Chocola-tea!
It is freezing outside and while the snow and frost looks pretty the cold can make it super hard to keep to any health kicks you started post Christmas. All I want is cake, hot chocolate and buckets of pasta but I think I’ve found one way to curb the cravings and keep on track...Chocolate Tea! Here are my top four picks and each one can be enjoyed with or without milk.
A Quick Cuppa!
If it’s a quick cuppa you’re after I have found two options.
Tesco’s Finest Chocolate Tea
An easy to find and inexpensive option, this tea comes in tea bags so it’s easy to grab a cuppa whenever you fancy it. The tea bags have an almost sickly sweet vanilla aroma with a hint of tea and cocoa. I found the taste of vanilla was stronger than the hints of chocolate but the overall taste is of a black tea and it doesn’t taste too sweet which was a relief. It makes a great afternoon treat!
50 tea bags for £1.49 Tesco.com
Teapigs Chocolate Flake Tea
This was probably my favourite and one I tried by chance in a tea room so sadly I don’t have any pictures for you but you can find more information here. Combining the quality of loose leaf with the ease of a pyramid this tea is a blend of Assam, cocoa beans and real chocolate, the taste of chocolate is subtle but perfect for tea lovers. I recently discovered they also do a Chocolate and Mint tea combining their peppermint leaves with chocolate and it’s next on my to try list!
15 pyramids for £3.99 Teapigs.co.uk
A Proper Brew!
If you’re a bit of a tea purist and you’re after a loose leaf option I have tried two which should hit the spot.
Whittard’s Dark Chocolate Flavoured Black Tea
Whittard’s have several options for chocolate lovers, I chose to try the Dark Chocolate black tea but they also have a White Chocolate white tea and Chocolate Chai if you feel like mixing it up a bit. The aroma of cocoa bean and a hint of something sweet like vanilla hits you as soon as you open the bag. After a brew of about 4 minutes I had a cup of smooth black tea with delicious notes of cocoa and dark chocolate. It’s a really attractive loose tea and would make a great accompaniment to afternoon tea or an after dinner treat.
£6.50 for 100g Whittard.co.uk
Canton Chocolate Tea
I love Canton Tea so I guess that makes me a bit biased but their knowledge and passion for tea is infectious and they have a great range of teaware and varieties for the adventurous tea lover so I had to try their Chocolate Tea. I loved that the first smell you get is of the tea even if it is quickly joined by a smooth vanilla and velvety cocoa aroma. The tea is just as described, a malty tea with the flavour of the organic vanilla pod and pure Peruvian cocoa nibs. This is one for the purist tea drinkers as it is less sweet or hot chocolate and more of a tea.
£8.00 for 50g Cantonteaco.com
Chocolate tea for you? I’d love to hear your thoughts if you're thinking about trying them out or are a fan already.
All the fun at the Handmade Fair
Last Friday I was delighted to spend the day at the first ever Handmade Fair hosted by the fabulous Kirstie Allsopp. Lucky for me I went along with crafting whizz Kate from DaphneRosa who makes incredible fabric flowers into bridal bouquets, head pieces and decorations, so we got to geek out together, check out her beautiful work here. I remember being surprised to find it was being held at Hampton Court Palace, a favourite place of mine, and, as it turned out, a wonderful venue for the day. We had ‘full experience’ tickets which cost £29 and included a craft session, a ‘grand make’ and a ‘super theatre’ talk, find out how we got on below.
On arriving we dived straight into the Lush tents as they were holding mini crafting classes and spa treatments. They gave us both a wonderful hand and arm massage using their Wiccy Magic Muscles bar that smelled of peppermint and cinnamon. It was such a treat and I kept catching the cinnamon aroma throughout the day. They also told us all about their spas which I intend to find out more about, spa treatments that involve rum or Jammy Dodgers sounds good to me! But for now we came to craft…
After a quick churros breakfast, shhh I know it’s naughty, I scouted the shopping tents while Kate attended a talk by Etsy. The Etsy tent had some fab stalls and I was thrilled to find Chamby and Cor there, I mentioned them a while back in my Neon Pink and Vintage round up post so it was a real treat to browse and I obviously couldn’t resist buying some sparkling washi tape and a beautiful gold and deep plum twine, perfect for Christmas!
Our first crafting session was a crochet class. I don’t think they had expected quite so many beginners in the class but there were a number of people on hand to help everyone out and we all got our flower projects started. I’m loving crochet as a craft, you only need yarn and a hook to get started and there are so many things you can make but having taught myself mostly using YouTube I would recommend finding a class or someone who can teach you in person, its much more fun that way. The hour flew by but we got to take our projects home to finish, here’s mine.
We had a short break to visit one of the shopping tents before our World Pomination class. I found the tents a refreshing change from the usual conference/event style. It was like stumbling across one of those hidden treasure shops but was in fact a tent full of them. From crafting products and materials to stunning works of art and beautiful handmade items.
After some, perhaps less than subtle, admiration of Kirstie Allsopp from afar, not stalking, yes, we really should have just said hi, we made our way to the World Pomination tent. This was a real highlight for me having never made a pom pom before and the quite simply stunning Rosy Nicholas was a fab instructor making it even more fun than I expected. Kirstie and Rosy were working on a Guiness World Record for the longest line of pom poms, needless to say they smashed the record and supported the charity Sense at the same time, if you didn’t get to donate a pom pom you can donate £3 by texting POMPOM to 70111.
Our final activity for the day was held in the Super Theatre, a cute big top style tent adorned in bunting, where we saw Kirstie Allsopp in conversation with Cath Kidston. It felt so cosy and friendly you almost forgot you were in a tent and it felt like sitting in someone’s front room with friends. I learned that Cath and Kirstie are actually cousins and both came across as genuinely lovely and passionate women.
We had time for some more shopping before getting the train home. It was a great day out and if you have even a passing interest in crafting and making I would recommend getting tickets next year. Did you go this year or is there a craft you’ve been dying to try out? I’d love to know.
Forget Rocky Road this is more like Death Valley
I love rocky road, who doesn’t, it’s a childhood party favourite but adults love it too and we’ve tried all kinds of recipes but always felt it needed something a bit…more? So, we’ve taken it to a whole new lethal level of indulgence adding all our favourite treats.
The best part about this recipe is that it requires no skill and only takes about 20 minutes to prepare, if that, but it does need about 2 hours in the fridge, sorry! Of course the ingredients can be played with and substituted to suit your taste and dietary requirements.
Death Valley Rocky Road bars
Equipment
Brownie pan 11×7 inches (we use this one)
Large Sauce Pan
Chopping Board
Bowl
Knife
Spoon
Parchment Paper and Foil
Ingredients
200g good quality milk chocolate
400g good quality plain/dark chocolate
80g golden syrup
100g unsalted butter
100g salted butter
100g mini marshmallows plus extra for the top
30g cornflakes (pop in a bag and smash up a bit)
10 Oreos
100g maltesers
1 Snickers Duo
1 Twix Xtra
Small handful of sultanas
5 chopped maraschino cherries
20g chopped nuts of your choice (we like almonds and pecans)
Method
- Line your pan with parchment paper, leaving enough excess to hold onto and put it to one side ready to fill.
- Measure and put the chocolate, butter and golden syrup in a large pan on a low heat and gently melt stirring occasionally.
- While they are melting on the hob chop up snickers, oreos, twix, cherries and nuts and put in a bowl. Add the cornflakes, sultanas, marshmallows and maltesers and mix thoroughly.
- Take the pan off the heat and wait for 6 minutes to allow it to cool slightly. Then add your ingredients to the molten chocolate mixture, stir to combine ingredients making sure everything is covered in the chocolate and pour into your prepared brownie pan.
- Sprinkle a few marshmallows on top to decorate, cover with foil being sure to avoid touching the mixture and place in the fridge to chill (at least 2 hours).
- Once chilled use the excess parchment paper to lift it out of the pan and chop into bars. Store in an airtight container for up to a week, if it lasts that long!!
We’ll be serving these at every opportunity. What are your childhood favourite treats?
Desired: Going Stag
Autumn is creeping in, leaves are falling, brollys and macs are back on standby and I’m hankering after deep reds and greens for my wardrobe but has anyone else noticed the stags and antlers? Deer and stags have a special place in my heart, especially as there were deer at our wedding venue, plus they have a vintage, rustic, historic feel . So I’m super excited to see them on pillows, jewellery, glass and print and I’ve had a rummage through Etsy to see what the UK sellers have on offer, here are my top picks.
Antler Necklace by PABJewellery
1. I love this statement antler necklace from PAB Jewellery, it would look beautiful with plaid shirts, chiffon blouses, tshirts and chunky jumpers and it’s got a great autumn/winter feel.
Toasted Glass Stag Schnapps Glasses
2. I’m a huge fan of Toasted Glass, Monique is so talented and has a fabulous range of hand painted glass items including these fabulous Stag schnapps glasses, but I’m sure you could get them painted on any of her items too.
Tori Gray Collar Clips
3. I need more collars in my life just so I can wear these gorgeous stag collar clips by Tori Gray. I think they’d be especially cute at Christmas too.
Stag Tree Illustration by Tracy Statt
4. I think beautiful hand painted art can really make a room feel special and this print by Tracy Statt is just gorgeous.
Stag Brooch by SketchInc
5. Who doesn’t need a stag brooch this winter?! I love that you can wear wood brooches with any colour item, jacket, cardy or jumper and I love this one by SketchInc and their pink fox notebook is worth a peek too!
Rustic Linen Company Stag Cushion
6. Stag cushion in berry but also available in chestnut and or hunter green. Rustic Linen have a fab range of hessian burlap cushions.
The Lucky Fox necklace
7. Now if you’re looking for something to add a vintage splash to your outfit, I found this Victorian feel necklace from The Lucky Fox. The designer sources vintage illustrations and antiqued brass fittings.
Dotty Dictionary Antler Owl Print
8. I know this is an owl but it’s an owl with antlers and he looks like one seriously cool dude. The best part about this print is that it has been printed on rare, genuine, antiquarian dictionary pages from the 1830’s! The range of Dotty Dictionary prints available is extensive and there is no doubt something for everyone.
Whinberry Antler Cushion
9. I’m so pleased I came across Whinberry Antler who are based in Frome. This Whinberry Antler Cushion is just one of many fab animal print products from mugs and tea towels to lampshades and napkins. Their pieces are heritage and British wildlife inspired and are screen printed by the designer onto fabrics woven in Yorkshire.
Paul Simmons Stag Ring
10. Finally this fab hand made stag ring from Paul Simmons is bound to give you a conversation starter at all the autumn parties from Halloween to Bonfire night straight through to Christmas.
Weekend Project: Painted Garden Furniture
Every now and then I get the urge to do a small project for our home, whether it’s printing and hanging photos, planting a hanging basket or a spot of painting. Now I know this makes me sound super domesticated but don’t the wrong idea, I generally stick to quick and easy projects to avoid the actual chores (shhh, don’t tell!). I just love adding personal touches and character because I think that is what makes a house a home.
A while back we were in need of a kitchen table and chairs and so picked up an unwanted table and benches on Gumtree for a bargain. We recently inherited a new kitchen table and so our old table and benches finally became our garden furniture. The only problem with this was that they are wood and while we knew they probably wouldn’t fair well in all weather we just popped them outside so we could enjoy the summer. Cue sun stained, weather beaten and not so lovely looking furniture (shown below on the left).
Bench before and after (paint only)
At the last Maddy B’s Vintage, Home and Handmade Fair in Whittlesford we spotted Thing Ma Jigs, a home gifts and accessories shop in St Ives, stall and they were selling Annie Sloan chalk paints. I had never heard of them before, yes I can hear some of you gasping at my ignorance, but after a short demonstration I was sold. We chose Louis Blue and the clear soft wax and I was raring to go.
The beauty of the chalk paints is that you actually don’t have to prepare the wood before you paint it, you can just paint straight onto it. I decided to gently sand the surface of our table and benches before painting purely because they had weathered and I wanted a soft finish. That is all I did before painting, it took an afternoon in the sun and before I knew it our table and benches were transformed. We chose to leave the bench legs unpainted and just waxed them. I love the finished look and it is all set for our next garden party in a couple weeks, weather permitting!
Finished table and benches (paint and wax)
The chalk paints can be used for all sorts of projects, painting furniture, plastic, terracotta pots, walls and even fabrics and they are perfect for shabby chic projects if you sand down the paint in places to give your project a ‘distressed’ look. Friends of our used it on their decking which looks great too. I’ll be keeping an eye for my next chalk paint project and hope this has inspired you too. Are you in the middle of a home project or looking for ideas? I’d love to know!
Please note this is not a sponsored post, all opinions are my own and I paid for all the products.
Vintage Heartthrobs: Sherlock Holmes
Benedict Cumberbatch Print from QuoteArtisan on Etsy
We took a break last week so I knew I had to come back with the big guns. Now of course we all love a bad boy, but that’s too obvious right, at the end of the day you need someone you can take home to Mum and who could be better than infamous sleuth Sherlock Holmes? For me the ideal vintage heartthrob can intrigue your intellect as much as your heart and he has the most fabulous lines, ponder this,
“Life is infinitely stranger than anything which the mind of man could invent. We would not dare to conceive the things which are really mere commonplaces of existence. If we could fly out of that window hand in hand, hover over this great city, gently remove the roofs, and and peep in at the queer things which are going on, the strange coincidences, the plannings, the cross-purposes, the wonderful chains of events, working through generations, and leading to the most outre results, it would make all fiction with its conventionalities and foreseen conclusions most stale and unprofitable.” Arthur Conan Doyle
Over the years Sherlock Holmes has has many faces, portrayals and ok, often he is an eccentric older chap and perhaps not your obvious choice. I also have a soft spot for Hercule Poirot and Detective Barnaby, (the first one, Tom Barnaby, obviously!) so maybe it’s just my love of sleuthing but more recently Sherlock Holmes got hot, right!?
First we had Robert Downey Jr, actual bad boy, giving Sherlock a steam punk, hold on tight things just got crazy, make over. It probably helped that he also had Jude Law in tow as Watson. The fast paced action and clever twists gave us a new Sherlock, one that made you sit up and pay attention but praps not one you’d take home to the parents.
But then, oh then, came Benedict Cumberbatch and a new generation of Sherlock lovers, fans and obsessives was born. The full length mac and scarf look, along with some help from Dr Who, got fresh appeal it could never have imagined. Let’s face it, anyone who can pull off a deerstalker hat and pull in the ladies that fast is a force to be reckoned with. I love the print above from QuoteArtisan an Etsy business based in Cardiff. Thank you Arthur Conan Doyle! Do any other literary heroes set your heart alight? I’d love to know.
Now, get out. I need to go to my mind palace…
Desired: Can Neon Pink and Vintage meet? Top 10!
I love one offs, hand mades, vintage and unusual items so I particularly enjoy rummaging through Etsy for exciting new finds especially British made and designed. Etsy is filled with incredible British talent, so I want to use my ‘Desired’ posts to support them and hopefully do the hard part of the rummaging for you!
Today I want to show you that a love for neon pink and vintage can be combined to add some modern vintage prettiness to your life, in 10 fab finds, I hope you agree!
1. First up how gorgeous is this hand painted and restored typewriter from Rainingcatsandfrogs?! I would love to write letters on this, I imagine myself using personalised stationary and wearing my hair up and peering over my glasses to adjust the paper. The best part is that the restoration was done by Rebecca at Rainingcatsandfrogs so you can see more images on her blog here.
Restored Pink Typewriter from Rainingcatsandfrogs
2. I am currently trying to teach myself to crochet, it is not easy but it is fun. So I have a huge amount of appreciation and love for the gorgeous hand made items by Belinda at Binkee. I love the neon finish on this lampshade. The crochet gives it a touch of vintage style and the neon pink gives it a gorgeous, stylish edge.
Crochet Lamp Shade from Binkee
3. Funk up your fine dining with these awesome screen print napkins from Sophiesho!
Screen Print Nakins by Sophiesho
4. Pow! I adore this skirt by LauraJaneFashion and the cut and jacquard print give it a vintage feel.
Skirt by LauraJaneFashion
5. Poppycock! I’m pretty sure Poppycock comes under vintage sayings and this print by HectorandHaddock would brighten any wall.
Poppycock print by HectorandHaddock
6. Ok so we’ve got the perfect hot pink skirt but now you need some wow factor studs to go with it right! I’ve found two, these sparkly numbers are by Ditty Drops and come in a variety of colours that pop!
Sparkly Pink earrings by Ditty Drops
7. These beauties from Moonchie also come in a variety of colours but its the gold detail I really love, got a bit of a magpie thing going on at the moment I think.
Hot pink and gold earrings from Moonchie
8. This one is for my crafter friends and anyone who is obsessed with washi tape as I am. ChambyandCor have an incredible range of washi tapes and the best part is they have a listing for 5 tapes for £10!
Neon Pink Washi Tape from ChambyandCor
9. This clutch from LoraDoraSutton would be handy for weddings, parties or transporting your tablet. I love this blue and pink combo.
Neon Clutch by LoraDoraSutton
10. I’m currently hooked on The Good Wife and am trying to catching up on Netflix but I really would find one of these Cozereaders handy for watching in bed. They have all sorts of pretty floral patterns too.
Coz-E-Reader
Well that’s all for now, neon and vintage gets a hell yeh from me. Do you like to mix neon twists with your day to day styling?
Vintage Heartthrobs: Gilbert Blythe
I bet you didn’t see that coming, I hope to keep you on your toes with these heartthrobs. The romance and love story between Gilbert Blythe and Anne Shirley captured my heart from a young age, I loved getting lost in the Anne of Green Gables books and tv series. I would have happily thrown on a straw hat, pigtails, lace up boots and a high neck dress to pretend I was Anne or Diana. The outfits, the Canadian town etiquette, the history, the language, yep, Gilbert Blythe is most certainly a vintage heartthrob of period drama. I’m afraid I haven’t been able to find any suitable photos for you this week but you can relive the trailer here and some Gilbert and Anne moments with suitable music here.
Despite monumentally messing things up from the word go by teasing Anne when he calls her ‘Carrots’, he also begins on the lifelong quest for Anne’s friendship and eventually her heart. He is persistent, smart and he knows what he wants, it also helps that he looks rather dashing in a waistcoat and cap. He’s witty, funny and skilled in romance, the flowers and love letters are plenty and let’s not forget he rescues Anne on a number of occasions, notably from a pond. What is it with these vintage heartthrobs and water sources?!
Anne is stubborn and let’s face it, the lady doth protest too much, I’m pretty sure she secretly knew she loved Gilbert from the first book too but where’s the fun in that. Gilbert comes back stronger following her refusal to his first proposal, he survives typhoid, becomes a Doctor and eventually marries his sweetheart and together they have seven children! Gilbert Blythe will always have a place in the hearts of old fashioned romantics he embodies good values, romance and strength of character, oh if he were real he’d be snapped up in no time!
Tea Tasting Notes – Countess Grey
It’s National Afternoon Tea Week so I’m drinking plenty of tea and it seems like a good time to share some of my favourite teas with you. A while ago I wrote a short review of Twinning’s Peppermint tea but, as a tea geek, I’m always trying new teas and would love to share some more of them with you. I’d love to hear which teas you’re enjoying at the moment too or do you prefer to stick to one type of tea?
I recently picked up a box of Fortnum and Mason’s Countess Grey tea bags. This tea has rocked my world. I actually tried it first a couple years ago when celebrating a friends birthday with afternoon tea in their Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon. I tried to get some at Christmas but they had sold out so I guess that’s a good indicator of how good it is too.
Among tea lovers it may seem a bit controversial to have opted for tea bags. Don't get me wrong I love a properly brewed loose leaf tea but sometimes I just need a decent speedy brew. You obviously don’t get the same cup of tea that you would from loose leaf tea but the standard of the tea bag teas from Fortnum and Mason is so good that I really don’t mind. In fact there are moments in life when I’d drink just about any tea you pop in front of me, surely I’m not alone!
So lets get down to it. As John Torode might say, first you get the comforting bergamot aroma typical of Earl Grey but it’s quickly joined by delicate yet refreshing citrus notes. For me this tea is perfect in the morning, I have to have a cup of tea in the morning but I also enjoy a glass of juice so for me it is kind of like drinking tea and orange juice without that horrible taste in your mouth. I love the uplifting orange citrus and I think it would be a perfect pick me up in the afternoon too. They recommend trying it with a slice of orange or lemon and I plan to try this too.
Fortnums offer a range of luxury teas available in tea bags or loose leaf. The packaging is a gorgeous shimmery Fortnums green, the Countess Grey comes with a strip of hot pink and every time I get a packet out I feel like I’m being a bit decadent, yes such is the life of a tea geek. At £3.75 for a box of 25, thats only 15p per tea bag, I think its pretty reasonable and you they are available online too.
I hope you guys find this useful, I know there are plenty of tea geeks among you, so will you be taking afternoon tea this week?
Please note I have not been paid or sponsored to write this post, all opinions and photos are my own.
Sneak Peek: Street Feast London
We recently swung by Dalston Yard to get a sneak peek into Street Feast London and find out how street food is rocking the London foodie scene. It’s running every Friday and Saturday evenings 5pm-Midnight right through to 27th September. We’ve heard great things and from the looks of it, this is a street food arena as it should be. They are offering a rotating variety of street food stalls alongside regulars including Pizza Pilgrims and B.O.B’s Lobster. For more information and this weeks line up click here. For now we hope you enjoy our behind the scenes sneak peek!
