Nothing welcomes in the weekend better than after work drinks followed by a Friday evening dinner reservation. And in honour of my favourite day of the week, I wore this fun pair of flared pants with these cute ruffle mules.
Keeping it local, we went to a nearby pub The Crown and Cushion for drinks and dinner. I had a delicious cajun salmon served on a bed of salad, cherry tomatoes, beetroot, olives and sour cream dip, whilst my boyfriend went for his usual rack of ribs and chips, a failsafe classic.
After our dinner date we continued into town for a few more drinks with friends. We even hit the club until the early hours…I don’t think I’ll ever be too old for throwing shapes in the club!
Whilst Friday 13th is seen as unlucky for some, my two best friends went against the odds and chose Friday 13th August 2021 to tie the knot. With ongoing Covid restrictions forcing them to reschedule three times, this date was a long time coming in the diary and it sure didn’t disappoint as we were treated to the most fabulous of Wedding celebrations.
The stunning bride was absolutely breathtaking alongside her beautiful bridesmaids and gorgeous bouquet arrangements featuring one of my favourite flowers, Gypsophilas. The excitement and anticipation in the air made for a buzzing atmosphere and happy smiles all around and all day long.
After capturing that token confetti throwing shot, we waved off the newlyweds in their Rolls-Royce followed by the bridesmaids loving life in their super cool VW camper van!
At Tylney Hall we were greeted with bubbles and canapés on the terrace over looking the picturesque grounds, perfect for photo opportunities with my favourite girls.
It was a truly idyllic setting as the live acoustic musicians played and we sipped our bubbly savouring the moment.
What a joy it was to be back in the company of so many old friends from school and sharing such a special day together amongst the most beautiful backdrop of Tylney Hall.
Soon we were ushered to the Wedding Breakfast where we could finally give our feet a rest and indulge in a delicious three course meal.
Everything was just exquisite and every detail thought out and perfectly executed. The day went far too quickly and once we got on the dance floor, the night ran away with us as we had the time of our lives celebrating together like we were teenagers again!
Thank you Jess and Ryan for pulling off a truly magnificent day and wishing you both a lifetime of happiness together ❤
Happy sunny Sunday babes! It’s a scorcher of a weekend here in the UK so I’m taking a little break from the sun and doing some recipe testing. In fact, this can hardly be called a recipe when it literally uses only one ingredient – cashews!
It’s so hard to find a good quality, creamy cashew butter in the supermarket, so I prefer to make my own to achieve that desirable, silky smooth consistency.
Simply roast a batch of raw cashews for 10 minutes and let them cool, before transferring to a blender and whipping them up. It does take quite a bit of blending and mixing, but it’s super satisfying to see the cashews transform from powder, to a sort of dough until finally becoming nut butter.
I’ve always used my Magic Bullet blender which does the job for small batches like this, I just make sure to let it cool a little every so often to avoid over-heating.
My personal preference is to add a generous pinch of salt to my cashew butter to bring out that delicious roasted nut taste, but this is of course optional.
Super simple, cheap and healthy home made cashew butter perfect for drizzling on porridge, dipping apple slices into or even spooning straight from the jar – delish!
It doesn’t get much better than a boozy brunch on a Saturday arvo with the girls. With it being one of our besties birthdays this weekend too, it was the perfect excuse to book in for a table at Grind in London Bridge and let the boozy brunch commence…
Grind has always been my favourite cafe spot in town to grab a good coffee or nice evening cocktails with the ladies. Knowing how great their food is too, I had high hopes for their bottomless brunch deal at £15 per head free flowing prosecco for a whole 90 minutes! They even have the proper champagne coupe glasses which really is the only way bubbly should be served.
Arriving at 2pm for our reservation, the place was already buzzing as everyone was getting merry on bubbly. In fact, the general atmosphere in London was electric as the nation geared up for the England football match taking place that night. It was great to see the city alive again and people just having a good time following lockdown life.
Service was fabulous at Grind and the food delicious. I had their sweet potato harissa cakes served with yogurt and a poached egg cooked to perfection. The girls enjoyed theirs too and I just had to have a taste of my friend’s buttermilk pancakes which were divine.
The hour and a half sure did go quickly, but we certainly did make the most of our prosecco top-ups, my glass was never less than half full! So then we enjoyed a sobering walk along the South Bank via a quick stop at Borough Market where the birthday girl got a box of free doughnuts 😉
We ended our evening at an outdoor pop-up on South Bank Between the Bridges where there was live music, food trucks and more booze of course. The warm summer air made for the ideal setting to enjoy outdoor sundowner drinks.
I would highly recommend the Grind bottomless brunch and will most definitely be booking in again soon myself. Overall a top day back in London Town having fun and getting boozy with my besties ❤
Al fresco dining is always such a wonderful luxury this time of year, so I’ll always opt for a table outside at the pub when the sun does decide to show up here in the UK. Whilst I do love a classic English pub garden, nothing quite beats a good view and a spot over looking the water.
One of the best destinations in the Hampshire area for a beautiful backdrop has to be Heron on the Lake in Fleet. Their outdoor terrace right on the water is stunning and made for the perfect Friday night dinner date this week. The atmosphere was buzzing as the pub filled up with locals winding down after the working week and the late summer sun slowly set over the lake. I enjoyed a few glasses of vino with my boyfriend and we had a delicious dinner with top service from our waiter too. I had the summer salad containing a mix of asparagus, cucumber ribbons, peas, radish, pomegranate seeds, green leaves, a lemongrass dressing and a chargrilled chicken breast on top. Light and delicate with a fresh assortment of seasonal vegetables, this was an exquisite dish.
We continued to enjoy our drinks whilst taking in that beautiful view and soaking up the social atmosphere once more. It sure does feel good to be wining and dining again, the way a Friday night should be spent.
Happy Sunday Babes! Coming at you today with a healthy, super quick salad idea to pack in those vitamins and glow up ready for summertime. The secret to making nourish bowls is to simply pack them full of colourful veggies and bulk them out with those dark leafy greens. Pick a grain such as couscous, rice or quinoa and ensure to include a protein source whether that’s chicken, fish, tofu or even a soft boiled egg. This week I tried out these Tofu Co sweet chilli bites which were delicious, but I would suggest trying falafel and crumbled feta for a Mediterranean twist. Complete your bowl with a sprinkling of seeds and finally any dips and sauces you fancy. I often opt for a tex mex dip selection when I’m in the mood for Mexican, or humous and balsamic dressing to accompany falafels. Basically, throw together a combo of all your favourite flavours and don’t skimp on those veggies for the ultimate nourish bowl full of goodness 🙂
With a mini heatwave hitting England this weekend, it was the perfect excuse to fire up that BBQ and invite our parents to enjoy an evening of good food and drinks with us as the sun went down.
Our garden is finally complete with fabulous bamboo trees and our gorgeous new outdoor furniture. The luscious green grass was looking glorious in that sunshine, the most picturesque setup for our BBQ.
We kept the menu simple with burgers, chicken skewers and chicken thighs accompanied with a green salad, a greek salad, garlic bread and my speciality crispy roast new potatoes with garlic.
For our feast I laid up the dining room table complete with a tray of condiments and all the essential sauces which are a staple for any typical British BBQ.
It was such a joy to be host for the evening and finally be able to invite others into our home following lockdown restrictions. I do love the process of planning, preparing and seeing people having a good time, so I was in my element.
A beautiful summers evening with family in our wonderful new home; I was a happy Bee indeed 🙂
I sure have missed getting all dolled up and going out for cocktails during lockdown, so with my favourite bar at The Aviator Hotel over in Farnborough finally reopening, I had to make reservations asap!
Whether it’s sophisticated date night drinks with your other half or a glam evening with the girls, Sky Bar at The Aviator Hotel is the ultimate destination for exquisite cocktails paired with that cosmopolitan atmosphere right here in Hampshire.
With our gift voucher for Champagne Afternoon Tea for two from Christmas time, it was the perfect excuse for me and the boyfriend to spend an entire afternoon indulging in drinks and delicious treats.
I opted for a cute leopard print mini skirt, white square neck top and thigh high black booties; simple yet sexy and glamorous ready for cocktails later!
Upon arrival we were served our glass of champagne each soon followed by the delectable array of beautifully presented mini sandwiches and sweet deserts. The highlight for me was the cheesecake style jam filled bite which tasted like Eton Mess – Yum!
To follow we had English breakfast tea served in little gold Moroccan style teapots to accompany the freshly baked scones with clotted cream and jam. I’m not usually one for so many carbs all at once, but this was a special occasion and simply irresistible.
A few hours passed and it was finally time to order those cocktails. Sky Bar has such an assortment of weird and wonderful cocktails, it’s always so hard to make a decision. I settled on a spicy ginger beer with chilli garnish martini style tipple, whilst my boyfriend had his favourite rum infused passionfruit concoction.
On the whole a truly fabulous and indulgent afternoon prowling around back in my natural habitat at Sky Bar once again!
As I get back into the swing of full-time work again and we can finally socialise once more, I was truly feeling those Friday high vibes as my second week back to work came to a close.
No messing about, I was at the pub by 6pm with a drink in hand and ready for an overdue catchup with my girls. The place was buzzing and it was amazing to get a taste of normal life again!
I opted to go back to black for my Friday night look. Simple, classic and sexy, you just can’t go wrong in all black everything.
A few hours later and a couple glasses of wine down, it was time to go for dinner with my boyfriend. We went to another one of our favourite pubs ‘The Crown and Cushion’, funnily enough the last place we ate out at during Christmas before this lockdown!
This pub does my boyfriend’s favourite ribs in the area, so it was a must to visit as soon as restaurant dining opened back up. I got a chicken caesar salad and sweet potato fries accompanied with more vino of course…
Then to finish I simply couldn’t resist my guilty pleasure, an Espresso Martini. Coffee, sugar and alcohol all in one, I really have missed the dark temptation of my favourite night-cap. Bring on the Friyay feels ❤
As the weather here in the UK took a rather miserable turn this weekend, the idea of sitting outside in the blustering winds at a local pub wasn’t the most enticing of ways to spend our Saturday evening. So instead we decided to bring date night to us and enjoy the comfort of our beautiful new dining room with a romantic candle lit dinner.
It was the perfect occasion to try out our new black crockery dinner set complete with gorgeous copper cutlery and our Dartington crystal wine glasses. I wanted to keep our table layout simple with those subtle touches of pattern in the Moroccan style coasters and abstract print mini dip bowls.
My look for the evening was casual yet classic, wearing a pair of black ripped skinny jeans and cute leopard print asymmetric crop top to add a little glam. Feeling fresh and flirty with my post lockdown short haircut, I was ready for a cosy date night at home.
Although I eat a predomenantly pescatarian diet, as a treat I do like to indulge in a good piece of chicken or steak every so often to top up those essential vitamins. We got these filet steaks from Lidl which I plated up alongside my special crispy roast new potatoes, charred broccolini, caramelised onions, mushrooms and a rocket salad. These steaks were top quality and cooked to perfection medium-rare, I would call this restaurant standard grub!
Paired with a fruity Merlot French red wine and our favourite chilled tunes playing in the background, this is how date night should be done ❤
Dani Aneka 