Treacle and Ink

Come On Over!

2011-04-15T18:33:00.000+01:00

Hey guys,

I've had a lot of trouble getting into this blog for the past couple of weeks (locked out - grrrr).

But whilst that happened - I managed to get another blog up and running!

It's exactly the same as this (with all previous content now exported over) but I managed to secure http://treacleandink.blogspot.com so I decided to haul it over there to keep titles simple!

The www.treacleandink.co.uk link will direct to here for the next couple of days - and then off to my new blog.

I'd love it if you'd come and join me :)

Jenni xx

A Colourful Spring Salad

2011-03-29T12:38:00.000+01:00

The thing I’m liking the most about my new diet is how bright and colourful the inside of my fridge looks. It’s full of greens and purples, yellows and oranges, reds and even more greens. And I like knowing that every bit of that food is going to be eaten. Nothing will go to waste. Because my veg is carefully chosen to go well with both lunches and dinners.

I love raw veg in a salad. A crunchy carrot, and sugarsnap peas that I can’t help but snack on because it’s too hard not to. A new favourite of mine is red cabbage. I love the texture of raw red cabbage, and equally love the colour it brings to a dish.

On Saturday afternoon, I whipped up a salad with something of almost every colour in my fridge. Red cabbage, celery, radishes, apple (don't forget the apple) and carrot, topped with toasted nuts and seeds and dressed in olive oil, lemon and a dash of honey. There was a lot. So much, in fact, that I couldn’t eat a plate of it, but I had a lot of fun in trying.

There is something so satisfying seeing a plate of colours. Particularly when you know that a variety of colours means that it’s very healthy indeed. I can think of nothing worse than a plate of beige food.

It’s deliciously crunchy and full of flavour. I imagine it would be an excellent addition to a summer barbeque – a sort of coleslaw without the mayonnaise.

I’m on the lookout for super healthy and delicious salads that I can take to work. If you know of any, please let me know!

Roasted Butternut Squash & Rocket Salad

2011-03-10T11:48:00.008Z

I think the thing I'm finding most interesting with my new diet is that for the first time, I'm actively looking in the fridge to see what I can whip up with what is in there.

Since my weekend away, I haven't been shopping and usually that means I end up picking something up from the supermarket on the way home. But that's not really an option now, as they don't have anything I can eat - so it's off to the fridge to find something interesting.

I had a butternut squash and some spinach, rocket & watercress salad leftover from last night's pancake day feast. A quick google and I found some recipes that looked good. Although I didn't have the feta cheese, nor the puy lentils that some asked for (which made me think that I needed to get some in for back-up), I got to work roasting the squash with some chili flakes.

I made a dressing with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey and tamari. I didn't measure - just threw it in to taste. Then lightly toasted some pine nuts and seeds that I had in the cupboard, chopped up some spring onions and popped it all on a plate.

The result was a beautifully light dish. Perfect for me, though Matt did say he needed a bit more to fill him up. We came to the conclusion that next time I made it, he could have a steak on the side. Which is fine by me because even though I do love the taste of a good steak, the thought of one sitting heavily inside me really doesn't fill me with pleasure at the moment.

I will definitely be making this again. Especially for lunch. Mmmmm.

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Pancakes!

2011-03-09T13:14:00.001Z

Pancake Day. Possibly one of my favourite evenings as a child. Our kitchen table would be full to the brim with jacket potatoes and salad, and my mother would stand by the cooker, handing out pancakes as soon as they had cooked. We’d start with galettes filled with ham, cheese & tomato, and chicken in a white sauce.

Then once we’d eaten about 3 of those each, we’d start on the sweet pancakes. The potatoes and salad would be switched with mountains of sweet treats. Lemon and sugar, toffee sauce, maple syrup, jam, chocolate spread, bananas and ice cream. We’d have to have at least one pancake of each and I vividly remember my brother filling a pancake with huge amounts of chocolate ice cream, pouring out at the sides.

I love traditions like this. Traditions that bring back fond memories and ones which we try to re-create as we get older.

Last year, I held a pancake day party. But it failed miserably because other people aren’t fun. All the girls bailed on me, and all the boys arrived late – having already eaten. Great. This year I wanted it to be just me and Matt having fun in the kitchen. But he got distracted by a film on TV and it wasn’t really as ‘fun’ as I’d have hoped. Instead, I get told that he doesn’t really like savoury pancakes. Why didn’t I know this before I got all the stuff?!

But food wise – the pancakes were a success. This was my first time making them with soya milk and the first time using gluten-free flour. And they were a hit! The sweet pancakes took on a yellow tinge thanks to the milk, but they tasted great. I wasn’t too sure about the ‘cheese’ I bought – but it was alright enough. The Vegan hazelnut chocolate spread was gorgeous, and the dairy free ice cream was incredibly tasty. I moved away from traditional lemon and sugar, and delve into a plate of banana, raspberries and ice-cream.

Despite my shockingly poor effort to plan for this year’s pancake day (instead of having a trial run to make sure I could actually make them properly) they were a success! Proof to me that I don’t need dairy and normal flour to make good pancakes. My next task is now to adapt Nigella’s pancake mix so I can always have some in a container ready to whip up at a moment’s notice on a Sunday morning. Pancake’s aren’t just for one day of the year – we all need a treat every now and again!

Katie's Hen Party

2011-03-08T12:03:00.001Z

At 24, I have only now began the stage in my life where Hen Parties will be frequent. In just a few weeks, 3 couples I know have got engaged, and 2 others will be married this year. This weekend I attended my first Hen Party – and I had a fantastic time.

Fizz on arrival, a Cocktail Making Class, vodka punch and even more fizz, then a night out on the tiles for some dancing. Can you see the day revolves around what we drank?? We drank… a lot. But I stopped drinking at 8.30pm when we actually ventured out into the City so by the time we got home I had sobered up a remarkable amount and had spent a grand total of £5.10. Brilliant.

The party was hosted by on girl in particular, but the rest of us all chipped in. We all paid £20 for the cocktail-making class, and each provided either a selection of food, drink, decorations etc. I provided music – which was awesome as it was simply a matter of putting fun music on an iPod. I got that because I was already spending a bit to actually travel the 300 miles back north for this party – so if you’re attending something where you’re all chipping in as well as travelling - it's worth mentioning it to the host to see if they can be nice and give you something purse-friendly to chip in with!

Katie looked very happy with her Cosmopolitan in hand.

The party got behind the bar for a celebratory pose!

And showing our drunken state, Mandy thought it would be funny to shove her hand in my face when taking a nice photo.

As for food while I was there? While they were tucking into pizza, I made Alicia Silverstone's Vegan Nachos and Bean dip with Guacamole. It went down a storm and others were tucking in, too! (though I didn't tell them it was vegan & gluten free - these Northern birds would scoff at me!) The morning after we all headed off to a pub in search of some breakfast. The rest of the gang tucked into a full English breakfast. Me? I went with a fruit salad and orange juice. And I can tell you that I felt better than the lot of them for it!

A Pretty Teacup

2011-03-02T12:33:00.000Z

I've picked up another cup. Yes, this new tea cup joins the Thursday's Child mug in a bid to start my own cup 'collection'. It looks pretty. Very pretty. In fact, when I have more I shall very much want to serve tea in them as I'm sure they'll bring a smile to a guest's face (or is that just me being a bit odd?)

This teacup is one of a set of 3. This was the only one on sale in Bert's Homestore in Hove - but I'm sure I've seen others in their store in Hove. I will get them all! They're a set from dotcomgiftshop and if I can't find them in Bert's, I'll just order them online.

Along with the high tea cake stand! How utterly adorable is this?!

It's £3 cheaper in Berts, and I wouldn't have to spend on postage. But still, it's almost £30 and I'm not quite ready to part with that amount of money just for a cake stand... although I think I might be swayed once I get round to making these ah-may-zing looking cupcakes from GlutenFreeGoddess. She's got an entire section dedicated to gluten-free vegan recipes and I'm having so much fun reading through them all. So pretty cupcakes need somewhere pretty to be displayed.

Hi there!

2011-03-01T12:19:00.000Z

I thought it was probably about time that I actually introduced myself. You know, properly.

I’m a Northern sprite at heart, but moved to the South Coast of England, to Brighton, back in the summer of 2009, and in that time I’ve already lived in 2 apartments.

The first was great – it was my first place with my other half, Matthew, and it will always have a special place in our hearts – but it was nothing compared to what we have now.

Thanks to a bit of snobbery about where we’d live, and a nice dollop of good luck, we landed with an absolutely gorgeous apartment in an old Victorian Mansion on a street lined with trees. We are just a hop and a skip away from the beach, but don’t have to hear those pesky seagulls on a daily basis. We live within walking distance to the town, but a 5 minute walk to the nearest train station and a 1 minute walk to the nearest bus stop.

Our neighbours are fantastic and our landlord is a gem. We’ve been incredibly fortunate to live the life we lead – but it’s not out of reach for anyone. We work hard, and penny pinch harder – but we still give the impression that we have more than we do.

As my other half is still a student, we’ve had to live on one salary. And not a great one at that. We don’t shop for clothes that often, and we almost never go out partying. Instead we spend on things that can benefit us in the long term – like a piece of furniture, good food, and quality skin-care.

I’ve not been a very healthy person. For the past 6 years my health has been a constant burden. I had headaches almost every day for 3 years. Then I had tendonitis in my wrist. I had an operation to remove an abscess and managed to get phlebitis – the vein running down my right arm completely emptied and I couldn’t straighten my arm for weeks. In October 2009 my knees gave way and I was out of work for 2 months – and then in September 2010 I had the worst abdominal pain I had ever experienced. Needless to say I started to question not only my overall health, but the competency of every doctor I had seen who refused to look at all of these problems as related issues.

And then I went to see a doctor. The best doctor I have ever seen in my entire life. Doctor Barker – the woman who saved me. Her no-nonsense approach to diagnosing me was incredible. She asked me every question under the sun and wouldn’t rest until she understood ‘why’.

My father was diagnosed with Coeliac’s Disease 20 years ago. I grew up eating an almost gluten-free diet, with the exception of bread, pasta and cakes in small quantities. My family weren’t big on ready meals and my Mum cooked a well-balanced meal every evening. I’d been tested for Coeliac’s before but the tests always came back negative. I explained this to my doctor. She told me that due to the low intake of gluten in my diet, it was likely that it spiked levels high enough to be detected in a blood test. Seeing as Dad has Coeliac’s and it’s genetic – add that to my surname (clearly I had Irish heritage – where Coeliac’s is most common) and bam – that was probably the root of all my problems.

Rather than being tested again, I was told to try it out. To go Gluten-Free for a month to see how I felt - and I was blown away by what happened. I started to feel better. I didn’t constantly feel sick or sluggish and I felt well for the first time since I could remember.

Of course I slipped up at first. After the initial month I ate a pizza to see how I felt and I did feel awful afterwards. But although it proved to me that I’d feel a lot better if I stayed off the gluten, the cakes occasionally tempted me. And I wouldn’t be happy afterwards. But I began to become more in control of my cravings and now I don’t even bat an eyelid. In fact, I look at it as if it were poison.

However – the feeling of well-being was short-lived. I felt great for the first few months, but in January I started getting more pains. Clearly I wasn’t being as good as I should be. Sure, I wasn’t eating gluten any more – but was a substituting bad food for good food? No. I took out what was making me ill, but I never once thought that I should add something to make me better. And then I read a book that changed me.

I became vegan the day after. 90% vegan. I still eat fish, eggs and honey. But I have cleansed myself of dairy and meat and I feel incredible.

It’s quite a strange feeling to become vegan without doing it for animal-rights reasons. People automatically assume that I’m a hippy (my dreadlocks probably don’t help this connotation either) and want to ‘save the world’. I also live in Brighton – the only contingency in the whole of the UK with a Green MP – but although that might just add to the ‘hippy’ idea, it also means I live in a great place to find great vegan food.

So food is a big thing for me to blog about. But I also love crafts and design. You may have noticed at the beginning of this (incredibly long) post that I love my apartment, and I try my very hardest to make it as beautiful as I can – with as little money as I can. I renovate as much as I am allowed in a rented property, and I decorate with colours. I’ve never been a fan of brown, white, beige colour schemes and to me, minimalism shows a lack of character depth.

I read lots and lots of blogs to help me with my inspiration and I have been known to copy one or two ideas I have found. Sometimes I like to have something that’s unique. Something I want something that is quick and cheap (I have a lot of Ikea things) but the main thing to me is that it looks more expensive and luxurious than it was. I have a deception of wealth because I know how to show it.

So welcome to my blog. I hope you will find inspiration, information and ideas. I’m all about making you the best person you can be when it comes to yourself and your surroundings.

Please come and say Hi.

Kitchen Tile Stickers!

2011-02-28T12:02:00.000Z

I fear I have been chatting too much about food recently (what with it being my new obsession and all) so I thought I'd write about something else that I have done recently.

You see, as I live in a rented apartment, it goes without saying that there will be something hideous. That, my friends, is in my apartment in the form of kitchen tiles.

Errrrr. Gross. They remind me of summer houses in the Mediterranean. Not a good look in England.

But back when I was at university, I revamped my hideous kitchen with some groovy tile stickers. So I figured I'd do the same here!

First I got out some leftover stickers (because I do save things like that for 2 years...) and tested them out to see if Matthew would give me the thumbs up.

And he did! But not in pink. Our place is far too girlie as it is, and it's a bit harsh on the boy to have almost everything feminine, so I chose green as a good colour. That would tie in well with the cupboards and cream walls (who designed this place?!) and make it feel a bit more 'funky' in there.

I only needed one packet so it cost me a grand total of £9! Woo! £9 to update a kitchen? Er, yes please!

So okay, it's not a drastic makeover or anything, but it feels a bit more contemporary in there now. Who chooses 'bumpy' tiles in the first place is beyond me, but hey - I did the best I could. And looks totally cute with the scales.

And here's the whole kitchen in all it's new green mosaic glory!

An improvement, don't you think?

Muesli with Rhubarb

2011-02-27T12:05:00.000Z

I usually eat my breakfast at work. I eat Eat Natural Muesli with Buckwheat with a dollop of natural yoghurt and some honey. And it works for me. Oh, does it work for me. But on Friday night I dropped in at Infinity Foods on the way home from work to pick some up and there was none left! I wasn't very happy.

So this morning I had to improvise (I had some fruit yesterday but there was none left this morning). Initially I was going to go without breakfast - something I never do - but I didn't want to eat anything I shouldn't. Nope - no milk for me this morning! And then I remembered a blog that Cherry Menlove posted the other day and it got me excited. Honey Oat & Rhubarb Breakfast. I had gluten-free oats. And a few nuts and seeds. And rhubarb. I'd initially wanted to just put rhubarb on my breakfast at work, but I could make this from scratch today!

It wasn't exact. I threw in whatever I had in the cupboards, but my goodness it was lovely. I did use honey, I'll admit - but you could easily substitute with some other form of sweet syrup. I've substituted natural yoghurt with Alpro Soya Plain Yoghurt, and it tastes fantastic - seriously, it's good stuff. The rhubarb was perfectly tangy and delicious and it was a great breakfast.

Check that beauty out!

This vegan thing is easy! If I can eat like this every day then I am happy. And I'm now seriously considering making a huge batch of muesli myself instead of buying it. That will probably be cheaper and I'll know exactly what's going in it and match it to my own personal taste! The huge batch of rhubarb is just staying stored in an airtight container in the fridge. I'm sure that won't last long - not because of shelf life - but because I'll gobble it all up!

The Kind Diet

2011-02-25T14:08:00.002Z

My book finally arrived!! Last night, I spent over 3 hours reading it when I got home, as well as reading it on my lunch break as soon as I got it, and whilst waiting for the bus this morning (it was raining – I normally walk) but I was quite happy to get to spend that time reading.

Look at it, happily sitting on my desk at work.

It’s such a good read – and hard to tear your eyes away from. I found myself questioning the things I was eating and if I was to blame for my bad health? I wouldn’t say I ate badly, I stayed away from processed things because I knew they were full of rubbish, but I didn’t actively seek out good things, either. I didn’t think about why we needed to eat our greens, and the importance of adding extra ingredients into our food in order to hit our dietary requirements.

I’d snack on chocolate bars – but why wasn’t I snacking on dried fruit? At least that way I’d still be snacking but getting some goodness from it.

So as of today – I am going 90% vegan for a month. I say 90%, because I’ll still be eating fish. Fish is the easiest ‘meat’ product for the body to digest – and hopefully that should help the phasing in process – going 100% hardcore might push the cravings a tiny bit and I don’t want that. Also, the fish dish I’ll be cooking is salmon, brown rice, and vegetables so it’s still good and healthy and something I cook rather often – great for the one night of the week when I need to not be concentrating on what I’m cooking too much!

So because of this transition, I had to shop online. I usually go to the Tesco down the road, but it isn’t a huge supermarket and doesn’t stock everything I’d like. Instead, I logged on to Asda online and bought my shopping from there. Vegetables, yoghurt, brown rice, salmon, spices, maple syrup and a few other treats. I tried to get organic wherever possible and was waiting for the huge bill at the end when I saw this:

Can you see that there? Probably not because it's tiny, but it says "£32.12" Can you believe it?! Just over £30. For organic vegan food. £32.12 for a week’s shopping!! I try and get in budget of £40 when I normally shop and more often than not I do not hit target. Sometimes I end up spending as much as £60-70 if we have a week free of veggie meals (which I’ll admit we haven’t been doing since Christmas!!) so a £32.12 shopping bill was a wonderful surprise. Even with the £5.50 delivery charge – I think I’ll be doing my shop on a Thursday evening more often to save both pennies and precious time on a Saturday!

So to break down the bill: here’s what I bought:

1 Mange Tout & Babycorn £1.50

1 Clipper Fairtrade Green Tea £0.86

1 Organic Salmon fillets £3.47

1 Billington's Fairtrade Natural Golden Granulated Unrefined Cane Sugar £1.48

1 Rhubarb £2.97

1 Organic Red Kidney Beans in Water £0.55

1.0kg Butternut Squash £0.97

1 Courgettes pack £1.00

1 Lemon £0.23

1 Easy Cook Brown Rice £1.26

1 Whole Earth Crunchy Peanut Butter £1.50

1 Organic Watercress, Spinach & Rocket Salad £1.24

1 Celery Sticks £1.00

1 Garlic Granules £0.58

4 Organic Chopped Tomatoes in Tomato Juice £2.28

2 Alpro Soya Plain Yogurt Cultures £2.00

1 Ground Coriander £0.32

1 Vermont Canadian Maple Syrup £2.50

1.0kg Sweet potatoes £1.18

1 Curly kale cabbage £0.97

1 Eat Natural Free From Almond Bars £1.98

1 Morinu Silken Tofu Firm £1.00

1 Strong & Absorbent Kitchen Towels £1.28

And with all this I shall be making:

Spicy Chick-Pea Stew with Brown Rice

Brown Rice Penne with Tomato Sauce, Kale & Salad

Kale, Sweet Potato & Peanut Stew with Brown Rice

Salmon, Brown Rice & Vegetables

Brown Rice Spaghetti with Courgette & Lemon

Butternut Squash & Chilli Stew

I bought some Alpro Soya Plain Yoghurt to go on my gluten-free muesli for breakfast, and I snapped up some rhubarb which I’m going to make into a compote by simmering it down with some organic unrefined sugar. This will probably make a lot of compote and if I have too much I’ll just bring it in to work to share with the girls.

Speaking of which – me chattering on about healthier eating has spurred on some of the others in the office to try it along with me! It’s great having the support of other people - especially when there so many negative connotations surrounding veganism.

And I hopped on the scales this morning – I’ve lost 4lbs! In a couple of days of not even trying and not even cutting it out altogether. Just eating salads at lunch time and snacking on healthier things. I’ve not had a glass of wine in over a week.

So I am completely sold. I’m feeling better, I’m losing a few pounds, and I’m saving money – what’s not to like?!

I’ll be sure to keep you posted on this journey as I go along and I hope to inspire some of you to consider even becoming a part-time vegan to make some pretty good improvements.

Cheap and Easy Green Salad

2011-02-21T13:18:00.000Z

On the subject of eating healthier I would like to share a wonderful salad that I just made for lunch. It's worth buying a bag of prepared salad to give you less hassle in the mornings (which then makes you not want to bother, so you leave for work without lunch in hand, and have to spend a few pounds on something less healthy and more expensive). As well as other things that are easy to throw together.

This is a 'throw together' salad, and it was delicious.

a handful of salad leaves (I like watercress, spinach and rocket - all in the same bag)
a good large handful of sugar snaps
a handful of other beans or peas (such as edamame, broad beans, runner beans)
half an avocado
half a tin of tuna

Throw it all together on a plate and it's done. No dressing, no nothing. The tuna is the perfect accompaniment to the avocado and the sugar snaps have the best crunch ever. There is no need for anything else.

And there is a fair whack of food on that plate - so by the end of it I felt nicely filled up! And happy with myself as I looked down and saw a plate of green. No beige foods for me there!

I've been snacking on some unsalted nuts, dried fruits and seeds so I'm never starving when it comes to lunch time - definitely a good thing for me as my eyes are far bigger than my stomach and I buy lots if I go out and I'm hungry.

I'm already full of energy and think I can definitely power on through to the end of the day, now. There is really something to this.

Flirting with Veganism

2011-02-21T11:34:00.012Z

So this weekend I've been sat reading cookery books. There's a bookshop near me that is closing down and all the books are less than half price, so I figured that now would be a good time to stock up on some as I'd be saving a bit of cash (as I'd no doubt by them at some point anyway).

I picked up some Jamie Oliver books, Gizzi's Kitchen Magic (which looks absolutely incredible) and another book which I didn't really look at properly before buying, but it looked good so I bought it anyway.

This book was Skinny Bitch, by Kim Barnouin. I got home and started to flick through it when I realised that all the recipes were vegan. No big deal - I quite like going veggie sometimes as it saves a bit of money - but I've never actually bought a vegan cookbook before. I haven't even got a vegetarian cookbook, so this was quite a new read for me.

The book starts off by explaining the ecological benefits of eating vegan and organic... and I lost interest and put the book down. I hate to say it, but I'm just not drawn in by the whole 'save the environment and save our animals' argument. I'm selfish and if I enjoy eating meat, I won't feel bad because it's an animal. I've known this all my life and haven't felt bad - so why would I change now?

But I picked up the book again. Why? I think it was because I'd been eating a lot of salads that week and fancied reading some light recipes, but I got hooked into the text. This bit wasn't about the environment - this was about health. So I kept reading.

When I found out I would have to eat a gluten-free diet back in September last year, I didn't find it that difficult. Sure, for the first couple of weeks I missed pastries, and I would occasionally indulge in the odd office birthday cake, but then feel my poorly tummy and realise that it was a silly thing to have done. But I got through that and now I don't really miss it. I've had fun experimenting with different brands of gluten-free foods and finding my favourites. Good. Really good. Bad. Awful. There are lots that fall into every category and it's proved to me that by experimenting and trying different things, I could find something both my palate and body agreed with.

Unfortunately, the stomach cramps started again and I spoke to my doctor. Apparently my gut hasn't been working properly for years and it's going to take a rather large diet change to get it working again. My determination to feel better again has seen me eat an incredible amount of fruit and vegetables this past week. Gluten-free muesli with natural yoghurt and honey for breakfast, salad and a portion of fruit for lunch, dried fruit and nuts to snack on, and a home cooked meal for dinner. No alcohol for the latter end of the week (Monday was Valentines, Tuesday was spent finishing off the super expensive champagne...) and only one slice of cake.

I have felt amazing.

So I carried on reading. And I found a page that mentioned Alicia Silverstone, and it had an address for her website, The Kind Life. Naturally, of course, I picked up the laptop and had a bit of a look.. and a bit more of a look.. and a bit more.. and before I knew it, I'd spent the past two hours looking around this site and watching youtube videos of Alicia and her book, The Kind Diet. I also went as far as buying the book from Amazon because I was so impress with what I'd seen.

Skinny Bitch is a little bit more... judgemental than what I've read and watched from Alicia. She suggests 'flirting' with veganism to see how you find it. She doesn't judge those who take on the diet for health benefits, and instead she is happy to see anyone take steps towards any form of vegetarianism as no matter what the reason, it's doing some form of good for the world and the animals that live on it. This is an approach I like.

I want to save my body. Of course saving the environment and being kinder to animals is a definite bonus, but ultimately I want to save me. I want to be healthy again. I want to consciously think about each item I put in my body. I already do this to an extent as I hate cheap meat, processed foods and any kinds of crap already so I can't imagine it'll be difficult for me.

I am so excited to get this book next week, and I definitely see that I'll be taking a step forward to a healthier me.

(please take a look at the video of Alicia talking about the book and the health benefits of changing your diet)

Valentine's Gifts

2011-02-20T13:23:00.000Z

It has been so nice to have a weekend that has been relaxing! I bought two books this afternoon and I intend to curl up in the reading nook and get stuck into one of them this evening whilst Matt is out playing a gig tonight.

Last weekend, however, was another story. It's a tradition in my house to always make some sort of treat when it's an occasion, and Valentine's is no exception. This year Matthew cooked a delicious 3 course meal and as he was in charge of the food, I didn't have to worry about it and could focus all my energy on treats for the office - and boy did it need energy.

My first attempt was a pathetic failure. My idea of making pink marshmallow rice krispie cakes seemed so simple! But the marshmallow mixture was such a sticky mess that I could not cut them into a heart shape (as I desperately wished). So on to attempt number 2: chocolate rice krispie cakes. These wouldn't be sticky, right? And I'd seen so many tutorials online about how easy it was to cut them out with a cookie cutter - surely they wouldn't lie to me?

Wrong.

Once hardened, the cakes just broke apart. Far too delicate for me to give as gifts and I wasn't risking them crumbling over everyone in the office. I tried it many different ways - cutting them out (broke apart) packing them into cookie cutters and then pushing them out (broke apart) and pushing them out of the cutter at the perfect temperature (worked! yippee!! - but blatantly not spending all that time and effort ensuring the perfect temperature for over 40 cakes).

This is the only heart I managed to create. The heart in the cutter broke. Bummer.

So I had to get my thinking cap on. By the time I'd completed my two disasters it was Saturday evening and I had to think of something that I knew would work - something I was confident making. But cakes and biscuits were out of the question. Since going gluten-free, I haven't yet perfected baking where I'd be happy to give the end result to other people. I'm still learning, and I wanted to be able to hand out a little treat that I knew they'd enjoy. Especially as the Christmas Puddini Bonbons went down so well at Christmas.. I needed to keep me reputation up high!

And finally, it hit me. The chocolate florentines! I'd been making these almost every week and could easily whip up some more. Not only are they really cheap to make and naturally gluten free (which is by all means a good thing when giving food to people who aren't coeliac) but they easily cut into heart shapes! (I knew this as I had a batch in my fridge at the time and tested it out - perfect.)

I set to work making the florentines and added a couple of drops of red food coloring to the mixture to get a pinkish tone. Popped them in the oven, the freezer to let them cool down a bit, and started to cut them out. I made two batches in total - enough to make just over 20 large and 20 small hearts.

They were so cute.

But the task wasn't over. I couldn't just take them in in a tin. Oh no - I needed to take them in in a wicker basket, all wrapped up with ribbon. So I spent Sunday evening on the floor surrounded by cellophane and pink ribbon. But it was worth it.

Aren't they adorable? And the basket was almost as exciting as the finished treats themselves! I spray painted this bad boy a couple of weeks ago and it was so perfect for this occasion. I'm thinking of buying a few more to decorate, as they only cost £4 and make all the difference when it comes to presenting gifts.

Everyone at work loved them. Some asked for more (always nice to hear!) and other's took them home to their girlfriends as an extra present (though how they'd pass them off as their own is beyond me, as we obviously don't have a cooker in the office).

But it was great to be able to put a smile on their faces. That's why I do it - sure I like making things, but I like to see the happiness it can bring when others realise that there are people in the world who like doing nice things.

My New eBay Store

2011-02-07T20:04:00.000Z

This Friday just gone, I had my wisdom teeth removed. All four of them. It wasn't a scary experience by all means - the nurses were super friendly (the anesthetist was my favourite - he said working in a hospital is just like how it is on Green Wing) and everything went swimmingly!

But because I was having an operation under general anesthetic I needed someone to look after me for at least 24 hours after. Matt had work on Saturday so he was out of the question - so cue my Mother!

My mum makes me laugh... a lot. She's recently made a new *like soul mates* best friend and they are always hunting for bargains here there and everywhere. Margaret practically lives in TK Maxx and she's driving my mum down the same path.

When she arrived on Friday night she told me a story about how the two of them were searching for sale items in a home store, and were grabbing up everything they could find for 30p - they each left with 2 huge bags full for a grand total of £10.

The reason for this madness? My mum was thinking of her brand new addiction: eBay selling. It started at the beginning of the year when the family were clearing up old toys to make way for new things after Christmas. My 13 year old sister brought down bin bags full of old clothes, toys, games etc and my mum couldn't throw them out. Their nextdoor neighbour had recently made £800 by selling unwanted items on eBay so if they could do it... so could she!

Less than a month later, and she's already made an incredible £80. All by selling little things that my sister was going to throw out! Any that don't sell are just re-listed and if it becomes obvious that they won't sell, then off to the charity shop they go - but it's been so worth a bit of time and effort to actually make some money out of it.

This weekend my mum has been constantly checking her eBay account to see what's sold and what hasn't - so much so that me and Matt have got the bug, and we've been convinced to sell some of our old clothes.

I've had a pile of jeans waiting to be gotten rid of so tomorrow I'm taking photos and putting them up! But that's just the start. At the beginning of the year, I said that I wanted to sell at least one thing that I had made - so I'm on a mission now to get creating things to sell on an eBay store. It'll be a bit of a hobby, and a way to make a few pennies on the way.

I've even already started to make my shop!

Does anyone have any tips?

Surgery!

2011-02-04T08:50:00.000Z

I'm going into hospital today to get ALL FOUR wisdom teeth removed.

It isn't going to be... pleasant.

So whilst I mope around in discomfort, eating lots of jelly, ice cream, yoghurt and soup, I don't think I will be getting up to anything interesting enough to blog about. And if I do (I have a sneaky feeling I might have to make some super awesome jelly to give me something) I will write when I stop feeling like a sad, giant hamster.

Wish me luck!

Send Happy Cards!

2011-02-01T11:21:00.000Z

What a week! Not only did one of my friends get engaged, but so did another - and a baby arrived!

Congratulations to all the happy couples!

When I hear wonderful news like this, I must express my happiness by sending a card. Everyone likes post, especially when it's lovely post, and I like my friends to know I am thinking of them throughout these exciting times.

So I nipped down to malarkey (my favourite card shop - ever) to get something lovely for the soon-to-be-wed couples. But I had a little bit of time to prepare for the arrival of baby Samuel so I made a handmade cross stitch card!

What a beauty! It took 3ish hours to make (I'm new to cross stitch - though thoroughly loving it) but it's so worth it! It was also pretty darn easy to make - and quite relaxing to sit and copy a pattern on a Saturday afternoon... or on a train, as I did with the majority of this... there were a few looks. *ahem*.

I just like the thought that they'll know my time and effort went into it and hopefully that should make it an even nicer card than it already is!

I like putting myself out there for occasions. People will always remember who has been thoughtful at these times and a kind gesture is always appreciated.

Never underestimate the power of lovely post!

New Project Inspiration

2011-01-31T13:08:00.001Z

Eeeeeeeeeeeee do you ever see something which gets you one hundred and ten percent excited?

I've been wanting to join a class at Just Sew in Brighton for ages now, and I've needed a project so I can bite the bullet and just go (I'm a little scared of not really knowing what to do in new situations).

I've been thinking about making a new tablecloth for the round table in the living room (because Matt dropped a candle and burnt a hole in it) but after I saw this apron, I have now decided that this will take priority. Which is impressive, really, because I only saw it an hour ago. My mind can be made up like that! *clicks fingers*

(image via cherrymenlove)

It's BEAUTIFUL! Cherry, Cherry, Cherry - how do you do it?

I have been 'wowed' at an alarming rate this past year, and most of it is because of this lovely lady. I often see her posts and then have an overwhelming urge to ~~copy her~~ do something similar myself.

If I ever meet anyone who likes crafts and other homely things, I point them in Cherry's direction. She's such an inspiration and I love seeing how her life is turning into everything I've always dreamt of.

So this will definitely be the next sewing project I embark on. All I need now is to find myself some material that will do it justice!

Sausages, Mash & Chili Burst Tomatoes

2011-01-30T18:53:00.000Z

Every now and then, we need a good old plate of comfort food. Especially in winter where the cold is just outside the door. We want to feel warm and cosy and curl up in front of the TV with a good film and something to munch on.

'Bangers and Mash' - a firm British favourite. And it's good, of course it's good, but it's just sausage and potato. It needs something more. Gravy - too common. Beans - too student. Burst cherry tomatoes with dried chili and garlic - that's more like it!

It's all the comfort of the traditional meal with all the flavour of something more fancy. Plus it's only 3 ingredients and bits from the store cupboard - which also makes it incredibly cheap.

Debbie & Andrew's sausages are the best sausages I have ever come across in a supermarket. 98% pork shoulder from British farms, zero rusk so it's perfect for all those avoiding gluten, and so little fat that none seeps out whilst cooking. Ah-may-zing.

So whilst your potatoes are softening, and the sausages are cooking, heat a little oil in a small frying pan, add a clove of crushed garlic and a teaspoon of dried chili flakes, then follow with a small packet of cherry tomatoes (or more of you're cooking for more - this serves 2 generously) and let them sit there for 15 minutes, or until they start to burst and bubble in their own juices. You may want to give them a bit of a prod to make them burst if you start to get impatient (as I always do).

The chili takes away most of the sweetness of the tomatoes, and it makes a beautiful sauce as it swims in the tomato juice. Plus, it adds a teeny tiny bit of goodness to an otherwise meat and carb filled plate.

I served this to a friend who came to stay for the weekend and she loved it. Simple enough to put together whilst spending as little time in the kitchen as possible, and different enough to impress a guest.

Absolute winner.

A Paper Pleated Flower

2011-01-29T13:15:00.000Z

I took yesterday afternoon off work and spent my time cleaning up and doing a big food shop. These are normally things I do on a Saturday so this morning I woke up with nothing to do!

I had a wonderful extra long lie in, and sat in bed flicking through blogs and looking for something to do with my day, and I came across a blog I had never read before - dirt cheap decor - and a valentines banner that was utterly gorgeous.

Now ideally, I would make one exactly the same as hers because it was too pretty not to, but unfortunately I didn't have any paper remotely similar to what she had and I wanted to use up paper I did have. So I got up out of bed and had a rummage through paper at my craft nook and found something pink.

Unfortunately, I'm not hosting anything to do with Valentines and it's sad to say I can't really decorate for a holiday that I'm not hosting. Mainly because Matthew would probably tut at the amount of pink banners and love hearts surrounding the place, and because it seems a bit pointless to put all that time and effort into Valentines when I could be baking instead. But the banner was too pretty not to make! So I compromised with myself. And set off to make a single pleated flower instead. This way I'd be happy that I made something, Matt wouldn't sigh in disbelief when he came home from work, and I would have enough time in the afternoon to make some Chocolate Fudge cookies and Chocolate Florentines.

So after half an hour of folding, gluing and listening to Vernon Kay on Radio 1 I ended up with this!

Pretty cute, isn't it? It's hanging in the window in the living room (which also resulted in me cleaning it thoroughly and finding out how to open it for the first time in 9 months - it's an old victorian-style pull window) and the light just shines through it! My one little piece of Valentine decor.

I’m probably 98% happy, maybe 2% jealous.

2011-01-27T12:39:00.001Z

Yesterday I had some wonderful news. One of my dearest friends is getting married!! Her fiancé, Jeremy, is currently serving in the British Army and has just come back from months away in Afghanistan. I’m so happy that the two of them will be able to spend more time together when they’re husband and wife as she’s utterly miserable when he’s away.

He wants to wear his No 1. Dress so their wedding will no doubt have a military feel and I have been asked to send any inspiration that I find her way. I can see some wedding crafts coming on very soon and I’m very excited about it.

And it will also mean a visit to Cornwall later in the year! I met Beth at University and she lives far far away. 8-hours-on-the-train far away and it’s been almost 2 years since I last saw her because of the distance and travel costs. So I will have to get saving to a) be able to get there for the big day and b) get them a mega gift.

I am really, really looking forward to this.

And did any of you get the ‘Friends’ reference in the title? No? Okay, well she did - and that's why we're good friends. And because when we're together - we end up taking pictures like this:

Craft Inspiration Online

2011-01-26T13:38:00.000Z

There are a few websites I read on a daily basis. Young House Love is one of them. Cherry Menlove is another. Cherry Menlove was one of the first blogs I started to read back in 2007 when I was searching the web for ideas on how to decorate my giant notice board. I absolutely adored it. I've seen it grow from a little blog into a beautiful website and for the past year it's been the first thing I look at as soon as I get on my lunch break.

I found Young House Love whilst reading another blog. There was a link to a corkboard vase tutorial and as soon as I clicked it I knew it was going to be a blog I'd read very frequently. I love it even more now that they've moved house again, and before their latest move I found myself going right back to the beginning of the blog to see their first home transform.

That's the thing I love about blogs like that. The way the reader becomes hooked on the writers. They become people you feel as though you've known your whole life, and you trust what they tell you. I love that.

But even though I have my must-read blogs, I have other blogs that I have on my Google Reader that I flick to every now and again. Remodelaholic is definitely one of my favourites. From seeing crafts and renovations that seem so impressive that I wouldn't even attempt, to projects that impress me so much they make me want to have a go myself.

And that is exactly what prompted this blog today. I have just seen a desk that absolutely took my breath away... I need to have one in my life.

It's beautiful. It's imaginative. It's personal. It transforms a hideous piece of furniture into something gorgeous and it just the type of thing that people need to be doing. Down with the terrible cheap flat-pack pieces of furniture that appear in almost every single home. All it costs is time and effort to have something original and guaranteed to impress.

Unfortuantely I do not have the room to add something like this into my flat.. but I very well might do it on a smaller scale... (Sorry Matt).

A Spa Deal Treat For Me and My Bessie

2011-01-25T12:45:00.000Z

I was searching lastminute.com wishing myself away to another country for a while and whilst I was there - I saw an amazing offer. A 75 minute massage session for £25! In London - so not too far away, and in the middle of where me and my bessie live (she lives in Ascot) so I thought it would be a nice treat for us both to book in, have a good ol' little pamper sesh and go for a few drinks in London Town.

I hadn't gone in search of this. I just happened upon it. Which is why I think it was the best bargain ever. Sure, I wouldn't have spent that money had I not gone - but in a way there is something nice about getting a deal for a whopping 80%(!!!) off that made me feel quite pleased with myself.

Plus, I get to treat my very deserving best friend to a nice day (on Friday she worked a 19 hour shift at a hotel - my idea of torture) for £200 less than what it would of cost to go without this deal. I don't care if it's not amazing - in fact, if it's awful we'll have a good giggle about it - but it means I get to spend a full day with my bestest ever friend and have a really girlie time.

Another deal is currently on this week so all you UK ladies need to head on over there and grab yourself a treat!

(But don't tell your bessie just how much of a steal it was - just tell her you love her and think she deserves it)

...Or Anything Else That Is Pleasant To Drink (Out Of)

2011-01-24T19:01:00.002Z

Does anyone have any weird… quirks? You know, like not being able to get out of bed unless the alarm shows a time of an even number? Or only eating one colour of M&Ms at a time?

I have a few quirks. I have to take a bite out of my food before I sit down to properly eat it. And my personnel files at work are colour co-ordinated with a colour I think suits the person.

But my biggest quirk of all (I think) is my feeling about glasses and mugs.

I cannot, absolutely cannot, drink wine from anything other than a wine glass. Look at me – my friend once made me try it a few years ago and the look on my face really shows the discomfort.

I also cannot drink from pint glasses. They are far too masculine for my liking and I shan’t be seen with one. Cosmopolitans must be served in a martini glass (or a champagne coupe if there is no other alternative) and I feel quite uncomfortable whenever I see water, juice, or any cold beverage being drunk from a mug. Eugh – get it away from me now! (I’m shuddering just thinking about it).

This must be why I have a bit of a ‘thing’ about the type of mugs I have in my kitchen. Plain white. Nothing fancy – but nothing too hideous. If anything, you should have plain white mugs in the kitchen. They’re a staple. A nice cheap staple that won’t necessarily have you flooding with compliments, but won’t give the impression that it came with last year’s Easter Egg.

If you can indulge, however – then do. I’m just starting to embark on my mug collection (and by ‘starting’ I mean that I have one). My mother gave me a beautiful mug for Christmas. Cream and etched with gold lettering; “Thursday’s child has far to go”. My sister loved pointing out that “Monday’s child is fair of face” means that she’s prettier than me, but I let that slide.

It’s so beautiful that it makes me look down on my other mugs. My boring old white mugs. I need mugs that look pretty! Ones that can be admired by the drinker and look happy in my tea cupboard. Mugs that make me want to sit down and enjoy a cup of tea on a Saturday morning as I bask in the early sunlight that enters my livingroom.

I think I know what I’ll be searching the internet for in the near future…

Fortnum & Mason Champagne & Chocolate Box

2011-01-22T12:43:00.002Z

If I could recommend anything in the world, I would recommend working for a small company.

Before, during and after University, I worked for Starbucks. It was a okay job - good if the people I worked with were nice, and I had the chance to transfer to the Hove store when I moved to Brighton - a major bonus when it came to proving to my landlords that I would have a job when I arrived. But after a while, it got tiring. My manager had it in for me and made me feel useless. I was 23 and I had a degree yet I was told I wasn't even good enough to be a supervisor for a coffee chain because I was a 'perfectionist'. So needless to say my self confidence hit an all time low.

A few months later, however, I got another job. This time with a small firm in the heart of Brighton. I had already done this kind of work before and it all came naturally to me. I was praised for my quick learning and my ability to organise and for the first time in a long time, I felt better about myself again.

I realised quickly that the main problem with large companies was the 'middle management' - the managers who had no real input into the company and were constantly having to deal with complaints from their managers about the performance of those at the very bottom - even though these managers in 'higher places' knew nothing about being on the floor and made all their decisions based on 'reports'.

Now I work directly with the owners of the company, and they make all the decisions. They can recognise my personal achievements and determine the level of responsibility I have. Since before Christmas, I have been planning a team building day and Thursday was that day. I put my life, soul, and a lot of hours into this and it finally paid off. The day was a massive success and I was so ~~knackered~~ proud of myself by the end of it.

But despite organising almost everything for the day - I did not expect to be given a little present at the end of it! My very first year of working with this company has been amazing and I've enjoyed every minute of it - which really is enough of a gift in itself, but I was given this wonderfully beautiful thing!

Look at it! Gorgeous!

The bosses did very well in picking out this. Fortnum & Mason is just up my street - for someone who has no money, I do pride myself on my incredibly expensive taste (even if I don't have the ability to buy it for myself!)

Not only does it contain some delicious champagne and champagne chocolates, but the box is utterly divine. Once I have merrily consumed the contents that box shall be transformed into some form of craft box. It's too beautiful to be thrown away, but equally too beautiful to be hidden away in a cupboard for fear of keeping it in less-than-perfect condition. It's longing to be kept out on display to remind me of my achievements and, of course, to be admired by anyone and everyone who sees it.

The champagne must be drank on some occasion. Possibly Valentines Day. And no doubt I'll enjoy the chocolates at the same time.

So I would like to thank the bosses. The best bosses in the world. I promise I will not leave you.

A Cheap and Healthy Sunday Dinner

2011-01-22T09:01:00.001Z

Occasionally I get a recipe that I adore. Courgette Carbonara is definitely one of them. Salmon with brown rice and baby veg is another. And these are meals I probably cook every other week. Not every week, as that gets a bit boring, but every other weeks means I'm sure I get a meal I really like, and also means I get the spend other evenings trying new things.

But I'm a bit ~~choosy~~ ~~picky~~ ~~fussy~~ particular about the quality of the food that I eat. I do not like junk food, but I cannot afford organic. Matt needs his carbs, but I am now gluten-free. So when I find something that's healthy, filling and cheap - it's by all means going to be a winner. Providing it tastes good, of course.

I first tried Nigella's Praised Chicken recipe back when Nigella Kitchen first aired in September and I got the book for my birthday back in September. It was okay. But it ticked all the right boxes so I had to stick with it.

This week, however, I cracked it. I'll be the first to admit that I had to leave out some of the ingredients because I just couldn't justify it. No wine is going into my food (I prefer to drink it) and it said I could use dried herbs - so I did - but they just didn't do it for me. I also do not own garlic oil and I am certainly not going to go out and buy it especially for this dish so I just didn't bother. And as you would expect when you don't follow a recipe correctly it turned out just okay.

So this time, I added some minced garlic (thanks to the amazing Garlic Twist that my mother bought me for Christmas) to the oil before adding the chicken. I also added a bay leaf and used some fresh herbs that I had recently bought, not used all of, and chucked them in the freezer. The fresh parsley to garnish was also a really good touch and something I will do again.

This result was much much better than my previous efforts. Matt really enjoyed it, as did I, and I had enough chicken and celery leftover to create a chicken salad thanks to a handful of salad leaves and a dollop of greek yoghurt! The chicken literally falls off the bones with this recipe and you seem to get so much more out of it than when you roast it - totally worth it for the sake of crispy skin!

A cheap, healthy Sunday dinner with enough leftovers to make a chicken salad, chicken soup or some chicken fried rice for the following day. Yum.

Updating a Rented Bathroom

2011-01-09T12:22:00.002Z

Bathrooms are funny rooms in rented properties. They're always a bit rubbish - and it's pretty hard to imagine updating a bathroom without being able to rip it all out and put in a new one.

We have 2 bathrooms. One loo, and one actual bathroom with a bath in it. They're both alright but not amazing - so I've had to update them a little.

The bathroom with a bath in it is still currently being updated. Remember when I mentioned how it helps being nice to your landlord? There is no cabinet in that bathroom and it is driving me crazy! It also has a shower screen which I'm not getting on very well with (the shower is way too powerful so the shower screen doesn't actually keep water off the floor) so after a few more kind words, I'm getting them both sorted (yay!) although I am forking out for the cabinet myself - I thought it only fair as I have been asking for a lot lately.

But for now, the loo has been updated.

This is what it looked like before. Okay, but nothing really that nice.

It's so plain! White and plain and boring. I can't change the wall colour or the suite. But I can change the mirror and add a few much needed accessories. So behold, it's transformation!

A vase of artificial flowers means they can survive the lack of natural light, and also keep forever so I don't have to keep replacing them. The picture in the frame is the same paper I used in the bedroom frames on the shelf so as I had it leftover, it was free! And the mirror? Well, that mirror is my favourite. Half price in the sale at Argos, so it cost me £20! It adds a touch of glamour and hides some of those ghastly tiles behind the sink!

Overall, I don't think it's bad for a rented bathroom. Especially as I feel I've updated it a lot with not very much. I'm rather happy with the result.

Chocolate Florentines Recipe

2011-01-08T12:00:00.005Z

Possibly one of the easiest things to make! Tastes delicious, and makes quite a lot. They also last a fair while, so a good treat to have in the fridge in case you have visitors! (like you really need an excuse)

You will need:
50g margarine
100g soft brown sugar
1 egg
55g desiccated coconut
100g chopped nuts
70g chopped glace cherries
70g sultanas
300g plain chocolate cake covering
(this is more ideal than chocolate, as it doesn’t set as hard – making it super easy to cut into squares)

Pre-heat the oven to 170 degrees C. Line a tray with foil (mine is a deep rectangular roasting tray, which is slightly larger than an A4 piece of paper – I don’t know the exact measurements) and break up your chocolate cake covering into pieces. Spread evenly around the tin and place in the oven for a few minutes until it melts. Of course, you can melt the chocolate over a pan of boiling water – but this is so much easier and makes for less washing up.

While the chocolate is melting, beat together the margarine and sugar, then add the egg and beat again.

By this time the chocolate should be melted. Spread it around the base of the tin with the back of a spoon to create a thin layer of chocolate. Pop the tray into the freezer for 5 minutes or so to let the chocolate set.

Meanwhile, add the nuts, cherries, coconut and sultanas to the sugar, marg and egg mixture and combine. Take the cold tin of chocolate out of the freezer and cover it with the topping. Spread it thinly over the top – mine really was thin – almost to the point where I thought I needed more mixture, but I didn’t. Phew!

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until slightly golden on the top. You might need a little longer if your tray is smaller and the mixture thicker.

Once cooked, remove and set in either the fridge or freezer. Then tip out and cut into squares!

These are super cheap, quick and easy to make. And the best thing about them is that once you’ve bought the ingredients, you could easily make another 2-3 batches with everything you have in stock! (Clearly a great thing if you need to whip up something fast with no time to go to the shops! So buy extra packets of cake covering – at 62p for 300g it’s a third of the price of the really cheap value chocolate!)

Another thing I like about Florentines is that they’re naturally gluten-free so there is no substitution of flour. This, I think, is the best way to cook gluten free as there is no compromise. Half an hour (ish) to whip up a treat? Beauty.

Things I Want to Achieve in 2011

2011-01-07T07:29:00.004Z

image via embroiderbee

So as my main resolution of sorts is to think positively all the time and not worry about things (but whilst also being sensible) I decided not to do ‘resolutions’, and to do ‘things I want to achieve’ instead.

Resolutions always tend to be broken. “I must to this, this, this, and this every day” is a little exhausting, so instead I’d like to have a list of things I would like to have accomplished by the end of the year.

I would like to…
Make a spring wreath
Perfect a few gluten-free baking recipes
Make a table cloth
Fix and extend my dreadlocks
Finish at least 3 cross-stitch patterns
Make a cross-stitch cushion (preferably one of these)
Have a really fancy homemade picnic on the beach
Make marmalade and strawberry jam
Sell one of my homemade things to at least one person
Make something out of my homemade home book
Finish off the craft nook
Make a pin cushion
Read all the books from Richard & Judy’s 2011 Book Club
Have lots of pictures of 2011 to look back on
Put up photos in photo frames in the hall
Make Cherry Menlove’s winter scarf
Create Christmas decoupage baubles
Start my Christmas crafts in October
Finally get my ears pierced again
Have my beautiful car back in my possession (instead of in my parent’s garage)

Ooooh I'm looking forward to this!

A New Year of Positive Thoughts

2011-01-06T13:45:00.001Z

image via valentinadesign

This Christmas I bought Matthew a book - The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. He's always been fascinated by business and entrepreneurs and a lot of autobiographies that he read seemed to mention this practice.

The power of positive thinking appears to be hugely powerful and he was interested to learn more about it. And as he read through the book, we began chatting about how lucky we are at the moment. Sure, we've not got a lot of cash - but we've got a great home and we're not in debt. Good things happen to us when we want them to, and the one time things began to spiral out of control was when we both weren't feeling too positive and letting every negative thing get to us.

Since then, we've moved into a beauiful apartment. Our careers are really starting to take off and despite our very tight income, we've not been tempted by shopping more than we need to.

It's funny how I never imagined myself living a 'poor' life, and I haven't. Even with barely any disposable income. I guess it's just down to my sheer determination to not give the impression that I haven't got a lot, that I live a life that's not obviously financially challenged.

When I allow myself to daze off into dreams about the future, I see a beautiful home and a happy life. I shall not think of anything else. My dreams will one day become a reality because I believe they will be so.

I'm not a religious person, but I do know that two of my favourite friends are and they are happier than any other friends of mine. They both have great jobs, a wonderful marriage and they have just bought their first home. Now whether that's because they believed they would be looked after, or have just had a positive outlook on life, they have done what other people my age can only wish for.

For me and Matt, we have faith in the power of attraction, or "everything is meant to be" as I like to call it. I am happy - but I am also willing to work for my happiness instead of believing that someone else owes it to me.

My New Year Resolution this year is to believe in good things to come. 2011 shall be full of happy things.

Nigella's Christmas Puddini BonBons

2010-12-16T11:38:00.002Z

My plan this weekend is to make these.

Oh my lord aren't they beautiful? This is a picture I took last year and looking back at it makes me a bit excited about what lies ahead this weekend. I also thought I'd post the recipe before the weekend so if anyone wants to make them, they can give it a go.

I shall be making these to hand out as little presents for everyone in the office on Monday. I have a lovely wicker basket which will contain little bags of 5, decorated with ribbon.

Now in the picture there are roughly 70 bonbons and I cannot remember how many batches I made. Probably 2.

For a batch you will need:
125g plain or dark chocolate
350g christmas pudding (either leftover, or cooked and cooled)
60ml sherry
2tbsp golden syrup
100g white chocolate (though I'm pretty sure I used 1 100g bar to cover all of those babies)
tub of glacé cherries
tub of angelica

The only expensive thing in this is the sherry, and I will be using the bottle I bought last year - so it really is a good investment. I only wish I'd bought brandy last year as well as I could have done with some of that in my cupboard! (Please don't skip the sherry, it really does make all the difference). I used cheap christmas pudding (80p for 454g!) because lets face it, you're not eating it on its own.

First of all, line a tray (or plates) with baking paper, foil or cling film. Ensure it can fit in the fridge.

Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of boiling water. As this is gently melting, crumble the pudding in a large bowl and mix in the sherry and golden syrup. (I learnt a tip of Kirstie & Phil's Perfect Christmas - lightly grease a measuring spoon with a little oil and the syrup should just pour off). Add the chocolate once it has melted, and stir again so all the pudding is covered.

Now take out small amounts of mixture and roll into a ball. Keep a cold tap running and once you feel your hands getting warm and the mixture is sticking, run your hands under the cold water. This should cool your hands down enough to get a few more done without melting all the chocolate (a tip I learnt when learning how to make the perfect crumble at Jamie Oliver's Recipease).

You'll need to make sure you keep the ball the same size. About the size of an average chocolate. These things are seriously rich, so don't make them any bigger or you'll struggle to eat them!

Arrange on the lined tray or plate and pop in the fridge while you sort out the decoration. Melt the white chocolate and keep on a low heat whilst you prepare the cherries and angelica. Count the bonbons and cut the cherries into enough pieces to pop one on each. Cut double the amount of angelica.

The next bit is the tricky bit and requires some patience, but it's oh so worth it and really is the wow factor about these beauties.

With a teaspoon, drizzle the melted white chocolate on the top of the bonbons. The key is to not make this too perfect - the dribbles of chocolate down the side make the 'sauce' look more 'realistic'. Whilst the chocolate is still liquid, add one bit of cherry and two bits of angelica on either side. Unfortunately, you really do have to do one bonbon at a time or the white chocolate hardens and the cherry and angelica don't stick. This will take a long time - so I recommend popping on the radio and enjoying it.

Once you've finished - keep the chocolates in the fridge. They are absolutely ideal as gifts, wrapped in a clear bag and tied with ribbon, or put in a little box. I think that out of everything I've ever made - these have gotten the best response. I really wish I could hand them out as gifts every year to the same people, but I would rather not be predictable.

If you have the time this weekend - make these. You will not be disappointed - I promise you!

(Note: I will be making my own gluten-free version using gluten-free pudding so all you avoiding gluten can do the same and not miss out!)

Light Christmas Lunch - Courgette (Zucchini) and Watercress Soup

2010-12-15T15:32:00.001Z

I find (like many others out there) that during the festive season, I tend to eat a lot. Lots of chocolates and nuts, crisps and dips, 3 course meals and plenty of tipple.

My parents and sister came to visit last weekend and I ate so much that as soon as they left, I clutched my tummy and fell to the sofa and couldn't even think about food... until an hour later when I dipped into the Quality Street.

So while it's all very well to indulge a little over the Christmas period, you may want to settle down with something light for lunch (or indeed, later on in the evening after scoffing away most of the day).

This soup is one of my favourites. It's from Sophie Dahl's Voluptuous Delights and has only 4 ingredients. An onion, courgette (zucchini), watercress (I use a 75g bag), and 1 litre of chicken stock. All of which are incredibly cheap. I think this soup comes in at under 50p per head! (serves 3-4)

In a large pan, gently heat an onion until soft. Cut the courgette into small chunks and add to the onion, along with the stock. Simmer gently for 10 minutes, then add the watercress. Simmer for another 5 minutes, turn off the heat, and puree with a hand blender. Season with black pepper and salt (if you wish - I find it perfect without). Sophie's recipe calls for a tiny amount of single cream but to be honest I can hardly taste the difference without it.

It's deliciously bright green and tastes utterly divine. Perfectly light and full of goodness to help you feel not-so-guilty for munching on treats throughout the day.

Enjoy!

Christmas Decorations in a Room With No Fireplace

2010-12-06T14:41:00.002Z

It's a bit of a pickle, really. All our lives we see glorious images of stockings hanging over an open fire and a garland over the mantle. But it isn't the reality for those who live in small apartments. Tiny living rooms with a TV as the point of focus can make it a bit tricky to decorate for this time of year. So I have tried to come up with a few ideas.

Our decorated living room. Matt was admiring the snow out of the window and there was a sense of joy and peacefulness that I had to capture in that moment.

For those of you who struggling to find space to put a tree, why not try a slim pop-up artificial tree? We bought ours last year and it's small enough to store easily, and fits perfectly in a corner, not causing too much disruption to the layout of the room.

A festive red plant is a great way to introduce Christmas colours and can replace any other old plant of vase of flowers. I love the Poinsettia and I have mine sitting on the new coffee table!

A huge bowl full of baubles is a great way to add decoration without hanging some from rented walls. I bought 2 glass bowls I found in the sale and filled one with baubles and another with a huge tin of Quality Street. Having chocolates available in a pretty bowl is a big part of Christmas for me, and is a wonderful little treat when guests are around. And the bowls can be used for deserts or for potpourri at other times in the year.

Candles are also by far my favourtie way of creating a great atmosphere. Tea lights in a variety of holders scattered around the room create yet another twinkle and they work even better in small rooms (I think, anyway). These can be picked up for around a pound and work a treat at dinner parties and other occasions - so really another cheap but great investment.

The Noel sign on the bookshelf was bought on eBay last year and spray painted silver. It cost just a couple of pounds and sits quite boldly in a place that is already crowded with colour.

Finally, add baubles to doornobs and handles of cabinets. It's the simple touches that make all the difference.

A Long Awaited Present to Myself

2010-12-03T12:57:00.004Z

There has been a new addition to my livingroom.

In our previous flat, I wanted a coffee table so much but as Matt hates them (and I wanted to keep him happy) I didn't get one. When we moved, we had an even bigger room and I begged him to let me have one. I showed him some to see which one he'd prefer and we came to a middle-ground.

I could get a coffee table if it had storage. That was it was really practical. This was the one he agreed on and it took me 8 months to finally get around to buying it. Because it cost a little bit more than I would have liked to spend. So I saved and finally bought it. And it looks beautiful.

It stores guest bedding at the moment (and has given Matt back the drawer in our room that I stole from him to store it all) so he's happy. And no doubt it'll store some extra Christmas decorations, blankets and throws.

It took me so long to get this chest, but I'm really happy I waited to get something I loved, instead of buying something cheaper that would 'just do'. It's the little things that make me happy.

I would stronly recommend to anyone that they should wait and get wonderful gems of furniture, instead of getting the cheapest and quickest thing available at the time. It's false economy really, because you'll only want to get rid of it when something better comes along, and it won't make you smile every time you look at it.

Hello December!

2010-12-01T12:28:00.002Z

What more could the 1st of December bring than snow?

It’s just properly hit us here this morning and I couldn’t ask for a more perfect start to December.

Tonight, I shall be warming up the mulled wine, eating chocolate coins and unpacking all the Christmas decorations.

I have been incredibly strict with myself this year and have only bought a glass dish (on sale) for holding chocolates (it isn’t Christmas without a glut of Quality Street) and fabric for my homemade wreath which I shall be making tonight.

My street is beautiful here right now – the old houses look warm and cosy under the thin blanket of snow and I’m so happy we chose this place to live. Nothing brightens up my day more than entering a beautiful street when I walk to and from my home. I guess being choosy about my street really did pay off.

Happy December and have fun getting those decorations looking gorgeous!

A Long Hallway Table

2010-11-27T14:17:00.003Z

Remember when I showed you my hallway? I had just found a huge table that would fit in it. Well, it arrived I was at the office. "Bloody hell this table is huge!" was the text I received from Matt. At first, he wasn't convinced by the table. Hell, even I was a little unsure when I saw the unsightly thing in our hallway - but I knew I could see the potential.

Still - it's pretty ugly.

We'd already chosen the paint as I had already created my display case so I got to work painting two layers of primer and followed it with two layers of 'Aladdin'. I picked up some inexpensive dust sheets to protect my floor - way cheaper than thicker sheets and much larger than bin bags. It took well over a day to get the finished result - and I got very impatient - but it looks a million times better!

I really love how the mini cabinet creates an added feature. And you get a little glimpse of the decorative paper inside when you walk past!

It's definitely livened up the hallway and I hope it will continue to grow with decorative objects as the months pass.

This is the first time I've ever painted a piece of furniture - and I'm so pleased with the results. It's so easy - and I still have loads of paint left over so I can create matching items.

Don't dismiss an item of furniture on first glance - just think of the possibilities!

Being Nice to your Landlord (And Playing Detective)

2010-11-23T12:38:00.002Z

When we viewed this flat 8 months ago, there was one small obvious flaw. And that flaw was on our living room wall.

A huge damp patch creeping down from the ceiling. I was told by the agent that it had happened just recently and that the problem had just been fixed (there was scaffolding outside the house so I believed her). In a couple of months, the wall would dry out and it would be re-painted and that would be that.

Perfect. I thought.

2 months later we had the wall painted. A few weeks after that, the mark came through again. This, I was told, was because the cause of the problem hadn’t gone away and no matter how much we painted it, that mark would come back.
I decided to do some investigating and in the summer, I popped round to the flats next door to see if they had a problem, too. Both the flats next to mine (on the same level and below) had damp problems on that wall and it all started to appear once a fire escape had been installed a year ago. I went out onto the fire escape and took some pictures of the mould on the wall.

The source had been rotten leaves that had been removed the week before by our neighbour’s landlord in a desperate bid to fix his own walls.

But this was good news. Their landlord obviously cared enough to get the problem fixed so I took his number and sent an email of my findings.

Hi Pauline,

I’ve been speaking to people in the flats next door to see if they’ve been affected by the damp on the wall. I’ve had the same story from both of them – that it started about a year ago and has something to do with the fire escape.

Apparently their landlord removed a lot of gunk from the fire escape and drains last week but isn’t sure if that is what has caused the problem. The couple in Flat K (ground floor and directly next to ours) are moving out in 2 weeks so I imagine he’ll want to try and fix the problem before getting new tenants in.

I’ve attached pictures of our wall, the wall directly next to ours in Flat K, next door, and the outside adjoining wall of both properties (13 pictures in total).

I got the mobile number of their landlord, Steve, 07*********, in case you think it’s a good idea to talk to him about it and possibly work together in fixing the problem?

I’ll give you a call to talk to you about it in more detail, but thought it was worth giving you as much information as possible.

Best regards,
Jenni

A nice email, I think. One that isn’t demanding or accusing and tries to be the nicest as possible when asking for work that will come at an expense to the recipient.

Contractors were soon sent out to take a closer look at the problem and I was told the best thing to do would be to re-plaster the entire wall. First they’d paint over it once more to prove that there is no other option and get to work on the wall in the New Year.

Today, the painter is here – giving me a bright new wall just in time for guests to arrive in December. I’ve been patient and polite and now my flat is becoming perfect.

If you have any problems with your rented property, be as nice as you can and you’re more likely to get help. Also – make sure you’re only making valid requests for work and can back up your reason to have it done. But it has worked with me and I am very happy. Bring on the wall!

CD Rack turned Ornamental Display Case

2010-11-22T12:44:00.002Z

When Matthew re-arranged his room, he brought out a CD rack that has been hiding in there for the past 7 months.

We wondered about giving it to someone, and as we were talking about it, I said “and see, you’ve already sanded it down so it’d be perfect for someone to paint and…. no, wait - I want it!

I thought back to a post I’d read over at Cherry Menlove when she painted a pigeon hole, and hung it up on a wall in her hallway to display trinkets and sorts and I thought that was definitely something I could do.

I briefly wondered where I could hang it, and then a very clever idea came to mind – instead of adding yet more holes to the walls, I could display it on the new table in the hall! That thing is so big that it really needs something huge to be put on it – and this would be perfect.

So with a weekend of painting ahead of me, I started to get a bit excited. On Friday night I went to Wickes to choose some paint and we decided on 'Aladdin' - a deep purple colour - for the table, and I got some plain white for the CD case. But halfway through painting the case white I decided I didn't like it and cracked open the purple.

Once that was dry, I measured the squares and cut out pretty wrapping paper to decorate the insides with (£1 a roll - bargain). I chose two similar prints in different colours and glued them in place. Then decorated the shelves with some tiny ornaments.

Over Christmas this will be beautifully decorated with all things festive and after that I'll try and find little bits and bobs to display. Trying not to be too girly, of course, as Matthew still wants the hall to look a bit masculine for when his clients walk down there to his studio - although I don't think I've quite mastered that as currently there are 3 fairies and some stones.

Now just to get the table painted! Stay tuned!

The Hallway

2010-11-16T12:45:00.001Z

My hallway is long. Very long. Over 7m long, in fact, and I have spent 6 months having no idea what to do with it.

Ideally, I'd like to have the walls covered in photographs but as I'm in rented accommodation, I don't think my landlord would be too happy with that amount of holes in the wall. Because of this, I've left it empty.

Which is a shame, really. Because it really is a large part of the flat, and one which is used multiple times daily to go from one end to the other. But because it's so long (and made to look even longer with my mirror at the end) it needs something huge to fill it, and I've never been able to find anything big enough (and which doesn't cost over £100) that would look right... until yesterday.

Spiral Charity Shop - where I got my chair - is the best place to find cheap furniture and I went looking without actually imagining I would find something. But I found a table that would be perfect. 190cmX36cm - narrow enough that it won't stand out too much and long enough that it will look as though it was meant to be there.

I may not get the table delivered for another week but I am desperate to get started on it (painting it up nice and decorating it for the festive season) so I wanted to show you a 'before' shot and give you a glimpse of the empty hallway before I start on my new makeover.

Oooh I'm excited!

Ever Growing Collection of Spider Plants

2010-11-15T11:30:00.002Z

For my birthday my friend and colleague, Courtney, gave me a Spider Plant. It sits happily on my desk, next to another little plant I have that doesn’t quite know whether or not it wants to live or die.

I was very happy with my gift. Very, very happy, in fact. I like a bit of greenery next to me in the office. But one day I noticed that something was sprouting out of the middle. It looked like a weed of sorts and when I mentioned it I was told “no, that’s for the babies!”

“What??”

What I didn’t really know, or understand, about spider plants was their ability to breed. I got this plant 2 months ago and already has it sprouted 4 babies.

Can you see them there? Hello babies!

The biggest one will need to be potted soon and the others will follow shortly after, but I’m amazed at just how purse-friendly these plants are!

Soon I will have 5 plants and 4 of them will have to be taken home where they will then, no doubt, breed like the other one. I will have plants coming out of my ears and I didn’t even buy the first one my self!

Great gifts that really do keep on giving, excellent decoration, and perfect for selling if you have too many to cope with.

But I think this is the best news – I water this plant about once a week. It needs a “treat ‘em mean, keep ‘em keen” approach and that is fine by me!

Healthy (gluten-free!) Eating

2010-11-14T20:14:00.002Z

For 2 weeks I haven't done a food shop. I've been utterly terrible. One week Matthew was working away and I didn't have anyone to help me lug it back to I just didn't bother and last week we were at Matthew's parents for Bonfire Night so I didn't do it then.

Needless to say, we ate our freezer bare and yesterday we found ourselves without any food.

Off to the shops then!

But not before coming up with a shopping list, which I had to squeeze in between tidying up, getting ready, and making my paper baubles.

I'm finding the whole gluten free thing relatively easy to be honest. I can eat meat, veg and dairy - so that's pretty simple. Now I'm trying to introduce new grains into my diet to substitute flour and I've been quite happy with the results. One of my current favourite things is the M&S 'Super Wholefood Shaker Salad' consisting of Quinoa, Wild Rice, Edamame Beans, Butternut Squash and Green Lentils in a olive oil and lemon dressing. Beautiful - and something I am going to try and make myself once I get myself down to Taj to get some edamame beans (they don't stock them in Tesco).

Anyway, this week I have decided to be pretty healthy and have come up with a decent meal plan for the week!

Nigella's Praised Chicken with Brown Rice
Potato and Haloumi Bake
Salmon with Brown Rice & Veg
Quinoa salad (with leftover chicken instead of beetroot and srping onions - I'm using what I've got)
Pork Chops, Mash and Apple Sauce
Chicken Curry with Rice

Which is not bad going really. No pasta, no pastry. I am going to make an Apple Pie with gluten-free flour - but I'll see how that goes.

Sophie Dahl's cookbook is full of lots of recipes that don't contain gluten - she seems to be a bit of a health buff so I'm enjoying the rewards of her good eating habits. And the same can be said of Cook Yourself Thin - so it looks like I will be embracing all my heathy cookbooks to avoid lots of gluten-based recipes.

But for now - off to go and make an Apple Pie (fingers crossed!)

*update: Apple Pie was a success*

Twig Christmas Tree with Paper Baubles

2010-11-13T14:17:00.003Z

Okay, so Christmas doesn't really start here until December 1st but I have decided to be brave and make a decoration in mid-November.

But I figured if I made it early, I could post it here and hopefully some other people could have time to make it.

The best thing about this decoration was that it cost me nothing. Nada. A big zero. Not one single penny spent.

I saw this idea in a copy of Country Living magazine (the UK version, I believe there is also a Country Living magazine in the US - it's not that one) but unfortunately it isn't on their website so I may as well write up my own tutorial.

All you will need to create this totally free masterpiece (assuming you have the following things - which you should have) is:

Scrapbook paper

Paper clips

Scissors

A thick needle

Twigs from the garden

Silver spray paint (optional)

Pliers (optional, but will hurt your fingers less)

A plant pot/Vase

A rubber band (optional)

Tissue paper (again, optional)

First pick some branches from a tree in your garden. I chose some that were thin and had lots of twigs sprouting all over the place. Spray paint these silver, if you wish. I think it gives it a more festive look, but to be honest, the twigs are just there to display the baubles so it's not a disaster if you don't have spray paint.

While the paint is drying, start on the baubles. Cut out some scrapbook paper into strips 1cm wide and 10cm long. You'll need approximately 15 strips per bauble. Straighten out a paper clip and using a thick needle, make a hole in each end of the paper strips (I did these in groups of 3 which made the process a lot quicker). Then thread the strips of paper onto one end of the paper clip like so:

Using the pliers (or your fingers!) bend the tip of the paper clip into a loop to keep the paper from falling off. Then thread the opposite end of the paper onto the opposite side of the paper clip like this:

You'll have to make sure you hold onto the paper as it won't want to stay bent and will try and pop off the end. Once you have all the pieces of paper in place, loop the end of the paper clip again. Make sure the loop is big enough to thread over a branch as this is what you'll use to hang your baubles!

Repeat this process again and again until you have your desired amount of baubles.

By now your twigs should be dry so arrange them together and tie the bottom with a rubber band. I did this so that it looked more like a tree and would stay more secure. My plant pot, however, is much wider than the base of the twigs so I held it in place with some dark green tissue paper stuffed into the pot. You may have a thin plant pot/vase so this part won't be necessary - but I do like the look of the tissue paper in the pot!

Once you are happy with the twigs, start decorating with baubles! I also added a couple of mini bead chains and I plan to add a few more. You could also attach beads to the base of the bauble to create an even prettier effect, but I do not have any so until I get some they will have to do being bare. Still, I think they look pretty sweet!

I have decided to display this tree over on the craft table, which, as you can see, has become filled with stuff!

Which means even more projects will be coming this way, such as making a new table cloth, decorating my embroidery hoops, knitting a scarf and making homemade christmas presents. Stay tuned, and please let me know if you make this!

The Swedish World of Dreams

2010-11-11T20:28:00.002Z

"Ikea" is one of those words that creates one of two reactions; excitement or irritation.

You either love Ikea, or you hate it. The grand scale, the mass of shoppers and the sheer amount of stuff packed into one store. For some, this creates a lump in the throat. And for others like me – it fills the air with a glow of wondrous possibilities.

I believe there is a difference between those who love Ikea, and those who do not. The answer: taste.

You may assume that Ikea is for those who do not have taste, but I find the contrary to be true. Those without taste see a warehouse full of cheap tat. Those who do have taste are able to see past some of the junk and find the real treasures. Cheap yet beautiful items full of promise, waiting to be given a home.

I believe it’s not what is put in a house that makes it beautiful. It’s about finding items that compliment each other, regardless of their price, age and quality.

A good 70% of my furniture is from Ikea. The other 30% would be if there was a store nearby but unfortunately I have to travel to get there and for the time being I do not have a car. Instead, I have to wait for the same time to roll around each year before I can have an excuse to go... and this special time is Christmas.

My main justification (not to myself, but to those who I have to beg to take me) is that jars for Christmas presents are a fraction of the cost at Ikea than they are anywhere else. 99p for a 1ltr mason jar is beyond a good deal and I jump at it – they are perfect for Christmas Muffin Mixes, which make a beautiful homemade gift.

But while I am there I spend most of my time scanning the rooms for inspiration. This trip, I took 36 pictures of rooms that looked as though they could inspire me in some way.

From blocks of colour paint as the perfect background to hang pictures…

To ideas on how to decorate my shelves for the festive season…

And a kitchen I can only dream of owning.

The ideas that can be found in an Ikea showroom are sure to inspire anyone who wants to improve the interior of their home.

I left the store having spent just under £17 and I am amazed even I managed that. By telling myself “I do not need this” I overcame the desire to buy teapots and cushions and spent as little as possible on things I really did need.. and some tea lights that were on offer – 200 for £2.80 (I couldn’t help myself).

I can not understand why anyone would hate Ikea… but then I cannot understand why some people choose not to do all they can to live in a beautiful home.

Each to their own, but if you’re anything like me – go give yourself a little Christmas inspiration treat and pop down to Ikea for some Swedish festive fun.

Sparkly Things

2010-11-02T14:13:00.002Z

There is a shop that I walk by each and every week when I go food shopping. It is a shop called Cristabel and it is full of pretty things.

I had a bit of a nosey the other week and was in awe as I walked around the tiny shop, admiring all the beautiful pieces of jewellery and miniature glass bottles draped in crystals and clear beads.

I picked up one of these bottles and looked at the price tag. £20? For a teeny tiny bottle? I don't care how pretty is it - I am not paying that for something I could make myself.

So I will. But for now, I have taken inspiration from the way everything was presented in that shop and have re-vamped my vanity area appropriately.

My new necklaces are now on display - perfect for not only looking pretty, but so that they don't tangle. A new case to store all my make-up now matches the space and perfume bottles add a bit more sparkle. Eventually I would like to hang a few necklaces on the wall, as it would be more practical to be able to see all of the mirror when I'm putting my make-up on, but for the moment that necklace is my favourite and I generally am always wearing it whenever I need to freshen up!

This has brightened up this corner of my bedroom so much. It was definitely needed. And it makes sure I clear up after myself as everywhere has a place to go! Definitely much better than walking into my bedroom and finding a chest of drawers cluttered with my face.

My Twist on Lancashire Hotpot

2010-10-18T16:19:00.000+01:00

2 years ago I attended Matthew’s family firework party. His large family fill his grandmother’s house and they all come together once a year to catch up and have a good time. It was the kind of gathering I am not familiar with as our family is very small. Instead, on Bonfire Night my family would go to a local pub/park/anywhere with a bonfire and stand outside in the cold with our hats and scarves on and enjoy the flames dance in front of us.
But there was one thing about this family gathering that was even more unfamiliar to me: the food. There was no hotpot in sight. Not a single bowl of mashed carrot and swede or bright purple beetroot and not a single slice of parkin. What kind of fireworks party is this?

Each and every year, these foods were the staple of Bonfire night. Hot and comforting – the perfect food to warm you up whilst you stand in the crisp, cold night. I mentioned the lack of ‘traditional’ food when I stared at the buffet table and saw lasagne and curry and I was laughed at. “You’re in the South now!”

So, as you do, I googled the traditional dishes that Lancashire has to offer and found that these meals were made due to their relatively low cost – perfect for serving at large events. With the North of England being one of the poorer areas of the country, our traditions have been formed by those who had no other choice but to budget.

And I quite like that a meal I associate with Autumn is one that costs next to nothing. A perfect homely pick-me-up that I can serve to the masses and not feel the pinch. And one that I can whip up for an evening meal and freeze the leftovers.

While this is not a traditional Lancashire Hotpot, it is a variation that is even cheaper and can be prepared with minimal effort (giving you time to play with the kids or sit down and watch a bit of telly while it’s cooking).

500g minced beef or lamb
1 large onion
2-3 large carrots (or more smaller ones)
5(ish) large potatoes
Worcestershire Sauce
Tin of baked beans
Peas (just chuck them in)
Beef gravy granules

Fry the onion and meat in a large deep pan (if not using lean meat, drain off most of the fat once it is cooked). Add the vegetables (you can use more veg if you have it – I think it might be nice with parsnips or mushrooms) and pour hot water into the pan until it covers everything. Add enough gravy granules to make a thin gravy (however you prefer), season to taste and turn the heat down to a simmer. It should take 1-2 hours to reduce and the vegetables will be lovely and tender. Once there is not a lot of liquid, add the tin of baked beans and stir to heat through. Splash in as much Worcester sauce as you like (or whatever sauce you wish – if you like a bit of heat add some tobasco) and give it a good stir. Chop up some parsley if you have any fresh stuff lying about (I wouldn’t go running to the shops to buy any especially for this) and add them to the pot.

Serve in pasta-style bowls for a really comfy dinner.

This dish is amazing on it’s own, but if you want to add a bit more on the veg front, it’s even better with pickled beetroot. Matthew isn’t a fan, but I really am and it’s gorgeous! Or add some carrot and swede mash (you can never get too much carrot in an Autumn dish, I think!)

Decorate With Shelves

2010-10-16T12:37:00.005+01:00

It can be hard to make rented accommodation reflect your personality. You can’t add wallpaper, or paint and you can’t rip out those awful tiles in the kitchen or pull up the carpet and replace it with something of a better quality.

You can, however, put up pictures and paintings and fill bookcases full of colour. You can try and match kitchen appliances to the colour of the tiles, or (if they are truly hideous) cover them with stickers as I did in my student flat. You can lay down a giant rug if the carpet is getting thin and if you ask really, really nicely, you might even get away with putting up a few shelves.

My landlord is super nice. It’s worth getting on your landlords good books as the better they think of you, the more likely they’ll agree to things like this. I make regular contact with my landlord to keep her updated on bits of things; the progress on the damp patch in the living room, what I should do if I needed to adopt a cat (long story) and when I’m going on holiday for two weeks. Regular polite contact shows that I’m a good tenant who wants to keep the property in good working order, and is willing to talk about problems instead of hiding behind them. It also helps that my rent is paid without fail every month.

By emailing my landlord, I have written proof of any changes that I might have done so they can’t be used against me when I finally leave. I will want my deposit back in full!

So, back to the original topic: my shelves. The walls in my flat are massive. 3 metres high and empty. Giant canvases are great for huge spaces but I wanted something a little different in my bedroom. To be honest, I saw this picture on your wishcake and fell in love a little bit – so I decided to make one for myself.

I bought two mega cheap i-need-some-help-if-i’m-going-to-look-pretty shelves from Argos. Less than £10 for two, and I had some black and white paint handy to jazz them up a little. Once painted they looked so much better than plain pine (yuck – so cheap looking) and I put them up! All by myself!

This is my bedroom before. Nice enough, but lacking in something.

And after! Complete with a new bedside lamp for reading and the shelf. Which just adds something to the room, doesn't it?

Here is a bit more of a close-up.

And even more close up

This shelf was decorated with some picture frames which I had hanging around in a drawer. I added some fancy wrapping paper and instant pictures achieved! The lotus candle stick (which I doubt will ever be used as a candle stick) and the ‘Dream’ lettering were bought in the sale at Cargo Home and the pebbles were a Christmas Gift from Matt’s mum which I hadn’t been able to find a place for.. until now!

The white shelf in the dining area isn't completely finished yet. It's up, but not really home to anything. It might play home to my herbs now that the sunshine is disappearing. We'll see.

How To Make Me Happy

2010-10-15T11:48:00.002+01:00

If you could ask me what one thing makes me beam with happiness these days, I wouldn’t say “walks along the beach” or “buying new clothes for the winter” or even “sitting in a wonderful café that sells gluten free cakes that I can eat until I explode”. Although all of those things would make me very happy, none make me happier than when I hear these words:

“Oh wow, this place is gorgeous!”

You see, Matt has a fair few people round every now and again who he records in his studio and most of them have never stepped foot in this place. And let’s face it; most people who come round are either students or young professionals living with friends in shared houses.

So not only do we live in a beautiful flat, but we’re the same age as them! Probably with the same amount of money as them, too, but we spend it in all the right places. I’ve heard some say “Bloody hell, you two must be doing well for yourselves!” and last night the girl who came round even said “so I take it this place came furnished then?” Nope! This was all me, baby!

As much as Matthew likes the place, he’s not as enthusiastic as others are. Probably because he’s gradually seen it improve over the 6 and a half months that we’ve lived here. And possibly because he’s a boy. So when a stranger compliments my home, I am over the moon. My hard work has paid off and we actually live in a place that other people are envious of.

Hello beautiful front room. I think you’re looking even happier with your new chair and lamp.

Hello Autumn

2010-10-12T14:24:00.000+01:00

The summer has died and now I have to remember to pick my coat up when I leave the house in the mornings. I wake up and check the weather forecast to see if rain is scheduled for the day – this way I can decide if I need to wear boots or shoes – essential to planning my outfit.

But there is something so cosy about the Autumn and I am glad it has arrived. Our summer has been a mix of hot and cold, rain and sunshine and at least now I can be happy knowing that I am to expect the rain, instead of being out in it wearing a dress and sandals because two hours earlier I had been baking in the heat.

The thing I love the most about Autumn, aside from the clothes I wear, is the food. As a woman trying to stay slim, it can be difficult living with a fella who likes his carbs and would insist on eating curry each and every day – regardless of the temperature outside. In summer, this can be increasingly difficult as the last thing I wish to eat is a hot, carbohydrate filled meal. But in Autumn and Winter, it is so much easier.

Autumn and Winter are cheap. Gone are the salads and vegetables that must be eaten within 3 days before they spoil, the fruits that cost an arm and a leg and are best eaten fresh. Replacing them are soups and stews, batches of cooking that can then be frozen, filled with all the veg you need to keep you going strong. Frozen and tinned fruit still tastes good when cooked in puddings and crumbles. Spending far too much money on drinks in beer gardens is pushed aside for staying at home, curled up watching TV and spending two thirds less on wine from the supermarket.

I’ve been reading my new Nigella Kitchen book and she has an entire chapter dedicated to store cupboard (and freezer) food so I plan to spend some time giving them a try and checking to see how budget friendly they really are (I imagine they are – she has great recipes for leftover meat that can be thrown in the freezer).

I think it is also the time to take up making chutneys, mincemeat, and sloe gin to enjoy both as the days turn into winter, and to give as Christmas presents to unexpected guests who arrive over the festive period. I have a lot of ideas buzzing around my head of how I'm going to make this a decadent but cheap winter and I hope I can pass some inspiration on to you.

The Reading Nook

2010-10-11T13:33:00.005+01:00

I think the key to making small rooms look bigger is to create mini sections within them for different purposes.

In my living room I have my craft area, the dining area, the seating area, and now my very special reading area.

Just over a month ago, this area was empty. This area, and indeed the area where my craft table now is, was where all our leftover bits of stuff were stored. Chairs we needed to get rid of, the ironing board that I didn’t have room for, paintings that hadn’t yet been put on the wall..

Slowly but surely, these things were sold, found a home and hung on the wall and the area had become the empty space you see in that picture. But then the craft table was put up and the charity shop chair had been given a makeover and the empty spaces began to become cosy little nooks within this room. So cosy, in fact, that I felt I just needed one little thing to make it perfect. A floor lamp.

I chose the colour ‘blackcurrant’ because, as Matt rightly pointed out “you always see home magazines with big statement lamps and I think this is more statement than white.” Also, it adds another punch of colour in a white walled, beige carpeted, brown and grey seating filled room.

The lamp isn’t so bright as to fill the entire room with light when it’s on (I like dim light as it’s cosy, and I never put the main light on) but bright enough to fill the chair with light, making it an excellent spot to read. Perfect in these darkening evenings.

It has now become my favourite spot to sit and read my cookery books. I think it might also become my spot to listen to the radio on a Saturday morning and start on the scarf that I will so desperately need as the days become colder.

Little reading nook. You have made me livingroom appear that little bit bigger and a lot more comfortable.

The Second Bedroom

2010-10-09T22:45:00.001+01:00

When I moved 300 miles to a brand new area, one of the requirements of a new apartment was that it had two bedrooms.

I do not have any children. No babies or toddlers that require another room to sleep in. Nor do I have a lot of friends visiting who need a proper bed to stay in for the night. In fact, I do not have an extra room that I can decorate and make look pretty because this second bedroom is not my requirement. It is very greatly needed by my other half. You see, my beloved is a musician... and has a lot of... how should I say it..? ...Stuff.

This added room makes us appear so much wealthier than we actually are. Not only does he have a Studio to work from, but the rest of the house stays pristine and less like a college dorm.

His friends and colleagues say I'm very kind to have allowed him to have his Studio but let's face it... can you imagine me allowing him to keep all that in any other room? I think not!

The Craft Nook

2010-10-08T12:08:00.003+01:00

The second bedroom in my apartment belongs to Matthew. It is his studio and a room he spends a lot of time in. When we moved into this place we had an agreement – he could have his room however he wanted and I got to decorate the rest.
The bedroom is pretty. The living room has splashes of colour and the kitchen is full of quirky girly items. But it wasn’t enough. I needed a space of my own. A space that Matt didn’t use in the slightest, and a place where I could have all my crafty things sitting happily together.

With our apartment being in an old Victorian mansion, the rooms are a little oddly shaped. We have an ‘entrance’, so to speak, into the living room. A square of nothingness before the living room begins and I found a table that fit perfectly between the door and the wall in that nook.

It has become my craft table. Home to buttons, rolls of paper, scraps of paper, material and thread. I want my collection to grow so that in time, I can make things without having to go out to buy what is needed. This way, I am sure, I’ll be able to cut down on spending even more. That is something I am very excited about.

I did some hunting for my table. It had to be cheap, but couldn’t look cheap. I was willing to spend up to £70 on one, but not any more, as that is what I had saved for it. When I say this table fits perfectly, I mean it fits perfectly. With a single cm between the two walls and the radiator and the door. It was meant to go there, and so with that, I went on a hunt for the right price.

Luckily, the table I had found was a Corona table and quite a lot of them are sold on eBay. It took me a few weeks to see the high and low prices and to know a good deal if I saw one. I called one guy who offered free shipping, but I was just out of his zone and the additional tenner would have made it more expensive than his competitors. But eventually I struck gold. A ‘best offer’ seller, and I put in my bid. £55 and free shipping (which I could even be told of an arrival time so I knew when to be in) – a hands down winner.

It is so worth doing a hunt before buying something that costs a fair whack – every penny really does count.

And after hours of hard work (and very red and sore palms) I had put up the table before Matthew got home and could show him the fruit of my labour. He was impressed. But immediately put his keys on it. No – no keys. You get your mitts off it.

This is the table after all of that effort. As you can see, this was a couple of weeks ago, before the new chair was put in its place. I am now spending my time decorating my area and shall show you when it is complete. That lovely, lovely craft section of my livingroom. Oh how I will pretty you up so.

A Much Needed Chair

2010-10-05T12:30:00.005+01:00

As the past few weeks have had me concentrating on my new dietary requirements, I have been putting a crafting on a back seat – but this week I am back.

For over a month now I have been hunting for a chair. I saw a beautiful one on the Argos website back in August – half price but currently out of stock. I waited 6 weeks before seeing it reduced again on the website (but still out of stock) so I called to see what the deal was. Apparently it’s no long available and the Argos website made a mistake.

I was a bit annoyed. I searched high and low for a chair and couldn’t find anything under £100. I couldn’t even find a bench for under £50 and this really wasn’t good enough.

Not only do I not have the money to blow on an expensive chair, but its main purpose is only to provide extra seating when guests come over. Although our sofa does fit 4 – it’s a bit of a squeeze and not exactly the most sociable way to sit (all facing the telly).

So I ditched the online shopping and headed to my local furniture charity shop. I wasn’t holding my breath – I have been looking in this shop for months for a suitable chair and can never find anything that fits what I am looking for but this time I struck gold. An old brown chair – easy enough for a novice like me to upholster, and light enough for the other half to carry home! (thanks Matt!) And to make matters even better, it cost me only £10.

Look at it. It’s screaming out for a makeover.

But let me tell you now that I really am a novice. I have never even attempted anything like this before so I just had to guess. And I was also told that I wasn’t allowed to use ‘really girlie fabric’, so with both those things in mind, I got a plain(ish) fabric. That was textured enough to feel like a chair should, plain enough to not annoy the male who also lives with me, coloured enough as to not show bits of dirt that may happen upon it (it has flecks of bright colour running all the way through) and thick enough to not show through any of the previous fabric (I decided to keep the original fabric on there as the cushion was disintegrating inside, and the soft brown fabric also added extra cushioning.)

I couldn’t wait until morning to get some nice pictures in the day light so I spent my Friday night getting down to business with my sewing machine. It worked very, very well.

And it worked first time! It actually fit. I couldn’t believe it and started to annoy Matthew by interrupting him constantly to say *it’s really working!!!*

Because the new fabric was grey, I had to half assemble the chair to tell myself it didn’t look the same as it did before. And I was right.

But it still needed a bit more work and a bit more colour. So as I didn’t have any more fabric to make a bright new cushion I thought I’d just use one I already had.

The result? Ta da!

Okay, so not the most incredible chair you’ve ever seen in your life, and definitely not the most complicated but I quite like that I’ve just proven to myself that you don’t need to be a craft genius to get a new chair for a few quid.

All in all, that chair cost me £18. Less than a fifth of what I could find in the shops, and 10 times more comfortable than a stool. It sits happily in its corner, and I think I might just treat it to a floor lamp and turn it into a little reading area.

So there you have it. A beginner's chair that was really not difficult in the slightest and took a mere 4 hours.

Going Gluten Free

2010-09-25T09:58:00.001+01:00

For 3 weeks I had been feeling terrible. A very painful abdomen, waves of nausea and general discomfort for the majority of the day. It came on gradually, but after three weeks I was leaving work early because I just didn't feel well enough to be there.

I had seen 3 doctors about the pain and one said it was nothing to worry about, the second mentioned the word 'mass' and scared me quite a lot, and the third told me to go and see another doctor at my surgery - a doctor who takes the time to listen and does her best to diagnose.

After an appointment that lasted well over half an hour, and once I had answered a lot of questions she pointed out that my digestive system didn't feel too good, and the fact that my Dad is Coeliac made her think. "Very interesting" she said, and recommended that I go gluten free for a while and see if it helps.

It's been just over a week since that appointment, and I have cut gluten out of my diet. And how do I feel?... Good. Ach, I hate to say it, but I do. I feel much, much better. Damn my father!

There are two killers for me here. Killer number 1 is that gluten free food can be horribly expensive. Killer number 2 is... cake! Oh cake, and biscuits, how I love you! What am I going to do without you in my life?!

But I have ways around this. Having lived with my Dad's diet for nearly 20 years I have learnt a thing or two and the best tip I learnt is to eat naturally gluten free foods. Such as cornflakes and snack-a-jacks. These are eaten by everyone, regardless of a gluten free diet and so are much cheaper. The only thing I should really have to substitute is pasta and the pasta isn't that awful so I'm sure I'll be fine with that.

But I will also have to learn to bake from scratch again. I shall not be defeated! I will need to learn the science behind baking so I know what I need to do to ensure I can fix any mishaps that may pop up along the way. I will use this to make me a stronger and ignite the passion to bake within me...

... and if I do fail I'll just concentrate more on cratfs. See? Not all bad.

In all honesty, though, I have caught this respectively early and so my reactions won't be half as bad as my dads, who is incredibly poorly after having just a sip of ale. I shan't be so bad that I need to stress out the poor hostess who has invited me to a dinner party, or kindly decline going out for a meal because I can't be sure what has been put in the sauce. No, it won't be that bad. If I am good for 99% of the time, the other 1% won't kill me.

Maybe every now and again indulge in a Krispy Kreme?

As for what I'll be posting on here - I am determined to eat like a normal person and so will be posting cheap recipes that maybe just happen to be gluten free, or if I have substituted anything I shall mark where you normal people don't have to!

I'll be looking forward to finding new blogs to read and I think I have already stumbled across a little gem. Straight Into Bed Cakefree and Dried runs an event called "Go Ahead Honey, It's Gluten Free!" (from which I have taken the image at the top of this post!) so I plan to spend a lot of time reading it.

I would love any recommendations. Have a good weekend!

Show Home Inspiration

2010-09-05T19:06:00.002+01:00

I have somewhat of a massive fascination with looking around houses. To be more precise, I have somewhat of a massive fascination with looking around show homes.

I'm visiting my parents at the moment and a new development is being built at the top of their road and to satisfy my curiosity, Matthew and I wandered up there to have a bit of a nosey. I do like to go dressed nicely and look as though I am intending to buy and look around the house believing that I am, in fact, going to buy it. We sat on the sofas (very comfy!) and admired the layout of the bedroom before going up to the attic floor and fantasising about how Matt could turn it into a studio for himself.

The best thing about looking around show homes, though, is the use of design. It's hard to not get enticed by the cleverly missing wardrobes and lack of television in the front room, but occasionally you get to see something that sends ideas whizzing about in your head. That something was some wall art in a bedroom.

The wallpaper was patterned with large images and above the bed a mismatched array of empty frames were hung to display the pictures on the wall. Topped with a ribbon or two, these frames looked absolutely stunning and made me dig into my bag to get out the camera and take a picture. It was a fantastic way to create a feature on an already busy wall, without making it look as though too much was going on.

It's a shame, really, that rented accommodation doesn't allow me to do something like this myself but it is definitely going into the memory bank to be brought out again when I am able to decorate a bedroom as beautifully as this.

Ah, one can only dream...

Banoffee Pie

2010-08-30T10:48:00.001+01:00

When guests are coming over, I always like to have a little something ready for them to eat. Sometimes this means I'm up early on a Sunday morning, baking banana bread so it's fresh out of the oven by the time they arrive. Other times it means creating a buffet-style lunch, and in Winter I like to make soups.

But sometimes I don't have the time to get busy in the kitchen. Either because I have too much to do, or it's an almost unexpected arrival and I've not been able to get to the shops to get the ingredients I need. In these cases, I have a very quick and easy Banoffee Pie to make.

Melt 100g butter in a pan. While the butter is melting, put 250g digestive biscuits into a food processor and and blend until finely crushed (note: you can also do this by putting the biscuits into a plastic food bag and crushing them with a rolling pin).

Add the biscuits to the butter and stir until evenly mixed. Put the mixture into a (greased) loose bottomed cake tin and with the back of a spoon, evenly spread out the mixture and create a crust along the sides. Sit in the fridge for about 20 minutes while the mixture firms up, and get started on your whipped cream!

Whip double (or whipping) cream with an electric whisk and fold in some chopped bananas. Once the base is set, remove from the tin, add a 397g tin of carnation caramel (this is for super time saving - for super penny-saving, get a tin of condensed milk and turn to caramel by boiling for 2 hours or so - follow instructions on tin) and top with the whipped cream and banana mixture.

Dust with cocoa powder and leave in the fridge until guests are ready to be treated!

While not the best Banoffee Pie to have ever been made in the history of Banoffee Pies, it's pretty damn tasty! And credit where credit's due, Matthew's friend regularly goes to the restaurant where the Banoffee Pie was created, The Hungry Monk, here in East Sussex, and he said that my pie was very good!

The best thing about this recipe is that it can be made from things already in the house. Biscuits? In the cupboard. Cream? Generally always in the fridge to be used in some form of pasta dish or with cake. Bananas? Yep, nearly always have those, too! And who doesn't have butter?? Just keep some Condensed Milk or Caramel in your store cupboard and you'll be ready to go whenever you hear that guests are popping around to visit.

Who needs to know it barely cost a thing and took you no time at all? Don't let them in on the secret!

The Lavender Hearts

2010-08-29T13:03:00.001+01:00

I always said I'd have Lavender Hearts by the end of summer.. and I do! I've been drying lavender throughout the summer and have quite a nice collection. This is the first batch I've made and although they're not the greatest things I've ever made, I'm still quite proud of them - if only because I have done something I said I would do.

I'm still learning when it comes to sewing-based crafts and I'm looking forward to teaching myself more.

Making these was still super easy, though. I just cut out a heart shape out of an old cereal box, drew around it twice, roughly cut it out 5mm away from the edge to leave room to sew and tightly stitched around the pencil marks. I left a gap at the top to stuff it, turned it inside out, filled with lavender and stitched it from the outside, trying to create the top of the heart, but not really doing it successfully. I tried to give it a bit more detail by adding a button (an idea I stole from other stuffed hearts I've seen in shops) and I liked that result... I will do it more often.

I'm going to make a few more today and tomorrow to give to friends and family. Two hearts are more than enough as Matt already complained when I made the second one. Ah, well! At least it gives me something to do!

Why I Love Saturday Mornings

2010-08-28T10:42:00.001+01:00

Tea, warm croissants, decor magazines and Saturday Kitchen Live. The ultimate relaxing way to start the weekend and put you in a perfectly good mood for the rest of the day.

It's the simple things that make life good.

My Pretty Boots and Why You Should Never Buy Cheap Ones

2010-08-27T14:20:00.002+01:00

Pretty boots. Pretty, pretty boots. Oh how I love boots in the winter, for they keep my feet nice and dry and allow me to wear really nice skirts with opaque tights or leggings. These particular boots have been in my list of things I need for a while. And I’ll tell you why.

Do you sometimes ignore your own advice? I do – and I regret it. Maybe not at first – in fact, definitely not at first. At first I am rather pleased at myself and then a few months down the line I feel silly. Why did I not think about this in the long-run?

I often do this when I get faced with the dilemma “save pennies now, or save pennies in the long run?”

Always, always choose long run whenever you can. Or you end up with a problem that rears it’s head umpteen times.

You see, last year I bought some boots. Cheap boots from New Look, but they were nice boots. Comfortable boots. And they cost me approximately £20. Excellent.

But these cheap boots began to break and less than a year after I bought them, the insides began to crease giving me that niggling feeling of a constantly creased sock and no way to correct it. Then he inside heel began to wear out and the plastic of the shoe rubbed against me. The fake leather got torn and the soles were cracked.

I could wear these boots no longer and it couldn’t have happened at a worse time… summer has officially ended and the rain is pouring.

So I went out in search of some good boots. I was willing to spend up to £85 on a pair so long as they were exactly what I wanted. But they weren’t – so I settled on a pair for £40. Which is good as I paid less than half what I was willing to pay, but I am hoping that £40 is enough to last me more than a year or I will be faced with this problem yet again.

False economy is one of my most hated things in the world. Seriously, it’s right up at the top there. If you can, do. Or you will regret it. I really should listen to myself more often.

Hiding a Monstrosity

2010-08-26T21:24:00.003+01:00

There is one thing wrong with my flat. The kitchen is too small to fit a tumble dryer so the tumble dryer is in my bedroom. I have an oddly shaped bedroom. It has a sort of entrance hall of it's own and luckily it was big enough to fit both the dryer and my chest of drawers/dressing table. The dryer is generally hidden behind the door when it is open, but it doesn't stop me being able to see it when I leave the room, or put on my make-up.

It's also been home to a cardboard box. It is the only box which has been left unpacked because I have nowhere to put the contents. Material and cushion pads and other bits of things that have to go in storage - the one thing I really don't have right now.

Look at it. Just look at it. Awful.

Tonight I decided enough was enough. I was tired of seeing the ugly thing and sick to death of the cardboard box stuck on top of it because it was the only area in the flat that was hideous enough to put up with it. It suddenly hit me that there was something I could do. And I had the materials in that very box. I dug out the curtains that hung in my living room in my previous flat and one was big enough to cover the two visible sides of the machine. With just a few pins, I created a cover pretty enough to keep me happy when I see that area of my bedroom.

At last, the one thing I hated about this flat has been fixed. It's not perfect, but a damn sight better than it looked before. I promise myself it won't take me 5 months to fix a problem ever again.

Spinach and Goats Cheese Muffins

2010-08-16T13:07:00.001+01:00

I do love a good roast chicken, but what do you do with a roast chicken in summer? You do what I did and head on over to sidewalk shoes for some inspiration and whip up a fabulous roast chicken, potato and spinach salad, perfect for a summer Sunday afternoon.

But what do you do with all the left-over spinach? Well that's easy, of course! You go to the delicious magazine website and search 'spinach' and see what lovelies pop up.

Matt has been working all weekend (again) so I've had a lot of free time to get my apron on and dance around in my kitchen whilst cooking up some treats. This gave me plenty of time to make the recipe that caught my eye the most - Spinach and Goats Cheese Muffins. And the even better thing was that I only needed to buy the goats cheese as everything else I had in!

Now, I'm not going to lie here. Goats cheese is one of those cheeses that I keep telling myself I like. And then I eat it, and I don't. So I ask myself why I keep getting goats cheese when I know I don't like it?? The answer to that question is that one day, I will tell myself I like it, and I will!!

This is precisely what happened this time and my god, was it worth it. These muffins ooze cheese when they're hot, and hold deliciously soft stringy cheese when cold. I had 2 straight out of the oven for my lunch and have brought another into work today! For the cost of some cheese... definitely worth it, as it only cost around £2 and will do me for another week of lunches (they can be frozen, too, so no need for anything to go to waste!).

When doing a shopping list, make sure you look out for ingredients that will give you leftovers. It's so much better to spend an extra £1 and use them all up properly than let things go to waste. Plus, you'll get a lot more food for your money and show off the domestic goddess inside of you!

Time to Start Walking!

2010-08-11T11:58:00.003+01:00

The weather in Brighton has been playing up a lot recently and confusing me in the mornings. It starts out quite miserable and then perks up in the afternoon when the sun comes out. This means that I usually ignore what the weather is like in the morning and dress for the afternoon which can sometimes make me look a bit ridiculous.

This happened yesterday when I woke up and it was raining. Not wanting to be wearing my wellies outside later in the afternoon in the glorious sunshine, I decided to wear summer clothes and get out of the rain by doing something I never do – getting the bus to work.

I walk to work every single day. Come rain or shine (apart from in this instance) I take the 30 minute walk through Hove and Brighton to get to work by 8.15am. I like walking, and whenever I am asked why I walk I say it’s because I enjoy it, but the reason is much more economical – the bus and train are shockingly expensive. £3.60 a day. That’s just less than £20 a week, and just over £70 a month. And there is no way I am spending £70 a month on a bus. Not when I can walk for free – no way.

I have worked out a route that changes scenery a few times to keep it less mundane.

I start off walking along the main road.

Then through the park. Where I get to perv at my favourite house and play out fantasies in my head of what it would be like to live there (picture at top of post).

Then up through the backstreets of Hove and past the old houses.

With a handy little Post Box on the way in case I need to send out anything.

Until I arrive the in the centre of town where I work! (I don’t have a picture of that because there were bin lorries ruining the view!)

I find that by varying the walk a bit it breaks down into easier chunks and I don’t feel as though I’m walking a long way. But it’s a mile there and a mile back and I get my little bit of exercise by just going to work. It saves me a hell of a lot of money and I enjoy it. I enjoy it even more when I put the radio on on my phone and giggle along with it.

I now walk everywhere. Which is massive for me as I never went anywhere without my car, but now I don’t see the need!

If it’s less than a half hour walk – try to walk it. Don’t just pop to the corner shop in your car – walk there! It saves petrol and it gives you a bit of exercise. It’s one of my number one money savers and it really does help. I know not everyone lives close by to local amenities but if you do, and you can, do it. Don’t get the bus, don’t get a cab – walk it. And spend those pennies on something a little more worthwhile.

I’d rather buy myself something pretty than pay for petrol.. wouldn’t you?

A Vintage Sewing Machine

2010-08-10T11:56:00.004+01:00

The lavender is coming on brilliantly so at the weekend I went out to buy some fabric to make some lavender hearts. I would quite like to have a mixture of materials for the hearts, so my aim is to buy a few different fabrics every week and build up my collection.

With all this extra fabric I think I will start to sew a bit more. I say a bit more, but I have only actually made one cushion and the lavender hearts will be sewn by hand. I need something to do so I can use my sewing machine.

This sewing machine is one of my best ever buys. They are surprisingly cheap (mine cost just £15 and I got it from an online ad) because even though they are decorative and beautiful, there are a lot of them out there. Never pay a large price for a sewing machine like this because they really are worth pence.

(For an example of just how many of these things there are – this is a shop here in Brighton that has used these sewing machines to decorate their window display).

But I’m not bothered about what it’s worth! I’m bothered about what it cost (almost nothing) and how little it cost compared to other sewing machines (£60 for a cheap standard one that doesn’t even look nice!). My sewing machine doesn’t sit in a cupboard when it isn’t being used… it sits proudly on display, inviting people to marvel at its beauty. It’s both functional and ornamental and that is why I love it.

Of course, with only having made one cushion so I am in fact a complete novice when it comes to sewing. I don’t need all the fancy attachments because I only want to make simple things. I will buy a fancy one when I need a fancy one, but for now I want basic function and gorgeousness.

The thing about this sewing machine is that it really does look expensive. It adds a sense of grandeur to my cookery bookcase and that makes me happy. If you can find a 1920s Singer or Frister and Rossman sewing machine… buy it. Buy it now. You really won’t regret it. Trust me.

An Inflatable Bed

2010-08-09T13:37:00.006+01:00

I wish I had a spare bedroom. A guest bedroom. A bedroom with flowers on bedside tables, and a bed that was always made. A bedroom that welcomed guests with open arms and promised them a good night sleep.

I don’t have a spare bedroom. Well, I do have a spare bedroom – but it is currently being used for a different purpose. The spare bedroom is Matt’s studio and is kitted out with a Mac and amps and guitars and other equally boyish things. It could never be a pretty guest bedroom even if I tried - but at least it isn’t a living room, and at least people sleeping in it won’t have to worry about waking up early so Matt and I don’t have to stay in our bedroom for hours until we hear signs of life coming from the other side of the wall.

Of course, with the spare room being Matt’s studio, there is no room for a bed. So we’ve had to get the next best thing – an inflatable one! Ha, it does make me giggle but it does the job. I got a modern black and white duvet set so at least it matched the décor of the room, and it will just have to do until we have a bigger place – but I’m quite proud of having a guest bed – even if you do have to pump it up before they arrive!

I think it’s important to welcome guests into your home with opening arms and it is especially important for me as I live a good hundred miles away from even the closest people I know properly. I don’t want people to visit and have to pay for a B&B so a simple inflatable duvet makes a big difference. I then make the stay better by whipping up a batch of pancakes for breakfast and turning the radio on for a dance in the kitchen.

Even better – I got the duvet and mattress for free! Thanks to the vouchers I received when I sent my phone to Mazuma Mobile. I could have wasted them on something frivolous (which I kind of did, as I also bought an ice-cream maker) but by buying something sensible I am able to give visitors a place to stay and save us all a pretty penny.

Homemade Basil Pesto

2010-08-06T11:17:00.003+01:00

The thing about living on your own, or only with one other person is that a lot of things in the shops are designed for families. Which is great when you can make big portions and freeze the rest for a day when you cannot be bothered, and when it will sit in the fridge quite happily for a month, but when something is perishable and in a huge quantity these items can be a bit annoying.

These items include fresh herbs, salad leaves, fruit, veg and certain condiments.

I am trying to get over my hatred of packet herbs and I’m starting to grow my own. I have a pot of basil and some parsley (which died whilst we were away on holiday) but I would like to have a whole table full of them - including thyme, mint and a little bay tree. These plants need to be picked in order to keep producing more leaves so I decided to put them to good use and make another thing that winds me up whenever I buy it – pesto.

I buy pesto and it sits in my cupboard for a while until I decide I want to use it. I take out a couple of spoonfuls and look at the back of the jar – “once opened keep refrigerated and use within 5 days”. It’s been in my cupboard for weeks and now I have to eat it all in 5 days?? There are only 2 of us! I don’t want pesto every night this week just so that this doesn’t go to waste and I find myself feeling a little bit disgruntled that couples and those who live on their own get cheated on by food designed to feed a whole army.

So last night I decided to go for it and just make my own. Jamie Oliver to the rescue again with his recipe for homemade pesto and my macbook sat happily on the worktop as I followed the instructions bit by bit. I love Jamie’s use of measurements in this recipe - a good handful of this and a pinch of that and the other, chuck it together and add what you want. Brilliant.

He does suggest using a pestle and mortar and I think I will go out and invest in one. As much as you can use a food processor, there just isn’t enough stuff in there to really get it chopped up properly and I had to get out the hand blender too to get it to a consistency that I liked. Never the less, it tasted good and that was what mattered.

Because I’d spent a fair while getting the pesto smooth, I needed something quick to eat it with so took some gnocchi out of the freezer and within 5 minutes it was done.

It made enough for 3, I’d say. So maybe next time I’ll reduce the quantities a little bit. But for a sauce that leaves hardly any waste and a tasty dinner, I think it’s a winner! Let’s hope the basil plant gets more leaves on it now for next time!

Courgette Carbonara

2010-08-05T13:13:00.002+01:00

Yesterday my friend Sarah visited with her 5 year old son, Alex. They spent the day with Matt, playing on the Wii and going to the beach to find oddly shaped pebbles. I only get home from work at six and figured the best thing to do would be to make them dinner so we could all sit around the table and chat before they had to head off home.

But as I thought about it I began to get a little bit worried. What do I make a 5 year old boy? I can’t go down the generic chicken nuggets and chips road because 1) I’m not going to feed my friend’s son that and 2) I don’t really want to eat that myself.

So I decided to make one of my all time favourites – Courgette Carbonara. You may have seen on my Weekly Shopping Lists that Courgette Carbonara is on there a lot. And it’s there for a number of reasons.

Reason 1: It is very very tasty
Reason 2: It is very very easy to make
Reason 3: Even though it’s full of cream, the courgettes make you feel less guilty
Reason 4: It’s also pretty cheap

I generally always have eggs in as a staple, and we have a fair bit of pasta so I have parmesan in fairy often (but I do think I will start buying blocks of parmesan, as they last for a very long time)/ Bacon is generally something I always have in the freezer as it can be defrosted in a very short time, and we always have pasta in the cupboard so that leaves only a few ingredients left to buy!

The following recipe serves 2 very generously.

Enough penne for 2 portions
3 or 4 rashers of bacon (or whatever you have in – I’ve made it with just 2 before)
1 large courgette
A good handful of lemon thyme
2 egg yolks
100ml of double cream
2 handfuls of parmesan (again, or as much or as little as you’d like)
Black pepper

While the pasta is cooking, cut the bacon into pieces (cut off the fat) and fry in a wok or wok-styled frying pan (if you don’t have one, don’t worry – you can just pour the bacon mixture into the pasta, instead of the other way around).

While the bacon is browning, slice the courgette in quarters, lengthways, and discard the ends. Cut out the soft bit in the middle so they’re thin, and slice down the middle again. Cut the courgette slices on the diagonal, so they’re roughly the same size and shape as the penne.

To get the leaves off the thyme, hold the sprig at the top and run your thumb and forefinger down the stem – the leaves should fall straight off. Add these to the bacon, along with the courgette and fry until the bacon courgettes get a nice golden colour on them. Don’t worry if the bacon goes a bit crispy – I prefer it that way!

While the courgettes are cooking (keeping an eye on them and stirring them occasionally) add 100ml of milk to a jug. Add the egg yolks and one handful of parmesan. Season with black pepper and whisk together with a fork.

Once the penne is cooked, drain and add to the bacon and courgette mix. Stir together, turn off the heat (so the eggs don’t scramble) and pour in the egg mixture. Ensure all the pasta is covered and add the last bit of parmesan to make it extra cheesy.

Serve immediately.

It’s okay, you can thank me later.

Expensive Looking Hand Soap

2010-08-04T09:44:00.003+01:00

Mother knows best.

And in many cases, Mother gives me very handy hints and tips. She's a whizz when it comes to saving a few pennies and I have learnt a lot!

My favourite tip of hers is the liquid hand soap tip. And once you know it - it will become a firm favourite of yours, too.

I hate (hate, hate, hate, hate, hate) cheap looking toiletries. Bathrooms should look pretty and bottles that are on display should always look nice. Unfortunately, pretty looking bottles are expensive and it's not a good idea to keep buying them just because they look nice.

Mother's tip is to invest once. They're not really that expensive. £3 or so, but not the type of money you want to spend every other week on soap. So buy a nice bottle just the once. One that has a screw top and one that is ideally a not clear. If it's clear, that's okay - but it just means you won't necessarily get the best results in the next stage.

Once the pretty soap has run out - go out and buy your regular cheap soap. Empty the cheap soap into the expensive soap bottle et voila! Expensive looking soap without the expensive price tag! Your guests (and you) will appreciate seeing attractive bottles in your bathroom, and you can gloat inside knowing that it's actually tesco value and cost you pence!

Feel free to do the same with shower gel, shampoo, bath essence and anything else you want to look pretty in your bathroom.

Enjoy!

A Tidy House

2010-08-03T11:57:00.002+01:00

I think its maybe because it looks as though you’ve got to be a super woman in order to work full time and run a household efficiently, but I just see people in a better light when they have a neater house.

Now I have to admit, there are times when I deny that my house is untidy. I put off doing anything, and then make excuses (which are true, like how I cannot face doing the washing up when there is piles of it – but can quite happily wash up if there is just one load to be done) until it gets to the point where I cannot live like this any longer and have to tidy up.

My main kick up the backside is when I know I have guests coming round. I have to give the impression that I am super tidy at all times, and when I start to clean – I realise it doesn’t actually take that long! I can do the entire place in a couple of hours and I think *why didn’t I just do that straight away??*

Matt went away for 5 days last week and I realised that I can keep the place tidy when he isn’t around. I’m not distracted, and I can just press ‘pause’ on the TV when I want to wash up, instead of only being able to listen to it while he carries on watching the really exciting fighting/flirting/embarrassing incident on Big Brother or something equally as unimportant yet much more exciting than standing with your hands in soapy water. I can also put my clothes in the wardrobe/in the washing basket at night, while he prefers to put them on the floor and then doesn’t move them when he wakes up in the morning because he’s *got work to do*.

Men are difficult. If you don’t nag – they don’t do it. And if you do nag – they get all moody and say *I was going to do it – later. You just haven’t given me time* and don’t accept *later means the place stays a mess for longer than it should* as a reason why they’re wrong.

Maybe this is why tidy houses give the impression of impressive women. Not only do they have a lovely place to live – but they have controlled their men!

Keep a tidy house and not only will it make your visitors much more impressed with your home, but it will keep you stress free and ready to receive unexpected guests at any time of the day. And is there anything nicer than walking into your livingroom in the morning and not seeing work to do?

Bliss.

Picking Lavender

2010-08-02T13:30:00.001+01:00

I looked out of my bedroom window yesterday and saw the lavender in the garden in full bloom. It is the only good thing to come out of this horrible mess of a garden and I am determined to do something positive with it.

Lavender is best picked first thing in the morning before the buds have bloomed fully for the day. Tie each end of the stems with a bit of string and put into bunches of 12/14 (tying each one individually helps the air circulate and they dry a bit better). Hang the bunches up in a dark, dry spot.

I have never dried lavender before and I have heard it can dry in 10 days, but also that it can take 4-6 weeks. I will keep you posted! I will also keep you posted on how well mine are doing hanging out in a not-so-dark spot. I have nowhere in my house where I have a dark place to hang them so they will just have to do hanging in my kitchen.

You may remember when my friend Katie sent me some Home Sweet Home Hearts, and I plan on stealing this idea a little bit by making some pretty lavender hearts once this has dried! Keep an eye out for the results of that in a few weeks!

Turkish Menemen

2010-08-01T12:38:00.001+01:00

I enjoy Sundays. Sundays are a good time. A bit of a lie-in, a day to spend with Matt, and no urgency to do anything you don't wish to (unless you do your food shopping on a Sunday and have to get there before the shops shut at 4pm).

I'd been flicking through my Delicious Magazine and saw a section dedicated to Brunch. I have little fantasies about sitting at home on a Sunday morning with my family - everyone around a big kitchen table or out in the garden, surrounded by pitchers of orange juice, baskets of muffins and little jars of freshly picked flowers, chatting away or reading the paper and tucking in to lots of good food. So really, it's no surprise that this article caught my eye.

Smoked Salmon fishcakes with lemon hollandaise sauce. Mmm. Cheddar, pancetta and spring onion muffins. Even more mmm. Lychee, raspberry and rose smoothie, ricotta pancakes with roast grapes and pomegranate molasses. Mmm but why does fruit have to be so expensive?! And I don't have any smoked salmon. Or cheese. or pancetta. Dammit.

But I realised I had missed a page. I flicked back one and saw the Turkish Menemen. A large frying pan full of tomatoes and friend egg and I flicked through the list of ingredients.

2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp fennel seeds
½ tsp cumin
¼ tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp chilli flakes
3cm piece fresh ginger, finely grated
1 red onion
2 garlic cloves
1 large red pepper
8 tomatoes or 1 400g can tomatoes
4 medium eggs
olive oil to serve
small bunch flatleaf parsley, chopped

I looked at the list again. I had all that. With the exception of the red pepper that was in my fridge, I had all of that in my cupboard! I always keep onions and garlic because you always need them. I have a parsley plant (and basil - very handy to keep in pots as they are not much more to buy and last much, much longer if you look after them) and everything else is an essential stock cupboard ingredient!

My lust of brunch was starting to linger.. but we'd already had cereal early this morning so I thought *sod it* we'll just have it for lunch instead. And it was lovely! I must remember next time to make bigger holes for the egg so they fry quicker, but all in all it was a great store cupboard success. Something I will definitely make again. And definitely something to make for breakfast if guests stay for the night. Very good hosting brownie points would be earned with a dish like that whipped up first thing in the morning!

Use Your Voucher Wisely!

2010-07-31T11:33:00.003+01:00

I don’t like offers that aren’t really offers at all. A WHSmith £5 off voucher when you spend over £10 is a good deal if you’re always buying books – but doesn’t save you any money if you fall into the trap of spending £10 that you wouldn’t normally do just to get the deal.

The same could be said about the £5 off at Tesco voucher that was in the Daily Mail this past Sunday, but I do spend a lot of money at Tesco so it would be a good deal for me (and I like the free magazines that come with Sunday papers – I sometimes find good pictures in there to put up on my Inspiration Board).

However, the offer runs out today so we had to make the most of it and I will spend that fiver on a bottle of wine, or a bottle of Gin (but probably the wine) and it will do me nicely! As we have to spend £40 to get this deal – we might as well use it wisely (ie. not buy lots of chocolate and wine just because we have an excuse to) and get some meat in. We always make the mistake of buying lots of pork chops (probably because they are always on offer) but I will not fall into that trap because all you can make with pork chops is a variation on pork chops. No, this time I am getting chicken, turkey and bacon. No mince beef – no no, that’s a winter meat (apart from burgers and I have nothing to cook them on) and even though I have some I can’t find anything summery to make out of mince.

And with most of that save in the freezer to help me along this next month, this week I will be making:

Salmon & Purple Sprouting Broccoli (not sure why it's in Tesco now - but I am not complaining)
Lemon and Garlic Turkey & Sauteed Potatoes
Gnocchi & Homemade Pesto
Tomato & Balsamic Pasta
Courgette Carbonara
Paella

In the Black

2010-07-30T16:54:00.002+01:00

Today is Friday. Not only is it Friday but it's the last working day of the month and that can only mean one thing...

Payday.

For the first time in almost a year, I am now up to date with my outgoings and just as well really, as today is also the last day that I have my student overdraft.

When I moved to Brighton last year I had a fair bit. I spent a lot moving down here, on deposits and such, but I had some money in the bank and I was satisfied that it was there and we were spending what we were earning. Then, after 3 months a little disaster struck and I was unable to work for 2 months. That was a massive problem as I was the one paying most of the bills and Christmas was coming up - my first Christmas without my family - and I didn't want to have to cut back just because I was out of work. If anything, I needed Christmas to go well so I had something to take my mind off being ill.

Of course with no money coming in, and lots going out (not to mention the winter heating bill) I had to go into my savings. Something I really didn't want to do, but something I was glad I could do because it enabled me to carry on living down here and we didn't get forced out of our apartment.

The day before Christmas Eve I was offered a job with the company I am now with. It was a huge relief to know that we would soon be on our feet again. And 3 months later when we were getting there, we got more bad news. We were being evicted. Being evicted not because of anything we'd done - but because the apartments were being renevated and would no longer be within our budget. We had to start house hunting again and pay hundreds in admin fees - along with an increase in rent, and a bigger deposit.

We moved in 3 months ago and today marks the day that I have finally sorted my money out. I am no longer dipping into the student overdraft to pay this bill, or that bill, and it comes as such a huge relief.

I am telling this little story because I want to show how important it is to have savings. Next month, nearly everything I have left over is going into another account. And so it will continue. Just because I have money there, it doesn't mean I have to spend it recklessly. And the same tips I am using now are the same as they would be if I were paying off debt. Slowly but surely that sum of money will get larger and sooner or later you'll have something to show for it - whether it be a nice amount in your bank, or that wonderful '0' figure, no longer in the red.

Have a great weekend.

My Inspiration Board

2010-07-29T13:00:00.003+01:00

When I started university in 2005 I did everything in my power to make my room in halls the nicest it could be. I had a lovely duvet set, bought some children’s rugs from Argos, and decorated my door with bright pink hanging beads. In fact, the duvet was pink, the rugs were pink, and the rest of the room was pink and black.

It wasn’t sophisticated in the least, but I was ‘cool and alternative’ in some sort of way. And to show my fellow students that I really was cool and alternative, I covered the giant notice board in my room with black paper and filled it with concert tickets, photos, wristbands, letters and cards (and my timetable, of course).

(I have searched everywhere to find a picture of this room and notice board – but I got a new computer in 2008 and they must be on the old one – must search that one when I go back to my parent’s in September!!)

But after my first year I took an 18 month sabbatical and when I went back I was 20 and much more mature. I wasn’t in Halls of Residence this time – I was in a flat of my own. No sharing with other students – just me and my one bed flat. And this time it was going to be a ‘grown up’ flat. Not a place filled with teenage angst and loud, heavy music.

I loved the notice board that I had last time, but I wanted a board that was filled with inspiration instead of memories – and so I created my little masterpiece (if I do say so myself).

The first thing I needed was a background. None of this bare cork rubbish – it needed something pretty so that even when it didn’t have anything inspirational on it – it still looked nice. So I put on a nice outfit, and wandered on down to Laura Ashley. I had so much fun there pretending to be decorating my bedroom and searching for wallpaper. I asked for samples of quite a few of their designs and was very enthusiastic when they showed me matching curtains and duvet sets. It was my time to pretend to have an ounce of money while still leaving with plenty of goodies and not having spent a single penny.

I then did the same at B&Q in their wallpaper department but it wasn’t quite as glamorous…

And when I got home I placed all my ripped wallpaper samples together and pinned them to the board! Beautiful! Decoration without having costing a thing and the chance to play the little rich girl in the Laura Ashley shop!

This inspiration board grew over time. It’s all made from articles from magazines. Some magazines that I have bought myself, some than I have taken from magazines in dentist receptions (shh) and others that my mother has sent me in the post because she thought I’d like it!

(I wish I could have this kitchen, but some how I don't think the other half would allow it)

I have this inspiration board in my bedroom. I have used it for inspiration when moving home, and I use it to help develop my daydreams of owning a wonderful house in the country with a big back garden and wreaths on the front door.

Unfortunately my kitchen is not big enough to allow me to have another in there – but when it does, I will, and it will be a recipe inspiration board of dreams and I may get fat even by just looking at it!

Summer Sausage, Sage and Potato Bake

2010-07-28T12:57:00.002+01:00

In the summer months I am always trying to think of ‘summer dishes’ that are light enough to not weigh me down in the heat, but filling enough so that Matthew doesn’t get grumpy. Unfortunately, I tend to find that the best looking summer recipes are either salads (with so many fresh ingredients that I’d have to eat it every day for a week in order to not waste anything), fish dishes (which tend to be quite expensive) or meals to be served at a barbeque (that I do not have, along with not having a garden, or a vast amount of friends to invite round).

So I find myself in a bit of a pickle in the summer. Winter is easy. I can make stews and shepherd’s pies that I can freeze and eat at a later date. You can’t do that with a salad. I wish you could – but you can’t.

So I was over the moon when I made a Sausage Potato Bake and it was everything I could ever ask for. And with only 4 ingredients, it's a no nonsense cheap dish (which also requires absolute minimum effort).

(Serves 2-3)

6-8 sausages (I like tesco finest sausages with red pepper in this)
500g baby new potatoes
3 red onions
12 sage leaves (or however many you fancy)

Pop the sausages in a baking dish and drizzle over some olive oil. Put in an oven preheated at 200 C and bake for 10 minutes until slightly golden. Half some of the bigger potatoes and cut the red onions into chunks. Add them, along with the sage leaves, to the dish and put back in the oven for 25-30 minutes until the onions are soft, the potatoes are browning and the sausages look beautiful.

Chuck some salad leaves in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and serve alongside the dish of summer goodness.

The salad makes the meal much lighter, and the potatoes happily satisfy the hunger needs of growing men. Perfect!

The Joys of a Tesco Clubcard

2010-07-27T10:38:00.004+01:00

When I was 18 and started driving, I got a Tesco Clubcard to collect points when I bought petrol. But the first time I got a letter through, all I saw were vouchers for 30p off toilet roll or something as equally uninteresting for a teenager living with parents.

For some reason, I started talking to my mum about Clubcard points when Matt and I moved in together a year ago. She told me that your points were converted into vouchers that you could spend on whatever you wanted. I was shocked. How did I not know this?? How much money had I thrown away in the last 5 years because I didn't read a stupid letter properly when I was 18??

So on my first Tesco shop in Brighton, I applied for a card. Since then we've received a lot of Clubcard points. Some to help us at Christmas, some to give us super cheap tickets to Thorpe Park for Matt's birthday, and now some that bought us a weekly shop before we get paid next week.

I also signed up to E:ON for my gas and electric because you get points when you use energy so I thought it made perfect sense to get Clubcard points for something that I had to use anyway.

My mum saves them up all year to uses them at Christmas to lessen the dint in the purse that is generally spent at that time of the year. I am definitely going to start that, but think it's probably a better idea to save them for Christmas when I'm the one putting on the Christmas Entertainment - until then, the last 6 months of the year will go on Christmas, and the first 6 months will go on treats or a weekly shop.

Yay for Tesco! Free money!

The same system applies to Boots Advantage Cards and Nectar Points. I don't have a Nectar Card so not 100% sure what the deal is with that one, but my Advantage Card often buys me a spot of lunch, or some hair dye. I'm not patient enough to save it up to buy a bottle of Channel!

So! The menu for this week is as follows:

Homemade Tortilla Pizza's with Sweet Potato Chips
Lemon Roasted Chicken with Roasted Potatoes and Red Pepper
Chicken Fried Rice
Sausage & Potato Bake with a Green Salad
Courgette Carbonara
Chicken Korma with Jasmine Rice

All bought for a whopping... wait for it... 8p.

España

2010-07-26T12:46:00.006+01:00

I have just been on my first holiday in 3 years. For Matt, his first holiday abroad (with the exception of a school trip) ever.

It couldn't have come at a better time. Matt had just finished his uni exams, I'd been working almost constantly since January, and we've already moved house once this year. I 2 week break was very much needed.

We are incredibly fortunate to have a place to stay in Spain. My parents have had a villa out there for the past 5 years and with such a short drive away from the airport, the only things we had to pay for were the flights and food.

The flights were booked back in February. Coming in at just under £250 for the two of us, they weren't the cheapest flights available, but as Matt is still at uni we could only get flights after term had finished. Still, I could hardly complain. We booked train tickets to Gatwick in advance (£2.70 each!) and I also checked online to find the best deals on foreign currency. I went with the Post Office as they didn't charge commission. Daily expenditure would be budgeted for a meal and a treat at a restaurant (either pudding or alcohol) and we set aside money for the supermarket to buy cereal and milk for breakfast, and meats, cheeses and bread for lunch.

The first week was spent sunning it by the pool. Reading, tanning (albeit, not much - I'm very pale), learning to swim (something I didn't know about Matt - despite having lived with him for a year). Evenings started at 9pm due to the hot weather, but that really helped financially - less time to get drunk = less tempted to spend money on drinks. And we were so relaxed that we fell asleep not long after midnight and slept well through until late morning.

In the second week my parents my little sister arrived. To be honest, if the holiday had ended at this point I think we had relaxed so much that our bodies had already recharged, and we would have felt refreshed enough to go back to work. But this next week was full of activities. Swimming in waterfalls (the coldest water I have ever put my foot in), boat trips across the Mar Menor, drinking Chocolate Granizados (the most delicious thing in the world... ever), seeing Roman Ampitheatres and splashing about in the water with Matt and Lisa (who became BFF's by the end of this holiday).

Being away for two weeks has done me the world of good and I cannot stress how much better it is to go away to a foreign country when you go away on holiday. If you can find the money to do it - do it. Even if it's only for a week in a hotel with a pool. No phones, no internet, no newspapers. Just you, the sun, and the water. Matt suffers from insomnia yet slept solid while we were away. The complete lack of distraction and total switch off not only helps your body physically, but mentally, it makes you feel as though you're living a bit better. And that, I think, is key when it comes to feeling more positive about living on a low budget.

Shopping Trolley Snobbery

2010-06-06T19:28:00.002+01:00

There's something about going shopping and having a trolley that is full of fresh veg and healthy food that makes me become a bit of a trolley snob when I go to the supermarket.

I hate seeing trolleys full of fizzy drinks, giant packets of crisps and ready meals. There is never an excuse to buy that kind of food. Food full of additives and preservatives, meat from areas of an animal that you wouldn't even wish to see. The problem with these foods is that they're not good for you, and eating them frequently can make you miserable. Not only because of the amount of fat and sugar in them, but nothing makes a person feel poor than eating 'poor' food.

By doing a weekly food planner, I can flick through recipe books, magazines and websites to find good, cheap food. If you remember my last shopping trip, I had a lot of meat-based meals. This week, I've gone more vegetarian. Meat's so expensive so by substituting it for a vegetarian dish, you can afford to spend the extra on more flavoursome ingredients.

This week's meal plan:
Salmon and Potato Salad
Chicken, Chorizo and Broad Bean Rice
Courgette, Roasted Pepper and Gremolata Tart with Sweet Potato Wedges
Green Thai Curry with Greens
Spaghetti and Chilli Prawns
Gnocchi, Tomato and Mozerella Bake
Steak and Kidney Pie

I couldn't buy a single lime so the rest will get cut into wedges and frozen for summer drinks. The steak and kidney I have will also make more than 2 portions, so that, too, will get frozen and I'll make some dumplings for a stew on a day that's not as warm. I also bought 2 bags of mega cheap gnocchi to whack in the freezer and be eaten in a moments notice. I do have a recipe for gnocchi which I imagine I will be posting some time next week as I have a glut of potatoes that need eating.

Over in the top right corner you'll see some popping corn. After reading Elizabeth Carmen's blog over at Life Blessons about popping corn on the stove, I have decided to give it a go. Matthew loves popcorn and this is a really cheap way of snacking in the evening, curled up watching a film. In the bottom left corner there's a bag of walnuts - a staple in my cupboard as then I can make the world's easiest brownies at any given moment.

Don't buy rubbish food. If you can't cook - try and learn. Cooking isn't hard, and it's a sure fire way of making you feel better both physically, and emotionally regarding your finances. Stay tuned for more weekly shopping lists!

It's Pimms o'clock!

2010-06-04T19:32:00.001+01:00

Sometimes I get so caught up in saving money that I forget to actually go out and do things like a normal person. I guess it's a kind of fear of spending my money so frivolously but it needn't be.

I go out on a Friday after work maybe once a month. That's a decent amount, I think. I'm not spending money every week on drinks, but I'm not alienating myself from the group by always refusing an invitation. Plus, there's something about always having to say no to going out with people because you can't afford it that makes you feel just rubbish.

No one wants to openly say that they have no money - and so you don't have to give that impression. 3 weeks in a row, you can 'happen to have other plans', but once a month 'yeah, I think I could go for one' is a treat for yourself.

But one is enough. One is sensible and one stops you from getting so drunk that you don't care about how much money you spend. One also gives you the chance of being offered a drink, and you smile sweetly and thankfully accept, before heading home because that was your plan. Stay any later and you could get sucked into rounds and that is the worst thing for anyone on a tight budget to get involved in - don't do it!!

So this evening, I sat in the glorious sunshine amongst cheery Friday night just-out-of-the-office banter and enjoyed my (free, thanks to Tom who treated me after I did a lot of work for him this afternoon) double Pimms and lemonade.

Summer is finally here.

Selling Your Stuff

2010-06-02T19:35:00.003+01:00

Never under estimate the power of selling your unwanted things on the internet.

I used to be a fan of eBay, but since moving to an area where Gumtree is often used, I have become an avid fan. We used it to sell our giant TV cabinet when we moved house and other household items. It's better on eBay for 2 reasons: it's free, and you get what you ask for. Of course, on the downside - you get what you ask for - which could be a bit of a curse if you have an item that's in demand.

I find it particularly useful for larger items - items that can't be shipped easily. Write on the ad 'please pick up' et voila - absolutely minimal effort on your part.

I put up this dressing table mirror about 3 weeks ago. My mum had given it to me months ago but gave me a beautiful mirror when we moved so I had no need for it anymore - but I didn't want to just throw it away. Instead, it's sat happily behind my sofa until someone decided they needed it. And for the girl who bought it, it was perfect. She was so much happier than I had been with it and that's a home I was glad for it to go to.

£15 for an item I had behind my sofa is a good deal. That's a bottle of wine, or three. It's a trip to the cinema, and it's less clutter in our home.

This weekend, I suggest a good old rummage through drawers for unwanted bits and bobs and get selling! Gumtree, Craigslist, eBay - you name it, you get your stuff on it! And treat yourself to a new dress for these fiiiiiiiine summer days!

How to Make the Most out of a Hideous Garden

2010-06-01T21:00:00.004+01:00

This is the view of my garden from my living room window. It's not that pretty. Actually, it's awful, and could really do with a cut lawn and someone to take away that horrendous washing machine that has been left there (how, I have no idea).

It pains me that they garden is that bad, but I share it with the other 9 flats in this house and I've only been here for 2 months - not long enough to establish some stability and justify spending any amount of money to make my view pleasant.

However - in the garden are two very brightly coloured trees. Beautiful trees, lost in all that ugliness. And my living room needed brightening up a little so I took a wander downstairs with a pair of scissors. I got a beautiful result!

Free flowers! Lovely free flowers in a used coffee jar. All in all, a completely free decoration that is beautiful and brings the colours of spring into my home. I have a few more vases that are definitely going to get the same treatment!

This one is now sitting happily on my cookery bookshelf, next to the sewing machine and reflecting it's spring quality through the mirror. Doesn't it look as though it's meant to be there?

Shopping for the Week

2010-05-31T09:10:00.002+01:00

It's a Monday morning and the sun is shining. I have my recipe books and magazines out and I have planned my meals for the week.

Spring and summer are quite difficult to plan food for. Matthew, despite being the world's thinnest man, eats huge portions and I'm afraid that light meals of any kind keep him hungry and make him grumpy. But I hate eating stodgy food in the warmer months. It's a bit of a pickle and I have to work hard to find meals to suit us well, without being the same thing we ate last week.

I have a freezer which is packed full of things that have been left unused, as well as cheap cuts of meat that were put in the day of purchase. I try not to buy desert or snacks of any kind, and lunches are generally sandwiches, baked potatoes and as I will have 4 pitta breads left over from the burgers this week, pitta breads with salad and hummous. Breakfast is cereal - any cereal which is on offer.

So! The following meals have been planned!

Creamy Courgette Carbonara
Falafel Burgers with Sweet Potato Chips
Beef and Noodle Stir Fry
Lemon and Garlic Turkey with Sauteed Potatoes
Pork Chops with Mash and Peas
Chilli with Rice or Salad

There are only 6, as chances are one of us will be out one evening and miss dinner. If not, we have a lot of potatoes and some mince in the freezer so we can just make a Shepherd's Pie.

All of this comes in at under £40 for the week. A safe budget, I feel, and one that allows me to eat decent food instead of rubbish. There is also quite a lot of meat in this week's menu but that's because I have a glut of beef and pork in the freezer which I bought weeks ago when it was on offer - always very handy to do if you have a few extra pennies as it saves you lots in the weeks to come.

If anyone would like the recipes for any of these dishes, please ask!

My Student Digs

2010-05-30T11:35:00.003+01:00

When I moved into my student flat it was pretty basic. Cream walls, wooden floor, and basic furniture. The curtains were the most vile colour of yellow that I had ever seen and were quickly ripped down and replaced with bargain pale green ones that I'd found at a clearance material shop. A cheap green rug was bought to match and I added some purple cushions for a bit of variety and a print to give the walls something.

I was happy with this set up for a while, but the room just felt a bit too clinical and empty. The amount of work I was doing meant I had to spend a lot of time at my desk and it was in my tiny bedroom, so I thought I'd have a bit of a change.

Putting the desk in the living room meant that I could enjoy it a bit more instead of being crammed in my bedroom. I purposefully left my computer at the desk to encourage me to NOT stay in bed whilst writing my essays and I added a small notice board and some ornaments to keep it looking interesting.

It felt cosy and that's what I wanted. Sometimes too much space isn't comfortable. And the best thing was - I didn't have to buy anything! I just moved stuff around to see where it fit best. I even got more space in my room to prance around in whilst checking out my clothes in the newly positioned full length mirror. Win all around.

Writing Letters

2010-05-28T12:52:00.003+01:00

I'm not quite sure how I feel about Facebook. I like it, sure, but mostly because it's gossip and I like knowing what people are up to. But on the downside, people assume that I know what they're up to. I don't it to be assumed. I want to ask *so what are you up to these days?* and get an interesting response! But you can't do that these days. If they're not a friend - you 'obviously' hate them and they obviously hate you so you might as well not bother.

I only have 74 friends. Each and every person on my facebook list is someone I know and like. Not someone I sat next to in Maths, not a friend of a friend who I met once, and not people I worked with 4 years ago and haven't spoken to since. But it doesn't mean I wouldn't want to say hi if I bumped into them off the street.

Of course, I don't have 74 close friends. I have less than 10 close friends. And not one of them lives near me. The closest is maybe 200 miles away. The furthest, proabably 500-600 miles away. I love these people dearly but I cannot go and visit them often, and sometimes I'm just too busy to call or send a facebook messgae - but it doesn't mean I don't want to speak to them. So I want to communicate with them in a way that says *hey lady, I was thinking about you!* and the best way to do that is to write a letter.

Months ago I bought a stack of beautiful cards. I prefer cards to writing paper as they're more hardwaring and you get a pretty image on the front. I do like sending cards to friends that I have seen and immediately thought of them, but for when I just want to write one there and then, or don't have a few pounds to spare, I dip into my stash.

It makes such a good impression. And getting a card in the post shows thoughfulness, and time well spent - not a quick phone call when you've got a few minutes to spare.

And when you're low on free minutes - the price of a stamp is a much cheaper method of staying in touch.

A New Fabric Shop?

2010-05-27T12:43:00.003+01:00

There are a lot of fabric shops in Brighton. A lot. But I have searched through them and I can never find anything that I want. So much fabric and nothing that calls out to me. I couldn't make my table cloth because I couldn't find the right material. The same thing happened with some gifts I was going to make for a friend. And it annoys me a bit, because I know exactly what kind of fabric I want and I cannot for the life of me find it anywhere.

I had been flicking through websites trying to find free events that will be going on in the city for free and I came across an Quilt Making event. As something that interested me, I skipped on over to the website and have found their online shop (an online shop is a must for me - I do not like not knowing the general cost of something when I go into a shop as I hate the feeling of walking out because I cannot justify paying the amount shown). That is exactly the type of fabric I'm after. Good old patterned fabric. Sturdy fabric. Brightly coloured fabric.

So next weekend when I have a Saturday free, I shall take a wander down there and have a look at what they've got. I'm feeling all creative having recieved Katie's present yesterday and I really have to start channeling my energy into something other than watching Glee or Junior Apprentice.

I shall let you know how I get on and whether or not I will encourage you to order some pieces for yourself. If anyone has any sugestions for good quality cheap fabric in the UK then please let me know - I would be eternally grateful!

Homemade Presents

2010-05-26T20:31:00.003+01:00

I got home from work this evening and there was a small package waiting for me.

I love post. Love post. It's very exciting when it's something that doesn't look as though it's bills related it. I opened it and was so surprised to see what was inside. 'Home Sweet Home' hearts from my friend Katie!!

Possibly the most beautiful house-warming gift I have ever received. Ever. I love them. The stitching, the buttons, the little charm on the second 'home' heart. So beautiful that I put them up in a prime position. On the side of my bookcase - visible for all to see and matching perfectly with the decorative items that sit proudly on display.

Personal gifts mean more to me than anything that a person could buy. They say 'I thought about you enough to put time and effort into something'.

In fact, only today I was looking in Velvet and saw things similar to this. I think I'm going to get some lavender out of the garden and make some lavender stuff hearts. I'm going to pretty this house up bit by bit.

And give out some lovely presents with all the extras that I make.

The Brighton Festival

2010-05-25T12:18:00.003+01:00

The weather is nice and I wanted to go outside.

In May, Brighton has a Festival - and this was it's last week. So we headed out and walked down the road to go and look at the Artists Open Houses.

There are hundreds all over the place, where artists open their homes to the public and turn them into museums of sorts. We looked through 5 and spent a very long time in a B&B in Hove which had different artists displaying work all through the building. There were paintings and sculptures, crafts and cushions, lampshades made of bits and bobs and bits and bobs made of lampshades. It was fascinating.

I wished I could have bought a lot of the things I'd seen, but I was happy enough to have a freebie day out looking at art (and perving a little bit on the stunning buildings).

But the freebie day out didn't stop there. You don't have to spend any money to enjoy a park in the sunshine, or a food festival. Take the samples! I confess to spending £1.50 on an Oyster but I had never had one before and this was my chance. It made me a bit happy and I can now tick that off my lists of things I would like to do/eat. It's these kind of places where I would love to be able to spend a lot of money - but it was all so expensive. And to be honest, I had a great time just looking at everything.

The hustle and bustle of this atmosphere is very pleasing to me. I love seeing people out enjoying themselves and the sunshine. And look how blue that sky is! Not a cloud in the sky.

We wandered through a few more houses on our way back from the Market by the beach. I got some great inspiration from a vase of flowers made entirely from plastic wrapping, beads, buttons and wire (you can take a look at the website here). It's amazing how pretty something can look when a little bit of care goes into it.

Passing through the park, we saw even more of the festival going on!

More stalls...

Screams and laughter of children tucked away through the trees...

And a mini show for people enjoying their picnics!

I would have loved to have stayed for this, but we needed to head back and the sun was buring my English Rose shoulders.

But this day was so full of exciting things going on right on our doorstep! I always miss these things so I am going to make sure I keep checking the Brighton Festival website so find out when more events are happening.

If you live in a community where things like this are common - make the most of them! Especially if they're outdoors and especially if they're free. If you don't know - hit the web. Search for something. It's totally worth a free day out.

Serving Ware

2010-05-21T15:41:00.000+01:00

I love dishes. And bowls. And glasses. And cake stands.

Number 1 reason is because they look so pretty! But the second reason is because they hide the packaging.

I don't like packaging. I don't like handing out bags of crisps to guests and getting them to dip their tortilla chips into a plastic pot of guacamole.

Serving ware is the ultimate way of making something that is cheap look presentable and thought out. I think a nice tray is a great investment - especially if your kitchen and livingroom isn't open plan. Imagine how nice it would be for you if you went to a friends house, and instead of her holding a bottle of wine under one arm and wine glass stems between all fingers, she walked in with a tray full of glasses poured and ready to drink. It costs about a fiver and makes a great impression for your guests, time and time again.

The same with food. Trays are great for serving on if, like me, you don't have a coffee table. I have a tray with a cushion underneath which I do not use for eating whilst watching TV. Instead, I sit it on the floor full of bowls and ramekins and tuck in.

Alcohol is another thing that I don't like spending a huge amount of money on - and even more so if I'm handing it out to other people and not even enjoying all of it to myself! You can buy very cheap glass jugs and serve from a pitcher. If you make your guests their first drink on arrival and then bring out a pitcher for them to top their drink up, not only do they not see that you've bought a plain bottle of gin rather than Bombay Sapphire, but you can choose the ratio of gin to tonic (or any other drink you desire to have).

And by keeping lemon cartwheels and lime wedges in the freezer, you can look incredibly prepared even for unexpected guests.

Top Tip: Keep cheap (but nice) wine glasses for the occasional time you have more than x amount of people coming round. Nobody likes to be served wine in a tumbler because you've run out of them!

Shopping Lists

2010-05-21T15:06:00.001+01:00

I like to do an online shop before actually heading out to the supermarket.

This sounds a bit strange, but it really does save me money. I try not to set a budget straight away, but instead flick through my recipe books and decide on what to have throughout the week. I like to vary what I eat and find that preparing a menu means that we don't have pasta twice in a row, or five days in a week with meals containing tinned tomatoes.

I aim to not repeat a dish with each of these ingredients more than twice a week: rice, pasta, mashed potatoes, roast potatoes, boiled potatoes, gnocchi. Otherwise it feels as though we've had no variation.

Then I go online and price up everything I need to buy. The good thing about doing this is that you see exactly how much you need to spend - and don't add in the naughty temptations. I then look at the amount it costs and allow myself to round up to the nearest £5. Then I go through and find any treats I'd like.

It makes you realise that you're not going to need the 2-for-£7 pizzas, and buy not buying the 2nd, you've probably got another £3 to spend on some ice-cream, or a bottle of wine, instead. Are you really going to use all the parmesan in that tub? Or are you better saving that 50p and just buying the small packet?

Remember - the shops want us to spend more. Don't deny yourself treats but don't buy things you don't need and will eventually waste.

I like to do my menu for the week on a Saturday afternoon. It's the one time of the week I get to myself and I curl up on my sofa with Saturday Kitchen on the telly and my recipe books strewn all over the floor. It's not at all stressful. Quite the opposite in fact. And looking at all those pictures in the books gets you really excited about the great food you'll be eating next week - and because you'll be looking forward to it, and know exactly what you're doing, you'll be less likely to think *eugh, I don't know what to do for dinner.... let's just get a chinese*... and blow £15.

Go Veggie

2010-05-20T13:43:00.000+01:00

Last year, I watched a programme that changed the way I viewed meat.

I am not a vegetarian, nor am I going to write a lecture on how eating meat is bad. I love meat, and I will eat it. But now I've learnt that I don't have to eat it every day.

I have never liked the thought of cheap meat, but Britain's Really Disgusting Food made me make up my mind 100% that it was not something I would eat ever again. The thought of Mechanically Reclaimed Meat and other equally gross animal parts in foods made me want to be sick a little, and still does. I cannot go anyway near processed meats and bottom of the range choices.

That said, I can't afford to eat organic meat so I can't quite go to the other end of the scale. All I can do for now is say that now I won't buy the cheapest. But that still isn't financially viable. Chicken to make a korma costs me just under a fiver for four portions which makes meat the most expensive thing on my shopping list.

So how was I to go about this? Have a few veggie days a week. This didn't go down particular well with my other half who, despite being a tiny creature, eats a lot of food. And if meat isn't part of a meal, he doesn't really class it as a full meal. A bit of a challenge, then!

Cheesy Chickpea Enchiladas is my current favourite vegetarian dish, and one which doesn't leave him eating some toast later in the evening.

Fry up a red onion and garlic until softened. Add a tin of chopped tomatoes, a tin of drained chickpeas, a teaspoon of cumin and a pinch of dried chili flakes. You can add a finely chopped chilli if you so wish, but I'm not very good with spicy food.

Allow the mixture to simmer for 10 minutes or so until thick. Lay four tortilla wraps curled up next to each other in a baking dish and spoon the mixture in. Wrap over the sides to make 4 individual wraps (but try and make sure the ends of the wraps aren't higher than the baking dish or they'll burn) and cover with grated cheese. Grill until the cheese bubbles.

I can eat two of these because they're yummy - but one really is enough if you have a small stomach. Serve with a salad.

If this were a meat dish, it would be made with mince or chicken. But by substituting it with chickpeas it saves a good £2-3. Which doesn't really seem a lot, but it can reduce your shopping bill if you don't eat meat a couple of times a week.

As tortillas come in a pack of 8, I use the remaining ones for lunch. I also buy pre-grated cheese so I can take whatever I have left to work with me, and eat it with a jacket potato and some beans. Uses up leftovers and saves me time having to think up lunch ideas. Win-win!

A Bookcase

2010-04-10T12:20:00.002+01:00

A bookcase isn't just a bookcase.

It's a feature. A place to put not just books, but ornaments. Figures and plants, potpourri and piggy banks. Don't be fooled by it's name - a bookcase is simply a few shelves and can become whatever you want it to be.

I bought this bookcase from Ikea at a steal of a price (and pretty much a steal from another person, as they'd tried to 'save' it by hiding it near different packs of furniture) and when I got it, I didn't even know where I was going to put it. All I knew was that it was a beautiful shape and would have a purpose one way or another.

This bookcase was positioned in my hallway when I initially bought it, and when we moved it was brought into the livingroom. It has been a main feature in both these areas because of what it holds - everything.

Books, fairies, plants, a small wicker basket, a strange wooden ball that I bought for no apparent reason, a small statue of a lady, cards, notebooks, piggy banks, a big glass bowl full of potpourri, a small pink bucket which holds more pens than I could ever possibly need, a box full of memories, dvds, board games, a clock, 4 bright green vases that don't (and have never) held flowers and my bright pink filing box.

It oozes colour and brightens up the area in which it stands. It stores objects that I have no storage space for and yet even though it looks used, I hardly ever take anything off it. It serves no other purpose than to just be.

I loved the look of it so much that I took photos and when I moved house the first thing I did was look at the pictures and work out how to put it all back together again into it's beautiful state of organised chaos.

I didn't buy anything specifically to go on the bookshelf. I used what I had to build colour, depth and excitement. It cost me nothing to decorate it, and yet it looks as though everything was bought to intentionally make it look the way it does.

Be bold. Don't be afraid of wild colours. Have a bright little spot in the corner.

Colour

2010-04-04T12:56:00.001+01:00

The thing I often see that people get wrong when it comes to making a house look homely, is stick to a colour scheme and not stray away from it at all. And the most popular colour scheme? Brown and cream.

I think this is pretty common as it’s neutral. The idea is that anything will match magnolia and whilst this is true, it is almost always matched with brown and one single colour. Although the idea is to look modern and stylish, it can become a trap, with the decorator afraid to add in another colour in case it clashes.

And I have been guilty of this. The colour scheme in my living room at my flat at University was green and purple (as accessory colours - the walls were magnolia). The bedroom was blue and brown (again, accessories only). And whilst the bedroom was fine with a colour scheme (I actually love blue and brown – I still have that in my bedroom now – but I’ve added white into the mix) The livingroom just didn't feel full enough. It was lovely as student accommodation, don't get me wrong, but it lacked something busier and just felt a bit too empty at times.

I've come to realise that a room doesn't have to be bursting with objects to make it feel full and comfortable (you may like a more spacious feel, but i find that too often than not that a minimalistic approach lacks a bit of warmth) and incorporating colour fills this gap.

Say you rent, for example. The walls are magnolia. The carpet is cream. You have a brown sofa. Your TV cabinet/case is wooden and your TV is black. Your dining table is wooden. Your bookcase is wooden. Everything is brown, or cream and dull. Is there anything you can do?

Yes.

Add colour with your cushions and curtains and put some bright flowers in the centre of the table (the daffodils were a pound from Tesco - you cannot resist flowers for a pound). The bookcase adds dramatic colour to the room and creates a feature. 4 little things and I have transformed the brown shades.

Not only is it possible - it's easy.

Moving Day

2010-04-02T16:09:00.001+01:00