May Favourites

It has been a very long time since I did a favourites post. There just hasn't been enough for it to be substantial but now I have been saving a few things up so we have a bumper month!

Books

I started to read Wild by Cheryl Strayed long after the film had been out (I have in fact just bought it to watch after loving this book!) so it wasn't a choice based on a need to read it before seeing the film. It kept cropping up on my Amazon list so I thought I would give it a go and I am so glad I did. This has to be one of my favourite books of the year so far, I love the travel aspect of it and the way it is written. I devoured this one and I think it should go straight to the top of your read pile.

The next favourite up is a little bit of a guilty pleasure as most YA books are! The Divergent trilogy by Veronica Roth was my constant companion for a few weeks as I worked my way through the three books at a substantial rate whilst still trying to slow down so they didn't end. In the same instance with Wild I just missed the boat on the second film and now have to wait for it to appear on DVD which is annoying as I just want to see what they have done with the adaptation. I really enjoyed these as I love a good dystopian novel and the twist in Book Three completely threw me which is rare as most story lines are pretty obvious now. Worth a read.

Music

Some summer tracks are starting to creep into my 800 song strong Spotify playlist which is a good thing as it seems like summer jut cant make it's mind up and arrive, so I like to pretend it's here!

Holding On ~ Disclosure ft Gregory Porter

Regret ~ Everything Everything

It Is You ~ Natalie Prass

Rumors ~ Pep & Rash

Raindrops ~ SNBRN ft Kerli

Home

I picked up a couple of really cute home bits this month from Wilko (apparently my favourite place on earth!) and as always the supermarkets have got some gorgeous home bits in.

I have been eyeing up this dish for so long I thought it might have been discontinued but luckily for me it was still there when I last went into Sainsburys so I grabbed it before it was gone! It reminds me of Portugal so much, another reason I love it! I am also eyeing up a jug in the same print....

Fish Platter - Sainsburys - £10

And because all I need in my life is another chopping board I picked this one up....

Chopping Board - Wilkinsons - £4

I couldn't resist this little egg house. I literally put my basket down with it in to walk out of the shop but I just couldn't do it. I have a problem....

Egg House - Wilkinsons - £5 

We have a George Living right by us which is a tad dangerous. I popped in the other day for a quick browse and found this little guy and at only £3 I couldn't really say no to him!

Milk Bottle - George Home - £3

Fashion

Something fantastic and terrible happened last week. I went to go and put one of my favourite skirts on to find that it doesn't fit anymore! Apparently losing weight means you drop a dress size, who knew! I then proceeded to lie on the floor in a pile of other clothes that do not fit and have a melt down because I have nothing to wear. Of course the only sensible thing to do was to buy some more clothes.....

I am loving this off the shoulder dress with its Moroccan style print and the fact that it is a size down and still a bit roomy helps too!

Tile Print Bardot Dress - George at Asda - £22

I have bought a few other bits but I want to share those with you in a different post so keep an eye out for my Glastonbury 'O.O.T.F' (Outfit Of The Festival) post which will be coming soon, just in case you are also going and need some inspiration!

Life

As you will have seen from a couple of my other posts things have been coming up roses at the moment and I could not be happier! Everything is going swimmingly and with Glastonbury only 23 days away it is only getting better!

C x

March Favourites

Can you believe that it is the end of March already? The spring sunshine is trying desperately to make an appearance and now that the clocks have gone back it feels that we are well on our way. Here's a list of my favourites this month!

Music

A couple of songs for you this month - I've realised that Youtube videos are not working from mobile versions of this blog so instead click the artist to link through to the video.  I have just discovered Honne after being told by a friend I should take a listen and Years & Years are just filling my ears with happy sounds.

Honne - Warm on a Cold Night

Years & Years - Real (Original Mix)

Fashion

Can you believe that I haven't really been shopping at all! As I've been losing weight recently I realised that there really wasn't too much point in buying new clothes when the goal is to drop a dress size or two. I did however pick up this maxi dress in the hope that Summer is just round the corner! I love a good maxi dress and I like that this one has a little sleeve even more.

Dorothy Perkins - £16

Home

It is my birthday in a week and my wonderful parents allowed me to open a present early when I popped down to visit them last weekend. They had got me this perfect Stand Mixer which goes beautifully in the kitchen and with its 'Walls Ice-cream' theme is so very retro.

Another early birthday present! This beautiful GIANT mixing bowl. It is just the kind of thing that I love and looks brilliant on display although I am definitely running out of counter space....

Food

Bit of a random one but I just have to put it in here! Leigh bought me a Caramel collection Easter egg this year because, you know, Cara-mel..... Anyway in this Easter egg there happened to contain the single most delicious chocolate bar I have ever tasted. Why on earth have I never tried this before?! Its all over for me. I don't like chocolate but I think I finally get why everyone else likes it if they feel the way about normal chocolate as I do about this:

 Life

This month I have been doing what I should always have been whilst living in London. Being a little bit cultural!

I went to see Die Zauberflote at the Royal Opera House, and attended a showing of Swan Lake the following week via the Live Cinema Screenings that the Royal Opera House organise. It was actually a refreshing way to view the Ballet, for one who cannot afford the stall seats this was such a good way to really see the show. This weekend I went to see 'My Night with Reg' which was fantastic and I laughed the whole way through. I also took my seat in a Choir performance of Handel's Messiah that my friend lent her voice too. It is things like this that I will look back on and think 'At least I made the most of living in this city!'

 Die Zauberflote

Swan Lake

 My Night with Reg

Choir performance

Yet again quite a small favourites post this month but I suppose it makes a difference as I didn't post one for January or February!

C x

Recipe - Caramelised Red Onion & Goats Cheese Tartlets

These are a perfect mini morsel for you to cram into your mouth, The creamy goats cheese works perfectly with the sweet caramelised onion. The only problem you will have is trying not to eat too many...

C x

House Favourites

I don't have a full favourites for you this month, I've been so busy that I haven't had time to sit down and read or buy any new clothes to show you!

What I do have however is a whole load of home favourites that I want to share with you.

First up and a gadget that I have used every single day this month is my Blendactive. Honestly it is so easy to just whip up a quick breakfast smoothie as you blend, screw on a take away cap and you are away. I have been loving my green smoothie as the mint tastes fresh and mornings that I want a sweet kick I have been slurping away at my banana, mango and strawberry smoothie. It was really inexpensive and does a brilliant job!

Blend active - £29.99

Next up my new bread maker! A present from my brother and girlfriend at Christmas and a bloody brilliant one at that. It is just SO easy to make bread. You chuck everything in the bowl, knead it, prove it, knead it some more, prove it some more and then in the same bowl you made it in you pop it in the oven for 40 mins. Only one bowl used and some lovely bread to show for it. The brand is called Lekue and everyone should get one!

Working at a school I get to browse the books that appear from The Book People and I have picked up a couple of lovely cookbooks including an awesome  Low-Carb cookbook to help with the diet.

I got a lovely new teapot with a very pretty pattern recently. It has a spring feel to it which is quite refreshing especially when it seems that it will never be warm again.

 George Living - £8

This gorgeous copper and bamboo bowl has found a place in our home, goodness knows what I will put in it but my gosh it's pretty. I am loving copper at the moment and there is some really lovely stuff knocking about. If I could buy everything that I wanted I wouldn't have any space in my house!

 Oliver Bonas - £9.50

I am such a sucker for house pieces, I would spend so much money if I could but like I said I will soon run out of space! I just love making a house a home.

Sorry that this isn't a proper favourites, but I hope you enjoyed it all the same. Things will hopefully be back to normal next month!

C x

December Favourites

December Favourites Time!  I do enjoy doing these posts!

Home

Starting with home this month as I've got a couple of cute bits to share with you

What better way to bake melty cheese than in a melty cheese baker?! This one is from Sainsburys, they are doing a lovely range at the moment.

There is a story behind this little house. I bought it as a present from me, to me. You light the incense inside and it comes out of the roof like a little Christmas house. How adorable I thought! £25 might be a bit pricey but it's cute - that was until it turned up. I thought it was going to be the size of let's say - a small loaf of bread. It's not. It's about the size of a bread roll..... I was going to send it back but then I never got round to it so one day I decided just to light the incense and be done with it. It's on my favourites because it really is quite sweet and I like it even if it was a waste of money.

Not on the Highstreet - Log cabin - £25 (currently £17 in the sale)

With the idea that I am going to be good and leave all of the bad eating habits behind me in the New Year I have purchased a Blend Active from Breville. I've been using it to make breakfast smoothies in the morning and it is so handy as you blend it all in the container you drink from meaning less fuss and less washing up! There are lots of there on the market but I really would recommend this one! It's the family pack so you get 4 beakers with it.

 Blend Active - £29.99

Books

I got a few good recipe books for Christmas but the one I have turned quite a bit too is Sainsbury's Classic Recipes. They just have some quite tasty simple recipes in there with easy to follow methods. Plus the food photography makes your mouth water!

The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert (of Eat.Pray.Love fame) is a MUST READ. It is just one of those stories that you can't put down but which you don't want to end. Following the life of Alma you just become so attached to her and the life that she leads. I love being surprised by books and I was unable to guess where the story would lead me. I would highly recommend this novel - but be warned it's not a quick read, unless like me you devour books!

Music

Apart from the constant soundtrack of Christmas songs for the past month I have also been loving:

Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson ft Bruno Mars

Dangerous by David Guetta ft Sam Martin

Fashion

In my extensive 'I can never find anything to wear' wardrobe the one thing I do not own are jeans. I just find them uncomfortable and so I threw all mine out a long time ago. But I have discovered something which  has changed my life. I know they have been round for a long time but I tried them on once and turned my nose up. What are these life changing trousers? Only bloody jeggings. It's like I can be comfortable whilst still keeping my legs warmer than leggings, although nothing beats a double legging (Does anyone else do this?) I now have them in the colours Merlot, Grey, Green and Indigo and I couldn't be happier! I've been getting mine from that delightful shop that steals all my money - Dorothy Perkins - I find the regular leg fits quite well for someone with short little legs like myself.

DP - Jeggings - £20

I feel like this is quite a lengthy post so I'm going to leave it there but do let me know what your favourite things of the month are in the comments!

Only 1 day until the New Year!

C x

Christmas Presents

I thought I would share with you a selection of my Christmas Presents as I know I love seeing what other people received! I got some crackers of presents this year.

1. My main present from Leigh. I have been going on and on about how rubbish the lighting is in my kitchen and how I can never take decent photographs for Pourable Sunshine. All this is about to change as he bought me a photography light which should help improve the quality drastically!

2. My parents bought me the beautiful Rose Gold Michael Kors watch I have been lusting after for most of the year. I am in love!

3. Another Leigh present! An i-music pillow (which works with all devices including my Samsung. Not sure why it has to be called an i pillow...) so I can watch all of my youtube videos at night without disturbing him.

4. I received a couple of new cookbooks to add to my ever growing collection, one of my favourites was this one.

5. I got a very interesting looking bread maker from my brother and his girlfriend

6. Some lovely bowls from my youngest brother

7. Leigh's parents got me a cake stand to display my wares

8. A fondue for making melty chocolate and cheese!

9. My old microwaveable toy was falling apart so now I have a new one!

10. The sorting hat put me into Slytherin so Leigh thought I should have the scarf

11. Jelly Babies are my favourite sweet and now I have loads of them

12. This Camembert baker will be used more that it should be...


What did you get for Christmas that you love? Let me know in the comments below! I hope you had a lovely Christmas!

C x

*Disclaimer: I have not written this post to brag or gloat but merely to share what good taste my family have in presents.

Recipe - Mini Christmas Cakes

These are just the most perfect little cakes the world ever did see. I made these to give to my friends at our dinner party as presents and are perfect if you are looking for a homemade gift (the recipe below makes 20).

Ingredients

1kg mixed fruits
zest and juice of 1 orange
zest and juice of 1 lemon
150ml brandy
250g butter
200g light brown sugar
175g plain flour
4 eggs
500g pack of marzipan
500g pack of white icing
Apricot jam

Method to the Madness 

Put the dried fruit, alcohol, butter, zests and juice and sugar in a large pan. Bring the mixture to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Once combined tip the fruit mixture into a large bowl and leave to cool for 30 mins. Heat oven to 160C, grease your ramekins and line the bottom of each one with a circle of greaseproof paper.

Once the mixture has cooled add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and stir until all folded in. Divide your mixture between the ramekins until all used up. You may have to do this in batches.

They will need about 30 minutes in the oven and when they are done run a knife around the outside to loosen and tip out, setting aside to cool.

Whilst they are cooling cut out the marzipan circles and the icing circles to top the cakes.

Heat the apricot jam with a little bit of water. Spread apricot jam on a marzipan circle before pressing on top of the cake, repeat. Wet the marzipan with a little water before placing the icing on top and gently smoothing it over the sides.

Tie the cakes with ribbon for an extra Christmassy touch!

C x

Recipe - Mulling Syrup

Now I don't like Red Wine in the slightest, but what I do like is Mulled Wine! It's the smell of the rich Christmas tones that make me really happy. In previous years I have bought bottles of pre-made but this year I decided to make my own and it has worked beautifully plus its hella easy and will save you money!

Ingredients

250g caster sugar
2 oranges, halved
2 cinnamon sticks
6 whole cloves
1 heaped tsp nutmeg
small piece of ginger, sliced
1 heaped tsp allspice
1 litre water

Method to the Madness

Put all the ingredients in a pan with 1 litre of water and simmer for 20 minutes.

Strain through with a fine sieve once cool and decant into sterilised bottles. It's worth noting that although I have called this syrup don't expect it to have a thick consistency.

When you are ready to use heat up some red wine in a pan and add roughly 90ml per large glass of red wine, although I like mine quite sweet so make sure you add a bit and taste to test. Stir through until hot and drink. This would also work with cider, I'd suggest Old Rosie's. Serve with a slice of orange or just gulp down on its own.

It really is that easy! It makes the house smell absolutely divine, I'm tempted to have some simmering away at all times just for the smell. I've already got through a bottle of syrup and am on to my second!

C x