Taking Action

Right. That's it! I've had enough of my unattractive muffin tops and spare tyre. It has got to go. So, on the advice of the wonderful Miss W personal trainer and general health wonder I'm taking two weeks off carbs. Two whole weeks with no pasta, bread, rice even fruit juice! It sounds like torture but apparently I will see the results and it will all be worth it. It better be. If I see anymore four year old photos of me looking thinner, blonde and fabulous I'll explode!

So what did I do this morning? I had a bagel for my breakfast. It's our anniversary on Friday and then we are spending the weekend with my parents. I can't see myself going carb free for anniversary supper or missing out of any of The Mumma's cooking so the diet starts Monday. So this morning I thought I would indulge myself (and my hang over) with one last breakfast treat (Oi Bagel is the bane of my life!). I'll keep you posted on how the torture is going xx

P.S I would like to point out that this is not a healthy diet. You do need carbs and by missing them out completely you do sacrifice a balanced diet. Fruit for instance is a no go on the no carbs diet, hence why I am only doing this for two weeks and will then be back on the health kick. xx

Atmosphere Live at Koko

Having thought about it for the last 12 hours I really do think that last night seeing Atmosphere at Koko was the best gig I've been to. I really do. Joining forces with Brother Ali, Ant and Sean were on fantastic form combining old favourites with tracks from their new album. Unfortunately as usual Mr J can put it in better words than I can so check out his review here. xx

Daddy Dearest

Just after Father's Day it is lovely to hear that Jamie Spears is spending a lot of time with his troubled eldest child. He's 'conversing' a lot with his Britney in the evenings as well as doing the (some) shopping and cooking (supper) for her (sometimes). He's really doing his fatherly duty... or so it would seem until you realise that he is insisting on being paid £1,250 per week to do it, and from her estate!

How sweet - a father being paid to spend time with and look after his troubled child. It warms your heart doesn't it xx

Veet Veet

When I was asked to test drive the new Veet in shower hair removal cream with Shea Butter and Lily. I was more than a little dubious. Naturally dark haired with roots that I think must have been inherited from some former monkey relative even waxers have a tough time with my bikini line (I'm sorry I know that that is too much information but that's the area I'm going to test the Veet on). You should leave it on for 3 to 6 minutes (6 minutes being the absolute maximum) and you get in the shower after 1 minute and do what you do once you're in there, trying not to get too much water on the cream. You then use the rough side of the sponge (that comes in the cap of the cream, before you do what I do and assume you haven't been given one) to remove the cream in circular motions. I didn't abide by these laws exactly.

I was at my parents house which has no technical shower but has a shower attachment so I put the cream on waited 4 minutes and then clambered into the bath to use the old school stand-in-bath-and-shower technique. I started to use the sponge assuming that nothing would happen and low-and-behold the hairs started to come away. And not just a sparse few, a lot of hairs came away. I was really impressed with the final result. This cream really does work and, as someone with sensitive skin I had no adverse reaction to it. OK so its not as good as waxing and I did get stubble after a couple of days BUT the stubble was smoother (unlike the stubble that appears after shaving) and this is so much cheaper than waxing it's unbelievable. It's about £5.99 for 150ml which will last quite a while. I definatly recommend this even if you are a dedicated waxer like me this will tide you over the poorer times and those days when you just need a bit of a tidy up. Full thumbs up xx

Giving Councils a Bad Name

Now I hate to be jumping on any bandwagons here but has anyone ever met a nice, sensible parking warden (I forget what their new name is... as I assume has everyone else. Parking enforcement officer?). I have to say that there have been times that I have argued and won against a perfectly fairly awarded parking ticket and this may be my karmic retribution, but my most recent one is so unfair that I thus far have not been able to bring myself to pay it (and yes i know this will bite me in the ass come the 13th which is, unsurprisingly, the date that they fine goes up to £100).

If anything could make it worse it was that I was parked outside Mr J's house in order to go to B&Q to get the necessary equipment to decorate his father's kitchen whilst said father was away for a week. I do not know how painters and builders are not like bean poles. It was hard enough loading the paint in the car let alone moving the furniture, painting the three coats (high ceilings and all), sanding and varnishing the floors and then moving all the furniture back. I just hope he likes it! xx

A Table in the Tarn

A Table in the Tarn: Living, Eating and Cooking in South-west France is not your normal cookbook. It reads like a cross between Grand Designs and A Year in Provence it is the story of Living, Eating and Cooking South-west France. From the first page you are longing to visit the beautiful Manoir in Raynauds if not find your own dilapidated farmhouse and do your own renovation. Written by Orlando Murin who packed in his job as editor of BBC Good Food to start his glorious B&B with his partner Peter Steggall, A Table in the Tarn is filled with beautiful photographs and the gorgeous recipes. Rather than throwing you straight into the recipes this book takes you through the whole process from finding the Manoir to renovating it and introduces you to the cast of characters featured throughout the book. Written with great humour and flair this is a book that you will want to sit down and read like a novel.

With fantastic recipes from herb omelette's stuffed with ricotta and mushroom and onion marmalade tartlets, to fillet of Dover sole in horseradish sauce and twice-baked garlic souffles. The main courses including crisp roast duck with olives, spiced pork belly with onion confit and saddle of lamb stuffed with Agen prunes and rosemary will really get your juices going. And to top it all off there's dark and deadly chocolate mousse, peach-almond crumble and apple-cinnamon crostata. This is the perfect present for any foodies and those who dream of escaping to sunnier climes xx