2DyeFor

Monday

Taste Of Home.

A couple of weeks ago during one of my countrywide work tootles I was listening to a well known radio station in the car when they posed the question - what one meal could you not live without? About twenty dishes sprang to mind within seconds but the one that just pipped the others to the post was my mum's moussaka.

It is divine. And then another thought struck fear into me. I'm moving out soon (now that I am 'with job' again it is time for me to be 'with rent' again) and it's a dish I have absolutely no idea how to make. Now, I am well aware I could simply use a very popular search engine to generate a recipe for me and go from there but what is different about my mum's version is that she doesn't use potatoes in it at all - which is commonplace in most versions. This is simply as she's not into carb-overloading (a la Gwyneth, I s'pose.) and I like it that way. It often means I'll have a side of garlic bread and not feel one iota of guilt.

Anyway - with my next moussaka fix being nowhere on the horizon I thought what better time to learn how to make it than when I have unlimited access to mum's enormous collection of recipes, all with personal notes alongside them so you can be sure to cook it exactly as she does. Fantastic!

So I set to work gathering the ingredients which are (to serve 4-6):

For the meat and sauce:
1 pack of pork mince (500g) (moussaka is traditionally a lamb based dish but really any type of mince will do - I'd even think quorn would work for the veggies out there)
3-4 aubergines (eggplants to those folk across the pond)
2 large onions
1 tin of tomatoes in their sauce
1 parsley plant (the kind you buy in the supermarket pre-grown)
1 tsp ground allspice
1-2 tsp nutmeg
grated cheese (this is to top the dish at the end so use whichever kind you like and as much or as little as you like)
black pepper
olive oil

For the white sauce:
1 pint milk
1 dessert spoon cornflower
1 whole nutmeg, grated

I've been told many a time that this is an arduous dish to prepare but knowing the tasty result meant I wasn't deterred so I cracked on, taking pictures along the way for you guys. So let's get cracking.

The aubergines are probably the most lengthy bit so I started with them. Slice them so each 'disk' is about 6mm thick and layer them in a colander sprinkling a little salt on each layer. The salt helps draw the water out of the aubergines which is what we want. The longer you can leave them to do this the better. I left mine over the sink to drip away while I carried on. (You'd be amazed how much water they retain.)

Next, chop those onions!

They don't need to be particularly fine so this shouldn't take too long.

Then, more chopping - parsley. You'll need the whole plant really (not the stalks) as once it's cooked down the flavour is subtle but is key so don't be afraid that it will over-power the dish, it won't.

Then, in a pan cook the meat. Once it's started to brown add the onions, tomatoes and chopped parsley making sure to include the nutmeg, ground all spice and season it all well with black pepper.

Side note: at this point I added quite a lot of nutmeg but that's a personal taste thing, it doesn't *need* more than a tsp or two but I'm a bit of a fan so the more the merrier in my dishes!

Once the meat has browned and the contents of your pan are beginning to look like the above turn the heat down, pop the lid on and leave it on a low heat while you continue with the rest of the dish. As long as it's not burning the longer you can keep it simmering away the better. It makes the overall flavour even richer so don't rush it.

While you've been doing all that the aubergines should have had a good salting session so, using fresh kitchen paper towels, remove the slices from the colander(s) and pat them dry. Spray baking trays with light oil (or if calories aren't a concern for you just drizzle olive oil into the pans instead) and make single layers of the aubergines on each tray. I needed 3 trays in the end - pesky things!

Once done pop these in the oven on about 180 degrees and leave until golden brown. This can take anywhere from 20 - 40 minutes depending on how cooked you want them.

While these are cooking and the meat sauce is reducing it's white sauce time! White sauce has always been something that has intimidated me. I have visions of Bridget Jones' mum bursting into the room shouting about lumps and trying to seive it. But I needn't have worried, it's really simple.

Basically - heat a pint of milk (keeping a bit back) in a pan and gradually add a dessert spoon of cornflower. The key here is to not stop stirring or that's when the risk of lumps comes into play. Keep stirring with a whisk or similar and add the whole nutmeg (grated) in gradually. Once it thickens to the consistency you like remove it from the heat and set to one side in a Pyrex jug or similar. My mum taught me to leave a bit of the milk to one side in case you need to thin the sauce if it gets too clumpy. Luckily mine didn't so I didn't need the little bit over but it's a great tip.

By now it should be time to remove the aubergines from the oven if they're looking done and start the layering process in the dish you're cooking it all in. You'll need a deep, oven proof dish for the main event.

Starting with the aubergine create layers of them then the sauce and keep going until both are all used up.

Once done pour the white sauce over the top and cover in grated cheese. Pop in the oven at about 180 degrees for about 40 minutes, or until it's the golden brown you like then remove.

The good thing about this dish is that nothing is 'cooking' at this stage as it's all pre-cooked by now so the length of time you have it in the oven now is purely personal. I think around 40 minutes is the sweet spot for a nice crispy edge and gooey centre.

I happened to make this on quite a warm day so I rustled up a quick artichoke and olive salad with balsamic dressing to accompany it but it's a great dish in those colder months too with seasonal vegetables and boiled potatoes.

So there you have it - a pretty simple, delicious dish that I can now take to my new home with me.

Bon appetit!

Sunday

Summer Saviours.

Like most people in the UK, I would imagine, my summer wardrobe never needs that much updating each year - due to the fact each lovely piece is barely worn the year before as a result of the poor weather it seems my items remain perpetually pristine so they rarely need the annual overhaul my winter wardrobe does. (My poor knitwear, on the other hand, gets far too much wear.)

And this year, so far, hasn't threatened to be any different. It was only when packing for my Portugal road trip a few weeks ago that I realised the majority of the garms I was wanting to accompany me on my break were at least 2 or 3 years old. This fact on its own isn't something that bothers me in the least - the old saying 'If it ain't broke don't fix it' springs to mind. But I've always thought there is something intrinsically holiday-ish about a bit of pre-break shopping. So with this mentality it was with very little effort that I managed to convince my sister to join me for a shopping session. The lure of a sushi lunch at the end was too much for her and before I knew it we were full steam ahead.

Now something that maybe not too many people know about me is my stance on shopping. And when most folk learn it they seem puzzled by it, I suppose it's because of what I do for a living but I think that's exactly why I am the way I am in shops - I spend all day around newness that by the end of it I can barely stand to take in any more visual treats! I rarely browse, and even more rarely actually try something on. I prefer to get in and get out and return anything I need to, swiftly, at a later date. So this shopping trip with my sister that I'm describing is perhaps not the type most people envisage when they think of shopping. I am a firm believer in a bit of pre-shop online research so, really, I was only keen to plunder one particular store. The indisputable queen of the high street - Zara.

As I mentioned it's rarely my summer clothes that need adding to but sandals seem to be something I am in constant need of every year. I'm not sure what I do to them the previous year but I never seem to be able to find them again and if I do they're always a little dogeared from weeks of me refusing to believe that we are having yet another miserable summer. For this very reason I have been caught short a few times with sopping wet be-sandaled feet, still in total denial that it's anything but a seasonal shower. Usually it's a typhoon.

Anyway, I digress. So to Zara we strode with my feet in mind and immediately began browsing their shelves for the pairs I'd seen online. After a little while, and with defeat in my heart, I was just about to turn grumpily to my sister and give up the ghost when I saw them, nestled on a very low shelf below some dresses were these beauties:

At only £19.99 a pair I knew I was sold on them before I even tried them on. I had to get a size up as I've quite a wide foot but I didn't care - they were mine! And they can be yours too if you click here or here. (Also available in white.)

Bolstered by my successful finds I began to view the shop in a different light. As an actual browsing shopper of all things(!) It was then that I came across a couple of other things I simply couldn't put down. A silk playsuit I'd seen a few weeks earlier in Look magazine and admired then, and some sunglasses.

Unfortunately both pieces are now sold out but they look like this:

The playsuit is close relative of the recent pyjama trend and feels great to wear. A small, geometric print in navy, beige and a deep red makes it very easy to wear and it's an amazingly flattering fit.

Similar styles here and here.

And the sunnies:

I just LOVE the white line detail on them and as often as I can wear them now, I do.

A similar, very cool pair available here.

Unfortunately I have no pictures of me wearing the sandals so you'll just have to believe me when I say they look great on. So great in fact that a few people I know have gone on to buy them. Theirs is a guilt free price tag that just won't quit!

So there you have it, this years summer saviours of mine. I can firmly say I need nothing else this season now. Well...maybe not until I see that next thing I simply can't put down.

Ah, why fight it?

Thursday

Summer Sun.

Ola!

Just back into the UK after some time out, relaxing with OH and travelling up the length of Portugal and to northern Spain on a road trip. We'd been due to drive a very beautiful vintage Austin Healey back up but unfortunately we weren't able to so some very generous friends offered us their Jaguar convertible to use. I think I'd accepted before they'd even finished the sentence! Although not quite the vintage tootle about I'd imagined the Jaguar did provide OH with some great, Supercar fun along the mountain passes we took at times.

But that's enough car shenanigans. Onto the fun stuff - the accommodation! We spent each night in a new place; so we started in Lagos and ended up in San Sebastian staying everywhere from olive groves to yurts along the way. It was incredible. Most of the places we found were from a website recommended to us - Sawdays - which is a site specialising in off the beaten track beauties to stay in. As I said anything from yurts to tree houses to ancient castles can be found on there. I'd strongly recommend them and they cover several European countries so do have a click.

We each had our favourite spots but mine was, without a doubt, if you'd not already guessed, the yurt. This was a little outside Arganil in Portugal in a vibrant, green mountain valley. Owned and run by London born and bred couple Hannah and Derek, it is a truly unique and beautiful spot. After spending an incredibly happy few hours lounging in a hammock outside our yurt with my book OH and I asked their story and they told us they'd bought the plot and run down foundations of what is now their large house about 14 years ago for a startlingly reasonable amount of money. Initially it had been a holiday home project but as the years rolled on the draw was too mesmerising and a few years ago they moved their family (their children, dog and cats live there too!) over to their handmade heavenly spot. Hannah then recommended a good site to wish away a few hours on - Pure Portugal. Ideas are flowing guys...

You can eat there at night outside your yurt and again in the morning. The meals are homemade and brought down from the house to you fresh in a great picnic style wicker basket so you can enjoy the sunset with a few vinos and a lot of good food! We had deviled mushroom starter, fish pie for main course and poached pear for dessert. Each mouthful was a delight. In fact just the memory is making my taste buds tingle!

They have spent years creating a little piece of paradise in the heart of Portugal so if you ever find yourself that way or better yet just want to go full stop (I'll definitely be back!) then their site is http://www.yurtholidayportugal.com/ Enjoy!

Anyway - here's a few snaps from our hols.

Yurt Yurt Yurt!

We had a wonderful time but I'm pleased to be back and feeling inspired! Sorry about all the selfies. Got a bit carried away!

Sunday

Balancing Act.

The past few weeks have been a personal challenge. A good one but certainly something I will always look back on and remember as a challenge.

Starting a new job was always going to be intense but mine is something else at times. Having spent the first 7-8 weeks between Manchester, London and Denmark it's left my life a little 'work' heavy. Which is all fine and good, since my work life often looks like this:

In Denmark to view AW13 VILA collection.

Yes, we found taxidermy in our Danish head office. Taxidermy.
(I'd like to point out this was after a few bubbles at an evening soiree!)

Discovering some great places when working on the road.

I get to spend some very happy lunch times at quirky cafes around the country when visiting customers.

An enormous poster in Danish head office bathroom. I want this is my house.

But there are definitely times where I have to remind myself I do actually have a personal life and a very lovely set of friends and a wonderful OH who need attention too.

So with this firmly in the forefront of my mind I have been spending my weekends and some evenings now (a big step for me, for weeks it's been bed by 9pm!) with my nearest and dearest and trying to achieve that holy grail of scenarios - a work/life balance. And so far...well, I've not cracked it. But I'm trying!

So life lately has been looking like this:

Spending quality sofa time with my furbaby, Alfie.

Enjoying a Vero Moda necklace.

New reading glasses for work.

Sunny breakfast made by OH last weekend. Mmm bacon.

Last Sunday catching up on work. But while watching MIC. So not strictly working, right?!

Making sure I'm getting the maximum rejuvenation my body needs over night.

New Haircut Freak Out Face - sent this to a colleague who'd asked how the chop had gone and I thought the hairdresser had gone a little mad and too short. Come to love it now, but another example of hairdressers just having a free-for-all with my tresses!

So I'm doing OK. But never one to be content without a full plate I am also signing up to a re-upholstery class in June(ish) that will take up 5 weekends in a row so I can then spend future weekends lazily browsing vintage fares and picking up bargain furniture safe in the knowledge that I can update it any way I like.

I've also started running again. I find it is really helping me switch off in the evenings. Have you ever tried to think about work while running? It's impossible!

So am I alone in this or does anyone else sometimes feel their life balance tipping one way? What do you do to keep the sections separate; past times? workout? cook? I'd love to hear.

Anyway, it's 9.08pm on a Sunday and I have a date with my duvet and an exciting work week ahead (see you on Wednesday, Edinburgh!) Toodles!

Monday

Celebration Stitches.

A week or so ago something exciting happened to me. It was my birthday. The day before the 4-day bank holiday weekend to be precise. And I decided that was a great day for it. It meant I could spend the weekend celebrating with those important to me and unwind a little.

I decided to start the unwinding thing a little early and wore the most incredibly comfortable outfit to work that day. I took some pics because a) I loved the combination and wanted to remember it for future reference and, b) because it's been a while since I've posted some 'What I Wore Today...' pictures.

And while I realise I didn't wear this technically 'today' it's as good as you're going to get as today has been spent mostly makeup free in a loose silk shirt and rolled up jeans. And you're not seeing that.

I have a long-standing love for jumpsuits and must own in the region of 20 by now, in all shapes, sizes and colours. But at the moment this is my go-to-guy. Soft grey jersey, with a drawstring waist to create a draped upper half effect, and tapered legs; it ticks all my boxes.

It was one of those great days where the chill in the air is made that little bit better by bright sun. So I wore my jumpsuit with a grey leather jacket, lightweight scarf, wool beanie and sunglasses.

The shoes, while photographing well, had seen better days so after I took these shots I discarded them and replaced them quick sharp with a very similar pair. I'm sure they'll feature here soon.

The necklace is from H&M and possibly still in store. At £18.00 it's not their cheapest but it is one of their most striking and I certainly get a lot of positive comments about it.

So there you have it. That's me another year older and another jumpsuit comfier. Happy Monday!

Sunday

The Straight And Narrow.

Life lately has been a little hectic. What with a new job and....well, that's it really. My new job has me constantly occupied and when I'm not doing that I'm probably sleeping - I don't remember the last time I've been so exhausted. But it's the best kind of exhausted - the kind that means you've spent all day being mentally stimulated and challenged - and I love it.

For the first couple of weeks I allowed my new role to take precedence and control my waking hours. OH understood - I saw him at weekends - because week nights were for me, the bath and a book (hence my absence from here too.) And it was going well, until I realised I hadn't seen some of the most important people to me for a while. My friends. So last week I decided to rectify this and, as a result, spent a hefty chunk of the bank holiday weekend in the local tapas bar with friends and vino. An excellent choice, I'm sure you'll agree.

It was here that I was posed my first sartorial challenge that genuinely stumped me. A friend asked me for some advice on how to wear her new pencil skirt. Shoe wise. She said she was obviously aware that the general way to do it is with heels but what about day to day? How do you factor any other kind of footwear into things? And you know what? I wasn't sure either. And it's been annoying me since.

So today, free afternoon ahead of me, I decided to face the conundrum head on and really work out a response. I mean, I work in fashion and blog about it as a hobby. If I can't come up with some plausible suggestions then surely I'm in the wrong game. And that, I am certainly not.

So here goes...

During our brief (and disappointing to her, I'm sure) discussion we agreed that ballet pumps were perhaps a little 'ma'am-ish'. But after further thought I wasn't so sure. Y'see, I think Topshop do an excellent line in contemporary ballet flats that keep them up to date and fun while remaining wearable in every day situations so they were my first stop. And they did me proud.

Laser cut has been on my radar for a while now so I picked these little gems and paired them with a plain skirt, on trend camo top and laser cut bag. I'm a sucker for a cocktail ring to finish off an outfit. Slick of mascara and you're done.

Next up we have riding boots.

This is a bit more of a work look. We can't deny that the weather's been a little less than Spring-like of late. So most of us are still firmly in our leather boots and could be for some weeks yet, if the weather forecast is to be believed. And with that in mind I decided to introduce you to the world of Stuart Weitzman and his incredible '5050' boots. Possibly the pinnacle of versatile boot styles on the market at the moment. Yes, I know they aren't the most inexpensive but they are the most investment-worthy I've come across in a long while.

I've been wearing my Zara pair, that I blogged about here, a lot recently with pencil skirts and dresses, a-la Victoria Beckham, and I've been roundly complimented for the look. So those of you who are worrying about clashing hemlines and boot tops, don't. However they fit together they're a match made in heaven.

This is in case the sun does decide to appear in England this Spring/Summer. It's easy for people to pigeon hole pencil skirts as slightly more formal clothing because of their structured nature. But I think there's something intrinsically playful about them once you add a print. Which is exactly what Project D have done. I also don't think they always need tops tucked into them. This chic lace tank top would look perfect loosely layered over the skirt and, with a light blazer and sandals, ready for the warmer temperatures. The bag is from Boohoo again - these guys have got some seriously good accessories in stock at the moment so if you get the chance have a look.

Biker boots were a suggestion made to my questioning friend when she first posed her dilemma to someone else. But she dismissed them as not really her look. I'm hoping that here I've created something that makes those of you who feel the same way begin to reconsider. Biker boots are such a great way to change the look of an entire outfit and make it all a bit more edgy. Not forgetting that brighter, longer days are coming soon I've made sure there are some vibrant colours throughout this ensemble that make it wearable until we get to sandal temperatures.

And finally, the quintessential pencil skirt look - with heels. I thoroughly enjoy an azure colour palette so have gone with it for this look. Some people think wearing brights together is a bit 'too much' but I feel very differently - I love clashing colours and prints. The brighter the better! I used to own an amazing pair of green heels similar to these but they broke through over-wearing. It may be time for a new pair as I found they went with a surprising number of things in my wardrobe and I miss them. The only thing I will say, if you're thinking of going down the bright pencil skirt route, is to keep the makeup palette basic. Nudes and taupes are your friends here. Otherwise you risk merging into TOWIE territory and nobody wants that.

Unless you're going for the 'ironic look' of course.

In which case, get off my blog.

What's In Your Trunk?

Well, it's official, I'll never have money ever again. If I had a house I'd be taking a second mortgage out. If my car wasn't company owned I'd be selling it. If I thought anyone would pay for a tapestry of my old socks I'd be bare foot for life. Why the drastic measures? M'oda 'Operandi, that's why!

Just as my life was returning to normal after a month lusting over next seasons incredible pieces from all the catwalks this new website slid, ever so charmingly, into my life and stirred it all up again. M'oda 'Operandi is a fantastic site that lets you PRE-BOOK all the most popular pieces from the shows to guarantee you're the most stylish person for miles around.

With trunk shows from Marni, Equipment and MSGM to name a few, I think it is safe to say I will never again have savings. I will be wearing them.

And if that wasn't bad enough there's actually a boutique section of the site where you can buy the most stunning pieces now. Oh dear. This can't be good for my bank card.

Trunk shows this week include Tom Binns (ending March 27th), Loewe (ending March 28th), Edie Parker (ending March 25th) and the ever sartorially brilliant Valentino (also ending March 28th.)

I've been privileged enough to receive some exclusive images of the Valentino collection - incredible illustrations featuring some of the hottest accessories from the F/W 13 show. And I wanted to share them with you because I believe beauty on this level needs to be witnessed.

Apart from wanting to, obviously, own every single piece of the collection I want these images framed in my home - I love nothing more than good fashion illustration and who better to take direction from that Valentino himself?

Also featuring in their amazing Trunk Show are these beauties:

And what would an accessory post be without a mention of a statement necklace from me? This piece of heaven on earth (crafted by angels, I imagine) is from Tom Binns and available until the 27th...the eve of my birthday, no less.

*hint hint*

I'm going in. This could be dangerous.