Reflecting on 2012

I know its clichéd but retrospection, especially at this time of the year, is a healthy exercise. So as 2012 waves goodbye, I think it is appropriate that I stop and reflect on its adventures and experiences. It’s been a slightly kinder year for us than the previous two but it certainly brought its own share of challenges. I am grateful for the love and support from friends and family, and most importantly my wonderful husband, in overcoming them. Here is a photographic overview of some of the highlights of 2012, which if I haven't blogged about already, I will do soon.

The early part of 2012 brought with it interesting travel adventures, albeit accomplished in a  shoestring fashion. We spent New Year’s in India, travelled the whole length of the country ( mainly for family reasons) and spent a few lovely days taking in Rajasthani culture in the Lake City of Udaipur. In between Spring weekends toiling on our arid allotment, we also managed to fit long weekends in Paris (exploring fashion havens, cafes, farmers markets and gastronomically delightful restaurants like Suffren) and Barcelona ( marvelling at Gaudi’s masterpieces, partaking in Catalonian culture and cuisine, shopping at El Cortes Ingles and Zara, and hanging out at uber cool Bestial). Then came the great flood of 2012 making growing rice a better proposition than potatoes. We will be undertaking an appropriate flood risk assessment of our allotment plan for 2013.
 

The second part of the year was even busier and started with the London Olympics. I went to my first proper football match at Old Trafford (Manchester) as part of the Olympics and it was much more civilised than your regular football matches. Ed bought us a few Paralympics tickets too and attending that was an inspiring experience. The icing on the cake was to be able to witness the Victory parade in between my work meetings in London. During the Olympics period, we went to the Wapping Project which is a old power station converted into quirky and inspiring restaurant. Our allotment in the meantime was largely flooded and there was only so much we could do. Thankfully, my edible flower bed did very well and we had the most wonderful nasturtiums, violets, sweet williams and pansies. Closer to the year end, I visited and blogged about the Finnish, Lincoln and Peterborough Christmas Markets and also started a Charity & Vintage Shops section on my blog.  And, how can I not mention my shopping success at the avant-grade H&M Margiela collaboration!

Like every year, 2012 had its share of many firsts. These included dabbling in jewellery making, eating sea urchins, trying my hand at fencing, my first ever Olympic games, successfully making crab-apple jelly, pushing culinary boundaries with moong masala lasagne, visiting Gaudi's Barcelona, trying out new international recipes and bagging a bargain at London fashion weekend. The most important thing, in the context of this blog, was deleting my old bumbling blogs and starting all over again. And, I'm pleased with my reinvigorated blogging experience. I have a few things I'd like to achieve through this blog over the next year and I am looking forward to the adventures that 2013 will no doubt bring.  A special thank you to my readers (especially the few regulars) for reading whatever I paste out here and for your support. Happy New Year! Ann x

Haggis for Auld Land Syne

Visiting Edinburgh was one of the first touristy things I did when I landed in the UK many moons ago. I instantly fell in love with the city, its people and music. I remember visiting little pubs with friends and joining in with the crowds singing cheeky Scottish folk songs. I've always been adventurous with food and despite being persuaded otherwise, I wanted to try the haggis. It is a shame I can't remember the restaurant where I had my first haggis, neeps and tatties but there was nothing 'iffy' about it . It was beautifully presented and delicious. This is my attempt at re-creating that first encounter with the haggis using root vegetables from our allotment.

Ingredients

1 kg haggis

250g  parsnips (traditional recipe uses swede/turnip) cubed

400g potatoes, cubed

100ml milk

250ml gravy

Method

Follow instructions with the pack for the haggis. I microwaved mine for 5 mins on full heat. You could also cook in the oven or simmer with a little water. Slice the parsnips and beetroot into wafer strips, season as desired (in this case the beetroot was seasoned with chilli and beetroot with rosemary)  and bake for 20 mins. Boil the potatoes in a pan of salted water, reduce the heat and simmer until tender.  Drain the potatoes, return to the pan, add the milk and mash until smooth. Layer as shown in the picture and serve with gravy. Hope you have a Happy Hogmanay! Ann x

LBD Recycled Part 2: Hail Vivienne Westwood!

I absolutely adore Vivienne Westwood. I think the woman has character and her designs are quirky and original. And, it is one of my favourite fashion brands. I don't own a lot of Westwood but thanks to wonderful sites like The Outnet and Cocosa, I do manage to buy into a bit of its fabulousness. I love Dame Westwood even more because she is big on Ethical Fashion. Her work supports women and families in Africa and encourages the use of recycled materials. That is fashion that is right up my street.

Here, in my second post on my much reused little black dress, all I've done is accessorise the dress with the Vivienne Westwood Anglomania Bounty Shell top. I bought the top from Outnet in the sales last year and have used it numerous times in different ways. That is multiple recycling for you! My heels are River Island (charity shop purchase) and have lasted a few years now. The entire ensemble cost me just shy of £50 including my Westwood top. Who said you can't get designer fashion at high street prices?!

What do you make of the outfit? Have you got a favourite brand too? Ann x
  

Merry Christmas and a Spot of Christmas DIY

I grew up with a very different version of Christmas to what I know today. Christmas was about family and friends getting together. It was about sharing kuswar (Manglorean Christmas sweets) with neighbours and singing carols with the church choir. It was about building the best nativity crib with 'meadows' grown using wheat grain. It was about drinking moderate amounts of port. It was not drunken or commercial. Don't get me wrong, I love my current version of Christmas too. I love making our home all cosy with lots of lovely scented candles and Christmas decorations. I love the warmth of mulled wine and hot spiced cider on a cold wintry day. I love Ed's version of  the traditional English Christmas meal. I enjoy getting creative with Christmassy projects. And, who in the right mind doesn't like presents? 

The last few months have been incredibly busy and I did not get up to my usual projects like making Christmas puddings, advent calendars or homemade chocolate. But thanks to my friend Raahil, I did semi-produce a DIY wreath. Raahil is a creative soul and so is her mum Trudi. Trudi sent us some basketry willow (which she grew herself) and we used that to make our fabulous wreath. We used a mixture of foliage from Trudi including holly, and bay leaves and winter jasmine from our garden. We tried to replicate Trudi's version of the wreath but we did have to resort to jute twine to stop ours from having spasms. We intertwined the twigs, secured them into a circular shape using twine and then added the foliage and winter jasmine. I need to add a few winter berries to the wreath for more colour but I *love* how it's turned out. The photos below are self-explanatory and hopefully there is just enough time for you to make one too. Hope you have a merry Christmas. Ann x

 

Medieval England Via Morocco: Peterborugh Christmas Market

Peterborough often gets bad press for not being quaint enough compared to Cambridge and cool enough compared to London. The fact is that the city has rich history, decent shopping, quaint villages surrounding (and within) it, great transport links and a lot to offer. It is also a popular commuter town due to the lower house prices compared to Cambridge or London. This Peterborough bashing bothers me most when I attend events like the Cathedral Historic Christmas Fayre. It was quirky and unlike any other Christmas market I've seen yet did not attract the same volume of crowds as some of the other markets. The Berber market in the Cathedral square was a feast to the eyes and yet it was the same story there too. This blog post is my little attempt at putting the cool back into the city I now call home. I am also framing a Peterborough travel post in my mind as I write this. Watch this space.

The Christmas market in Peterborough had two distinct sections this year. The Moroccan Berber market (selling beautiful glass-works, painted tagines, tapestry and sheeshas) and the Historic Christmas Market with medieval themed stalls where vendors dressed in period costume advocated back to basics washing routines, falconry, knightly pursuits and sold unusual yet Christamassy goods.The Cathedral green formed the setting for a fireworks/fire-eating display led by a couple of medieval monks. The market had a spooky cool factor about it for reasons I am struggling to pinpoint. It was perhaps that whole historic, going back to your roots theme or perhaps because I thought the spirit of Katherine of Aragon (buried in the cathedral) was drinking mulled wine in the sky!

Whilst the market has numerous fascinating stalls with things my foreign self had not come across before, I'd like to mention two particularly interesting stalls. The first was Suzie and Martin's stall selling fruit leathers and exotic jerked meat. Beef marinated in wasabi sauce, venison, port and cranberry jerky, hibiscus and apple fruit leather, this stall had the most random yet interesting preserved foods I've come across. I am looking forward to using their pear fruit leathers in desserts and ice-cream over the holiday period. The other marvellous stall belong to Scott and Sally Mittuch of Natural Spa Supplies. Scott explained how the humble alum could be used as an after-shave product, deodorant and more. Scott also explained the benefits of rhassoul clay , argan oil  and the back to basics approach to personal care. It reminded me of childhood summer holidays in Kerala where my cousins and I used freshly ground turmeric for facials and freshly extracted coconut oil for hair care. Time to get over my fixation with Elemis and Kerastaste perhaps? Or should I start a section on ethical washing ;-) ?! Ann x

Fashionable Travel Treasures: Mekhelas Part 1

My travel adventures started as soon as I landed a grown-up job a decade or so ago. Whilst I dreamt of exploring Venice in a gondola, wandering the streets of Paris and hiking up the alps, I could not afford to travel overseas. Instead, I chose to travel around India at every available opportunity. I'd been forever allured by the north-eastern states of India but they were not easy to travel around due to tourism restrictions, permits and militancy. Also, women don't often travel on their own around India, let alone in the north-east. However, thanks to help from my friend Sammy, I finally managed to travel out there. It was an adventure trip of a lifetime and I'd thoroughly recommend it to anyone planning a visit to India.

The local women wear sarongs called mekhelas which are unique to their individual tribes. I bought traditional mekhelas from every state I visited and they have held pride of place in my wardrobe for years. Mekhelas are often hand-woven by local artisans and each piece is unique. I purchased this particular mekhala from a girl in the village of Dharikati near Arunachal Pradesh-Assam border. The mekhela is worn like a sarong but tucked into an under-skirt. Sammy explained that the embroidery on this particular mekhala was on the back to avoid it getting crumpled. It is warm, trans-seasonal, versatile and colourful. Here, I've teamed it up a Zara blouse, a South Indian tribal necklace and Dune shoes (£5 via eBay). I absolutely love wearing this mekhala as it gets me nostalgic and transports me to a time when I was young (er) and more adventurous. Have you found unique outfits from your travels too? Ann x

Berry Good Low-Fat Crumble

This year has been a bit of a disappointment in our allotment due to the drought followed by flooding. Our strawberry patch was mostly drowned out but we luckily managed to pick and freeze a few batches before the deluge. The raspberries in our garden thrived despite the weather which meant we have lots of frozen raspberries too. I love being able to consume homegrown fruit and veg through the winter thus limiting our spend on food shopping and also knowing its chemical free. Anyway, we had family over recently and so a quick crumble seemed like a great idea for dessert. This recipe uses much less sugar and butter compared to the standard recipes which is just what your waistline needs to offset yuletide sins.

Ingredients:

300g plain flour

125g caster sugar

150g unsalted butter

500g berries and plums

Method:
Heat the oven to 180C. Mix the flour, sugar and butter together into a crumbly consistency. Grease the baking dish with butter. Place the berries/fruit in the baking dish and cover with the crumble mixture. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the top is lightly browned. Serve hot with ice-cream. Nom nom nom! Have you got your own variations of a traditional crumble recipe? Ann x

Charity Shops: St Barnabas Hospice Lincoln High Street

I'd had a rough week with one thing after another going wrong. Just as I was earnestly hoping for a wave of positivity to wash the bad taste of the week away, I passed by the St Barnabas Hospice Charity Shop*-The Attic. I could sense Ed's relief after several hours of patient tolerance of my grumpiness. In my experience, Charity shops (good ones) are the best antidote to misery. This one made me smile as soon as I walked in. The first item I spotted was a vintage Hermes Silk Scarf. The price was too good to be true and so I checked with the lady managing the store regarding the authenticity of the scarf.  She confirmed that the person that dropped it off verified it as being the deal deal. Wonderful!

I wandered round the store exploring its many vintage books, clothes, brooches, hats. etc. The shop has two floors full of quirky one-off pieces of fashion and art. Compared to similar shops in London, the prices were so much more reasonable. I picked up some gorgeous vintage brooches for a couple of quid each and a boxed YSL silk scarf for £10! I am totally smitten by this little charity shop and cannot wait to visit again soon. This is the place to go in Lincolnshire if you are on the look-out for unique vintage fashion items at very reasonable prices. If you would like to be kept into loop about the happenings at the shop, check out the shop's blog managed by its lovely Asst. Manager Rachel. Do you know of any other wonderful charity shops in Lincolnshire? Ann x

*St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice is an independent hospice, committed to providing the highest standard of medical and nursing care for patients living with a life threatening illness

Lincoln Christmas Market

Like most of you, our Decembers are usually crammed with social events and pre-xmas family catch-ups. The husband is a 'northerner' and we sometimes use Lincoln as a halfway point for catching up with his family. This year, we planned one such catch-up to coincide with the Lincoln Christmas Market. Ideally, you should plan your visit to this Christmas market on a Thursday or Friday when the crowds are thinner. I would also recommend reading up the top ten tips for visitors to the Lincoln Christmas Market.

We took the train up to Lincoln so as to be able to consume copious amounts of mulled wine without having to worry about driving. We arrived at Lincoln just in time to see the beautiful steam train 'Union of South Africa' arrive from London. I grew up in India and  so steam trains don't excite me that much. Ed on the other hand, bounced incessantly. Geek. We then grabbed some quick lunch before heading up Steep Hill ( the most self-explanatory street name ever) to get to the market. The place was heaving and we moved like the body of a great bumbling giant. It took us about 20 minutes to get to the Castle from where the market stalls started.

The market was definitely the biggest I've seen so far. The stalls were quite close together which makes them challenging to get to amidst the maddening crowds. I must admit that I lost the will to explore towards the latter part of the market. Don't be misled by my little frustrations, I did have a lovely time. My favourites included the Russian Doll stall with the most beautiful hand-painted Matroyshkas I'd ever seen. I could have spent all evening just there. I also enjoyed checking out the Massagicals stall, the Neal's Yard Dairy for its humongous cheeses and other little craft stores. My absolute favourite was the Traumrauch stall with their handmade candle houses. I bought a lovely two storey house from Northern Germany (the only real estate I can afford in this recession) which doubles as a candle house and oil burner. I'm very excited about using it over the Christmas period. Actually, I might as well start now.

Lincoln is historic city, well worth visiting even without the Christmas market. Its beautiful cobbled streets, steep roads, little vintage shops and tea-houses, the Cathedral and the castle are all  great reasons for you to plan a visit to this lovely little corner of England. I've also discovered a wonderful charity shop here and watch this space for my review post. Hope you are enjoying your Christmas season shopping! Ann x

H&M Margiela Review: Quirky vs. Kooky

 

I was super excited to finally receive my H&M Margiela goodies in the post the other day. Rather than trundling down to London and battling die hard fans in the stores, I chose to stay home and attack via the laptop. I even had Ed lined up to select items should he manage to get through the online queue first. My approach was to buy the items I liked before they sold out as I knew I could always cancel the order or return them. I bought both the red hitched up dress and the blue horizontal dress but am unsure about the wearabilty of either. With the blue dress, it was impossible to figure out how to get into it in the first place; the fake arms totally confused me. Both were loose fits and the red dress was definitely a trip hazard for petite moi.

I was lucky enough to also bag the candy clutch (in both pink and silver) which I am uber excited about. It's large enough to fit lots of 'stuff' and I can see myself using it as a day bag, just to make me smile on the inside :). What do you make of the collaboration? Would you wear the kooky blue dress? Ann x

Finnish Christmas Market in London

My lovely friend Iiris recently invited us to the Finnish Christmas Fair in London. It's been nearly six years since my fantstaic trip to Finland. I was very excited at the thought of reliving that visit and also experiencing some Finnish Christmas traditions. So last weekend, Ed and I trundled down to London town for an evening filled with Finnish and Scandivandian culture.

We first headed out to the delightful Scandinavian street market selling oodles of Swedish, Danish, Norwegian and Finnish goodies. I was tempted by beautiful home design pieces, yummy cakes, gravadlax and ginger spiced hot chocolate. The main bit of the Finnish Christmas Fair happened within the premises of the Finnish Church in Albion Street. We drunk lovely warm glögg (a Finnish mulled alcoholic drink) and I nearly blew my brains eating far too much mustard with the Finnish national vegetable (a juicy sausage with mustard and condiments). Sadly, the reindeer and mash was all finished-yes I would have eaten Rudolph ;). The stalls sold lots of salty and spicy licorice (very much an acquired taste), several varieties of rye bread and a multitude of Finnish Christmas goodies. I bought a selection a Finnish goodies including salmiakki, fazer chocolate, savoury bread and rye bread. Nom nom nom!(except for the licorice which was a teeny bit strong for my taste).

I'll love you and leave you with some snapshots of the evening. And, I'd definitely recommend keeping an eye out on the Finnish Church website for next year's event! Ann x