Frugal Staples.

I've been trying to use up everything in my cupboards before I move out and its got me thinking about the things I use most. So I've decided to make a list of frugal cupboard staples that I've begun to notice always come in handy when it comes to scraping together a dinner.


1. Tinned tomatoes. Perfect for stews, soups, curries, or plain ol' tomato sauce (just mix with garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, sugar and salt). Its so versatile! Normally I use any leftover veg to make a stew mixing one tin of toms and some veg stock. Yum.
2. Lentils. Both red and green. Red lentils can be chucked in anything to bulk it up, even spag bol. And they make a delicious and hearty stew when mixed with some middle eastern spices. Green lentils are even more versatile, from homemade veggie burgers to mixing into a salad.
3. Vegetable stock. Or any other stock, but i'm trying to avoid animal foodstuffs.
4. Spices. (ok. technically this is loads, but I couldn't pick just one.)
5. Balsamic vinegar (and olive oil). So, I got told the other day, balsamic is a bit retro now...apparently wine and cider vinegars are the new fashion. But I don't care, I love balsamic. Especially on any form of salad or vegetables, oh or anything goat's cheesey. My favourite thing to do is grate a raw beetroot and/or carrot and mix with freshly ground pepper and balsamic, leaving in the fridge for a bit before serving. 
6. Tinned spaghetti. Ok. Guilty pleasure.


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Little Chalfont...and Chesham.

 The last couple of days have been spent visiting Ella's family in Little Chalfont. Its such a cute little village! and such a new concept of the village...none of our Norfolky villages have a tesco express! There may be some exciting news to follow on from this visit. Hold tight!


Quick sushi stop on our way there.

I'm doing well trying new things. Even raw salmon. Yum.

 This was a cute little tea room in Chesham, aren't the wildflowers adorable!

 Its such as shame the beauty of the courtyard isn't as evident in this image. It was full of little mirrors so it looked like it was all sparkly.

 Ella's mum is now the proud owner of a new deli in Little Chalfont - here's the signage I made for it. I'll take some pictures of inside when I go back. I love it though! I did a days work there to help out and proper enjoyed being in whites again.

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An ode to junk.

As moving out day slyly approaches, I've come to realise just how much STUFF I have collected over the three years I've been in Farnham. Most of it just little bits and bobs, trinkets and treasures, but there is just shitloads (yes. a proper unit of measurement) of it. And I have absolutely NO idea where I'm going to be putting it when I go back to Norfolk! Not only is my room quite full there, its half the size of the one I own here.

Holy moly!

It does look pretty though...

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Farnham greenery bathed in Sunshine. oh and tea and cakes.

This morning I woke up to a bedroom bathed in sunshine and decided what could be better than going outside and enjoying it! 

(And I needed to go to Sainsburys to get some beetroot for our famous Fairfield Chocolate Beetroot Cake) 

In Farnham their are two Sainsburys of choice and I decided heading to the big Sainsburys would be much more of an adventure.

Lately I've been thinking alot about leaving Farnham (the ever-approaching moving out date is at the end of May) and it's really sad. I feel like i've made it my home over the last three (rocky) years. And today, it looked beautiful, full of greenery in the height of the spring sunshine, only adding to the sadness at having to say goodbye.

Really frustratingly, I talked myself out of taking my big camera with me on my walk...grrr. So these pictures are from my little black fruit, and don't really show how gorgeous it looked.

On my way, I kept spotting some lovely wild flowers, eyeing them up one-by-one thinking about a lovely big bunch of wild flowers on our kitchen time. Here's what I picked on the way back...it's quite cute (clearly not how big and voluptuous I had imagined in my head).

Sunday brought tea and cake at Bourne Mill Antique Centre. Its a rickety ramshackle old mill with sloping floors, low ceilings and that lovely smell of old. Not too mention that it is OVERFLOWING with little knick knacks and treasures. AND a cute little tea room in the courtyard of the mill. We sat in the sunshine, slurped our Lady Grey and enjoyed our relaxed Sunday with lazy contentedness...before the hecticness came on monday. 

I'm not sure why, but I didn't actually take any pictures inside of the treasures I kept finding...at least it gives me an excuse to go back. 

Not that I need one!

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a delayed happy easter.

an interesting weekend for sure in the Marsh household.

For my brother...'who needs eggs when you can have bacon?'

For my Aunt...(who is from Georgia and is russian orthodox) I made this beautiful painted egg. I didn't get to give it to her personally, but I hear she loved it! Although 'blowing' it for painting was a pain in the arse.

For me...BUNNIES. Slight addiction. and I now have a family of them. Naaaawwwww...

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Oh gosh I do love being home. part three.

Ahh the only men in my life. My boys. I miss them when I'm at uni.

Look at Milo sulking in the background...

 ...more sulking.

Naaawww.


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Some friends and some stories.

Here's to friends that go out of their way to cheer you up...

I went out to Norwich for the day with my two lovely friends, Jen and Andy...oh and my GORGEOUS Goddaughter Tiffany! Isn't she beautiful? Here she is with her mummy posing in her new outfit.

 She's only three and a half months old but very much alert and 'forward' for her age! She's gonna be armed with wit and intelligence if I have anything to do with it!

Just look at those chubby cheeks and that pout!

Salad's make me happy at the moment, and this one was delicious! Well done Wetherspoons. I. am. impressed.

And to top it off, it was a lovely sunny day.

Fantastic.

A few days later, I went to the beach with my lovely friends Jess and Ian. I never really appreciate living by the beach until I leave, so it was nice to make the most of it whilst I was at home. We went to Sea Palling, and I've never driven down the coast road before but the drive is GORGEOUS! I would LOVE to take a bike ride down there. 

 Of course, you have to have fish and chips at the seaside...

 My sand rat. You can tell I'm at an art uni right?

I can't help but take pictures of my legs/feet lately. I'm sorry. It's like an addiction. I've always like my toes. But most especially, I've always like the feel of sand between my toes.

It did get a bit chilly during our visit, hence why Jess is wrapped in her beach towel here. But you know, growing up in a coastal area, you expect these things. I always do wonder, when it is always warmer inland, why do people go to the beach in the warm weather, when they are only confronted by a cold breeze and goosebumps?


Ahhh I love friends and sunshine.


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