Wicked Wednesdays

"Oh, for the love of food!"

If you work a 9-5 job, there's a 95% chance that you hate Mondays. It's a fact. However, I prefer Mondays to Tuesdays. Think about it: on Monday you are still feeling the benefits of a weekend full of brunch, lie ins and a lazy read of the Sunday papers. But then Tuesday and Wednesday (aka Humpday) strike. You know that the weekend is truly over and there is still such a long time until 5pm on Friday evening, at which time nothing stands between yourself and a bottle of wine/beer/gin. So what is the answer? Food glorious food of course! 

Whilst watching Spring Kitchen on BBC2, Lorraine Pascal wooed me with her delectable desserts, and so I decided to adapt the recipe and make a boozy version (if it's in food it doesn't count, right?) 

PEAR AND ALMOND AMARETTO TART

You will need...

For the tart
375g pack of ready-rolled dessert shortcrust pastry
100g soft butter
100g caster sugar
100g ground almonds
3 tbsp plain flour, plus a little extra for dusting
1 medium egg
1 tbsp amaretto liqueur
2 tins of pear halves

To Serve
Pot of single or double cream, depending on your preferences
3 tbsp amaretto
Few drops of vanilla essence

1. To make the frangipan (almond filling), first beat/cream the butter and sugar together until smooth. Then slowly add the flour and almonds, and then the amaretto and egg and beat until smooth and soft, but obviously there may be some lumps here and there with the almonds. 

2. Place the shortcrust pastry into a tart tin or dish. Don't feel guilty about buying ready made pastry, this is meant to be as quick and easy as possible. 

3. Spoon the frangipan into the pastry case and level it over. 

4. Then place the pear halves on top like this... 

5. Put it in the oven at 180c or Gas Mark 4, for around 45 minutes, or until it looks golden and delicious. It does look a little beige in colour, so I suggest serving with strawberries and raspberries to brighten it up.

6. If you have any leftover pears and pastry, you could make these cute little tarts like we did, using raspberry jam (that was flavoured with whisky). Cook until the pastry is crisp and the jam is bubbling. 

7. To make the cream topping, simply whisk some single or double cream and add some amaretto and vanilla essence to your taste. 

I hope this recipe is easy to follow. If you do one thing over the next few days, make these tarts - they are truly scrumptious!

Yaasica Lucia XXX

Pin Up to Pick Me Up

"Some days there`s nothing for it but to go back to bed, but mostly I try to put a face on and turn the day around. I try to remember we all have those moments — even people you admire." -  Dita von Teese 

Sometimes, we all have one of those days, weeks or months. We just want to get back into bed and watch back to back episodes of whatever show we are into (mine is currently Season Two of The Carrie Diaries). The only thing we want to say to others is simply, Can U Not. But often, that is not possible. We cannot shut ourselves off from the world, due to work, university, children, or general daily life. Therefore, one of my favourite ways to break the monotony of the daily grind is to try out a new look, and I've been taking inspiration from two of the best Pin Up Girls... 

Lana del Rey and Dita von Teese are two of my favourite fashion icons. I love the way they mix old Hollywood glamour and retro, vintage style, with modern twists. I was lucky enough to see Lana del Rey perform live last year and it was one of the best moments of my life, total goosebumps, spellbound, starstruck kinda moment... but enough fangirling for a minute... 

If I had the confidence, the body and the money then I would emulate these beauties every day.

My latest look of the week has been influenced by Lana and Dita, and and I have attempted to wear a bandana without looking like a lost gang member or a J Lo backing dancer circa 1999... 

Bandanas look great in a casual updo that takes a short amount of time. I put my hair into a high ponytail, and fluffed it up with hairspray. I teased my fringe to get a little more volume before pinning it to the side. I tried to create a 'victory roll' but it was late at night so had to give up. 

The look works well with Rayban Clubmaster style sunglasses, although I must admit that mine were £2 from Primark!

I also tried the look with my hair down with loose waves, which I also think worked well but isn't as quick as the first look. 

I finished with a slick of my favourite satin matte red lipstick, from Topshop in Screen Siren. I was blessed with a beauty spot above my top lip, which I hated when I was younger but now I've come to like it. Many hollywood stars used to draw them on, using eye liner, which I think looks great. 

Dita von Teese said that glamour is about creating illusion. And sometimes, when you aren't feeling your best, a slick of red lipstick and a £1 bandana are all that you need to do that. 

Yaasica Lucia XXX

Let me know what you think and whether you have tried this look :)

Riverside (markets): Let's Go!

"The bright sun, that brings back not light alone, but new life, and hope, and freshness to man, burst upon the crowded city in clear and radiant glory" 
 'Oliver Twist', Charles Dickens. 

The weather has been absolutely glorious recently. I've been walking along the Thames at every opportunity, between meetings and on my lunch break. I even ate two Mr Whippy Ice Creams at the weekend. Yes, we are all gearing up for spring and summer, with sunglasses and flip flops firmly out of the closet (although naturally, heavy rain is forecast for this coming weekend). All the more reason to make the most of the sunshine while we can. As you can tell from previous blogs, I'm a big fan of markets, especially across London, as there is such variety. Just walking around them and taking in the sights and sounds is a great day out, with no pressure to buy anything. With the Great British Summer being a tad unreliable, covered markets are great because you can visit them come rain or shine. 

Greenwich Market is one of the best covered markets in London, on a historic site surrounded by independent shops, pubs and cafés. It's reasonably easy to get to, just take the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) to Cutty Sark for Maritime Greenwich, which is only a few minutes walk from the Market itself.

Vintage Crockery

Antique China and Crystal

Antique Jewellery

Around the edge of the market, there was an independent shop called 360 Degrees Vintage. Normally I'm a little skeptical of vintage shops, as explained in detail HERE! However, the sweet lady inside it had been running the store for 20 years, and had a classic East End accent.

 The clothing inside was proper vintage, including a beautiful blue lace dress from the 1950's. I'm going to two weddings this summer and it would have been perfect - alas, it was the wrong size, but I'm still in love with it... 

For me, markets are really all about the food, and Greenwich did not disappoint. There were Spanish Churros filled with Dulce de Leche (a thick creamy caramel), Lamb and Halloumi wraps, fresh pastries and Jamaican patties.

I decided to go for a delicious creation from BILL OR BEAK, the brainchild of a Biomedical Science graduate who decided he wanted to open a street food stall rather than going straight into further study. Medicine's loss is our gain. I went for 'Beak' - pulled duck and pork (so so tender) with a coriander, chilli & mint salad, finished with tempura battered shallots, covered in a vietnamese dressing. OMG is all I can say... 

You can find Bill or Beak at various locations around London, including Camden and Brixton. There are more and more street food stalls popping up over the City, including in City Churchyards such as St Mary Aldermary (between Mansion House and Bank) which is home to thai food, burritos, freshly brewed coffees and more. Its a great way to utilise church land, and a welcome break from the monotony of Marks and Spencers or Pret sandwiches. 

To wash everything down I had a freshly pressed apple and cranberry juice from 'Turnip',who do brilliant flavours such as Blood Orange, or Melon smoothies. There's a lot of buzz about juice diets at the moment, but I couldn't think of anything more tedious or boring (not to mention bad for teeth and general digestion). Try one of these tasty and nutritious juices to accompany a meal, rather than instead of one. 

The only downside of the market is that there is nowhere inside to sit and eat, so you need to munch and stand. Or, take a short walk across to the Thames, with a great view of Canary Wharf and lots of low walls to enjoy your purchases. 

There couldn't be a mention of a riverside market without of course exploring Borough Market, one of London's oldest, busiest and most popular locations, focusing on food. Its buzzing with people, sounds, smells, colours. 

I visited on a Saturday with my other half, and the main benefit of going with someone else or a group is that you can try a greater variety of food, by sharing everything you eat (not sure if I sound greedy or genius). First we went to 'Roast' and sampled a roast pork and apple baguette with the most deliciously crunchy but ever so slightly chewy crackling. 

Then we tried the famous Chorizo, pepper and rocket ciabatta sandwich from Brindisa, a Spanish food supplier. It was pretty spectacular, and one of the best chorizo I have tried. 

One of my close university friends is from Valencia, and introduced me to a fantastic Spanish meat called Salchichon, which is not as well known here as chorizo, or Iberico ham. It should be eaten a lot more as it is so tasty, with a rich peppery taste to the pork, and a slight salty tang reminiscent of Parmesan cheese (could be my weird tastebuds). It taste great eaten on its own as a starter, finely sliced, as is customary in Spain. 

I went against custom and had some in a baguette with lettuce, cucumber and red onion - and it tasted great! 

Both Greenwich and Borough Market are excellent places to go in order to sample some unique, fresh and tasty food and drink, and I really would recommend visiting both of them. And after indulging in food, why not wander down the Thames to the Victoria Embankment, and have a relaxing drink on one of the many Boat Bars, such as the Hispaniola?

And after all that, I am off to the gym every night this week to work off all my sins...  

That'll be 360 hours on the cross trainer and 1500 squats... totally worth it! 

Yaasica Lucia XXX

Sweet Dream, or Beautiful Nightmare?

"Candy is childhood, the best and bright moments you wish could have lasted forever" - Dylan Lauren

Pink is my favourite colour, from the richest fuchsia to the sweetest cotton candy pink. I adore powder blue and often paint my nails the colour of mint choc chip ice cream. This season, one of the key trends for clothing, make up and accessories is pastel. I especially like the pink boyfriend coat trend, and both Eva Mendes and Kim Kardashian look beautifully chic.  

However, on us mere mortals, there is an alarming risk of looking like a rather curvy marshmallow. And while I fully embrace the spring fashion trends, nobody wants to be compared to Mr Blobby. Therefore, I've been looking at ways to embrace pastel, while retaining an element of dignity. 

One of the easiest ways to add pastel elements to your everyday wardrobe is through the use of nail varnish. It's relatively cheap and easy, and if you are unhappy with a look, you can remove it in seconds. Here are a selection of my current favourites... 

- Maybelline Colorshow in Nebline

- Rimmel Lycra Pro in Peppermint (n.b Bottle has been updated)

- Maxfactor Max Effect Mini in Mellow Yellow 29

- Barry M Nail Paint in Berry Ice Cream

- Barry M nail Paint in Blue Moon 

A fun look is to paint each nail a different pastel colour. If you like an ultra matte finish, then Models Own also do a great range of pastel colours. However, these require a couple of coats and I would recommend a clear top coat in order to get the most attractive look. You could try... 

- Model's Own Nail Polish in Ice Cream Sundae

- Model's Own Nail Polish in Blooboo 

Using pastel accessories is another great way of incorporating the season's trend. For example, you could add these socks from Topshop to a cute day dress, or with jeans and high top trainers. They look great with Converse or Nike Air Force 1.  There needs to be some contrast to create a good balance, otherwise you can end up looking like a little girl that's escaped from the playground. I've never been a fan of the little girl Lolita look - and most people that are have never actually read the book, Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov, which left me feeling pretty disturbed after reading it. 

Cute coloured jewellery has also been popping up, both over the high street and in designer shops. I'm a massive fan of Kate Spade, especially as she advocates eating cake for breakfast, and she also has some gorgeous jewellery. 

However, unless its a special occasion, I like to buy jewellery on the high street, as its affordable and interchangeable, and if it gets lost you don't feel quite so bad. I've always been an advocate of costume jewellery (although I never say no to diamonds). Both Forever 21 and Primark are absolutely bossing the pastel jewels trend. Take a look at these that I've picked up in the past few weeks... 

Earrings - Primark. Bracelet - Forever 21. 

Forever 21

Primark

There are lots of great lipsticks out there to add a pop of pastel colour to your face. In the pictures above I'm wearing MAC Cremesheen in Shy Girl. 

Its more of a peachy nude rather than pastel, but when I tried on a bubblegum pink the MAC MUA told me that it washed me out, which can happen to a lot of people. Including poor, poor Jessie J at the Brit Awards, who got it a bit wrong... Oh Jessie... 

Pastel coloured food also has a spring like feel to it, and what city could be better than Paris in the spring? For Valentine's day, I was treated to some delicious macaroons from Ladurée, the luxury French bakery that has a tiny little cafe in Covent Garden. They are literally amazing, and my favourites. However, Paul do some pretty yummy ones too, as do Marks and Spencer. 

The flavours we chose were: Salted Caramel, Chocolate, Praline, Strawberry Marshmallow, Pistachio, Rose and Lemon. If you want to treat yourself to something sweet and decadent, a macaroon is for you. You could also try some meringues from the Meringue Girls based in Hackney, who I reviewed HERE. 

That weekend, we also went for after dinner cocktails at the Ritz Hotel, London (which I can assure you is not my regular watering hole). It was like something from the Great Gatsby, with chandeliers, marble floors and a pianist serenading us as we sipped on our drinks. I resisted taking photos of most of the Ritz... but couldn't resist a cheeky snap in the aptly named 'Powder Room', the poshest bathroom ever, complete with intricate wallpaper and a beautifully upholstered sofa, with Harper's Bazaar, Tatler and Vogue to peruse at your leisure. 

Definitely a sweet, pastel pink dream...

Yaasica Lucia XXX