British Summer-Time & Dining Al Fresco At Last!

 

British Summer-Time & Dining Al Fresco At Last!

Good Morning From Sunny London! I hope that everyone has had a good week - the weather has definitely taken a turn for the better! Well it's official - moving is horrid! I now can't find anything and have had to squeeze some Hove purchases into London as 19th century candelabra looked un petit peu outsize in the apartment! Still, we have done it and next time we move it will be for decades! The removal company broke our bed, which was upsetting for a few moments until I realised that this presented a shopping opportunity. I don't tend to get deterred by things that I cannot change - make lemonade I say and there's a 19th century, French, walnut bed out there somewhere with my name on it!

The Loo With A View

In exciting news, I have a new Loo! Sorry to discuss toilets over breakfast(!), but bitter experience has taught me that you really do get what you pay for with lavatories and the chain store (excuse the pun) models either break or are simply badly designed. In France I have a loo from Bell's in East Dulwich (a family-owned business started by the owner's grandfather in 1919) and it is the finest that I have ever sat upon so I returned to them for the same. Needless to say it has been discontinued, however I have chosen a classic, Victorian throne that is 6cm higher than the generic lavatory as, it was explained, that helps with posture! I must say that with with extra height and the gorgeous, soft-close mahogany seat I am reluctant to leave my lofty perch! There, I have officially over-shared! Now this w/e is a BIG one for two reasons, firstly because British summertime begins (Yay!) and secondly because (from Monday), we can meet friends and family in the garden (even bigger Yay!). And thus....... my themes for this week are the commencement of Summer & Outdoor Dining! For those of us that live in cities, light pollution really is an issue. Add to this the lighter mornings and it is both hard to get to sleep and not to wake up with the lark! We have plantation shutters which, although very beautiful and easy to clean, do not really block light that effectively. I had been considering blackout blinds however decided that rather than face the upheaval and expense I would try an eye mask first!

Shop Now - Mulberry Silk - Eye Mask - £11.00

It had to be silk (obviously!), so that it would not dry the skin around my eyes (mother nature needs no assistance in that department!) and black (or navy) for practicality. We have sourced the perfect Mulberry silk specimen that is light and soft and does the job spectacularly. I have been wearing for a week and it has worked a treat, so now I slumber soundly and do not wake at dawn! I was not sure that it would be comfortable but now forget that I have it on and it takes me a minute to realise why it is pitch black every morning! We have also found that the GD can now read in bed without disturbing me - although I have banned the laptop as can feel the vibrations of typing! If you have an issues with light in the bedroom - even if it's the moon! - I would highly recommend! And now for the great outdoors - well not so 'great' in my case. I was going to send you a picture of my back garden but I am too ashamed. I'm afraid that, once my lovely box hedges fell prey to the evil caterpillar invasion from Europe, I gave up and it now looks like a jungle with ivy and dead, brown bushes taking centre stage! But I am ready to do battle once more, as the Good Doctor is parenting this w/e - well not actually visiting but putting a lot of things in their garage for storage as all good children are wont to do!

Shop Now - Mrs White's - Everything in the Garden is Lovely - £15.00

I realise how very lucky we are to have some outside space and cannot wait to get some friends over for a glass of Champagne. Consequently I must wield the hedge trimmers, otherwise we will have no room to sit. I must also wash my gorgeous, punched-steel furniture from FERMOB in France - it was white but is currently green as covered in algae. We created our own product for this purpose - 'Mrs White's Everything In The Garden Is Lovely'. I don't like generic cleaners for garden furniture as there is often a toxic run-off and we have a lot of birds nesting again this year. Our product cuts through the grime with ease but is 100% natural and smells lovely too. With everything spick and span, the ivy corralled, and the dead bushes removed, I think a spot of replanting.  I have had the same Italianate design for many years so may splurge on some colour - we shall see.

Shop Now - Recipe Book - Barbecue Bible: Over 500 Recipes - £16.99

I shall be dusting off my BBQ Bible recipe book, which I bought a couple of years ago. It is by Steven Raichlen, know in the U.S as 'King Of The Grillers'( not the one's in the mist!). It really is the ultimate tome for al fresco dining, with over 500 recipes gathered from all around the world. While I do not eat meat, there are still plenty of things for vegetarians and I love the sauces and marinades in particular - they are fun to try out and then I use the best ones in the conventional oven during the winter. I am not even a third of the way through trying the recipes that have caught my eye.

Shop Now - Barbecue Set - 18 Piece Stainless Steel - £49.99

When cooking outdoors, one needs an array of tongs, skewers and other accoutrement that do not get used at any other time. I got so cross with these cluttering up my kitchen drawers that I determined to find a way to keep them separate and easy to store. This 18 piece set in stainless steel, is, in my opinion, the perfect BBQ companion. It has everything that one could possibly need and comes impressively presented in a very snazzy, stainless steel attaché case. I store mine in the cellar during winter, but it will slip under the bed or the cupboard under the stairs, garden shed, garage etc, out of the way until needed!

Shop Now - Leather Apron - Unisex - £99.00

Shop Now - Luxury French Linen Apron - £42.00

I will naturally be wearing my leather apron - it offers great protection when barbecuing, it looks the part and will cover the extra lbs acquired during lockdown! If something less bulky is preferred, then our French-Linen apron, in 'Petrol' or 'Pickle', is terribly chic.

Shop Now - Black Casserole Dish - From £35.00

I recently learned that one can use our casserole dishes on the BBQ which is amazing - in the oven , on the hob AND on the BBQ! This has opened up a whole world of possibilities, from keeping food warm to cooking with liquids. I am thinking that I can cook almost anything using this - from jambalaya to a delicious paella!  I am not a fan of the Burger & Bun school of outdoor dining - it has to be a lot more creative and interesting. If you would like one of these, please pop Lady Ange an email through and she will make a note as our delivery will not be for about 4 weeks due to all of the rain currently hitting  the island of Lombok  where they are made - the clay, consequently, is drying out very slowly this year!

Shop Now - Food Covers - Pears - Set of 3 - £17.95

Another new arrival next week will be these very stylish plate/dish food covers. The flies have hatched already and there's nothing more off-putting than seeing insects clambering over one's lunch - plus I love the pear print! These are great to pop on before and after serving lunch so that 'seconds' are safe from marauding fauna! They come in sets of three, for different sized plates/bowls.

Shop Now - Large Wine Cooler - 6 Bottles - From £78.00

We always use this wine/ champagne cooler when entertaining outdoors (it was for wine but the GD has discovered bubbles in a BIG way!). I know that we can only have a limited number of people to begin with, however it is surprising how many bottles get consumed as BBQ's tend to last for many hours and we have a lot to catch up on! I find breaking off conversations and/or trying to make sure that there are always full bottles around the garden quite irritating, so this baby ensures that six bottles are chilled to perfection..... and for now, this makes it one bottle each - perfect!! And finally - enjoy! This is the first glimpse of our nearest and dearest friends for over 3 months - how we have missed them - so push the boat out and make something special! I don't even care if it rains! Wishing you all a very happy summer and some delightful, garden soirées! Send me pictures! My best as always, Michaelx P.S. Our cotton/wool scarves are brilliant when outdoors at this time of year - they keep one toasty even if there's a chill in the air and, let's face it, last April was singular!

Shop Now - Cotton & Wool Mix Scarf -£20.00