Dish of the day: Gnocchi with peas and pancetta

My signature dish (which The Boy was lucky enough to have for dinner on Saturday night) is Gnocchi with peas and pancetta. Doesn't sound that exciting I know and yes, currently the gnocchi I use comes from a packet (hey, life's too short) but it tastes like a little piece of heaven, especially when accompanied by a glass of white wine and the knowledge that tomorrow is Sunday and you don't have to get up for work in the morning. I usually top with fresh basil leaves as it adds a certain "something" but I'm pretty sure any herb will do.


Ingredients:
70g cubed pancetta or two rashers of bacon
A handful of frozen peas
300g of gnocchi
2-3tbsp of cream
2tbsp of grated Parmesan
1tbsp of olive oil

Bring a large pan of lightly salted water to the boil. Meanwhile, heat a drizzle of olive oil in a frying pan and add 70g of cubed pancetta or two rashers of bacon (chopped). Cook for about 3 minutes, add a handful of frozen peas (I use quite a lot, it doesn't detract from the taste) and continue to cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes, or until the peas start to soften.

Add about 300g of gnocchi to the boiling water and cook following the packet instructions (generally cook until the gnocchi floats to the surface).

Drain well and add to the frying pan along with 2-3tbsp of cream (I use elmlea single cream) and 2tbsp of grated Parmesan.

Stir lightly and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve with extra grated Parmesan and basil leaves if desired.


Gnocchi with peas and pancetta: DONE

The No Shopping Pledge: the rules

So, after a particularly horrifying evening of checking my bank balance and updating my budget 2012 spreadsheet it has become abundantly clear how hideously poor I actually am and what a terrifying amount I spend on what is essentially meaningless crap. This week for example, one lunchtime I returned from Boots having spent more than £25 when all I went in for was shampoo; something has to change. This has led me to come to a somewhat momentous decision: I shall not make ANY unnecessary purchases between now and Easter. There, I've said it, and I suppose because I've said it on here there's no going back. There will of course be some rules (I can't go cold turkey, no shopping at all would probably kill me):

Rule 1. I am not to make any unnecessary purchases, i.e.; popping to the shops for some retail therapy on my lunch break and coming back with a skirt, a top and a coat when all I went out for was a secret Santa gift. Basically, the high street is off limits.

Rule 2. Necessary purchases are allowed, i.e.; if I run out of shampoo I am allowed to buy more, but I am not to come back with shampoo, a new hairbrush, foundation and various colours of nail varnish. I am not to get sucked in by any deals or offers, foolishly thinking that by spending money I am actually saving money.

Rule 3. If I am at a carboot sale, sample sale or in a charity shop and see something I can justify buying then I am allowed to make a purchase, as long as the price is reasonable. The Boy will have final say on if I'm allowed said item, but basically this is my get out clause. This will hopefully stop me from feeling like I'm missing out and should encourage me to be a bit more creative with my look.

The reasons for doing this are numerous but one being that The Boy and I would like to buy our own place (preferably before we're sixty) and want to add as many additional funds to the house deposit pot this year as possible. In addition we're going to New York in the autumn and, let's face it, why would I buy clothes here when I could buy clothes there?

Expect updates on how I'm getting on with the No Shopping pledge in the weeks to come (lord help me).

New Years resolutions (simplified)

In a recent post I went over some of my greater ambitions not only for 2012 but for life in general, this post will be a little different.

A few years ago I had a feeling that my life was headed in the same mundane destination, day in, day out, always the same, which led me to make a drastic decision. For the following year I would live my life in a more adventurous way, namely if I didn't want to do anything or if something scared me I should, in the words of Nike, just do it. This decision changed my life. Not only was 2010 the year I met The Boy, with our first date being on a canoe (believe me, the Shallow Hal connotations alone were almost enough to make me scrap my new way of living and run for the hills) but it was also the year that was to be the hardest period of studying of my life. Within two weeks of new years day I would leave my job and embark on what would become my life's work, my Masters. To cut a long story short, living with a greater abandon than ever before allowed me to make choices I'd never even considered, which turned out to be some of the greatest decisions of my life.

I plan to live by a similar mantra for 2012, whilst hopefully crossing a few things off my to-do list:

1. Learn to bake bread, successfully and without the use of a bread maker.
2. Use my Holga camera (which I've had since 2009 and it still hasn't been out of the box).
3. Finish my Christmas cross stitch sampler before it's Christmas again.
4. Cook my first ever roast dinner (this fills me with fear just typing the words).
5. Go swimming at the Serpentine Lido.

6. Visit the Isle of Wight again.

7. Change internet providers at the earliest opportunity (Virgin just can’t cut it).

8. Shop less, save more.

9. Buy and use a shredder to deal with paperwork (boring I know).

10. Make a £1,000 on ebay.

Looks I'm loving

This weeks style crush is Anouska Proetta Brandon, a 21year-old blogger from Dublin. Anouska’s ensembles seem to follow some of my other recent faves by featuring a lot of studs, layering, leather and faux fur (who doesn’t love a bit of faux fur?). In addition, Anouska was voted Irelands most influential model for 2011, and, more importantly, she worked for Hollister which OBVIOUSLY means she’s one of the “beautiful people”.

The January sales have seen many an addition to my own wardrobe and I feel 100% ready to rock some new outfits at Hobbs HQ this spring, but unfortunately for my wallet Anouska has also got me started on VJ Style, a fantastic website for girls on a budget, so there may even be some more purchases to come before the full-on tightening of the purse-strings kicks in. This amazing jumper for a start.

Find out more about Anouska and her musings on life in general here, on her fabulous blog:

http://www.anouskaproettabrandon.com/

Food for thought

So, today is the day the non-new-years-resolution diet starts, and when I say starts I should really say returns, as I am usually pretty healthy and don’t allow too many bad foods in the house (if they aren’t here then they can’t hurt me). However, the days between Christmas and New Year have taken a dire toll on my waistline, especially with Mother sending us back to London with a hamper full of cheese (my own personal downfall) and cake (ditto). As the year ahead is already packed with events at which I’ll need to look my best in a dress, before we even mention swimwear; it’s time for me to take some action.

My good friend Zsa Zsa of The Life Wardrobe has suggested we challenge ourselves to lose 16lbs in 16 weeks and I think this is a reasonably doable task, provided the biscuits and cakes at Hobbs HQ are kept well away from the branch merchandising area (fat chance) This being said, there still seems to be rather a lot of food in the L&F household and, as we don’t like waste, today saw myself and The Boy busying ourselves with the task of concocting healthy meals for the freezer out of the items left from the festive period. Lunch was a steak and goats cheese salad (not the most healthiest of meals I know but we are in a non-wasting mood and as the goats cheese was looking for a home – I welcomed it with open, bingo winged arms). Dinner will be Weight Watchers vegetarian curry, a staple meal in the L&F household, mainly because it uses up pretty much any leftover veg and is point-free (for anyone not used to WW terminology, point-free is basically the holy grail of Weight Watchers meals, i.e.: eat as much as you like). This afternoon also saw me use my bread maker for the first time, which is a hobby I could really see myself getting into in 2012. Admittedly my first attempt did come from a bread mix (Broomers, if you’re reading this I know you will be shocked and appalled at this admission, therefore any time you want to come over and give me a lesson in baking you’re more than welcome) but it was still pretty successful and fun all the same. I also found time to set up a food survival pack to take to work with me tomorrow, as even though I’m sure the whole office will be on a January detox, there’s bound to be temptation everywhere, namely homemade Tiffin from Sophie’s Mother, (which is bound to go straight to my thighs).

Looks I'm loving

The start of the new year being just around the corner coupled with festive overindulgence has made me even more determined to lose another stone in 2012. I want to be toned and healthy, and if possible achieve the unthinkable, get legs as toned as Snooki’s (apologies to those of you who can’t believe I’m saying this, frankly I can’t believe I’m saying this either but hell, if that little meatball can do it so can I). Speaking of toned legs, I give you Jennifer Grace, 25 years old and from California. Her posts on Lookbook remind me a lot of how some of the London girls dress (and how I’d like to dress), casual but with a fashionable/grunge edge, but with that unmistakable California girl style.

New Year, New Start

So, Christmas has been and gone and it's time to start turning our attention to 2012 and what the year ahead has in store. This Christmas The Boy and I seemed to receive more than our fair share of presents and I fear on our return to the flat we will struggle slightly for space. No need to worry though, additional clutter will only spur me on with the spring cleaning. For some reason I spend pretty much the last four months of the year obsessing over creating the perfect Christmas that by the time it gets to boxing day I'm ready to take down the decorations and make a fresh start. This year I have big plans, not only for a general clear up of our living space but life in general:

1. Making my bulging wardrobe work for me - I love fashion, which can be seen by the sheer volume of garments, accessories and footwear in almost every accessible area of the flat. Yet I still seem to find that without careful consideration the night before, 6.30am will often see me staring vacantly into the wardrobe uttering the immortal words "I have nothing to wear". The invention of blogging has given me endless inspiration for putting together ensembles yet I often end up reaching for the same old tried and tested outfits. In 2012 I want this all to change. I want to spend less on frivolous fast fashion and make the clothes I have work harder for me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting some sort of ridiculous ban on shopping for a year but do expect me to be reworking some old ensembles rather than heading straight to the high street - expect photographic evidence of my attempts to become more of a fashionista in the new year!

2. Get back to crafting - those who read this blog regularly will know that I get inspiration from a variety of places in addition to the world of fashion. I love to draw, knit, sew, paint and just generally craft, these are things that thanks to the nurturing of my mother, I've done all my life, yet seem to have little time for these days. So, with a new sketchbook and endless half started projects in my craft box, 2012 will be the year that I get back to doing some of the things that I truly love to do.

3. Learn to say No - 2011 has been a busy year for The Boy and I with a seemingly endless array of events and obligations taking up the time we should be spending together. Sure, I love celebrating special events in the lives of both our friends and families, but when you get that sinking feeling before you leave to go somewhere with your head basically telling you that you'd be better off staying on the sofa; something isn't right. Sometimes I know it's just me, but ultimately I just want to consider what I do with my free time, and who I spend it with.

4. Choose my friends wisely - a friend is someone who is there for you, no matter what. Who you can go for months or even years without seeing and when you meet up everything is the same. Truly great friends can even be people who you speak to only online, who you knew in the past but have reconnected with over a shared passion. Friends take you as you are, understand and are non-judgemental. Who, when you say you can't afford to do something, actually listen and offer up other solutions. I went for years feeling that I wasn't good enough for certain people, now I see that ultimately they weren't good enough for me, and I now choose my friends wisely. I have learnt over time that it is important to be selective of the people you choose to have in your life as some will simply take and give nothing in return. In 2012 I want to spend more time with the people who make me happy, you know who you are.

5. Save vs. Spend - the end of 2011 has seen vast amounts of cash disappear from my bank account (I like to give) meaning I will need to be frugal as we enter 2012. Equally, 2011 saw the beginnings of a house deposit being squirrelled away here and there and 2012 will be the year in which this grows, by as many methods possible. The L&F eBay shop should be back up and running within the week (watch this space) and spring looks set to be car boot central as I head down south to get rid of the last of my old junk at the family home and help raise a bit of extra cash. Already the queen on the coupon I will be using as many as possible to full effect in the new year to help with the budget in the L&F household for the many weddings and holidays we already have in the diary.

Ultimately, I want to spend 2012 living healthily and happily, surrounded by the ones I love – all the best to all of you for a wonderful fashion filled 2012!