Riverford Veg Box

I love a good vegetable. I could quite easily become a full blown vegetation or even *sharp intake of breath* a vegan! My other half is lactose intolerant, so vegan recipes are a great way of finding dairy free recipes easily.

I spent almost a year pretty much eating meat free a few years ago. I first moved to London and into catered accomodation. Every evening there was either a meat option or something vegetarian. On my first night I selected a chicken salad. I cut into a larger piece of chicken and it was raw in the middle. After that I never chose the meat option at meal time again.
I was living on an even smaller budget than my current one at the time and would usually make a lunch of either humous and ryvita or beans on toast for lunch. So without thinking I was petty much a vegetrian. Although one of those ones that eats fish also!

After moving into a shared house and hallelujah finally having a kitchen to cook in again, I found I very rarely bought meat. Whipping up a vegetable stir-fry and noodles is quick and easy after a busy day at work. Fuss free without the added complication of cooking meat.

Now I live with the other half and as we all know, men like to eat meat. We tend to eat meat at least every other day in our evening meal.

We both take a keen interest in food by being passionate about finding new recipes and trying new things. Through this process we have looked into finding more about our food and where it comes from. We both have small budgets and after speaking to a family friend who is a dietician they recommended when on a budget to buy staple items like pulses and grains organic as well as vegetables and dairy products.
As a result we looked into getting an organic veg box delivered each week. We found a company that a friend had previously used so we knew what quality to expect.
We rotate our boxes, and one week have a medium sized box that also contains potatoes and the next week have a seasonal box so we can take advantage of vegetables that are in season.

We could never go back to not having a veg box in our life now! We love trying all the new different vegetables each week. Sometimes we aren't even sure what some of them are, so it is a great learning experience too.
We make everything from brussel sprout risotto to mustard swede chips!

Want of the Week - Kirse Leather Bag

I have been lusting after the Mulberry Polly Push Locket satchel (in conker) since its debut in A/W11. Alas, I don't have a grand to splash on a handbag when I still have shoes with holes in them. It will forever be my ultimate holy grail of handbags and one day in years to come I hope to stumble across a vintage one at a reasonable price. 
A girl can dream....

Back to this weeks want! This bag has been on my mind for a few weeks now. Which everyone knows it must be true love then. So here are a few details. 

THE bag is leather which means I will instantly feel more grown up by having a REAL leather bag in my life. It also has suede detailing on the rounded corners, this also equals class. Handles and a long strap, flexible living for the girl about town! 
The photos don't do it justice, it really is a lovely bag! Big enough for me to fit all my day to day rubbish in but also smart for meetings and going to work. 

I am very tempted to purchase it as I have some Christmas money left over and a gift voucher as well as some discount. In the end the bag would end up costing me £24.00. 
Tempting, so very tempting....

Kirse Leather Bag £140.00 by Pieces. Available at Oliver Bonas.

Christmas jumper 2012

For the last few years I have bought a jumper on the run up to christmas with wearing it on christmas day in mind. This year I saw many jumpers that would fit the bill perfectly. I even tried some on during my casual looking.

Eventually I decided with times being hard to NOT buy a jumper this year with the sole intention of wearing it on christmas day. Usually a christmas jumper will feature some glitter, sequins, a fair-isle print or full on santa and snowmen. Therefore limiting wearability for the rest of the year. If you think in terms of pounds per wear, its not worth it. I decided with a heavy heart that my decision was the right one.

When it was time to head north for Christmas celebrations with the family I packed up a favourite vintage red shirt and old primark velvet mini skirt in my suitcase, with those in mind for a suitable festive christmas day outfit.

I arrived in my hometown and on christmas eve popped out to get some last minute wrapping paper. That's when I saw THE jumper, ideal for Christmas day. Hanging at the front of the £1 sale rail no less outside one of my favourite charity shops (I once found a vintage Dior jumper in there for £4!).
I grabbed it in an instant and paid my pound coin. I dashed home and threw it in the washing machine on the most gentle cycle I could find on my mothers washing machine so it would be ready for Christmas day!

Cinderella shall go to the ball!! Or at least have a new sparkly jumper for Christmas day...

Purple cotton jumper with heavy sequin detail around the neckline and shoulder. 

Honey Flapjacks

Here is a great recipe I made recently and went down a storm with my friends and co-workers. I had to take it to work, otherwise my other half would of munched the whole lot until he felt sick!

Love this recipe and the fact it is made with HONEY and not golden syrup etc. 

Honey Flapjacks

Ingredients

200g Butter

200g Brown sugar

200g Honey

400g Porridge oats

50g Currents

A greased cake tin.

Put the butter, sugar and honey in a saucepan and heat, stirring occasionally until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. 

Add the oats and currents and mix well.

Thransfer the oat mixture to a prepared cake tin and spread to about 2cm thick. 

Smooth the surface with the back of a spoon. 

Bake in a preheated oven at 180c/gas 4 for 15-20 minutes, until lightly golden around the edges, but still slightly soft in the middle.

Let cool in the tin, then turn out and cut into squares. 

Eat!

Photograph - Megan Bramley

Outfit - Black and white, Pink splash

Shirt-dress - Vintage M&S

Leggings - M&Co (a million years old)

Belt - taken off a playsuit

Shoes - Dorothy Perkins (also a million years ago)

Watch - Casio

Ring - Accessorize

Nail Varnish - Relvon, Posh pink

So this is what I wore today. The shirt-dress is vintage Marks and Spencer. I always find myself drawn to old marks n sparks without realizing until I check the label. I bought this shirt-dress in a lovely vintage shop in Bristol (I forget the name! Woops) while visiting my close friend Bekky at the beginning of the year.

As soon as I spotted it I thought it would be perfect for when the sun started shining. It's a great length, so it can just be worn over leggings without having your bum on show for all to see!
  I added the pink skinny patent belt from an old H! by Henry Holland playsuit to break up the black and white. As I was splashing the pink I dug out my old pink jelly shoes that rub like hell, but are oh so cool and I've had for years! I threw a bit of  Revlon pink nail varnish on and popped on a pink Accessorize heart ring too.

The strawberries are here, so summer is round the corner right?

On popping to my local corner shop this afternoon for that post lunch chocolate fix, I saw these gorgeous looking strawberries outside with all the fruit and veg! 

  On another side note London is amazing in its stock of fresh produce at local independent corner shops.  My shop a few minutes from my house is actually cheaper then my local supermarket and the quality is superb.  I often pop in for a solitary onion or a bag of grapes. 

  

Firstly the strawberries are so large and bright red unlike the small slightly battered ones you usually find at the supermarket.

  And secondly they are just divine!! Smelling so fresh that it really puts you in the mood for summer. 

Chop up and throw in a bowl with some ice cream, what more could a girl want on a lazy evening waiting for summer to arrive. 

Oh man, check out Pamela Mann!

I came across this piece of hosiery heaven in the form of Pamela Mann the other day so just wanted to share my favorite finds on the site. 

 I'm more of a black sheer tight kind of girl than a full on colourful patterned tight so hence by selected colour palette. 

  They stock a wide range of tights, leggings, socks, stockings, legwarmers and hold-ups! Phew - all your leg needs covered then. Every colour and design you can possibly think of, so well worth a look. As a little bargain hunter I love the postage price of only £1.80.