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Christmassy Reading
Happy new year! Hope you all had a lovely Christmas and a pleasant start to 2023. I have been quiet on here over the past few weeks, as I’ve been cosying up with a few books over the Christmas period. One of the things I love about this time of year is the opportunity to spend time lost in a good book. I also tend to get given books as gifts for Christmas. Here are some of my picks of what I have been reading: And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. The definitive murder mystery tale, ten strangers are summoned to an island and find out that someone…
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November Book Roundup
So we say farewell to November and start to look towards December and some Christmassy offerings. Before we go full-pelt into the Christmas season, here is my monthly book roundup. How was your November? Did you manage to read everything you wanted to? This month I read ‘Rebel Ideas: The Power of Diverse Thinking’ by Matthew Syed. I also read ‘The Christie Affair’ by Nina de Gramont (review coming soon) and finished ‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ by Suzanne Collins. I am a massive fan of The Hunger Games series, so absolutely loved the prequel. It was a bit of a whopper, but after the first 100 pages or…
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Sunday Photo
Ladies View, County Kerry, Ireland
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The Spy Glass Inn, Ventnor
I’m a sucker for a beautiful view, and the Spy Glass Inn in Ventnor, on the Isle of Wight, has that in spades. When you’re standing on Ventnor Cove with its sheer cliffs and turquoise waters, it’s hard not to feel like you’ve found your way into paradise. And that’s exactly what we felt when we visited the Spy Glass Inn, a local pub with great food and an amazing view of Ventnor Cove The portions are generous, and the food is tasty—we both have big appetites but struggled to finish our plates of calamari and chips. They served standard pub grub, but it was very filling and the seafood…
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Book Review: The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
The Secret Life of Bees follows the journey of Lily Owens, a young girl who is struggling to understand the world around her. The story takes place in 1964 in South Carolina, where Lily’s life has been shaped by her mother’s death when she was only three years old. Living on a peach farm with her harsh and unforgiving father, she has only one friend: Rosaleen, the black servant who raised her after the death of her mother. When racial tensions erupt one day and Rosaleen is arrested and beaten, Lily chooses to flee with her. As they make their way across the country, they come across a trio of…
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Sunday Photo
The Arboretum, Nottingham
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Canada Dreaming
Do you ever get reminders from photo storage sites of things you’ve done in previous years? Google Photos is currently constantly sending me reminders that three years ago I was in Western Canada in the Rocky Mountains. Looking at my pictures from that trip reminds me what an amazing and beautiful place it is. Okay, have you booked your trip there yet? I really wish I was there now *sigh*
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The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid: Book Review
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is one of those books that I knew I would love within a few pages of starting to read it. I hadn’t even considered reading it before, in the belief that it wouldn’t be my thing. But seeing as it was my work book club choice, I thought I’d give the book a whirl. The story follow Monique Grant, a reporter for Vivant magazine, who has been selected to interview Evelyn Hugo, a reclusive former star. Evelyn is auctioning some of her famous gowns to raise money for a breast cancer charity. Monique doesn’t understand why Evelyn has chosen her, but nonetheless goes to Evelyn’s apartment to meet…
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Bob Bob Ricard, Soho
In late 2021, Claire and I visited Bob Bob Ricard in Soho for an evening meal. Upon arrival, we were greeted at the door and taken to our table. We left it a little late to book, so were unable to get a regular table in a booth, however, we managed to get a bar seat. This still gave us a brilliant experience of the Bob Bob Ricard atmosphere. Bob Bob Ricard’s interior is based on the Orient Express and gives the feeling of stepping onto a train upon entry. The first thing to catch our eyes was the “press for champagne” button, so of course, we gave this a…
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Toffee apple and salted pretzel rocky road
Happy Friday! A little while ago I was inspired to make this yummy toffee apple and salted pretzel rocky road. It’s ideal for when you just need something sweet. Here is the recipe (by John Whaite) if you want to give it a go this weekend! Ingredients:(Makes 12–16) 250g dark chocolate (60–70% cocoa solids), broken into chunks 100g milk chocolate, broken into chunks 125g salted butter 1tbsp golden syrup 50g mini marshmallows 100g caramel/toffee wafers (stroopwafel), roughly chopped 100g hazelnuts, roughly chopped 100g salted pretzels, roughly crushed 100g dried apple, roughly chopped Method: Line a 20cm square cake tin with baking paper. Put both the chocolates, butter and the golden…
