Carabook

I'm Cara ♥ A 25 year old who lives in London with my darling boyfriend and adorable cat. This is my life.....

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The end of an era

Some of you may have noticed that I have been a bit quiet on here. I am sorry to say that in the end I decided to move my 'words of wisdom' over to blogspot.

I had considered running the 2 alongside but I'm too lazy for that! Anyway if you still want to read what I'm up too and everything that happens in my life my new blog address is www.pourablesunshine.blogspot.com .

I hope that you will all come on over and thank you to all of my followers on here for being brilliant. xxx 

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Switching sides

I've made my new blog on blogspot and yet I can't actually bring myself to post on there. I feel like I am being a traitor to tumblr! 

Although tumblr is more of a picture site and I do more writing but I just feel sad that I will be leaving behind nearly 1000 posts and lots of lovely followers and I just don't think I can do that!

So instead I might give this one a makeover..... 

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Recipe - Lemon Tart

Low calorie lemon tart :) Only 186 calories a slice!

Ingredient

For the pastry

50g butter , cut in pieces

140g plain flour

1 tbsp icing sugar

1 tbsp oil

1 medium egg yolk

For the filling

3 medium eggs , plus 2 medium egg whites

140g icing sugar , plus extra for dusting

2 tbsp finely grated lemon zest (about 4 lemons)

125ml lemon juice (from 4-5 lemons)

200ml tub half-fat crème fraîche

Method to the madness

Rub the butter into the flour until the mix looks like fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the icing sugar, then make a well and stir in the oil, egg yolk and 1 tbsp cold water until dough comes together and gather into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, roll out so it fits a 23 x 2cm loose-bottom flan tin/dish. Ease the pastry into the tin. Press the pastry into the flutes so it sits slightly above the edge and trim the excess. Lightly prick the pastry base with a fork,  then chill for about 10 mins. Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5.

While it’s chilling make the filling! Beat the eggs and egg whites together with a wooden spoon until well mixed. Sift the icing sugar into a bowl, then gradually beat in the eggs. If the mix is at all lumpy, simply beat with a wire whisk. Stir in the lemon zest and the juice. Leave to stand so the lemon flavour can develop.

Line the pastry case with baking parchment and baking beans and bake blind for 15 mins or until well set. Carefully lift out the beans and paper, then bake the pastry case for another 3-5 mins until the base is cooked and pale golden. 

Strain the lemon mixture through a sieve. Beat the crème fraîche in a medium bowl until smooth, then slowly stir in the lemon mix until well blended. Transfer to a jug, then carefully pour two thirds into the warm pastry case. Place in the oven with the oven shelf half out, pour in the rest of the filling, then carefully slide the shelf back in. Reduce the heat to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Bake for 25-30 mins until barely set with a slight wobble in the middle. Cool for about 1 hr, then serve with a light dusting of icing sugar. Best eaten the same day - yes, all of it!

xxx

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4 days...

and I don't feel like I have revised enough or know enough to do this exam.

I am hoping that I will be able to remember quotes and that I will sit down look at the question and just write and write and write.

Leigh says I can't fail as long as I write my name at the top!

And after the exam is done I am on my summer holiday! Well in so much that I still have to work but at least I don't have to do an essay for 2 months!

Wish me luck

xxx

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Glastonbury 2013!

Less than 3 weeks to go now and I am starting to get excited! We have started to get all the things we need and have given the tent an air out as it hasn't been used in 2 years.

Hopefully the weather will stay like it is at the moment and it wont rain and be muddy but if it does I have my brand new wellies to keep my feet dry!

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This is me.

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Dreaming of white bread

So I'm in a perpetual state of hunger but at least the lbs are coming off slowly. Very slowly.

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The most terrible thing happened...

we dont know how but we got a call when we were out at a festival yesterday from the vet saying that he thought Pumpkin had been hit by a car!

We rushed to the vet in such a panic and it was the worst 20min in the taxi I was so panicked.

When we got to the vet he reassured us that she was alive but that she had injured her front paw and couldn't put any weight on it at all. Hopefully her leg will heal up and she will be able to walk again but I am so worried about it.

She has to stay in a cage for 3 weeks or until it heals :( my poor little love.

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Cheese and Ham Macaroni

Macaroni Cheese is probably one of my all time favourite meals and it is so easy to make! I add mustard to give it an extra kick...

Ingredients

400g macaroni pasta

180ml single cream

100g half fat crème fraîche

1tsp English mustard

200g half fat medium cheese, grated

4 slices cooked ham, cut in 1cm cubes

1tsp olive oil

1 pinch black pepper

1 pinch salt

Method to the madness

Fill a large saucepan with water. Add a splash of olive oil and bring to the boil. Add the dried macaroni and cook as per packet instructions. Once cooked, drain and set aside.

In a separate pan, add the single cream, English mustard and crème fraîche and slowly melt over a low heat.

Add most of the grated cheese to the cream mixture, reserving some for later, and stir until all the cheese is fully incorporated.

Add the chopped ham to the cream mixture and season with a pinch of salt and black pepper.

Mix the cooked hot macaroni pasta with the cream and ham mixture and place in an ovenproof dish.

Sprinkle some more grated cheese on top and place under a hot grill for 4–6 minutes until a golden crisp surface forms. Gobble up as quick as you can.

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Afternoon tea at The Savoy - London List

So for my birthday Leigh bought me afternoon tea at the Savoy, which was on the London list and one of the things that I really wanted to do when I moved down here.

Although my birthday was a month ago we couldn't get a reservation until May but we went on a Sunday at 5.30 which I actually think is the perfect time to go to tea!

Everything screams elegance from the second you walk through the door to the polished marble floors, glittering chandeliers and attentive staff.

We were shown to our seats when we arrived, although they were armchairs rather than seats and we were given a menu with 30 different types of tea - I chose Vanilla Black and Leigh had Assam Gold which they bought out to us in beautiful silver pots with silver tea strainers.

Then they bought out the sandwich and cake tiers. 5 different kinds of finger sandwiches - salmon and cream cheese, coronation chicken, cucumber, wiltshire bone ham and mustard and egg mayo. I don't even like egg mayo but I figured if I'm going to have it anywhere I should have it at the Savoy and it actually wasn't half bad.

We were allowed to refill the sandwiches as many times as we wanted so we refilled them twice and then had a fruit scone with fresh clotted cream and strawberry jam and a plain scone which I put lemon cream on, they were very good.

When we were eating they started to play Happy Birthday on the piano and they bought me out a special cake for my Birthday which was really sweet :)

We were starting to feel quite full but then the bought out even more cake! 6 different kinds in fact, and they said we could have as many types as we wanted so we both chose 3 different types - I had a strawberry & pistachio tart, a mint macaroon and a peach cake. Leigh had a salted hazelnut cake with gold flakes, a chocolate cake and a strawberry tart as well.

Whilst we were eating the cake they also out more fresh tea and once we had finished the brought out even more cake!

I don't know how we managed to eat the raspberry and pistachio cake that we picked because by this point I was SO full!

I have to say I felt that I expected the service to be slightly better. Not that they weren't attentive because they did serve us and they were attentive but there were long periods where nobody came to see us but perhaps that is because we are a couple so they left us alone.

The whole day was really beautiful and the setting was perfect. I would really encourage everyone to do this. I don't think it was cheap - because its a birthday present I don't know how much it was but I think it was probably worth every penny.

I don't know if I will ever be able to eat cake again though, we had so much!

xxx

Oh and ps. How amazing is this bathroom!

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Switching sides

I'm considering moving to blogspot but with 864 blog posts on here I dont know if I should. Hmmm...

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Worries

I am getting myself so worked up over this exam that I have to do next month. I am seriously freaking out about it.

I don't know why. I don't know if its because I haven't done one in 8 years, I rely on spell check, or that I think I'm going to just fail. I can't stop thinking about it and yet there is nothing that I can really do apart from go in there and just try and get it done.

I must keep repeating to myself that:

I am 25 years old - this is better than the last time I did an exam at 17 as I know more

I am reasonably intelligent 

I know I can write quickly

I can do this

Yeah none of that worked. I AM STILL STRESSING OUT! AHHHHHH

xxx

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Holiday

Booked our flights to Menorca yesterday! So excited :)

We aren't going until September but it's def something to look forward to as the next holiday I have is Glastonbury and I am not holding out for sun......

Ooooo sun, beaches, drinking non stop for 2 weeks. It's going to be so lovely to go on holiday and not do a single thing but read and get a tan!

xxx

[carabook-blog]

Le Riz - Recipe

Yes I'm aware that the above just says 'Rice' but I didn't know what to call this recipe and when in doubt saying it in French always makes it sound good.......

So this is a simple recipe to make and I'm going to be taking it into work for lunch as a welcome change from salad for a while. I'm allowed 50-75g of rice but as I'm just having it as a lunch meal I might take portions of 40g and have some fruit after

I made 2 different types - a fish and a meat but you can add whatever you want and it will work.

So the actual recipe.......

Ingredients

300g brown rice

1 red pepper

1 courgette

Large handful of spinach

5 mushrooms

Spring onion

1 large tomato

Chillies

4 Sausages (meat version - chicken would work too)

Tin of Anchovies (fish version - I had a tin in my cupboard but you could use any fish)

Method to the madness

So very easy really - boil the rice (remember brown rice takes longer!) Chop up all the veg and chuck it all together in a pan. If you are filling the dish out with meat pop your sausages under the grill. Roughly cut up some spinach and leave to one side.

Cook the vegetables until soft, drain the rice, and mix the 2 together. Chop up the sausages or fish and also stir in. Chuck in the spinach and season with salt and pepper.

Eat.

See told you it was the easiest recipe I've ever posted. It's very tasty though :) and it looks so colourful as well. I'm really looking forward to having this for lunch tomorrow!

(pink plate - fish option / green plate - meat option)

As a bonus here is a picture of me cooking - just because I thought I looked like I knew what I was doing in my apron....

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If you squint slightly

you can see that I am losing weight slowly......

xxx

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Exciting life

I have got such a good week coming up - I am so super busy. Although having said that it isn't the best week to be busy as I have my final essay due in next week but forgetting about that for a second.....

Monday - Day off

Tuesday - Cinema

Wednesday - Drinking with friends

Thursday - At the theatre to see Singing in the Rain!

Friday - Leavers drinks

Saturday - Day school and birthday party

Sunday - Afternoon tea at the Savoy with Leigh 

I'm going to have lots of things to write about :) Need to try and make another recipe soon as well. I just feel that I have got so much on at the moment and no time to take a minute.

xxx