Monday 25 February 2013

kitchen storage

kitchen storage


I love these vintage style storage canisters by Wayne Hemingway at John Lewis: the vintage type faces and bright colours are eye catching without being obnoxious and I love how the colours stand out but are matte at the same time. Definitely adding them to the kitchen wishlist.

Love B x

Sunday 24 February 2013

Back to School

back to school

Perhaps not the most 'wow' of wish lists but heading back to university has me packing my bag up again and preparing for another 5 week stretch of lectures and tutorials. There is still that vague back to school feeling, though its wearing thin over here. Home stretch though, and my thoughts still turn to how I could make the every day just a little bit brighter - even if it's just thanks to the polka dots on my shoes or a bright orange notebook!

This flask would be perfect for the endless amount of tea I need to get me through a day and anyone who knows me would vouch for my love of lists {I think I need to purchase this notebook by Happy Jackson}. The handbag would be a huge downsize for my usual everything-but-the-kitchen-sink numbers but I'm still on a decluttering kick which is even extending to my accessories - it would be good to not need a map to navigate through the contents of my bag!

The glasses, devoid of lenses and from H&M, are a simple reminded to update the frames I've now had for a couple of years and the padded coat? Well that is simply because I live in Scotland. It's nothing fancy but daily jaunts into the playground make it an absolute necessity.

Love B x

Monday 18 February 2013

Eat: Prawn Ramen


This was another Slimming World Recipe that I knocked up during my week off. I had my first Wagamama experience not that long ago - late to the party, I know - and I was particularly envious of the giant bowl of ramen that Sandy ordered. Looking for some healthier dishes to plate up saw me stumbling across this one and I just had to give it a go. It packed full of vegetables and you could limit or bulk up on noodles as much or as little as you like. We made probably enough for 3 or 4 and S was quite happy to polish off the rest of the portions which gives you a clue as to how more-ish it is. The addition of the ginger and the chilli give it some much needed heat that makes it a perfect comfort food dish without being too heavy.

Friday 15 February 2013

Eat: Profiteroles


With yesterday being Valentine's day and all, I knew I wanted to rustle up something good to eat. M&S provided the bulk of the meal, I must admit {you can't lose when you can get scallops, steak, chips, strawberries and wine for 2 for £20} but I was determined to take charge of the dessert portion of the evening.


Monday 11 February 2013

Eat: Spaghetti with prawns and chilli



This is a really simple midweek supper that I pinched from a SW magazine. I try not to eat pasta too much {though give me a bowl of carbonara and I am in heaven} though this one is packed full with so much vegetable and lean protein that I can forgive it. Plus it's got a real kick of chilli that fires up the ol' metabolism {doesn't it?! Yes...it definitely does. Shush}.

Ingredients:

Spaghetti {or any pasta shape that takes your fancy}
King prawns {mine were cooked and frozen}
6 Spring Onions
A couple of teaspoonfuls of lazy garlic or a couple finely chopped cloves
Some plum tomatoes {or, because I was emptying the fridge, the regular kind}
A red chilli
Rocket

Cook the spaghetti til it's cooked to your liking then drain, cover and put to one side to stay warm. Meanwhile, finely chop up your vegetable ingredients, all except the rocket, and de-seed your chilli. Pop the spring onions, garlic, chilli in a frying pan over a medium heat with a little bit of oil. Stir fry for about 5 or 6 minutes until the spring onions are softening and the garlic is golden brown. 

Stir through your chopped tomatoes and continue to stir and fry for another couple of minutes.

Chuck in the prawns and give them a good stir too. Make sure they're properly cooked but don't over do it - no-one likes a rubbery prawn.

Finally, stir this mixture through the pasta. Add the roughly chopped rocket and give that a stir too! Plate up and enjoy with some garlic bread if you're feeling indulgent.

I loved this recipe - there is a fiery kick from the chilli and it's full of lovely summery colours to brighten up your day. Thanks to the pasta base it still feels like a bowl of comfort food. S would have forgone the rocket and made a proper tomato sauce {this was the feedback for Sunday night's dinner} buuuut then it would be a totally different dish, wouldn't it? I've been really organised this week and had all our shopping delivered which means we have loads of delicious options for food {huzzah} but then I remembered pancake day is tomorrow and there is nothing I like more than pancakes for dinner so I am thrilled! Hopefully I'll still get plenty of different meals on the go this week instead of the repetition of a few classics that have got us through my past 3 weeks on placement!

Love B x







Monday 4 February 2013

Eat: Aubergine Parmagiano

..Otherwise known as heaven in a bowl.


Now I'm trying to embrace a healthier attitude to food this year so this is maybe not one to eat every night {so.much.cheese} but on a rather cold and snowy Friday evening it was the perfect dish to tuck into.

Ingredients:

2 aubergines
1 60g bag of grated parmesan cheese
1 ball of mozzarella
1 jar of tomato sauce {I used the kind with extra garlic and onion. Of course you can make your own but I was going for simplicity here}

Slice the aubergines up, probably no thicker than 1cm or so then grill them until toasted. Flip over and toast on both sides. I did mine in a griddle pan but if you're watchful you can stick them under the grill until they're golden brown and delicious. Put them to one side.

Put a thin layer of tomato sauce in the bottom of an oven proof dish and sprinkle over a helping of parmesan cheese. Cover this with a layer of aubergines. Repeat this until your ingredients are used up - I think I managed about 3 or 4 layers?

On the final layer, cover your aubergines with a layer of tomato sauce then dot generously with mozarella. This is optional but I am a big mozarella fan and had some in the fridge so it would've been rude not to invite it to the party. Alternatively you could cover it with breadcrumbs and/or more parmesan.

Bake in the oven on gas mark 5 for about 30minutes. I ate mine with a baguette that I chucked in the oven half way through and a tiny side helping of salad {token gesture right there}. It probably would serve two people with bread and salad though I could've happily eaten the lot!

LoveBx



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