What to wear: Go Bright or Go Home

When it comes to style - I have always been a throw on a great pair of jeans and heels kind of girl, and this seasons bright new coloured jeans are no exception. Both of us, in the It's a Pleasure, Treasure team, are smitten kittens when it comes to brightening up our wardrobes and with all the colours under the sun available - what's not to love. 

You can keep it simple with a white t-shirt and statement necklace, dress them up with an equally bright top - basically you can throw them on with anything and they are sure to look fabulous. If you haven't tried a pair yet, I suggest you do it - coloured jeans give your outfit that edge that says - yes - today I am feeling bright and amazing and I am going to show it! Well that's how they make us feel anyway! 

Here are some of our faves...

Colour me bright by abigilbertgreen featuring mid rise jeans


We are:

• Wearing the blue and coral 
• Lusting over the green and yellow 
• Wondering if we could pull off the patterned Oasis pair 

What do you think about coloured jeans and what colour will you be wearing this summer?

What to wear: Wimbledon

Strawberries & Cream at Wimbledon by nkirkmartin featuring a knit cardigan

"Why has slamming a ball with a racquet become so obsessive a pleasure for so many of us? It seems clear to me that a primary attraction of the sport is the opportunity it gives to release aggression physically without being arrested for felonious assault." - Nat Hentoff

Wimbledon begins this week - hooray - and along with it, the threat of rain. It wouldn't be Wimbledon without the rain, right? 

This year will be my first time at Wimbledon. My husband has managed to bag us tickets to watch the tennis during the Olympics - lucky me - I'll finally get to eat strawberries and cream in the sunshine! Or at least under my umbrella...

Along with the outfit above, I'll be taking my brolly - good old British summer! 

What will you be wearing to Wimbledon this year?

What to wear: Shine, even when the sun won't!

A splash of sunshine by nkirkmartin featuring butter london nail polish

"Don't knock the weather; nine-tenths of the people couldn't start a conversation if it didn't change once in a while." - Kin Hubbard

I'm guessing Kin didn't live in London...

The British weather is starting to get me down. I have forgotten what Summer feels like. I can't remember when last I left home without a cardigan (and scarf). Granted, I am the ice queen (temperature, not heart), but surely by this time of year we should all be sporting short skirts, summery sandals and sunglass tans?!

So despite the fact that the weather is not playing nice, we have decided to think summery thoughts. Incidentally, the forecast looks quite lovely for the next day or two, so I hope I haven't cursed it by speaking out loud!

This outfit makes me want to pack a suitcase to somewhere exotic. Doesn't the yellow dress scream 'take me on holiday!'? (Husband, I think it's talking to me!)

Have you got any lovely, sunny trips planned?

Daddy's Girls - the perfect steak

It's Father’s Day today and if you haven’t got a snazzy restaurant booked in yet, we're saying go back to basics and keep it simple. 

Courtesy of the best steak restaurant in London - Hawksmoor

As daughters (and wives and sisters) of meat-loving men, we have spent many years witnessing the pursuit of perfection, when it comes to cooking steak.

It is essential to get your cooking technique just right and there are lots of theories on how you should do it. We have a Sous Vide water bath, well-used Weber BBQ, a thick bottomed pan, blow torch, ergonomic tongs, razor sharp Japanese knives, about 14 different types of mustard, and books by everyone from Delia to Heston to Jamie, to prove our dedication to this very cause!

So, if happiness to your Dad is a beautifully cooked piece of meat, accompanied by a bold bottle of rouge, here are a few tips that we highly recommend, courtesy of the excellent ‘Hawksmoor at Home’ cookbook that we think will guarantee you the perfect steak.

If our Dad’s were close by (hope you’re listening Dad’s) this is what we would be doing to celebrate Father’s Day:

TEN TIPS FOR THE PERFECT STEAK

1. Quality not quantity – It’s important to buy the best cut of meat – personally, we are fillet girls, but most men like a good rib-eye or sirloin on the bone. If you want a bit more on this, here is a quick guide on the best cuts from ‘The Ginger Pig’ in London.

Any good butcher will be able to advise you on the best cuts, but if you want to know all the right questions to ask, here is a buyer's guide.

2. Go BIG or go home – if you want the meat to be charred on the outside, but juicy and pink in the middle – 300g and 4cm thick is the ideal size.

3. Make sure your steak is dry - pat with a paper towel to remove any moisture - otherwise the meat will steam in the pan and you will struggle to form a decent crust.

4. Season the meat WELL before you cook it – probably more than you might think. Use a mix of 40% sea salt and 60% smoked sea salt – trust us, this makes all the difference.

5. The only way is HOT and we’re talking HOT HOT HOT - Make sure your pan is as hot as you can get it – put the heat on high and give it about 5 minutes to get up to temperature (you shouldn’t be able to hold your hand near the heat without it burning!). If you’re cooking inside, open the window so you don’t get totally smoked out.

6. Don’t use any oil on the meat or in the pan - if the grill is hot enough, the meat won’t stick.

7. Don’t be afraid to flip the steak every 10 – 15 seconds. Each time you turn the meat over it cooks slightly on one side, allowing you to get the perfect crust, without overcooking the centre.

8. If you’re cooking a sirloin or rib-eye and there is a thick layer of fat, remember to brown it first – the easiest way to do this is by holding the meat, fat-side down, with a pair of tongs.

9. When your steak is cooked how you like it, (if you want it rare it should be similar in feel to the fleshy part of your palm under your thumb) put it on a warm plate and leave to rest for at least 5 minutes (a really thick steak will be better after 10).

10. Serve with frites, mustard and a simple green salad. Voila!

Pair your perfect steak with a fine bottle of red wine – there really is no better alternative. We had a fantastic bottle of (South African) Cederburg Shiraz 2008 recently, which we would highly recommend.

A saucy tip

The sauce you serve with your steak will affect your wine pairing. When researching this blog, we stumbled across an incredible website by Fiona Beckett, whose son is the man behind Hawksmoor (can you tell we’re fans?!). She outlines the changes a sauce will make to how you should choose your wine.

If this is not your idea of fun, you could always buy your Dad the book and he could do it himself! ;) 

Have a happy Father’s Day!

Jubilee Garden Party Part 4

“I am thankful for the mess to clean after a party because it means I have been surrounded by friends.” - Nancie J. Carmody 

Though the Diamond Jubilee is now a distant memory (and this post is slightly late!) – blame it on the long weekend and a week of holiday – fear not, we have not forgotten! This is our final Jubilee post where we show you how we transformed our ideas on paper to over-all pretty (well, we think so at least!). 

Thanks to the wonderful English summer, our Jubilee Garden Party was a lot less ‘garden’ than we had planned. Luckily we didn’t let that dampen our spirits – we opted for plan B and moved the party indoors. 

I always forget how much work goes into hosting a party – food preparation (is there going to be enough?), decorating (will anyone even notice the miniature food flags?), more food prep (how hungry will everyone be?), drinks (is there such a thing as too much wine?), ding-dong (the guests are early!). 

But as the quote above so nicely puts it, all of the planning and preparation is worth it if you’ve celebrated with friends. And celebrate we did… 

Before we share a few of our favourite pics from the day, a huge ‘we-appreciate-you-so-much’ shout-out must go to our wonderful (long-suffering) husbands. Thank you for cutting, slicing, pouring, hanging, dicing and hosting with us. We couldn’t have done it without you both (we know you secretly enjoyed it all!).

The food...

The drinks...

The decor...

The photobooth signs made by the very talented Roxy Sayer...

Did you have as much fun as we did? 

The Perfect Present - The foodie edition

Some people are just great at sourcing the perfect present - weddings, birthdays and hen parties - they have it in the bag!

For others – not so much. I have been known to get into quite a panic scouring the high street to find something original, different and lovely. We’ve all had that moment of buying something that sits on a shelf, never gets used, worn or loved… so, needless to say, I am always on the search for the perfect present.

Today, I opened the post box to reveal the most divine, unique and PERFECT (for a dedicated foodie like me), wedding present.

To give someone special their own olive tree visit the Nudo website!

We are now the proud adoptive parents (for the next 12 months anyway) of our very own Olive Tree! Our tree, Leccino (after his olive variety), lives in a grove called Il Professore on the Eastern Coast of Central Italy.  Not too shabby! I think a visit is a must – wink wink hubby!

The upside of this pressie is that it benefits us food lovers and supports the smallscale artisanal farmers who produce the olive oil.

The cherry (or should I say olive) on top is that in exchange for being his adoptive parents, we get two deliveries of olive oil from our little Leccino. In spring, we will get extra virgin olive oil and in autumn, we will get three tins in a range of flavours from lemon to chilli.

Bring on the alfresco evenings, crispy ciabatta and Nudo olive oil from our little Leccino! Buon appetite!

Grazie Jess and Ryan for the perfect present! 

Keep an eye out for our top 10 favourite foodie gifts coming soon!

Jubilee Garden Party Part 3

What is a party without a puffy paper pom pom? 

When I was planning my own wedding I spent many, many hours poring over inspiring blogs with creative ‘how-to’s’. It made me want to DIY everything – stationery, food, décor, my veil. I was constantly amazed at the perfect Martha Stewart-esque weddings created from nothing but tissue paper, coloured card and double-sided tape! 

Of all the DIY tutorials I came across, the tissue paper pom poms were my favourite – so light, so fluffy, so dreamy.

Sadly I didn’t end up making these for my wedding (the most I DIY-ed was the labels for our favour table – my brilliant mum and mum-in-law did the rest!). 

Our Jubilee Garden Party has given me the perfect excuse to make them. The best bit? They’re easy peasy lemon squeezy! 

Note: Please excuse the fuzzy iPhone pictures - I can assure you that these look spectacular in real life!

How to make: Tissue Paper Pom Poms 

Step 1: 

Lay 12 sheets of tissue paper flat on the table (most tutorials suggest eight, but I think 12 gives you a fluffier result!). Make (roughly) 3.5cm wide accordion folds, creasing with each fold (so it looks like a fan). 

Step 2: 

Cut a (roughly) 30cm piece of steel wire or florist’s wire (I used garden wire because that’s all I could get hold of!). Then fold your accordion-folded tissue paper in half (to find the centre). Wrap the wire around the middle and twist it to secure it (tightly, but not so tightly that it rips). Wrap the ends of the wire so it creates a loop. 

Step 3: 

Using a sharp pair of scissors, trim the ends of the tissue paper stack (into either round or pointy shapes). I personally prefer pointy. 

Step 4: 

Lay your pom pom on a flat surface and very gently separate the layers – the tissue paper tears easily, so be patient. Pull it out from the bottom, as near to the wire as you can get. 

Step 5: 

Tie a piece of clear fishing wire or ribbon onto the hook and hang it from the ceiling. Ta da!