Student Suppers: Pasta, Sausage Meatball and White Bean Stew

I've been starting to think of dishes that I can plan to make in advance, then I will enjoy if it is either really cold, or if it has been milder like was last week. I have been really into this very hearty, very filling Pasta, Sausage Meatball and White Bean Stew. 

This recipe makes two very large portions, which I either keep in a fridge for myself as an easy meal, or cook when I have friends to stay. 

You will need three good quality pork sausages, a handful of pasta shapes, olive oil, a 400g tin of haricot beans, salt, pepper, a 400g tin or carton of chopped tomatoes in their juice, an onion, a carrot, two small garlic cloves and half a stock cube made up with half a litre of water

First, you need to make the meatballs. Take a knife, and carefully remove the skin of the sausages. Split each sausage into three pieces and roll them into  meatballs. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan until it is smoking, and fry the meatballs in the pan until they are browned all over. Set aside.

I like to use these delicious Debbie & Andrew's Harrogate 97% pork sausages which you can get in packs of 6 for £3 from Sainsburys. The quality of sausages you use for this recipe make all the difference!

Chop the onion and the carrot, and fry them in the remaining oil until the onions soften. Chop the garlic and add it to the pan and fry for another minute or two. 

If your frying pan is not big enough to hold all the additional ingredients, at this point add the fried vegetables to a saucepan and add the stock and tomatoes. Simmer for ten minutes, then add the pasta and meatballs and simmer for another ten minutes. 

Rinse the can of beans and stir into the saucepan along with lots of salt and freshly ground pepper. 

Keep on the heat until the beans are piping hot, then ladle the stew into two bowls. Serve with red wine if you happen to have any hanging around or you are cooking this for someone! This recipe has been adapted from BBC Good Food. 

If you give this a recipe a go, let me know how you get on - I love hearing how your meals turn out when you try them!

Spring Essentials: Ash 'Bowie' Wedge Trainers

I have a confession to make. I really, really used to hate any form of wedged high top trainers. However, ever since these both natural and brightly coloured styles from Italian shoe brand Ash started to crop up, I have really been coming around to the style, and I have found myself actually seriously considering these orange ones. (Though, if they start doing them in any form or purple or bright/ pastel blue I will be all over them in a heartbeat!)

Orange usually really is not my colour, but I think these would work really well as a splash of colour for Spring, and would not be too bad only on my feet. How awesome would they look with my pale purple pastel skinny jeans? 

In fact, I think they would look pretty great with any colour of pastel  or bright colour block skinnies, so you can pick your personal preference! You can shop around, but I think these shades from Topshop would really complete the (bottom half) of your outfit! 

Do you think I should take the plunge and go for these trainers? Does anyone else own a pair of wedges trainers? How comfortable are they, and what do you wear them with? 

This is a sponsored post. To read my policy on sponsored posts, please click here.

Gift Guide: Mothers Day 2012

So, on the 18th March it is Mothering Sunday, and I will be hopping on the train and heading home to visit my mother, keep her company and help her out around the house and the office for the weekend.

First up, don't make the faux pas of giving a gift and forgetting to include a mothers day card! I used to make my own cards for everything, but these days until I actually have a permeant and regular home to set up a good DIY and craft area I tend to buy them. However, I really like to personalise the card to the person, and sometimes when you're standing in Clintons or Marks & Spencers I can't find the perfect one for someone even when there are literally hundreds of cards on the shelves in front of me! It came as a surprise to me recently that Hallmark actually have a personalised cards service on their website, which I think is perfect if you are not the crafty type, or you don't have the time or space to make your own like me!

Emma Bridgewater 'Mummy' Mug: £19.95, Hotel Chocolate Mothers Day Selection: £22, Cath Kidston Cake Tins: £25, Hobbs NW3 'With Love' Scarf: £59, Swarovski Heart Earrings: £67, Yardley London English Lavender Fragrance Gift Set: £13.50 

As well as all of these gifts you can buy in the shops, I think handmade gifts also give a lovely little touch. Why not make her a box of homemade chocolate and cherry buttercream macaroons, make her some sugar plum crepes for breakfast in bed or melt some coloured wax into some vintage tea cups for some cute candles to give her as a stylish gift!


Have you decided what you are going to buy your mother (and don't forget grandmothers!) this Mothers Day?

This is a sponsored post. To read my policy on sponsored posts, please click here.

Spring Essentials: The Skinny Pastel Jeans

On Wednesday morning I was out on a mother daughter shopping trip in my hometown of Canterbury, and neither of us were doing very well on the shopping front (well, I did discover that my favourite Whistles jeans now come in navy and that there is a rather lovely skirt in Hobbs I would love to try on, but neither are things I can afford at the moment!) After we had given up on clothes we were just walking through Marks & Spencer to get to the food hall, and something from their Limited Collection caught my eye...

Jeans: Marks & Spencer, Cashmere Jumper: John Lewis c/o Most Wanted, Nail Polish: Essie 'Nice Is Nice'

A pair of purple pastel jeans that match my favourite Essie 'Nice Is Nice' nail polish has been at the very top of my Spring/Summer wish list, and I was so shocked to be able to cross it off in Marks & Spencer of all places, and, wait for it... only for £29.50! My jeans usually cost £80 from Whistles! Usually I only get my tights, socks and vest tee shirts from Marks & Spencers clothes wise (get me to the food hall or the home section and it is a totally different story!), but I don't really give their womans wear much of a glance!

These jeans have got me very, very excited for Spring/ Summer. Usually I'm so-so about the collections, but some of my favourite high street brands are taking inspiration from one of my favourite parts of the world this season: California. How amazing are the new Kurt Geiger store layouts for example? Now, I don't usually shop in River Island, but I think I might head in and check their stuff out, as this behind the scenes video from the lookbook shoot in Los Angeles is wonderful!

Next on my Spring/ Summer wish list is a blazer and tailored either shorts or a skirt in the same fabric. I know there are a few on ASOS, but I'm not big on the crazy Mary Katrantzou-esque prints or too short shorts. Any ideas? I did have a dark breton striped top with a solid colour block colour at the top on the list too, but I might have popped into Jack Wills for a little something the day after I got those jeans too - I'll show you all soon in another outfit post!


What are you planning to buy for your Spring/ Summer wardrobe? 

The Jane Packer Flower School with Yardley London

Last Saturday I decided to take an afternoon off from the total organised chaos that was London Fashion Week to head over to the Jane Packer Flower School for a flower arranging lesson with a couple of my fellow bloggers, and to hear about Yardley London's new skincare range and advertising campaign. 

The new Yardley range of a body wash, body lotion and hand cream come in all of their core fragrances; Peony, English Lavender, English Rose and Royal English Daisy. They are all very reasonably priced (all under £6) and come in sleek and simple packaging. 

We were taught how to make a hat box flower arrangement from scratch, as shown in this picture. I was very worried about how mine would turn out!

I was still rather worried half way through that there was awful balance to my arrangement, but thankfully things started to look up when I added the dried lavender and the foliage. 

The finished result, and it was so easy to make! I'm going to keep all of the non floral components so I can hopefully shoot a step by step guide to recreating this at home for a later blog post!

After talking us through their new print ad campaign (they are pretty amazing ads, look out for them in your favourite fashion monthlies) the ladies at Yardley were kind enough to give me a set of the Peony scented products to take away with me. Yardley are a brand that are usually associated with the older market (they do have lovelies such as Q10 and vitamins that help out older skin), but all their scents are beautiful and floral, and I at 18 after trying these will certainly be using them more often. 

The body wash leaves a lovely scent on your skin which is long lasting but not too overpowering, as does the lotion. I am especially impressed with the hand cream, and while I don't think wild horses could drag me away from the tube of L'Occitaine hand cream I carry in my handbag, this Yardley tube is just as good, and has already taken up pride of place on my bedside table. 

Have you tried any Yardley products before? And has anyone here ever been to any flower arranging classes, or do I have any florists among my readers?

Weekly Love: Week 95

Wow, that was an epic week! I can't believe that London Fashion Week has been and gone, and I'm already back in Canterbury (nothing beats the feeling of being home) sorting out details and attending meetings gearing up for the holiday cottages opening in April! Thank god I think weather wise that Spring is finally here - I was getting fed up of the biting cold! I was lucky enough to be able to catch up with some of my favourite bloggers and fashion people (Selina, Eleanor, Elodie, Sherin, Florrie, Gem, Lily, Daniela, Jasmine, Kate, Zoe and Carrie) and get to see a lot of shows and presentations. In case you missed it, you can catch up with all of my London Fashion Week coverage here! (And for those of you who are sick of my Fashion Week coverage, I'll shut up about it tomorrow!)

1. London Fashion Week at Somerset House | 2. The Sophie Hulme A/W12 presentation was my London Fashion Week highlight! | 3. I had such fun shooting detailed street style around Somerset House! | 4. I had a bit of a fan girl moment when I spotted Scott Schumman and Garance Dore at Fashion Week! | 5. Do you remember my blue velvet Kat Maconie ankle boots I wore on the first day of FashionWeek? I got to meet Kat herself when I previewed her A/W12 collection in the LFW exhibition area! | 6. My LFW Press Pass

• I wish I had been at the Hilfiger show in New York. 
• Adam Levine's home in the Hollywood Hills is simply amazing.
• Jessica has written a lovely guide on how to achieve the perfect relaxing bath!
• Anna Dello Russo has some pretty sound career advice, and she advises us all to 'make out own careers'. 
• IFB has an amazing article on why you should be shooting street style for your personal blogs. I really enjoyed shooting my London Fashion Week Street Style Detail posts this week, and I think I might make street style detail posts a regular thing. Any thoughts on this?
• The Cherry Blossom Girl's beautiful photos of India are making me very jealous indeed!
• Rose's Fat Free Shrimp Salsa Dip is a must for a movie night, or as a pre drinks snack before a Mexican meal!
• Finally, over to my picks of other peoples London Fashion Week Coverage: Zoe took some amazing backstage photos at Kinder Aggugini, how beautiful was the Mulberry A/W12 show, I loved Matthew Williamson, and I want to wear every single thing off of the Nicole Farhi runway. Also, photographer Yan-Pierre White did my portrait at London Fashion Week for his 100 Strangers Project.

What have you been enjoying this week? What have been your favourite bits of London Fashion Week coverage? 

London Fashion Week: Street Style Details #5

So, here is the final instalment of my London Fashion Week Street Style Details posts (as well as my final piece of coverage of London Fashion Week A/W12) - I really hope that you have enjoyed them! I have had such fun shooting them, so I was wondering how you would all feel if I made them a regular thing, if I looked to be shooting street style details all the time and posting them as roundups like this? I would love to hear your thoughts!

I love how she is wearing this print blouse under a simple and chic camel coat and letting the fabric shine through for just a splash of colour and interesting detail. 

What really made me laugh and amazed me about this woman in the pink dress, is that only about an hour before she was wearing a totally different, artistic gold creation front row at Inbar Spector!

I loved what a change this simple white bag on black made to all of the bright colours, neons and bold prints everyone else at fashion week seemed to be favouring. 

I really think I need to invest in some pastel jeans this Spring, but what colour? 

What has been your all time favourite street style look from London? I'd love to see some of your links in the comments section! 

London Fashion Week: Sophie Hulme A/W12

One of the darlings of the London fashion calendar, people always really look forward to Sophie Hulme, and after attending her A/W12 presentation on Monday morning (it was a brunch presentation, so we were served virgin bloody marys and beef and bacon sandwiches) I can really see why. I want to know how quickly these pieces can make their way into my wardrobe! 

There are not words to understand how much I loved the giant gold cut out model of a dinosaur in the corner of the room. It added the perfect compliment to the dinosaur details in the jewellery, accessories and lace prints the collection features.

As well as being very, very happy with this first photo I shot of this beautiful model at the presentation, I absolutely adore everything about her look. I love her statement brows with the slightly pink, basic eye makeup which really makes her blue eyes pop, with the rest of her makeup staying neutral. I love the contrast of her navy dress and her luxurious black fur coat, and the gold of her necklace and exposed coat zip breaks up the outfit, adds points of interest and creates balance.

I really loved the colours used in this collection. The muted black, navy and grey palette is very stylish and chic, and the little bursts of gold and pink colours add femininity and a bit of individual edge. The cuts of the clothes are also really sleek and stylish, and the mixtures of textures make the pieces really different.

I really love this black and gold version of Sophie's cult tote, just think of how many items you could carry in style in it! Also, I love the lovely coat and the dinosaur pendant, she has such cute accessories!

I adored these black ankle socks with the plain pumps, I really want to try this with maybe grey shoes, plain black socks and slightly cropped trousers?

I absolutely adore the gold detailing around the collar on this simple black shift dress, it is just like built in statement jewellery! Also, I love the mixed fabrics and textures she has used on this classic style of coat, and the dinosaur lace overlay on the top underneath - I need some of that fabric in my wardrobe sharpish!

Finally, for those of you who have made it past the waiting list, What's In My Handbag has a great feature and photos on what Sophie Hulme carries around in one of her signature bags!


If you could, what would you choose for yourself from the collection? I think I would go for a simple black dress, one of the simple coats or some cute dinosaur jewellery!

London Fashion Week: Street Style Details #4

Hopefully you're not bored of these street style details posts yet, because there is one more to go after this one! This edition has a particular focus on clutches and handbags, and features on of my favourite photos I took on Monday, which actually has nothing to do with clothing! 

This gentleman has to be one of the most stylish men in attendance at the Mark Fast show. I love the way he has used different shades of blue, and how he holds this clutch like it is a file, making a usually feminine accessory into something rather masculine. 

I adore the turquoise of this bag, and how it compliments the colours in the print of the womans top. 

I was walking past the press registration hall, and I spotted a woman with a massive camera, a big grey coat and a beautiful pair of glittery black Miu Miu pumps who I was pretty sure was Garance Dore. My suspicious were confirmed when I spotted Scott Schuman, aka The Sartorialist having his portrait taken just beyond her. I was lucky enough to be able to watch them both in action for a bit, which is when I snapped this shot of Mr Schuman. 

While most people at fashion week were using bright accessories to make their outfits hard hitting, I love how this simple black Mulberry bag is worn with a loud and bright orange coat. 

What bright or neon colours are you most excited about wearing?