MeetMyPomegranatePerfection

'Tis the season! The Season for festivities, the Season for treats, the Season for baking! Being ill with flu & a viral throat infection (it really is as bad as it sounds) for the past week now, I have felt totally unproductive, stuck in the house, drinking my body weight in lemon, ginger & honey tea & trying my best to recover for Christmas! Good news though, the rest is starting to pay off & today I have actually felt up to baking. Having trouble sleeping through a blocked nose & sore throat means early mornings, warm breakfasts & on this occasion brownie treats (for elevenses)!

Pomegranate & Pecan Dark Chocolate Brownies

Most fruit flavours this time of the year revolve around cranberry or spiced apple, so I wanted to shake things up a bit & experiment with a new festive fruit, the pomegranate. It has such a festive appearance, the little jewels of juice praising every surface they touch, exploding in a burst of flavour which is perfect when combined with chocolate...well let's face it, what fruit does not go with chocolate?

I used a brownie recipe which I adapted to make way for the pomegranate & reduced the quantities to produce a small batch (as it was the first time I've tried baking directly with this fruit & wanted to create room for future improvement). Of course, the quantities/timings can be increased depending on your needs (or wants).

By reducing the quantities, I also had some left-over pomegranate so I decided to create something for later (not for breakfast, don't worry!) & infuse some gin I had left lurking in the back of the cupboard. Infused spirits always look so pretty & are perfect for presents, so I thought I'd pop some pomegranate in a spare jar with the gin & leave to infuse for a few weeks (just in time for Christmas)...it really is that simple!

Our mini Christmas tree decorated with silver baubles, penguins & a flying pig! Surround your tree with festive candles, pomegranate infused gin & bottles filled with candy goodies to get you in the mood for giving!

...Ingredients...

60g unsalted butter

60g dark chocolate (I used extremely dark 81%, but 70% would be good!)

60g caster sugar

1 pinch sea salt

1 pinch ground cinnamon

30g plain flour

1 egg

...Recipe...

Preheat the oven to 190C.

Melt the butter in a pan over a low heat.

Once melted, stir in the chocolate until smooth.

Add the sugar, salt & cinnamon & stir until melted.

Gradually add the flour, stirring to combine.

Beat the egg in bit-by-bit until fully combined.

Pour into tin lined with baking parchment.

Bake for 20 mins.

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MeetMyWinterHatEdit

Welcome to the season of...hats! I had added 2 new hats to my winter wardrobe this season, but as you will see, they couldn't be more different!

White knitted bobble hat - Jacqueline Headlam (Bought from Country Living's Christmas Fair)

Vintage Red Wool Coat - Vintage, Manchester

Vintage White on Black polkadot dropped hem dress - COW Vintage

Grey Cashmere Cardigan - Gap

I initially mentioned Jacqueline Headlam's creations a few posts ago in my Festive Trip to Harrogate, but just take a moment to appreciate this hat. Wow. As I mentioned before, I had been searching for the perfect pure white hat to add to my winter wardrobe & boy did I find it! After searching high & low, & browsing through piles of tatty pom-poms, I knew I was searching for something different, something special, something that I can keep for years to come. So handmade was the only way to go! With a removable pom-pom, the hat can be hand-washed to keep that bright white feeling & a smile on my face through the cold!

Knitted Penguin Bobble Hat - TU at Sainsbury's

Passing through our local Sainsbury's this adorable hat immediately tickled my Penguin senses, as I think you can tell by the ecstatic smile on my face! Although I resisted (as I may or may not already have a Penguin hat!) my Man gave in & surprised me with it a few days later! Looks rather cute with a simple monochrome outfit with a pop of festive colour. I have also spotted these pyjamas & these mittens, also from trusty Sainsbury's, which I might have to add to my collection soon!

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MeetMyGreatBritishThanksgiving

Yes, you may have (definitely) heard of The Great British Bake Off (or GBBO as we like to call it!), but have you heard of The Great British Thanksgiving? No, I didn't think so... But I think this could catch on! Is it just me or are we adopting alot more American traditions. As I mentioned in my last post, I don't think this is a bad thing as any excuse to celebrate & I'm there, but why don't we alter the traditions just a little bit to make them more our own. This is when I came up with the idea for a Thanksgiving Tea Party, combining all the best festivities by inviting the girls over for some pecan pies & cranberry gin fizz cocktails...

Granted, I did put this spread together relatively quickly, as the majority of my attention was on the puffy pecan pies in the oven (taken from this recipe), but the evening turned out a treat. Anyone who has ever made pecan pies will know that they rise to an amazing height before cooling & settling down for the night into their pastry shells...I just wish I could have caught that on camera! The smoked salmon & cream cheese bagels also unfortunately skipped the photos as they were just too tasty & toasted not to devour straight away! These, along with the pecan pies & the cocktails were the centrepieces of the evening, surrounded by snacks such as pickled onions, cherry tomatoes, cheese straws & red grapes to pad out the tea party. I wanted to create a cocktail which complemented these flavours, providing a festive sparkle without being too sweet...

Cranberry Gin Fizz Cocktail

Per Glass...

Double shot of gin (I used Gordan's)

Half a glass of cranberry juice

Half a glass of tonic water

A slice of lime

...& it's as simple as stirring it all together!

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MeetOurLateBrunch

As I mentioned a few posts ago, brunch is currently the latest foodie trend. However, according to my man it isn't even a "real meal", although he was quick to jump at the chance when it was my treat! It is rare we get a day off together, so we filled our bellies with brunch & managed to just catch the last bit of December sunshine shining against the Church...

Grey Cable-Knit jumper *latest buy* - Needle Boutique

Gold & Pearl earrings - Miss Selfridge (Sale)

Wet-look jeans - River Island

Burgundy & Gold Vintage Croc Handbag - My Vintage World (Thirsk, North Yorkshire)

Black Leather Chelsea Boots - Limited Edition New Look

My last post documented my trip to Harrogate to Country Living's Christmas Fair, where I bought many Christmas presents, got in the festive spirit & also picked up a few irresistible pieces for myself! This luxurious wool-blend grey cable knit jumper is one of them. Knocked down from £130 to £50, once I had it on I knew it wasn't coming off. And anyway, I haven't even bought a jumper for this season yet, so I needed this one! Designed in the UK & produced in Italy, the yarns used are the finest, & you can really feel the difference. I love supporting Young British Designers (particularly because I am one of them & I know the support is greatly appreciated!) as well as you know the products are something new & exciting, ready to break out into the big wide world!

Leather Jacket - H&M

Burgundy button-down t-shirt - Topman

Tan leather belt *Latest Buy* - Topman

Blue Jeans - Topman

Brown Suede Chelsea Boots - Kurt Geiger

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MeetMyFestivities

Happy December to you all! The last month of the year is finally here & even though it is full of memories from the past 11 months, now is the time to get in the Christmas spirit! A few months ago I spotted a Christmas stocking competition which Country Living Magazine was running. I was apprehensive as (in my eyes) it was too early to start making stockings, but I had a brain wave & I just couldn't resist. Little did I know that my entry would be good enough to go on tour with the Country Living team, being displayed at their 3 nationwide Christmas Fairs! I took a day trip to Harrogate to see my little penguin, get festive & stock up on some Christmas presents!

Even though my little penguin didn't quite make it to the top spot, (he was up against some tough competition, but you can see him in the bottom left hand corner) he was highly commended so I'm very happy with that! The fair was full of goodies, from exquisite home wares to decorate your houses from top to bottom, to foodie treats & homemade gifts...

When I reached this colourful stall full of fluffy hats & ponyhair clutches, I couldn't resist taking a closer look. I have been searching for the perfect pure white bobble hat for this winter, but was struggling with my search, until... 

Jacqueline Headlam's team of 2 hand makes all the vibrant products so beautifully that once I put my perfect hat on I just couldn't take it off. Keep an eye on an upcoming post to see my latest buy in all its glory...

And no trip to Harrogate is complete without a visit to Betty's Tearooms! Even if the queue of tourists is out the door & round the corner, just squeeze past into their quaint little tearoom shop where you can buy fresh bakes, aromatic teas & delicious preserves...

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MeetMyBlackFridayBrunch

Happy Black Friday everyone! Although across the pond, American traditions have seemed to travel this year in particular. Maybe it's just me getting older & more aware, or maybe it's just an excuse for sales & therefore lots of shopping... Either way I'm not complaining as I think it is great to celebrate worldwide traditions, especially with festive food & drink! On Wednesday evening I had the girls over for a Thanksgiving tea party, where we (rather stereotypically I'm afraid to say) stuffed ourselves with bagels & pecan pie. More to come on that soon though, because today's post is all about the Big B word.

Breakfast is by far my favourite meal of the day, it wakes you up, powers you up & prepares you for the day ahead. However a new Big B is in town. Brunch is the new big thing. Formerly known as a late (lazy) breakfast, brunch is best enjoyed after a nice snooze in bed. After having my fill of bacon & egg sandwiches over the years (let alone this week) I have decided to experiment with different, healthier versions of the must loved late-morning brunch. Bananas are my breakfast fruit of choice, with one almost always gracing the top of my porridge or toast. I wanted to create a warm brunch from what I had in the house, after all who wants to venture out into the elements when they have just peeled themselves out of bed? If you have the basics (bread, butter, milk, egg) you can really create this cross between bread & butter pudding & french toast with any flavours you wish. This morning however was Mr Banana's day to shine...

Banana Bread & Butter Brunch

Serves 2 (multiply ingredients to feed more mouths!)

100ml milk

1 egg

4 slices of bread (I used seeded for the extra energy)

Handful of sultanas

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp sugar (I used soft brown sugar)

1 tsp cinnamon (nutmeg could also be used)

A few drops of vanilla extract

Spread the butter over the bread & cut slices into 4 small triangles

Lay one layer of the bread in the ovenproof dish (you could use 2 small dishes like me or 1 large one)

Sprinkle with sultanas, cinnamon, banana slices & sugar

Top with another layer of bread

Beat egg, milk & vanilla extract together

Pour into dish & leave to soak for 30 minutes (whilst you get ready for the day & make a cup of tea!)

Bake at 180 for approx 25 mins

Grab a fork & enjoy!

What's your favourite brunch recipe?

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