Yoga at the shard

For Christmas my boyfriend gifted me a voucher for a yoga class at the shard. I got in to yoga last year, albeit only using online videos, but I'd really found it beneficial. Having been to only one class quite a few years ago (my one and only prior attempt at yoga classes) I was a bit apprehensive, but it turned out to be quite fun. 

I got there early so I was able to get a spot at the front with amazing views of London, which made the experience even better, especially as it was daylight when the class started and dusk was beginning to fall and the city was lighting up as it ended.

Making Ice Creams at Magnum Pleasure Store

The annual Magnum Pleasure store pop up is currently open and in July I went with my boyfriend to see if it lived up to the hype. We weren't disappointed! 

On arrival at the store the first thing you notice is shop windows which are filled with three giant ice creams in their special designer creations. 

Once inside there is a "look book" of ice creams from which you can choose one of the special creations or for £5.50 you can design your own. We picked the latter option and first up you pick whether you want your ice cream coated in milk, white or dark chocolate. 

Next you pick your toppings. I went for chocolate coated biscuit balls, fudge pieces and chocolate curls, finished with a white chocolate drizzle. My boyfriend went for candied lemon, crushed nuts and fudge pieces, topped with a dark chocolate drizzle. It's all finished off with a chocolate disc and then, after a quick photo of your creation in the ice cream 'insta booth' you can enjoy! 

I would recommend going along and trying it out before they close in September, it was a fun experience and they tasted even better than they looked!

New Boots from Bicester Village

Last week my mum and I had a girls' shopping trip to Bicester Village. I had been hoping to find a new pair of boots ready for Autumn for months after my favourite pair broke earlier this year and I couldn't believe my eyes when I found a pair in Ralph Lauren almost identical to my last pair that I had loved AND they were on sale! 

The RRP was £245 and they were on sale for £39.99. As if this wasn't already a bargain, I had also been emailed a 30% off voucher which I was able to use, meaning the boots were only £27.99! 

To get discount vouchers you just need to provide your email address when you shop in the outlet and then you get sent vouchers and offers.

Summer Food Markets

Over the summer I've caught a few of the weekend food markets across London. The first one I went to at the South Bank Centre had quite a buzz and a good variety of stalls, my favourite being a fresh coconut stall where you could quench your thirst with the water from a freshly sliced coconut and after you could get the coconut chopped open to eat. 

The second food market I went to was at Alexandra Palace. I was looking forward to this as it was advertised as a large food market with entertainment, but I was ultimately a little disappointed as it was smaller than I expected with less variety and it was overcrowded. That said, I did enjoy the food I ordered a lot, I had a burrito for lunch and a chocolate banana waffle. Sitting on Muswell Hill eating lunch and taking in the sights of the city definitely made the trek across London worth it. 

Most recently I went to the Victoria Park market. Again this market was not that big, but I found the variety of different food and the mix of food to eat there and products to take home good. I enjoyed a cheese and onion jam toastie with a refreshing berry juice drink and I purchased a couple of sweet treats from a stand called a pie party to take home. There was also a lady selling garden plants and as she was going on holiday the following week they were only £1.50, so I picked up a pretty Busy Lizzie bush plant for the balcony which I'm hoping to be able to overwinter. 

I'm keeping an eye out for any more food markets I can explore before the summer months are over.

Beautiful bouquets

There is nothing better than a fresh bouquet to brighten up a room and lift your mood. I often can't resist taking a photo of the beautiful bunches of flowers I occasionally treat myself to, it doesn't capture their beauty entirely but here are a few of my favourites:

Using up the courgette glut

The unusually warm, long summer has paved the way for glut of courgettes. This year I've stuck to growing my yellow courgette plants in containers, but even so, up until recently they were producing more courgettes than I could keep up with. At first I was roasting courgette slices to add to dinners and vegetable skewers when we had barbecues, but after looking on line for some inspiration a few recipes caught my eye.

The first one I tried was courgette, potato and cheddar soup. This recipe was so simple and quick to make. I peeled one large potatoe and chopped it into cubes and added it to a pan with enough water to cover the potatoes. I crumbled in a stock cube and left it to simmer for five minutes before adding about 4 medium courgettes, again chopped into cubes. I let it simmer for a further 5 minutes before added a bunch of finely chopped spring onions and letting it simmer for a final 5 minutes.

Once cooked through, I removed the soup from the heat and added a small handful of grated cheddar cheese and mixed it, before blending it into a smooth soup. 

I added a sprinkle of grated cheese and a couple of spring onions on top to serve. It tasted so good! I thought the combination could be a little bland but the flavours all worked together to make a nutritious and filling soup. I've made this a few times since as an easy way to use up a growing stock of courgettes and I particularly like using yellow courgettes as ithe bright colours give it a nice summer feel. 

The next recipe I was keen to try was for courgette cake. For this I found an American recipe online and converted all of the measurements to make a loaf cake. I was surprised by the flavour of courgette cake, having never tried it before, it was very light and almost floral. The cake was a hit and I've made it a couple of times since.

Finally I wanted to try making courgette fritters, as I'd bought them ready made a couple of years ago from a supermarket and really enjoyed them. They are so simple to make! You just need a bowl of milk and a bowl of plain flour to start. Cut the courgettes into batons, dip them in milk and coat them in the flour before frying them. 

These were a hit too, simple and quick to make and a great accompaniment to summer dishes. The courgette plants have slowed down a lot now so I don't think there will be too many more to pick before the end of the season, but hopefully there'll be enough for another cake or batch of soup!

Mayfield Lavender Fields

Last week I went to Mayfield Lavender fields, which is just outside of London. I had read about the fields last year, but they are only open for a short period between June and September before the flowers are harvested and I couldn't get there in time.

I read online that due to the prolonged heatwave the harvesting was likely to take place sooner this year as the flowers were starting to fade earlier than usual, so I decided to go as soon as I could. 

As soon as you arrive type are engulfed in the most relaxing lavender fragrance and you look out over a see of purple. As I walked around I noticed how relaxed and calm I felt and how tranquil the setting was. There were hundreds of bees flying around but they were focused on collecting pollen and didn't seem to bother anyone. 

After walking around, taking in the beautiful scenery and of course taking plenty of photos, we stopped in the cafe for a snack and I called in to the gift shop for some lavender bags to put in my wardrobe to hopefully deter moths as well as a couple of tasty treats. 

It was a lovely morning and I could have stayed longer, especially on such a lovely summer's day and I would definitely recommend as visit.