trying for sighs: summer

Showing posts with label summer. Show all posts

Monday, 22 June 2015

make the most of seasonal fruits

Day 22 of my '90 days of summer 2015' posts; make the most of seasonal fruits. Don't strawberries just taste utterly heavenly at this time of the year? Delicious on their own, with cream or yoghurt. Our fridge is always full of berries; I put them on my breakfast, have them as a snack or as a dessert after a meal.

How do you eat yours?

breakfast outdoors

Day 21 of my '90 days of summer 2015' posts; breakfast outdoors. This is definitely one of my summer loves. I love eating breakfast outdoors and taking the time to relax and enjoy every minute. I think this is such a great start to the day and I wish I could start everyday like this, but unfortunately the weather lets us down on a regular basis.

Coffee, croissants and jam; what could be better!

Friday, 19 June 2015

have a picnic in the park

Day 19 of my '90 days of summer 2015' posts; have a picnic in the park. I think this has to be my favourite thing about summer. I love picnics and enjoy choosing different locations to have them in. Last year, we had them in some spectacular places and hope to do the same again this year.

It's great to be outdoors enjoying the fresh air; so good for the soul.

Have a great weekend lovelies!

Wednesday, 17 June 2015

burger and a beer

Day 17 of my '90 days of summer' posts; burger and a beer. In our house, summer means it's burger season. I just love a good, juicy burger with homemade wedges and washed down with an ice, cold beer.

Monday, 15 June 2015

enjoy a pitcher of pimms

Day 15 of my '90 days of summer' posts; enjoy a pitcher of Pimms. On a lovely, summers day while lazing on the garden, there is nothing better than sharing a refreshing pitcher of Pimms.

It's so delightfully sweet, so refreshing and tastes great with summer fruits. The perfect summer drink!

Sunday, 14 June 2015

make lemon curd

Day 14 of my '90 days of summer' posts; make lemon curd. I just love the fresh, zingy taste of homemade lemon curd. Apart from it being incredibly simple and quick to make, it is utterly heavenly. All you need is a spoon or some hot, buttered toast.

My favourite tried and tasted many times recipe is on the BBC food website here. Sunshine food at its best.

Saturday, 6 June 2015

visit a botanical gardens

Day 6 of my '90 days of summer' posts; visit a botanical gardens. The botanical gardens in Sheffield are a hidden gem not far from the city centre. In fact, it's so peaceful and quiet, it's hard to believe you are anywhere near a built up area at all. We spend a lot of time here all year round but it is particularly beautiful at this time of year.

There are so many places to sit and read, eat a picnic, chat to friends and admire the view. If it's a cold day, there is a little tea room that sells hot chocolate and in the summer it's all about ice cream. There are so many varieties of plants and flowers and the rose garden is just beautiful.

What better way to spend an evening after work or a weekend afternoon.

Of course, we always have a picnic with us! At this time of year, the picnic baskets are always packed and ready so that if we decide on impulse to pop over here, we are set to go.

Have a great day lovelies.

Thursday, 4 June 2015

make a summer soundtrack

Day 4 of my '90 days of summer' posts; make a summer soundtrack. Feel free to join in with me on Instagram.

There is nothing I love more than coming home from work, pouring myself a glass of wine and putting on some tunes. At this time of the year, I throw open my French doors, sit in the garden and enjoy the summer sounds.

Here are my essential songs for summer:

Olly Murs - Dance with me Tonight

Calvin Harris - Feel so Close

Tape Five - Tequila

Naughty Boy feat Sam Smith - La la la

The Wanted - Chasing the Sun

Taylor Swift - Shake it Off

Tape Five - Bad boy Good man

Lou Bega - Mambo No 5

Pharell Williams - Happy

Shakira - Hips Don't Lie

Black Eyed Peas - I Gotta Feeling

Jennifer Lopez - On the Floor

Paolo Nutini - 10/10

What summer songs are on your playlist?

Have a great day lovelies.

Wednesday, 3 June 2015

make ice cream

Day 3 of my '90 days of summer' posts; make ice cream. Anyone that knows me knows how much I love ice cream. You can guarantee at the first sign of sunshine, I'm eating ice cream. It's the one thing I eat the most of at this time of year.

I fancied making my own but as I've never made ice cream before I wanted to find a recipe that looked easy and tasty. I found it! This Nigel Slater recipe is not just simple to do, it has to be the most flavoursome ice cream I've ever had. If you like marmalade and dark chocolate, you are going to love this.

Go on and give it a try; you won't be disappointed!

Have a great day lovelies

Tuesday, 2 June 2015

visit a historical place

Day 2 of my '90 days of summer posts; visit a historical place. We always like to visit places with history whenever we can, but especially in the summer when it is warmer. It's fun to learn about new places, explore and try new delicacies. This weekend we visited the beautiful city of Lincoln, a place I never get bored of, to look round the castle and its surroundings.

This is Lincoln cathedral. How majestic it looks and can be seen for miles around. I cannot stress how awesome this building is. It stands 83 metres tall and dates back to the 11th century. It never fails to impress me with its grandeur and poise and its overwhelming presence. I could quite happily stand and stare at it for hours. This is the cathedral that was used in the Tom Hanks film The Da Vinci Code.

We didn't realise when we set out for the day that the city was holding a 1940's weekend which was such a lovely surprise. I loved every minute of the day, seeing the city decorated for the occasion, people dressed up in 1940's outfits and a fly past by a 1940's Dakota plane.

Steep hill is so named because of the gradient of the hill and can be difficult to climb up and down. You normally see people having a rest halfway up, but there are lots of lovely coffee shops to stop in and have coffee and cake or afternoon tea.

Everyone was so lovely and friendly and quite happy for us to take pictures of them. I think they all look wonderful and they all looked like they were having so much fun.

This is the view we had while eating our picnic lunch; one of my favourite places to sit and people watch. Today we saw a lovely wedding being photographed and people dressed up in their 1940's finery.

The castle was constructed in the 11th century by William the Conqueror and is still used today as the Crown Court. You can walk around the walls which provide a magnificent view of the cathedral, the city and the surrounding countryside.

I highly recommend a day trip or a weekend visit to Lincoln especially if you manage to see an event like this while you are there. Who knows; next year you might see me dressed up too!

Have a great day lovelies.

Sunday, 31 May 2015

make the most of june - bucket list

click on image for larger printable

June just happens to be my favourite month of the year as it is my birthday month so I am very pleased to see it arrive. I am still a child at heart when it comes to birthdays. Over excited is probably the best way to describe my behaviour on the day.

I love to celebrate with family and friends with delicious cupcakes from my favourite bakery. Weather permitting we will be visiting 'my happy place by the sea' so I can feel the sand between my toes.

As it's tennis season, I will be digging the tennis rackets out for a few games. Steve and I actually get quite competitive with each other. It must be quite funny to watch, there's me throwing tantrums if Steve says the ball is out and him running round the court at top speed trying to reach every ball I hit.

I gradually keep buying bits for our wedding and this month I am determined to find my perfect pair of shoes for the day. Unfortunately I have quite big feet so I expect this will be a challenge, as I struggle to find heeled shoes to fit. My toes always end up poking out at the end and as you can imagine that is not a good look!

What plans do you have for June?

It's hard to believe that we are nearly half way through the year already. I am looking back thinking, 'Where has the time gone and what have I got to show for it?'

So, I thought, 'Hey girl.... do something you would never think of doing, like going on that roller coaster or water slide you were always scared to go on. This summer, act crazy and don't care what anyone thinks; live each day like it's your last because, before you know it, it will be over. Make this summer the best and live it without regrets'.

So, I have set myself a challenge to find 90 fun things to do this summer and post about each one. As I work full time, each fun thing won't always be posted on the day I do it, but I aim to do all 90 this summer. Look out for my first post tomorrow.

Feel free to join in with me on Instagram #90daysofsummer2015.

Monday, 25 May 2015

ten things i love about summer

Summer, time for picnics on the beach, splashing in the waves, sunbathing, ice creams, barbecues, lighter evenings and dining outside with family and friends.

Waking up to the birds singing, sunlight flooding through the blinds and warmth just makes us all feel happier; right? Doesn't life feel better at this time of year!

Here are my top ten things I love about summer:

iced coffee

recipe here

the sound of waves

summer cocktails

eating outside

recipe here

wildflowers

picnics in gorgeous places

see post here

summer salads

recipe here

sand between my toes

getting lost in a book for an afternoon

ice cream

What are your favourite things about summer? Have a great day lovelies.

Monday, 18 May 2015

baked feta salad with pitta crisps

This delicious dish always reminds me of hot, leisurely days on the beach in Greece. When I am in Greece, I have to indulge in a Greek salad at least once a day. It's perfect for lunch or a light bite and the added extra of pitta crisps finish it off nicely.

Tasty, healthy and quick and easy to prepare. A delightful taste of summer.

Ingredients

200g feta cheese

1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

1 red chilli (deseeded and finely chopped)

1 clove garlic (finely sliced)

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

for the salad

1 green pepper (deseeded and sliced)

1/2 cucumber (halved and sliced)

160g baby plum tomatoes (halved)

1/2 red onion (sliced)

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

1/2 tsp dried oregano

for pitta crisps

3 white pittas (torn into pieces)

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method

To make the crisps, put the torn pittas on a baking tray and drizzle with the oil. Bake in a preheated oven for 15 minutes at 200 C.
Place feta in a small dish and scatter over the thyme, chilli and garlic.
Drizzle with the oil and bake for 10 minutes.
Toss the salad ingredients in a bowl and top with the feta.
Serve with the pitta crisps.

Have a great week lovelies.

Monday, 22 September 2014

summer memories

Sharing some photos with you of what we got up to over the summer. It seems so long ago now! So many lovely memories. We had a gorgeous week in beautiful Dorset, picnicking, sunbathing, sightseeing and relaxing. Incredibly beautiful!

Lulworth Cove, a short walk from Durdle Door

Durdle Door

Cute cottages, stunning views and beautiful beaches

What a wonderful week we had!

We also went on a little road trip to a beautiful part of North Yorkshire called Malham. This view was from the top of Malham cove, four hundred steps up! Well worth the climb.

Sun, gorgeous views and food. Doesn't get much better than this for me.

We walked four miles the first day and seven and a half the next! Spectacular scenery everywhere we looked.

Stone walled pastures

No summer is complete for me without a day trip to my happy place, Scarborough. Beautiful weather, an empty beach and a picnic. Perfect!

Looking forward to Autumn though with the smell of logs on the wood burner, cosy nights in, pumpkins, candles and chunky scarfs. Every season has a reason to be loved.

Have a great week lovelies.

Happy Book

Monday, 22 June 2015

Friday, 19 June 2015

Wednesday, 17 June 2015

Monday, 15 June 2015

Sunday, 14 June 2015

Saturday, 6 June 2015

Thursday, 4 June 2015

Wednesday, 3 June 2015

Tuesday, 2 June 2015

Sunday, 31 May 2015

Monday, 25 May 2015

Monday, 18 May 2015

Monday, 22 September 2014