Batch cooking with John Lewis

Earlier in the week I popped along to the Waitrose cookery school in Kings Cross for a lesson in batch cooking with John Lewis. I've been to the cookery school twice now and I always have such a great evening. The chefs are so knowledgeable and patient. It's a brilliant way to find out more tricks in the kitchen. I vowed to become the batch cooking master when I moved into my new house but six week later, I still haven't gotten round to making it a regular thing. This will change though. I can't believe just how easy it is! It will hardly take any time at all to be prepared on a Sunday night.

We were taught how to make a basic tomato, basil and garlic sauce which can then be kept in the fridge for the week. It's best to un-season it, salt and pepper can be added when you make the different dishes, and to use plum tomatoes as these are the best quality. Try not to let the garlic burn as this will make it taste bitter. We were then given a demonstration on how the sauce could be used on a pizza and in a Shakshuka, a Middle Eastern dish of baked eggs. The dishes were prepared in what felt like no time at all and made me feel rather silly for not being too adventurous during the week. When it's THIS easy!

After stuffing our faces with the delicious pizza and one of the best Shaksukas I've had the pleasure of trying, it was time for us to make our own dinner with the sauce. I don't know how on earth I didn't realise it was this simple to make pasta or how I don't own a pasta machine yet. Next payday one will be mine. We made the classic Italian dish of pasta puttanesca. Homemade tagliatelle was tossed in a tasty concoction of salty anchovies, plump olives, flavoursome capers and the tomato sauce. Once the pasta was made, the dish came together in around 10 minutes. Amazing!

Thanks for such a lovely evening guys! It's always great to meet up with some old blogging friends and meet some new ones at the same time.

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The skincare products I always repurchase

Thanks to my job I get to raid beauty sales pretty often which is heaven for this product junkie. I'm often trialling lots of products because I can't stop myself for picking them up for a couple of quid. So I know when I actually buy something full price after it has run out that I'm on to a skincare winner. These are the products I have bought time and time again with my hard earned cash.

Philosophy Purity 3 in 1 cleanser
I swear by this and have been buying it for years. It's gentle on my skin, removes every inch of make up and a little goes a long way, meaning the bottle seems to last forever. Good news for my bank balance. Thanks to working in the city, my skin needs all the help it can to stop it from drying out. That commuter life! I use it every morning and it really does keep my skin feeling soft. That's all I want from a cleanser!

Garnier Skinactive Micellar Cleansing Water
I switched over to this a couple of years ago when I was having a bit of a poor month and couldn't afford my usual Bioderma Micellar water. I've never looked back. It great for my sensitive skin and I can use it whilst I have contact lenses in too. I only need to gentle sweep it across my face to remove make up - even stubborn mascara. My skin always feels so fresh and clean.

Origins Clear Improvement Charcoal Mask
This is my holy grail. I suffer from blackheads which I blame on commuting into London. But this beauty really helps to keep them at bay. I try to use it about twice a week and find a medium thick layer really works its magic. Let it dry completely for it to have maximum impact, I know how easy it is to get bored and wash it off when not quite all of it has hardened. I notice the effect almost immediately the next day.

No7 Early Defence Day Cream
I always think No 7 is an unsung hero. The range is always so gentle on my skin and I feel like it really works. I've been using this moisturiser for a good couple of years and despite trying other ones, I keep coming back to it.  When I don't use it for a few days I really notice tightness in my face. Which proves to me it does what it says on the tin!

Pixi Glow Tonic
Admittedly this is a very new addition to my skincare collection. I finally took the plunge after giving in to all the hype. I'm wishing I did it sooner! I'll definitely be buying this time and time again. Glycolic acid is said to be great for combating blackheads, which is something I mentioned above I suffer with, and with scarring.

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OOTD: Shades of grey

Outfit:
Grey waterfall coat: Miss Pap*
White shirt: Boohoo (similar)
Black skinny jeans: M&S (similar)
Silver glitter sock boots: ASOS (similar)

Miss Pap got in touch just before Christmas to help me spruce up my winter wardrobe and this coat was one of the things I was very kindly gifted. It's great to help jazz up a simple outfit and I love it paired simply with a crisp white shirt and statement boots. Speaking of boots - how lush are these? They were a surprise Christmas present from my parents and I'm so in love with them. Sparkles are not just for Christmas!

I can't quite believe we're in the third week of January already. I'm now the grand old age of 29! I feel like I've been non stop but I have been kept busy with the best things so I can't complain too much. I had a wine and cheese night as an early birthday celebration with friends, we've been trying to give everything a place (as much as we can) in our new home and I've been excitedly planning our trip to Bordeaux at the end of the month. So far all I really have are restaurants, the wine museum and wine bars - I don't really need much else do I?!

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