Look what the Stork dropped off...

My Nephew Sebastian Joseph was born on the 20th March, 10 days post due date. Weighing 6lbs 14oz, he is the cutest baby going. I am hoping to meet him in a couple of months as he was born in Bilbao, Northern Spain.

Having waited 9 months to find out whether I would have a niece or nephew I am now on a constant hunt for cute baby grows, toys and books.

I have my own personal favourites like Each Peach Pear Plum and Peepo by Janet Ahlberg. Gap have also started selling a Paddington Bear range which is super adorable, either way this is going to be one spoiled little boy! x

Going Home

 Goodness me! So much going on that I almost neglected my blog! 
After having a foot operation, (much to my disliking) I returned home to my flat in Battersea

My two beautiful flat mates were really pleased to see me. We have been living together for 5 months now and all love it. 
Independence is a great gift, after living at home with wonderful parents & a dishwasher though it can be a challenge. Sharing life with others is something not to take for granted, it means you see friends in a different way.  Community is so important, it makes you feel like you are really a part of something bigger. 
I can't say how long I will be here, but God has blessed me with such an organic way of living. 

Mr Wes Anderson

Hello World! 

Up until the other night I was not very familiar with Wes Anderson...sure I have seen Fantastic Mr Fox but I don't believe this shows off his ability to direct. On Sunday my housemate Charlie and I went to see his latest production...The Grand Budapest Hotel. Having seen the trailer at least 10 times I thought I had a good idea about the outcome of this film. This film has an all star cast from Jude Law and Tilda Swinton to Ralph Fiennes and Willem Dafoe. A unique film with lots of wonderful detail. I enjoyed and admired the smallest detail, down to the boxes that they used for Mendl's Bakery. Prada luggage made an appearance as well as a cat made of plywood and fake fur. This is a must see film...be prepared to laugh out loud and I am eagerly anticipating another production by this genius.

Mendl's Bakery Boxes

The Grand Budapest Hotel 2014

Actress Kara Hayward as Suzy in Moonrise Kingdom 2012

A taste of Hollywood

This is turning into what looks like a baking only blog, there are plenty of other things I have to talk about but recently I have been experimenting and christening some new recipe books. Today I started with Mr Paul Hollywood, you may know him from the British Bake Off series.

I have never made choux pastry before so this was definitely new and exciting. Its the pastry that is typically used for éclairs, profiteroles and croquembouche. I decided to go for a classic éclairs with a slight twist...salted caramel.

For the choux pastry

• 50g/1¾oz unsalted butter, cut into roughly 1cm/½in pieces
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• pinch salt
• 65g/2¼oz strong white bread flour
• 2 medium free-range eggs, beaten

For the choux pastry, put the butter, sugar, salt and 150ml/5fl oz of water into a large saucepan. Heat gently until the butter has melted, then bring to the boil. Immediately remove from the heat and tip in the flour. Beat with a wooden spoon to form a smooth ball of dough that leaves the sides of the pan.

Now vigorously beat the egg into the hot dough, a little at a time. This takes some elbow grease! As you add the egg, the dough will become stiff and glossy. Stop adding the egg if the dough starts to become loose – but you should use up all or most of it. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm/½in plain nozzle. Pipe four sausage shapes, about 12cm/4½in long, on each baking tray, leaving plenty of space for them to spread during cooking.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until well risen and golden-brown. Remove from the oven and split one side of each éclair to allow the steam to escape. Cool on a wire rack.

 

For the filling

• 200g/7oz mascarpone
• 1 tbsp icing sugar
• 3 tbsp cold strong coffee/Vanilla extract
• 250ml/9fl oz double cream

To make the filling, beat the mascarpone in a bowl until smooth. Beat in the icing sugar and coffee. Whip the cream until it holds soft peaks when the whisk is removed. Fold the cream into the mascarpone mixture. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm/½in plain nozzle and fill each éclair with the mix.

 

For the salted caramel icing

• 150g/5½oz soft light brown sugar
• 75g/2½oz soft, unsalted butter
• pinch salt
• 50ml/2fl oz full-fat milk
• 125g/4½oz icing sugar, sifted

To make the icing, put the sugar, butter and salt into a small saucepan. Gently heat until the butter has melted and the mixture is smooth. Add the milk, bring to the boil and boil for two minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and sift in the icing sugar. Stir until smooth. Spread the icing on the éclairs. You’ll need to work quickly before the icing sets but it can be reheated if it sets before you have finished.

 Find the recipe online here!
 Happy baking :) 

60 years of brilliance

Every big milestone deserves a celebration, birthdays, anniversaries, friendships and need we think of any other excuses? On March 10th 2014 my incredible Mum turned 60. I am the youngest of four siblings to I feel privileged to have had so much of her attention, love and advice.

As a family we always start with breakfast and presents, enjoying a cup of tea and a croissant whilst unwrapping gifts, what could be better? I bought an LK Bennett tote and filled it with goodies..Some L'Occitaine hand cream, Fortnum and Mason ginger biscuits, almond soap from Cologne and Cotton and Kate Atkinson's latest book.

Every birthday cake has to be special, I headed to Gail's to pick up their scrumptious Carrot Cake topped with Cream Cheese icing. ( If you haven't tried a slice you are seriously missing out!)

To end a day of celebration we headed out to Kaspar's Seafood Bar and Grill which is based in The Savoy. 1920's chic styled interior and delicious cocktails in the Beaufort Bar. Several Champagne's later we were seated at our table and read and re read the vast menu. I opted for a typical French styled starter of Onion Soup with Gruyere cheese and croutons. For main I had seafood linguini followed by 3 scoops of Mango and Passion Fruit Sorbet.

Sufficiently full we finished the wine, a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand called Brook Ridge (fresh and crisp with notes of passion fruit). To end the evening we were presented with chocolate pops, like a cake pop but pure milk chocolate.

London is truly full of treasures!

Scones with style

So because I never do things exactly by the book..(its no fun) I decided to do a twist on the savoury Cheddar Scone. First let me tell you, Cheddar although boring to some and unoriginal goes really well with olives, green ones especially. For a lot of my baking I use BBC good food as it never seems to let me down.

Here is the list of what you will need to get baking!

• 200g Self-raising flour
• 50g Butter (softened)
• 25g Porridge Oats
• 75g Cheddar Cheese 
• 150ml Milk
• 20 Olives halved

 To start set the oven temperature to 200 fan and grease a baking tray, I used a non-stick one but greasing it helps :)

Rub the flour and the butter together using your finger tips, then stir in the oats, cheese and olives. Slowly stir in the milk and it will come together to make a dough.

Then lightly dust your work surface and roll the dough out to roughly 2cm, any thinner and they wont rise.

 Then start to cut out your scones using a 4cm or bigger if you prefer cutter. Use all the dough and scrunch the remainder into a small ball.

 Place on your baking tray using a basting brush, glaze over the top with a bit of milk or egg. Pop them into to oven for 10-12 minutes until they are a golden brown.

You are now ready to enjoy your scones, if you are feeling adventurous...try adding some cream cheese, avocado or ham. Otherwise they are perfect straight from the oven! x

Brunch @ Brew

I am writing this on a sunny afternoon which reminds me of the other day when I ventured out to Wimbledon Village. Being limited as I am still using one crutch...looking like an old granny I walked up to Brew Cafe on the High Street. Its a lovely walk beside the common, those of you who don't know it...check it out! Brunch has become a favourite meal of mine, mainly because anything goes.

I decided to start with a strong Americano with a dash of milk, which was just as well as I was feeling a tad sleepy. The coffee here is presented beautifully and tastes amazing.

Even though its simple, I went for poached eggs on sourdough toast. The eggs were cooked to perfection. I gave them a gentle poke with my knife and out rolled a beautifully runny yolk. What a spectacular sight! 

After eating I went for a stroll around the village, and walked by the common again, soaking in the fresh air and getting some spring sun rays. I am hoping this summer is going to be a whopper with many more restaurant trips and opportunities to stumble across boutique coffee shops and new places to brunch.
Have you got any secret places to recommend? Leave a comment :) x

A trip to Sevel Dials

Hello hello!

Last week I ventured out on crutches( I had a foot op) to Covent Garden. For those of you who know London well, you will know that Soho is never quiet. The buzz excites me and lets the imagination run wild. Every time I am in town I feel empowered, like the people surrounding me provide optimism.

A surprise from my wonderful Mama-going to see The Sleeping Beauty at the Royal Opera House.
Our First stop was the Thai Restaurant on Shaftsbury Avenue called Thai Square, ordinarily I am not a fan of chain restaurants but this one was better than expected. 
For starter I had Tom Yum Goong which is a typical soup dish for Thailand, its a basic broth with lemongrass, mushrooms and prawns with a slight kick to it!

For my main I had Pad Bai Kapraw- a stir fried chicken dish with Thai sweet basil, onion, french beans, crushed chillies and garlic. The food was presented in a shell similar to a spring roll and with a lightly dressed salad.

 Dessert- Afters called for a refreshing trip to Snog on Garrick Street. I had original with passion fruit drizzled generously on top. (One of my favourite treats in town, but not cheap)

 At our seats just in time the performance started at 7.30pm, programme in hand and one of the best views in the house I was ready to enjoy the ballet. As ballet goes I am no expert but this performance was not one of the best I've seen. The story was quite drawn out and could have been finished in 2 hours instead of 3. The costumes however were wonderful and the music spectacular. I think my Swan Lake is still at number 1.

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Beauty

What a beautifully sunny day! Hello lovely people!
I thought I would share a little photo of where I will be blogging from, although I will not be glued to this spot...trust me. 
I woke up to find a pretty bunch of tulips at my desk from my wonder Mama. Its the small things in life that make you smile. Perhaps a hug or a kiss, a chat with a friend, seeing someone you haven't caught up with in a while. Don't forget to live each day to its fullest. What makes you smile? Spring is on the way, time to come out of hibernation and enjoy this beautiful city. What makes you smile? x

Inspiration

I sit here writing this blog post after much procrastination and hesitation. After deliberating and fretting over what my content theme should be I decided to just go with it. I want to just say a thanks to this lovely girl Jen, who along with Rachel also pictured encouraged and inspired me to start this blog. Here's to you girlies! clink clink x