Amazing Marrakech ~ part 2!

I've spoken before on a blog post about my need  for visiting Marrakech (that'll be like my need for new shoes more often than is necessary, ahem ahem!!) & it looks like it may be finally happening, arrrgghhh!!

You may know from my previous blog posts that myself & 2 friends have spent months designing a new library for my son's primary school & we mentioned that we should treat ourselves now it's all finished - you know, a well-deserved pat on the back sort of thing!  It started out as having a lunch out, then a posh night out & then after getting an email from Travelzoo the other day with some amazing deals on it, we all thought sod it, we should have a girlie weekend away instead!

So that's what we're doing.  Come September, the 3 of us & another friend are going to escape the constant laundry, cooking, housework & cries of "muuuuuuuum" etc & just enjoy a weekend of sun, shopping & souks!  And maybe a camel ride thrown in for good measure!  Watch this space - I feel there will be Marrakech planning posts aplenty coming up.......

Silent Sunday

                          

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Amazing Marrakech

 

 

Photos from Google Images

 

Morocco, Marrakech in particular, is a place I've desperately wanted to visit for quite some time now, it's now moved up to next on my travel wish list!

 

For a person who doesn't really relish being in busy places, it seems bizarre to want to visit somewhere like Marrakech where the utter madness of the medina & souks never quietens down..... but I'm strangely drawn to it!

 

Whenever I look at photos of the place, all the jewel-like colours of the food & spices just seem so exciting to me & I know I'd love wandering round the medina & souks all day long.  My case would definitely be filled with spices on the return journey!

 

The idea of staying in a traditional riad, a gorgeous private house usually hidden away behind a doorway in a souk backstreet, as opposed to in a large hotel, really appeals to me.  A lot of these riads have little plunge pools either in the centre of the courtyard or on the rooftop, somewhere blissful to lie in the sun!  I can almost imagine lying there with a great book & a chilled glass of rosé....a wee spa wouldn't be a bad thing either.....

 

I almost start to salivate when I think of the traditional tagines made with spices, chicken & preserved lemons, nom nom!!  Hmmm, beam me up Scotty!

 

I think I've persuaded Mr F that we need to visit here next year (or even later on this year if I can push it, heh heh!) & have already started pricing up flights & riads etc.  It can work out to be quite a reasonable trip if you're a bit savvy & use flight comparison sites & contact the riads directly etc.

 

Anyway, I'll just keep on dreaming (& planning) for now.....!

 

 

 

 

 



NOTD China Glaze ~ Make Some Noise

 

 

 

 

I adore this summery shade of coral.  It's not too bright or neon & has the slightest hint of pink to it making it a good all-round shade & great now the sun has actually decided to show it's face again!

 

I'm finding myself buying more & more China Glaze polishes now as I love the variety of shades available & it helps that I get them at the beauty wholesaler so they're a great price!  The coverage is great & when teamed with my trusty nail duo of China Glaze Strong Adhesion base coat & Seche Vite top coat, I get at least a week from my manicure.  They never chip, just show some signs of slight wear on the nail tips after about 5 or 6 days.......but I'm happy with that!

 

I applied 2 coats & the finish is quite glossy on its own but I just love the quality finish of Seche Vite.  I keep reading on other blogs about other top coats but I just can't bring myself to try any out as I personally don't think I can top this one.........can I??

 

I hope everyone's enjoying their weekend in the sun!

 

 



NOTD Essie ~ Turquoise & Caicos

Last week I hunted out my old Tiffany bracelet that I had for my 30th birthday & I decided I wanted to paint my nails to match the packaging!  After asking the Twittersphere for some suggestions of colours, by far the most popular choices for good colour matches were China Glaze For Audrey or Essie Turquoise & Caicos.

 

So the next morning I hot-footed it into town & went to the beauty wholesaler where I usually buy my China Glaze products but they didn't have For Audrey & according the sales person, were unlikely to get any, booo!!

 

Next, was onto Superdrug as they had a 3for2 offer on & Boots didn't.....well, every little helps right?!  I bought the Essie polish along with Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum foundation which I've read many good things about & L'Oréal Lumi Magique Pure Light Primer.  I'll do reviews on those soon but for now, the polish.....

 

 

 

 

The colour is divine & a pretty good match for the Tiffany packaging.  As always, I applied my China Glaze Strong Adhesion base coat to begin with & then the first coat of polish.  I have to say, I was quite shocked at how thin in consistency this seemed as I usually find Essie polishes to be really opaque & cover exceptionally well with just one coat.  However, this was not the case here.

 

Even with 2 coats of colour, the coverage was still a little streaky for my liking & I think it could've done with a third coat to be perfect but I didn't have time!  I think next time I'll try it with an opaque white base colour on first & see if that helps with the coverage.

 

I finished with my trusty Seche Vite top coat & although I had about 6 days with no chipping or flaking before I removed the colour to change it, there was some serious wear on the tips going on.  Again, this just wasn't like any other Essie polish I've tried before so I was quite baffled.  But like I've already said, the colour is beautiful & I had lots of compliments on it, I'll just try an alternative  application next time & see if that makes any difference!

 

I also bought a bargain (£4.99) ring from H&M that matched the polish perfectly, another great summer favourite!!

 

 

 

 

What are your favourite summer colours?

 

 

 

 

 

Lazy Sunday afternoon

I'm having the most lovely lazy day today instead of our usual Sunday shenanigans of bombing round B&Q or Homebase & then decorating!  I was actually left to lie in this morning & didn't even wake up until 9.45am so I just thought I'd carry the lazy theme on with a little breakfast in bed catching up on my blogs via Bloglovin' (how fab is this website?!)

 

I've decided that I seriously need to get back on the diet bandwagon that I have so dramatically fallen off of in recent months so today will be my last day of gorging on piggylicious food!  I'm doing a bloody delish slow-cooked smokey bbq pulled pork served in soft, floury rolls with 'slaw & potato wedges followed by yesterday's leftover coconut cake with frozen yoghurt.  This is such an easy dish to make & as you leave it in the slow-cooker all day, you can just go about your day as normal.  Try it, I promise you'll love it!  This recipe has been adapted slightly from www.skinnytaste.com

 

Slow-cooked BBQ pulled pork

serves 4-6

 

1.5kg boneless shoulder of pork, trimmed of all fat & rind, if any

1 large onion, sliced into half moons

2 tsp red wine vinegar

2 tsp Hickory liquid smoke

1 tsp garlic granules

1 tsp sea salt

 2 small jars of bbq sauce

 

 

Directions

 

Scatter half of the onion on the bottom of your slow-cooker pot & place the pork on top.

Scatter the rest of the onion & other ingredients over the top but only use ONE jar of sauce.

Cover & leave on medium for 6-7 hours.

Remove the pork & set aside.  Shred it with 2 forks & put back in the slow-cooker with the remaining jar of bbq sauce. 

Cook on low for another hour.

Serve on rolls with coleslaw & potato wedges or skinny fries.

Nom nom!!

 

 

Although my cousin brought me my liquid smoke from the US when they were last here, it's also available from Amazon & really is worth buying.  It can be used on so many things, steak & salmon are favourites for us.  The coconut cake is also fantastic, so moist & very moreish.  I add a few drops of pure coconut extract just to pump up the flavour a bit & love the one from Uncle Roy's.

 

Coconut Cake

oven 180c   grease & line a 20cm square pan

 

200g self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

25g cornflour

225g soft butter or Stork tub

225g caster sugar

4 eggs

50g dessicated coconut soaked in 150ml boiling water & left to cool

few drops coconut extract

*

100g soft butter

200g icing sugar, sieved

few drops of coconut extract

3 tsp Malibu (optional)

toasted coconut (optional)

 

Cream the butter & sugar well then add the coconut extract. 

Beat the eggs in one at a time with a tbsp of flour, cornflour & baking powder with each one.

Fold in the rest of the flour, cornflour & baking powder.

Add the soaked coconut (don't drain if water has not all absorbed)

Pour into the tin & bake for around 35 minutes (ovens will vary so test)

Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.

Toast a handful of coconut in a dry pan if you want to use as decoration & extra crunch.

Cream togther the butter & icing sugar & add the coconut extract & Malibu.

Spread over the cool cake & sprinkle toasted coconut on top.

 

 

Anyway, it's going to be an early wine o'clock for me today, the last for a while!  And the sun is shining & I have to ask myself why I'm sitting in my wee office...it'll probably be torrential rain again tomorrow.....or snow.......

Bon dimanche a tout le monde!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Excuse the laundry!!!*