Il dolce far niente

...the sweetness of doing nothing.

That's how I sugar my tea, by doing sweet nothing whilst I sip.

On a rainy Sunday such as this there really was only one thing to do; sweet nothing but stay cosy indoors and bake! So here's my afternoon cuppa with my freshly baked (still warm) peanut butter biccies.

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1503655/peanut-butter-cookies
For the recipe

I wish I was....

Claridges.

Today has been so rainy and miserable and generally just a little bit mid week so I've been having a think about places I would like to be.

a. under the duvet with a mug of tea & a good film

b. somewhere sunny with a coffee on a pavement cafe watching a promenade of pretty people

c. Claridges. With afternoon tea and some good friends.

So I trawled through my photos and found a little joyful clotted cream Claridges pic to help get me through the rainy day.

Hands up if you'd rather be here too...

caffine buzz

http://www.londoncoffeefestival.com/

Last week I attempted to recreate my Mum's Coffee cake which I loved as a kid. Not a bad replica although I forgot the Walnuts (to my brother's delight). Very tasty.  You can't beat a great coffee cake.

Hit the road...

 First coffee of the Great British Easter hols road trip: planning the route at Vintage Pretty, East Dulwich.

Great Freshly made juices here from the juice bar next door. The kind of place you could while away a good few hours with the right company.

 Brighton Rocks: First stop.

Cocktails at Bohemia. Nice vibe but a little OTT on the gimmicky cocktails. Good fun but there was better in store........(watch this space) 

Sorry Brighton, but the cocktails at Christchurch knocked spots off the Brighton Rock! (note: cocktails at Jamie's Italian in Brighton were the exception: amazingly fresh and zingy aperitifs pre yummy food)

Can't compliment James (our mixologist at The Kings) enough for his bespoke cocktails for me and the chap pre and post dinner. My English Garden Earl Grey Gin cocktail was just scrumptious. have to thank James for jotting down the recipe for the Rum Cocktail he mixed for the chap too. Rum never tasted so good!!

http://www.thekings-christchurch.co.uk/

That's all for now peeps. Easter hols nearly over and I'm sat updating the blog with a cup of tea and a hot cross bun on the sofa. Easter eggs all gone and the rain has set in. :-(   Might have to crack out the egg cup and get the boileys on just to prolong the chilled out Easter vibe...



The streets were paved with coffee

As I sit on the not so speedy train to London I've been reading this rather interesting article about the past of London's coffee houses. A far cry from today's Starbucks or Pret where very few strangers will share a glance across a cup of flat white, let alone ask the opinion of another customer.
Anyone wishing to share their favourite independent coffee shop in London for me to sample this weekend?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/uk/london/9153317/London-cafes-the-surprising-history-of-Londons-lost-coffeehouses.html

get cosy

...and whilst yesterday's post was dedicated to teapots, today is all about the cosy.

Teapot tragedy.

I've just read in the Sunday Times (better late than never) that tea pot sales are down 40%. Sacrilege! How are people brewing a good cuppa without them?

little doodles

just a few adorable little cup and cutlery inspired doodles by my new favourite illustrator who I discovered today,

who knew what a demitasse was?

you can find more of little doodles work here http://little-doodles.blogspot.co.uk/

Yoga bunny buzz

It's the simple things in life that make my day fizz & the highlight of today's beverages has to be my favourite pret yoga bunny detox squeezed in amongst copious cups of tea. Mini yey upon discovering this little bunny nestled at the back of the fridge to accompany my return to work on a Monday morning.

Nanna's kitchen

I love this place. Good home made grub and cosy drinks in the little retro cafe of this huge vintage haven. Enough said.

 http://www.mostmarvellous.com/website.asp

Franklins my dear...

Following a few too many g&t's on an empty stomach last night a decent brunch was called for. Franklins on Lordship lane in East Dulwich was just the job. Damn fine coffee, free range eggs, roasted cherry tomatoes, beautiful home made bubbles (and squeak) were the main feature of my veggie breakfast. The scrambled eggs on toast have made it into my chap's top 3 breakfasts of all time and his double hit of Americano's were also apparently worthy of mention. My only disappointment was that the freshly squeezed blood orange juice didn't materialise. Other than that...I'll definately be back!

Thursday tea break

You know when you just get the urge to bake? Last night I got in from the post work chai break and saw a lonely little carrot in the fridge that was just calling out to be turned into the muffins that I'd spied on Pinterest earlier in the day. So I obliged, and these scummy apple & carrot pistachio honey topped muffins were born.

See link below for recipe, I halved it and missed out the walnuts. I also freestyles the topping by just mixing honey, chopped pistachios & porridge oats & whacking it on the muffins before baking. Very tasty.

http://theyumyumfactor.blogspot.com/2012/02/carrot-apple-and-walnut-muffins.html

Out with the old, in with the new

So I've just popped into my local post work Starbucks with the latest copy of Grazia & a new peachy pink Stila lipgloss purchase (tkmaxx; bargainous!) & had my usual tall extra hot chai served me in a new style mug. Shocker! Off white, minimal, embossed logo and elegant curve. Does this symbolise the oncoming of spring & a frothy new month awaiting us or am I being over symbolic after a day of creativity inspired by the leap year's 'do something different' momentum. Probably. Anyway I've posted my chai in it's new mug here along with my March photo challenge (discovered courtesy of Pinterest) and if I'm feeling brave you may even get a snapshot of my little illustrations from today's lunchtime illustration interlude... Now back to Grazia & the nearly cold chai.

wish list....

http://londonist.com/2010/05/london_blend_scootercaffe.php

http://londonist.com/2010/11/london_blend_london_review_cake_sho.php

http://www.thebreakfastclubcafes.com/

for the tea fuelled next trip to the big city.

a tea cup of vintage

 This weekend I hopped on the train to London and travelled back in time to the 1920s. After much champagne celebrating the arrival of my brand shiny new baby niece I headed off to the big city and began my preparations for an evening of splendid revelry 20's style.

The preparations for vintage glamour began with an indulgent pamper session at the idyllic retro bliss that is The Powderpuff Girls salon on Columbia Rd http://www.thepowderpuffgirls.com/

Must do again. Vintage pamper heaven on a Saturday afternoon. Simply Spiffing.

Once I was suitably coiffured and beautified 20's style I caught up with local friends at Jones Dairy on Ezra Street. Apparently famous for appearing in the Hovis advert, this lovely little gem serves tea, cake and other tasty joys at wooden tables in an old style kitchen parlour. A warm welcome and a deliciously rustic piece of carrot cake ensured there was no crying over spilt milk or smudged lippy in the Diary (empty tea cup above as proof of a good time had by all)

 Saturday night 20's style and the tea cups were less tea-total thanks to the potent 'Gatsby' cocktails at the Prohibition night at the Old Vic Tunnels near Waterloo.

 http://www.prohibition1920s.com/

I would tell you how and where to find a Gadsby but that information remains strictly prohibited. Shhhhhhhhhhhhh.

 Sunday morning was spent in less glamorous style at a pavement cafe in Spittalfields sporting shades in the early spring sunshine and indulging in the obligatory latte and scramled eggs, no pics here as the latte was considerably disappointing and the cafe earned a definite 'could do better' on the report card. Next time I'm in the area I shall be heading to the destination that boasts some of the most enticing signage I've seen in a while (above), The Breakfast Club, to see if they live up to the reputation that my cool kid east London friend has been singing of lately. 

This weekend's retro beverage fest can't end without a tipping of the hat to the creator of these little beauty chocolate brownies who accompanied me on my train journey home nestled cosily in their little tart tin and washed down with a drop of earl grey on the wobbly slow train home.

10/10 for taste and effort for these stunners....sadly not available for purchase. All mine!

OXOXOXOXO

Cocktails at the top of the Oxo Tower

Views & Booze

Just do it.

You won't be dissappointed.

http://www.harveynichols.com/oxo-tower-london

Brick Box of Brixton

I've blogged about the lovely Brixton Village indoor market before but it definately deserves another big up, this time for Brick Box.

Their crepes came highly recommended by a friend and they do not dissappoint. 

The 'Morning Glory' certainly lived up to it's name. Their service and drinks are fab too, perfectly non fussy and great quality. Love this little gem of a market in Brixton and will definately be featuring it again....watch this spot.  

sugar fix

Check out my mallow-tastic hot choc from my overly generous hairdressers.

Anyone else get complimentary drinks at the salon?

I want to know what I have to do to get into the wine-gang....

in the meantime I'm not complaining about the overkill of mallows whilst my split ends get snipped.

mmmmmmmmmmmmmm



Party like it's 2011

Ahhhh, it's been a little while since I visited. What with Christmas and all that jazz I somewhat neglected my little blog. But fear not I have not neglected my tour of the UK with a tea cup.

As I sit typing I have a lovely brewed cup of loose tea beside me but it doesn't quite match my final cuppa of 2011 sipped in the Boston Tea Party, Bath.

Breakfast on 31st Dec 2011 consisted of a cuppa and a toasted bagel spread with jam at this little gem of a tea shop before indulging in some spa therapy at the Bath Thermae Spa. (The rooftop pool is amazing!) Although we were aiming for a quick pre spa brekkie the Tea Party wouldn't allow...(rightly so) Somewhat fretting about getting into the spa at a decent hour my companion went to investigate what was taking so long with our 'tea to go' whilst I was reading the papers nestled up a corner in the seating area (being early or on time at weekends is not really my thing). Turns out they brew your cuppa in tiny individual ceramic pots and set a timer for when they should poor. The gent who served us was so chuffed that he had poured the tea bang on when the timer went off, and then indulged me in a little light chit chat (my favourite quality in a waiter/barrista) whilst pouring. Perfect. After all this attention to my tea I decided I had to do it justice by staying put to enjoy breakfast and read the papers before nipping round the corner to the spa, fortunately my breakfast companion decided it wasn't worth hassling me to get a wriggle on and chilled his boots whilst sharing the bagel and papers.

Anyways, turns out there are tea party's all over the west country so I heartily recommend stopping by for a little party in your cup if you are in Bath or Bristol area.   

More to come soon of my beverage adventures in 2012....

http://www.bostonteaparty.co.uk/