Localtrotting: Dark Sugars

As I am no longer a London girl and instead situated in a beautiful market town in the East Midlands where the abundance of scenic nature marks the shortage of desserts places (holding back tears), I couldn’t help but reminiscence over one of the BEST hot chocolates I have ever had. This is the stuff of legends – pure indulgent liquid cocoa. What you envision the chocolate fountain in Willy Wonka’s factory tasting of!

 Behold, I present to you Dark Sugars of Brick Lane.

Street Eats – Halal Gems 2017

Being a lover of all things food related, I was so excited when I discovered Street Eats 2017 organised by Halal Gems #StreetEatsFest whilst browsing social media hard at work. Street food is all the scene in London at the moment, and although it isn't too difficult to find halal street food, there's nothing better than having all these vendors under one roof at Spitalfields Market.

After pestering the little brothers to join me from Luton, we embarked on an afternoon of feasting, munching, slurping and plenty of...... queuing. Sadly, there wasn't a shortage of that!

Before committing to any of the 30min+ queues, we deemed it wise to scour the stalls to see what type of delicious treats were on offer. From Khao Suey and adorable mini-Dutch pancakes to 12-hour smoked brisket and Indian fish and chips, there was something for everyone! 

Localtrotting: Picnic in the Park

There is no easy way to say this, but I am truly, utterly and wholeheartedly ashamed of my blogging writing habits. I really don't know how to justify the absence of posts over the last three months; however, the lack of exciting content is certainly not the case, I assure you! I put it down to discipline and self-control, something I am currently reading up on, which may be able to account for this post in particular! 

So much has happened over the last year, so we have a lot to catch up on. But the best way I see this working is recounting recent events and working backwards (let's hope I've finished reading The Marshmallow Test by then to see this ambitious goal put into practice).

As part of my Eid gift stash (A one-month late Eid Mubarak! Better late than never, hey?), my parents and brothers gifted me with the most precious picnic basket ever. Now, if you've read my previous posts, you'll know I adore all things vintage, dainty and quaint, with a nod to quintessential English countrysides and cottages, so when I peeked through the packaging and saw the beautiful ash willow, I knew for certain that my picnicking-in-style-dreams had finally come true! 

Localtrotting: Tea on the Thames

The great thing about living in London, or what I mean to say is that in the four months that I've come to live in this road rage capital, there is so much to experience aside from the reckless half-wit drivers you encounter every passing day who are determined to hospitalise you as you drive!

 On a lighter note, as part of our Eid together as a married couple (yup, more details on the wedding to come!), my family gifted us with an afternoon tea for two on the Thames! Now, me being me, I love my cottages, remote countrysides, period dramas, Louisa May Alcott, china teacups, homemade lemonade, Wuthering Heights and most importantly....CAKES. Call me pretentious all you like, but secretly (to the knowledge of most people) I love the idea of living in a picturesque cottage in Cornwall or Devon, fishing on the weekends and running my own vintage tea shop. I often joke with my friends that I was born in the wrong era.

So, on a sunny, slightly blustery day, the hubby and I decided to take the trek to Tower Bridge and embark on our tea for two! I've always loved the concept of afternoon tea, way before it became on-trend, and always thought of it as a very delicate and appropriate way to consume treats. Taking the hubs along, I was very interested in how he, being a consumer of large 'manly' portions, would take to this, and to my amusement as our platter emptied away, he looked around casually, trying to catch the attention of one of the waiters: "Time for a re-fill," he announced!