My perfect comfort food

I don't know about you but when the weather turns chilly its not only my wardrobe that changes but also what I put on my plate. I mean who really wants to munch an ice cold salad while shivering on a November evening?

My favourite weapon of choice in the winter months is my beloved perfect fish finger sandwich. I have spent years concocting the right mix of ingredients and its perfect every time.

So if you'd like to try this my way you will need:

Fish Fingers
White Toastie Bread
Tomato Ketchup
Lea and Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
Salt
and
Lurpak slightly salted butter

It might seem a lot but these components really work well together.

Putting the sandwich together is pretty simple.

Cook the fish fingers, I do this in the oven

Butter one side of the bread and lay your fish fingers on top.

Sprinkle salt over them

Splash the Lea and Perrons over that and finish with a healthy swirl of the ketchup.

Pop the other slice of bread on the top and cut in half.

Hey presto, you have the perfect Fish Finger sandwich. I tend to like to wash mine done with some orange juice. Yum. (this sandwich also has magical healing powers for when you've had a few too many G&Ts ;-))

What's your favourite comfort food for this time of year?

Tea Time Bliss

Since things have all been quite crazy lately I've been trying to make a bit of extra 'me time' when I can and there are 2 simple things that are always guaranteed to make me feel a little better...

A nice cup of tea and a couple of episodes of QI (or 1 big episode of QIXL, depends on what Dave is showing)

Every autumn I like to try out new teas until i find 'the one'. This year I did not have to search for long.

I'd heard a few people mention the peppermint and liquorice tea from Tea Pigs and thought it sounded a bit weird, but when my friend dragged me in to Holland and Barrett the other day I saw a box of the same flavour by the Pukka brand and thought, Acht I'll give it a go.

OMG I LOVE this stuff!!  Don't get me wrong it does taste a bit odd but odd good. When you first drink it tastes like regular peppermint tea, but then it gives an out of nowhere sweet liquorice after hit. Gorgeous.

Even if you don't like liquorice I still suggest you give this a whirl as its very much a liquorice bark taste rather than a Liquorice All Sorts kind of taste. And for those of you wondering what I'm on about here is a pic of a twig that you can chew on that tastes sweet, yes really.

source: www.4ayurveda.com

I'd still really like to try the Tea Pigs version but I've never seen it in the shops around here, so I'll keep an eye out as if I go on their website I can only imagine the damage that would be done to my bank account :-)

What's your favourite tea?

Eat, drink and be scary....

I was a bit at a loss about what to write about for blogtober day 17.

I'm still in love with my manicure from yesterdays post so i knew it wouldn't be nails.

I left my umbrella at work so i currently look like a drowned rat (It's Scotland, I got rained on, A LOT!)

So i knew it wouldn't be a beauty post.

On my bleak walk home, i wandered into the the supermarket (grocery store)  to warm up a bit.

They only had freaking Fiendish Fancies!!!!

Is it weird i get excited about things that I'd ignore everyday? Honestly put something in a seasonal box and I'm all over it!!

If anyone is unfamiliar with what a fancy is its a tiny cake with a bit of fondant covered in icing. They are little bites of heaven! Perfect with a nice cup of tea on a rainy evening :-)

Since i was feeling the Halloween love I also picked up a pumpkin while i was in. I'm going to a onesie party (yes, you read that right) this year and i want to take an immaculately carved pumpkin as a hostess gift.

Could someone give me some pointers on how to carve a pumpkin?
Mine always look kind of wonky.
Also, any ideas on recipes for the pumpkin flesh that i scoop out?

OPI German-icure by OPI NOTD

There's a definite chill in the air around these parts.

I've got a craving for knitted sweaters and mittens so out comes the deeper polishes.

In the bottle 'German-icure by OPI', from the Germany collection, looks a straight on deep vampy red colour.

Kind of bog standard staple for this time of year.



But on the nail it takes a slightly more autumnal twist.

It looks a dark brown rusty colour with a red sheen, absolutely gorgeous!

In other news, i think i might be addicted to gingerbread men.

Whats your favourite biscuit?

Let me know in the comments :-)

The most wonderful time of the year...

Oh how i love Autumn....

Let me count the ways....

1. Super cosy socks

I got these lovelies from trusty old Primark (2 pairs for £2!). They are ridiculously soft and soooo cosy. I hate waring shoes in the flat but when the weather turns the wooden floors really are to chilly to go without so cosy socks are lovely. The best thing about cosy socks is when you get in from a really cold walk, perhaps you've stepped in a puddle, and you get home and put on your fluffy socks.

Have I over thought this? Probably.

P.S Also extremely good for sliding on the floor pretending your a ninja :-)


2. Tea

Now I'm a consummate coffee drinker, I mean, seriously, I should just organise some kind of IV delivery system, but come Autumn I'm a cosy evening cuppa tea drinker.
My favourite is honey, chamomile and vanilla from Twinings.

(The Skeleton ginger bread man was from Sainsburys and was incredibly good)



The herbal stuff isn't everyones cup of tea (boom boom) but this is soothing and sweet enough to drink without adding 10 tonnes of sugar. Perfect for when the nights are drawing in. 


3. Autumn Scents

This is the time of year i go crazy for home fragrance.
And i know its not just me that this happens to.
I'm pretty sure the wee lady over at the Yankee candle kiosk is paid year round from the profits between now and Christmas.

I picked up these wax tarts (they have a special burner thing which they melt in). I melted another sugared apple tart i had last night, i had my cosy socks on and a cup of tea. It was raining outside but I was in cosy heaven watching QI :-)

For when these aren't burning I picked up a lovely hand wash from bath and bodyshop.

It smells incredible, sweet and warm. If, like me, cinnamon gives you a sore head this is your perfect autumn scent.

I'm always devastated that we don't have easy access to Bath and Body works stuff here, but the little range on that site soothes me slightly. I just wish they didn't run out of stock on everything I want so quickly.

What do you love about Autumn?
Do you Americans find it amusing that we call it Autumn?
Or are you just blocking the whole thing out waiting for summer again?
Let me know in a comment below or Tweet me

I have a feeling that there may be more to add to my list of autumn loves.
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CB