miss b's quote

'I haven't been everywhere yet but it's on my list' Susan Sontag

Wednesday 29 February 2012

miss b loves.....the key spring/summer 2012 trends


  • Sugared almond pastels
The shops are now full of pretty pastel tones - sorbet, ice cream, dolly mixture colours. Mint, peach, sherbet lemon, pistachio, lilac and pink.... in delicate, lightweight fabrics...silk, chiffon and lace....It's probably the most dominant summer trend (and my favourite!) 


Miss Selfridge 


bobochic silk scarf

Sunday 26 February 2012

miss b loves .........Istanbul



Next week I'm off to Istanbul again for a long weekend and I'm so excited - it's one of my favourite cities. Looking through my photos from our last visit I remembered that I had intended writing a post about two amazing places - the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia .......so here it is!

Wednesday 22 February 2012

miss b loves......... the Liebster Award!


Yesterday I was delighted (and surprised!) to receieve the Liebster Award from Véronique, French Girl in Seattle. Véronique moved from France to Seattle in 1996 and her blog is highly entertaining and informative. Her posts are so varied and she writes about all things French, her travels and life as a French  expat in Seattle. 


As a relative newcomer to blogging (eight months now!) it means so much to me to be appreciated. Merci beaucoup, Véronique! .....


Read on to find out my nominees....

Thursday 16 February 2012

miss b loves..........Eton Mess (with raspberries)


I had quite a lot of raspberries left over after making my Raspberry Prosecco Cocktail so I decided to make my very easy and quick version of Eton Mess. 

This is an English dessert usually consisting of strawberries, pieces of meringue and cream traditionally served at Eton College's annual cricket game against Winchester College. The dish was served in the 1930s in the school tuck shop and was originally made with strawberries or bananas and cream or ice-cream with meringue apparently being a later addition.


miss b's Eton Mess

Serves 4

4-6 meringue nests shop-bought or home-made
300ml pot of double cream
1 tbsp icing sugar (optional)
225g raspberries 

1. Whip 250ml cream lightly in a large bowl and stir in the icing sugar, if used.  
2.Roughly crush the meringues into the bowl and stir gently.
3.Halve the raspberries (reserving four for decoration). Add to the bowl and stir to combine.
4.Spoon into four glass dishes or large wine glasses, pour over the remaining cream and decorate with the reserved whole raspberries.





I'm not usually a fan of shop-bought meringues as they are often too powdery or brittle but I was very impressed with the texture and taste of the Sainsbury's Taste the Difference meringue nests which I used here.

Recipe based on this one at netmums 

miss b recommends these variations:
  • Adding a tablespoon of raspberry liqueur or kirsch to the halved raspberries before mixing with the cream and meringue
  • Using mixed berries, strawberries, bananas or any other soft fruit instead of raspberries.  
  • Replace the icing sugar with vanilla sugar
  • Replace half the double cream with crème fraiche or marscapone
  • Replace the cream with ice cream.

Monday 13 February 2012

miss b loves.........Raspberry Prosecco cocktail



My love affair with Prosecco-based cocktails continues.........and this one is just perfect for a Valentine's Day tipple.


         Raspberry Prosecco Cocktail
Serves 2


4 tsp raspberry liqueur
A handful of fresh washed raspberries
Prosecco to top up


1. Spoon 2 tsp each of raspberry liqueur into two chilled Champagne flutes then drop in a few raspberries.
2. Hold a spoon inside the glass, over the top of the liqueur, and slowly pour in the Prosecco, pulling the spoon up slowly as you go - this will create the pretty two-tone effect


I used Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Conegliano Prosecco and Taste the Difference raspberry liqueur. You could use Cava instead of the Prosecco. 




Recipe from Sainsbury's 



Wednesday 8 February 2012

miss b loves ..............Zaz

image via

My taste in music is certainly varied and I recently discovered French singer, Zaz (real name Isabelle Geffroy) who was born in Tours in 1980. She mixes jazzy styles, French variety, soul and acoustic and is most well-known for her hit single 'Je veux' from her first album Zaz, released in 2010. 



I find it such a happy song....and I love the lyrics too.... She says that money isn't what makes her happy. She doesn't want a suite at the Ritz, Chanel jewellery, a limo, a mansion or the Eiffel Tower. She wants love, joy and freedom!

Thursday 2 February 2012

miss b loves........gorgeous scents

scent: noun  'A distinctive smell especially one that is pleasant.'  perfume........fragrance .......aroma....


I love the way a fragrance can evoke a particular place, memory, person or event. Psychologists refer to this as the 'Proust Effect' after the French writer Marcel Proust first described this connection between scent and recollection. Sometimes when a person walks by, you get a hint of his or her perfume - you realize you know that smell and for a moment you slip back in time to a particular place........


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