August 31st, 2010

Good things come in purple

You know I have always been a bit more of a Crabtree & Evelyn girl since I used to work next door to their office in South Edwardes Square many moons ago. But I’ve recently become rather fond of L’Occitane especially as I love anything in a metal tube – and their hands creams all come in metal tubes. Yay!

Their beautiful purple Lavender bath gel is also pretty nice – and I just noticed today you get a free full sized one free if you spend £35. Yay!

www.loccitane.co.uk

comments

August 30th, 2010

A very enjoyable cure

You know you’re growing up when you suddenly discover you’ve got good quality wine in the fridge.

Now we’ve had the kids and I’m getting old and fairly well paid it is now one of my life’s missions is to ensure I only drink good wine. And, just like food, the better the quality the less you actually want to drink.

But just when I thought I was all clever and grown up we went out with friends on Friday, which we very rarely do, and got a little carried away on the inexpensive wine front. A mistake I certainly paid the price for.

Wikipedia talks about abstinence as the best hangover cure, while this article takes a more lenient approach and does say quality is most definitely a factor.

And what do I think? Next time I’ll be opting for a nice glass of fine wine.

1 comment

August 15th, 2010

Ricotta raspberry muffins

Based on a Donna Hay recipe these swap out spelt flour and ground nuts for the white flour, and ricotta for the sour cream.

Here, therefore, is the new recipe;

1 cup spelt flour

1 cup ground almonds and walnuts

2 teaspoons baking powder

¾ cup (165g) caster (superfine) sugar

1 cup (240g) ricotta

2 eggs

Finely grated rind of 1 lemon

⅓ cup (80ml) vegetable oil

1¼ cups (185g) fresh or frozen raspberries

Makes 12

Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).

Make sure you don’t overwork the mixture – just like scones, these always come out better if you mix only until just combined.

Measure the flour and baking powder into a bowl. Add the sugar and stir to combine. In a separate bowl place the ricotta, eggs, lemon rind and oil and whisk until smooth.

Stir through the flour mixture until just combined. Add the raspberries and stir just once.

Spoon into 12 x ½ cup-capacity (125ml) non-stick muffin tins or silicone cases until ⅔ full.

Bake for 15 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer.

Turn muffins out and cool on a wire rack or wooden bread board.

1 comment

August 5th, 2010

Stories and pies and baking

I am saving up to buy The Fundamental Techniques of Classic Pastry Arts. But in the meantime I cheat with my breadmaker. And I cheat by buying non organic pre-made pastry from M&S. I don’t have the time to be a purist. Much as I’d like to be one. For now as an Art Director in Advertising Mum, I use machinery and pre-made pastry. Heck I even bought the kids Walls ice creams and Waitrose pizzas this week.

Read the rest of this entry »

3 comments

August 2nd, 2010

Cherry Ricotta Breakfast Panacotta

Cream-free ricotta and yoghurt panacotta

The brief: to use up an enormous jar of Bonne Maman Cherry Compote that I’d opened, eaten a bit once for breakfast and then it became the weekdays when I eat breakfast at work and therefore I had to use it up before it went off because chances were I wasn’t going to be eating it for breakfast anytime soon.

Read the rest of this entry »

2 comments

August 1st, 2010

Bread glorious breadmaker

Spelt flour bread

For the past few years every time we go up to Leeds to visit the family we wake up to gorgeous freshly baked bread machine bread. And finally the other week when I saw the new Panasonic breadmaker was out I caved in and bought one too.

Read the rest of this entry »

2 comments

July 22nd, 2010

Things to do this weekend

roses

Check if the new Cass Art shop is open in Hampstead and buy a paintbrush and a painting board for Astrid.Get myself a .13 pen. And tracing paper. And an artline pen. And a clutch pencil.
Go for a big long Heath walk.
Go to Astrid’s secret playground and take a picnic lunch on Sunday.
Do my portfolio.
Start working up my poster ideas. Done
Buy my new font.

Read the rest of this entry »

3 comments

July 18th, 2010

Summer

wild berries/

It almost midnight after a weekend of jumping in the car at five thirty on the dot and going away for Friday night. Back home Saturday late. A Sunday walk from Spitalfields up through Brick Lane to Columbia Road and at long long last to Rob Ryan’s shop with the most beautiful and covetable umbrellas ever, in navy *sigh*.

Read the rest of this entry »

1 comment