Friday 30 April 2010

Plans for an unplanned weekend.

I'm so excited that it's the bank holiday weekend! Tonight I am enjoying doing nothing - catching up on blogs, painting my nails and watching Marie Antoinette (which I've been dying to do since I went to Versailles).


And then, once my nails are dry, I'll be packing a bag. Because I'm off to...


Brighton! I'm hopping on a train tomorrow to visit friends, and then on Sunday I'll be wandering along to Hove to an engagement do. Exciting!



(Taken last July - as my dear Nikon is still in the Camera Hospital).

On Monday, me and the Bestie are going to hit up some car boot sales and then if the weather isn't too hideous, I'm going to have a barbeque in my lovely garden.


Lovely! And the best part is, all of the above plans (except Sunday's party) are less than a week old - don't you just love it when an empty weekend suddenly fills up with loveliness?

What are you up to this weekend?



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Wednesday 28 April 2010

French food = lots of butter. Whee!


My last Paris post is, rather aptly for this greedy little blogger, all about food.



I originally intended it to be about all Paris food, but then going through the photos, I realised that every picture that made me go, 'Oh, yeah. Yuuuum!' was to do with items from my favourite food group. CAKES.



This is a Religeuse. That may be spelt wrong. It's basically a two-tier profiterole filled with chocolate instead of cream. I want to have its babies.


Breakfast! Basically every day. Why yes, I did gain half a stone when I was in France!

These tartlets were from a chain - Brioche Doree - but oh my gosh, I'm still dreaming about the caramel pecan tartlet. Amazing. The pastry was FULL of butter. Nom.

And, of course, no trip to Paris would be complete without a visit to Ladurée. I am more than a little bit obsessed with macaroons (or if we're being really French,
macarons) now, ever since finally succumbing to the lure of LadurĂ©e in London shortly before my Paris trip. Somehow they make it okay to spend nearly £30 on cakes.


So pretty!



So tasty! They're sort of nutty and buttery and rich and sooo yummy.



If you find yourself outside a Ladurée shop, pop in and sample the salted caramel macarons. OH.

Although, after reading
this article, now I'm fixated on seeking out Pierre Hermé's offering.
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Monday 26 April 2010

Baking related links! Not really of the week!

Every now and then I do a 'Links of the Week' post, which is horribly misnamed because I do them about every three months. And although I do try to mix up the links, really, they're just a thinly veiled excuse to post recipes that I really want to make.

So welcome, to this extra special and unique RECIPE THEMED links of the week! Because I never ever post those!!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cuppycakes

Whoever first brought together chocolate and peanut butter deserves an OBE, or the Nobel, or something... surely? These look amazing.

Caramel Mud Cakes

These little cakes look unassuming, but as you should know by now, any baked good with the word 'mud' involved is normally a winner. Unless it ACTUALLY involves mud.


Peanoatella Chip Cookies

Someone has married peanut butter and nutella? And butter and oats and other cake type stuff? Yeah, I'm in.

Coconut Chocolate Chip Chocolate Cookies

God. Damn. I really don't make enough cookies.

Peanut Butter-Chocolate Lava Pots

I think these were invented to lure me off the righteous path of healthy eating. YUM.

Cinnamon Rolls

I love cinnamon, and these don't need yeast! Hurrah!

I'm attempting to be on a diet at the moment and it's impossible, so looking at websites like this is sort of like my porn. Although if you're trying to decrease your appetite, check out thisiswhyyourefat.com. It's disgusting, and yet...
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Thursday 22 April 2010

Gargoyles. Grrrr.

Notre Dame came at the end of a long, long day, seeing art and tall, famous, triangular towers. We were walking along the Seine, with very sore feet, seriously considering giving up. However, with the aid of a cab, we made it, and I'm so glad we did. I've wanted to see Notre Dame for ages, and it didn't disappoint.


The inside was stunning...










...but I think I loved the gothic twistiness of the outside, crawling in gargoyles and buttresses, most of all.

 

Going through this pictures on my computer was the first chance I had to really zoom in on these pictures and see the detail. You could really believe that real little monsters had landed on the towers and turned to stone.

Or, at least, I could.


And as I'm watching Doctor Who as I put this post together, with some really rather horrible statues, it's freaking me out a little bit. Don't even blink! Or they might appear in your bedroom!




In non-creepy statue news, I can't believe I'm almost at 100 followers! I'm planning a giveaway to celebrate when I get to 100, so keep those eyes peeled (okay, that phrase always grossed me out).


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