Wish List Mondays #22

Apologies for the late hour this post is coming to you at, but I'm afraid I've been hard at work finishing my university dissertation...which I'm proud to announce is now FINISHED! So, to celebrate this, and give me something to work towards and build up a wardrobe for, I've booked a trip to Paris with a friend in July. Yes, it's a while away, and yes, it's only across the channel, but I simply adore Paris. I can't wait to stroll down boulevards lined with Chanel and Dior, to sit in the shade of the Tuileries, and snack solely on Ladurée macaroons. Oh yes, it's going to be a good summer. So this week, I'm kickstarting my Paris wardrobe with a delectable Wish List. Enjoy, mes anges!

1. Green Paris City Print Top, River Island, £28. Green with envy, here.
2. Japanese Flower Bandeau Bikini, Zara, £16. Japanese, if you please, here.
3. Japanese Flower Briefs, Zara, £16. Easy Peasy Japanesy, here.
4. Caleb Grey Sweat by Gestuz, Coggles, £185.
5. Moto Blonde Leigh Skinny Jeans, Topshop, £38. Blondes have more fun, here.
6. Printed Shorts, Zara, £40. Print it out, here.
7. 'Le Cutoff' Red Shorts by Frame Denim, Matches, £159. See red, here.
8. 'Sac du Jour' Structure Tote by Saint Laurent, Matches, £1,935. A grand don't come for free, here.
9. Plastic Aviator Glasses by Ray-Ban, ASOS, £125. Top Gun, here.
10. Jewelled Bib Necklace, ASOS Premium, £40. Crown jewels, here.
11. Coral Stiletto Sandals, River Island, £45. Cry me a river, here.
12. Cherub Ring by Bill Skinner, ASOS, £40. Ring a ring a rosies, here.
13. 'Khan' Animal Slippers, Topshop, £58. Take a walk on the wild side, here.
14. Wood Sandal, Zara, £60. Chip off the old block, here.


Love,
Belle x

Pumpkin & Pear Soup

It's another food post! Well, I hadn't done any for a while, so I suppose I had some catching up to do. Today's recipe is an easy-peasy soup, an adaptation of one my Mum used to make me when I was little. It's basically a hug in a bowl. She used to make it with Pumpkin, but I prefer Butternut Squash - it's easier to carry and cut. This is really good for: dinner parties, hangovers, depression, studying, dieting, and putting on your face and pretending you're an Oompa Loompa. This recipe makes a FUCKLOAD (no specific quantity) of soup, so eat it, give it to friends, or if you have no friends, freeze it. Ok, picture time!


You Will Need:

1 x Butternut Squash (have a competition with yourself and try and pick the biggest one.)

4 x Pears (2 x smooth-skinned, 2 x rough-skinned - I do not know the actual names of the type of pear, I have a life.)

1 x WHITE ONION (not in the photo, hence why I've capitalised it here)

CHICKEN STOCK (also not in the photo...I wasn't very on it)

Single Cream

Sour Cream (Greek Yoghurt if you prefer/are weird)

Ground Nutmeg

Lemon Juice

Butter

[Oil, Salt & Pepper]

What To Do:

1. Peel the Butternut Squash. This can be a long and tedious process, especially if you won the competition and picked a monstrously large one. Put on some Masterchef and get stuck in.

2. Once peeled, dice the Squash into roughly inch-shaped cubes - obviously discarding the seeds, or putting them aside so you can grow your own squashes in your window box.

3. Heat up some oil and butter (salted, obviously) in a large pan. A pan big enough to fit a baby in. (No babies were harmed in the making of this recipe)

4. When the butter's just about melted, chuck in the HUGE PILE of diced Squash, and pop a lid on it. 

5. While it's doing its thing, peel and dice a White Onion. Add to the squash when it's just beginning to soften. Here's some I made earlier...

...colourful!

6. Peel the rough-skinned pear and dice. Ignore mental jokes about 'lovely pear'. You don't have to peel the smooth-skinned pear, just dice that.

7. Add to the pan.

8. Boil a Kettle and add it to a Chicken Stock cube. If you're rich, you can use those Knorr jellies, or perhaps you already make your own - in which case...good for you.

9. Once the stock cube has dissolved/you've finished patting yourself on the back about your homemade stock, add it to the pan. You don't need much, only about an inch and a half. It doesn't need to fully cover the veg. Add a VERY TINY sprinkle of Nutmeg, as well as a good crack of Pepper.

10. Have a cigarette/drink. 

11. Once the Butternut Squash is edible, but not soggy, dust off your blender and turn off the stove. Ladle as much of the veg as you can into the mixer, add a squeeze of lemon juice and a dash of single cream - and BLEND! The soup should be thick and heartwarming.

12. Pour into bowls, top with some sour cream and coriander (optional), and serve with some warm bread rolls with lots of butter...

...delicious.

Love,

Belle x

Beef, Chicken & Haloumi Salad

First off - I have to 'fess up. This recipe is technically the culinary creation of my foodie mastermind friend, James. He invented it to pay me back for me cooking him lunches and dinners during our time together in first year halls, and it's an absolute cracker. I was inspired to put it on the blog because A) it deserves to be shared with and loved by all, and B) it's the perfect dish for this time of year, when you're longing for summer salads, but aren't ready to part with the warmth of a hearty meal just yet. It's also great for those of you gearing up to embark on the yearly bodily overhaul in preparation for bikini season - this dish has no carbs (before Marbs), peeps. So turn up the heating, switch on some trashy telly, and wait out the final chilly weeks of hibernation while tucking into this guilt-free salad. This recipe makes enough 4-6 people, so invite some friends over and make a night of it! 

You will need:

Frying Steaks

Chicken Breasts

Haloumi

2 x Red Bell Peppers

1 Large Red Onion

Iceberg Lettuce

Coriander

Baby Plum Tomatoes (not in the photo, I forgot them...woops)

Chillies are optional

Olive & Sesame Oils

(Salt 'n' Pepper etc - you're not idiots)

What to do:
1. Heat up some olive oil in a large pan, adding some salt and pepper.
2. Slice up the beef and chicken to roughly equal size so they cook at the same time, innit. Add them to the pan when the oil's piping hot. Then rejoice in the sizzle.
3. While the meat is doing its thing, heat up some sesame oil in another pan. Chop up the haloumi into half-inch cubes, and slice a chilli (or two, 'Some Like It Hot' and all that) - add it all to the hot sesame oil. Do not stir.
4. Slice up your red peppers and add them to the meat - it should be nearly cooked through by now.
5. The haloumi will probably be releasing a lot of water - DO NOT PANIC, this is normal. It will suck it all back in - that's when it's alright to stir it to get a golden crust on all sides.

6. Slice up an onion and add it to the meat pan. Ideally, you want the onion with a little bit of crunch still in it.
7. Finally, rip off some coriander and tip in the punnet of baby plum tomatoes. Wait a few minutes until they're warmed through, then take the haloumi of the heat and tip it into the meat pan. Mix it up and turn off the heat.

8. Arrange your lettuce on a plate, and heap on the meat. (That sounds vaguely sexual.)
9. Sprinkle your favourite sprinkle-ments on top - I like walnuts, but pumpkin seeds work just as well, as does some extra coriander.
10. SERVE!

Bon appétit!

Love,
Belle x