May 20, 2013
Blue and white kitchens are always so classic. I love clean striped dish towels and classic country ceramics, so when I saw this new Farmhouse Pantry collection I thought this is perfect for me.
From milk jugs to storage containers, these few pieces below are my favourite. I think these would look perfect for the summer season, and brighten up any counter top or backyard breakfast table.
1 .. Farmhouse Pantry Ceramic Flour Shaker £4.69
2 .. Farmhouse Pantry Milk Jug £4.47
3 .. Farmhouse Pantry Spice Jar Set of Six £22.31
4 .. Farmhouse Pantry Butter Dish £9.42
May 14, 2013
If your father is always out in the garden digging then these gift ideas would be perfect for you. Reward all his hard work in the dirt with some beautiful gardening equipment, helping to bring the fresh foods from the garden to the kitchen table!
I love the rustic country feel to these items, especially the gorgeous wooden apple store, and you always need some wine after a long day in the garden so this bottle carrier is perfect.
1 .. Sussex Trug: Clay £17.65
2 .. Egg Baskets: Clay £14.45
3 .. Apple Store: 4 Drawer £115.45
4 .. Vegetable and Flower Seed Stores £13.35
5 .. Herb Pots: Set of 3, Shutter Blue £16.95
6 .. Kneelo: Cornflower £13.45
7 .. Bottle Holders: 2 Bottle, Cream £15.35
8 .. Sophie Conran Trowel £14.50
9 .. Large Compost Bucket: Slate £28.50
May 13, 2013
Father’s Day can be a tricky one sometimes, but if you stick with what works, and keep things simple, you will find a gift your Father will surely appreciate. My go-to is always something beer/BBQ related, but of course it depends on your Dad and his interests.
Check out my picks below, classic yet masculine. Let your dad have some relaxation time this year, even though he is always master of the grill in our house.
1 .. 5 Piece Barbecue Set in Case £38.51
2 .. The Ultimate Lager Glass £13.99
3 .. Holkham Barbecue £38.50
4 .. An Enthusiast’s Guide to Homebrew Beers £15.99
5 .. Chunky Boards: Medium, Acacia £26.70
May 10, 2013
Today I am inspired by Jamie Oliver, so I cracked out my copy of his Food Revolution book and remembered his great ‘Jam Jar Dressings’.
Summer season means salads in my kitchen, but none of those plain oil and vinegar dressings will do for me. So check out below four of his delicious recipes via jamieoliver.com. I just love knowing exactly what ingredients are going into my dressings. My favourite is the yoghurt dressing, as it tastes creamy but light, perfect for crisp romaine lettuce and crunchy cucumbers with chopped herbs.
French dressing:
Peel and finely chop ¼ of a clove of garlic • Put the garlic, 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons of white or red wine vinegar and 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil into a jam jar with a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper • Put the lid on the jar and shake well
Yoghurt dressing:
Put 1/3 cup of natural yoghurt, 2 tablespoons of white or red wine vinegar and 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil into a jam jar with a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper • Put the lid on the jar and shake well
Lemon dressing:
Put 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil into a jam jar with a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper • Squeeze in the juice of 1 lemon • Put the lid on the jar and shake well
Balsamic dressing:
Put 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar into a jam jar with a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper • Put the lid on the jar and shake well
To make your own dressing at home all you need a simple jam jar. But if you want to make it even easier why not check out these shakers complete with recipes right on the side!
1 .. Salad Shaker Flask £10.65
2 .. Glass Salad Dressing Drizzler £8.25
3 .. Electric Salad Dressing Emulsifier £8.64
4 .. Acrylic Salad Dressing Shaker £6.50
May 3, 2013
Blossoms are blooming everywhere I look, spring has definitely and fully arrived. With spring comes delicious seasonal veg, a personal favourite of mine being rhubarb! I love these sweet and sour stems, it not for their flavour then their gorgeous pink and green blush.
So inspired by rhubarb I have done a pretty pink post! I hope you enjoy the lovely products from blush to rose to hot pink.
1 // Pink Rhinestone Cocktail Shaker £19.95
2 // Coloured Colanders: Pink £7.46
3 // Pink Peony Stems, pack of 4 £43.66
4 //Le Creuset Large Mugs: Rose £9.96
5 // Strawberry Apron £17.96
6 // Nigella Lawson Butter Dish: Rosebud £16.75
7 // Bristol Cranberry Glasses: Champagne Flute £32.50
May 1, 2013
Asparagus are in season this month, and to me they always add such a nice crunch and fresh flavour to any spring meal.
I especially love to make asparagus tarts, my go-to recipe for any impromptu weekend brunch. Keep some frozen pastry in your fridge and then just roll it out, top with asparagus and cheese, and maybe some extra bacon, and pop it in the oven. It is so simply, and yet tastes really decadent with the gooey cheese and crisp veg!
Take advantage of what’s in season this month and get some tasty asparagus for this weekend.
As pictured above via BBCGoodFood: Asparagus Cream Pasta, Herby Asparagus and Bacon Tart, Asparagus Mozzarella and Prosciutto Parcels, Roast Tomatoes with Asparagus and Black Olives.
April 28, 2013
Another way to cut down on your weekly food shop is to try and incorporate more vegetarian meals into your diet. The cost of good quality meat can be high these days, and so being a bit adventurous with your cooking can really pay off.
Having the right tools in the kitchen always help preparing your meals that much easier, so find some vegetarian recipes and get ready to cook! Check out our recipe library for some quick inspiration.
1 // Homemade Storage Jars: 1000ml £2.42
2 // Vegetable Brush £2.75
3 // Hotstone Grill £34.95
4 // Smart Slice Mandolin with Grater £31.91
5 // Java Preserving Bags: Vegetables £9.50
6 // Asparagus Steamer £34.55
7 // Pasta – Carla Bardi £12.99
8 // Bamboo Steamers: 20cm Three Piece £16.95
9 // Progressive Dice and Pop Cuber £13.75
April 21, 2013
An obvious solution for budget friendly meals is making big batches and freezing them for another time. This can often feel daunting to me, so I would much prefer to make a meal, eat half, and save only one containers worth for later.
I myself have a small freezer and cannot handle having it full to the brim with unidentifiable meals, so I like to keep track of what I’ve made and it eat it up within the month.
Here are some great meal ideas that caught my eye – the kind of recipes that you can eat half and save the rest for a night when you need a quick and easy meal.
Pictured above via BBCGoodFood : Lamb Souvlaki Skewers, Spiced Carrot and Lentil Soup, Freezer Biscuits, Lamb and Apricot Meatballs, Friday Night Fish Pie, Cheese and Bacon Lasagne.
Below you can find the Bodum Hot Pots, which are perfect from the oven right to the freezer, as they are made from heat-resistant glass. Next we have the Casserole set which can go from freezer straight to the microwave, with vented lids. General store is perfect in these Clippit containers, which keep a tight seal, and both microwave and freezer safe. And last we have a Mason Cash earthenware dish and fun Le Creuset ramekins, so you can freeze individual portions.
1 // Bodum Hot Pot Set: Red £37.50
2 // Microwave Casserole Set £10.50
3 // Clippit Storage Containers: Medium Rectangular £3.80
4 // Mason Cash Oven to Tableware: Square Dish £7.15
5 // Le Creuset Ramekins: Volcanic, Set of 2 £11.45
April 15, 2013
I have been trying to budget my weekly shops a bit better this year, in order to keep the costs down and avoid getting takeaway when the cupboards appear bare.
This week I thought I would share a few tips and go-to recipes, which hopefully will help make the whole process easier and help save those pounds!
Today I will discuss one of my favourite budget friendly ideas – I have finally attempted to make homemade bread! It really is so much easier than you would think.
Ridiculously cheap and totally satisfying to see what you can create with such simple ingredients. My favourites at the moment are homemade pizza dough, flat breads to go with Indian meals, and easy Irish soda breads.
Pictured above via BBCFood, Top: Paul Hollywood’s Easy White Bread, Below: Perfect Pizza, Naan Bread, Irish Soda Bread.
The simplicity of a basic yeast bread recipe is typically yeast, wheat, water and maybe salt. Eggs, milk, butter or other flavourings can be added depending on the recipe. But really we are talking about a very cheap and simple starting point. Having a few kitchen basics will really help the whole thing go smoothly. Below are my choice for bread making tools.
1 // Bread Bin: Shutter Blue £24.65
2 // Sabatier Knives: 20cm Bread Knife £42.51
3 // Apple Heart Electronic Kitchen Scale £24.75
4 // Good House Keeping Wooden Utensils: Scraper Spoon £3.26
5 // Dough Scraper £3.35
6 // Pyrex Mixing Bowls: 24cm/3 Litre £8.15
April 14, 2013
Picnics are one of my favourite parts of spring – pack a proper lunch, grab my hiking boots and head off into the country!
I love a good sandwich, but you always need some interesting salads on hand to spice things up a bit. Below are some great recipes I plan on trying out this spring, especially as they will transport well and won’t wilt or get crushed.
Warm Potato Salad with Caesar Dressing, Layered Hoummus Tabboulleh and Feta Picnic Bowl, Mackerel and Potato Salad with Lemon Caraway Dressing, Broadbean and Courgette Salad, Easy Pasta Salad with your choice of Toppings, Big Egg Bacon and Bean Salad.
One idea is to pack a homemade dressing in a clip top jar, or make super chunky salads with lots of different textures and don’t worry too much if it get’s jostled on the way. Layering the ingredients in an air tight container also keeps anything delicate from getting crushed and helps to keep the dressing from leaking out.
I love the brightly coloured bowls and plates, as well as this amazing Salad on Ice Set – what a great idea, and it looks pretty as well, you could use this in your own backyard or out at the park.
1 // Glass Salad Dressing Jar £5.50
2 // Multicoloured Melamine Bowls: Set of 4 £8.65
3 // Progressive Small Colapsible Salad Spinner £27.50
4 // Salad on Ice Set £20.57
5 // Clippit Storage Containers: Medium Rectangular £3.80
6 // Retro Cooler: Classic Cream £54.50
7 // Multicoloured Melamine Salad Plates: Set of 4 £8.65
8 // Huntsman Hamper Basket £49.51
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