The best veggie chilli ever?

I am partial to spicy, mexican inspired food, being a girl who likes her beans and pulses and guacamole.

I'd attempted vegetarian chili in the past, using TVP (or Quorn) 'mince', but the taste and texture was ultimately unsatisfying, I'd abandoned any hope of making a decent chili until I tried this simple recipe I'd come across on a message board.


So I'll never make it as a food blogger, but you get the picture.

Ingredients
1 can Kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can Black beans, drained and rinsed (I just used another can of Kidney beans)
1 can Pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn
1 chopped red/green/yellow pepper (depends on preference, or in my case, whatever was left in the fridge!)
1 red onion, diced
1 can (400g) chopped tomatoes
1 cup vegetable stock (120ml)
3 garlic cloves (I used more like 4-5)
1 generous tbsp of chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp cocoa powder (unsweetened)
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
3-4 glugs soy sauce
Pinch of tsp kosher/sea salt
A few grinds of black pepper

Directions
Chop the garlic, onion, and red pepper. Saute lightly over medium high heat in 1-2 tsp olive oil
Add everything else into the pot! Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for 30 min or longer as needed
Serve with tortilla chips (or brown rice) and add whatever toppings you usually would (depending if you're vegan/vegetarian), like guacamole! But I enjoyed it just as well without!

Perfect winter comfort food.

Double denim?!

On Saturday last I updated my twitter status with "Venturing into the terrain of double denim for the first time today. Using Sissy Spacek in Badlands as my sartorial defense." Well I survived and I think I liked it. What say you?





I bought these socks on sale in Tabio when I was in London and was desperate to show them off but was at a loss as to what to pair them with. I needed something neutral so they would the standout feature of the outfit. So I denim'd it up.


Sissy Spacek working the lone ranger look in Malick's Badlands (1973) alongside Martin Sheen.

A day that began with me intending to buy toothpaste and impulsively buying orange nail polish instead, being late and losing a friend in a gallery, going in search of non existent cafés ended up with an impromptu The Babies gig at the Captains Rest and by the time I got home in the wee hours this shirt smelt of beer and sambuca after a night out on the dance floor at Nice n Sleazy.

Spot the difference

I can't believe I'm putting pictures of myself in a ONESIE on THE INTERNET. After the firemen incident the whole world may as well know about my favourite item of clothing. A number of my friends (and strangers and postmen and neighbours) have seen my wonderful, festive PJs, so I am sharing my glamourous life with you all, here on My Blog.

Note the use of the 'personal style' tag.

Autumn

A photo essay of my October and November -


I finish work late and have bad food cravings, sometimes I get in the mood and make guacamole, with homemade pita chips.



I went to see The Playboy of the Western World, starring Ruth Negga and Robert Sheehan, at the Old Vic at the beginning of November.


I've enjoyed the odd hot toddy.


I was introduced to this delicious dark chocolate, from New Zealand. I won't rest until I acquire a bar all my own!


I purchased new wine glasses, cutesy and ridiculous. Perfect. Disappointed there was no Ariel versions! 3 for 99p though, can't complain.


I've started reading for pleasure again. I have acquired new titles and some editions of old favourites (The Silver Chair was my favourite of the Narnia series, it had a much more eerie atmosphere in comparison to the others. I also rather favoured the first Narnia book over the rest).


I bought some sensible rainboots for the Glasgow winter and picked up my new favourite evening bag for £3 in Salvation Army.

Postcards and prints

One of my weaknesses is postcards. I can't afford the art, but I can have a keepsake. Here are some of the many postcards I purchased in London and kept for myself (the rest making their individual journeys to Dubai, England, Scotland and Ireland).







The Wallace Collection
L-R:
1. Boucher, The Setting of the Sun, 1752
2. Fragonard, The Swing, 1767
3. Reynolds, Mrs. Elizabeth Carnac, 1885
4. Boucher, Madame de Pompadour, 1759


National Portrait Gallery
John Donne, Vivien Leigh, Helena Bonham Carter


Leighton House, Holland Park
Postcard of a decorative tile from Damascus, seen in the entrance hall of Frederic Lord Leighton's house.


National Gallery, London
Delaroche, The Execution of Lady Jane Grey, 1833 & Gainsborough, Mrs. Siddons, 1785


National Portrait Gallery
Vivien Leigh (1913-1967) print, taken by Alexander Bassano (April 1935), presented 1974 by Bassano to NPG

I can't wait to frame this and to have a home in which to display it. This photo also graces the walls of The Savoy, London.

What do you do with your postcards? How do you store them? One of my friends writes what they know about the painting on the back, along with the visiting date and then stores it. I've left it too late to start doing that I fear! But looking over my postcards I know where and when I bought it and whom I was with (for the most part).

I'm always interested in international postcard swaps with other bloggers if anyone wants to partake with me!

London shopping

When visiting a city, shopping isn't usually a priority on my metaphorical to do list (metaphorical merely because I am not organised enough to compose one). However, when I found myself in the city centre, between here and there, I couldn't resist popping into a few familiar stores.



I had a voucher for Selfridges and since 98% of the loot for sale there is out of my budget, (nevermind my lifestyle!), I decided to treat myself to a designer perfume. My friend Michaela patiently sprayed and sniffed perfumes with me for half an hour in the Jo Malone concession until I settled on Pomegranate Noir cologne, a scent quite unlike anything I've ever beheld before.



The next day, on Thursday, my friend Hannah and I when walking down Kensington High Street, spotted the Tabio store across the road and made a cheeky detour. There was a sale on, with much of the hosiery reduced to half price. I left the store £40 poorer, oops!


Tie dye socks that caught my eye

Festive leg warmers

On the Saturday, after a decadent tea break at Maison Bertaux, with a couple of hours to spare, upon my request, Bethany showed me the way to the nearest Uniqlo store. Sadly the skinny cords I purchased last year aren't stocked this season but I made some practical buys, like a heat-tech striped polo top, heat-tech black leggings and a couple of pairs of socks in an autumnal palette.




The rest of my pennies was spent on food and wine, transport and postcards! I was happy with the treasures I came back to Glasgow with, safely tucked in my suitcase.

Girl about town

Based on the response to my last outfit post I've resolved to do some more from now on, because they're fun to compile even I am a bit lazy in keeping up with it all. From Tuesday to Sunday morning last week I took a trip down to London to see some lovely friends, including bloggers Bethany and Ana. It was a chance to dress up and stroll the smart suburbs of London. I didn't take many pictures of the trip overall, so these are my only two outfit snaps.



Wednesday, November 3rd

Visiting the Wallace Collection, meeting a friend, braving Oxford Street, and going to the Old Vic for The Playboy of the Western World.

Dress, vintage. Tights, Pamela Mann. Boots, Carvela. Necklace, Bad Passion.



Thursday, November 4th

Visiting Frederic Lord Leighton's house & the John Soane's museum, quick change later to meet a friend for dinner in Soho.

1st: Dress, Zara. Slip, vintage. Blouse, Gharani Strok. Trench, H&M (2009). Tights, bog standard M&S. Boots, Carvela. Necklace, Bad Passion.

2nd: Dress, Zara. Slip, vintage. Blouse, Gharani Strok. Tights, Tabio. Boots, Camper. Necklace, Bad Passion.

Andrea Arnold's Wuthering Heights

The promotional photos for this are just too sublime not to share.

I love how each individual actor is accorded his/her own shot.

(Click on images for larger versions)


Solomon Glave as the young Heathcliff


Shannon Beer as the young Cathy


Young Heathcliff and Cathy


Kaya Scodelario as Catherine Earnshaw (Struggling to find a HQ version of this, if someone could point me in the right direction I'd be most grateful!)


Catherine Earnshaw


Kaya Scodelario as Catherine Earnshaw


James Howson as Heathcliff


James Howson as Heathcliff

Aren't they thrillingly atmospheric?

Seven days.

This post is prompted by the wonderful Georgia who wanted to see more of what I wore on a typical day. Its taken the bones of three weeks to get seven days worth of outfits together so you can see why I don't really 'do' outfit posts.

I'm pretty self conscious about posting day to day outfits because these days I'm either working or doing errands. I dress more for comfort these days and usually a variation on a handful of clothes I wear repeatedly. This was a good exercise though because its driven me to try and recapture the fun I once had dressing up every day when I was doing my undergrad.

I am pretty adverse to taking photographs of my outfits because my camera isn't the best, I don't have a great backdrop (nor do I like taking pictures in public, I have no tripod or ~photographically minded friend), I'm trying to embrace my body shape more, one life, one body, but I'm still self conscious about it. Anyway, here goes:



October 4th. Running errands.
Blazer, Zara. Blouse, People Tree. Wool waistcoat, vintage Jaeger. Trousers, Uniqlo. Boots, Camper.



October 5th. Going to the cinema.
Pullover, American Apparel. Trousers, Topshop (2010). Boots, Camper. Necklace, vintage puzzle pieces.




October 24th. Dropping off graduation forms.
Top, American Apparel. Trousers, Uniqlo. Boots, Camper. Necklace, charity shop.
(I hoped this would be a nod to a riot grrrl look).



October 26th. Cinema and pub.
Lipstick is Gay Geranium, No7, I bought this after seeing it on the beautiful Bethany!
Striped top, H&M (2008). Denim shirt, charity shop. Cords, Uniqlo (2010). High tops, Rocket Dog (2010, via charity shop).




October 27th. Grocery shopping.
Dress, H&M (2007). Tights, Pamela Mann. Boots, vintage. Necklace, Accessorize (2009).




October 28th. Running errands.
Top, charity shop. Skirt, American Apparel. Denim shirt, charity shop. High tops, Rocket Dog (via charity shop). Necklace, charity shop. 'Call Me' necklace, Lady Luck Rules Ok.
(I got this top last week, I liked the daisy pattern, therefore the close-up of my chest).


October 31st. Lazing about on Halloween, packing for London.
Roxy Music men's t-shirt, Amplified (via eBay). Skirt, American Apparel. High tops, Rocket Dog (via charity shop).
The t-shirt is a S but oversized on me as a men's shirt. I find it difficult to wear so today I just knotted it at the side, in a slightly cropped style so it'd look less sloppy. I like this shirt because its the (best) cover of my favourite Roxy album - Country Life.