Thursday, October 20, 2016

Review: Birley's Sandwiches, Cannon Street, London

When I was just starting out in my career a more senior colleague used to go to Birley’s to buy his lunch most days. That was at least ten years ago and when I went to a Birley’s recently I thought ‘wow, they’ve been going for ten years’. In fact, they have been around for more than 25 years, according to the company’s website – the secret to their longevity is perhaps partly that they do move with the times but aren’t built around trends. If you...

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

5 easy ways to DIY the perfect gluten free Christmas hamper

When it comes to giving a gluten-free person a great gift, it can be hard to find something that they will like. Staying clear of some of the most popular type of presents makes it tricky to come up with ideas, especially for those who are not naturally good at shopping for presents for other people. Giving someone a hamper at Christmas is a good way to give them a selection of their favourite things but if that person is gluten free, it is vital to ensure that everything inside the festive basket can be enjoyed. This means that it is important...

Monday, October 17, 2016

Meal Planning Monday 2016 - Week 42

Monday spaghetti Bolognese Tuesday tuna steak and spiralized veg for me, chicken chargrills for him Wednesday prawn stirfry with spiralized veg and creamy quark sauce; my husband will go to his mum's Thursday bubble and squeak patty for me, gammon for him Friday burger and chips Saturday Lunch: hotdogs Dinner: chicken thighs and roast potatoes (cook extra chicken for tomorrow) Sunday Lunch: pizza bagels Dinner: filled Yorkshire puddings using...

Sunday, October 16, 2016

Tips and advice from some of the best bloggers around at Stylist Live

Where can you hear from Michael Zee, the man behind the Instagram sensation Symmetry Breakfasts, Kate Doran from food blog Little Loaf, Alex Stedman of fashion blog The Frugality, Amali de Alwis, CEO of Code First: Girls, restaurant critic, author and TV pundit Grace Dent, Miriam Gonzalez Durantez, lawyer, cookbook author and wife of former Deputy PM Nick Clegg and Dan Doherty of restaurant Duck and Waffle? Why, at Stylist Live, of course!     I...

Saturday, October 15, 2016

Jammie Dodger Cupcakes

We had a bake sale for Macmillan at work recently and even though I wasn't going to be in the office that day, I wanted to take part. I decided to make cupcakes as I was going to have to do them mid-week after work, and I don't get home that early thanks to a long commute. When there is a lot of choice in a bake sale, the things that go first tend to be the more indulgent-looking or more unusual. I remembered ages ago seeing some Jammie Dodger...

Friday, October 14, 2016

Chicken in a Red Pepper Sauce

This recipe comes from a card picked up in Sainsbury's years ago; I have made it before but never blogged about it so thought I would do so now. It's a good way to get extra vegetables into your diet - I don't like red pepper in large quantities but enjoyed this recipe. To serve 4, you need: 1/2 tbsp. olive oil 4 skinless chicken breasts 2 fresh chillies, deseeded 2 large red peppers, deseeded, cored and chopped 75g sundried tomatoes 2 tsp soft...

Thursday, October 13, 2016

Fizz, Balloon and Gift Birthday Card

This is a quick, informal card (perhaps in the way that Mary Berry means when she says informal) that is suitable for someone of any age and gender. I used a piece of red and yellow polka dot paper to cover a card blank which I decided to use in landscape orientation. The three pictures mounted onto it are cut from an old birthday card I received - there's nothing wrong with recycling! I added the words 'happy birthday' from a pack of silver outline...

Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Salmon with Mustard and Gruyere Herb Crust

I love salmon and often when I'm planning my week's meals, I put down salmon for one night - it tastes so good I don't really need to do anything, and can quickly cook a piece of salmon and some vegetables for a delicious dinner. Sometimes though it's nice to do something a bit different. I found this recipe in my BBC Saturday Kitchen Cookbook; it's also available on the BBC website. You make a crust from breadcrumbs, cheese and herb, and press...

Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Restaurant review: The Fox, Caterham, Surrey

Do you have a favourite local pub? My husband and I aren't really drinkers and when we go out for meals it tends to be after work in central London, or when we are away visiting family or friends, rather than anywhere around where we live. But a few weeks ago I really fancied a Sunday roast. We were visiting my brother-in-law and his family but they had to be somewhere at midday, so I suggested to my mother-in-law, who was also with us,...

Monday, October 10, 2016

Meal Planning Monday 2016 - Week 41

Last week's meal plan went out the window a bit as I was working late a lot and my husband was off work ill for several days. So there are various things I didn't make that I am going to put on the meal plan for this week, which makes planning a bit quicker! Monday Sticky sausages with carrots and couscous from this Tesco recipe Tuesday chicken curry to use up coconut milk from this recipe Wednesday my husband will probably be at his mum's...

Sunday, October 9, 2016

Blueberry Compote Cupcakes

  While I was in the middle of Sugar-Free September I wanted to make a cake to take into the design agency I work with as I was spending a day working with them. I always take cake and didn't want them to miss out just because I wasn't eating sweet treats, so I had a good idea: to make a cake I didn't like and wouldn't eat! I had some blueberries in the freezer that I'd been given and I don't really like blueberries (even in muffins). I've...

Saturday, October 8, 2016

Goat's Cheese Monte Cristos

When I was at university, my friend Dan made the best late-night post-pub cheese toasties - I've had my own Breville sandwich toaster for several years (the same brand that my parents had when I was a kid, a long time ago) and there is definitely something comforting, if a little greasy, about a toasted cheese sandwich. I usually add a slice of ham and maybe a smear of mustard to mine, but that's as fancy as it goes. I was looking through a recipe...