chilled out weekend

Since Thanksgiving (and maybe even before) things have been go go go around here! I'm definitely not complaining but this last weekend we didn't have much going on and I relished being at home, having time to bake, read and chill out.

Dinner with some girlfriends at Yalla Yalla

fresh brussel sprouts

scrambled eggs, apple and pork sausage, brussel sprouts on rye toast. I was full for hours - a great breakfast!

Saturday was fairy sunny and mostly dry, so I took the opportunity to take a jog in Richmond Park. It felt great to workout outside and breathe some fresh air.

A less healthy, Sunday breakfast. This was a remake of a brunch I made several months ago when I had some girlfriends over. That brown mush is french toast that didn't come out as good this time. I did make another batch of blackberry butter which was delish.

And some homemade madelines for good measure. 

Marrakech

The mister and I spent Wednesday-Sunday in Marrakech 2 weeks ago. It was such a treat to have a holiday to break up January, an otherwise exhausting and depressing month. We had 1 day of rain that effected our site-seeing but otherwise the weather was cold but warmer than London so no complaints!

We stayed in the most adorable riad, Riad Asrari, in the heart of the medina. The mister said that if we ever went again, he would prefer not to stay in the medina, which is the old town, hectic and crazy with all the souks, but I really loved being in the middle of all the action. 

We visited Ben Youssef Madrasa which is an old Islamic school and was definitely a highlight. The intricacy of the building, the beautifully colored tiles and the fact that it was so serene made it my faviorte part of the trip.  

We of course shopped in the souks. I ended up leaving with a gorgeous Moroccan wedding blanket, which is currently sitting at the foot of our bed, an antique tea pot, which has joined another antique teapot we bought in Barnes back in December in our kitchen, and a host of pottery. 

We ate very well on the trip, mostly at French restaurants but fear not, I had 4 lamb tagines, so plenty of Moroccan food was had!

One of the things I was most looking forward to was an afternoon of pampering at Les Bains de Marrakech. I had a traditional hammam, which left my skin so soft, and the mister got a mud wrap. We both then got massages and spent the rest of the afternoon chilling out, drinking mint tea and relaxing.

On the Saturday, the day before we left, it was pouring rain in the morning. Not wanting to miss out on Jardin Majorelle, I dragged the mister out. We both got soaked on the walk over but luckily were able to pull up a seat right next to the fire in the cafe to dry off and wait for the rain to subside. 

I LOVED our trip to Marrakech and really can't wait to go back and explore Morocco some more, especially the Atlas mountains. Perhaps something to add to 2015! 

Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee

Have you been watching Jerry Seinfeld's latest show - Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee? I was just turned on to it and since the episodes are so short, they're perfect if you don't have a lot of time or like me get a little antsy spending a lot of time in front of the TV. 

The premise is exactly as the name suggests - Jerry Seinfeld and one other comedian driving somewhere to get coffee all the while slinging hilarious banter back and forth. Some aren't that funny but I couldn't stop laughing at the Alec Baldwin episode - he is so funny. 

All the episodes are online and free - perfect for a train journey into work!

Social Eating House

On a cold rainy and miserable Tuesday night the mister and I made our way to Social Eating House to celebrate a friend's engagement. The mister and I had been to Pollen Street Social back when it opened but haven't been to any other Jason Atherton restaurants. 

I loved everything about Social Eating House. The food was just incredible, the service prompt but non-intrusive and a great atmosphere to catch up with old friends. 

Social Eating House is literally just down the road from my new office so I can't wait to go back, especially to the ultra cool cocktail bar. 

The Big Easy

American fast food took over London in 2013. There were pop-up burger, hotdog, milkshake and BBQ places everywhere! One of the places I've been wanting to try for a while is The Big Easy. 

The moment you walk in to The Big Easy you feel like you're in America - the checkered table cloths, the enormous portions diners are devouring. The only thing a bit un-American is how little space the restaurant occupies, meaning the tables are really close together. In America this restaurant would be 5 times the size and they'd have free refills of Diet Coke.

We ordered the extra meaty ribs and the half chicken intending to share but I just loved my ribs too much to sacrifice stomach space for the chicken. A delicious lunch all and all!

Wildlife Photography exhibit 2014

Another year at our favourite photography exhibition in London. You can see years past here: 2013, 2012, 2011. Last years exhibition was just mind blowing with so many breathtaking photos. I wasn't as impressed with this years selection but there were still a few amazing photos, especially in the kids 11-17 range. 

The overall winner

A fogbow, like a rainbow but made of fog

Winner of the kids competition

One of my favs

That's a pelican's mouth. Can you see it?

The story behind this photo is amazing. "What Nick aimed to do was show the tree as it couldn't possibly be seen from the ground, where 'you have no idea of the majesty.' To photograph the breadth and height of this giant involved a complicated pulley system rigged up in a neighbouring giant, three cameras, pictures taken in tandem at set intervals from top to bottom, and a complex computer exercise stitching together the final mosaic of 126 images.