The Body Shop - Reading, England

Growing up I had a huge thing for lip balms. In fact I had a whole caboodle full of them! So, when I think of The Body Shop the first thing that comes to mind is lip balms. 

After my visit to my local branch last week (for a blogger event) there is a lot more to think of when thinking of The Body Shop. 

Firstly of their campaign against animal testing. 

They still need help to reach their goal of 8 million signatures on their petition to ban Animal Testing.  You don't have to visit a branch to sign, you can do it online via their website. 

Secondly, although I will never not think of their lip balms, I now have a bigger range of products to consider when shopping there. 

Starting with their new body yogurts and face mists! I love a body butter, probably the second thing I think of after lip balms when thinking of The Body Shop, but I find them too buttery and thick for the summer. The body yogurts are smooth and go on so easily and smell delicious. Banana is the scent of the season (also limited edition), but it also comes in almond, mango, strawberry, rose, and moringa 'flavors'. 

The face mists come in varying scents and do slightly different things, but in this heat wave they are essential in helping keeping your face cool and collected. They would be good for anytime of the year really; especially if you work in an office where your co-workers are constantly messing with the thermostat, ahem, and one minute you are hot and the next cool.

Both of these products are worth checking out on your next visit to their store or online. There is also a new extended men's range and of course all the products in scents you've come to love are still available. The beloved body butters can now be personalised for yourself or as a great gift! 

Not only do The Body Shop provide some great products you can use them knowing they aren't tested on animals. 

I was particularly drawn to the satsuma scent and bought a few things for my hand bag! It was a fun night with fellow bloggers and friends, it's always nice to be invited somewhere you already love and admire. Also, on the night Wagamama's provided us with food! Full meals that were delicious along with some samples of their starters! 

*I was invited to visit my local branch of The Body Shop as a blogger for the #gobananas launch, I was not asked to write a review nor was I compensated financially, I was provided with a gift bag with a few products to try out. 

Visit The Body Shop - Reading 

The Oracle, Unit 24, Broad St, Reading RG1 2AG

(Wagamama's is also located in the Oracle on the Riverside!)

Blueberry Scones

Wesley Wyndam-Pryce: I wonder if asking Ms. Chase to dance would...
Giles: For God's sake, man, she's 18, and you have the emotional maturity of a blueberry scone. Just have at it, would you, and stop fluttering about. 
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer - season 3 episode 20

I started watching Buffy when I was in high school and I was obsessed with it! My friend and I would call each other during the commercials for any "OMG" moments. We related to all the teenage angst and felt we were a part of the Scooby Gang.

Re-watching it now I am still taken into all the angst, but with less "OMG" moments not just because I have seen it before, but because I have more life experience. Now it's more like "Yup that's how it happens, that's life." Which is why it's such a great show.

Watching Buffy has been a trip down memory lane and when I decide to watch it again in like 20 years I am sure I will see it differently once again. Sometimes long for the days of having the emotional maturity of a blueberry scone, but mostly I'm glad those days are over.

Blueberry Scones

150g dried blueberries
orange juice, for soaking
150g cold unsalted butter
500g self-raising flour , plus a little extra for dusting
2 level teaspoons baking powder
2 heaped teaspoons caster sugar
pinch of salt
2 large free-range eggs
4 tablespoons milk , plus a little extra for brushing

A couple of hours or so before you start place the dried fruit into a bowl and pour over just enough orange juice to cover. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Put the butter, flour, baking powder, sugar, and a pinch of salt into a big bowl and using your (clean) fingers to gently rub the butter into the flour until just combined. The less it's touched the more crumbly it will be.
Make a well in the middle of the dough, add the eggs and milk, and gently mix with a spatula or spoon. Drain the soaked blueberries and fold into the dough. If needed add a little bit of milk, until it forms a soft, dry dough. It should be bit scruffy, the opposite of bread dough which is usually smooth and neat.
Sprinkle a little flour over the top of the scruffy dough and leave in a bowl (covered with with cling film) in the fridge for 15 minutes.
When the time is up roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface until it's about 2-3cm thick. Then with a 6cm round cutter or something with about that diameter cut out circles from the dough. Place them upside down on a baking sheet. Re-roll the rest of the dough and cut out as many as you can. Brush the top with either melted butter or milk.
Bake for 12-15 minutes. They will be risen and golden on top! Leave them to cool before serving with clotted cream and jam!

Scones are one of the most controversial afternoon treats here in England; from how they are pronounced and what gets put on first the cream or the jam? I myself pronounce scone like cone with an 's' and I like my cream first then the jam. 

*recipe adapted from Jamie Oliver's Crumbliest Scone recipe - found in Jamie's Great Britain

Cafe London: Brunch, Lunch, Coffee, and Afternoon Tea (book review)

Ask and you shall receive. In my book review of Eat Like a Londoner last October I said it would have been better if there were more bakeries and similar places mentioned. Well, this book covers those bakeries and similar places; those places where you can get a good cup of coffee or enjoy a great afternoon tea and even some really off the wall places that you could only find in London!

In 2015 London had a population of 8.674 million people and there are hundreds if not thousands of cafe's in and around London to cater to the caffeine boost everyone needs on a daily basis. Cafe London gives us 100 of the best places to find not only coffee but, a great place to get brunch or lunch! It also tells us the best places to book in for an infamous afternoon tea or where you should go to satisfy a sweet tooth with some of the best bakeries in the city!

Not only are we told about the food, but we are also told of the ambience and decor of the places and if the gorgeous pictures are anything to go by these places are absolutely stunning each in their own way.

The addresses of each cafe is provided along with websites and any other information that might be important. At the end of each chapter we are given "seven more" places to check out! The index is broken down into London districts and it includes maps with the cafe's pinpointed! Our editor thought of everything!

If one lives in London or they are planning a day trip I would consult this book for the best places to grab a quick bite or treat!

Chapter Breakdown: 

Brunch - It's a very American thing to have brunch, a sort of meal that is eaten early morning. A meal that isn't quite breakfast but, isn't lunch either. The Counter Cafe, a converted warehouse, is said not only to serve a great brunch, but roasts it's on coffee on site! You can take a bag home with you after enjoying a great cuppa! Sounds like my kind of place!

Lunch - Sometimes lunch can be over looked, by that I mean it's the meal that gets rushed because of time. Instead of grabbing an awful pre-packaged sandwich or salad any of the places listed in this chapter would be a great alternative! The cafe I'd like to visit is the J+A Cafe mainly because the location, tucked away down an alley way run by two sisters who insist on sourcing great ingredients!

Coffee - What can I say I'd visit every place listed here as I love a good cup of coffee! I also like trying new and different types of coffee! Coffee isn't for everyone, but don't rule these places out as the majority of them sell more then coffee! They provide food too!

Cakes & Bakes - I have heard and visited several of these places listed and there are so many more I have never heard of and need to remedy the fact that I haven't visited!! I can recommend Konditor & Cook for their Curly Wurly cake that I tried a few months back for the fist time. I have wanted to visit Violet Cakes and Lily Vanilli for ages now, thinking I am due a trip to London to do just that!

Afternoon Tea - When you think of London and of England you think of afternoon tea and this chapter gives you the best places to visit for a great afternoon tea! Of course the majority of the places need to be pre-booked so make sure you plan a visit to these places! I think I need to book myself into Sketch mainly because it's described as making "you feel like you're dining in a giant fondant fancy."

Culture, Shop, Tea Break - the best cafes found in museums, galleries, and shops! As much as I love a good baked good I also love a good book so my first stop would be the London Review Cake Shop it's connected to the London Review Book Shop.

Unusual & Alfresco - This chapter is split into two, first listing all the unusual places to go like the Cereal Killer Cafe that serves all varieties of cereal and Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium where cats wonder around freely. You're not allowed to cuddle the cats, but you can pet one if and only if it comes up to you. Then there is a short list of places that have outside seating! The Lido Cafe even has a pool and is described as South Beach in south London!

Overall this is a great little book for those who love food, coffee, cake, and most of all London! 

notes: Cafe London by Nicky Evans, Pippa Bailey, Andy Hill, and Nicola Tup Edited by Zena Alkayat and Photographs by Km Lightbody (SRP-UK £9.99 US $14.99 Canada $17.99) was given to me to review by the publishers Frances Lincoln - Quatro, no other compensation was given - all opinions are my own, for more information please see my contact/policy page above.

Afternoon Tea at Home by Will Torrent {book review}

Afternoon tea is a classic British tradition that everyone should partake in! Of course it's always nice to go out and let someone else do all the work of creating the perfect afternoon tea for you, but there is also something to be said about doing it yourself!

Will Torrent's latest book Afternoon Tea at Home follows two other great titles Patisserie at Home and Chocolate at Home; the former of which I do not own and will need to remedy! Mr. Torrent likes to show us that these decadent and delicious treats can be made in the comfort of our own homes! I would have to say that the skill level varies - there are recipes that look very easy and non-complicated and a few that might take a little extra skill and know how. But nothing in this book is unachievable!

I really like the way the book is organised giving us a brief introduction, a little history on the tradition of afternoon tea, and a few essential recipes for jams and curds. Then he gives us the recipes we need to create a classic afternoon tea. The classic salmon and cream cheese sandwiches - the cream cheese is whipped to make it physically lighter! Along with scones, shortbreads, and of course the Victoria sponge!

The following chapters are divided by seasons. Afternoon tea isn't just for warm summer days, but all year round! He gives us seasonal recipes to create a spring selection, summer sensation, fall delights, and winter celebration afternoon teas each one better then the last. My favourites were the fall and winter selections, but that's not surprising as I have a love of all the warm comforting spices and flavours of those times of year!

The last chapter gives us a selection of recipes for something special. Birthdays, anniversary's, holidays and any day that means something to you and those you'll be enjoying the day with! Then our author leaves us with menu planners - guides to create the perfect afternoon tea for all those occasions referencing all the recipes through out the book! He even includes one for a Thanksgiving tea and because of that I love him. It's just the American in me! One couldn't ask for more!

I have never planned my own afternoon tea, but with the help of this book and a few of my friends I think we will need to plan one! Here is a menu of what I would consider the best afternoon tea using Afternoon Tea at Home as a guide:

Lisa's Ultimate Tea Party

• Pastrami and Emmental open sandwich with thousand island coleslaw on brown rye (page 91) 
• Chicken liver parfait with thyme and onion confit and fluted brioche (page 147)
• Blueberry and buttermilk scones with honeycomb butter (page 41) 
• PBJ cookie sandwiches (page 99) 
• Mince pie brownies (page 134) 
• Apple crumble and custard tartlets (page 155 pictured below) 
• Coffee and caramel eclairs (page 156) 
• Marmalade Madeira cakes with macadamias, hazelnuts, and almonds (page 83)

No idea if any of these recipes actually compliment each other, but they all sounded good! I wouldn't say no if they were all sat on a pretty three tiered stand waiting for me to eat! It was hard to choose and I bet if you asked me again in a month or so I'd pick all different things. Main point is that Afternoon tea at home offers a variety of amazing recipes that can help you make a perfect afternoon tea!

notes: I received my copy of Afternoon Tea at Home by Will Torrent from the publishers, Ryland, Peters & Small to review. It was published in February and is available at all good book sellers and online shops! All opinions are my own, no other compensation was given please see my contact/policy page for more information!

Eat Like A Londoner: An Insider's Guide to Dining Out by Tania Ballantine {book review}

When I visit London food is always a part of the plan. It’s essential that it’s somewhere good! But no matter how much I troll the internet I feel a bit overwhelmed by the shear volume of places to go and end up winging it with varying results. That or I end up at a chain that I recognise and am comfortable with. 

Which goes against my adventurous foodie nature! This book fills a need I wasn't aware I had until the day I started reading it. It categorises restaurants into various chapters, I will go into more depth in a second, which allows you to choose the chapter to which suit what you're looking for. 

There is of course an address for the restaurant along with locations of branches and sibling restaurants, those owned/run by the same people and therefore worth a look! At the end of the chapters there is a list titled "see also" which means they could have fit in that chapter, but fit better elsewhere. The index is broken down into London districts so if you know you're going to Soho it's got a list of places in Soho. Tania Ballantine even includes lists for vegatarians and last-minute places where you might have to wait, but a reservation isn't necessary. There is even a map in the back! It's a very well thought out and well organised. 

Chapter Breakdown: 

Cult Classics are the places that were once a hot new restaurant everyone had to try, but after the hype  died down they stayed strong! 

Small & Buzzy are exactly that small little places that are rarely empty! These are the sort of restaurants you can visit on your own and not have to feel alone.

Perfect Pitstops are for your full day of running around London either working or playing and you just need to grab something to go! Bone Daddies and Dosa N Chutney are two places I have tagged to try next time I'm wondering around London! This chapter also mentions popular market places. 

Late Night gives you the tips on the places that serve full meals into all hours of the night. There is always a place for late night meals! 

Special Occasions is self explanatory, these are the places you go to celebrate something big or small! This could be anywhere from a group birthday or special date night! 

Something for the Weekend suggests places that serve the best breakfast or brunch! Along with places to get a great roast dinner! Everyone loves their Sunday roast, but not everyone wants to cook it! 

Sensational Settings are where the ambience is just as important as the food. With it sub-divided into rooms with a view, alfresco, and rooms to remember you won't be short of choice when looking for the wow factor! 

You don't need to travel the world to find great tapas or sushi when you live in London, the Around the World chapter gives lots to consider when looking for something different! I have noted all the sushi places because I love sushi and am looking for the "one." 

Like dessert served at the end of the meal a short list of Sweet Stuff is listed in the chapter of the same title. This could have had a few more places, in my opinion, but perhaps that's the author's second book: Where Londoner's Go for High Tea or something like that? This is just of course a personal preference and she does list some amazing places like Paul A. Young for chocolates it's a definite must! 

Short list of restaurants I will plan on visiting next time I am in London, well not all in the next visit, but in the next several visits! 

• Burger & Lobster
• Spuntino
• Bone Daddies 
• Dosa n Chutney 
• Herman Ze German
• Dirty Bones
• Sushisamba
• Dozo
• Phoenix Palace
• Konditor & Cook
• Ottolenghi

This is a great little book, literally, it's just 15.9 x 1.9 x 16.2 cm and would be perfect for any traveler visiting London as it fits easily into the oversized bags that are popular at the moment. I would even suggest it to Londoner's as they can read it and agree or disagree with the suggestions - everyone loves a bit of debate! That or they might discover somewhere new and exciting! 

notes: Eat Like a Londoner by Tania Ballantine (SRP-UK £9.99 US $14.99 Canada $17.99 - not currently available as an ebook) was given to me to review by the publishers Frances Lincoln - Quatro, no other compensation was given - all opinions are my own, for more information please see my contact/policy page above. 

Pssst ... it's that time of year I've been avoiding mentioning, but as it will be here sooner then later I might as well say that this would make a great gift for foodies and travel lovers alike! And just a head's up I have some other great foodie books to review and giveaway! Visit again soon to find out more! 

Dual Nationality and Cookies & Cream Rice Krispie Treats

Today my little family and I went to London, not to see the Queen, but to see the President. Not really. We had to make a trip to the London American Embassy to renew my youngest’s American passport. 

Our girls are dual citizens which is something I felt was important. It could be considered a little bit odd for the fact that I myself have retained only my American citizenship. Even though I am married to a British citizen and have lived here for a decade. 

Why them and not me? It’s not that I think that America is better, each country has it’s pros and cons. However, I still even after a decade, refer to America as home. It’s possible to have two homes. One there with my family and one here with the family I made for myself. For them they have family here and there in a more rooted fashion. 

It is important to me for them to have the choice of which country they’d like to live in the future. It’s not a decision my husband or I can make for them. Even though I know one day they may live very far away from me. 

My parents let me go. Not that they could have stopped me. I am only just realising how hard that must of been for them as the girls get older. Although it could be years before that might happen I’m already dreading it. 

One could argue that even without dual nationality they could make that choice as I did, but at least  for them it will be a lot easier. One of the pros, the big one, is that they will never have to worry about tedious yet necessary paperwork like I did and will do if we ever make the move back. The cons come really when things are bad. Like if either of the girls become criminal masterminds - different laws and stuff or if another world war rears it’s ugly head - as loyalties could be questioned. 

Until they are full grown adults and I know longer have any official say in their decisions I will continue to take them every five years to renew their passports for each country. There will always be non-threating treats to accompany us. Like these Cookies & Cream Rice Krispie Treats or squares. Rice Krispies and Oreos are the same thing in both countries. So, you don’t have to be a dual national to enjoy these! 

Cookies & Cream Rice Krispie Treats

75g butter
250g marshmallows
200g (approximately) chocolate sandwich cookies
1 tsp vanilla extract

130g Rice Krispies

Line an 9x12 inch baking pan with grease proof paper. Blitz about 150g of the chocolate sandwich cookies aka Oreos in a food processor until they are nothing but crumbs. Place the remaining 50g in a ziplock bag and bash with a rolling pin.
Melt the butter in a saucepan, once melted add 200g of the marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Take off the heat and mix in the blitzed cookie crumbs and vanilla until smooth. Add the Rice Krispies and the remaining 50g of marshmallows mix until it’s all covered. Moving fast put in your lined tin and smooth the top with a spatula or large spoon. Sprinkle the rest of the smashed cookies on top and press down. Leave to sit for 2 hours or more on warm days. Cut into squares. They keep up to 5 days in an airtight container not that they would last that long.

Four for Less: New Baking Books & my thoughts

I haven’t been buying a lot of new cookbooks, but that’s not to say there aren't ones that I want! 

There will always be books I want, but I have been a bit more sensible lately and actually passed along a few of the books that I haven’t used recently.

I have also refrained from replacing ever one of the books I gave away with new ones. I only replaced four of them.

With these:

Which is still less then the amount I gave away! 

The Book of Buns: Over 50 brilliant bakes from around the world by Jane Mason

I like it!

Description (from the back cover): “From every corner of the world this beautiful collection of recipes will inspire you to bake buns – both familiar and new – and share them with your friends and family as part of a wholesome meal or as an indulgent treat to celebrate a special occasion.” 

My thoughts: I bought this from The Book People as it was at a really reasonable price. I don’t have the best of luck with breads, but it is an area that I want to pursue a bit more. Also I like the idea that the recipes are inspired from different cultures all over the world. Jane Mason starts by saying a bun is a bun is a bun. Basically saying buns are universal. She then shares with us the basic bread ingredients we will need to create buns and some shaping techniques used in bun making. Then the book is split into two categories – Everyday Buns and Occasional Buns.

Here are a few recipes, from both categories, I have book marked to try out: Laugenbrotchen, Sfoof, Bun Muska, Iced Buns, Skillingsboller, Coconut Buns, and Apple Buns.

Patisserie by William and Suzue Curley

I love it!

Description (from the inside cover): “Patisserie is an introduction to the most revered of culinary disciplines; it illuminates and explains this often-daunting field, leading you through the basics toward a world of beautiful and elegant patisserie. For beginners and the more advanced alike, this is the essential masterclass in patisserie and is set to become a classic book on the subject.” 

My thoughts: The publishers sent this book to me after I re-tweeted their post and won a copy! It is a beautifully published book, but it’s not just what it looks like it’s smart too. It is a wealth of information. Not only are we given the authors credentials, but they give us the evolution of patisserie, which I found very interesting. Food history is interesting to me. Then they give us the basics so ingredients, equipment, and some tips to get us started. If this isn't daunting then we can move on to the next part which is how to make the foundations of all patisserie which is what you need before you create some beautiful desserts.

This is one of those books that I love looking at and I have been carrying it around with me for a couple of weeks now reading and looking at all the mouth watering and awe inspiring patisserie! I would love to attempt to make all of it! Hopefully with my littlest one starting full time school in September I will have a little bit more time to give to seeing how well I do at patisserie!

Sally’s Baking Addiction: Irresistible Cookies, Cupcakes, & Desserts for Your Sweet-Tooth Fix by Sally McKenney

I love it!

Description (from the back cover): “Sally McKenney started her wildly popular blog Sally’s Baking Addiction in 2011, and she’s made the internet a whole lot sweeter! So whether you like cookies, cupcakes, brownies, bars, candy, cakes, pies, or muffins, there’s a tempting treat for you. Indulge in Sally’s Death by Chocolate Brownies, her Pretzel Peanut Butter Cups, her Nutella Frosted Banana Cupcakes and loads more.”

My thoughts: I was a little late to the party when I stumbled upon Sally’s blog a while back. There was a recipe for something I was after and when I goggled it her site came up. I was hooked from the first look. The writing and photography were great, but the sweet treats were even better. One of the posts I read was about how her book was out. So, of course I went to Amazon and ordered myself a copy.

The cookie section is my favorite and it’s fitting, as there are cookies on the cover. The other recipes look good too, but I love a good soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside cookie. I can’t wait to give the Cake Batter Chocolate Chip Cookies and the Salted Caramel Dark Chocolate Cookies a go! If you like Sally’s blog you’ll love her book.

Jamie Oliver’s FoodTube presents: The Cake Book by Cupcake Jemma

I want some more of it!

Description (from the back cover): Jemma Wilson from Crumbs & Doilies is the cupcake queen of Food Tube. Featuring four chapters of beautiful seasonal recipes, plus the need-to-know basics, this book has all the essentials for amazing baking all year round.

My thoughts: This book I picked up at Sainsbury’s for a bargain at 3.50! I already own a couple of cupcake books and wouldn't have bought it at full price. Mainly because it didn't have anything particularly new to me, but I would recommend this to anyone who doesn't have as many baking books as I do! It also doesn't mean that I won’t be trying out a few of these recipes as soon as I get a chance! It’s a wonderful little book that has a lot of inspiration and it fits in a bag so you can take it anywhere and drool over the pictures!

I think I will be trying the Cookie Dough Cupcakes or the Toffee Apple Cupcakes ... or wait maybe the Cherry Bakewell Cupcakes. Or even better yet I should try all of them as someone on Instagram suggested!

notes: I haven’t had a chance to try any recipes from these books yet. It’s not very often that I “review” books without trying out a recipe, so for this post it’s just me sharing and writing about some new books I required. I bought or won these books, for more information please see my contact/policy page. Find me on Instagram 

Summer Salad & Strawberry Balsamic Vinegar

It’s summer time! Well, near enough summer time. This morning I took my girls to the park and even though rain was threatening to fall at any moment, we went anyway. 

We were lucky and had a great morning at the park with friends before of course we were rained on our way back.

It’s always better to be rained on on the way back then on the way there. It’s one of the things I've learned in my time here in England.

After we were dried off and I had the kettle on (coffee for me and hot chocolate for the girls) I made lunch.

I made the little ones peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and a salad for myself. I wanted an excuse to use the Strawberry Balsamic Vinegar I made over the weekend. 

I made my salad with lambs lettuce, ruby chard, carrot, goat’s cheese and strawberries topped with my homemade Strawberry Balsamic Vinegar, a little bit of olive oil, and seasoned with a little pepper.

It was really good. I loved the sweetness of the strawberries and goat’s cheese against the savory lettuces and carrot. You can use this dressing with any salad.

I think salads are one of those things that people just need to make for themselves because there are so many things people like different lettuces and vegetables and dressings.

This dressing would also be good mixed with a little olive oil as a dip for really good fresh bread. My littlest one likes her olives soaked in the dressing as well. There are lots of uses for Strawberry Balsamic Vinegar.

Strawberry Balsamic Vinegar

100ml balsamic vinegar

450ml white wine vinegar

100g sugar

500g British strawberries

Mix the vinegar's and sugar together in a medium saucepan and heat gently on a low heat until the sugar dissolves. Turn the heat up and bring the mixture to a boil. In the meantime hull and quarter the strawberries. In a bowl mash the strawberries with a potato masher. Pour the hot vinegar mixture over the mashed strawberries. Allow to cool before covering and allowing to seep for 24-48 hours.

Sterilize about 4 regular jam jars or whatever you will be using to store your vinegar by washing in the dishwasher and place in a warm oven to make sure they are completely dry.

After the 24-48 hours pour the mixture through a sieve and store in the sterilized jars. 

 notes: In association with Sainsbury’s for the Best of British campaign. Please see my contact/policy page for further information.
Today's topic of Blog Every Day in May was National BBQ week and I think this salad would be perfect for a BBQ! Day 27 of Blog Every Day in May #BEDM