Book Club#1 True Whit: Designing a Life of Style, Beauty & Fun - Whitney Port.

- Here's a fact about me : I read. A lot.

- I  did my degree in English Literature and I'm a huge fan of the printed (or digital!) word. 

- I'm not even particularly fussed on the subject of the book, I'll read anything from a cookery book to sci-fi. I actually really enjoy reading both!

True Whit: Designing a Life of Style, Beauty & Fun - Whitney Port

- Anyone remember Laguna Beach? I'm not ashamed to admit that yes, I used to watch this on a semi-regular basis! Once you'd got hooked on that, you couldn't not watch The Hills. Which is where I first (metaphorically) fell in love with Whitney Port.  (Who we then followed to The City!!) Her character, how much of this is her real self I suppose I will never know, was so much more grounded than the rest of her co-stars. I liked her work ethic, I liked her style, I loved her hair and I coveted her job!

- It was for this reason alone that I decided on this book, that and I fancy light reading at the moment, leaning more to the non-fiction side of the scale. I wanted to see what she would say about herself, and with reviews like 'Need advice? Make Whitney your first Port of call' how could I not give it a go?

- Fair enough, she is talking about self help in your 20's, which may or may not be applicable to me anymore, I haven't decided yet! but I enjoyed listening to her (that's what it really felt like, like I was listening to her talking to me, over coffee and croissants).

- I was a little sceptical at the price, but I paid it, and truth be told, I'd pay it again. Possibly due to my infatuation with said woman!

- In a nutshell it is Whitney, talking to us about her life, and how she has managed to navigate certain problems, providing her advice on how we too, can overvcome those problems. With everything from decorating your first flat, to how not to look like you fell into a ribbish bag, she pretty much has it covered!

- Whitney is a glamorous girl, and I wish I had her life in the city. This book has (I wont say has inspired me) nudged me in the right direction to sorting my life out.

- Talking about Whitney's next chapter in her life, I feel as though it is a little relevant, I'm looking to start a new chapter in mine as well. I want to move cities, I feel as though I need a fresh start, I just need to sort everything out, but Whit's words of "just go for it" are resonating in my ears. I know that if I don't do it now, I probably never will, and then I'll regret it. Anyway, enough about me. This is about Whitney. 

- She's probably not a born writer, but that's OK by me, because she never claims to be.

The Bottom Line : If you feel as though you are in need of a friend, give this a read.

 

Food on Friday #5 Grasshopper Bark (sans Grasshopper's)

 

-Here's a little surprise for you!

- Chocolate.

- I can't eat it anymore, but it just looks so darn pretty! haha Chocolate and mint are some of my favourite flavours, and one night whilst perousing pinterest (!) I stumbled over this ingenious concoction. Borrowed from here.

- It didn't last long in our fridge.

 
- She's pretty simple really!

1. Do some crazy origami with some greaseproof paper inside your roasting tin!

2. Melt one bar of white chocolate over a bain marie, once melted, remove from the heat and stir in a few drops of peppermint flavouring and sufficient green colouring to turn the chocolate a nice shade of grasshopper green! - Pour into your prepared tin an allow to set.

3. Melt one bar of milk or dark chocolate in the same manner as the white, remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Whilst cooling, chop up a handful of after eight mints (or Tekkies alternative if yer cheap like me).

4. Pour the slightly cooled chocolate over the white, and sprinkle on your massacred mints. 

5. Allow to cool.

No here's the fun bit, unfold your creation!




Now chop it up. Keep it in the fridge; and chomp on it whilst reading the latest novel!
 

Food on Friday #4 Vegan Coconut Ice Cream

Being Vegan doesn't mean you have to give up ice-cream! You just have to get a little inventive. . . . But Vegan ice-cream, doesn't mean you have to be Vegan!

I'm currently an accidental vegan, but I don't mind too much, I'm enjoying eating foods I probably would never have come accross otherwise. There really is a vast variety to choose from. I got home the other night and the boy had made me quasadillas with quorn mince, yum! anyway,

Here is my take on coconut vegan ice-cream. Enjoy. (and I know it's the end of summer, but in our household you eat ice-cream all year round, whether you like it or not!)

Take one tin of Coconut Milk, and one tin of Coconut Cream ( you don't have to use coconut cream, it works with just the milk, but the texture is closer to 'real' ice-cream with the coconut cream) 

  Measure out 600ml of soya milk (I know, some crazy substances are going into this, trust) 

   
In a small dish, add 1tbsp of arrowroot powder to a splash of soya milk, stir well and set aside for later.

  To the 600ml of soya milk, add 1/2 cup of brown sugar, stir until mostly dissolved and transfer entire mixture to a pan. Heat gently until sugar is entirely dissolved then stir in the arrowroot mixture, bring pan to the boil continuously stirring. When boiling point is reached the mixture will be thick like this (now turn off the heat!) 

   
stir in the Coconut Cream and the Coconut Milk and leave to cool. Once significantly cool either transfer into containers to freeze stirring hourly until frozen, or (my favourite method!) bung it in your parents' ice-cream maker, wait an hour and then devour! 

 

Songs on Sunday #15

Create a MySpace Music Playlist at MixPod.com

Bon dia,

Weeks go by so slowly at the time, but so quickly all the same, I wish time would slow down a little, but would go faster all at the same time. I miss the man, this is what I need weekends for. I wish everyone well, I hope everyone is looking forward to Monday morning, right?!

cap de setmana.

 

Food on Friday #3 Cinnamon Rolls

- Every now and then you have to treat yourself. . right. . . right?!

- This week's Food on Friday is a little more complex than others, but totally worth it. It's not a difficult recipe, it's just time-consuming because of the rising time of the dough.

- I wasn't actually allowed to eat any of these, however I did share one with my mother and they are ace, the best we've managed so far, although we think that along with the nuts there should either be some chopped dates or raisins.

 

(before second rising, they fill all of the gaps eventually!)

I found the recipe at AllRecipes.com, I didnt really make any alterations, except I used some chopped nuts instead of peacans, because we had a package of chopped mixed nuts in the pantry, and I didnt want to go and do any special ingredients for this project.

Dissolve 1 package of fast action yeast in 1/2 a cup of warm water

While this is beginning to react, heat 1/2 a cup of milk gently in a small saucepan adding 1/4 cup of white sugar, 1/4 cup of butter and 1 teaspoon  of salt stirring until melted & dissolved

 combine the milk mixture with the yeast mixture, add two beaten eggs to this mixture

Stir in 4 cups of self raising flour, 1 cup at a time.

Pull your dough together & knead for approximately 5 minutes until it becomes particularly elastic to touch.

Lightly oil a bowl, roll your dough in this bowl and set aside in a warm place covered with a damp tea towel, after an hour your dough will have doubled in size.

melt 3/4 cup of butter and mix with 3/4 cup of brown sugar and 1/2 cup of chopped nuts, place in the bottom of baking tins - I used two IKEA small roasting tins ( I don't really think this step is needed and if I did it again I would miss it out!)

Roll out your dough paint  1/4 cup of melted butter and sprinkle with a mixture of 3/4 cup of brown sugar, 1 tbsp of cinnamon powder and 1/2 cup of  chopped nuts ( This is where I would have added some dates, I think some grated apple would be nice aswell.)

Roll up your dough into a long sausage shape and cut into rounds - I believe I yeilded 32 overall!

Place into your prepared tins and let rise for an hour, covered with your damp tea towel

Bake at 190 C for 25 minutes.

Good served hot, or cold!