Hope you enjoyed!
Lots of love,
Alice x
Monday, August 29, 2016
Photography series: photos I'm proud of ☆
Hi! Another photography series today, I hope you enjoy and you're enjoying my summer posts (I think this is the last one!) :(
Those are only a few, but I thought I'd only share those as there are some more personal ones that I'm proud of that I'd like to keep to myself.
Hope you enjoyed!
Lots of love,
Alice x
Hope you enjoyed!
Lots of love,
Alice x
Friday, August 26, 2016
Blueberry meringue roulade!
Before we start, do you say roulade the posh way or roo-laid? I say roo-laid.
Glad we clered that up.
Hi everyone, it's Alice back at it again with the recipe posts. And June the 29th Alice has a sore throat (what's new) and hopes that future Alice and future everyone will be happy and healthy and not ill.
Let's just get on with it shall we?
Quickly though, can anyone else believe how quickly the year is going? It's absolutely insane!
Anyways, the post.
Blueberry meringue roulade
4 egg whites
250g sugar
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 teaspoon cornflour
For the filling
grated rind of 1 lemon
300ml double cream, whipped
150g blueberries
Whisk the egg whites in a large clean bowl until stiff (it will take 5-10 minutes), then gradually whisk in the sugar, a teaspoonful at a time. Whisk for a few more minutes until the meringue mixture is thick and glossy.
Combine the vinegar and cornflour and then whisk into the meringue mixture. Spoon in to a 33 x 23 cm (13 x 9 inch) tin that is lined with greaseproof paper, then spread the mix until it covers the whole tray. Bake in your oven which is preheated to 190 degrees celcius for 10 minutes until biscuit coloured and well risen, then reduce the heat to 160 degrees celcius and bake for 5 more minutes until just firm and the top is slightly cracked.
Cover a clean towel with non stick baking paper and sprinkle with a little sugar. Turn out the meringue onto the paper and remove the tin. Leave to cool for 1-2 hours.
Fold the lemon rind into the whipped cream, and spread over the meringue, then sprinkle with the blueberries. Carefully roll up the roulade to form a log. Best eaten fresh.
Big love,
A x
Glad we clered that up.
Hi everyone, it's Alice back at it again with the recipe posts. And June the 29th Alice has a sore throat (what's new) and hopes that future Alice and future everyone will be happy and healthy and not ill.
Let's just get on with it shall we?
Quickly though, can anyone else believe how quickly the year is going? It's absolutely insane!
Anyways, the post.
Blueberry meringue roulade
4 egg whites
250g sugar
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 teaspoon cornflour
For the filling
grated rind of 1 lemon
300ml double cream, whipped
150g blueberries
Whisk the egg whites in a large clean bowl until stiff (it will take 5-10 minutes), then gradually whisk in the sugar, a teaspoonful at a time. Whisk for a few more minutes until the meringue mixture is thick and glossy.
Combine the vinegar and cornflour and then whisk into the meringue mixture. Spoon in to a 33 x 23 cm (13 x 9 inch) tin that is lined with greaseproof paper, then spread the mix until it covers the whole tray. Bake in your oven which is preheated to 190 degrees celcius for 10 minutes until biscuit coloured and well risen, then reduce the heat to 160 degrees celcius and bake for 5 more minutes until just firm and the top is slightly cracked.
Cover a clean towel with non stick baking paper and sprinkle with a little sugar. Turn out the meringue onto the paper and remove the tin. Leave to cool for 1-2 hours.
Fold the lemon rind into the whipped cream, and spread over the meringue, then sprinkle with the blueberries. Carefully roll up the roulade to form a log. Best eaten fresh.
Big love,
A x
Thursday, August 18, 2016
My historical romance: part 3 ♡
Hello! Today I am sharing part 3 to my historical romance with you, I'm really getting into this series so I hope you like it too!
Chapter 3
A sharp knocking on my door brings me back to reality, I haven't left my bed for at least a week, refusing to get up every day and hiding underneath my covers like they are my
shield and I'm going into battle, only I never do, I just stay put under my armour, protecting myself from the outside world, keeping myself in isolation, only allowing Lila to come in and clean my room and bring me food, she never asks questions, she just does it and accepts that I don't want to move.
Slowly, the handle turns and my father confidently strides into the room, he sits in the grey, velvet chair opposite my bed and stares me square in the face. Pretending not to notice him, I intently stare at the ancient wallpaper, taking in the pattern and the texture for the billionth time, hoping against hope that my father will depart my room and shut the door, shutting the door on all human life and society. Unfortunately, he leans in closer so I can see the wrinkles that line his face and his eyes, his receding hairline and pale skin, eyes glazed with concern and sadness. He sighs at my evident lack of enthusiasm and gravely shakes his head. 'Lizzie, my dear,' he starts, his voice almost unrecognisable with an apologetic tone. 'Mister Williams has told me everything.' My cheeks flush, changing my usually porcelain china, pale skin to a tinted pink, rosy look. 'I cannot believe I've been so stupid' he continues, and I pull the silk covers higher up my bed, needing warmth to protect me from the unexpected chill brought upon me. 'I had completely forgotten that you detest cats in the house as you get allergic reactions, so I have sent for the two cats to reside in the stables.' I let out a sigh of relief, he doesn't know the truth about our romantic engagements. 'Oh, and I hear that your sister is coming to stay tomorrow.' My father adds as he walks across the wooden floor, footsteps echoing loudly around the vast chamber. Under my breath, I curse my sister and lay my head back down on the feather filled, silk pillows. 'Also, Elizabeth, you have your music lesson at ten o clock. Be there on time, I expect to hear beautiful music floating through the house.' Shaking with relief, I get up out of bed, removing myself from my armour and exposing myself to the world. I feel more vulnerable than ever before.
Somehow I make it through the day without crossing paths with Colin, I struggle to concentrate in any of my lessons, finding myself glancing out the window and fiddling with my bracelets for most of the day. At lunch I barely eat any of my stew and I refuse the rice pudding offered to me for dessert, instead I take to sipping ice cold water for the entirety of the meal. A dull hunger possesses my body, not a hunger for food, but for love, for the man who I dream about. How I wish he was with me, to hold me in his muscular arms and take me to a world that is entirely our own, a world I have been longing to revisit for what seems like years.
At half past two I hear horse heels trotting down the gravel drive, and for a horrifying moment I am convinced my sister is approaching the house with her frivolous frocks and lacy frills, spending her money like it's worthless and she doesn't need it to survive. Her carefree manner and toxic habits nauseate me, I do not enjoy being in the company of my vulgar, immature sister and Lord knows how I will manage being with her for a week, her badgering me, trying to prise out information about my personal life, and to her that includes any sniff of romance that may concern me. Lying to her constantly for so long becomes exhausting, draining me of my limited supply of energy. Thankfully, it turns out to be my father's aristocrat friends coming down from London, turning up for a leisurely afternoon of croquet and pigeon shooting, coming down to get some of the fresh country air that London lacks. I often find myself wondering about what it would be like to live in a newly industrialised city, a thousand people to meet, a crowd to get lost in, to go unnoticed and unscrutinised for every little thing I do.
Father's friends stay to dine with us for dinner, and they drink a little too much rum and they start to get rowdy, their raucous laughter echoing round the house, drunken smiles
plastered on their faces as they tip countless glasses of alcohol down their throats. Father is the only one who stays sober, his heart condition making him cautious of getting drunk and killing himself, instead he sits there and laughs at the ridiculous predicaments his friends make and I take this as an opportunity to politely leave the dining room, and I escape back to my bed, to hide under the thick covers and block out the world. I decide to run a bath, and the water makes a satisfying sound as it collides with the tin bathtub, I watch it steam away and I silently count my blessings, we are amongst a few privileged households to have a hot, running water supply that is refilled regularly, meaning that whenever I want I can have a relaxing bath, whereas the people in the workhouses do not have a choice when they have a wash, and from what I've heard, it's never warm water they bathe in either.
Uncomfortably loud laughter is still floating around the house a few hours later after I've had my bath and changed into a silk nightgown, so I decide to go on a spontaneous midnight stroll through the garden. Refreshing, cold air hits me in the face the instant I step outside, my feet bare and my hair cascading down my back. I have never felt so free in my life. Making an erratic decision, I run through the garden, breathing in the damp, mossy smell in the air and catching a whiff of pine, a smile creeps onto my face and I feel my cheeks going pink and my eyes sparkling. A moment of freedom found in imprisonment can be a rare, delightful thing. For that one moment I hold the illusion of everything being pristinely perfect; no expectations to meet, no love affairs to conceal and nothing to worry about. How deceiving life can be.
Quite suddenly, I hear footsteps crunching on the drive, and my heart almost stops, and then a tall, handsome silhouette turns round the corner and I gasp. My heart does stop. 'Colin?' I only audibly whisper, praying he won't hear me.
'Elizabeth? What are you doing here? Are you sleepwalking?' Colin's voice is full of surprise, worry and delight, probably an exact reflection of my voice. A beam of moonlight shines on him, revealing the big muscles on his upper arm, sitting under a blue cotton nightshirt, his perfectly tousled hair dances playfully in the light, midsummers breeze and for the first time in months I don't feel regret and guilt regarding the many nights we spend in each other's company, playfully giggling with delight and caressing one another; I just feel desire and an urge to do it all again, to repeat our dangerous actions and live in our idyllic universe where there is no ill father, no sister to potentially expose us to the world, just us and our emotions. 'I could ask you the same question. I came out here for a midnight stroll, what about you?' I try to keep my cool and look composed, however from the impish shadow of a smile creeping onto Colin's face, bathing in the white glow of moonlight. 'Oh, I just came out here to admire the night scenery, and I was hoping I'd bump into you.' He takes a step closer to me, closing the distance, electricity sparks up and I can feel the attraction between us. 'We don't have to hide anymore.' Colin whispers, trying to temp me into a world where we can be together without the fear of anyone finding out about our romantic engagements. Oh how inviting it sounds, to love without fear. An image of my frail father pops back into my head, he needs me more than anything. 'Colin.' I say, a single tear falling down my translucently pale face. 'I can't do this. I have to stay here. We can never be together, I need to stay with my father, he needs me.' Before I feel my heart shatter into a thousand fragments, I wrench myself out of his strong arms and rush back into the house and up to my room, the only place where I feel safe. It is the last thing I want to do. Almost robotically, I brush my hair, wash my face, get into bed, close my eyes and fall into a troubled, light sleep, dominated by thoughts of Colin and my father. My sister coming to stay will only make these already disturbed nights even worse, she will turn my bad dreams into nightmares.
That's that! I know the paragraphing isn't great but I hope you liked it anyway!
Big love,
A xo
Chapter 3
A sharp knocking on my door brings me back to reality, I haven't left my bed for at least a week, refusing to get up every day and hiding underneath my covers like they are my
shield and I'm going into battle, only I never do, I just stay put under my armour, protecting myself from the outside world, keeping myself in isolation, only allowing Lila to come in and clean my room and bring me food, she never asks questions, she just does it and accepts that I don't want to move.
Slowly, the handle turns and my father confidently strides into the room, he sits in the grey, velvet chair opposite my bed and stares me square in the face. Pretending not to notice him, I intently stare at the ancient wallpaper, taking in the pattern and the texture for the billionth time, hoping against hope that my father will depart my room and shut the door, shutting the door on all human life and society. Unfortunately, he leans in closer so I can see the wrinkles that line his face and his eyes, his receding hairline and pale skin, eyes glazed with concern and sadness. He sighs at my evident lack of enthusiasm and gravely shakes his head. 'Lizzie, my dear,' he starts, his voice almost unrecognisable with an apologetic tone. 'Mister Williams has told me everything.' My cheeks flush, changing my usually porcelain china, pale skin to a tinted pink, rosy look. 'I cannot believe I've been so stupid' he continues, and I pull the silk covers higher up my bed, needing warmth to protect me from the unexpected chill brought upon me. 'I had completely forgotten that you detest cats in the house as you get allergic reactions, so I have sent for the two cats to reside in the stables.' I let out a sigh of relief, he doesn't know the truth about our romantic engagements. 'Oh, and I hear that your sister is coming to stay tomorrow.' My father adds as he walks across the wooden floor, footsteps echoing loudly around the vast chamber. Under my breath, I curse my sister and lay my head back down on the feather filled, silk pillows. 'Also, Elizabeth, you have your music lesson at ten o clock. Be there on time, I expect to hear beautiful music floating through the house.' Shaking with relief, I get up out of bed, removing myself from my armour and exposing myself to the world. I feel more vulnerable than ever before.
Somehow I make it through the day without crossing paths with Colin, I struggle to concentrate in any of my lessons, finding myself glancing out the window and fiddling with my bracelets for most of the day. At lunch I barely eat any of my stew and I refuse the rice pudding offered to me for dessert, instead I take to sipping ice cold water for the entirety of the meal. A dull hunger possesses my body, not a hunger for food, but for love, for the man who I dream about. How I wish he was with me, to hold me in his muscular arms and take me to a world that is entirely our own, a world I have been longing to revisit for what seems like years.
At half past two I hear horse heels trotting down the gravel drive, and for a horrifying moment I am convinced my sister is approaching the house with her frivolous frocks and lacy frills, spending her money like it's worthless and she doesn't need it to survive. Her carefree manner and toxic habits nauseate me, I do not enjoy being in the company of my vulgar, immature sister and Lord knows how I will manage being with her for a week, her badgering me, trying to prise out information about my personal life, and to her that includes any sniff of romance that may concern me. Lying to her constantly for so long becomes exhausting, draining me of my limited supply of energy. Thankfully, it turns out to be my father's aristocrat friends coming down from London, turning up for a leisurely afternoon of croquet and pigeon shooting, coming down to get some of the fresh country air that London lacks. I often find myself wondering about what it would be like to live in a newly industrialised city, a thousand people to meet, a crowd to get lost in, to go unnoticed and unscrutinised for every little thing I do.
Father's friends stay to dine with us for dinner, and they drink a little too much rum and they start to get rowdy, their raucous laughter echoing round the house, drunken smiles
plastered on their faces as they tip countless glasses of alcohol down their throats. Father is the only one who stays sober, his heart condition making him cautious of getting drunk and killing himself, instead he sits there and laughs at the ridiculous predicaments his friends make and I take this as an opportunity to politely leave the dining room, and I escape back to my bed, to hide under the thick covers and block out the world. I decide to run a bath, and the water makes a satisfying sound as it collides with the tin bathtub, I watch it steam away and I silently count my blessings, we are amongst a few privileged households to have a hot, running water supply that is refilled regularly, meaning that whenever I want I can have a relaxing bath, whereas the people in the workhouses do not have a choice when they have a wash, and from what I've heard, it's never warm water they bathe in either.
Uncomfortably loud laughter is still floating around the house a few hours later after I've had my bath and changed into a silk nightgown, so I decide to go on a spontaneous midnight stroll through the garden. Refreshing, cold air hits me in the face the instant I step outside, my feet bare and my hair cascading down my back. I have never felt so free in my life. Making an erratic decision, I run through the garden, breathing in the damp, mossy smell in the air and catching a whiff of pine, a smile creeps onto my face and I feel my cheeks going pink and my eyes sparkling. A moment of freedom found in imprisonment can be a rare, delightful thing. For that one moment I hold the illusion of everything being pristinely perfect; no expectations to meet, no love affairs to conceal and nothing to worry about. How deceiving life can be.
Quite suddenly, I hear footsteps crunching on the drive, and my heart almost stops, and then a tall, handsome silhouette turns round the corner and I gasp. My heart does stop. 'Colin?' I only audibly whisper, praying he won't hear me.
'Elizabeth? What are you doing here? Are you sleepwalking?' Colin's voice is full of surprise, worry and delight, probably an exact reflection of my voice. A beam of moonlight shines on him, revealing the big muscles on his upper arm, sitting under a blue cotton nightshirt, his perfectly tousled hair dances playfully in the light, midsummers breeze and for the first time in months I don't feel regret and guilt regarding the many nights we spend in each other's company, playfully giggling with delight and caressing one another; I just feel desire and an urge to do it all again, to repeat our dangerous actions and live in our idyllic universe where there is no ill father, no sister to potentially expose us to the world, just us and our emotions. 'I could ask you the same question. I came out here for a midnight stroll, what about you?' I try to keep my cool and look composed, however from the impish shadow of a smile creeping onto Colin's face, bathing in the white glow of moonlight. 'Oh, I just came out here to admire the night scenery, and I was hoping I'd bump into you.' He takes a step closer to me, closing the distance, electricity sparks up and I can feel the attraction between us. 'We don't have to hide anymore.' Colin whispers, trying to temp me into a world where we can be together without the fear of anyone finding out about our romantic engagements. Oh how inviting it sounds, to love without fear. An image of my frail father pops back into my head, he needs me more than anything. 'Colin.' I say, a single tear falling down my translucently pale face. 'I can't do this. I have to stay here. We can never be together, I need to stay with my father, he needs me.' Before I feel my heart shatter into a thousand fragments, I wrench myself out of his strong arms and rush back into the house and up to my room, the only place where I feel safe. It is the last thing I want to do. Almost robotically, I brush my hair, wash my face, get into bed, close my eyes and fall into a troubled, light sleep, dominated by thoughts of Colin and my father. My sister coming to stay will only make these already disturbed nights even worse, she will turn my bad dreams into nightmares.
That's that! I know the paragraphing isn't great but I hope you liked it anyway!
Big love,
A xo
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