All posts filed under: DO NOT USE

Review: Windows Phone – Nokia 1020 #MSLoop

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A couple of weeks ago a friend was over at my house. I received an email and was swiftly notified by not one, not two, but five devices. All around us, the room was either buzzing or singing notification tunes. She wondered why on earth I had so many gadgets and I told her it was because I love them. I could happily fill my room with 100 different gadgets and find a use for every single one of them. My nickname at school wasn’t gadget for nothing! As part of the Microsoft Loop programme, which I was invited to join at the tail end of 2013, I received a bright yellow Nokia 1020, which I have been using as my primary device ever since. I was also given a Nokia 920 last summer (read the review here), but this post is to explore the 1020, which has been affectionately named ‘Big Yellow’. As an advocate of Samsung devices, switching to the Windows phone was a big deal for me. The reason I didn’t stick …

Recipe: Homemade Hummus with Aubergine Salad and Halloumi

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There is something so satisfying about making your own hummus. I also adore the Moroccan tomato salad that I learned to make on my trip to Marrakech a couple of years ago and can’t get enough of grilled halloumi. Put it all together and you get a delicious brunch dish. Hummus with Aubergine Salad and Halloumi Ingredients For the hummus 2 tbsp lemon juice 1 tin chickpeas 2 garlic cloves, crushed 2 tsp ground cumin 180g tahini 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 tsp paprika (plus a bit extra for dusting) Salt (to season) For the aubergine 1 whole aubergine, cubed 1 x good quality tin of plum tomatoes 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp turmeric Salt and pepper to season Big glug of rapeseed or olive oil, for frying Method 1. Make the hummus. Place all ingredients in a food processor and whizz until smooth. Season or add more lemon juice if need be. 2. Heat a big glug of oil in a pan and fry aubergine for 10 minutes, or until soft. 3. Add …

An Evening of Pickles at One Leicester Street

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I bloody love the London dining scene. Whenever I think of setting sail to live in another country, there are two things that stop me in my tracks – my mum and the incredible restaurants I have become accustom to in, let’s face it, one of the most amazing cities in the world. The week before I left for my Melbourne adventure, I was invited along to One Leicester Street with a group of fellow bloggers to try a specially created pickle and cured meat menu by Chef Patron, Tom Harris. I hadn’t been anywhere near the building since it was St John Hotel and I was so pleasantly surprised when I stepped into the bar. Gone were the cheap plastic furnishings and sterile atmosphere and in their place was a suave and sophisticated bar with soft lighting, mirrors and dark comfortable furnishings. After enjoying a pickley cocktail, we headed downstairs for the remainder of the evening. Downstairs, we all lined up at the pass and listened to Tom tell us about his pickles. Lined …

Nikon 1 J3 Review – Venice and Melbourne

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I arrived back from Melbourne on Saturday morning at 7am. I dropped my bag off at home, had a quick shower and headed out to meet my friend for breakfast. As I was munching on my bircher muesli, she asked if I fancied going on a day trip and proceeded to say that Brighton was £10 return on the train. Woah woah woah, I thought. I felt good but not THAT good and I knew that jet lag would catch up on me soon enough. So we settled on Greenwich. We had an amazing day but as soon as the darkness set in, sure enough, I was on my way to sleepy town. I was asleep by 8pm and awake on Sunday morning at 5am. Gotta love jet lag. It’s not too annoying though as it has given me time to root through all of my pictures from Australia. Speaking of pictures, this post is the review the Nikon 1 J3. I borrowed this beauty of a camera from Nikon for my trips to Venice …

Quick and Easy Dinner? Belazu has the Answer

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I wish there were more hours in the day. I really do. I find that there isn’t time to do everything I want to do in life. I like cooking but I also like eating out and playing sport during the week. But I can’t do it all. Or can I? I really don’t think quick, easy and cheap meals have to come in ready meal format. There are loads of solutions that are healthy, will tickle those tastebuds and be kind on your pocket. I play netball on Mondays and Wednesdays and find it really hard to find the time to cook on those evenings. So I was really pleased to see that Belazu has just launched sauce jars, which heated up are perfect poured over cous cous. I made this a couple of evenings before netball. I tried the Tomato and Smoked Paprika and the Red Pepper and Rose Harissa sauces and it took literally 10 minutes to prepare. I served with a fresh side salad and it was the perfect dinner – …