My Green Juice

I've joined the juicing bandwagon as last week I bought myself a hefty juicer! Recently, I've been finding I'm not very hungry at breakfast time but still need energy to keep me going until lunch. So, this is where the green juice comes in! Having a juice is so refreshing and gives me more energy than one might think...It takes just a few minutes and all you have to do is throw the ingredients into the juicer. I thought I'd share my recipe - although it's nothing too special:

Ingredients:

1/2 cucumber 

2 apples

1 stalk of celery

10 spinach leaves

2 tsp of lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla essence

Pinch of cinnamon

Splash of cold water

Put in a juicer and enjoy!

My Nostalgic Thing

Autumn is drawing closer, so me and my bf took advantage of the sunny afternoon and did a spot of blackberry picking! With jumpers tied around waists and old ice-cream containers in hands, we were ready to explore forests and fields in true style (ha.)

There's nothing more nostalgic than venturing outside foraging for blackberries and bringing home your finds to make something yummy. The most popular recipe is of course, blackberry and apple pie but they can be used in jams, ice-cream, trifles and sprinkled on top of oats for breakfast.

I love it because it's free and gets you outside. When me and my brother were little Granny used to take us blackberry picking. We'd come home and watch the crumble turn to a golden colour in the oven ready for Mums arrival. The only downside is the fact your hands end up stained the purple colour of dried, inky blackberry juice if you’re not careful...

Gold Dust Chocolate Brownies...with no butter

You can't go wrong with chocolate brownies but adding edible gold dust and sprinkles makes them even more magical! This recipe uses apple sauce instead of butter (slightly more healthy) so you can feel less guilty about indulging. They are still moist and delicious so give the recipe a go.

 Ingredients:

(Makes 9)

100g wholewheat flour

25g cocoa powder

100g brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 egg

130g apple sauce

1 tsp vanilla essence

Pinch of salt

150g chocolate chips

50g milk chocolate 

Gold edible glitter dust (available from supermarkets)

Sprinkles

Method:

1.Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Grease a 20cm dish (or tray) with a little butter

2. Sift the flour and add the cocoa powder into a bowl. Place the rest of the ingredients in the bowl and mix well. 

3. Place the mixture into the dish or tray and spread out evenly. Cook in the oven for 20 minutes.

4. Leave to cool. Melt the chocolate in a microwave for 20 seconds and drizzle over the brownies. Sprinkle some magic edible gold dust and bright sprinkles over the chocolate. Place in the fridge and wait for the chocolate to set. 

Enjoy!

My Nostalgic Thing

Discovering treasure in your garden is like unwrapping a Christmas present. On golden afternoons my brother and I used to dig in our back garden. Mud gathered under our fingernails turning them black and my dress would have a smudged grass stain on it. Dads tools, kitchen spoons and jugs spread out on the grass. We'd pretend to be pirates and find little bits of porcelain from a lost teacup, crystal embedded rocks and smooth pebbles. They are now kept in the little treasure chest (above) on the mantle piece. Why hold on to the treasure? The bits we found are worth nothing, but memories are hidden in them too. 

Did you ever dig for treasure as a child?

Nuts & Seeds Granola

No longer the knitted jumper of the food world, granola is now a chic, booming growth sector. It's one of those foods you pick at after you come home from work and watch TV, can sprinkle into your yogurt and munch on the bus for breakfast. It always comes in handy and the golden, crunchy clusters tickle your taste-buds too. Join in with the granola renaissance and bake some for yourself:

Ingredients:

(Serves 4) 

50g dried dates

 100g rolled oats

86g seed mix

20g almonds 

2 tbsp honey

3 tbsp olive oil

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees. Then, soak the dates in warm water until soft. Blend until smooth to make a paste. 

2. Add the rest of the ingredients to the date paste and stir well. 

3. Spread the mixture onto a baking tray (baking sheet) and bake for 15 minutes until golden, then reduce the temperature to 110 degrees and bake for a further 30 minutes until the mixture is crisp.

4. Leave to cool and store in an air-tight container or enjoy straight away!

Easy Elderflower Cordial

It's that time of year where long summer nights prevail and friendly gatherings take place. That means, drinks are in order! Elderflower is in season until the end of July and as I was riding my bike I thought it was about time I pick some and make my own cordial. What a sight it is to see the frothy, sweet white blossoms along almost every hedgerow near my home. A bit of afternoon nostalgia when picking them seemed to go a long way. My boyfriend and I went to a hamlet in Dartmoor called North Bovey to hunt for fresh elderflower lurking among the hedges.

We picked about 65 heads which is enough for 4 or more wine bottles full. Here is our recipe for 2 bottles:

Ingredients:

1k sugar  
1.5 litres boiling water 
4 medium lemons, washed 
30 large Elderflower heads 
55g citric acid (available from a chemist)

Method:

1. Put the sugar into a pan and pour on the hot water, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Leave to cool.
2. Meanwhile, grate the rind of the lemons with a fine grater, then cut the lemons into slices. 
3. Shake off the flower heads to remove any insects and swish them in cool water. Strain until semi-dry. 
4. Push the flowers down into the warm sugar syrup and add the citric acid. Stir. Then, place the lemons and rind into the pan and stir. 
5. Cover with a lid and leave in a cool place to steep for 24 hours.
6. Strain through muslin into a clean pan, then use a funnel to fill up a sterilized bottle with cordial.
7. Store in a cool, dark place for a couple of weeks. You can also freeze small plastic bottles to keep for longer.

Enjoy!

Selvedge Fashion Fair

With only one seminar left before finishing year two, I have been somewhat overwhelmed by the fact I will be out in the big, wide world soon. Living in Bath may not be for forever, so I'm making an effort to go and see things before I go to Devon for the summer. Selvedge Fashion Fair took over The Octagon last weekend and I treated myself to some discounted past copies of the magazine to read snuggled up in bed with a hot chocolate. The clothes featured were slightly above my budget but was good to have a browse. Designers and artizan clothes fitted in perfectly against the historic rooms of The Octagon.
Selvedge is all about the textiles, cloth and materials used so many unique, hand-crafted designs were on show. There were delicate embroidered dresses by Jan Knibbs which looked as though they were fairy dresses from Fairie-ality (one of my favourite books from childhood.) Other stalls included a selection of silk and dreamy lace cream dresses, hand-dyed silk scarves, woolen shawls, and printed luxe caftans from Gallery 196. 

My friend and I were about to leave Milsom place when we discovered a crazy-looking caravan parked in the courtyard. As I took a photo a woman's voice called out, 'Come on in,' from inside. We were transported to another little world. Handmade hats hung from the ceiling, vintage postcards and magazine pages covered every little space. Re-upholstered seats, ribbon, and pattern seemed to be a recurring thing. The lovely owner of the vehicle was, Mary Jane Baxter, a hat lover and maker who wrote the craft books we flicked through whilst discussing all-things millinery. She encouraged us to try on her handmade hats (from cereal boxes - can you believe it) and told us how to make our own...

Have you been to a fashion fair recently?

Benjamin Kirchhoff in conversation with Sarah Mower

As part of Bath in Fashion, Benjamin Kirchhoff, one half of the duo responsible for Meadham Kirchhoff, traveled to The Octagon to have a conversation with fashion critic and US Vogue contributor, Sarah Mower. Many gathered to listen to the insights into the Meadham Kirchhoff label ("label - not brand") as they have no social media presence, and rarely ever speak to press. "We barely party, let alone give interviews," Benjamin said. "It's to maintain a sense of maturity." 

Anglo-French duo Edward Medham and Benjamin Kirchhoff are renowned for presenting beautiful, theatrical collections against often surreal settings. Sarah Mower was appointed the British fashion Council's Ambassador for Emerging Talent in 2009 and has met the designer duo before.

The night kicked off with a screening of their latest collection. Kirchhoff explained: "We didn't want it to be celebratory, just a variety of womanhood and different elements it brings." Inspiration was cultivated from a court dress and Elizabethan blackwork. Tinsel, glitter, riot girls, Marie Antionette and the Elizabethan period are a few influences Kirchhoff named. The label took a shift from being "miserable goth" (as Sarah Mower called it) before becoming the elaborate collections we see now. As a subversive and established brand, Kirchhoff said: "It is still a growing piece of work." When asked about his feminist side, he claimed he wasn't a feminist; it's just an issue of the world: "Address femininity but as an observation rather than an aggressive point of view."

They work in a "large, cheap shit-hole" in East End London with three employees, the rest are interns. He thinks it's important to have presence, and also told us that he notices scent before he meets a person. This lead to Kirchhoff announcing they are releasing a new perfume called 'Tralala,' which is encased in packaging inspired by love letters and jewellery boxes. 

Above are the shoes they gave Mower a few years ago that she has never worn but still has in her office. Kirchhoff gave off a cool, arty and philosophical vibe and seems a down-to-earth guy compared to many fashion beings.

His greatest gratification? "Not much. We don't get a jump from kudos about dressing celebrities." For them it's about seeing their influence impact the way girls view themselves. It presents a relevance. As they are an expanding and rooted brand, he advised us all: "Don't jump into adulthood too quickly - make a visual point of view. Experiment, empower yourself."

As for their collections and the world of fashion: "It's a dialogue and progression. We like to raise the questions ourselves."

S/S '14 Fashions: Bath In Fashion

Last Thursday I was invited to the lovely Spring/Summer '14 Fashions show which was part of Bath in Fashion. Lots of fashiony events take place across the city for a very fashionable week! The beautiful Assembly Rooms were host to the show with it's grand ceilings, renaissance paintings and glamorous chandeliers. It was the perfect place to gather for a fashion show. We were welcomed with champagne and queued outside huge wooden doors before we all piled in and took our seats. 

The exclusive preview of the hottest looks on the high street included twenty brands, some of which were: Anokhi, Ecco, Instant Vintage, LK Bennett, Oasis, Reiss, Hobbs and more. The show was staged by international producer John Walford and styled by top fashion consultant Rebekah Roy, with hair by Artizan and make-up by AOFM. The show was hosted by Woman & Home magazine. My favourite looks were a floral two-piece from Oasis, a bright blue cut-out dress by Henry Hunt and a floaty, dreamy floral dress from Anokhi.

Did you attend any of the Bath in Fashion events? More posts will be following...

Spa Day at Cricket St. Thomas

My good pal Alice turned 20 last week and as I was back in Devon for Easter break I was invited to go along and get pampered with the girls. Cricket St. Thomas is a Grade II listed Regency mansion in the heart of Somerset and we bought a package deal off Groupon which included two beauty treatments, lunch, champagne on arrival and access to the gym, swimming pool, sauna and steam room...hard to resist, huh?

The grounds are picturesque and we took a walk as soon as we arrived. Designs for the new lakes and gardens have been inspired by recently discovered documents from 1895 and 1919. There is a peaceful new grotto garden and water garden. We discovered an interesting statue doing a headstand too:

We had lunch overlooking the grounds before we headed to the pool and sauna. My favourite was the Tropicarium room which is in between the temperatures of a sauna and steam room. It is a great place to all sit and have a good catch-up. I was frazzled by the time we jumped in the pool!

We were treated in pairs to an all-over body scrub and a back and neck massage which was lush. My skin felt soft and smelt good after the scrub and I particularly enjoyed the hot exfoliating gloves. The back massage was great but too ticklish to be able to fully enjoy it...maybe it's just me. 

We met a lovely couple who took this picture of us above.

The library is pictured above. There was plenty of books to read and I loved the classic the blue wallpaper and chandelier. 

Everyone enjoyed the day and it was nice to escape with the girls and have a proper pamper. It is worth the visit even if you don't fancy a spa treatment as it is beautiful. Have you had a spa day before? 

Keep your eyes peeled as this week is Bath In Fashion and I will be attending the catwalk show and some events over the next few days...stay tuned.