A Sneak Peek of What's To Come

I hadn't planned to say anything until everything was in its proper place (these things always take longer than expected), but I can't wait any longer - I'm going to let you in on what I've been up to recently with Buttercup days.

Buttercup days will start to subtly change its focus becoming more refined in its content. Specialising in food is the most natural (and obvious) path for it to take. More often than not my posts are food related and my growing portfolio of freelance writing has also channelled itself into food. The over all identity and familiarities of the blog will remain and there will still be a smattering of ad-hoc posts that sit comfortably with the elements of Buttercup days that focus on family, occasion and nostalgia. The changes in content will be delicate, and possibly had you not read this post, you would be non the wiser. However, what I hope you will notice within the next month or so is the new look that Buttercup days will be donning. There will be a brand new logo and an altogether cleaner look which will allow the images to stand out proud.

Imagery is the other area of the blog that I am currently tackling. Until now I took images using either my phone or a rather dated camera that we used for holiday snaps. Both options, it is fair to say, had their limitations. So, I bit the bullet and bought myself a 'proper' professional camera on Ebay and recently undertook a crash course in food photography with the talented Brighton photographer Emma Lucy, who has shot some of my work in the past for magazines. I am now just practising at every given opportunity and honing any underlying photography skills I may have hidden somewhere. It will no doubt be a work-in-progress. The images on this post are from that first shoot. I'd like to say a huge thank you to both Emma for setting me on my way and to Keep It Vintage for the loan of all the lovely props.

P.S. I will be running the photographed recipes over the coming weeks: pineapple upside down cake with honey & pistachios | rhubarb french toast | fig & goats cheese salad.

Milan, You Were Really Something

 

It's now day two back at home since our trip, yet my head in still in Milan. I'm not quite back to reality just yet. It was a wonderful city; one that we only had a quick taste of, but wow it certainly delivered all the expectations we went out there with. It was charming, elegant, stylish and full of history. Those shutters and ornate balconies gave even the most unremarkable streets character and history. 

As I mentioned in my previous post, we were staying at an apartment that belongs to friends who were out of the country. The apartment was stunning: it wouldn't have looked out of place in Elle Decor Italia magazine. It was vast and included, much to Lily and Arthur's delight, a playroom complete with an extensive children's DVD library. The living room had three floor-to-ceiling windows that opened out onto balconies from which we could people watch down on the street below (we were on the 3rd floor). We were well and truly in the thick of the city: the best place to be.

For the first few days, David was working during the day and evening time at the various design events dotted around the city. All was productive and enjoyable. So during those days the kids and I stayed local, finding our feet (and the local bakers and ice cream parlour). The food was a highlight for me. The breads were amazing: perfect ciabatta, wonderful cheese stuffed focaccia and the best pizza. The local supermarket was really something too - I've never seen such an array of fresh vegetables and there were two aisles dedicated to cheese alone. It wasn't a specialist or expensive shop, just the local supermarket. I just wanted to stay longer so I could continue to shop and cook.

The only tainted part of our trip was when Arthur came down with a sudden sickness bug (we were in the Science Museum at the time!). He was quite poorly for a couple of days so we were apartment bound. It was little frustrating as it meant we couldn't see all we had planned to, but he shook it off quickly and was back in the ice cream parlour before our trip was out. Below are a few snaps of our trip. They're pretty random, due to the fact that I forgot to take my camera battery charger (or spare battery) and it ran out of juice on day two. So the phone camera had to step in and do its best. If you ever get the chance to visit this beautiful city, grab it with both hands.

Next Week: Milan.

We're off to Milan next week for seven days. I'm feeling quite excited, if a little unprepared. We only decided to go a couple of months ago. Normally, any trips we take are booked well in advance. The main reason for this trip is work. Milan is home to the world's biggest furniture fair, Salone Internazionale del Mobile - think a kind of 'Milan Fashion Week' for furniture and interiors. As well as the main event, there are countless satellite events throughout the cities various districts. 

It is our first trip to Milan, indeed our first trip to Italy. We toyed with making the trip alone, which would obviously make 'business' sense. We toyed with David making the trip on his own, while I stayed behind with the kids. To be honest I wasn't overly comfortable or happy with either option. The decision we finally settled upon was for us both to go with the kids in toe. This means that I won't really be able to do the business stuff. David will spend the first 48hrs of our trip attending the exhibitions and events during the day and the launch parties in the evenings. Once work has had its 48hrs or so, we can do stuff as a family. 

The real coup of this trip is that we're going to staying at my friend Sarah's city centre apartment. She moved to Milan with her husband and two young daughters just over a year ago, due to her husbands job. Since settling in her new city, Sarah has given us an open invite to visit. We all knew that the ideal time for our visit would be now. But, would you believe this; we will only see Sarah for a mere morning as she is coming back to the UK for her sisters wedding and will return to Milan the day after we leave. What bad timing! 

So, while David hangs out with the design world's movers and shakers in chic city spots, I will be exploring what cultural treats the city has to offer with Lily, Arthur, my terrible sense of direction and Sarah's recommendations. I speak no Italian, but am pretty good and communicating with gesture and expression, which will hopefully be enough to get us by. We will jump on the metro or travel by tram and get 'inside' the city. Lily wants to find the best Pesto Pasta and Arthur will be more than happy to try out the ice cream parlours. I just want to visit the food and flea markets, shop in the supermarket and people watch from an outdoor cafe, cappuccino in hand. As for the evenings, I'll happily give the swanky parties and bars a miss for a glass of wine on my friends couch reading through the pile of books that I will take with me. I'm happy with the simple life whichever city I happen to be in.

No doubt, I will come home with something to share on the blog, but until then, Ciao. x

Apricot & Almond Pastries

Over the long Easter weekend, I made time to try out a few new recipes: after all it was way too cold to go out. For the second year running I made my own Hot Cross Buns - both a traditional fruit and chocolate chip version. They knock the socks off the shop bought ones I can tell you. They are, and will always be, part of my Easter baking ritual now. 

I also made these Apricot & Almond Pastries. They were super quick and easy to make. Dredged with a little icing sugar and boxed up in a cushion of coloured tissue paper, they made a nice little gift for the friends we visited on Easter Sunday. The recipe comes from my favourite magazine 'The Simple Things'. I love each and every page of it: it is as if a magazine has be written for me! I like to call it my Monocole Magazine.

Apricot & Almond Pastries

1 pack of ready rolled puff pastry

125g apricot jam

Extra apricot jam for brushing

55g ground almonds

2 tbsp sugar

10g softened butter

Preheat the oven to 200C (180 fan), 400F, gas 6. 

Using a 9am cutter, cut out circles from the pastry. I managed to get 12. Place the pastry discs onto a couple of baking sheets lined with non-stick baking paper. Prick all over with a fork.

To make the frangipane mix, combine the ground almonds, sugar and butter in a bowl. Press a teaspoon or two into the centre of each pastry disc and then top with a couple of teaspoons of apricot jam.

Gently warm through a couple of dessert spoons of the apricot jam in a small pan and brush the warmed jam over each of the pastries.

Bake in the oven for 12 - 15 mins, or until golden.

Allow to cool on the tray for a few minutes and then carefully move to a wire rack. Dredge with a little icing sugar should you so desire. 

Perfect to have with your morning coffee.

The Birthday Cake Recipe

Following my last post about Lily's birthday celebrations, I've had a few requests for the birthday cake recipe.

One such request came from my friend Sarah who now lives with her husband and little boy in California. We go back a long way, first having meet at Art school (Sarah was in the year below me, but we were on the same Fashion Promotion & Illustration degree course). My first job on graduating was working for the then newly relaunched fashion label Biba. I had an 'untitled' creative role that involved all manner of things, including sorting out the promotional imagery for the said season's collection. 

I remember holding a fashion shoot in the hallway of my old house, using Sarah as my model (she was, and still is stunning). At the time, the house (which had previously belonged to my grandparents and still featured much of their decor) had the most amazing metallic blueish/silver wallpaper in the hallway which we used as a backdrop for the shoot. This wallpaper, which I'm pretty sure had been around longer than me, had a certain air of vintage glamour about it thus providing the perfect, if rather unconventional, shoot location. 

The amateurness of it all makes me laugh now: the label has changed ownership over the years and is nowadays sold through House of Fraser. Their glossy advertising campaigns feature celebrity models of the moment such as Daisy Lowe and are shot by serious fashion photographers. How times have changed! 

Mine and Sarah's paths crossed once again, when we both worked for Urban Outfitters during their UK launch. But today, despite our distance, the wonders of social media has allowed us to keep up-to-date with each others life. Sarah is a longtime follower of Buttercup days, so I can only but oblige with the sharing of this recipe. So from Brighton to Santa Monica, here is that recipe for Rose & Almond Cake.

For the sponge:

225g butter, softened

225g caster sugar

2 tbsp distilled rose water

2 tsp almond essence

4 medium eggs, beaten

60g plain flour

225g ground almonds

3 tbsp milk

For the lemon butter icing:

150g butter, softened

115g icing sugar, sifted

Juice and zest of a lemon

For the rose icing:

1 tbsp distilled rose water

1 tbsp lemon juice

140g icing sugar, sifted

Rose petals to decorate

Preheat the oven to 200C / GM6. Lightly oil two 18cm-wide Victoria sandwich tins. Line their bases with baking paper.

Beat the butter and sugar, until pale and fluffy. Gradually beat in the rose water, almond essence and a quarter of the eggs, until throughly combined. Beat in the flour and remaining eggs, then mix in the almonds and milk.

Divide the mixture equally between the two tins. Bake for 20 mins, or until risen and golden. Press the sponge lightly with your fingertip - if done, it should bounce back. Transfer the cakes to a wire rack and cool completely.

To make the butter icing, beat together the butter, icing sugar, lemon zest and 2 and a half tbsp of lemon juice. Spread over one of the sponges and top with the other, best side up.

For the icing, stir the rose water and lemon juice into the icing sugar until thick and smooth. Spread over the top of the cake, allowing a little to drizzle down the sides. Finally just before the icing sets scatter with rose petals.

Eight

This weekend Lily had her eighth birthday. She'd been counting the days since the Christmas decorations came down. Some weeks ago, I struck up conversation about her birthday, asking her what she might like to do. Her response was 'I'd like a birthday surprise'. Good. I like arranging surprises. She'd also muttered something about quite liking the idea of a party, but reluctantly felt that, at eight, she would be rather too old for that sort of thing.

Anyway, needless to say I started scheming, plotting and planning. The result of which was the most wonderful surprise. A total surprise. I invited 8 of her closest girl-friends, a mix of life-long and newer friends, over for lunch without Lily knowing. 

I made pizza's - plenty of them and served Birthday cake and ice-cream for pudding (for those interested, her cake this year was a Rose & Almond Cake - really delicious with a taste that reminded me of Battenburg cake).

I made each guest (Arthur had a boy-ish variation) a crepe paper flower tiara (as seen on Oh Happy Day), and dressed the table with place names, grown up cutlery & china and jam jars full of fresh spring flowers. It could have been a wedding reception! Needless to say 'the look' and the crazy effort that went into it wasn't lost on a bunch of eight year-old girl's - they simply loved it!

While I was busy setting everything up, David had taken Lily to work for an hour, by the time she came home all her guests were ready, waiting and hiding behind the sofa ready to jump out and  'Surprise!' her. Lily's face was a picture. She stood speechless, beaming ear to ear, then after a moment or two very calmly and matter-of-factly said 'Hello'.

After Pizza, cake and a play each guest left with their pretty hair piece and a party bag and Lily sat down and drew breath.

On Sunday, her actual birthday, we had a day at home (plans to go out were cancelled due to the bad weather), Her uncle, aunt and cousin came over (another surprise) and we had a 'Lily style lunch' of Pesto Pasta and Chocolate Brownies.

A perfect weekend for the perfect little girl.

Where I Am, Right Now.

Almost a month has passed without as much as a short & sweet post on this blog. There has been no shortage of topics I could have shared with you: there have been birthday's, Mother's day and a very busy March so far, but I have held myself back allowing the opportunities to bypass this blog. The reason though is a very good one. 

For the last few months now I have been thinking and trying to work out exactly where I am going with Buttercup days. In fact it is more than that, I've been trying to work out what I want to do creatively going forward. Arthur starts school at the end of the summer and for the first time in eight years my weekdays won't be child centred (until 3.15pm) as they have been. It's a shift: a move into the next phase.

Alongside parenting and working for the business, the last four years have seen me writing my own blogs (Buttercup days is my second one) and writing for other blogs and magazines. The core of what I write about stems from cooking - something else I've done more of during the last four years than ever before.

So, I've taken these last four years and am busy working at transforming my experiences into a next phase for Buttercup days, one with a bit of longevity I hope. I need to invest time in learning a few new skills in order to move forward, so please do bear with me over the coming months if the posts become few and far between at times. Hopefully you will see the results over the coming months as this blog smartens up somewhat and gains a focus. I, for one, am rather excited.