Five Friday Favourites

It's that time again! Here's what's made me smile this week.

My friend Melissa's incredibly pretty fluoro pink nails wrapped around a refreshing minty beverage.

Heat Magazine, Wine and Pizza, need I say more?

This little fella just melts my heart, and I'm dog-sitting all weekend - yesssss!!

You cannot have failed to notice that all the shops have gone into Summer Sale. Bad for your bank account, amazing for your wardrobe!

I'm totally hooked on The Apprentice. I watch it every year and this series/season has not failed to disappoint. My money's on Francesca or Neil to win and Leah surely has to go next....

Happy Friday Everyone! Enjoy your weekend x

Life | British Military Fitness

I like to exercise, I really do, but sometimes I can get stuck-in-a-rut and it's good to try something new....

A couple of weekends ago I headed up to a very wet and windy Durdham Downs to take part in a British Military Fitness class organised by Spogo.

I had no idea what to expect! Our instructor Max soon put us all at ease and we quickly put on coloured bibs relating to our level of experience/fitness.

Before anyone had a chance to change their minds Max had us running around, warming-up, and doing lots of different exercise drills.

Quick as a flash the class was over and none of us could believe that we hadn't stopped moving for a whole hour! We had all worked hard but most importantly we had loads of fun too.

I would definitely recommend a BMF class to anyone. My class was completely varied in age and ability, and you work to your own threshold so getting through it is totally achievable, regardless of your fitness level. There's also great team spirit, although I didn't know anyone there we were all willing each other on. 

Here are some photo's from the class. 

The only downside? I ached for days afterwards! See you at the next one then?!

Click here for more information about Spogo. And here for more information about BMF classes running in Bristol.

Food | A Cheesy Dilemma

Whilst a four-tier cake made of cheese was lots of fun on Saturday, come today, we have a mountain of cheese to get through. As someone who hates wasting food (I once cried just emptying out the fridge), it's somewhat concerning.

I've already given away some cheesy goody-bags and someone mentioned freezing the rest but I'm not so keen on that idea. Maybe it's a throwback from my time in France but the French don't even like cheese to be kept chilled, let alone frozen (mon dieu!), and I can't help but feel they know a thing or two about cheese, non?

So, here's the plan. I'm going to be busy making a lot of cheese-based dishes!

I started last night with a simple Broccoli and Blue Cheese Soup. So far, so good. And then this evening I made this lovely looking Cheese, Leek and Tomato Tart.

I adapted this recipe.

You will need:

1 packet of ready-rolled short crust pastry
1 onion
1 large leek
A knob of butter
1 tbsp garlic olive oil
284ml pot of double cream
250g mixed cheese (I used cheddar, brie and barkham blue)
1 tomato
Sprinkling of thyme

A 23cm tart tin with a loose base. I got mine from TK Maxx for £5, and they had a big selection. I think when it comes to tarts/quiches etc. size matters, otherwise they don't set properly etc.

Preheat your oven to 180C (I have a fan oven).

First job is to prep your pastry case. I thought I was being clever buying pre-rolled pastry but when I got it out of the packet it wasn't quite big enough for the tin. Grab your closest wine bottle (or rolling pin) and roll it out a bit more so that you have enough pastry to hang over the side of the tin.

Next you need to bake your case "blind". Stick some greaseproof paper over your pastry and fill with baking beans, or you can use dried beans/lentils, anything to weigh it down a bit.

Pop it on a baking sheet (it means your not messing about with the loose base of your tart tin), and bake in the oven for 15 mins. Take out the paper and beans and then bake for a further 10 mins.

Voila!

Whilst your pastry case is cooking, slice your onion and leek into circles, and pop in a frying pan over a medium heat with the butter and garlic olive oil. Cook for 10 minutes until golden.

 Chop your cheese into small pieces and thinly slice your tomato. Whisk your eggs and cream together and season with salt and pepper.

Now it's time to layer up your filling! First the cheese...

....then the leek and onion mixture....

....before carefully pouring over your eggs and cream, and topping with sliced tomatoes.

Turn down the oven to 160C, give your tart a sprinkling of dried thyme for luck and bake in the oven for 40 minutes.

Serve with a glass of crisp, white wine and a spinach salad for a truly yummy summer supper.

My other cheese based plans involve the following:

- A cheese and caramelized red onion tart
- Chicken wings with a blue cheese dip
- Broad bean soup with goats cheese crostini
- Ploughman's lunch

Any other summer cheese recipe ideas for the barkham blue and brie greatly appreciated! x

Food | Tomato, Fish and Prawn Curry

I love a healthy supper that's quick and easy to make, and when I stumbled across this little gem in the Waitrose' food magazine this month I knew I had to make it.

I halved the recipe and changed up some ingredients slightly, for 2 people (my version) you will need:

1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp fish sauce
150g haddock (or any firm white fish), chopped into bite size pieces
150g peeled, raw king prawns
4 x spring onions
1 tsp Gourmet Garden hot chilli paste
1 (heaped) tsp Gourmet Garden ginger paste
2 large garlic cloves (crushed)
1 tsp coconut oil
pinch of paprika
400g tin chopped tomatoes
50 ml water
handful fresh coriander
lime wedges, to serve

Then you just need to follow these steps:

1. Mix together the turmeric and fish sauce to make a paste. Coat the fish and prawns with it and set aside to marinate.

2. Put the spring onions, chilli paste. ginger paste and crushed garlic in a food processor (I used my mini one) with a splash of water and blitz to make a paste. Heat the coconut oil in a deep pan and fry the paste for 2-3 minutes, then add the paprika and cook for a further minute.

3. Add the chopped tomatoes and fry for 5-6 mins until softened. Pour in the water (I just put some in the empty chopped tomato can to get the rest of the juices) and bring to the boil. Stir in the prawns and cook for 2 minutes, then stir in the fish. Cover and leave to simmer gently for about 5 minutes.

4. Chop the coriander and reserve a bit to garnish, stir the rest into your curry.  Serve with a lime quarter and a sprinkling of chopped coriander. Voila!

This tasted amazing; spicy, tangy and good for the soul. I love the fusion of the South-East Asian flavours. I can't recommend it enough and will be making it again very soon! Keeper.

Life | Birthday Week

This past week has whizzed by in a whirlwind of Birthday celebrations. 

Dan and I nearly share a birthday, we're just two days apart, with my Dad's in the middle, so it has been a busy week indeed!

We kicked off birthday week with a family dinner at Riverstation. It was a perfect summers night to be sat near the water. 

After dinner the lights were dimmed and my surprise cake arrived!

No, your eyes do not deceive you. That is me sat on a rug, in a park, surrounded by approximately nine cats (one for each life?).....my boyfriend has a weird sense of humour but I love it! And I do love cats, it's true, especially these two.

My cake wasn't the only surprise of the night. Annie and Ben asked me to be godmother to their beautiful baby boy Ralph. I'm so touched, and still get a little teary just thinking about it. Look at the little cutie.

Tuesday was the Main Event but unfortunately I had to work during the day. When I arrived home I found a glass of this waiting for me.

Heaven. I sat and chatted to Dan whilst he prepared the most amazing dinner. Oysters, Baked Cod and Lobster Thermidore, and they all tasted amazing!

The following day we were up bright and early and off to the races.

And then on Thursday, disaster struck. We both woke up on Dan's Birthday feeling terrible, some nasty stomach flu was trying to ruin all our birthday fun. All my big plans for the day had to be abandoned in favour of sleep and rest.

By Saturday we were (almost) back on form. The day of Dan's Birthday BBQ! Luckily the weather held out just long enough to get the food cooked and our friends more than made up for what we were lacking in party spirit!

                  

Dan's "birthday cake" was actually a cheese cake! He doesn't love real cake (strange, I know, I could eat it daily), but does love cheese. There were four layers; goats cheese, barkham blue, cheddar and the smelliest brie I've ever come across, it tasted good though. And we will now be eating cheese for weeks!

Then there was one more birthday surprise for me! My lovely friends had clubbed together to buy me some treats....I love them so much (my friends and the presents)!

 Check out my Tory Birch pumps and Alexander McQueen leopard print scarf! I still can't believe they all did this. I feel so special and completely spoilt.

And what was Dan's pressie from me? This rather handsome Daniel Wellington Bristol watch. I fell in love with the classic and minimalist design but also the story behind the watches. There's a design available for quite a few different cities around the UK. 

 By the time the last glass had been washed and put away, there was only one way to finish birthday week...... 

 xxx

P.S. I have to thank Jenna's Instagram and Mel's Facebook for a lot of these photo's, without them it would have been a very dull post, thanks girls!