The smell of Christmas

 Celebrated chef Heston Blumenthal has created a new twist on the humble mince pie for Waitrose customers this Christmas

Following the success of last years' orange filled Christmas Pudding which sold out in days, this Festive season sees the launch of pine scented pies which promise to fragrance the home with the smell of Christmas trees.

 the puff pastry treats need warming in the oven for 10 minutes before being sprinkled with the aromatic pine sugar included.

the verdict: fun, imaginative and very tasty

Tatine candles

I have made a new discovery which I am rather excited about . . . 

Tatine candles

hand made in a Chicago loft by an artisan named Margo

The 'Tisane' collection (pictured above) has been inspired by places that Margo has visited in reality or in her dreams

created to capture a moment in time, a season, the elements,

 Margo's personal 'scent memories' of places and experiences are shared beautifully using fragrance to tell the tale

I adore St Johns Wood 

'looking through the bent backed tulips. smoldering chimney smoke dried vines + brick walls'

 perfect for cosy winter nights

and being a Libra girl at heart Holland Park 

'leaves are falling all around. rain soaked October earth layered under a musky moon'

The soy and beeswax candles are set in heavy weight vintage glassware and have a burn time of 16 hours.

After checking out her extremely beautiful website (have a nosey here) it seems there are several different candle ranges within the Tatine brand so I will definitely keep my eyes peeled for the others, however Anthropologie Regent St, are privelleged to currently be the only stockists in the UK!

Kammerlings

Last weekend at dinner I was introduced to Kammerlings and the man who created it.

For those unfamiliar with Kammerlings, here is the lowdown

A spirit containing 45 botanicals

best described as a cross between gin, bitters, campari and liqueur but actually in a category all of its own

the main ingredients are ginseng, fresh grapefruit peels and manuka honey

33% abv

can be enjoyed as an apertif, a digestive or mixed in a cocktail

on the rocks or with a mixer

made in London

served in the finest drinking establishments

sold in Selfridges, Gerry's and online

for more info check out the Kammerlings website

I sampled it with bitter lemon and with ginger ale mixed with apple juice- both were delicious!

Interestingly the active ingredients in ginseng lower the amount of alcohol absorbed into the bloodstream which means potentially a quicker recovery and less of a hangover the morning after.

I have to say I woke as fresh as a daisy!

May be an aquired taste for some but def give it a try, I loved it!

*Since this blog was written this product has been renamed and is now known as Kamm & Sons

Can't get this out of my head. . .

hurry up with the album release already! obsessed.

The Long Table

Launching today from 6pm-midnight is London's only pop up late night outdoor food market!

Located in a hidden disused space on Abbot Street in Dalston E8 3DP, punters are encouraged to follow the sound of bands playing and the smell of tasty street food to discover the secret spot.

The concept is to bring people together to eat and socialize around one very long table along with a fully stocked bar and live music.

Markets are at the heart of many communities and this one is designed to celebrate a rich cultural diversity by mixing foodies, chefs, artists and musicians.

The market is covered to provide some shelter from the elements and fire pits are provided to help guard against the chill but it's still likely to be a tad on the cool side so pull on some Winter woolies, grab your nearest and dearest and head on over to The Long Table for a tasty Friday night treat

Open every Friday until Christmas

6pm-1am

for more details of which restaurants and traders are taking part to tickle your taste buds check out the website here

Little Noise Sessions 2011

For the 6th year running, Mencaps Little Noise Sessions curated by Mencap ambassador Jo Whiley are back.

6 nights of fantastic acoustic music in an incredible venue, the church of St John-at-Hackney, a grand space with high ceilings and celestial charm.

Last night we made the pilgrimage East to see Marina and the Diamonds play and it was well worth the journey

The venue although on a grand scale in the sense of the infinite space between your head and the ceiling, still managed to feel intimate as the congregation of audience huddled in front of the stage.

The only downside to the night was having to pee in a porta loo in the grounds of the church

as a festival virgin these facilities didn't thrill me much, however I was not about to hold back on my intake of fluids because this was the first ever gig I have been to where cocktails were on the menu!!!

Yes, can you believe it?! 

Giant Robot of Clerkenwell were manning not 1 but 2 bars within the venue and kept me happy with a steady supply of 'little gin punch'!

Outside there were also food stalls provided by eat st

a great night made even sweeter by the fact that it was all in the name of charidee!

pretty little sundown over Twickenham