Monthly Archives: September 2012
Man flu and sausage rolls
My husband’s been down with a mean case of the man flu this week. Sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, stuffy head and feverish, he is a walking (albeit overdramatic) Nyquil ad and make me want to swim in a sea of Purell.
But before the cold bug bit this week, he did some baking: a ginormous sausage roll. Typically sausage rolls are bite-sized British morsels, but this was supersized, making it a kind of pork pie-esque puff pastry loaf. The kids chowed down despite their love-hate relationship with minced meat, as did I, despite the fact that our chef became deathly ill the next day.
Here’s the recipe courtesy of Delia Smith.
And the envelope please …
Last weekend, I got a lovely surprise from Zoe from JustEnglish.me. She nominated Britrish.com for two blog awards – the Beautiful Blogger Award and One Lovely Blog.
As for the terms and conditions of such a prize, it’s as follows: “To claim the price, please publish 7 things that bloggers don’t know about you and then nominate the next 7 blogs. Inform the bloggers about the nomination.” Easy peasy lemon squeezy.
And without further ado, here are my top 7:
1. I’m an only child but have been told throughout my life that I don’t act like one.
2. I love nature but hate bugs.
3. I truly believe everyone looks better with glasses. Except me.
4. I once wrote a humor column about getting carded in America when I went to see an R rated movie. The Scottish copyeditors, who didn’t understand the ratings system in America, changed the copy to read X rated movie. Needless to say, the column didn’t read the same.
5. I was an extra on “Sister Act 2.”
6. I don’t like talking on the phone.
7. I still haven’t been to Greece. Initially the toilet-paper-in-the-basket thing kept me away but now I’ve come to believe that it’s worth going despite that. Especially Santorini.
My nominations:
a-girl-and-her-fork.blogspot.com
newvintagephotography.wordpress.com/
Thesmudge.com
merrylittleworld.wordpress.com/
britishisms.wordpress.com
virginiaplantation.wordpress.com
www.shoandtellblog.com/
Top Shop now at Nordstrom
Oh, Nordstrom. I loved you when you brought Mini Boden to your store. But Top Shop? Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Yes, Great Britain’s High Street shops Top Shop (for women) and Top Man (for men) have arrived at Nordstrom! Iconic, British and very wearable, Top Shop is going to revolutionize American fashion as we know it. Mark my words!
Check out their fall line!
And watch the launch video!
What Americans missed – London Paralympics
Here’s what Americans missed – the Paralympics closing ceremony with Coldplay.
If you’ve been wondering why I haven’t blogged about the London Paralympics, it’s simply because I haven’t seen any of the games. And I’m not alone. There’s been such limited coverage of the games that it’s been nearly impossible to catch any of it here on TV in the U.S., despite the fact that NBC has been contracted to air the games. Newsflash, NBC – Americans do care about the Paralympics and would like the option to view them with the rest of the world!
Congrats to Team GB for scoring third in the London Paralympic Games, after China and Russia. Well done!
Butter London’s union jack pack
I’ve always been an Opi girl, but Butter London has compiled its top three best sellers into one union jack pack trio on Ulta online. The three colors, Yummy Mummy, Come to Bed Red and Union Jack Black, are $36. I’ve never used Butter London nail lacquers before, but this Brit-powered pack might be the inspiration that I need. I’ve read a lot of online reviews and they seem to be very long-wearing, chip-resistant and definitely a good value. Have you tried Butter London?
On another note, Ulta is offering a buy one Butter London nail lacquer, get one free today only, as part of its “21 Days of Beauty” promotion. And for Ulta members like me, you can also download the $3.50 off coupon for additional savings in-store or online.
A walk on the beach
I love this photo of William and Kate! There’s something very British to me about bundling up for a crisp walk on a quiet beach with Wellies and dog in tow. My MIL lives in Devon and that is pretty much how we spent winters (minus the sunshine and obvious royalty) when visiting her. I really hate the cold, but love the thought of a hot cup of cocoa after.
Have a wonderful weekend!
The secret to good fish and chips
Photo credit: The Independent
Sorry, America, your chips suck.
Too many fish and chip shops in the U.S. rely on limp, frozen, thick-cut fries and they try to pawn them off quietly, blanketed underneath a fine piece of crisp, beer-battered fish. It’s a travesty that is happening in too many so-called London fish and chip shops that are a dime-a-dozen in the U.S.
But there is a secret to good fish and chips and you don’t need to have British-grown spuds to succeed. Just double fry the chips! It makes a world of difference and the Brits know it!
Check out The Independent’s guide to perfect chips every time – at home!
Pity Shitterton’s tourism board
On our last visit to the north of England, I snapped this pic of one street, Slack Bottom, in Yorkshire, but it really doesn’t hold a candle to some of these names.
No shit. The U.K.’s worst place name goes to Shitterton in Dorset, according to a recent contest by Findmypast.co.uk.
But there is no uh, end, to the list of poorly named villages in the country. Here’s their top 10:
1. Shitterton, Dorset
2. Scratchy Bottom, Dorset
3. Brokenwind, Aberdeenshire
4. Crapstone, Devon
5. Golden Balls, Oxfordshire
6. Ugley, Essex
7. Crackpot, North Yorkshire
8. Backside, Aberdeenshire
9. Great Snoring, Norfolk
10. Happy Bottom, Dorset
These are good, but they’ve completely missed some beauts that were catalogued by the Daily Telegraph, including Cocks, Cornwall, Butt Hole Road in South Yorkshire and Hornyold Road in Worcestershire. Check out their list.
British muesli in the USA
My husband, like so many Brits, loves his muesli. But Americans haven’t really hopped aboard the muesli train yet. The American cereal aisle is still steeped in the post-80s granola movement of super-sweetened nuggets made with vanilla, almond, honey, pumpkin spice. The kind of ingredients you would also see at a candle store. (In fact, the granola people and the candlemakers should get together to buy their ingredients in bulk.)
And so it was pure serendipity that we stumbled upon the real British brand, Dorset Cereals, made in the small English village of Poundbury, now sold at Whole Foods.
BRITRISH.COM 