I have a new candle obsession. One of my American patients gave me one of these as a gift and it turns out I had no idea about the wonder that is Yankee Candles. The one she gave me was called “Beautiful Day” and I love it. The amazing thing is they last for freakin’ ages too (the smallest one burns for 25 hours, the largest for 150 hours). I have to say, I’m loserishly excited now about trying a festive scent this winter, perhaps “Gingerbread” or “Christmas Tree”. If you live in the states you can buy online via:
http://www.yankeecandle.com/favorites/festive-fragrances
But worry not, if you live in the UK I’ve spotted them in House of Fraser, amongst other places.
Click the above link to view the talk I mentioned in my first blog post. It’s only 3 minutes 27 seconds long and I’d recommend a 30 day challenge to anyone.
So the sloe gin mission continues…After much tweeting and some intense questioning of my best friend’s grandmother we found a great spot in Chesham Bois full of sloes (not privet hedges as before, thank goodness…).
It’s pretty easy to make, once you’ve found the berries (450g for a litre). Wash them, prick each one with a needle, put them in a sterilised jar, add sugar (225g) and 1 litre of gin then give it a good shake.
After that comes the sloe part (sorry, just couldn’t resist). You need to keep the jar in a cool, dark cupboard for 2 whole months, although you are supposed to shake it once a week (wish me luck remembering to do that). For anyone as excitable as I am, this last part will be the hardest. However, I’m told that if you can resist temptation at Christmas, the longer you leave it the better it gets…
BBC FOOD RECIPE: http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/sloegin_7722
As I said was my intention in my last entry, today, after work, I went sloe hunting. We (myself and the boyfriend) collected near on 500g worth of berries for our sloe gin! However, on our return to the house, following some further research, it turned out that we have in fact collected 500g or so worth of privet hedge berries…..it appears noone suggests the making of, let alone consumption of privet gin so it’s back to the woods tomorrow in search of the illusive sloe.
I googled “writing your first blog post” and I’m told that I should introduce myself and give an idea of what I’ll be blogging about so here it is, in a nutshell:
I’m English, I currently live in the gorgeous home counties countryside but have a near on obsession with London. I’m hoping this blog will allow me to share the things I love about both places. I adore fashion, travel, food, photography, performing arts, community activism, charity/social enterprise and film so expect to see that reflected here. A month or so ago I watched a TED talk about 30 day challenges (doing something everyday for 30 days or trying to accomplish something in 30 days) and I am in love with the idea so you’ll no doubt hear of some of those too. I love trying new things; tomorrow I’m planning to make sloe gin (if I can find any sloes). I work 9-5, but I’m desperately resisting becoming someone who lives just for the weekend. I love to plan and make the most out of my time, life is too short, and that’s why my blog is called Not a moment to lose , because that’s exactly how I feel.
