The Naked and Famous

I've been a bit under the weather recently. Normally I don't mind my 50-ish minute commute into work but when you're not feeling well 50 minutes feels like 5 hours. To try and distract myself, and because I find it hard to read and not fall asleep on my way into work, I've completely reworked my ipod play list with some new songs and some oldies.

Topping the list of current obsessions are The Naked and Famous, a kiwi group I discovered only recently.



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Their style brings me back to my college days in Seattle which makes me incredibly happy. Girls like you is my current favorite tune. Perfect to get me through a horrendous tube journey at commute time or through a work out. Have a listen...

Stilton and Walnut Crackers

For my birthday my in laws got me Ina Garten's latest cookbook. Sadly, after a quick flip through upon receiving it, I haven't opened it since. I had a bit of extra time on my hands this past weekend and wanted to try a new recipe and remembered my new cookbook. I always opt for something from the dessert section (why wouldn't you?) so this time I decided I would venture out into the land of savory snacks.

I settled on the Stilton and walnut crackers. True to the book's title ("How Easy is that?") these crackers are dead simple to make.

rolling the dough into a log before
the egg wash

fresh out of the oven

Ingredients
1/4 pound unsalted butter (at room temp)
8oz crumbled Stilton (at room temp)
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt (*I might omit this next time as I thought they were almost too salty)
1 teaspoon pepper
1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon of water (for the egg wash)
1/2 cup of walnuts whizzed in the food processor or chopped

Instructions
Cream the butter and Stilton together in your mixer (or with a hand mixer) for 1 minute
Turn the mixer to low add flour, salt and pepper
Continue to mix until dough begins to crumble
Add 1 tablespoon of water and mix until the dough comes back together

Remove dough and place on a floured surface
Roll the dough out into a 12 inch long log
Brush the log with the egg wash
Place the chopped walnuts a cutting board and roll the log through them, ensuring to coat all of the log
Refrigerate the dough over night (Ina says you can refrigerate for as little as 30 minutes)

Cut the log into 3/8 inch pieces.
Place onto a baking sheet lined with baking paper and bake for 22 minutes at 350f or 180c

finished product

So simple and the best part is you can prepare them the night before you want to serve them. I can't wait to share more recipes from Ina!

Kate Spade Bike

I love cycling...in the gym. London is a horribly congested and seemingly dangerous place to bike because of all of the crazy drivers. At least that's what I thought until the launch of the Borris Bike. There are so many more cyclists on the road these days due to the Borris Bikes making me much more confident I'm not going to get struck down by a double decker bus. (safety in numbers)

I am absolutely in love with this Kate Spade bike. Isn't it adorable?

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And check out these cute helmets also by Adeline Adeline

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Department of Coffee and Social Affairs

To mix things up a bit I decided to try the Department of Coffee and Social Affairs on Leather Lane for lunch recently. I generally grab a quick bite at the likes of Eat or Pret so a leisurely visit to cafe was exactly what I needed.The sandwiches, while expensive, were wonderfully fresh. There are a lot of great little jems on Leather Lane and after a very successful break of my normal lunch routine I hope to be trying more new places in the future.

roast beef with homemade horseradish

sparkling OJ

Not another bill

Surprise presents in the mail, sign me up. No really, sign me up! I recently stumbled across Not another bill in a Guardian article and thought the idea was so clever. Essentially you pay a monthly subscription fee (£15) and once a month you get a little surprise gift in the mail. The gifts are sourced from London markets, fairs and from up and coming artists shops/collections. I have no idea what to expect but am excited to share my first gift with you guys, landing on my door step early August. Stay tuned

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Camera case

I like to carry my camera in my purse. This way I have it for random photo opportunities and more importantly I don't forget it when I really want to take pictures. I just have a point and shoot. Nothing too fancy but I still want to keep it protected. How cute is this camera case from Paper Trail. If only their shipping wasn't so extortionate.



 



Baseball lover's gift idea

Buying presents for a sibling can be difficult. Case in point, the mister's month long panic prior to Christmas and his sister's birthday where he wades through endless websites searching for a good idea for a present. I am very lucky to have a brother who is fairly easy to shop for. He loves baseball (LOVES baseball) and therefore I buy him anything revolving around baseball or the San Francisco Giants. When I saw these cuff links I immediately went on the website and secured a pair for my brother's Christmas present. They are expensive ($153 using the 10% discount code "swing10") but it's such a unique gift, especially for a baseball fanatic.

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The Wapping Project

Funky dining abounds in London and the Wapping Project is one of the most unique spaces I've ever been to. The Wapping Project is part cafe, part restaurant, part art exhibition all housed in a defunct power station. Don't you already want to try it?

The first time I went I wasn't very impressed by their food but because my fellow diners all enjoyed their meals, I decided to take the mister and a visiting friend there for dinner recently. This meal was much better (although I did pick things I knew I would like).

Their website is impossible to figure out so I'd just book it and try it out for yourself.

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delish charcuterie board

leg of lamb