Sunday 23 April 2017

WISHLIST: Dresses, bags and food for Spring

Spring Summer 2017 wishlist fit and flare dresses

Remember, back in the day, when I'd post regularly about clothes and shoes and bags and whatnot, and basically be a fashion blogger type person? Yeah, me too. I don't really see me going back to my ways completely (I never quite got over the awkwardness of taking outfit photos), but lately I've found myself falling in love with clothes again.

The problem of late has been that my kind of clothes simply haven't been in the shops. Honestly, my style hasn't changed all that much during the many, many, many years that I've had this blog (I actually wore a dress to a wedding on Saturday that I featured in an outfit post on here in 2012!) but what's deemed trendy has changed. I've been turning to online-only brands like Emily & Fin, Sugarhill Boutique and Collectif as my lunchtime wanders through my old favourites like New Look and Topshop have just turned up unflattering smock dresses, bodycon skirts that wouldn't go over my hips and midi frocks that would come down to the floor on me. Boo.

BUT! Suddenly, the shops are improving. I'm putting the blame at the feet of some of this year's most successful films - Emma Stone's wardrobe in La La Land was to die for (I now have a yellow flowered dress winging its way to me) and the dresses in Hidden Figures... oh, be still my heart. So here, for the first time in a long time, is a wishlist of some of the things I'm loving in the shops right now. Plus some food, because a girl's gotta eat, obvs.

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Tuesday 18 April 2017

REVIEW: Chocolate making parties in Hertfordshire with The Choccie Drop





Okay, so it's way too early to start thinking about my hen party, but with my bridesmaids officially assembled now, I am pretty excited to spend a weekend with all of my favourite ladies. Can't we just have six-monthly mini hen dos until the wedding? It's AGES away.

One thing that got me thinking about hen dos was The Choccie Drop party I went to a few weeks ago with Matt. The lovely Kirsty holds chocolate making workshops in Hertfordshire, and we spent an evening creating items of chocolatey wonder and getting entirely covered with sugar. It was, predictably, great - because what could possibly be wrong with that scenario?
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Friday 14 April 2017

RECIPE: Super chocolatey Easter cake

Best ever chocolate cake recipe for Easter weekend

Now, some bloggers are organised and think about their content months in advance. I am not gifted in that area. I'm not a big planner, and I often post recipes after just cooking them once. I like to think that it's my style - spontaneous! Crazy! And delicious!

Aaanyway, that's why I have had these photos of an Easter cake on my computer for a YEAR. That's right - last Easter Sunday, I made this chocolatey wonder, and then realised that it was far too late to actually share the recipe. Now, some might call that being disorganised, others might call it dedication. But I'm just going to call it the best gosh darn chocolate cake you'll ever have, and recommend that you make it this weekend. Or any weekend, really. Heck, make it on a Tuesday. It's a really good cake.

Obviously, it's ace covered in mini eggs and chocolate bunnies (a decorating tip which I totally didn't invent) but it's also ace with a slick of chocolate buttercream and nothing more. This is the only chocolate cake recipe you'll need.

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Tuesday 11 April 2017

RECIPES: Sweet potato recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner

International sweet potato week - recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner
International sweet potato week - recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner
International sweet potato week - recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner

There are some foods I like so much that I could cheerfully eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner. One of those foods is sweet potatoes, which is handy, as I was challenged to make a breakfast, lunch and dinner dish containing the most orange of potatoes as part of International Sweet Potato Week, which takes place from 1-13 April. Nope, I'm not sure why it's a 13 day week either. Maybe the greatness of sweet potatoes cannot be contained within one of your earth weeks, ever think of that?

I absolutely loved doing this challenge. I've been cooking a lot of the same meals lately - good meals, but samey - and it gave me a little nudge out of my comfort zone and I discovered some new recipes that will definitely enter our regular rotation. Just wait until you get to my dinner recipe, because daaaamn.

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