Brunch Ideas: omelette and rocket sandwich

A healthy brunch idea great for after a workout with a protein kick. A pancake thin omelette, fresh rocket and a healthy  alternative to fried bread make for an excellent start to the day.

Ingredients:
2 large eggs,
1 handful of rocket,
1 slice of bread,
Olive oil,
Salt and pepper,
Balsamic vinegar,

Heat the olive oil and fry the eggs in a thin omelette, butter the bread on both sides and fry in a separate pan. Add the rocket and season with salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar. Fold the omelette in half then cut in two, whose the bread in half diagonally and pile up the layers.

Travel Journal: A Weekend in Bath

During a flying visit to Bath I managed to squeeze in visits to the roman baths, the abbey and the Avebury stone circle. I was lucky enough to have the most lovely weather so wanted to share some photographs. 

Bath Abbey from the Roman baths

Brunch ideas: Catalan tomato bread

Toast up some bread in olive oil then blend up some tomatoes to make a spread. Combine the two for a delicious savoury snack, perfect for brunch or any other time of day. 

An Edinburgh Spring

In like a lamb out like a lion, the beginning of March in Edinburgh was just lovely.  From New Town to Newington the crocuses and daffodils were put in force so, I wanted to share some photographs. 

The perfect cup of tea: vintage inspired photos

Brunch Ideas: Apple porridge and cinnamon raisin toast

As the name of the blog suggests I have quite an obsession with brunch.  When I have time during the week a good brunch and a good book is my favourite way to pass a morning.

yum!

Experimenting with Surrealist Photography

After the last post I did (see here) I felt inspired to have a go at some Surrealist photography myself. On a dog walk around our local ruin some localised flooding gave me the chance to experiment with reflections and ripples. 

I changed the colours to black and white and sepia to give them a more vintage feel. Hope you enjoy.

Contemporary Surrealist Photography

Some amazing contemporary Surrealist photography to make you dream. Modern day Surrealists Silvia Grav and Chema Madoz use old school black and white photography techniques to evoke a dream world. Grav uses multiple exposure to blend images together while Madoz cleverly juxtaposes images and ideas together.

Madoz

New years

Photographs from Edinburgh's Hogmanay celebrations.

Fireworks above Calton Hill

Christmas EDIT #4 Decorating the Christmas Tree

The evolution of our Christmas tree 

Christmas EDIT #3 Christmas Dinner with Friends

.....Cook the turkey and they will come.....

Before heading back home to spend Christmas with our families my flatmate and I wanted to celebrate Christmas with our friends. The deal was we would cook the turkey and the potatoes and provide a mulling service for cheap red wine, and they would bring all the trimmings. This is a great way to throw a huge dinner party and not be stuck in the kitchen wondering why you spent so much money. 

The result.....

 A table full of food

Christmas EDIT #2 An Edinburgh Christmas

With it's castle, churches and Georgian New Town covered in Christmas lights Edinburgh is feeling pretty festive right now. A series of Christmas frolics in the German Market and round the town made some lovely photos to share.  

View of Edinburgh Castle from Calton Hill

Christmas EDIT #1 A Scandinavian Winter

Having just finished term I'm now allowed to start feeling festive. My final hand-in was a report on Scandinavian landscapes so I wanted to share some of the most frosty and seasonal paintings I wasn't able to include. 

Akseli Gallen-Kallela, Frosty Birch Trees

Autumn Cookid EDIT #2 Pumpkin and Autumn Veg Soup

Making soup is one of the best things about autumn. Getting the kitchen really warm by cooking hearty meals. Pumpkin soup is a big favourite and especially seasonal with Halloween around the corner. Here is my take on a hearty pumpkin soup.

Yummy autumn lunch!

Autumn Cooking EDIT #3 Pumpkin Spiced Latte

Happy Halloween! As winter starts to draw in my intake of hot beverages goes through the roof. I will never get bored of tea and coffee but it's fun to spice things up a little. I love the spiced pumpkin lattes they do at starbucks but they do tend to eat through my wallet a little. My solution was to buy the syrup (mine was about £10 online) and do it myself! 

Nothing better on a rainy Halloween right?

An Edinburgh Winter

Arthur's seat from the window

"England's Most Romantic Ruin" Kenilworth Castle

Kenilworth Castle has been called "England's most romantic ruin", here are some pictures I took of it last winter at sunset. There's something very Arthurian about it ...

A view of the castle walls, battlements and moat

Dinner Party Ideas #1 Easy Salmon and Roast Potatoes

This recipe is a useful, quick, yet impressive piece for a dinner party or just something a little fancy for a treat. Really quick to make and can be done in advance, just give it a little panache when serving and you can enjoy you're own party without being glued to the oven.

Fun with Cocktails #1 Cranberry Tart

Making cocktails is really fun. Inventing cocktails is really dangerous. So here's an easy recipe for a citrusy, sweet and sour drink that's tastes a little like sherbet.

What you will need:

• 1 1/2 measures gin
• 1 measure triple sec
• 1/2 measure lime juice
• Dash angostura bitters
• Dash cranberry bitters

Autumn Cooking EDIT: Butternut Squash Risotto

One of the best things about Autumn is Autumn cooking. Cold weather food for chilly days to get a nice glow going in the kitchen. Butternut squash is that little bit cheaper this time of year so I though I'd experiment with a risotto.

You will need:

• 1 butternut squash
• 1 white onion
• 700 ml chicken stock with white wine/cider
• 300 grams risotto rice
• Salt and pepper
• Sage
• Grated cheese (I used mature cheddar)

Step 1:

Cut up the squash into chunks and scoop out the seeds