A slice of New York in London

Continuing with catching up on some of my activities during the festive season before we are in February. Lots of you commented on my obvious lack of New York adventure this year, and yes for the first time in a few years the annual trip to the Big Apple didn’t happen.  Rest assured I am already planning a return trip for 2017 along with a huge adventure on a boat!

To compensate for not going, I planned a New York inspired day in London with a friend on a day off in early December. My friend hasn’t been to New York and will be coming with me this year so this gave them a feel of what it would be like.

A perfect relaxed day in New York for me looks like the following:

Pancakes for Breakfast, a little Shopping and taking in the Christmas sights, a Walk through Central Park, Ice Skating, Cupcakes and Coffee and then a great Burger for eats.

So with a bit of a NY bucket list planned we started the day in Jackson & Rye – a cool eatery in Soho offering home cooked American style food, with pancakes on the menu for breakfast this was the perfect place to start. With an indulgent breakfast to walk off we headed along Piccadilly with a stop off at Fortnum’s to admire the Christmas décor and then a foray along Bond Street and a trip to Tiffany’s. Everywhere was beautifully decorated for Christmas – both Fortnum & Mason & Tiffany’s looked stunningly elegant.

Blessed with a beautiful crisp winter day we headed past The Ritz into Green Park and headed down to St James Park. This is my favourite park in the city and I was delighted to see so many of the parks legendary pelicans had left their island in the middle of the lake and were happily waddling around the grounds. We spent some time in park just enjoying the views and wildlife before we headed out past Buckingham Palace and into the side streets of Belgravia. Elegant wreaths festooned the doors of some of the townhouses along with a beautiful display at The Goring hotel. (added to 2017 bucket list for birthday afternoon tea)

When in Belgravia the only place to stop for coffee and cake is the gorgeous Peggy Porschen Parlour – beautifully decorated in her signature pastels, complete with Gingerbread castles, Cookie’s and Meringue kisses drip cakes – an instagrammers dream.

I can’t recommend this little slice of cupcake heaven enough – always a favourite treat.

Rested and fed we continued our travels through Belgravia towards the Kings Road where we walked and talked and took in the sights. What I loved about this area was the number of Christmas tree vendors that had taken up residency on street corners – not in the abundance of New York but certainly creating that feel and sight that you see everywhere there. After a peruse in Anthropologie and a quick stop by The Ivy Chelsea Garden to admire the stunning decorations ( again a Instagram favourite) we then headed to our final destination of the day – The Natural History Museum for a spot of ice-skating, followed by a great Burger at @Honest burgers.(worth the queue). Loved the rink at The Natural History museum – this was my first time to this rink and it had the feel similar to that of the one in Bryant Park.

Having clocked up 11k walk on the Fitbit and feeling a little weary it was time to head home and a relax on the sofa with a christmas movie.

Baked in New York

One of the things that I enjoy about planning a trip to NY is thinking about what I am going to eat!... Food is a big part of the city and that has evolved significantly in the years that I have been going. New York is the home of the cupcake and baked goodies and cupcake bakeries are popular within the city. Last year I was thrilled to see that Brooklyn Baker (a favourite on Instagram) was opening a 2nd venue of Baked within Manhattan. Baked had been on my "To Eat" list for sometime, but I had never managed to get to the Brooklyn store on previous visits.

Opening in the Tribeca area I knew that I would be able to add it my itinerary. On the day I visited it was cold, damp and drizzly, so a coffee and a sweet treat were much needed.
The store is beautifully styled in signature hues of wood, and orange which is incredibly warming and inviting.
The cake options are vast and I opted for a cup of Joe and a slice of Egg Nog cheesecake !... oh my!! This cheesecake ticked every box on my Christmas senses and if I could have boxed some up and bought it home I would have! - alas I'm not sure that the customs man would have allowed it. I did pick up one of the Baked books and look forward to picking up some more goodies when I visit in December.

As you can see the sweet options are varied from layer cakes, cupcakes, cookies, bars and pastries and really do promise to take you to caketopia. The ambience is relaxed and the team were super helpful and friendly and would recommend a visit to this little store of loveliness.

On my forthcoming visit my hotel is not too far from Baked and I am planning on a breakfast visit along with a cake stop. If this has wetted your appetite for some NY eats, then check out these calorie free treats from previous visits across the pond. ... enjoy.

Book Love ~ August

Before August leaves us under a deluge of rain and cloud I am going to share the 7 reads that have entertained me on my travels during the summer!
The Little Flower shop by the Sea - Ali McNamara - as previously blogged my favourite of the year so far!.. Poppy inherits her beloved Grandma's florist shop in the village of St Felix in Cornwall, a place she never thought she would return to after spending her childhood summers there. Poppy finds the magic of the village sprinkling its healing powers on her and the friends that she makes. A glorious summer read which capitulated me back to many a summer spent on the Cornish beaches and lanes of St Ives.

The Cake Shop in the Garden by Carole Matthews - I was lucky enough to meet Carole at the start of the summer and we talked about her canal boat holidays which are one of the key features in The Cake Shop in the Garden. Fay Merryweather runs a cake shop in her garden which backs onto the canal waterways  just outside Milton Keynes. Along with running the cafe, Fay also cares for her cantankerous mother who took to her bed many years ago and and hasn't ventured out of it since. With a high maintenance 'perfect' sister living in New York, and bit of a dull boyfriend, Fays life is far from exciting or glamorous. One day a canal boat moors at the end of the her garden and a younger hunk of a guy pitches up an offers help with some odd jobs. Lija (Fays assistant) and Stan (Fays 93 yr old regular customer) both encourage Fay to employ Danny and soon a Fay starts to realise that life cannot stand still. As with all CM's books nothing is as it seems and suddenly Fays life is thrown upside down and she has to make some big choices. I loved this book, I laughed lots especially at Lija and adored Stan. Another great read from Carole... looking forward to the Christmas book!

Life or Something Like it - Annie Lyons ~ Cat lives for her job as PR at her best friend Jesse's company (Jesse is also Cats long term secret crush)  Cats sister-in-law has to fly home to Australia for the summer and Cat finds herself looking after the children, Ellie and Charlie after she is put on gardening leave after a client makes a huge PR faux pas. Children aren't Cats strength, her mobile phone is her baby! Cat also finds herself coming up against Finn, the uncle of Ellie's best friend, even finding themselves sharing a holiday cottage on the Suffolk coast whilst she battles to keep her job and look after the children. I really enjoyed this book and related to Cat lots!... Finn is simply gorgeous, its a lovely family fun filled book, with a very hot hero.

When I met you - Jemma Forte ~ Marianne is 31 and still living at home she has grown up believing that her father fled to Australia when she was a young and has been relatively content (aside from her passion for playing the violin - something her family do not encourage) growing up with her mum, stepdad, sister & half-brother. Imagine her surprise when I dad, Ray turns up one evening with a host of secrets. This book was a surprising read, one I really enjoyed, I loved seeing the relationship blossom with Ray and Marianne making me laugh and cry. This is a heartfelt family drama in a book and it will have you rooting for Marianne until the last page.. well done JF.

Fairytale Beginnings - Holly Martin - Millie Rose is a historian for Castle Heritage, she is also a huge romantic in particular the Disney Happy ever after and the perfect Prince Charming. Millie finds herself at Clover Castle the epitome of Walt Disney castle and home to Cameron. Millie finds herself falling in love with the castle, the magic of the village and possibly the lord himself!
The Lie - C.L.Taylor - a contrasting read to the rest of my summer reads, but one that I devoured in hours.The Lie tells two stories, in alternating chapters - the present day, and the past events of five years ago. The present day follows Jane, a homebody who has a love for animals, her caring partner and his young daughter. But Jane doesn't actually exist, the life she has built for herself is all a lie. Her name isn't even Jane. Five years ago, Jane (then known as Emma) and her three best friends set off on what should have been a trip of a lifetime to a yoga and meditation retreat in the mountains of Nepal, but the trip quickly turns into a nightmare of lies, deceit and disturbing secrets... I would love to tell you more about this book but do not want to give anything away... a fabulous psychological thriller which will keep you guessing until the end.. it had me hooked!.
Summer at Shell Cottage - Lucy Diamond - Lucy Diamond really does
write a great family drama. The Tarrant family have been holidaying in Shell cottage on the north Devon coast since Olivia and Alec discovered the cottage by chance on their honeymoon  and later becoming its owners when Alec's novels hit the bestsellers list. This summer would be different though, Alec has died and Olivia finds herself widowed and a little lost. Freya is struggling to juggle the demands of being a GP, motherhood and loosing her beloved father. Robert is keeping secrets from his wife Harriet and teenage step-daughter and shouldering the loss of his father. An even bigger secret is revealed when Olivia arrives at Shell Cottage and soon the Tarrant's idyllic family life is falling apart.... Shell Cottage proves to be a healing, heartfelt, summer for all the family. I loved this book and was the perfect read to finish my summer with. All of the Tarrant family have secrets which unravel over the summer and Lucy Diamond writes a great family saga. .. loved it, thanks Lucy.

As you can see I managed 6 reads this month, here are a some book posts from recent months. What have you all been reading this month?

Thank-you ladies for keeping me entertained this month on my commute and travels…. It's been a joy.

Food styling fun....

Last Saturday I joined 10 other ladies for a day of fun, photography and  food styling with Emily Quinton and Catherine Frawley, both photographers and instagrammers that I have admired for some time. I met Emily last year when I attended a styling workshop with her.
The day was held in Emily's new Makelight studio in West Dulwich which is a glorious space filled with the most amazing light, perfect for a day taking photo's...
The day started with coffee and an introduction to the day, as well as exploring the studio before the fun began!
Each attendee had a lovely place setting at the work table to use during the day and then take home to play with.
Along with a glorious space to utilise during the day Emily & Catherine provided some amazing props to use to style the foods provided. I fell completely in love with the suitcase of vintage cooking and baking props along with glorious cakes, marshmallows and macarons  from Reshmi at  Anges de Sucre. 

Catherine started by showing how an old door could showcase macarons complimented with jasmine. by building up the look. Taking shots at each stage it allowed us to see what works and what doesn't to make a great shot, viewing each shot on the PC to see in detail the staging and cut off parts of the photograph.

Catherine's 2nd demonstration was with a box of doughnuts a lace napkin, a bread board and vintage cheese plate. 1. loaf tin, baking parchment. 2. add a vintage cheese plate. 3. cutlery and additional doughnuts. 4. doughnuts on the board. 5. final styling complete with a scattering on sprinkles. I loved this image styling, and to see it come to life was gorgeous, a simple box of doughnuts to a fabulous display good enough to eat.

After Doughnuts it was time to play with Marshmallows in a vintage baking tin, muslin clothe and a scattering of flower heads..... simple effective styling complimenting the sweet treats perfectly.  Along with a host of sweet treats C&E also showed us how to style simpler everyday things from the vegetable rack & salad bowl.  Tomatoes and the Broad beans being my favourites.

After lunch it was time for us to play with our camera's and i-phones.  I loved the old vintage French feel that the macarons and bake-ware and silverware created against the wooden background and fabric. So much fun with sugar.

Emily has a glorious old wooden cabinet in the corner which provided the perfect backdrop for a spot of afternoon tea and biscuit styling.... Jammie Dodgers looking yummy. The tea flask and retro cup complimented the cabinet and styling perfectly along with a strategically placed peony... one of Emily;s signature style floral props. 

Growing with confidence it was time to play with something a little grander, and Anges de Sucre's 3 tier extravaganza was perfect. This chocolate dripped, popcorn,macaron, marshmallow confection was a dream to shoot. With milk bottles, paper straws, and doughnuts accompanying the styling I had so much fun playing with this candy creation.

My final style for the day was with my favourite Eat Cake for Breakfast journal and Reshmi's mini macaron & popcorn creations in glorious pastels.... complete with macarons,milk bottles & straw accompaniments the only thing left to do at the end was sample the mini confections.

Emily and Catherine hosted a fabulous day and I met some lovely ladies along with learning lots.

Here is a cute little video that Emily shot of the day.... 

If you are a fan of gorgeous pictures, then I urge you to follow Emily and Catherine on instagram for a daily dose of flower and food loveliness. More images on instagram of the day on #makelightworkshops

Thankyou Ladies, I had a fabulous day and I am learning to love my camera lots and have fun with photos.

A dream night for a book-lover...

This week saw me catch-up with my lovely friend Ali..... what started as a planned lunch turned into a late lunch/early dinner and a book launch! How do you ask?... easy, my friend is Ali McNamara  author of 5 books … and very soon to be 6!

Ali and I met through social media after her 1^st book and bonded over the love of New York, Richard Curtis movies, and books. It's been some time since we caught up in person, which we did over a fab dinner on the roof of Selfridges ( for a later blog post!)…. I then joined Ali for an evening celebrating the launch of Giovanna Fletcher's new book Dream a Little Dream at Penguin books on The Strand…. Not a usual Thursday night after work.

Giovanna's party was held on the 10^th floor offering the most fabulous views of the city along the river from the balconies hugging the function room. Inside, the space was festooned with bunting, and stunning floral displays complimenting the books cover and style. Along with this the tables were decked with roses, cupcakes, Nutella and ferreo rocher (my niece would have been in 7^th heaven!) all again complimenting the books displayed.

Giovanna is of course married to Tom Fletcher and mum to Buzz who were both in attendance along with the rest of the McBusted boys and a few other well-known faces; including Emma Willis and husband Matt and Gi's brother Mario. (fans of Towie will of course recognise). Tom was very much the proud husband, snapping away on his camera during the evening as well as chasing after Buzz!

I was as equally excited if not more thrilled to meet some of my favourite authors who were also in attendance. These included Carole Matthews, Ali Harris, Paige Toon, Dorothy Koomson and Eleanor Moran. I spent much of the evening talking to Carole, Ali and Ali which was fun and involved lots of chatter about Christmas, Selfridges, and of course books. I also got to meet the "lovely kev" husband of Carole, who is featured in many tweets. 

Views & goodie bag from Penguin books

It really was a book-lovers perfect evening, meeting up with so many people who's words have transported me to other worlds. All these ladies have, whilst I have either been commuting on the tube, curled up in an armchair on a lazy sunday afternoon or keeping me company whilst travelling...
 thank-you it was so much fun to meet you all. 
I had a lovely evening... Congratulations Giovanna on a fab launch, looking forward to reading the book... thanks Ali for a fab night.. looking forward to celebrating your 6th at the end of July x

Slices of the Bake & Cake show....

Last Saturday I headed to North London for the first Good Food Bake & Cake show... the show was being held at the Design Centre in Islington a short walk from Angel station. On arrival I was handed a free show guide filled with  great recipes which were being showcased during the Bakes & Cakes theatre sessions, along with a floorplan, timetable and A-Z of exhibitors. As I entered the centre Mary Berry was just cutting the pink ribbon to open the show.
My ticket included a session at the theatre and I had booked the Mary Berry & Lucy show, which was the first to start. The theatre sessions were incredible well organised and lots fun. With the requisite advertorials met, hosted by Lisa Faulkner and a very funny camera man Tony, Mary was joined on stage by her daughter Annabel, where they baked Chocolate & Irish Cream roulade, Raspberry & Apple muffins and Fig & Nut bars.

Mary made them look so easy, and I am definitely making the chocolate roulade at Christmas.  Leaving the theatre it was time to peruse the exhibits, there was a mixture of some big name sponsers, along with some favourites of mine; Baker & Maker,  & Iced Jems, and Simply Vintage.

Iced Jems is a great little store which houses some of the best offerings of cupcake cases, straws and cutters .. have used the site many times and it was lovely to finally met Jemma and her family. The stand looked amazing (and yes I did come home with some more treats!) Baker & Maker also offer some fabulous bakeware and retro pieces, milk bottles being my favourite and the gorgeous milk glass cake stands.

Another favourite of mine is Simply Vintage designs,  a cool company that deals in vintage kitchen and bakeware.
One of my favourite things was the big Baking Tips chalkboard which housed lots of vintage tags with baking tips from all the baking celebrities, along with the chance to share your own....

Some of my favourite food bakers & treats were also at the show, it was lovely to see some to chat and also sample their makes & bakes.
There was a cacophony of colour on the Meringue Girls, who have had an amazing year ... Primrose Bakery also had a cute little stand, showcasing their fabulous books and cupcakes... the new book is delicious...a must for any baker for christmas... who can resist a gingerbread house.

It was also lovely to see Kooky Bakes at the show, the stand looked delicious and was filled with Whoopie Pies, Brownie Slices, Cookies and Cupcakes. I couldn't resist taking one of the Signature slices home with me....
Another great cake find at the show was Victoria Yum who also had a gorgeous stand filled with delicious bakes.... the syling of the stand was a mixture of home-spun urban... showcasing cupcakes, frosted loaf cakes and glorious victoria sponges. I chose a slice of the banana and salted caramel cake, which was moist, flavourful and melt in the mouth delicious.

Along with some great exhibits and food treats, there was plenty of places to sit and rest, eat & drink.  Most giving great views across this lovely building... as I walked round the top balcony, they were bus setting up for the afternoon tea area....which looked lovely.
Another little added treat at this show was the beautiful floral arrangements which were doted around the show.

On the lower mezzanine of the floor housed the huge Lakeland stand and their interview stage, along with the book corner from WHSmiths.... The interview stage was being hosted by Jo Wheatley (winner of season 2 of Great British Bake off)
Her first interviewee was the lovely Mary Berry, fresh from the baking stage...It looked like she was having much fun with Mary Berry and there was so much love in the room for Mary Berry....

Another huge favourite was Eric Lanlard, who looked like he was having much fun & laughter with Jo before and during the interview. The stage was laid out in a cool sitting room style, with white furniture, flowers and a very retro lamp!... Jo had asked her fascebook followers for some questions which she shared with the interviewees.. from Strictly, to favourite bakes and one essential baking musts.... Eric's must was Weighing Scales and Mary shared her love of Strictly and categorically ruled out going on the show herself, having been asked several times....
I had an enjoyable time at the show, it was well organised, had some great exhibits, and fabulous baking treats.... I am sure that this will only get bigger each year it is hosted.

Baby bakes & 80's cakes.....

It's been ages since I baked and even longer since I did any cake decorating, but this summer I have dragged my trusty cake tool box out of the cupboard a couple of times to bake for an 80th Birthday and a Baby Shower.
For the Baby shower cake I was sent a picture of the stationery, napkins and tablecloth and asked to make something to fit in with the design. My friend who's shower it was doesn't know the gender of the baby, which for these days is quite unusual and the shower was also a surprise!
I baked a 3 layer lemon madeira, sandwiched with lemon curd and lemon buttercream and then covered with white sugar paste.  The theme was baby clothes on a washing line, and I had this bright idea to do something similar... something I later regretted, as it did give me a sleepless night. After stressing about iced babygro's and miniature pegs I was really happy with the outcome.

I found a fab little baby onesie on the Iced Jems website which was perfect for the cupcakes. I made the buttons from a small round cutter and indenting a button. Really love these, so think they may be featuring on more cakes in the future. With the cake doweled and washing line posts made from straws and bakers twine, it all came together ok. The cake was accompanied by a  mixture of lemon cupcakes - large & small decorated with onesies and buttons - all for Baby Cook.

My other cake made at the end of July was one of the hottest days of the year. Hats off to the bakers that have produced amazing creations during this summer!... thankfully I had wired the flowers on an evening that was a little cooler and had baked the fruitcake a couple of months ago, so all I had to do was ice and decorate.

This was an old school cake, complete with garret frill, flowers and ribbon... took me back to my early cake decorating years. As always, my least favourite part is 'writing' on the cake... thankfully they didn't want an essay and liked the simplicity of the design. My mums best friend was delighted as she had never had a 'proper' birthday cake before!.

I'm now planning future bakes, and with GBBO in full bake on BBC its perfect inspiration to get my baking box out again, especially after meeting the Queen of Bakes - Mary Berry..... Also have a planned visit to the BBC Bake & Cake show... so will hopefully see some of you there...... what have you been baking lately?





Summer in the City ~ Cupcake treats

Tucked away in a small side street just off of Covent Garden is a very cute cupcake eatery, from Primrose Bakery. If you are unable to get to the original café bakery in Primrose Hill, then this is a great introduction.  I stagger my visits when I am in this vicinity between Primrose and the coffee shop around the corner Notes, as both a little indulgences.
Primrose Bakery is 10 years old this year and was one of the first places to launch the cupcake in London. Primrose Bakery's styling is gorgeous pastels, reminiscent of the tea parties that we all either wished for or had when we were children.
The bakery is small with a couple of tables for eating in, and a cute bench to sit on outside in the sunshine.

The bakeries offer the following  flavours daily Carrot, Chocolate, Chocolate with Vanilla, Red Velvet, Salted Caramel, Vanilla and Gluten Free Vanilla. The salted caramel is one of my favourites and the Vanilla is perfect with a cup of coffee.

They also offer daily specials, here is the weekly menu:

As you can see when I visited it was around Independence day so American cupcakes were in abundance along with some fab specials.

If you find yourself in the vicinity of Covent garden and feel the need for a sweet treat and a quick rest, then pop into Primrose for a cupcake & coffee. Primrose Bakery have produced some gorgeous books and a great little app. I am really looking forward to their Christmas book which is launching in October.... I'm not sure that I can wait to see if Santa pops one in my stocking on Christmas eve!.

4th July food treats

When you find yourself in London on the 4th July ambling around the city on a Literary adventure, then the only food treats to seek out are of and American influence. 

My morning started in Notting Hill where I stopped for a coffee and a gorgeous maple syrup infused  bacon sandwich in one of my favourite cafes ... Charlie's. I have blogged about this venue a couple of times and it is a little hidden gem in Portobello Road.

A short stroll to the top of Portobello Road I popped into Recipease  where 4th July celebrations were in full celebration.... Jamie's America book taking pride of place at the front of the store. The blueberry & cream cheese looked gorgeous and I grabbed a slice to take home with me ( I ate the following day and it was delicious, moist, full of flavour with gorgeous cream cheese frosting) Recipease is on my list of places to pop back to.   

  After a long walk it was time for a Shake stop! in Covent Garden.... this visit I opted for a shake dog, fries & a limited edition Blueberry Lemonade!.... oh my the lemonade was amazing, cool, sharp, complete with real blueberries... America in a cup!.

Late afternoon tea before I headed across the river to the Old Vic theatre was at the very cute Primrose bakery tucked down a side street just off of Covent Garden square. Here I savoured a coffee and a 4th July vanilla cupcake, which was moist, dense and the perfect treat to end a day of lots of walking!...

 

(I will blog the rest of my visit at this little cupcakery in a separate post as the décor was scrumptious on a summers day. )                

I had a gorgeous day exploring London on a Literary adventure and the American food treats just made the day better, with blue skies and sun shining it was one of the loveliest days I've had in ages, work free & very indulgent!