Call The Moment Good: BBQ Round 2

Mr Blue Sky, please tell us why you had to hide away for so long!

I woke up today in a terrible mood and the only cure seemed to be to fill my little stomach with barbecue food. Thankfully, the pleasant weather held up for another day so it was off to the shops for the bits and bobs required.

As a starter, I had a beetroot and cherry tomato salad. I never used to be a salad eater when I was younger so I do feel a bit more 'grown up' when I have it but I only ever crave it in the hot weather.

We decided to go for beef, onion and green pepper skewers as the main course. Visually, they looked amazing. I'm a big fan of presentation when it comes to food, as I am sure most people are, so it was good to see something so simple looking so impressive. For that extra gluttony, a few slices of halloumi were thrown on to the barbecue.

For dessert came the biggest treat: melted chocolate in banana skins. You simply split the skin of a banana down the middle, stud it with chunks of the chocolate of your choice then place on the grill until the chocolate fully melts. Green & Blacks Butterscotch Chocolate was the pick of today and, oh holy moly, the results were delectable and I only wish I could eat it all day.

Now I'm back to my flat in London, I'm determined to improve my day to day mood (not always with food but that won't hurt!) and get back into making things too, as the creative itch has been niggling at me all week.

Watch this space, Blogspot!

Let the Sunshine In

Britain loves the warm weather. Evidence of this escalates when as soon as the temperatures hit the mid-20s, there is more flesh on show than a butcher's shop window. I'm no different to this worship of the sunshine, for I find it truly blasts away the blues and positively drags me out of the flat with far too much enthusiasm.

So, it was out with the picnic blanket (Primark, £6), cold alcoholic beverages and of course, our summer pride and joy: the bucket BBQ (Sainsburys, £10).

Indulging in steaks, sliced potatoes and yellow bell pepper pieces, it was certainly one of the classiest barbecues I've encountered before. It was far from the desperate attempts to light the disposable barbies from Poundland, eyeing the safety of a half-cooked, half-charred burger!

After stuffing myself, then more so with warmed up decadent cookies from Waitrose, I lay in the sun reading Murakami from my Kindle (an early birthday present from my mum!). Whilst on the subject, I highly recommend checking out the Kindle covers created by the lovely Annie Sparkles. The fox cover I have has sold out but she has plenty to choose from and I can confirm they're beautifully made and stunning to look at.

As a final treat to myself (I'm a huge fan of treats, as you can tell), I purchased this magazine entitled "What Every Woman Should Know". Whilst I'm not a Daily Mail reader at all, I could not turn down the opportunity to spy at the sort of lifestyle tips and advice presented to the ladies of the 1930s - that and oh my, the fashion causes my heart to flutter with envy! My favourite article so far is the guide to purchasing your clothes for the year with a budget of £30. I wonder if it's possible at all in this day in age!

Finally, my cool Deal of the Week:
Between 3pm to 5pm, every day until the 5th of June, Starbucks are offering 50% off any sized Frappuccinos. Flavours include: mocha cookie, caramel, strawberries and cream. You can save up to £1.85 (depending on the size you buy). Definitely ideal for cooling down!