I have been doing lots of cooking recently. And by lots of cooking I mean these things here, four more cakes, pulled pork for 32 people, pickled cucmbers, cardamom buns, scrambled eggs and lots of smørrebrød. Below: spinach soup, the dough and the finished brunsviger, and smørrebrød with battered lemon sole, basil and parsley dressing and prawns. I'll post some recipes soon.
The allotment is in full bloom at present, and the evening primroses are in season.
Finally, I haven't been dressing 1940s (again). Because of the wedding I have been a little more occupied in pin curling the hair of the bride, mother of the bride, and a couple of aunties, as well as assisting as breakfast-maker and make-up artist for my youngest sister and younger cousins. My new fringe makes life a lot easier to manage. Forgive the rather stern expressions. My colour palette has been mostly black these past two days.
Jumper - H&M (on sale for £3 in the children's section - the boy's clothes still fit me!)
As you probably know quite well by now, I love to dance. Swing dancing is a particular passion of mine, and for the past couple of weeks, I have been unable to go. Why is that, may you ask? Because I may have broken my foot. It's really not as serious as it sounds - the problem is most likely a stress fracture - but it is still a bit of a pain (literally...). I haven't been having a great couple of weeks, either, but hopefully things are changing, and I am looking forward to a holiday coming up in a couple of weeks.
I have also found that I am a little more interested in mixing up my style a bit. I won't be posting wholly vintage outfits right now, because I don't feel like dressing in wholly and accurately vintage outfits. It is important to be comfortable in your own skin, and I've reached a point where I feel I need a couple of nice jumpers and the odd day when I can wear jeans and sit in the coffee shop with my crossword and a hot chocolate! I'm getting another haircut soon, and am thinking of doing something a bit wacky, so keep an eye out!
In the few weeks since I have last posted, I have finished the first series of 'Hannibal', which I thought to be absolutely astounding. I will definitely be re-watching the whole thing again soon. It introduced me to the books by Thomas Harris. 'Hannibal' was by far my favourite, and I found the final part of the novel utterly gripping. I finished the book and just sat there for about 20 minutes, not quite sure what to do with myself.
But with any good television show comes a handsome villain, and in 'Hannibal's' case, a true homme fatale in the form of Mads Mikkelsen. Thorough Mikkelsen I have become interested in Danish films, and Scandinavian culture. My current reading surrounds the Danish monarchy in the 18th century, particularly King Christian VII, his wife Caroline Mathilde, and the royal physician and Caroline's lover, Johann Friedrick Struensee. Their story is a fascinating one, and the book I am currently reading, The Lost Queen by Norah Lofts, does not quite do it justice. You should definitely watch 'A Royal Affair' (yes, Mads Mikkelsen is in it...) and read The Visit of the Royal Physician by Swedish writer Per Olov Enquist. I find it to be a very interesting story indeed.
Here's the trailer for the film, although it doesn't quite do it justice; the trailer focuses very much on the Struensee-Caroline affair, whereas the film is more inclusive of Christian and other goings-on around this remarkable period:
I have also become interested in Scandinavian cuisine, so expect some photos of some culinary attempts soon! I am still aiming to cook my way through the Hannibal series, although I am having a little trouble locating some lungs to make sausages/bourguignon...
The latest thing I have made is Janice Poon's pork loin with french beans and a cumberland sauce. Unfortunately, I served up at 10pm so the photo quality is atrocious. It was a great success, though, so I'm hoping to make it again and do it some better photographic justice!
What else have I been up to? Working, something that I don't particularly like doing; drinking whiskey, something that I enjoy a lot; and eating lots of Smørrebrød.
Some other jumpers I bought today - left, from the children's section of H&M for £3, and right, from the retro charity shop Really Me, £6
I found this for a whole 55p in the charity shop and plan to make it over the course of the week. I love the Vasa and visited it two years ago - expect a nostalgic look back to Sweden soon!
About 10 minutes ago, I submitted my final assessed piece for my second year at university, which means... summer's here! It also means the return of more outfit posts, and of more cooking!
First off, here's a picture of what I wore to church on Sunday. You may notice a few things that are different about me, the main one being I'VE HAD A CHANGE OF HAIR! It is now a lot shorter and very extremely black. I'm still getting to grips with styling it, but I thought a '30s bob would be good for summer, especially as there is no air conditioning where I work! Also, I realise that I look a little tired/disheveled, and red lipstick-less...
Dress: charity shop Cardigan: this got left at our house by a friend of my sister's, so I nicked it.
Bag: vintage store. This was a present from my mam.
This is what my hair looked like on the day of the Great Chopping-Off once it had been styled by my hairdresser:
And a couple of days after, in the midst of essay-editing...
What else have I been up to? Well, cooking, for a start. When I say cooking, I really mean visualising doing cooking, as we have had lots of people staying at our house over the past couple of days (including two fantastic American pianists!), so I have decided to spend my time leafing through my new copy of 'Mastering the Art of French Cooking' by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck, and choosing some recipes from there. I have also focused on making my lunches healthier, tastier, and prettier. Here's what I came up with from earlier this week:
Top left: spinach and basil paste with creme fraiche and tomatoes. Top right: spinach and basil paste with cranberry sauce, walnuts and blue cheese. Bottom: Creme fraiche, spinach and basil paste, gherkins, tomatoes and sesame seeds.
What is "spinach and basil paste" I hear you ask? Well, it is a handful or two of spinach leaves, blended with a couple of sprigs of fresh basil, a glug of olive oil, salt and pepper, and a teaspoon of grainy mustard. It is the most vibrant-looking spread I've ever made!
I spent all of Saturday afternoon in great celebration from finishing the writing of my essays, and decided to do a little bit of sketching/painting/general arty-fartyness. This is the result: a mixed-media piece of Mads Mikkelsen as Dr. Hannibal Lecter:
Well, I think it's time to get out of the house and into the sunshine, so I'll leave it here for now! I'm hoping to make some Hannibal food for my next post so keep an eye out.
