Recipe: Gluten Free Apple & Blackberry Crumble

Posted in Food & Recipes by A Spoonful of Style

Last weekend I made my first ever crumble. It was really easy and tasted delicious so I can’t believe it had taken me so long. My only excuse is that, until now, the children have not been super keen on cooked fruit. But it turns out that, if you add enough butter and sugar, they gobble it all up! It probably also helped that they had picked the apples and blackberries themselves a couple of days before.

Ingredients

For the crumble

30g/1¼oz unsalted butter
3 large Bramley apples or similar tart cooking apples, peeled, cores removed, each apple cut into 0.5cm/¼in slices
150g/5¼oz caster sugar
80g/3oz fresh blackberries

For the crumble topping

170g/6oz gluten free flour
85g/3oz unsalted butter
1-2 tbsps caster sugar

Preparation method

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
For the crumble filling, heat the butter in pan over a medium heat. Add the apple slices and fry for 3-4 minutes, or until softened.
Add the sugar and stir well to coat the apples. Continue to cook until the apples are tender and golden-brown and the sugar has melted.
Add the blackberries and stir gently to combine.
For the crumble topping, sift the flour into a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and sugar and rub together, using your fingertips, until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. (Or even better, put it all into a food processor like I did and mix until it looks like breadcrumbs)
Spoon the apple and blackberry filling into a shallow ovenproof dish. Sprinkle over the topping mixture to just cover the filling. Transfer the dish to the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until the topping is pale golden brown and the filling is bubbling.

5Sep2013

Just the Two of Us

Posted in Family Life by A Spoonful of Style

After we waved goodbye to the boys at the school gates this morning, Clemmie and I had a leisurely walk back home. It was another beautiful, sunny day but the house seemed almost eerily quiet and it hit me that next year I will be at those same gates waving off not two but three kids. I still can’t get my head around the fact that kids here in England start school so early. The boys are both autumn babies so they were nearly five when they went into Reception class but Clemmie’s birthday is in July so she will have just turned four, which seems so very young. She starts preschool in two weeks’ time but that will only be 12 hours a week so just enough time for me to go to the gym, do a bit of blogging, and attempt to keep on top of the housework.

But if the last few years are anything to go by, I know that September 2014 will be here in just the blink of an eye. And then (with no more babies on the horizon) it will be time for me to really figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life… An exciting but also slightly daunting prospect.

5Sep2013

The Liebster Award: Spread the (Blogging) Love

Posted in Uncategorized by A Spoonful of Style

Liebster – German. Meaning: Sweetheart, Darling, Beloved

The lovely and super stylish Design Mischief nominated me for the Liebster award this week. Thank you so much, I’m thrilled to bits!

The rules….

Each nominee must link back the person who nominated them.
Answer the 10 questions which are given to you by the nominator.
Nominate 10 other bloggers for this award who have less than 200 followers.
Create 10 questions for your nominees to answer.
Let the nominees know that they have been nominated by going to their blog and notifying them

Here are my answers to the ten questions asked by Design Mischief:

1. How would you sum up your blog in a single sentence?

Sugar and spice and all things nice.

2. What is your real name/nickname and where in the world are you?

My real name is Åse (The first letter is pronounced like the A in awesome). Although I’m Swedish my parents gave me a Norwegian name (the Swedish version of my name ends with an ‘a’). I used to hate it, but now I like having an unusual name. I live in the UK, in a small village outside London.

3. Do you have a saying or a personal motto?

You get out of life what you put into it.

4. If you had a spare £500 to do with as you please, what would you do with it?

A friend and I are planning a trip to Paris this autumn so I’d use the money for a shopping spree in some of the lovely French boutiques.

5. Who is your favourite fashion designer?

The designer I admire most is Miucca Prada. But if I had the money I would dress head to toe in Isabel Marant. I know it’s been said before but her designs are both beautiful and wearable. I’m beyond excited about her upcoming collaboration with H&M.

6. What is your favourite high street shop?

Whistles for lasting classics and Topshop for a quick fashion fix.

7. What one item will you be purchasing for this Autumn/Fall?

Black leather ankle boots.

8. If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life what would it be?

My husband’s roast chicken.

9. Has anyone ever given you any great advice? If so what is it?

Treat others as you would like to be treated yourself. My dad was the first person to tell me that and now I try to teach the same to my children.

10. What’s your favourite item in your wardrobe?

It changes all the time. At the moment it’s my Fortuna cardigan by Dagmar (although I have yet to wear it!).

Here are my questions for the blogs I nominate:

1. Why did you start blogging?

2. What destination would you most like to travel to and why?

3. Are you a lipstick or lipgloss girl?

4. Which scent do you wear?

5. If you were invisible for a day where would you go/what would you do (keep it clean please :))?

6. Which quality do you value most in others?

7. What is your most treasured possession?

8. Do you prefer to shop online or in store and why?

9. Who is your style icon?

10. What’s your favourite outfit at the moment?

And here are my nominees:

In a World of Bees, There’s Me

Itsapplesandorangesblog

4Sep2013

Versatile Blogger Award

Posted in Uncategorized by A Spoonful of Style

This week has been mad busy, dealing with builders, filling in my tax return and getting the boys ready for school. Not through choice blogging had slipped down the list of priorities so I was thrilled to find that I’d been nominated for two awards. I feel very honoured and (at the risk of sounding mushy) like I’m part of a bigger ‘blogging community’. Kukolina and Mya’s Musings both nominated me for the Versatile Blogger Award (A huge thank you to both of you! X) so I thought I’d kick off with that one.

RULES:

Display the Award Certificate on your blog
Announce your win with a post and thank the blogger who nominated you.
Present 15 deserving bloggers with the award.
Link your nominees in the post and let them know of their nomination with a comment.
Post 7 interesting things about yourself

7 Facts About Me:

1. I was born in Sweden and spent my first ten years there before my family moved to the UK . I have also lived in the US and Ireland.

2. My dream family holiday would be to drive across the States from New York to California.

3. As a child, my best friend and I would spend hours making our own magazines. I think I always knew I wanted to be a journalist.

4. My husband and I had planned to marry in Las Vegas but in the end had our wedding in London so, as a surprise, I organised for an Elvis impersonator to sing at the wedding reception.

5. I hate flying so much that I once turned down a date with a guy who wanted me to go on his private plane.

6. When I lived in Dublin I was in an advert for the Bank of Ireland – my one and only modelling stint! My parents still have the framed picture in their living room.

7. I only learned to cook when I had my first child and for two years my husband and I ate meals from the Annabel Karmel Baby & Toddler cookbook. Now, I love cooking, baking and trying new recipes.

Here are the 15 blogs I’m nominating for the Versatile Blogger Award:

The Highchair Organizer

Notcentralfashion

The Mind of an Eclectisist

My Swedish Life

The London Mum

The Boston Brunette

Running the Docklands

Mirifique Beauty

2Sep2013

The Fashion Clinic #6: Fall Essentials

Posted in Fashion, The Fashion Clinic by A Spoonful of Style

One of the best things about Autumn has to be the clothes – cosy cashmere jumpers, lots of colourful scarves, thick ribbed tights and ankle boots. Don’t get me wrong, I love balmy summer days when you can just pull on a sundress and slip on a pair of flip flops but unless you can afford to escape for the whole summer, how many outings is that strappy dress really going to get?

A quality piece of knitwear on the other hand will see you through until April or even May (at least if you live in the UK). If my past experience of the English weather is anything to go by, a light jacket or heavy cardigan will usually suffice as a cover-up until mid November. I’ve had my eye on the Fortuna cardigan (8) by Swedish design trio Dagmar since I first spotted it in a store in Gothenburg two years ago, but the hefty price tag forced me to walk away. So when I saw it reduced by 30% on Farfetch I was quick to snap it up and it’s now hanging in my closet waiting for the temperature to drop.

Odd Molly’s Knit Jacket (6) is another design that I never tire of. The fit is universally flattering and it looks great teamed with skinny jeans or an A-line skirt which are two of my Fall/Winter staples. When it comes to denim, I tend to stick to the shapes that I know suit me and these Skyline Ankle Peg jeans by Paige (5) have been my go-to style for the last couple of years. With a 29″ leg measurement they’re the perfect length for a shorty (5′ 2″) like me.

“Any colour as long as it’s pink” proclaims the cover of this month’s Vogue and who am I to argue? I love this pale pink sweatshirt by Clu with feminine ruffles along the bottom (2). H&M’s take on the dressed-up sweatshirt (1) is a snip at £29.99 and the imitation leather skirt (9) from the same store is one of those versatile day-to-night pieces.

Also on my wishlist this season are these fab go-with-everything black ankle boots from Whistles (7) and a checked shirt with crochet detailing on the shoulders from high street fave Topshop (10). And let’s not forget the accessories – I already own about a zillion scarves but this neon pink one by Becksondergaard (3) would brighten up any dull winter’s day. I discovered Stella & Dot last year when they had a stall at my son’s school Christmas fair and their jewellery is amazing and not too pricey. At the moment I’ve got my eye on this Renegade Cluster bracelet (4) which is apparently a favourite of singer Katy Perry.

What’s on your shopping list this fall?

Flicking through the September issues of the fashion glossies for inspiration is an Autumn ritual for me. Above: British Vogue, Swedish Styleby and British InStyle

31Aug2013

Making Strawberry Jam

Posted in Family Life, Food & Recipes by A Spoonful of Style

The lesson I’ve learned today is that sometimes the experience is more important and enjoyable than the end result. My youngest son and I had been planning to make strawberry jam all summer but for one reason or another we didn’t get around to it before we went on holiday. So yesterday we finally went to the pick-your-own farm near to where we live only to discover that the strawberry picking season was over! Not ones to be deterred by such a small obstacle we decided to pick apples and blackberries for crumble instead and buy the strawberries from the greengrocers.

Being a complete jam-making novice, I found a recipe for strawberry jam on the BBC Food website which looked easy enough. So, having prepared the fruit the night before, we got to work today when daddy and big brother were at a football match and little sister was playing happily with Lego. It was great fun but, unfortunately, we (read I) ended up over-boiling the mixture so in the end the jam had a rather toffee-like consistency. And although we halved the recipe, I still think we should have got 2-3 jars out of it rather than one! But the taste is great and if you spread it on hot toast it loses some of its chewiness. Casper happily wolfed down two slices so I think we did well for a first effort! Now all that remains is cleaning the red glue (sorry jam!) off the kitchen surfaces…

Strawberries mixed with sugar and ready to go in the fridge overnight. We used 500g of fruit rather than the 1kg given in the recipe.

The jam boiling away on the stove.

Our one and only jar of strawberry jam.

Casper enjoyed his jam on toast despite the toffee-like texture.

30Aug2013

The Beauty Edit: Hard as Nails

Posted in Beauty by A Spoonful of Style

This picture is the first glimpse of the upcoming Essie Winter 2013 Shearling Darling nail polish collection which is due to hit stores in October. The six new nail colours range from rich, dark burgundy and light pastel shades of lilac and frosty blue to a darker grey-blue and pearly rosy brown. The lighter shades are a surprising addition to a winter collection and, while I think they would look pretty with a tan, I prefer a dark polish in the colder months. My personal favourite is probably the namesake of the range, Shearling Darling, closely followed by Sable Collar and Parka Perfect. Which is yours?

29Aug2013

Currently Coveting #8: The Perfect Autumn Knit

Posted in Currently Coveting, Fashion by A Spoonful of Style

Anthropologie is hands down my favourite store to visit and have a browse around. It’s like a treasure trove full of lovely clothes, accessories and homeware, all beautifully displayed in an old building where every nook and cranny reveals more hidden gems. At the moment, however, as I don’t relish a shopping trip into town with three children in tow, the online store will have to suffice.

This lightweight sweater by Knitted & Knotted is perfect for early Autumn days when a chill is just starting to creep into the air. The cream colour makes it wonderfully versatile while the cute ruffles stop it from being another boring basic. Add a statement necklace (as in the picture above) and it’s smart enough to wear for evenings out. What’s not to like? And yes, I have already ‘clicked to buy’ so I will let you know if the real thing lives up to the online promise.

26Aug2013

The Weekend in Pictures

Posted in Family Life by A Spoonful of Style

On Saturday night we booked a babysitter and went out to the cinema to see the new Steve Coogan film, Alan Partridge – Alpha Papa. My husband chose the film and while it was quite entertaining, it wasn’t really my cup of tea. But the cinema itself more than made up for it. Just 15 minutes down the road from us, it is part of a small independent chain and is a far cry from the massive Odeon theatres with their overpriced pick and mix and jumbo tubs of popcorn. The theatre itself is quite small with two or three seat sofas and tables to put your drinks and munchies on, and attached to it is a cosy bar where you can buy wine, beer, soft drinks and a large selection of snacks from pizzas and olives to chocolate buttons and retro sweets.

I love England in late August/early September. It is usually sunny, although the evenings are getting darker and nature’s palette is slowly transforming into beautiful red, deep orange and bright yellow. Today we decided to make the most of the long Bank Holiday weekend by heading to Hatchlands Park, a National Trust property and parkland, near Guildford in Surrey where we went for a walk across cows meadows and the children played in the woods.

All that fresh air and exercise left us all feeling famished but luckily we were going to the in-laws for lunch. My mother-in-law is a fantastic cook and had made a lovely roast chicken followed by the most gorgeous (gluten free) apple and blackberry crumble.

A game of croquet in the garden (complete with the requisite squabbles over who was winning and who was cheating).

And finally, today’s all black outfit was one of the £7 H&M dresses I bought at the start of the summer teamed with leggings and patent wedges from Topshop. Hope you all had a great weekend. X

25Aug2013

Strike a pose…..and relax!

Posted in Fashion by A Spoonful of Style

This morning I went to my first yoga class in a very long time. Before the kids came along I was a member of a gym with an amazing yoga instructor and I used to go three times a week. Then after I had Cameron I switched to a more family friendly gym with a creche and while I tried a few yoga classes there, I didn’t gel with any of the instructors.

While I’ve carried on doing other forms of exercise and am fairly happy with my general fitness, I have noticed that I’m not very flexible these days. I don’t harbour any hopes of being able to do the splits again but at the moment I can’t even touch my toes when I bend over (and I imagine that as I get older it will only get worse..)

It’s easy to dismiss yoga as ‘not real exercise’ as, unless you attend a fast moving Ashtanga or Bikram class, you’re unlikely to work up much of a sweat. But this morning’s session reminded me of the many other benefits of yoga. I have to admit that when the alarm went off at 8.15am (on a Sunday!) I was tempted to pick up the phone and cancel but I’m so glad I didn’t. For the rest of the day I felt calmer than I have in a long time – even the children jumping off the sofa and throwing all the cushions on the floor didn’t disrupt my relaxed state.

I will definitely go again and try to combine yoga with running, swimming and other gym classes. On a superficial level I’m also excited about being able to invest in some lovely yoga clothes and as always Sweaty Betty has a great selection. But maybe I should attend a few more classes before I reach for my purse…