Birthday Treats...

Source: creativeinspiration.tumblr.com via Emily on Pinterest

Blackberry Jello Shots.

Nom.

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Listening: Aloe Blacc - I Need A Dollar

Recipe: Sun-blushed Tomatoes

I decided to make some sun-blushed tomatoes yesterday and I thought I'd share my recipe. They're incredibly easy to make and really tasty. Plus the house smelt incredible all last night!

Ingredients:

- 2 packs of cherry tomatoes

- 4 tbsp of olive oil

- 4 cloves of garlic (chopped or grated)

- 1 tbsp of dried oregano

- 1 tbsp dried thyme

- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

- 1/2 tsp salt

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 120°C/250°F/gas 1/2

2. In a small bowl mix all the ingredients (except the tomatoes) into the olive oil.

3. Halve the tomatoes and arrange them in an oven proof dish, in a single layer. It may take more than one oven proof dish because if you cram them in or layer them, they'll stew.

4. Spoon over the oil and herb mixture and put into the oven for 2 hours until they've softened, wrinkled and begun to char a little around the edges.

5. Let them get cold and store in clean airtight jars.

They'll keep for a week or so in the fridge, but if they're in our house I'm lucky if they last that long. Though I take that as flattery.

I do work from an existing recipe, it was in a book of Chinese Noodles of all places, however I've adapted it to take out the parsley and dill each parent dislikes one or the other. I've also taken out the sugar because I quite like the wershness and frankly cherry tomatoes are sweet enough to cope without it.

I think I've become a little obsessed with preserves, in the last year I've learnt to make jam, pickled every veggie to hand, steeped flowers to make elderflower cordial, sun-blushed tomatoes and I've even made real marmalade, in a process which took me from about ten in the morning until seven at night. The others were relaxing. Marmalade was not!

If you want a tasty treat and don't want to be frantic, make the tomatoes...not marmalade!

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Listening: Twin Atlantic - What Is Light? Where Is Laughter?

Monday Mood Board: Berry Reds

Row 1: Emily & Zooey Deschanel via l'atelier, Amelie Poulain. by *t0x1c-doLLy,

Red Trip by ~perhydrol

Row 2: Daisies by RayznPhotography, You Must Remember This [...] by ImagineCreate

Louise & I went shopping last week, I was in desperate need of non-holey jeans and a pair of scuffing about shoes that didn't have a hole scuffed in the toe, which would then let the rouge from polishing through to my tootsies - teach me to buy cheapies which don't like getting rained on.

This is the season I like shopping for clothes, when all the autumnal colours come in to the shops along with the Christmassy reds and greens. The fair-isle comes out and the boots and long jumpers appear. But other than in winter hats and one t-shirt, I was at a loss to see anything in the beautiful berry reds that I love. Maybe it's just that I didn't notice them, or didn't go into the right shops, but I am hoping more comes into the shops, it's such a pretty colour.

I'm a little obsessed with this colour for a few reasons, firstly, it's a colour I get told I really suit, which is nice. It's also one that I'm always looking for a lipstick in the right shade and it makes me feel all autumnal and in desperate need of a change. I've been thinking about changing my hair colour and I've been loving the colour of the girl in the photo above (Daisies). So this morning I went from my normal brunette to a dark cherry red which other than being a little darker and having a nice red sheen isn't that much of a difference.

If I'm honest, I'm just filling time until I get my hair cut, it's been two years since I had it chopped - I know, shocking isn't it? Last time I had it chopped it was as short as the girl in Daisies, now it's about as long as the Deschanel girls. It has also been 3 since the last of my pink streak got cut out. So, next time I get it cut, I'm planning on bringing back my streak. Can't wait!

Might even go Berry Red...

Hope everyone had a nice weekend!

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Listening: My Vitriol - Ode To The Red Queen