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Showing posts with label lactosefree. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lactosefree. Show all posts

Monday, 18 November 2013

Tea time and other Richmond Adventures

On Sunday I very excitedly hopped into Mr blue (the car) and set off to Richmond for a long overdue catchup with the lovely miss Anastasia (to follow her general epicness, quirky lookbooks and commentary on working in the Media Industry, all in blog form, check out The Film Graduate Diaries here). 




As our craving for a cuppa had to be filled sharpish we spotted this little gem.


Boasting a selection of teas AND Monmouth coffee (this delicious blend has taken London by storm, popping up in more and more locations all with a common theme of quirk, passion, and casual hipsters in the immediate vicinity). 









They apparently also do a 'Current US President Special' as can be seen with their 'Obamarama' blend. 





The menu also boasts some 'Tipsy Tea', how brilliant is this! I've tried cocktails in tea cups before, but this is a whole new adventure.  Some Squiffy Earl or a bit of The Red Squirrel anyone? 

In the end we still settled on some classics, as I ordered a Roiboos and Miss A went for the good ol' Camomile with some honey. 


We both immediately started scanning the rooms for ways to bring this little tea spoon stirrer home. Fortunately a waitress took pity and pointed out that there was also a little sales shelf where we could shop to our little tea-drinking desires.







Being the lactose-intolerant food-porn addict I am the notion of 'dairy-free ice-cream' did not go un-noticed, and I helped myself to some Chai Latte with Chocolate Sauce. A mixture of flavours that plays away to different tunes on your palette long after you've finished the portion. Adventures and a bit naughty, but lots of fun. 










We had brought our trusty laptops along for an afternoon of nattering and scribbling. But as I managed to get stuck in every traffic jam possible the slight delay left us accidentally chatting the day away. However, we did rest our eyes on another kind of keyboard.





As my birthday passed a little while ago miss Anastasia brought along a little package of goodness (thoroughly spoilt already) featuring this lovely tote! It's a beautiful mix of creamy/turquoise colours (my favourite blend) and features one of my top five must-finds-for-the-flat - the old school type writer. 

I may be a bit in love!




The quirky little touches didn't stop there, as our bill was served in a Treasure Chest. 


After realising the sun had long since said good night and we really ought to move onto dinner we started the stroll back to the car. But obviously got distracted by Whole Foods and their Christmas bakery. 


Being a food-lover with a slightly disadvantaged tummy places like Whole Foods is like a food haven. They offer a lot of control to the consumer, and a wide variety of choice without throwing big brands with complicated ingredient lists in your face right and left. 



You can even mix your own Muesli, or why not blend up your own porridge? And while you're at it, grab a bottle of the finest healthiest Olive Oil.





It's a pricey treat, but well worth it. Downstairs treated us to lactose and gluten free frozen yoghurt, natural ingredients to most everything we picked up, the finest fish and meat selections, and rows after rows of fresh happy food. Just look at these eggs!

Upstairs isn't bad either, turning the idea of fast food into a filling but nutritious on-the-go experience, and a health shop with vitamins and natural remedies at your disposal. 




So for the obligatory Lookbook post... 

// Jacket by Zara // Boots by New Look // Jeggings ala Pull n Bear // Scarf by Alexander McQueen



Until next time.

xoxo

P



Tuesday, 25 June 2013

Svensk Midsommar i London



Midsommar. 

I've spent the past five midsummers abroad, but it's one of those ocassions Swedes still take quite seriously and the home-sickness really kicks in. So I decided to get a little gang of Londoners together, whip up a truly Swedish feast, and enjoy the eve with flowers in our hairs while playing cheesy tunes on Spotify. 



(Even Stylist was getting in the mood!)





Traditions vary as with everything, but for me a Midsommar feast requires at least a few key bits of food porn

Gravadlax
Sill (pickled and often multi-flavoured Herring)
Nypotatis
Rödbetssallad (Beetroot sallad mush)
Skagenröra (google this one)
Gräddfilsdipp med gräslök (or try creme fraiche with chives)
Something BBQd (in this case hot dogs and various forms of marinated chicken)




ScandiKitchen is the holiday saviour with their fresh imports of Swedish groceries, so after a trip there to stock up the fridge the above concoction had a slightly more authentic feel to it. 



Obviously for me dessert is key at any decent dinner party or holiday and this was no different. 

Traditionally home made kanelbullar (cinnamon buns) are standard but as my time was limited I went for gifflar from ScandiKitchen instead. 


Of course this left time to put together the true classic, the strawberry cake. 


YUM! And completely Lactose free so my tummy was doing the happy dance. 
It's a truly delicious bake and a piece of cake (see what I did there :) to whisk up!

You'll need

4 Eggs (Medium)
5dl Sugar
6 dl Flour
2 tea spoons baking powder
2 dl water

6 dl whip cream (I used Arla's Lactose free variant and 1 1/2 proved more than enough)



Whip up the egg + sugar first. Then start adding the flour and baking powder, and start slowly adding the water. It'll feel quite soggy and light at the end. 


Pour it all into an oven-safe baking tray and shove it into the middle of the oven at 175C for about 1 hour (or until browned and you can pull out a knife with no residue of cake). Then go lick the spoons as you wait. 




Voila! Leave to cool for a while (or go enjoy the dinner). When you're ready, cut the cake into two levels. 

Add half a cup of mushed up strawberries evenly over the first layer. You can even pour a little extra fruit juice in so it soaks up the flavour and adds some moisture. Then pop the lid/second floor on and cover in whip cream and strawberries. 
 





 Final result should look something like this!




Then go be merry!!







xoxo

P