My little orange dress...

It was a perfect Saturday - I woke up naturally (nothing worst or crueller than the sound of an alarm clock on a Saturday!), grabbed a quick bite before leaving the house for some much needed me-time (manicure, pedicure, waxing, the must-have moments in a woman's life), had a gorgeous brunch with the Hubby and walk around on one of my favourite streets in London, King's Road :)

So when the time came to pick something to wear for dinner with friends, I was feeling way too relaxed and in a zen-mood to waste much time deciding - I actually love when I'm feeling this way, I somehow manage to find something to dress in under 10 minutes and always go for something simple but stylish. And that's exactly what this little orange dress is - simple and stylish, to me it screams effortless elegance :) I absolutely adore the colour, so summery, so alive, so happy :) And I really like the combo loose-fit with above-knees length, perfect for curvy girls like myself :)

Because I was in a "no fuss no muss" sort of mood, I went for golden acessories, which are a perfect match with orange - this chunky necklace was the perfect addition to complete the look :)

Dress Reiss | Shoes LV | Necklace Anthropologie

American pancakes...

Although it is the most important meal of the day, most times breakfast ends up being the less exciting meal of all - let's face it, during the week it is just plain easier to eat some cereals, toast or if you have the time some eggs, and that's pretty much it. So, sometimes, it does feel good to take the time and prepare something special to begin your day, and weekends are the perfect days to spoil yourself with a proper breakfast :)

Last Sunday I woke up in the mood for some good old American pancakes - it is nothing fancy, I know, but oh so delicious and indulgent, perfect for a lazy Sunday :)

I did my own version with gram flour, agave nectar and goat's milk - if you feel like having the classic version just replace the gram flour for plain flour, the agave nectar for caster sugar and the goat's milk for cow's milk.

(1) Sieve together 1 1/2 cups of gram flour, 2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt;

If you are doing the classic version, also add 3 tablespoons of caster sugar - because I was doing my own version, I added the agave nectar with the other wet ingredients.

(2) In a different bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup of goat's milk, 2 eggs, 3 tablespoons of agave nectar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon of grated lemon zest;

(3) Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones and mix it all together;

I once read that it is good to let your pancake mixture to stand for a while, before cooking it.

(4) Melt some unsalted butter in a frying pan over medium heat until it bubbles, and ladle the mixture into the pan (my pan allowed me to make 3 pancakes at once);

Cook until the underside is browned, flip the pancakes and cook for another minute, until browned on the other side.

I like to eat pancakes dusted with a little bit of icing sugar and cinnamon, some honey and blackberries.

*ENJOY*

Cover me pretty...

I don't wear them, you never saw me wearing one and you will probably never see me wearing one! This is not something I say lighthearted, it is actually something of a confession - I love them, I happen to believe they are the most trendy, hip, just plain cool accessory one can wear, but unfortunately blame it on the afro, blame it on the size of my head, but I just don't have a hat-head. Yes, it is a bit painful to say so, but that's life for you - somethings you are supposed to love and admire from afar :)

Well, back to the hat - I can try and think of more fashionable words to describe it, but “cool” just does it, that's exactly what it is. I think most people don't realise that, but a hat can completely change an outfit by adding a special spark, a je ne sais quoi factor. 

I won't say what particular shape or style you should go for - be it floppy, fedora, trilby, just choose whatever works for you, whatever is comfortable and whatever best complements your look :)

Well, here are some gorgeous options:

Monsoon Feather Trim Fedora 

Topshop Colour Stripe Floppy 

Monsoon Contrast Paper Floppy Hat 

Reiss Straw Trilby Hat 

Eugenia Kim Gabriella Feather-Trimmed Fedora 

Pachacuti Brisa Panama Fedora 

Dorothy Perkins Natural Trilby with Corsage 

Pachacuti Brisa Wide-Brimmed Panama Sunhat 

Miss Selfridge Orange Floppy Straw Hat 

Topshop Pink Bright Floppy Fedora Hat 

River Island Brown Flower and Lace Trilby Hat 

Reiss Ava Wide Brim Trilby Hat 

Ted Baker Petunia Oversized Bow Hat 

French Connection Melissa Bow Hat 

French Connection Bow Felt Trilby 

Gucci-inspired...

Who could ever forget the fabulous Gucci SS 2011 collection? Glamorous, bold, vibrant and deliciously provocative. I was in awe of the colour palette used - absolutely marvellous! I can honestly say that this was the very collection to awaken my senses to the wonderful colour blocking trend. The way the barrier between colours was erradicated, truly masterful :)

And my favourite piece? This gorgeous strapless jumpsuit - this is such a perfect look :) I have literally been yearning for this jumpsuit since the very first time I saw it!

So, try and imagine my excitement when I found this ASOS jumpsuit - I was over the moon happy :) I think it took me less than a minute between spotting it and  buying it!

As you can see, I didn't even tried to be creative and change the look - why bother if it was exactly what I wanted? So, I added this beautiful pink blazer (one of may favourite items ever!), and went for silver accessories - there is one thing missing though, I should have gone for a belt, I really think it would have made a huge difference. Next time I shall not forget ;)

Well, here are some of the photos we took:

Jumpsuit ASOS | Blazer Zara | Clutch Carolina Herrera | Shoes Gina

Salmon Stew with Brown Rice...

It has been a while since my last post on food but there is a perfectly good explanation for that - I went for holidays, first in Angola then Portugal, and when on holidays all I want to do is relax, enjoy the company of family and friends and be pampered. After all, this is the definition of holidays, right?

However, I did missed cooking - cooking for me is not an obligation, it is something I do out of pleasure. That is why I don't cook every single day or when I am not in the mood, I just could not bare the idea of cooking becoming something of a chore.

I know you are not supposed to eat anything heavy at dinner, but sometimes the stomach wants what the stomach wants, and yesterday all I could think about was comfort food - you know, the kind of warm food that just makes you feel utterly happy and brings you really fond memories :)

Well, since I have been trying to shed some pounds, I am always trying to find new recipes that allow me to eat what I want without being a total disaster for my waistline. So, this fish stew recipe was something I created in order to satisfy my desire but without disrupting altogether my diet - can't and won't say it is a healthy dish, but, the way I see it, it is a homemade dish filled with fish and veggies. How bad can it be?

Mind you, it is not a nice looking dish, it is not the sort of dish you will be serving when entertaining friends but it is exactly what you need after a day at work, trust me on that ;)

(1) In a large saucepan, heat some olive oil over medium heat - Add a chopped onion and a couple of bay leaves and saute for 4 minutes.

(2) Add 4 fresh tomatoes and some canned tomatoes, and allow those to cook until they are soft.

(3) Add a cup of brown rice, celery, peppers and a cube of fish stock - add boiled water (enough to cover the ingredients), bring to a boil and allow it to simmer until the rice is almost cooked.

Season to taste with salt and pepper - I also like to add a tablespoon of ketchup.

(4) Once the rice is almost cooked, add the green beans and the salmon - cook for 5 minutes.

Please note that you might need to add some more boiled water, and if that is the case, do not forget to adjust salt and pepper.

Unfortunately, I didn't have any fresh coriander, but I would advise you to add some chopped coriander when you add the salmon.

(5) Turn of the heat and allow the pot to sit covered for another 5 minutes.

Check salt and pepper, and add if necessary.

*ENJOY*