Kesgrave Hall

At the beginning of February, I made the journey home to Suffolk for a very special evening. The Fresh Starts, New Beginnings ball, hosted at Kesgrave Hall.

A summer of sorting

The past few months have been a bit crazy. Writing 2 dissertations, leaving uni, looking for a job, graduating, packing, unpacking, a break up, the bit after where it was decided it was all a bit of a mistake and trying to deal with everything that comes with that and really, just getting on with real life in the whole post uni haze.  

Home Sweet Home

I spent last weekend at home, eating drinking and catching up. There is nothing better than being sat at home in the sitting room in front of a fire, with a big glass of wine and mummy! I really didn't do anything apart from eat and drink and chat but sometimes I think that's all that is needed. The last few weeks at uni have been crazy busy and it was a relief to have a little bit of a break. Home is cosy, countryside and the fridge is always full - my kind of heaven!

We went to Lucca for lunch on the Saturday, Nutella pizza is incredible. This was followed by a trip to the newly opened Shephard in Langham on the Sunday - not great - but the company giggled and my niece kept us all entertained! The Aspalls was on tap though and that for that alone it was worth the trip! Babies are a huge component of my home life as everyone around me knows - a 1 year old niece and a 7 week old Godson really do keep me entertained and I love to go home for some playtime with them!

Home grown raspberries and a good bottle of Sauvingnon really do sum up my perfectly chilled weekend at home!

Life Lately #6

My last week and a bit in pictures...

New hair products; girlfriends; clear out

Lunch in 10; summer flowers; country walk ending at the perfect pub for chunky chips and corona 

Puppy dogs; summer walk; ice cream

My gorgey niece; girly supper and the perfect dessert; babysitting selfies

The most gorgeous lab in the world; flowers for mummy after a busy day to brighten the kitchen

Carboot sale wonders; mummy shopping is the best kinda shopping; antipasti in the sunshine

Sunday afternoon drinks; new phone case- I couldn't resist!; perfect pasta (recipe to follow!) 

Northampton walk and cow whispering with the boy; clean linen is the best feeling; prepping for a new bubba- my godson to be!!! 10 weeks to go!

Decorators at home; new wallpaper in the upstairs hall; sale shopping and a gorgeous Topshop find!

There's also lots for sale on my eBay at the moment with more to come- AllSaints, Topshop, Jack Wills, Zara and more! Check it out at http://bit.ly/14QK4Ru if you fancy!

<3

Easter Weekend

Easter weekend has been the best kind of weekend. On Friday, I spent the day with mummy, pottering around the shops and eating. Lots of eating!

The boys had planned a night out in the evening and as much as I despite Colchester for a night out - its an army town and always crawling with both squaddies and underage children (my Essex snobbish-ness comes out to play, sorry!!) - I couldn't resist a catch up. We decided that we had to do it properly, dressing up and with lots of pre-drinks so the girls all headed over to mine for a getting ready sesh and some silly pictures!

It was so lovely to just have some time to catch up. Its so rare that we're altogether these days with uni and job commitments (some of them are already in the big grown up working world!!) so coming home is a treat that we all really savor.

The copious g&t's and wine combo definitely aided the silly pictures...

We headed into town and seeing the boys was lovely. There were only a few of us out which I think made the night even better!

And this was basically how the night ended...!!

The next day, (feeling fresh, ahem!) we headed to the races after the most incredible hangover breakfast. Pain au chocolat, strawberries, and orange juice, followed by smoked salmon & poached eggs on rye bread toast. Incredible! 

Higham point to point happens a few times throughout the year and its the perfect excuse for more catch ups, lots of Aspalls and some occasional bets. Its always full of lots of giggling and gorgeous puppies and is the perfect way to while away a Saturday, despite the freezing cold and occasional snow showers!

Its weekends like this that really sum up how amazing it is to be able to come home and spend time with the absolute favourites that I was at school with over 4 years ago. Roll on summer adventures, road trips and afternoons in the pub post exams!!

Ottolenghi Carrot & Walnut Cake

I'm home in Suffolk for a few days over Easter and the first thing I did upon arriving home was cook - cake and super green soup; an amazing combo! <3 

This is the most incredible carrot cake. It's the thing to choose whenever you visit Ottolenghi and is also a really easy recipe to follow. I ended up cooking it for nearer to 2 hours than 1 (I don't think the oven liked me very much that day!) but it was so worth the wait. Its very rustic and not the prettiest of cakes but wow does it taste good! - And don't do what I did and forget you don't have any carrots half way through the baking process and have to pop to the shop at 4pm in your pjs; ahh countryside living!!  

Serves 6-8

For the cake

• 160g plain flour

• ½ tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• ¼ tsp ground cloves

• 1 large free-range egg

• 1 free-range egg yolk

• 200g sunflower oil

• 270g caster sugar

• 50g walnuts, chopped

• 50g desiccated coconut

• 135g carrot, roughly grated

• 2 free-range egg whites

• a pinch of salt

• 
  

• Icing

• 175g cream cheese,

• at room temperature

• 70g unsalted butter

• 35g icing sugar

• 25g honey

• 30g walnuts, chopped

• and lightly toasted

1 Preheat the oven to 170°C/Gas Mark 3. Grease a 20cm springform

cake tin and line the base and sides with baking parchment.

2 Sift together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and spices.

Lightly whisk the whole egg with the egg yolk.

3 Put the sunflower oil and caster sugar in the bowl of an electric

mixer fitted with the beater attachment and beat for about a minute

on a medium speed. On a low speed, slowly add the beaten egg.

Mix in the walnuts, coconut and carrot and then the sifted dry

ingredients. Don’t over mix.

4 Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Wash and dry the mixer bowl,

making sure it is totally clean, then put the egg whites and salt in

it and whisk on a high speed until firm peaks form. Gently fold the

egg whites into the carrot mixture in 3 additions, being careful not

to over mix. Streaks of white in the mixture are okay.

5 Pour the cake mixture into the prepared tin and bake for approximately

1 hour; it could take longer. A skewer inserted in the centre should

come out dry. If the cake starts getting dark before the centre is

cooked through, cover it with foil. Let the cake cool completely and

then remove from the tin.

6 To make the icing, beat the cream cheese in a mixer until light and

smooth. Remove from the mixer. Beat the butter, icing sugar and

honey in the mixer until light and airy. Fold together the cheese and

butter mixes. Spread waves of icing on top of the cake and sprinkle

with the nuts.