Fresh, Euro-style summer living

 

Happy weekend! I'm out at a local cafe here, but I'm been spending a lot of time at home and it's been wonderful.

It is such a nice time of year to get things organised at home and make fun plans.

With all my tidying up I even cleaned the tops of my nail polish bottles which I have never thought to do before. It makes all the difference; now my nail colours feel like new and are a pleasure to use.

Do you do this already? Why did no-one ever tell me! I used nail polish remover and a clean rag (which I will keep for future cleanings, don't try to wash it).

I've also got lots of admin done and am even finished up a sewing project today has sat mocking me since late October. I was a bit stuck on a detail but I worked it out in my head and now it's finished. I will get a photo with my model wearing it :)

It's so nice to complete things, and also to create with your hands, whether it's crafting, cooking/baking, or gardening.

 

 

And this is my little veggie garden! I only dabble in gardening but I'm very proud of my summer garden this year. We have spinach which goes into our smoothies each morning, broccolini (a bit of a gamble haha), three different types of tomatoes, cucumber and courgette/zucchini, and a passionfruit plant too.

I've picked our first courgettes, and the tomatoes and cucumber aren't far away either.

And we have an herb garden in a raised bed closer to the kitchen which I love too. It has rosemary, basil, sage, oregano, thyme, curly parsley and flat parsley, mint (contained within the raised bed) and even some spring onions which have done us for months now.

I can see why people get hooked on growing food :)

First courgette! It's in the curry below :)

For today, I’d love to share a relevant excerpt from my book '100 Ways to Live a European Inspired Life':

(From tip no. 76)

'Grow herbs at home.

 

Adding finishing touches to a meal in the form of chopped fresh parsley on scrambled eggs, stirring thyme into a creamy chicken sauce, or sprinkling rosemary sprigs into a big oven dish of roasted root vegetables as they cook will not only add to the flavour, but the look of your meal as well.

 

And when you grow your own herbs there are a myriad of benefits: you will use them more often because they are right there ready to be snipped off (whether you have them just outside your kitchen in the garden or in pots), they will be fresher, they will be spray-free, and the cost is negligible since the little plants are not expensive.

 

Your planter pots or kitchen garden will look très chic and European, and there is the final bonus that all herbs have their own health benefits. Herbs are the bomb!'

I have to say, I do feel tres chic and European as I scatter fresh herbs onto a meal as I'm cooking it.

 

Summer living 🌺

There has been a lot of outdoor living in our new patio area with the beautiful weather we are having.

I made this chicken korma with a ton of veggies (I put vegetables in right at the end for 5-10 minutes so they are still brightly coloured and crispy) and fresh parsley and rocket from our herb garden on top.

Paired with a New Zealand Riesling it was a perfect summer night’s meal. Filling but light and healthy and delicious too.

I did a ton of chopping earlier in the day so all I needed to do was put everything in a pot to simmer while we relaxed outside.

I want to feel like I’m on holiday at this time of the year so I try to make necessary things as easy as possible.

I know where many of you are it’s snowing or raining at the moment so I hope you keep warm, dry and safe!

xx Fiona

 

 

 

You can find the Kindle and paperback version of '100 Ways to Live a European Inspired Life' here on Amazon.

And for an Amazon alternative, download the eBook from my eStore here.

(My Amazon link is affiliate, which means I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Thank you if you choose to use my links!)