Roll up Roll up!

Yesterday I went to the circus for the very first time! Sam and I went for a quick walk on the Heath and noticed that one was set up... the next showing in half an hour! So we bought tickets and went in!

After having watched 'Water for Elephants' just a couple of weeks ago I really didn't know what to expect but it was brilliant!

The trapeze artists were brilliant, there were budgies that did tricks, dancing horses, a woman who juggled fire whilst upside down on a motorbike, trumpet playing clowns and the finalee, three motorcyclists driving round the inside of a globe! I would definately reccomend it to anyone - although maybe go to an evening showing as we were surrounded by young children!

Hanging on the telephone....

Sorry for the lack of posts... I have just finished my first full week in my job and need to get used to my new routine... x I am absolutely loving it so far, although my first two shoots were postponed.. jinxed?x here are a few iphone pix of what i have been up to though xx

Sunday's recipe's

Here are some of sunday's recipes...

Lemon curd - to cook, can you believe it, in a microwave!

200g Caster Sugar

100g Unsalted Butter

250ml Lemon juice

lemon zest

3 eggs

Beat together the sugar and eggs, add the softened butter, keep mixing and add the lemon and lemon zest...

then put the whole lot in the microwave for 30seconds, take out, stir... back in microwave, take out stir and on and on until the mix is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.. then pour into jars and leave.. amazing! I am now going to make this all the time, I had no idea it was so easy!

Chocolate brownies...

200g butter

125g dark chocolate

150g plain flour

440g caster sugar

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

4 eggs

icing sugar

2 tbsp cocoa

preheat the oven to 180c, place the butter and chocolate in medium saucepan, over a low heat and stir until melted and smooth.

place the flour, sugar and cocoa, and baking powder in a bowl... add the eggs and chocolate mixture and stir well.

place in a lightly greased 20 x 30cm rectangular cake tin.

bake for 40 to 50 mins

cool and dust with icing powder, or in my case cover in chocolate icing :)

Lemon, Coconut cloud cake... wow.. perfect with the homemade lemon curd aswell! x

for the cake:

225g unsalted butter

225g caster sugar

1/2 lemon zest

5 eggs

225g self raising flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

100g desiccated coconut

for the filling and topping:

450g full fat cheese

125ml coconut cream

zest of 1 lemon

100g icing sugar

8tbsp lemon curd

100g dessicated cocnut

2 22cm cake tins

preheat the oven to 170c, butter and flour the cake tins..

to make the sponge, first beat together the butter, sugar and lemon zest.

add the eggs one at a time with a spoonfool of flour between (this stops it curdling) and mixing well.

add the remaining flour, and the baking powder and coconut

mix well.

divide the mixture between the tins, place in the oven for 25 mins.

to decorate, beat together the cream cheese, coconut cream, lemon zest and icing sugar .

slice both halfs of the cake in half again. to make 4 layers.

spread lemon curd on one layer, then sit another layer on top, then spread a good dollop of the cream mixture over this one and place the third layer on top. spread over the remaining lemon curd and add the final layer. the rest of the cream can now be spread all over the top and the sides to give a cloud effect

I then covered the whole lot is sliced coconut aswell! Amazing! x

pick 'n' mix weekend

Recently I have been feeling very run down and stressed (probably the reason for the rather sparse blogging - sorry) and this weekend was a perfect battery recharge.

On Saturday Madeleine and I headed over to the Vintage Pick n Mix on Brick Lane, which was I have to admit not very good in terms of thrifting - all 80s loud shirts!.. although Madeleine found a great skirt and hat

and I did manage a few tourist scarves (which i promptly washed at home) and then we mooched about, checked out the new Vintage store Blitz... great building, slightly unreliable stock!, and had a brilliant fish and chips at Poppies.

Then Sunday was all about the kitchen. I made a roast butternut squash soup, lemon curd (how amazingly easy is lemon curd!) and then Alice came over and we baked brownies and a lemon cloud cake. YUM

The boys are off playing rebellion festival in brighton so it was so lovely to have a relaxing girly weekend.

Sunday Service

Sam and I spent sunday being very lazy rather than running to the Heath, like apparently everyone else in london! We did venture outside for a bit though....

This is the cemetary in Hampstead, very pretty despite being a little creepy taking pictures there! x

My dress is Vintage from the Hammersmith Vintage Fair, hat is topshop and the shoes are my new Aldo granny sandals :)