Summery dresses

Ilana Kohn

Since spraining my ankle (sob) I've spent a lot of time on pinterest ... oh dear... however I have found some amazing summer dresses

Ilana Kohn

Dusen Dusen

Samantha Pleet

I've been trying to make my own dress patterns in the last few weeks and these dresses have really inspired me to make a similar pattern with a fitted vest and loose midi length skirt.

My pinterest board with more beauties like these can be found here

Jo

xx

Linguine alla puttanesca

One of my favourite quick dinner recipes

Recipe (for 2)

1 garlic clove
4 anchovy fillets (in a jar in oil)
shake of dried chilli flakes
tin of tomatoes - 400g
spoon full of capers
large spoon of chopped olives

150g linguine pasta (just because I like it - I think you are supposed to use spaghetti)

Cook the garlic, anchovies and chilli on a low heat til it turns into a mush and the anchovies have broken down. Add the tomatoes to the pan and simmer for 20 mins.
In the meantime cook your pasta in a large pan of salty boiling water. When the sauce is ready stir in the capers and olives and cook for another minute while you drain off the pasta. Mix and serve with a tiny squeeze of lemon, lots of black pepper and grated parmesan cheese.

I made a side salad to have with this of spinach, chopped sun dried tomatoes and toasted pine nuts.

Hot, salty, spicy, delicious! What is your favourite pasta dish?

Yum

Don't mess with the chef!

Jo

xx

Polka dots

Searching for the perfect navy polka dot dress today...here is some inspiration..

Liv Tyler (glamour magazine)

Tilly - www.tillyandthebuttons.com 

Erin - www.calivintage.com

Erin - www.calivintage.com

Jo

xx

Homebaked Crusty Bread

2014

One of my goals for this year is to learn how to bake real bread. I love cooking and baking and somehow never tried to make bread. I decided to start with an easy no knead recipe. I remember seeing a recipe on Sandra's blog a while ago and a quick google search found it and clicked 'in english' to get the instructions!

You mix 3 cups plain flour, teaspoon of yeast, salt, 1.5 cups water, finely chopped rosemary in a bowl the day before you want to bake and leave it to prove for at least 12 hours in a bowl covered with cling film - the mixture was VERY lumpy and sticky but it is no knead so I didn't stir it too much.

The next day heat the oven - I have a gas oven so I set it to gas mark 8 and put a pyrex dish with a lid on to warm for 30 mins (Sandra uses a lovely le Creuset oval pot which we don't have so used next best thing in the cupboard!). Then flour the big mound of sticky dough and shape into a round (I used lots of flour at this stage). Very carefully drop bread into the heated dish and put the lid back on. I baked it for 30 mins with the lid on then 15 mins with it off as in Sandra's recipe. This did not look so done so I baked it for another 10 mins with the lid off. Then I put the mini loaf on a rack to cool completely.
I was pretty surprised how it turned out - it was delicious - crusty outside and soft inside.

My next goal is to make a sour dough loaf so I'm off to make my own sour dough starter!

Jo
xx

Marc Jacobs Autumn 2013

 

Some more Autumnal looks - love the hair! I'm sure Rosalind of Clothes, cameras and coffee could pull these looks off!

 

Jo

xx