Yay to the three day week!!!

I am not big into all the random wedding based documentaries on the TV this week but I am ever so thankful for an extra day off work giving me a 3 day week!!! So thank you William and Kate and GOOD LUCK today!!!

001 Yummy Yum Yum...

So yesterday was easter sunday and we went over to my boyfriends parents for dinner last night, and I took a strawberry pavlova for dessert. I wanted to take something that was nice and summer, nothing too heavy as I wasn't sure what else we where having to eat so pavlova seemed an obvious choice.

I have been making pavlova since I was old enough to hold an electric whisk, it has always been my mums dessert of choice for dinner parties in the early nineties and something that I fall back onto when I am too lazy to weigh out lots of ingredients.

So the ingredients are egg whites and caster sugar, in these proportions; 1 egg white to  2 ozs of caster sugar. Don't worry too much about the process and things going flat, a lot of people put a lot of hype into making merringue but it is all very simple. The equipment you need is:

• Large mixing bowl
• Electic hand whisk, or a kitchen aide type whisk.
• A large baking tray, preferably with edges I use a loose bottom flan tin as I find it easier to transfer to a serving plate that way.
• good non stick baking parchment, I use the reusable stuff from lakeland it is absolute magic.

The first step is to separate the eggs for a normal size pavlova to serve 4-6 people I use 4 egg whites. If you find seperating eggs difficult just gently break the whole egg into the bowl and lift out the yoke. Remember to keep the yokes and give making homemade mayonaise a go!

Once the eggs are separated use the electric mixer to whisk the eggs until the clear liquid turns white and foamy, you want to whisk until the eggs form stiff peaks (so when you switch the mixer off and lift out the the mixture it stands up on its own). it is very important that all the egg whites are the same even consistency so no clear runny whites at the bottom of the bowl.

Then you add the sugar, so for a 4 egg white pavlova I will have weighed out 8 ozs of sugar. I will add the sugar in two batches and make sure it is properly mixed in so probably whisk it for a couple of minutes. If the sugar isn't properly mixed in then it is not the end of the world it simply means that when cooked the meringue/pavlova will ooze a clear sweet syrup.

Then spatula the mixture into the middle of the lined tin and spread out a little, you don't want it like a cake this has now raising agent in it so it won't expand much in the oven. Remember to spread the mixture so it forms a little dip in the middle of the pavlova so you can easily add the topping later.

Then place in your oven at a low temperature, this is where all the error might occur in the process of meringue making. You simply want to dry out the mixture, not give it colour so I set my oven to 100oC and place the pavlova in the oven for 1 hour.

I then turn the oven off after the hour and leave the pavlova in there until it is cool.

If the oven is too hot is will cause the pavlova to colour and even worse it can start cooking which makes it go flat and chewy. A pavlova should be white can crisp on the outside and soft and fluffy like marshmallow on the inside. If you like a chewy marshmallow type pavlova that comes from leaving it to cool in the oven over night. I spent 3 years with a really old electric oven in my kitchen that simply would go low enough to make a good pavlova, in the end I had to give up and stop trying!

Once the pavlova is cool you can tore it for up to a week until you are ready to use it, in a cool place in an air tight container. If there is any moisture at all it will go soggy so don't put the topping on until you are ready to serve.

I will then whip up a 200-250ml carton of double cream until it forms soft peak. carefully place the cream on top of the pavlova and then add your toppings. You can use anything you what but my preference is summer berries, either a single berry type like the strawberry pavlova in the above picture or a mixture. But you can add anything... chocolate, kiwi, pineapple, crushed malteasers.. just remember you already have a very sweet pavlova base so fruit is good to keep the whole thing light and summery.

If you what to make meringue for Eton mess or Cranachan or another meringue based dessert then you may need to create smaller meringues. What you want to do is dry the mixture out the whole way through so it is all crisp, so keeping the oven as low as possible leave the merringues in for at least 3 hours depending on the size.

Good Luck with it and if you want any advice of tips email me on kate_about_town@yahoo.co.uk.

xoxo

009 Saturday Matinee....

Happy Easter everyone!! Today I was struggling to think of a favourite film to review/recommend but then in a moment of clarity it struck me.... Easter Parade!

It is a 1948 film staring Fred Astaire as an amazing dancer (true to form!) and Judy Garland as the hapless chorus girl plucked from obscurity all because of a bet to become a successful dancer/performer. Ann Miller is the talented dance partner of Freed who abandons him because she thinks she can do better alone, but boy can she dance! My Granda has a complete soft spot for Ann Miller, always tells me how at the time she had the longest legs in show business. I can't imagine that we would now be curious to know what a stars leg length was, I somehow feel Natalie Portman might loose out but I could be wrong.

The costumes are lovely, the songs are melodic and there are some great dance sequences, my favourite being Fred Astaire's - Stepping Out. It is such a beautiful Easter Morning film to watch.

Anyway I must get on and make a Pavlova to take over to the in-laws for dinner tonight! Happy Easter!!

xoxo

Summer Preparation.... part 2

Now that the summer seems to be well and truly here it is time to wipe the pasty pale skin from my body and look like I have spent the afternoons out in the sunshine rather than stuck in the office. I have started the process of gradually tanning...

After 12 years of searching for the perfect fail safe method of fake tanning I am pretty happy with my current solution which is to use Nivea Gradual Tan Moisturiser. I still have about a quarter of a bottle left from last summer but now that I am writing this blog I have made the sad realisation that it doesn't appear to be available any more!!! I don't know what I am going to do, I guess I am going to have to embark on finding a new gradual tanning moisturiser as I truly believe that is the way forward.

I apply my current gradual tanner every morning to my legs at the moment to build up a more natural tan that I can maintain.

Even though professional spray tans can have good results they can be pricey, you have the search period of finding a good professional with a product you like which can result in an oompa lompa effect, also it wears off and has to be maintained. Other instant products that you can buy from boots etc or even the expensive ones are all as good as the application and sometimes you just don't have the time and unless your and octopus getting full coverage is something that would have anyone else watching absolutely giggling.

Anyway this is what I have been using, at £7 a bottle it was an affordable solution to the summer pallor:

over the next week or so I will be on the hunt for a new tanner so I shall update on how that hunt goes. The important things I look for are:

• quick absorbing
• good tan pay off as it developes
• no fake tan smell throughout the day
• affordable
• no fuss

The great thing about gradual tanners is they can fool anyone, even your parents if you are still at school! If anyone has any other gradual tan recommendation let me know so I can check them out.

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A touch of pink....

No I am not going to review a lacoste perfume, but I am simply commenting on this weeks nail varnish choice. I went with a Barry M polish in Fuschia. Forgive the piccie I took it on my IPhone and modified it with Instagram to make it look more like the real colour. Also I hate my wrinkly hands so I was trying my best to disguise them!

I hope everyone has had a good Monday, today I started my training to get fit but I am going to do a seperate post on that.

xoxo

Not everything is as it seems....

Whilst browsing the Internet I found an amazing website for a company called Faux Pink who specialise in retouching images for magazines, advertising, portfolios etc. I thought some of the digital alterations where such a transformation that you could barely tell it was the same person, more like a sibling... here are a few that caught my eye:

Model 1
Lilly Cole
Model 2

I think that what Faux Pink do is amazingly talented and I would love to have then come around and touch me up in real life! But there is a part of me that feels like the whole thing is false advertising on the part of the campaign, why can't people just be show as they are? There are so many girls out their who believe this is what they should be looking like and it is all fake!!!

008 Saturday Matinee....

This week saw the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, and last night I rented it from Virgin Filmflex. Having seen all the other films and read all the books I didn't have high expectations of this film living up to the the book. The Half Blood Prince had been especially disappointing so much so that I nearly walked out of the cinema and that I didn't go and see the Deathly Hallows Pt1 when it hit the cinema. I was quietly surprised that I enjoyed this film, it is never going to be the book but at least it didn't muddle story lines and makes sense to people who hadn't read the books.

The highlights where the excellent cinematography of the English countryside the location scout on the film did an great job! The costumes even delighted which was unusual for a HP film, the Ginny bridesmaid dress, the Hermione red dress for the wedding and in the bottom picture the Fleur Delacours wedding dress is a n imitation McQueen 'pheonix' dress! The animation scene of the Three Brothers children's story was really really really really good in its monochrome/sepia palette. Rhys Ifans plays and excellent nutcase Xenophilius Lovegood, he didn't quite seem like him and the Irish accent was a tad dodgy in places.

Only downer seemed to be Daniel Radcliffe's lack of acting ability, but it can't all be perfect!

Hopefully the second part will be just as good.

Do you ever have one of those days?!?

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Weeks or even whole years??? I completely irrationally grumpy today and I think the pressures of life are just getting to me. It would be so nice to be a kid and have no responsibilities, no bills to pay and no work to worry about. Now that I am getting on with life an not so ill, I need to get my butt into gear and sort out my finances. Grrrrrr.... So as a first step I have signed up to Experian to get a Credit Report, not sure how accurate it is but it is a start.

Tomorrow I will call my bank to review my mortgage status and account facilities... oh the formalities that come with being a grown up.

As it is I am not spending any moment so have nothing to show anyone or to review. I do however have these little tit bits that I want to get on and write....

1. Summer Preparation - Part deux on self tan and looking healthier than you are.
2. Curtains and Drapes - I went to Chatsworth House last weekend and did a little study of the curtains and tie backs which I want to share but the images new to be resized so they don't slow down anything.
3. Coconut and Lime Cake - How to...
4. Blueberry and Lemon drizzle cake - How to...
5. Yellow Bedroom Accessories - Shopping List
6. Sofa Inspiration - I have been looking for a corner sofa bed for ages and think I should try and share my wisdom with you all!

Finally here are a few things I am loving at the moment:

• Messy I have just fallen out of bed hair
• Tesco Makeup wipes - so cheap and great on my sensitive skin
• Sudacreme - great for spots or skin discolouration, I utterly swear by it. In fact right now I am sitting here with white blobs of cream on two spots I have aptly named Fred and Wilma (Flintstones reference), one is large and the other is rather red.
• Rock Lime Cordial - yummy! it makes the best lemonade and limes (maybe with a shot or 2 of vodka added)
• Percy Pigs - They bring happiness into my life!

Anyway hopefully now I can get on with writing those other blog posts!!!

xoxo

007 Saturday Matinee....

This one isn't a film but it is brilliant none the less, the BBC's adaptation of Jane Austin's Pride and Prejudice. After visit Chatsworth last weekend I felt all inspired to watch this, unfortunately I was off work ill again on Monday and Tuesday so I could spend all day lying in front of the TV watching the 6 part series on a DVD I purchased some years ago. I love this program not just because of the excellent cast, costumes, sets and script but because of all the memories I have attached to it. Not sure if this is the same for other people but there is always one film/series that you watched time and time again as you where growing up and for me it was this. My Grandma recorded the original series on Video cassette when it was first shown in 1995 on the BBC, me and my sisters watched it so much that we started to wear the tape out.

It stars Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle in the title roles of Mr Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett, and I am sure after Colin's recent Oscar win for the Kings Speech the BBC will be reshowing this program around the world. If you don't know the storyline already it is about the two lead characters finding love against both there better judgement and concerns brought with class and the social standing of the period. The supporting cast is wonderful with hilarious performances from Lydia Bennet (as the boy obsessed teenager), Mrs Bennet (as the menopausal interfering mother) and Lady Catherine DeBurgh (as and interfering old bag :-)).

It is a long one, possibly more suited for periods of illness or days with rain but it is such a goodie!

Happy Weekend....

 

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Yay it's FRIDAY!! I am off to Nottingham this weekend so it is going to be a sparse weekend of post unless I feel the urge to use my IPhone. I travel up there tonight so lets hope the traffic is light and that I can pack in under 5 minutes!

xoxo