A Stroll Along Weston Shore

Weston Shore at sunset? Absolute perfection. It’s quiet, breezy, and has just the right amount of “I could totally live by the sea” vibes.

First stop: the England Coast Path sign, which very helpfully points in both directions. Thanks for that. Really narrows things down. Behind it, a wonderfully dramatic tree doing its best impression of a haunted fairytale backdrop.

A bit further along, I stumbled across some mysterious stone ruins—either an ancient fortress or someone’s very ambitious sandcastle project. Hard to say. Either way, they added a nice historic touch to the coastal views.

The shoreline itself was a mix of pebbles, shells, and bright green seaweed (which, let’s be honest, looks amazing but smells less amazing up close). The waves lapped gently, the sky turned pastel pink, and for a few blissful moments, everything felt very Main Character Energy.

If you fancy a quiet, scenic walk with a side of salty sea air and a sprinkle of history, Weston Shore is definitely worth a visit. Just maybe don’t taste the seaweed.

Whiskey Cocktails For Spring: Inspired By Sharp Objects

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First of all, I recognise that there’s a bit of a mental leap to be taken here from watching a show about barely functional alcoholics and then being inspired to do a post about whisky, but… What’s my excuse? I guess this one’s for all the people who love Sharp Objects, don’t have a drinking problem, and like cocktails… Like me!

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Top Tipples: Supermarine Vodka and Two Easy Summer Recipes

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Vodka doesn’t have the best reputation – whilst gin is enjoying its moment in the spotlight, vodka is often thought of as nothing more than a mixer. I have to say, I’d never even considered trying it neat until Supermarine vodka sent me a sample to try. It really is absolutely sublime when served neat over ice.

But you can’t really make a blog post out of that, so here are two cocktail recipes that showcase the delicious flavour of Supermarine Vodka!

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My Ultimate Halloween Makeup Tips and Critiques

Halloween is nearly here, and while everyone else is dishing up tutorials to transform your face into sexy versions of whatever, I’m here to dish out some truth. I’m not going to show you how to do your makeup this Halloween, I’m going to show you how not to do it. Learn from these mistakes from a beauty expert. That’s me, it’s my blog, so I’m the expert right now. Watch me as I skilfully dissect some so-called iconic looks to give praise where it is due, but most importantly, to point out so big mistakes so you don’t fall into the same trap…

Captain “Pazuzu” Howdy, The Exorcist

I think it’s great that even as a Captain, Pazuzu is not afraid to experiment with some fierce looks. All I’m saying is that using eyeshadow to define your teeth is a bit too much even for the evening. But that contouring is really really good.

For you, I recommend: Colgate toothpaste, to keep those teeth shining pearly white.

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Campfire Tripod: Easy Recipes

Okay, I’m sort of embarrassed to even call these recipes, as they’re more like tips, but I thought I’d share some meals I prepared on my EasyCamp camp fire tripod deluxe so you can see how simple and fun it makes cooking!

One thing I love about it is how communal it makes cooking in the evening. Whereas traditionally the BBQ is the domain of one or two designated grill cooks, the tripod is the focal point of your seating area during the evening, providing food, warmth and entertainment for the whole group. Skewers of meat or sausages can be cooked for each person, and all you need to worry about is making sure the grill is balanced!

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Gardening for DIY Bouquets

I’ve always been a practical gal, so when I got my first garden, I spent most of my time growing tomatoes and herbs for the kitchen. It’s only recently that I’ve developed a love of fresh flowers and took the plunge when it came to growing my own. Here’s what I’ve learned so far!

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Sponsored Post: Five of the Top Chinese Dishes Foodies Love to Enjoy

This post contains sponsored content from KMC Seasoning.

Chinese cuisine is one of the most popular types of international cuisines. It appeals to people of all tastes and can be enjoyed just about anywhere in the world. Everyone loves to treat themselves with a Chinese takeaway after a hard day’s work and when you’re celebrating a special occasion, what better way to do so than with a trip to the local restaurant? Chinese cuisine is recognised for its variety of flavours, from sweet and sour to spicy, and for featuring substantial amounts of vegetables in each dish.

KMC Seasoning is the mastermind behind the ever-growing salt and pepper seasoning craze in the United Kingdom. As a healthy and tasty alternative to table salt and pepper, KMC’s seasoning mix combines several ingredients to help you take your homemade meals to the next level with extra flavour and spice.

In this article, KMC Seasoning will walk us through their handpicked list of some of the best Chinese dishes that are popular with Asian food lovers!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Let’s start off with one of the most popular Chinese dishes that there is, and a personal favourite of ours! The delicious Sweet and Sour chicken dish guarantees a crispy and tangy taste. To make this meal, you start by slicing the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces followed by coating them in various ingredients, which may include corn-starch, egg whites and salt. The chicken is fried to a crisp perfection and mixed in with the ingredient that makes the dish truly unique… the sweet and sour sauce! Sweet and sour sauce can usually be made with pineapple juice, ketchup, salt, brown sugar and vinegar. Combine some pineapple chunks and bell peppers into the mix to deliver even more flavour. Finally, serve with a portion of fried rice and you’ve got the perfect appetising Chinese dish!

Peking Duck

The Peking duck dish is a classic Chinese meal that provides a pleasant change to the traditional meat-based cuisine that usually comprises of chicken, beef and pork. This is a wonderful choice when you’re after some variety that your taste buds can enjoy. Peking duck can either be enjoyed solo, guaranteeing a filling meal, or as a sharing plate. It is often served with Chinese pancakes, spring onions and hoisin sauce. Just help yourself, wrap up the ingredients and enjoy an explosion of mouth-watering tastes! Peking duck is relatively simple to make as most of your time will be spent on preparing and cooking the duck with the rest of the ingredients generally ready to be consumed. For the perfect homemade Peking duck, fully defrost the duck and rinse it with cold water. You will want to coat and season duck, with honey syrup a popular suggestion. Leave the duck to dry overnight and then roast it in the oven. When cooked, thinly slice the duck and serve it with your sauce, pancakes and spring onions.

Salt and Pepper Chips

Salt and pepper chips is without a doubt one of the most popular takeaway dishes. After all, who doesn’t love a spicy kick to quench their hangover! This takes the common side dish of chips and adds more flavour and spice, making it a full meal of its own. At KMC, our salt and pepper chips recipe is highly recommended and a very popular choice. It is a pretty simple recipe to follow and its your choice whether you wish to buy pre-made chips, skinny fries or potato wedges, or if you prefer to peel and cut the potatoes yourself. Transfer your chosen type to the oven and a sprinkle of KMC salt and pepper seasoning along with some finely chopped onions. Cook the chips until they’re crisp and golden and add some cheese, coriander and chilli. You can add bell peppers, garlic cloves and peppercorns should you wish. Transfer the chips from the oven to the grill and serve when the ingredients are nicely mixed in.

Chow Mein

Noodles dishes are one of the core types of meals that you can have when it comes to Chinese cuisine. There’s not many better noodles dishes around than the traditional chow mein! The chow mein dish is full of flavour and healthy ingredients thanks to your choice of meat, a colourful mix of vegetables, noodles and savoury sauce. One of the best things about stir fry meals such as this is that you can swap and change ingredients to your preferred choice without affecting the process too much. Start by choosing what ingredients you want. Your choice of meat could be anything from chicken to beef and pork. For the veg, pick up a ready-made mixed pack or source the ingredients individually. Carrots, spring onions, peppers and cabbage are especially popular choices for chow mein. Your choice of noodles could include ramen, instant or egg noodles. You can either make your own chow mein source or buy a brand’s own sauce – Blue Dragon is a fantastic brand to consider! The stir fry method itself is probably one of the easiest cooking techniques that you can follow. Add the sliced meat pieces to a wok with some oil and cook until browned. Proceed with adding your vegetables and mix in with the meat. Add the sauce into the mix and continue to stir thoroughly. Last of all, add the noodles and if required, a small amount of water. Continue to stir and toss the ingredients on a low heat. Serve and enjoy!

Spring Rolls

When it comes to appetisers or a perfect side dish, spring rolls are a fantastic choice as part of your Chinese meal. The key to a perfect spring roll is to make sure they are packed with a range of ingredients. Each bite should deliver a varied taste. The ingredients often include chicken, carrots, cabbage, beansprouts, onions, soy sauce and oyster sauce. If you prefer, you can substitute the chicken with another meat or a vegetation option with ease. Prepare the ingredients by chopping them into small bite-sized pieces. Stir fry the chicken in a wok with a small amount of oil and season some KMC seasoning and soy sauce. Give the chicken some time to cool down and then mix in with the veg and sauce in a bowl. Add some of the bowl mix, approximately two tablespoons, into the centre of two spring roll wrappers. Roll up the wrappers with cornflour paste and beaten egg yolk until it is firmly wrapped. Dip the spring rolls into small batches of hot oil and deep fry for a few minutes until golden brown. Drain the spring rolls and serve as a delicious appetiser before your main meal.

The Wine List: Taste Testing in Your Own Home!

The Wine List Wine Tasting (6)

These products were supplied to me for the purposes of review.

Liking wine is one thing. Being into wine is quite another. It feels as though there’s a vast and unnavigable sea of knowledge that you have to master before you can say you’re into wine. Grape varieties, soil types, climate, geography – it’s easy to give up before you even start and just select whatever’s on offer in your local shop. But getting into wine isn’t as difficult as you think, and you can actually do it at home with The Wine List!

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Amélie at The Grafton, Cambridge

I developed a love of tarte flambee (as it’s known in French) when my husband lived in Strasbourg for a year during university. Known as flammkuchen in German, some people like to call this ‘pizza’ – maybe because they like getting into fights on the internet?

Actually, flammkuchen is a very crisp, light flatbread dough that’s traditionally topped with fromage blanc or crème fraiche, thinly sliced onions, and lardons – aka bacon bits. It’s absolutely delicious and why I was happy to trek across Cambridge to find Amélie inside The Grafton.

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