run in through my hair with this comb, whip my hair up in a topknot and run myself a hot bath, letting it soak in and do its wonders.

My favourite bath tonic is this Bath and Shower Concentrate with Essential Oils by Clarins. It creates a light foam and smells all delicious and herbal. It's perfect for a nice relaxing soak before bed. The oils linger on your skin and send you right off to sleep - perfect. I got this as a free gift when I bought my night cream and perfume a few months ago. It lasts for a while as I don't have baths all that often, I can never find the time :(

I can't wait!

E x

Birthday Fun

So if you read this blog often, you will know that I usually write a little round up post on a Sunday evening, including a song or two that I have been listening to that weekend. This Sunday was different, it was something a bit special (my birthday!!) and if you read my previous post, you would know that I spent it in Bristol. 

I love to write these little weekend round ups, I always see lots of bloggers so them but in different ways - Instagram montages, pampering tips etc. I like to write mine more for my own interest than for anyone to read them (they are always a bit rambly anyway!). I like the idea of summarising all the fun (I think) things that we get up to and being able to look back on them later on. Consider it an online diary - which I guess is what a blog really is.

So, on to this weekend. I am a sucker for birthdays, not that I enjoy massive attention or awkward niceties but I like to use them as an excuse to do something you wouldn't otherwise. You know, go for that steak you keep saying you will, who cares how much it costs. Go to that theme park/stay in that hotel/eat your body weight in chocolate etc. etc. Well this weekend was one of those.

We took ourselves off to the Westcountry and in to Bristol for a city break, staying in a lovely room in a serviced penthouse apartment (with these lovely people). It was great, we had a huge bedroom with a large bathroom, big telly, complimentary wine and chocolates on arrival (winner) and even a mini fridge! It was great to have your own privacy to come and go as you like and just relax in comfort and style. It was right by the harbourside and walking distance to lots of bars and restaurants (but not on their stumble home so nice and quiet). 

We got there late on Friday so just nipped out for some food and then were both exhausted so watched some olympics and went to sleep.

On Saturday we walked along the riverside in to the city and wandered around, grabbing some coffee and pastries for breakfast, checking out all it had to offer. We also walked up to Clifton and took a look at the suspension bridge which is quite amazing. 

We stopped for a cheeky beverage in the sun in one of the pubs in Clifton too :)

After lots of exploring, we wound our way back to the room and washed up ready to go out for a drink. We headed to The Apple at J's request and tried some yummy ciders. We then got caught in a torrential downpour whilst looking for some fish and chips for tea so gave up and went to good old Pizza Express.

Sunday was my actual day of birth, so we had stocked up on some pastries and strawberries the night before, and then had ourselves a scrummy champagne breakfast and a very lazy morning, watching the olympics and getting up slowly. In the evening we booked ourselves in to The Cowshed for what the reviews say is "the best steak in Bristol" - right up my street. I have to say, it did not disappoint. We shared a seafood platter to start. 

Followed by some delicious fillet steak with blue cheese sauce (it was my birthday after all!), dauphinoise potatoes, fat chips and some seasonal greens. Oh and a big slosh of Malbec - perfect. The food was faultless and the service was also really great. I would definitely recommend it and 100% return if I am in Bristol again anytime soon.

To top it all off, my lovely mummy posted me a homemade birthday cake, complete with a little gold candle to light. She is a massive cake making fan and is a bit good so it is so nice to feel like I have a little piece of home on my birthday :) The little tea party on top did get a bit squished in transit but considering how heavy handed the Royal Mail can be, I think it faired fairly well!

On Monday, the sad time came for us to leave and come home, but we did stop off in bath on the way. We had initially wanted to stay in Bath itself, but we couldn't find anything central and reasonably priced at short notice. In hindsight, this worked out quite well as although Bath is lovely, you can do it all in a day - which we did!

All in all, we had the best weekend. It was a lovely way to spend a birthday and in a lovely part of the world. I could definitely be very happy living there, once I have had my fun with London of course. It perfectly combines my two homes :)

I would thoroughly recommend a weekend break here and I hope to do it again soon.

E x

P.S. We spent a hilarious hour after breakfast playing face shock. You need to try this. This is where basically one person throws their face around pulling as many silly faces as possible, and the other takes a photo. The still you end up with is always so funny. If you ever have a bored 5 minutes - definitely kills some time! I would include the snaps...but I think anyone who reads this post would be put off coming back again!

Turtle Bay, Southampton

One of the perks of making a relationship work when you live in far apart cities (I can assure you, there are not many!) is that when you do see each other you use your time wisely. You now allow all those little extras you wouldn't normally - such as going out for dinner, cinema etc. all those extra splurges.

Whenever I am in Southampton, or J is in London, we always end up buying the nicest foods and going out for a scrummy dinner somewhere to spoil ourselves and catch up. Southampton was our university city so I know it fairly well. When I was a student, I used to lust after eating in all of these lovely places but being a student - budget did not allow! 

Towards the very end of my final year, up popped this cool looking Jamaican, Caribbean style bar and restaurant called Turtle Bay. I was always very keen to go to but I never did get around to it before leaving. When J got a job back in Southampton, we finally got around to going. I had been a few times for drinks (I can recommend the peanut butter and banana smoothie!) and always poured over the menu, thinking how delicious it all looked and saying we should come back for dinner sometime. On Tuesday evening, we did just that!

The last snap was me trying to get a shot of the cool bar in the middle of the place but our food starting arrving (that's it right there!) so ended up a little blurry! Thought it was a good action shot so kept it in though)

Turtle bay boasts a fantastic array of cocktails, smoothies and fruit punches that are to die for so I was hoping their food menu would match up. In case you weren't already won over, they have a happy hour on their cocktail menu where they are 2-4-1, a great thing to do for a night out with the girls, summer drinks outside or just if you fancy it.

I went for the hand pulled Chicken burger which came with bbq glaze in a grilled bun, served with Caribbean slaw & fries.

J had a jerk chicken flatbread which was topped with coriander, grilled tomatoes and fresh thyme.

We also had a bucket of sweet potato fries to share - who could resist these from any menu ;)

That is the end of the snaps as we couldn't wait any longer to tuck in - J was already annoyed enough that I made him take a pic of his flatbread - already tucking in there with that bitemark hey!

The food came out on wooden boards, and little metal buckets which I thought was a really nice touch. The food was absolutely delicious, but a little word of warning - not for the weak hearted when it comes to spice! I should have really figured that jerk chicken was quite spicey but I just saw the BBQ bit and was sold. The burger was so full of yummy flavours and the chicken was super succulent but damn, it was hot! We both found it super fiery but still yum. The flatbread was a lot more mild but still had a bit of a kick to it.

Both of the portion sizes were really generous considering that they were from the 'lunch 'n' light' section of the menu. We both left totally full up and satisfied. Couldn't quite manage a pud but the ones we did see whizzing out looked super scrummy and again, very generous portions. All in all, great value for money :)

I would definitely love to eat here again, the food was beautifully served up and came out really quickly - especially considering that it was a bank holiday weekend and there was hardly an empty table in the house. There is a large food and drinks menu to suit all tastes. The decor is so chilled that you could smarten up for a date or wear it casual for hanging out.

It's so nice to find places like this in Southampton popping up. There seems to be a lot of effort going in to 'doing up' certain areas of the city and if there are more places like this, I will certainly be happy.

E x

The Perfect Roast Dinner

Along with most of Britain, my Sunday evening is not complete without a Sunday roast, with all of the trimmings. I don't care if it is Chicken and stuffing, Pork and apple sauce, Beef and Yorkshire puddings or Lamb and mint sauce - it's all yummy to me. I know that most people have a certain family way of cooking their roast dinners and it is something that is different in every household, but I thought I would do a post on how I do mine. Along with the meat, a lot of effort goes in to making the perfect roast potatoes (the highlight of the meal for me!!).

Here's a bit of background for you - I was lucky enough to grow up with a Mummy who has an Aga, this multi-functional appliance makes light work of a roast dinner (and many other treats too) and is something that instantly makes me think of home. It is definitely a style of cooking that most people find a bit daunting, if you are someone who likes recipes and timings then these are not for you! You basically get an idea of how long things will take and which oven to put them in and then you just play it by ear from then! It is not easy to change the heat on these meaty machines in a hurry, it takes a long time to heat up and a long time to cool down. You basically just have to wing it. Then, I moved out.

Seeing as there are not many student halls that have Agas (!) I had to learn how to cook conventional style. A few burnt dinners and raw sausages later, I just about got the hang of it. Once a bit confident, in my later years of being a student, I took a crack at a roast dinner all of my own, upon the request of my new boyfriend! I think I have just about cracked it now and this is how it goes...

To make a scrummy dinner for two (hungry adults) people:

• Meat of choice (we went for a 1.3lb of roasting Pork Loin)
• 3 large baking potatoes (I find these fluff up the nicest on the inside and get nice and crispy on the outside)
• Seasonal vegetables (we had green beans, Chantenay carrots and cauliflower cheese - J's fave!) 
• Oil
• Salt
• Flour
• Gravy granules
• 1 medium onion
• Sauce for your meat (we had Bramley apple as it was Pork)
• Tasty bottle of wine/non-alcoholic beverage of choice

MEAT:

Take your roasting meat and follow the instructions on the packet. Most supermarket packaging will give you weight and timings for your piece of meat. Butcher's meat will be a bit more illusive but you can ask your butcher to weigh your meat for you and then you can apply the following cooking times:

• Chicken - 20 minutes per lb + 20 minutes resting time.
• Pork - 25 minutes on highest heat + 35 minutes per lb + 30 minutes resting time. 
• Lamb - 20 minutes per lb for rare, 30 minutes per lb for a more well done meat + 30 minutes resting time.
• Beef - Rare - 11 minutes per lb, Medium - 14 minutes per lb, Well done - 16 minutes per lb + 30 minutes resting time.

Be aware that these times are approximate, if you are unsure then check that your meat is throughly cooked through before serving. As a general rule of thumb, if the juices run clear, the meat is cooked.

As we chose Pork, we wanted some crackling. For this - pop your oven up to 240 degrees. Cover the Pork in salt and oil, rubbing it in to the skin. The skin usually comes scored, if not then add a few deep cuts diagonally across the fat on the top of the meat. Put the Pork in the oven at this high heat for 25 minutes. After this, turn it down to 190 degrees and apply the above cooking times.

For example: our piece of Pork weighed 1.3lbs so cooking time was 25 minutes + 46 minutes + 30 minutes resting time.

You should have perfect crackling by following the above guidelines but if not, fear not! Carve the skin and fat off of the top of the meat and lay out flat on a baking tray. Pop this under the grill for about 10 minutes and it should crackle up nicely. Keep your eye on this though as it can catch and burn very quickly!

POTATOES:

Peel your potatoes, allowing 1.5 large potatoes per person as a generous helping. Chop in to rough chunks - you should get around 4 chunks per potato. At this point, cover a sided baking tray in about 0.5mm of oil and stick in the oven, below the meat. You can use Goose fat for this if you are feeling fancy, but normal oil will do just as well. 

Par-boil the potatoes on a simmering heat for about 10 minutes. The potatoes should not be cooked all the way through but just softening around the edges.

Take off the heat and drain them. Sprinkle on a light handful of flour and a generous sprinkling of salt.

Pop the lid back on and grab a tea towel as the pan will still be hot. Now shake the potatoes vigorously, holding down the lid. Have a check to make sure that every potato has softened around the edges and is now covered in flour.

When your meat has around 30 minutes left to go, get your heated tray of oil out of the oven, being very careful not to spill it and spoon the potatoes out on to the tray. This may cause the oil to spit so do be careful. Pop them back in the oven, turning every 15 minutes or so until crispy - usually taking around 40 minutes at 190 degrees.

VEGETABLES:

Depending on what vegetable you chose to cook, follow the instructions on the packet. For the vegetables we chose - I bought a pre-made cauliflower cheese (cheeky, I know, but not many people really have the time!) which took around 30 minutes in the oven, and I boiled the carrots and the beans for about 10 minutes in the same pan. These can be cooked whilst your meat is resting.

GRAVY:

Once you have taken the meat out to rest, pour the juices in to a small saucepan. Chop up your onion and cook it off in the meat juices. For ease, I like to add gravy granules now but you can always make your own gravy with flour etc. Stir in the gravy granules and top up with boiling water. You can add more of each to make the gravy the right consistency that you like. I also like to add wholegrain mustard here or sometimes a few herbs.

All that is left to do now, is carve your meat and serve up. Pour yourself a nice glass of wine or a fruit juice spritzer and enjoy!

The before and after gravy pictures - yummy!

Now, seeing as it is a bank holiday, I couldn't let this pass without whipping up a plate of Rosie T's Slutty Brownies - a thing of marvel and legend! They are the perfect thing to scoff on if you have any room left after your roast dinner. Or even to have later on with a cup of tea :)

E x

Blueberry Pancakes

I have always been a huge fan of breakfast, everything from a cereal bar to a full blown English and everything in between. I cannot start the day without at least a small bite to eat. During the week, I usually just grab some cereal before dashing off to work - stuffing a banana in my bag for elevenses, and I am sorted.

Breakfast at the weekend is a whole new ball game. I am either at home in London or in Southampton with J (who is equally keen on the whole breakfast thing). I absolutely love rustling up something special for breakfast, especially as we only have weekends together so it seems only right to make the most of our time.

My go-to is usually poached eggs with crispy bacon on toasted English muffins with lashings of hollandaise sauce (if your mouth isn't watering right now...). If not all the trimmings, then it is something loosely based around this, maybe a bacon muffin or just poached eggs. Of course, any breakfast would not be the same without a big cup of tea and a glass of juice. As much as I adore this breakfast combo, I thought it would be nice to try something different this weekend as there is the luxury of four whole days off! Yippee!

Cue blueberry pancakes. These are two things in life that I adore equally and happen to go so well together. The recipe is so easy and pretty much fool-proof as you can be pretty slapdash with measuring the ingredients. I usually just make the batter by eye as I am lazy and cannot be bothered to weigh it all out first thing in the morning!

All you need to make these little treats (makes around 6 pancakes) is:

• 120g flour (you can either use plain or self raising, if you use plain - don't forget to add a dash of baking powder so that they will be more spongey than a usual pancake!)
• 1tsp baking powder (only needed if using plain flour)
• pinch of salt
• 30g sugar
• 1/4 pint of milk
• 1 egg
• 1 punnet of blueberries
• dash of oil

1. Firstly, pop a pan on the hob and start heating the dash of oil.
2. Sieve out the flour and the baking powder if you are using plain flour, in to a bowl.
3. Fold in the sugar and add the pinch of salt.
4. In a separate jug, whisk together the milk and egg.
5. Create a well in the middle of the flour mix and slowly pour in the milk and egg, adding bit by bit and stirring all the time to avoid lumps.
6. Chop your blueberries in half and stir in to your batter.
7. Depending on how thick/large you want your pancakes, use a ladle to spoon out your pancakes (it is advisable at this point to do a 'trial run' and drop in a small teaspoon full of batter just to check that your pan is hot enough/not too hot).
8. Flip the pancake when you cant start to see bubbles popping up through, if your batter is too thick, this may not happen so watch out as they can burn rather quickly! About 20-30 secs each side should do.
9. Pour yourself a big glass of orange juice and a brimming cup of tea, you could even smother your stack of pancakes in whipped cream and/or syrup if you fancy, pop on some trashy telly, sit back and enjoy :)

These are a seriously yummy way to start your day, so much so that we actually make two batches this morning - pancake overload!

E x

Weekend #1

If you are a foodie, or a summer-ie(?!), or both (I am), then this post is for you. I had the most lovely weekend in Southampton, with temperatures tipping 28 degrees on both days. I can honestly say that I pretty much did nothing apart from lay in the sun and wonder what I was going to eat next. J and I popped to Waitrose early on Saturday morning to stock up on supplies for the next few days. Starting with my favourite breakfast of poached eggs, on crispy bacon, on toasted English muffins and drizzled in hollandaise sauce, the food fest went on...

We then decided to stock up on general summer food, including all things BBQ, and I mean ALL. We chose some Tiger Prawns, burgers, steaks sausages, halloumi, olives, the works. Oh, and a whole load of fruit to go with it - nothing better than a spot of sunbathing and lots of juicy berries to snack on. What weekend is complete without wine and crisps, thrown in the basket with much haste I have to add - my two biggest weaknesses, especially if they have the word 'pesto' on them.

All in all, it turned out to be a really nice weekend, lots of lounging around, reading magazines and chowing on A LOT of scrummy food. We did leave the house/garden to take a wander to a really nice bar in Southampton, called Turtle Bay, just for a few drinks. They serve the most delicious cock/mocktails and what looked like some lovely Caribbean style food as well. Lots of tasty treats to offer and I hope on another summer evening we can go back for some food. Once again, Sunday came around too quickly and I am back in London, riding the sweat pit that is currently known as the London  Underground! I already can't wait for the weekend which happily is a super long one and I hope to get a glimpse of some Jubilee happenings/eat lots of Jubilee related food :)

E x