Random Likings

1. Jessie Ware
Last week I was raving about Alex Clare and it's fair to say that if I had his album (remember albums? Those big black round things?) that it would have probably worn out by now. Thank goodness for MP3. This week I have also discovered Jessie Ware. Wow. Two "new" artists for me is amazing when you consider my feet are firmly rooted in 80s pop and 2000s rock, with bans like Foo Fighters coming up in my most played list.

I first listened to her after reading this review by Holy Moly, who described her as "...Sade-esque, without sounding anything like Sade" and they are bang on. If you like Sade (and I do. Despite my earlier description of my playlist my taste used to be quite varied) then listen to her album Devotion.




2. Ring Pull Hangers
I love a good organisation blog. Reading about getting organised is my favourite way to procrastinate while successfully ignoring the cluttered state of my own house. How cool is this for an organisation tip! I found it on Idea Bottle, a blog which I fully intend to explore further in my quest for achieving a streamlined house without getting of my arse.

image courtesy of Idea Bottle

3. Secret Britain: the hidden bits of our history by Justin Pollard.

Ok, since one of the last books I mentioned was The Big Book of Lesbian Horse Stories (who knew lesbian horses liked reading) you may be a little skeptical when I mention another one, but this book is a little gem. It's chock full of  interesting titbits about British history that you probably don't know.With each one only a page or 2 long, it's perfect for reading when you don't have the time or attention span to get involved in something heavy, but want something a little more cerebral than Heat.

4. Pasotti Umbrellas

Because a good umbrella is a must have for our delightful British summer, I happened upon these while I was searching for something a little more stylish than the polka-dot pop up number I keep in the skip I carry around with me my handbag.
Look, this one is sprinkled with Swarovski crystals like you are sheltering from a shower of diamonds rather than a grey deluge of rain

or release your inner Eliza Doolittle with this parasol

5. Handpainted R2D2 bra.
Blows Rachel's Princess Leia costume out of the water

Meal Planning Monday - 27 August 2012

Happy Monday folks, or as I like to call it, 7 more sleeps until school starts Woo Hoo! This summer has been a little more miss than hit weather-wise and I am pretty much over it. Bring on September and autumn I say, and let's put this whole miserable farce behind us.

There is no doubt about, I have been gaining weight slowly for the last six months and reckon I've put on around 10lbs since March. It's weight I can ill afford so the focus is back on shifting the lard and eating more healthily (for now, anyway), which means lots of veg, as little processed food as I can manage, and my slow cooker for ease. Unsurprisingly I have left planning until the last minute so have taken inspiration from blogs found via Pinterest. It is not the most inspired menu, but then it is Monday morning so it was never going to be too complicated, was it.

Slow Cook Beef Fajitas from Ring Around the Rosies

Cumin Cinnamon Beef Stew

Ginger Cranberry Pork Roast

Thai Chicken Curry

Moroccan Lamb Stew

All from Mama and Baby's eBook

Slow cooker meatloaf 

Left overs

As usual, you will be able to find more Meal Planning Monday posts on Mrs M's linky. Happy eating.

A little something for your Sunday delectation

I saw Bourne Legacy last night. Disappointingly average, to say the least. It was like reading the same thing but in a different font and without all the exciting words. In short, a poor copy of the original. Its only saving grace was Jeremy Renner, aka Aaron Cross aka Hawkeye. Eye candy of the finest kind helped temper the boredom until the final motorbike scene.

 

Generally I like Vue but their pre-film malarky is getting out of hand. It was nearly half an hour from the session start time until the film actually started and, irritatingly, their previews included a preview of the actual film I was waiting to see! Plus Edith Bowman wearing a trouser suit that could only have been made from upholstery. I think I may have had a rant about this after seeing Batman, so sorry for repeating myself. Here is a picture to make up for it. 

 

Random Likings

 

Thinking about getting this one framed for the house. 

A brilliant website, app and free resource for parents to help raise active children

English Garden Worm Gin - what middle class tequila drinkers graduate to?




Alex Clare. I can't get enough of his album, The Lateness of the Hour, at the moment.

What should be on every good girl's Christmas list for Santa: the Ryan Gosling colouring book. I found this at Your Home Is Lovely, which is well worth a look.

Great advice from my favourite Sunday site, PostSecret

Meal Planning Monday - 13 August 2012

Hello! No excuses other than the school holidays getting in the way, but that's a more of a reason than an excuse, right? Procrastination is my middle name. Ok, not really, but check out these twins who can actually say "Danger is my middle name", or who will be able to when they can talk.

I don't know about you, but this erratic weather has been messing with my meal planning a little. We have been lucky to have had day after day of gorgeous hot sunshine (for foreign readers yes, it is summer but this is Wales, so sunshine in summer is a bit of a treat) and I have either been out or have not felt like cooking. Consequently meals have been a bit random. Here are some efforts from last week. I don't normally eat much red meat, but for some reason I cannot get enough of it this week. I have got some more iron tablets which may address the issue.

Roasted baby courgette, new potatoes, plum tomatoes and yellow pepper with steak. Top photo is veg before going into the oven.

One Ingredient Banana Ice-Cream from Teen Granny

A particularly lazy Thursday dinner

 

 

left over steak sliced into strips for stir fry, served with rice noodles and black bean sauce

pan fried thin steak with wilted baby spinach and potato and sweet potato that should be sauteed but a hungry family wouldn't wait for them to crisp up

Elder son's 10th birthday cake. He wanted black forest gateaux, but I just made a normal chocolate cake, then sandwiched it with squashed cherries with the syrup drained off and whipped cream, topping with more whipped cream and grated dark chocolate. 

sous-chef for cake

This is what I have shopped for this week. Whether it will get made is another matter, but the intention is:

Slow cooker skinny Jambalaya 

Slow cooker cranberry meatballs (or my version of it)

Chicken stir fry (at request of eldest)

pasta and garlic bread (at request of youngest. He has his pasta plain but I will make some sort of sauce for mine)

Home made beef and Parmesan burgers

 

This week's inspiration comes from the brilliant and amazing Six Sisters' Stuff latest link party, If you have never read this blog you NEED to. Like, right now. Go... scoot... and happy eating.