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Friday 20 December 2013

My Christmas Playlist



Sufjan Stevens// Auld Lang Syne, more of a Hogmanay song than Christmas but it's my playlist so it can stay! 

She & Him// There's no denying that I am a huge fan of She & Him, Zooeys voice is perfect, so a lot of their songs are my Christmas favourites. I recommend their Christmas album; A Very She & Him Christmas but here a my top picks. Baby, It's Cold Outside, I love the twist they do on a classic Christmas song. Little Saint Nick, and last but not least Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Maverick Sabre// Fairytale of New York, I am a huge fan of the original version but I also love this one!

Queen// Thank God it's Christmas, everyone loves a bit of Queen, don't try and deny it.

Smokey Robinson and The Miracles// Let It Snow, a nice retro sounding version.

Mindy Gledhill// Patapan/O Come, O Come Emmanuel, a unique touch to the Christian lyrics.

Bastille// Oh Holy Night, Having seen Bastille twice I can vouch for their talent, plus it features dialogue from Home Alone at the start!

Eliza Doolittle// Xmas in Bed, a modern sounding Christmas song which is very catchy!

As you can probably tell I've gone for the more unusual and eclectic Christmas songs but I also recommend the old favourites such as Wham!, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley etc.. 


Thursday 19 December 2013

Princes Street German Market

Fröhliche Weihnachten!




  



There is nothing better than a Weihnachtsmarkt to get you in the festive mood! I bought some lovely bowls, tried deliciously warming Glühbier and even braved the ferris wheel! That's me bought all the Christmas presents I needed to buy so now onto making all the edible gifts; I'm making peanut butter fudge, peppermint tablet and traditional fudge. After that I need to make mince pies, both traditional and chocolate for those who don't like mincemeat. I'll be blogging about the recipes so keep an eye out on my twitter (@whatrosiegirl) for them!

Wednesday 11 December 2013

DIY Succulent Garden



A simple and cheap present for someone or to keep for yourself. Succulents are low maintenance yet look great as a home furnishing. I made one for my friend who is at university to added a little bit of greenery to her little room, and the other is for myself to add a bit of calm in my hectic bedroom.



I bought these small succulents from Dobbies for £1.49, but you can get them from most garden centres. I tried to stick to a colour scheme just to make the overall look more pleasing but choose whatever ones you prefer! 





You'll need a dish or pot to plant the succulents in. Mine are from Tiger (Red) and a vintage sugar pot. I recommend choosing one that is at least 4cm tall, or else there isn't enough room for the roots. 

You can find compost at garden centres although you'll probably have some lying around, basic compost is fine. Special cacti compost can be used but I find that there's no difference except the price! 

The yellow stones are from Ikea and are for covering the soil, because visible soil looks and can be messy. 






Line the bottom of the pot with soil and place the succulent (including the soil it came with) in the middle. Top up with soil up to about a centimetre from the rim. Make sure to lightly water the plant but not too much because there are no drainage holes and too much water can kill the plant, which wouldn't be the best.  

After the soil add the stones, covering all the soil. The rocks also add a pop of colour. I toyed with the idea of adding little flags or figurines but decided to keep it super simple and streamlined. If you want to add more pizzazz I'd recommend using cake decorations or small toys, I think tiny dinosaurs would look really good!


So there you have it, a simple yet stylish plant for your home. As I mentioned before I'm giving one of these to a friend for Christmas and I plan to make more of these as gifts in the future, who wouldn't want a cute plant? 

Monday 2 December 2013

Macaroni Cheese

A particular favourite of mine. Easy to make and even easier to eat.

Ingredients 
For the sauce;
1oz Butter, 1oz plain flour, 250ml milk, cheddar cheese and seasonings.

Fusili pasta, breadcrumbs and even more cheese.


1. Boil the pasta and put the grill onto high. Then melt the butter over a medium heat.

2. Add the flour, it will form a weird looking paste but don't worry it's meant to! Keep over the hob and stir for a 3-4 minutes.

3. Take off the heat and gradually add the milk. The mixture will form a creamy sauce. You can go from here and use this basic sauce as a white sauce if you'd like.  

4. Add the grated cheese and season. I added some mozzarella to make it more luxurious but the cheddar is good on its own as well.

5. Mix the pasta with the sauce and spoon into a heat proof dish. Sprinkle generously with cheese and breadcrumbs. Place under the grill for five minutes or until the top is crunchy. 

6. Enjoy your delicious macaroni with vegetables or garlic bread.