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One of the things I love about my little town is that we're lucky enough to have not only a great market twice a week that sells fresh fruit and veg, seafood and meats but also a really great greengrocer shop called Fresh which is located about five minutes walk from my house. I don't go here all the time (laziness prevails, I love Ocado and not carrying heavy bags) but whenever I go into town I pop in to see if they've got something interesting to make a little lunch or dinner with that day and I always get my Boxing Day dinner veg from them on Christmas Eve morning.

Last weekend I'd very smartly bought some spaghetti for lunch but nothing to accompany it and so decided to see if anything jumped out at me while I was strolling through town, I headed into Fresh and immediately spotted a basket full of lovely Lincolnshire asparagus. Well that was a no brainer, Pete and I both love those tender green stems so a bunch went right into my basket along with a nice fat clove of garlic, I handed over my £1.80 and trotted off back home. Unfortunately when I got back I saw that all the parmesan was gone which I had been counting on for a bit of salty sourness, but thankfully I had a little log of goats cheese to crumble in. This was a really nice lunch and naturally could be easily transformed into a dinner either by upping the portion size or perhaps adding some grilled salmon or prawns or chicken. Or anything really. Just make this, cause it's really tasty. OK?


Asparagus, Garlic and Goats Cheese Spaghetti
Serves 2

Ingredients
200g spaghetti, linguine or any pasta you like really
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter, about 15g
bunch of asparagus, cut into 1-2 inch pieces
2 cloves fresh garlic, crushed
75g goats cheese, crumbled
salt and pepper

Method
Boil a big pot of water, dump in your pasta, give it a stir and set a timer for when you want to take it out depending how al dente you like it.
Heat the oil and butter together in a drying pan and add the asparagus, frying until tender and if you like as I do, a little charred. When just about done throw in the crushed garlic and season with a little salt, let this cook for about another minute and then take it off the heat.
Drain your pasta and throw in the cooked asparagus, mix through then crumble in the goats cheese before seasoning to your taste and stirring some more so the cheese melts a little.
Dish up and enjoy!

Sometimes, you need the perfect balance of comfortable and pretty. Not too jazzy but not too casual, not tight and restrictive but still feminine and easy to move about in. This dress from Yours hits all those nails on the head, taking tribal and neon trends and creating a striking and stylish maxi dress that could be worn for so many occasions. 

I've worn this so much since I got it, including to the Hayley Hasslehoff shoot and it was the perfect choice for the day, cool and comfy both for travelling in and for spending the day snapping backstage photos trying not to get in the way of the pros! I've had lots of compliments mainly because of the striking pattern, but I have to say my favourite thing is the silky smoothness of the fabric and how it hangs and flows when you move. It's lovely and cool in the heat too, so throw on some shades and catch a few admiring glances ladies!


Black Curved Hem Knitted Shrug - Yours Clothing - £16.50*
Studded Ankle Boots - Simply Be - £30.00 on sale

Have a lovely weekend everyone! Is anyone getting up to anything exciting?

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*This post contains items that were gifted to me. For more information head to my disclaimer page.

Key lime pie is one of my favourite puddings and something I can remember my mum making since I was a little kid. We always went by a recipe from an old Sainsbury's cookery book of American recipes, but the end results using that method was always a bit volatile as you added the lime juice to the condensed milk with a few other ingredients and just left it to chill to set. As you get different amounts of juice from different limes and it didn't give you a measurement of juice, just a number of limes to use, this meant that sometimes the citrus to other ingredients levels were off and it didn't set leaving you with a (still very delicious) but un-cuttable liquid pie. I was looking through some recipe books recently and came across a recipe for a baked version, so thought I'd give it a try!


Key Lime Pie with a Gingernut Crunch Crust and Sweetened Vanilla Whipped Cream
Serves 10-12 people

You'll need a loose bottomed tin for this recipe that's between 22-26cm in size (I used this one)

Pie Shell Ingredients
300g gingernut biscuits
150g butter, melted

Filling Ingredients
1 x 397g tin condensed milk
3 egg yolks
the zest and juice of 4 limes

Topping Ingredients
300ml double cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 tbsp icing sugar
decoration for the finished pie, if you wish

Method
Preheat the oven to 150C (fan) / 170C (normal). Lightly butter your tin - if you're using a non-stick tin like I did you won't need to do this - and set it aside.

Take the gingernut biscuits and whizz them in a food processor until they're in fine sand like crumbs with as few big chunks as possible - this can be done by putting them in a thick bag and bashing them with a rolling pin if you don't have a processor. Thoroughly mix in the melted butter and then press the mixture into your tin, making sure you go up the sides of the tin to create a lip to the pie shell and also making sure you haven't left and holes for the filling to seep through!

Pop the tin in the pre-heated oven for 10 minutes, while it's cooking zest and juice your limes and set them aside. Remove the cooked pie shell from the oven after ten minutes and set it aside to cool while you make the filling.

Whisk the egg yolks for a minute or so, then add the condensed milk and whisk for 2-3 minutes until it has fully blended with the yolks. Add the zest and juice of the limes and whisk for another 3-4 minutes before pouring into your cooled pie shell.

Bake in the oven for 15 minutes at the same temperature then remove and leave to cool - the filling should be set kind of like a cheesecake. When the pie is cool pop it in the fridge and leave it for at least an hour to fully set.

When you're ready to serve whip up the double cream with the vanilla extract and icing sugar until it is a nice spreadable consistency, about soft peak stage, and then pile it onto your pie smoothing it down a little and then finishing with your decoration if you're using one. Now you're ready to serve!

Remember to store this pie in the fridge, covered, and eat within two days as it uses fresh cream!

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Well it's finally happened, I'm going on holiday somewhere hot for the first time since I was about six years old! I thought I was about eight last time I went abroad for a proper holiday but my mum corrected me and told me I was six which makes it much more scary haha! We're heading to a little Greek island in September and naturally that has caused me to peruse many a clothing site for some lovely new clothes to run (?!) around in on our not quite summer vacation! Here are my picks from ASOS Curve...

Midi Dresses // 1  -  2  -  3

Two Pieces // 1  -  2  -  3

Tops // 1  -  2  -  3

Midi Skirts // 1  -  2  -  3

Maxi Dresses // 1  -  2  -  3
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Seriously guys, how freakin' cute are these shoes? They're by a company called Bait Footwear and I first came across them while admiring Kate's lovely outfits at Scathingly Brilliant. They all look so comfy too and none of them have whingey thin heels so the risks of my going off balance and breaking my ankle are minimised - additional points for sure!

I absolutely adore the bright pink brogue-esque Ida's in the bottom left hand corner and know I'd get a lot of wear out of them but I think my favourite are the next ones along, the Ismay in pale blue. They're just so classic and elegant but incredibly adorable to boot! I know a lot of girls think there's no point in a heel that low but I just love them, they are so comfortable and you still get that satisfying bit of lift and I'm convinced I walk more gracefully with even the teeniest heel there.

Have you ever purchased some shoes from Bait? I'd love to see photos if you have, I'm planning on starting my collection very soon!

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Guys! I'm wearing trousers! For the first time EVER on the blog I'm wearing trousers! And guess what... I don't hate them!!! 

I chose to recreate this outfit of all the ones that I saw Hayley model not just because I wanted to try something different but because I was amazed at how much I loved this look - I'm not a trousers or jeans girl and I genuinely must only wear them about six times a year at most so this was a big thing for me! Perhaps the other reason I was such a big fan was because the way Hayley modelled it was with the top tucked in and we all know I'm a fan of a tucked in top to emphasise the waistline, too many plus size retailers only show long, loose tops over the top of leggings/jeggings/jeans and I know I can't be the only one who just isn't interested in that look.

This whole outfit, top, harem trousers and shoes clocked in at £59 altogether which is not too shabby if you ask me! I don't think I've pulled it off quite as well as Hayley mainly because I'm less gifted in the chest area so don't fill the top out quite as nicely, but I still really like the look and will definitely be wearing it out and about. I might just be ordering myself some more trousers from Yours soon too...!

 


Don't forget you can get free delivery on orders over £40 this month with the code 'JUNE' or if you're a new customer and sign up to the mailing list you can get 15% off your first order!

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*This post contains items that were gifted for review. For more information head to my disclaimer page.
A picture of Hayley Hasslehoff modelling for Yours Clothing

Well I'm sure by now you will have seen the fabulous photos from the new Yours Clothing campaign with the stunning Hayley Hasslehoff, there was a fantastic buzz yesterday about the first look at the photos in the Daily Mail Online's first look article. I was actually lucky enough to be there for the shoot, helping the Yours team as best I could and I must say I had a wonderful day, it was so interesting to see how a professional photo shoot is conducted and naturally I just adored being surrounded by pretty clothes all day!

It was an early start, I hopped on the train and stole a few extra minutes sleep before arriving at St Pancras and making my way over to Kings Cross to meet the lovely Yours team of Jacqs, Laura and Charlotte. In a cab we jumped and raced through town to Shoreditch where we went seeking a cup of coffee to wake us all up before heading to the studio. Here are some photos I took throughout the day, there are a lot there sorry! There was so much to photograph my battery died before the shoot was even finished!

A picture of details at Tuckshop at White Rabbit Studios

As you can see the space we were shooting in was fabulous, there were so many different textures and areas to shoot it really was a photographer's dream. It was also a Nancy's dream - I could have moved in then and there! I've always had a fancy for open plan living in a factory development like this, I just love mixing glamorous vintage pieces with industrial urban spaces and I could picture this loft filled with my vintage trinkets and our chesterfield sofa's very nicely!

First job when we arrived was to unpack all the clothes and organise them into the different stories or themes we had for the day. Once this was done we were on to steaming the pieces so they were all wrinkle free and ready to photograph - I'd love a steamer like this at home I'd never have to iron again! Hayley arrived while we were getting things ready and went straight in to hair and make-up after saying hello to everyone - she was wearing the most amazing black floaty outfit and some killer heels, just as I had expected! 

I fell in love with so many of the pieces that were to be used, I couldn't stop ooing and aahing over everything as we unpacked it and had a mental shopping list as long as my arm by the end of the day. I surprised myself especially as I was really drawn to the two pairs of harem trousers that Hayley modelled. I'm not a trouser person as you may have noticed (all my posts involve skirts or dresses) but these were lovely and I could see myself wearing them and not looking too stumpy and childish as I feel I do in most trousers!


As soon as Hayley was ready the shoot began - I can honestly say I've never seen anyone who looked as perfect in every photo as she did. She was so professional and knew the best poses for her body so well, every picture was wonderful it must have been a hard task picking which ones to use. She was ever so nice too, bubbly and fun and she was so interested in the brand and excited about the campaign, it was lovely to see!

The photographer Dan Kennedy was just incredible too and definitely deserves the excellent reputation he has, when I looked at his website I couldn't believe the impressive list of celebrities he has shot in the past! He truly is an artist, I can't get over the incredible knowledge he has and how he manages to create such amazing photographs - Yours couldn't have picked a better person for the job!

A picture of Hayley Hasslehoff modelling for Yours Clothing

I had such an incredible day and I can't thank the Yours team enough for inviting me along. The girls were real gems and ever so kind and friendly, they definitely made the day for me. I had worried I would feel a bit awkward and like a third wheel at the shoot but the girls were so welcoming and Dan and the photography team were great fun.

Again I want to express how impressed I am with all the pieces featured in this campaign, and not only those but pretty much everything Yours have put out this year. They've definitely become much more fashion forward but have still kept up with their reputation for excellent fitting and flattering pieces and price points that don't break the bank. I highly recommend you take a look at the pieces Hayley modelled, if you're new to Yours you can get 15% off your first order if you sign up to the mailing list or if you're already a customer you can get free delivery this month by using the code 'JUNE'.

It's safe to say that Hayley isn't the only one that loves Yours, so do I!!!

Make sure you check back tomorrow when I'll be re-creating one of the outfits Hayley modelled!

A picture of Hayley Hasslehoff modelling for Yours Clothing and doing a hand heart shadow

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My Pete just loves mozzarella sticks. He loves anything cheese related really, but when it's hot and crumbed and with a sauce (like little camembert bites with cranberry sauce) he gets really happy. I have a hatred of deep frying and there are only two occasions when I'd make the effort to do it - when I'm making calamari or tempura (my favourites) or when I'm making a treat for my guy. 

A few posts ago I shared what I got in my Not Another Bill box this month which included some lovely dried oregano from Mount Taygetus in Greece and I'd been trying to think of a recipe where this could really show what it's made of and be a forefront flavour. When I think of oregano the first thing I think of is marinara sauce, that unctuous tomato sauce rich with garlic and herby zing. The obvious choices would have been to use a batch as a pasta sauce over meatballs or as a base for a pizza but I wanted to try something different, so I tried to think of a pizza-like dish that didn't involve making any dough and would be a nice Sunday treat for Pete and I and settled on these babies.

Remember to get the dry block mozzarella rather than the balls kept in liquid - you want as little moisture as you can when frying things or you'll get a storm of spitting fat which is no fun for anyone. I used panko breadcrumbs cause they go mega crispy but feel free to use normal breadcrumbs or polenta, you'll just get a smoother looking finish and a bit less of a crunch - panko are available in most supermarkets nowadays though so you shouldn't have too much trouble finding them.


Herby Mozzarella Sticks with Pizza Flavour Dipping Sauce
Makes 18 sticks serving 4 as a snack or starter

Sauce Ingredients
140g tin of tomato paste
1 tbsp olive oil (extra virgin for a stronger flavour if possible)
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp garlic granules
1-3 tsp sugar
salt and pepper to season
75-100ml hot water

Mozzarella Stick Ingredients
400g block mozzarella cheese, cut into thick sticks (I got 18 out of my block)
3-4 tbsp plain flour
1 egg, lightly beaten
60-70g panko breadcrumbs
2 tsp dried oregano
salt and pepper to season
oil for frying, something bland and with a high smoking point, I used sunflower

Sauce Method
Mix all ingredients in a small pan (add the sugar and salt and pepper to taste) and heat over a medium heat until the flavours have come together, the sugar has melted and the sauce is hot, about 5 minutes. Use as much water as you need to get the thickness you desire adding it little by little, I make it quite thin to make dipping easier. Spoon into little dishes or shot glasses for dipping the sticks just before serving.

Mozzarella Sticks Method
Pour enough oil into a heavy bottomed pan to be about 2 inches deep and set over a medium high heat while you coat your sticks.
Mix together the breadcrumbs, oregano and salt and pepper and place in a shallow dish. Put the flour in another shallow dish and the beaten egg in another.
Roll each stick into the plain flour to coat, then dip into the beaten egg ensuring it is properly coated and then roll it in the breadcrumbs so you have a nice think coating. When each is covered set it aside on a clean plate, it's easiest to get them all coated and then fry in batches than it is to coat and then fry one by one.
Take 3-4 sheets of kitchen roll and place on another plate on a cool surface next to your heating oil. Drop a breadcrumb or pinch of flour into the oil - if it sizzles and browns quickly the oil is ready, if not leave it to heat up a little more until this works.
Fry your sticks in batches, I did three at a time as I used a smallish pan. When they start to get golden give them a flip with some tongs or a slotted spoon to make sure all sides get nice and brown. When they've reached the colour you desire and are nice and crispy take them out and lay them on the kitchen roll to soak up a bit of the oil. If it takes too long for the crumbs to brown the cheese will melt too much and you'll have a big mess on your hands, so make sure the oil is hot enough for the sticks to cook in less than a minute.

Serve up your sticks with a little pot of sauce and start dipping!

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One of the things I was the most excited about when we moved into our little cottage was the sweet back yard because I just couldn't wait to sit out there in the evenings with friends drinking cocktails with lots of candles lit around us and some tunes playing on the radio. Every year when summer comes around I head to my local homewares stores to see if there are any pretty new garden decorations or some new acrylic jugs and glasses that I can add to my collection. I have a bit of an obsession with mercury glass too. And mirrors hung in gardens. Ahem. 

So anyway, you can understand why I was excited to hear that Aldi would be releasing a garden collection this June just in time for the hot weather. They very kindly offered to send me a black outdoor lantern* to have a look at and get a feel for the collection and I must say it's very lovely! These are going to be on sale for just £7.99 which I think is really impressive for something so stylish. As you can see they're a really good size too, a standard pillar candle fits in with lots of room to spare and to make it even prettier you could add some pebbles or glass beads or some flowers snipped from your garden like I did. There will be another kind of lantern on sale too which is white and has more of a vintagey feel if that's more your thing!


The range includes pretty things for the garden like a giant roman numerals clock (£17.99) and decorative metal border stakes (£2.99) in a range of nice designs but also includes bigger items like a fire pit (£19.99) and a pedestal barbecue (£27.99). If you need some extra seating they're got you covered too with a pretty wooden bench (£39.99) or a rattan effect furniture set (£149.99) which looks like it includes two chairs, a sofa and a table.

If you need to do some neatening up before adding your new pretties to the garden you can pick up an electric lawnmower (£34.99) or a petrol hedge and bush trimmer (£98.99) but if you're feeling like a bit of relaxed pruning is more your thing why not pick up a three piece cutting tool set (£9.99) and a foam kneeling pad (£1.99). As I have a traditional terraced garden I just have cobblestones, wooden decking and plant borders so it's pretty low maintenance, although that cutting tool set would sure come in handy when I need to prune my elderflower tree!


The garden collection goes on sale this Thursday the 19th of June so make sure you head to your local store early to snag any pieces that have taken your fancy! I think I'll be heading to my local store to check out the clock as I'd love to hang it from my wooden fencing over the decking, is there anything that you like the sounds of?

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*This post contains an item that was gifted for review. For more information head to my disclaimer page.

So, this weekend. I was expecting so much more sun! It was pretty grey round here but I guess the upside was that it wasn't cold. I kind wish it worked the other way round too, sunny but not hot, cause I really can't cope with too much heat. Thankfully I managed to catch the couple of hours of good sunshine on Saturday night before we headed out for dinner with mine and Pete's families. Us kids paid for the parents as our Father's Day present to the dads and it was a really lovely night out. Sadly the restaurant was really busy and very loud so it wasn't the most sociable of occasions, but the food was amazing and everyone had a great time.

This isn't actually what I wore out to dinner but was my outfit from earlier in the day and I managed to get my lovely Pete to snap some pics in the back yard before I changed into some fancier for the evening. I bought this shirt last Sunday when I went shopping with my friend Lill, when I saw it in H and M I made a grab for it straight away much to Lill's amusement - I just couldn't help myself the print is so silly, cute and naughty! It's a size large from the regular section rather than their plus size line and fits me just fine, it's a nice stretchy, fine tee and is very soft. For £7.99 I think it was a bit of a bargain, as was the cute pink basket bag that was £5.99 and I had picked up a few weeks ago again from H and M but on a trip to Sheffield. Pete dubbed it 'the most useless bag in history' as it won't protect anything from the rain and things could fall out of the holes, but hey I love it cause it's silly and bright and unusual so I don't care!

The skirt I bought at the start of the year and have featured before but I really wanted to team it with this tee and bag and the sandals are also old, like a few years old in fact, but I love them and wear them every Summer and also have them in purple. The sunglasses were gifted to me by the lovely owner of Claireabella's Closet last December at a vintage fair that we were both doing. I actually hadn't worn them until now but they seemed the perfect match with this kooky ensemble and I think they're pretty fabulous.

Ice Cream Tee - H and M - £7.99
Striped Midi Skirt - ASOS Curve - £19.99
Silver Bow Sandals - So Fabulous! at Littlewoods
Leopard Oversized Sunglasses* - Claireabella's Closet

(if an item is not linked and priced it is no longer available online)


Have a lovely week sweetpeas!

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*This post contains items that were gifted for review. For more information head to my disclaimer page.
A picture of the Not Another Bill June 2014 packaging with smile sticker

A picture of the Not Another Bill June 2014 box open showing gifts

I think I am in the minority here, but although I love surprises I don't think I'd really enjoy a beauty box subscription. I kinda hate sample packets of stuff and as I have such crazily sensitive skin have to be really careful about everything I use so I get the feeling I'd be a bit disappointed. I have however found an alternative subscription box that I have fallen in love with from Not Another Bill.

This is one for the fashion and lifestyle product lovers and is a monthly subscription. At a cost of £18 it may seem a little steep, but you have to think you aren't getting tiny sample products here you're getting full size items (other than the sweets in this box), plus there is no additional postage cost so I actually think the price is pretty reasonable.

When you sign up to Not Another Bill you can choose your subscription length or choose to pay monthly with the option to cancel at any time, you are then asked to select from different categories of gifts that you (or your intended recipient) would like to receive such as home wares, fun and nostalgia, men's lifestyle, women's lifestyle, jewellery, art, stationery, craft or you can pick the 'surprise me' category. You can also add any additional info, for example I asked not to be sent any earrings as I have stretched ears so wouldn't be able to use them. Even the signing up process is a stylish affair with an excellently designed website - this attention to detail is carried through in their emails and in the packaging when you actually receive your box which I absolutely adore.

I had a dispatch email last Saturday to say my box had been shipped and excitedly checked my post every day until it arrived in a lovely kraft brown and black striped box - it fit right through my postbox so no need to collect it from the post office hurrah! I ripped open the box and had a shuffle through before reading the packaging note describing what I had received...


My main gift this month was a beautiful stone rolling pin from a Danish company called Hay which is a lovely shade of jade green. It's beautifully heavy and smooth and is actually perfectly timed as my old wooden rolling pin made it's way to the bin last week so I was in need of a new one.


Second up was a bag of lovely dried oregano from a company called Daphne and Chloe which had scented the whole box so upon opening it I was hit with a lovely delicate herbiness. I'm yet to use it but you can tell it's something special just from how vibrant a green it is!


Lastly there was a little packet of sweets resembling large, misshapen, shiny chocolate eggs from a company called Lavolio. On reading that it was a nut selection I wasn't that enthused, but my oh my when I tried them... these are something very special, the crisp shells give way without too much force to a soft creamy chocolate and then a crunchy fresh nut - I received almonds and hazelnuts mainly and one that had no nut, but had a fruity truffley centre and I just can't put my finger on what fruit it was. The tiny yellow sweets were little shards of caramel brittle again covered in chocolate and a crisp shell that worked perfectly with the richness nuttiness of the other sweets. I headed over to the website immediately after devouring these babies and was pleased to see they're packaged in sweet printed tins usually so will make excellent presents for lucky people in the future!

As you can tell I was really pleased with my box, I already can't wait for next month's to arrive!