Thursday 28 May 2015

Netflix rave: Grace and Frankie

I've been searching for something new to watch on Netflix recently and I came across Grace and Frankie, a light-hearted sitcom about two ladies who discover that their husbands are more than just business partners: have been having an affair for 40 years.


With a premise like that I was expecting their to be a lot of hilarity in the first episode at least, but I wondered how they were going to retain my interest after the pilot. As expected there was a lot of awkward situation comedy and outrageous one liners ("If anyone's going to sit on Ryan Gosling's face, it'll be me!" Grace's response to her husband's joke purchase of a Ryan Gosling chair). 


However, I found it rather more endearing than I expected. There were humorous moments to be found in those complicated family scenarios we can all relate to: the way we care so much about those we're closest to whilst we simultaneously can't stand them.


Grace and Frankie are the archetypal example of finding friendship with someone who's completely opposite to you in almost every way: what inevitably draws them closer is a mutual understanding of experiencing a giant loss at the same time in their lives, and finding comfort in dealing with that new loneliness.


It's the kind of show you can watch with your mum (as I did) and see elements of your own family life in the characters on screen. It's just the right mix of ridiculous, funny and deep - just my kind of TV show!
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Wednesday 20 May 2015

Tapas, rabbits, castles and sunshine: Weekend in Inverness

This weekend I traveled up North to Inverness to spend some time with one of my beautiful friends who's just moved up there and I haven't seen in too long!! 




Tapas, wine and catch-ups at La Tortilla Asesina on the first night




So many cute bunnies on the grounds of Inverness castle!


The stunning River Ness in the sunshine


St. Andrew's Cathedral: which doesn't look unlike a certain Notre Dame in Paris!





So Coco for some amazing hot chocolates and macroons - if you're ever in Inverness you have to check this place out!


Making new friends - the Penguins of Madagascar are my favourite! (This shop sold EVERYTHING)



Tractor fun



Exploring the Castle and admiring the amazing views 



Flora Macdonald: the unsung Jacobite heroine


Inverness is such a beautiful place: even though you're in the heart of a city you still always feel so close to nature and the Highlands are just a stone's throw away. So peaceful here.


 Our Sunday night consisted of pizza, cider, Netflix and face masks!

Had such a lovely and chilled time with Keara in Inverness. Hopefully I can visit again soon :)

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Chorizo hot pots and chocolate fudge

My recent endeavors in the kitchen! The first is inspired by the amazing Rachel Khoo, who not only makes wonderful food but is one of my inspirations in life for her style, her drive and ambition, her love of travel and culture and general cuteness!

Rachel Khoo's spicy lentil and chorizo hot pots

These lentil and chorizo hotpots are absolutely delicious, hearty and healthy and SO easy to make. Ideal for a Sunday night and there's enough left over for lunch on Monday!


Begin with a handful of carrots, spring onion and half a chorizo sausage. You will also need 200g of red lentils, vegetable or chicken stock, a tin of cherry tomatoes and chilli and paprika to season.

Roughly chop the chorizo and add to a pan to cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes, until it starts to release its natural fats and oils. In the meantime, cut up the carrots and the white parts of the spring onion, then add these to the pan.

Add the lentils, a spoonful of paprika and of chilli powder (or fresh chilli if you prefer).

Stir in the cherry tomatoes and stock (1 tinful) then leave to simmer on a medium heat for about 10 minutes.

SO, so easy! Garnish with a spoonful of greek yoghurt and the leftover parts of the spring onion.

View the full recipe here and check out Rachel's YouTube channel for more inspiration!

Super easy chocolate fudge

I made this recently for a charity bake sale in work and it honestly could not be easier! It's actually a 'Kirsty-proof' baking recipe which is saying a lot, and it tastes SO good! (I had a lot of positive feedback.) 



These are great for a bake sale since they're so easy, cheap and quick to make. I had my friend helping me and we packaged them up in little bags to make them look even cuter! Here's the recipe:

You will need three bars (around 450g) of dark chocolate, a tin of condensed milk, and that's it for the ingredients! 

Break up the chocolate and add it to a bowl with the condensed milk. Microwave on full power, stopping to stir now and then, until the whole mixture is melted together.

Add to a shallow baking tin lined with foil, and leave to refrigerate for about 2 hours.

Remove, cut into squares (or cute shapes!) add to bags and decorate as you please! 




Easiest. Fudge. Ever.




Serve with wine (optional)

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Sunday 10 May 2015

Loch Lomond fun

Yesterday I visited Loch Lomond Shores, to catch up with my friend and have some fun in the sun! There was ice cream and dodgem driving involved...



















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Friday 8 May 2015

Dinosaurs, pandas, butterflies and pigs

My weekend was full of variety of the natural world, so it would seem.


On Saturday I visited the exhibition at Kelvingrove Art Galleries: Hatching the Past: Dinosaur Eggs and Babies.

It was a lot of fun! I love dinosaurs and I found it fascinating and mind blowing to learn about the some of the amazing fossilized eggs that have been discovered.




There was also a chance to be a big kid and play around in the sand pretending to be an archaeologist, or a paleontologist looking through the microscope. And their were real life moving dinos!

For kids (of all ages) this is a great exhibition and I'd thoroughly recommend it. Entry is £5.

I was off work on bank holiday Monday, so I took a little trip to the South Side with some friends. We went for brunch at The Butterfly and the Pig, which was lovely.


 
The place is full of character, lots of nooks and crannies, big comfy sofas which make you feel like you're in your granny's front room, sheet music wallpaper, bric-a-brac and oddities all around. And the food didn't disappoint either - their all day breakfast menu is expansive! Big recommend for this one.



Since the weather was nice on Monday we decided to go for a walk around Queen's Park. We went to the glasshouse and found a chinchilla, some parrots and lizards. And a giant panda!

I hope everyone enjoyed the long weekend - I'm excited that Summer is nearly here!
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Sunday 3 May 2015

Lip loves




Above: left to right: 1. Bourjois Rouge Edition Aqua Laque in 08 Babe Idole, 2. MUA Luxe Whipped Velvet, 3. KIKO lipstick in 606, 4. Miss PUPA lips in Rossetto



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