Monthly Archives: November 2012
Gap Britwear for boys
I love Gap’s dedication to the union jack! Check out some of their boys’ stuff!
Gap has a 25% off sale on all regular priced items through Sunday. Enter Gap25 at checkout!
The hunt for Plymouth Gin
Last weekend, we ran out of gin, just hours before we were expecting some dinner guests.
I needed a bottle of Plymouth Gin (our favorite brand of gin and the local choice in my MIL’s neck of the woods in Southwest England) and I needed it quickly! The last bottle we had was brought over from England from visiting family. After a search online, I discovered that BevMo now carries Plymouth Gin, as well as Nugget Market! I dashed out and was back within minutes. Great to know that our lesser-known but much-beloved brand is now available close by!
Living with an English mastiff
For your Wednesday viewing pleasure … a funny dog video and yes, while the owners are American, the dog is pure English.
Thanks, Liz, for the tip!
To England we go!
Exciting news! We’ve booked our flight to visit friends and family in England next year. It’s been nearly two years since we’ve been back and we’re looking forward to the holiday!
Roasted butternut squash and caramelized onion tart
I have fond memories of a Thanksgiving dinner celebrated in London so many years ago. One of my managers at the time was American and graciously hosted a spectacular dinner at her home near Marylebone for her American friends and a host of curious Brits.
I was vegetarian at the time and my contribution to the feast was a roasted butternut squash and caramelized onion tart, a recipe I found on Epicurious.com. It was a terribly involved recipe (at least for me, at the time) and required pastry (which I avoid like the plague), but the results were so festive and delicious, I hardly missed the turkey.
These days, I am back to eating turkey but I still like to make this tart at least once a year during the holiday season. This year, I made it the day before Thanksgiving as a tasty reminder of that one Thanksgiving meal so many years ago. If you’re looking for a pretty dish to please vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike, try this! Read the rest of this entry
Black Friday deal
I am not a Black Friday shopper, but I do like a good deal. Online. From the comfort of my computer.
And so I wanted to highlight a couple of good ones that I have spotted:
J. Crew is offering 25% off and free shipping on orders over $150 with code COLOR25. This includes their “In Good Company” brands like Barbour, Drake’s London, Fox Brothers, London Undercover and Mackintosh to name a few!
Also, the Gap London tote I blogged about a few weeks back is now on sale. Originally $19.95, it is now $15.96 and there is an additional 20% off with code GAPGIFT.
Happy Black Friday!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Last November, four turkeys flew into our backyard. Gobble, gobble!
Our Christmas dinner is always very British – my husband does the cooking and it usually involves a roast rib of beef, Yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes, English trifle or pavlova and it is spectacular!
But Thanksgiving? That’s a whole ‘nother bird. We usually celebrate it with good friends (Americans!) and thankfully, they do the cooking: roast turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce, brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes with little marshmallows, pumpkin pie. It’s a familiar, time-tested formula that I’ve looked forward to with pure giddiness since I was a child old enough to slot black olives onto my fingers and pour the gravy. In fact, my appreciation for this very uniquely American holiday has only deepened through the years.
How are you celebrating Turkey Day today? Have a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration!
The happiness survey
How happy are Brits as a nation?
Well, the Office of National Statistics have measured this (as well as other measurements on national well-being of the country!) for the first time – and here are a few findings:
* Just over three-quarters (75.9%) of people aged 16 and over in the UK rated their overall life satisfaction as medium or high in 2011/12 and four-fifths (80.0%) felt that the things they do in their life are worthwhile.
* When asked to reflect on their feelings during the preceding day, over 7 out of 10 (71.1%) people in the UK rated their happiness as medium/ high. In terms of anxiety people felt the day before, 4 out of 10 (40%) reported high anxiety.
* Younger people aged 16 to 19 and older people aged 65 to 79 rated their life satisfaction highest between 7.7 and 7.8 out of 10 and felt that the things that they do were worthwhile (between 7.7 and 8.0 out of 10). Those in middle age (aged 40 to 59) were least satisfied with their lives, reporting a score of 7.1 to 7.2 out of 10 and also reporting the highest anxiety levels; 3.4 to 3.5 out of 10.
John Lewis’ 2012 Christmas advert
Here it is!
It is called “The Journey” and follows one snowman’s quest for the perfect gift for a loved one. Again, whimsical, sweet and like no department store commercial we have in the U.S.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Granola
Credit: Middle Class Handbook
This is sheer brilliance, courtesy of Middle Class Handbook. Mental note to self: Must try Lizi’s Granola, if it’s even more evolved than Dorset Cereals.
BRITRISH.COM 