The Best Roast Chicken || Rock Salt, Lemon, Bay and Garlic

Hello Lovelies,

A good roast chicken is probably one of my favourite meals, it is perfect to make for a family, for a girly lunch with homemade chunky chips or at the beginning of the week for some seriously decadent roast chicken sandwiches, which WILL result in fridge theft, just to warn you!  

Ingredients:

1 free-range chicken (please try and use free-range chicken, as we all know battery farms are horrid places, and the taste is so much better) 

2 preserved lemons

2 cloves of garlic

4 bay leaves

Drizzle of olive oil

A sprinkling of rock salt (I like Maldon)

Pre-heat your oven to 190C


The first thing you want to do is grab your chicken place it into a baking tray then remove/(check for) the giblets.  Once you know you are giblet free you can get cracking with your poultry masterpiece.

Chop you preserved lemons in half, then peel your two garlic and gently crush the cloves with the side of your knife.  You then want to stick your lemon, garlic cloves and bay leaves up your chickens butt.

Next you want to grab you olive oil and give your chicken a few glugs, it wants to be covered but not swimming in it so don't go crazy.  After covering it in oil grab a pinch of your rock salt and sprinkle over your whole chicken and rub it over with your hands, be gentle though you're not exfoliating it!

You then want to throw it on the middle shelf of your oven and get cracking with the rest of your meal, or just sit down and put your feet up. 

My chickens normally take around 2 hours to cook, however time will vary based on the size of your bird, but as a rule of thumb it is 20mins per pound, and then an extra 10-20 for luck, (there's no chance of salmonella in this house!)  

During the cooking process you want to baste it occasionally with all the juicy goodness to help keep it moist inside but also let the skin get all sizzly and crisp.

If I have chicken left I love to knock up a Chicken Soup, which is one of my favourite lunches, or if I am under the weather and want something a little more filling I will make a chicken noodle soup (serious comfort food).

Who else loves a good roast chicken?

Spring Staples

Hello Lovelies,

Now the Easter weekend has been and gone, it feels like we are definitely into Spring!  

So as Spring has sprung in this household I thought I would show you my Spring staples. 

The first thing is my favourite arm candy, the Verditer Slim Satin bracelets are fabulous for stacking with lots of bangles.  The three in the picture are Sea, Brighton and Steel, perfect colours for mixing and matching (as well as those I may also have another two on my wrist, very naughty I know!!!)  

The Body Shop and I fell out of love for a couple of years, not for any reason other than I was exploring other brands and it got a little left behind, but over the last six months I have fallen madly in love with quite a few of its products.

The first is the Ginger Anti Dandruff Shampoo, right on my hairline always gets seriously dry and flaky, which lets be honest just isn't a good look.  Having tried various different shampoos I gave The Body Shop ginger anti dandruff shampoo a go, it smells lovely and definitely does the trick, so a big thumbs up for The Body Shop. 

My second purchase was their Tea Tree Oil it's a little bottle of magic, as soon as those pesky spots rear their ugly heads this stuff takes them down!  And for only £7.00 a bottle it is a complete bargain.

The Body Shop says another hello when it comes to what I am using on my face, for the last few months I have been using Vitamin E Cool BB Cream.  During the warmer months when the sun starts to show it's face I like to wear something a little lighter, to show all those sunkisses. I love The Body Shop Vitamin E BB Cream as it doesn't leave my skin looking oily like some I have tried and gives good coverage without being too heavy. 

I add a little of the Nars Illuminator in Copacabana to my BB Cream to give my skin a nice glow.  It's a fab product as it makes you look healthy rather than shimmer like a fairy.

My favourite perfume is the Peony Blush Suede a beautiful floral scent that wears beautifully both day and night (review here).

This product isn't makeup or skincare, rather something to keep all the goodies in.  I love the Azo Equipment Dessie Pouch, you cant beat a bit of waxed cotton (I'm such a country bumpkin). (review here) 

My Nars concealer in Custard is my go to concealing product, however although I really like it and use it daily however I would still very happily use my Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer. 

My favourite mascara is the Clinique High Impact Mascara, it's lovely and lengthening but my favourite part is that it comes off really easily and doesn't need lots of rubbing. 

For my lips I have been really enjoying the Korres Pomegranate Lip Butter it makes my lips all buttery smooth and keeps all that pesky dry skin away.  The lovely hint of colour is also a bonus.

The Body Shop Honey Bronze Bronzing Powder is one of my must have products for Spring/Summer, it is lovely and light and doesn't give your skin that muddy look. (review here) 

This is a very new product but one that has already become a favourite, it is the new Clinique Cheek Pop Blush in Peach Pop, it's a beautiful blush that looks like a lovely peach cream blush when it's applied. (review here) 

Another one of my favourite lip products is my Clinique Chubby Sticks Lip Balm in Super Strawberry, it is a my lips but better colour which is perfect for when your running out the door.

These are my Spring favourites, what are yours?

Point-to-Point Shenanigans

Hello Lovelies,

Nearly every Easter Monday since I was a baby we have gone to the Hackwood Park Point-to-Point Steeplechase, basically a day to eat yummy picnic food, drink and have a little bet.  Over the last 6 years my cousins children have come along which just adds a little more fun, I love sitting and chatting, but my childish side love playing catch and running around with the little ones. 

Quoits and an assortment of rugby and footballs were bought along, but sitting on top of the Land Rover was rather more popular (something which I remember doing when I was little).  After a good play and a little walk around the course we popped open the fizz.

As you can see everyone got a bit giggly, especially my father!  After crisps, olives, crudités and some crab dip (a closely guarded family secret) we started organizing lunch.  I love a good picnic, eating outside is my favourite thing to do.  This years picnic consisted of tomato soup, quiche lorraine, chicken goujons, pork and apple sausages, sandwiches and salad.  

After devouring our lunch the hounds made an appearance which had the children in a frenzy.

My little goddaughter is quite the fashionista, and took a great liking to my sunglasses!

We had a family sweepstake for each race, but the children were definitely on a winning streak and seemed to win every one. 

  

After we had emptied our pockets of £1 coins we settled in the sun for some tea and cake.  We had Easter fairy cakes, flapjacks and millionaires shortbread, along with all the Lindt bunnies that were hopping around.  

Do you have any Easter traditions?

Clinique Cheek Pop In 'Peach Pop' || Review

Hello Lovelies,

Clinique and I fell out of love for a couple of years, but over the last six months we have have started a new love affair.  The latest edition to my ever growing collection is their Cheek Pop Blush in 'Peach Pop', a blusher that had me rather perplexed.  

The first thing I want to say about this blush is OMG isn't it so cute!  I love the chunky clear packaging with the flower detail, but what is really fab is that the product quality is just as good as the packaging (which is rather rare). Clinique describes their blushes as vibrant, yet natural looking cheek colours that virtually look powderless.

That was the thing that originally perplexed I couldn't work out whether it was a cream, powder or perhaps a mousse blush.

After contemplating what exactly it was, I decided to just grab my brush and get stuck in.  When you swirl your brush in it, it feels and looks like a powder, but once applied to your cheeks it looks like a cream.  It is however much better than any cream blush I have used before, it doesn't enhance the look of your pores and can also be played up for a more statement colour or down for a more natural look. 

The blusher is incredibly long wearing and doesn't seem to loose it's vibrant colour like others I own which is always a plus.  The colour is also gorgeous and fabulous for Spring, 'Peach Pop' is a pink-coral with a satin finish and warm undertones.

This blusher is definitely a good'un and one you need to pop in your shopping basket.

Easter Sunday

Hello Lovelies,

HAPPY EASTER,

After waking up this morning and downing an obligatory cup of breakfast tea we all pulled on our wellies and ran out the door to start the Easter egg hunt.  After charging around the garden collecting eggs we retreated to the warm of the kitchen to devour our Easter breakfast.

Breakfast was like any good Easter breakfast should be, dippy eggs and soldiers (covered in lashings of butter) as well as a stray bowl of Shreddies for my little brother.

One of my favourite parts of Easter beside family and chocolate is decorating the table.  I love filling mason jars with daffodils and tulips, cracking out the handmade glasses and making it all pretty for the family to sit down for a big meal.  

After eating we worked our way through the Easter eggs sending ourselves into a wine and chocolate coma! 

A very short post today as family beckons, but I just wanted to wish you all a very Happy Easter.

My Childhood In a Candle || Jo Malone Green Tomato Leaf

Hello Lovelies,

I have to be completely honest when I first heard about this candle I was rather skeptical, however the more I heard people rant and rave about it the more I wanted to try it.

I am a Jo Malone girl through and through, I don't think I go a day without spritzing my favourite scent or burning a candle!  So after much deliberation it magically landed on my doorstep.

After marveling at the packaging (you know how I love good packaging) I opened it up to get a good sniff, to my great relief it didn't smell like the plum tomatoes I cover my salad in, instead it was like a throwback to my childhood.

My father was/is an avid vegetable grower and as a child our green house was always full of tomato plants.  That lovely smell wherever it is reminds me of those carefree long Summer days.  Jo Malone's Green Tomato Leaf doesn't disappoint my senses, it perfectly captures that light, fresh, leafy smell that reminds me of Summer.    

   

"Glasshouse tomatoes.  Earthy, leafy and full of sunshine.  Crisp with stem-green galbanum.  Lively with artemesia, fruity with cassis, resting on a cushion of moss.  Tangy and evocative."

This is probably the freshest candle I own, it is very uplifting and perfect for burning while you eat to add a little ambiance as well as get rid of those kitchen smells.

If you aren't green fingered and haven't grown tomatoes then the closest scent I think you can compare it to is the smell of a botanical garden, it's like wandering through Kew Gardens on a warm day.  This is my new love (forget men!) and something that I will be burning when the sun is shines.

Jo Malone Green Tomato Leaf Candle £39.00 via Jo Malone - link

Easter Basket For A Little One

Hello Lovelies,

I have the most gorgeous little goddaughter, she is two and is a bundle of cuteness (she is also my cousin once removed so I get to see her rather a lot which is lovely).  I look forward to the holidays as it is the perfect excuse to get my godmummy on and treat the little lovelies  .  

So this Easter I have made them Easter baskets (a rather American tradition).  I know they will receive masses of chocolates from both the pesky Easter Bunny (who leaves his chocolate eggs all over the garden) and family members, so I wanted to give them something a little different.  

The gorgeous felt basket with flowers on is from Gisela Graham which I bought from Not On The High Street one of my favourite sites for quirky little prezzies.

For the sweet treats I choose, bunny peeps, pastel jelly bean eggs and mini eggs (all from an American sweet shop).  I used plastic shaped eggs (from Amazon) to put the little sweets in as I don't want the eggs getting crushed in the post and wrecking the rest of the basket with melted chocolate and stickiness.

My goddaughter is a serious Peppa Pig fan so I found these sweet little bracelets on Amazon as well as some glitter stickers (what child doesn't love stickers and pigs!!!)

The last part of her basket is this gorgeous Jellycat Small Blossom Bunny with floral ears, once I saw it I just knew it had to go into her basket.  My Mummy bought me one when I was little and I still have it so this one with floral ears and feet was a must.

Do you treat your family at Easter?