Sprucing Up Old G Plan Dining Chairs

My beloved G Plan dining chairs were an awesome find from The Modern Show last year held at Dulwich College, SE London. I wasn’t necessarily in the market for new dining chairs but as soon as I saw the perfect mix of teak and dark wood I knew I had to have them! Luckily, my husband and I had travelled in his roomy work van so our impromptu purchase didn’t incur any hefty delivery charges.

The only thing I didn’t love about them was the original fabric that was covering each of the seats: a rather itchy cord material in dark grey with large white spots (extremely retro, but not in a good way).  I knew that re-covering them would be a fairly simple job and I have been textile hunting ever since.

And then there I was in John Lewis last week, just browsing in the haberdashery (as you do), when I saw it...An art deco style fan patterned fabric in navy. It had a slight stretch to it too which is great quality to look for when re-upholstering. It wasn’t a bad price either at £10 per meter (especially as I only needed one).

To cover 4 chairs:

 

1m fabric
Scissors
Slotted screwdriver
Staple gun
Staples (13/6mm)

I began by using a screwdriver to release the screws and remove the seats. I was going to get rid of the old fabric but decided against it as I didn’t know what condition the padding would be in underneath and had visions of being covered in stuffing.

I trimmed around the seat, following the contours, leaving about 5-7cm clearance. I then made two small cuts at each ‘corner’ and fixed these with a staple.

To keep the fabric from bunching, I placed a loose staple to attach the fabric at the centre of each of the sides. Working out from that centre point towards each corner, I used the ‘stretch and pleat’ method, stapling as I went. If I noticed some gaping then I simply cut a vertical slit (4cm) in the excess fabric so that it could be easily overlapped and fixed with a staple.

I worked my way round in the same way – working from the centre, out to the corners – stretching, pleating and stapling as I went. I then checked that everything looked smooth and not ‘bunched’ from the top of the seat and threw in some extra staples for good measure.

I re-attached the seats by inserting and tightening the screws. (I removed the screws again shortly after, as I wanted to trim away the excess material that wasn’t visible at all but was driving me crazy because ‘I knew it was there’ and re-attached them for the second time).

So there you go – easy! Just three more chairs to go...

The Wedding Detox - Store Cupboard Ingredients for Healthy Eating

In the months leading up to my wedding I did what most brides to and began to be more disciplined with my calorie intake and decided to exercise a little more frequently (I even took part in ‘boot camp’ style classes early on a Saturday morning). I was fairly happy with my figure to begin with and didn’t want to make any drastic changes, especially as my dress had been altered to fit like a glove, but knew that this was the one day when I wanted to look and feel at my absolute best.

In the final week before the big day I decided to follow a detox plan by Dietitian, Juliette Kellow. I had discovered it quite a few months earlier and remembered having some noticeable results; I’d lost a few pounds, felt lighter and trimmer, my skin was clearer and I seemed to have lots more energy. All boxes ticked!

I would like to highlight that this isn’t one of those crazy ‘eat nothing but pepper and lemon juice for three weeks’ fads that had been very popular a few years ago (mainly because of a particularly bootylicious babe that shall remain unnamed!). It is intended to be followed for only seven days and shouldn’t leave you short of nutrients as all of the components are natural, wholesome food sources. It’s pretty easy to follow as it’s separated in to ‘foods to include’ and ‘foods to avoid’ (red meat, caffeine and alcohol to name a few – ouch! But hey, it’s only seven days). The ‘foods to include’ list is quite extensive and incorporates a mix of fresh produce as well as dried and canned ingredients.

If you’re looking to detox then take a look, but I’d like to run through some of the elements of the plan that I still consider ‘essentials’ in my day-to-day diet.  I found these items to be extremely versatile, and always having them stored in the pantry means that I’m never too far from a healthy meal – so no excuses!

Nuts and seeds – My favourites are cashews and almonds but all variations are great. Add them to stir fries, as salad toppings, or roasted and enjoyed as a snack. Flax seeds are a good alternative to Chia seeds when added to smoothies and cereals. Nut butters are also a favourite for thickening smoothies and adding protein.

Brown rice – including pasta and noodles made from brown rice flour. The possibilities are endless.

Pulses and beans – dried or canned (in water only, not brine). These can be the main protein source for a soup or curry, or blended and made in to a dip. Try roasting chickpeas in spices like I did here.

Canned vegetables – A humble can of tomatoes can be the basis of a sauce for pretty much any meal; chilli, lasagne, curry, pasta, soup. These canned sweet cherry tomatoes are a little pricier, but well worth it!

Honey – as sugar is on the ‘avoid’ list, honey is the next best thing. I like to include Manuka honey in teas, salad dressings and sauces (and anywhere else you would normally add a pinch of sugar). It doesn’t have to be Manuka, but I like added benefits that come with it.

Coconut Oil – A wonder ingredient. Full stop.

Rye Bread - This is a great alternative to bread made from wheat. It does take some getting used to but it's nice and filling - and better once toasted and topped with avocado and salmon, or with peanut butter. It can be a vessel for both sweet or savoury fillings.

Stock and spices – When cooking, I use lots of fresh and dried herbs and spices. I try to avoid using large amounts of salt – although I do use pink Himalayan salt – but don’t want my food to be lacking in flavour. These Kallo vegetable stock cubes are great as they are organic and low in sodium. A can of coconut milk is another cupboard hero of mine.


I do, of course, shop for fresh ingredients every few days but when doing a ‘big shop’ I like to buy two of every item mentioned above so that I know have the basis of a healthy meal to hand.

Let me know what your store cupboard heroes are.

Instant Bread and Butter Pickle

This is a great recipe for those who are new to pickling and aren’t necessarily interested in being in it for the long haul; if you want to enjoy pickles but haven’t had the forethought to plan a few months ahead. The recipe came about because I was having friends over for a BBQ pulled pork feast and decided last minute to make this as an accompaniment (I also added a whole chilli as I wanted to spice things up a bit). This pickle is very versatile and can also be enjoyed in an array of sandwiches, with cold meats and cheese, or - as the name suggests – simply paired with bread and butter.

Ingredients:

 

Half white cabbage, chopped
½ cucumber, sliced
1 whole red chilli, sliced
1 red onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp grain mustard
3 tbsp vinegar (any, except balsamic)
3 tbsp water
1 tbsp sugar

 

Method:

 

Add all of the ingredients to a pan and cook on high heat until the liquid begins to boil. Place a lid on top and turn down the heat to low. Cook for 10-12 minutes, checking from time to time that there still remains a small amount of liquid at the bottom of the pan (this will stop the vegetables from burning). If needed, add another tbsp of water. Once the cabbage is tender and can be easily pierced with a knife, turn the heat off and leave the lid on whilst the pickle cools. Transfer to a jar or container and refrigerate until ready to use. It will keep in the fridge for around 5 days.

Gooey Chocolate Brownies (With an Easter Twist)

These gooey brownies are extremely easy to make and taste amazing! If you are feeling creative, try topping some them with flaky nests. I have to admit, they were slightly fiddly, but were well worth the effort as they looked great and tasted extra chocolaty.


Makes 2 small trays (around 18 brownies)

 

Ingredients:

200g caster sugar
125g salted butter, melted
30g cocoa powder
½ tsp vanilla extract
2 medium eggs
110g plain flour
¼ tsp baking powder

 

For the Nests:

3 Cadbury’s Flake bars
1 pack Milkybar Mini Eggs
30g dark chocolate, melted

 

Method:

Begin by lining a deep tray 20cm x 10cm with greaseproof paper (I used two 10 x 10 trays which worked fine too). When lining trays, I find it easier to cut a piece of greaseproof slightly larger than the area needed and then cut a small incision from each corner (at 45 degrees) towards the middle of the paper.  This will help when placing the paper inside, as each corner can then be overlapped to fit snugly in to the corners of the tray. 

Once the mixture has been made, a little blob on each corner of the tray will help to hold the lining in place and stop it from sliding around. Preheat the oven to 180C and weigh out all of the ingredients so that the mixing process is quick and efficient. 

Add the sugar and butter to a mixing bowl and using an electric mixer, beat until light and fluffy. Add the cocoa powder, vanilla, and eggs - one at a time - continue to mix on high speed until you have a smooth mixture.

Add the baking powder to the flour and fold in with a spatula or wooden spoon. 

Pour the mixture in to the tray and then even it out with the back of a spatula. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes.

The longer you leave them, the more ‘set’ they will be once cool. I personally prefer a gooey brownie so I opt for just 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and when slightly cool, place in the fridge until ready to use.

Whilst the brownies are baking, make the nests. Simply melt the dark chocolate and cut the flake bars length ways to create long, thin ‘shards’. I think that dark chocolate works best here for adhering as it dries quickly and is less temperamental when melting. But by all means, use milk chocolate if you want the joins to be less obvious (and don’t go thinking that you can use any wastage from the Flakes; the stuff just will not melt! Which leaves me wondering - why the hell not?)

Place some of the shards in a small triangular(ish) shape. Dip the ends in melted chocolate to allow them to stick together. Then dip the bottom of the eggs in the chocolate and place them on top of the triangle base.

Add extra flakes wherever you need more support, using the ‘dip and stick’ method. 

These should be refrigerated until the chocolate ‘glue’ has set. Once the brownies are completely cool, slice them in to even squares and use a fish slice to lift and place the nests on top. You can use the chocolate ‘glue’ here too so that the nests don’t topple off.

You can make these a few days ahead and leave them refrigerated in an airtight container. You will of course then have to avoid the temptation to eat them before intended.

Happy Easter everyone!

Easy Peasy Cheat's Crème Patisserie

This is not a pastry cream that the French would be proud of, but it’s quick, easy, and will happen on your first attempt (yes, I have been through many boxes of eggs before trying to achieve custard that doesn’t resemble something I could eat on toast for breakfast).

Ingredients:

250ml whole milk

50ml single cream

80g caster sugar
2 egg yolks, plus...
1 whole egg
2 tbsp corn flour
1 tsp vanilla extract (not pods, unless you want the seeds to be visible)
 

Method:

Start by heating a small pan of water (around 3cm deep) on a medium heat. The water should be at a rolling - not fierce - boil. Then away from the heat, in a metal bowl that is large enough to rest on top of the pan, whisk the ingredients together. It MUST be a metal bowl as the heat that is retained by the metal is what helps cook the eggs later on.

Place the bowl on top of the pan and stir slowly and continuously with the whisk while the heat from the boiling water heats the eggs. You cannot let it sit still for even a few seconds! It will take around 10 minutes for the eggs to cook and for the mixture to become thick custard, but what’s great is that the corn flour will prevent the eggs from overcooking and scrambling. It’s usually overcooking that gives the ‘eggy’ taste.

I will warn you that waiting for the mixture to thicken will feel like an eternity but you will need to keep your wits about you as the mixture will thicken almost in an instant! The second you feel that slight resistance, whisk more briskly for a few seconds to prevent lumps from forming and use an oven mitt or dishcloth to remove the bowl from the heat.

Continue to whisk once removed as the heat from the metal bowl will continue to cook the eggs. Transfer in to a bowl straight away and leave to cool before refrigerating. You will need to cover with cling film to stop a skin forming whilst in the fridge.

You can use this cold custard for many things: custard tarts, doughnuts; or even serve it warm with your favourite dessert. The corn flour helps to stabilise the mixture so re-heating in the oven (for something like Portuguese custard tarts) is not a problem and if reheating on the hob: as long as you whisk until hot, you’ll be fine.

Please comment and let me know if you try this out.

Wedding Series – The Guest Book

I thought long and hard about how I wanted to receive (and keep) messages from our guests on the day. And I‘m glad I did! Even if a guest book seemed quite a trivial component of the day; after all, your loved ones will wish you well in person on the day, why do you need them to also write it down?  I have three reasons why:  1) you may not even get to speak to them at all, 2) even if you do get round to everyone, you will never remember what they said, and 3) it’s nice to have a physical ‘something’ from the actual day to remind you how happy everyone was for the two of you.

Matt Ethan Photography

I had several ideas quite early on: messages typed an old fashioned typewriter; marriage advice written on recipe cards and stored in a recipe box, entitled ‘recipe for a successful marriage’; selfie Polaroid’s with handwritten messages on the back; and then there was just the plain ol’ traditional guest book. The possibilities really are endless.

As we wanted the tone of the wedding to be relaxed and non-traditional, it didn’t make sense to go for anything too conventional. I also knew that I was going to incorporate many vintage aspects in to the decor and ‘look’ of the day (my Grandmother’s china tea set, antique vases, and well...my whole ensemble). So I took some inspiration from our honeymoon plans; a road trip across the West Coast of America and started collecting a bunch of blank vintage postcards featuring places we intended to visit on our trip. I sent these out with the invites and asked everyone to write their message and bring it along on the day. Of course I bought extras for those who, like me, would forget.


People included honeymoon suggestions, marriage advice, well-wishes and even thank you notes for being included in the day. The great people at the venue hung string across trellis and I bought the cutest little pegs from Ebay for the postcards to be hung up as if on a washing line. It looked effective and meant that guests could read each other’s notes. I also loved that everyone had enough time to really think about what they wanted to write and didn’t feel rushed on the day.

Matt Ethan Photography

At the end of the night I just unhooked the string and packed the whole line away. I’ve since stored them in a memory box at home but would now like to transfer them to an album that is more easily accessible, so that whenever I feel like I need a little reminder of the day it’s in easy reach.

Matt Ethan Photography

Who else had an original guest book idea? I’d love to hear about them.

Mini Baked Vanilla Cheesecakes

I don’t think I know of one person who doesn’t like cheesecake – more specifically, BAKED cheesecake- and these mini versions are a great crowd pleaser as they don’t require cutlery (unless you’re feeling extra posh) and are individually sized so you can make exactly as many as you require. I added raspberries as a topping but most berries would work nicely.

 

For the base:

100g digestive biscuits
50g ground almonds
50 g unsalted butter, melted

 

Filling:

400 g cream cheese, at room temperature
100 ml soured cream
100 g caster sugar
1 medium egg plus...
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp corn flour
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 punnet fresh raspberries

Method:

Blitz the biscuits in a food processor and add them to a separate bowl along with the almonds and melted butter. Mix everything together with a wooden spoon or spatula until you have a mixture that just about holds together.

Line a 12-hole muffin pan with cupcake cases and press a teaspoon full of the mixture in to the base of each one. Use the back of the spoon to smooth over each base, aiming for an even layer. Place in the fridge to set until the filling is prepared.

Preheat the oven to 160C/gas 3. Use a hand blender to mix the cream cheese, sour cream, caster sugar and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Once smooth, add the whole egg and then the yolk, mixing continuously. After a few minutes you will have a creamy, fluffy texture. Add the corn flour and use a large spoon or spatula to fold this in to the mixture. 

Ladle on top of the refrigerated bases (each one should be only ¾ full as they will puff up when baking). Place 2-3 raspberries in the middle of each one and place on a shelf in the middle of the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, or until they have puffed up and are beginning to colour. 

Remove from the oven and allow to cool a little before refrigerating. You will notice that they ‘relax’ a bit once cool so don’t worry, they haven’t had the dreaded curse of the shrinks! You can serve the cupcakes either in or out of their cases but if I think they look more impressive with the cases removed (especially if you took the time to make sure that the bases are even). One bonus is that you can keep them in their cases if you’re not happy with the layers and they still look appealing. 

Do you know of any other desserts that are great in miniature? Please comment and let me know.