Sweet Strawberry Shake

Stop what you're doing, I've sussed it. Here is it, the ultimate, insanely perfect, impossibly wondrous (AND SPOOKILY HEALTHY) strawberry milkshake. That's by anyone standards. Beauty is in the eye of the mason jar holder.

Wherever you are look up your nearest supermarket, head to it and buy the following ingredients (if you are somewhere strange and horrid, such as in a forest or on holiday somewhere that doesn't offer WiFi or 3G then, I hate to break it to you, but you're going to have to use a map and compass and get walking. It's worth returning to the old-age methods of travel for.)

Ingredients:

1 cup of frozen strawberries
5 pitted dates
1 dessert spoon of manuka honey
Almond milk to the max line, if using a nutribullet (if not, it's approx 200ml)
2 Tsp of strawberry Nesquick (optional. A baddy, but a goody)

Whizz up, pop in a pretty glass, decorate how you wish (or don't bother if the anticipation becomes too strong. You can find what I did with mine below: the milkshake, old fashioned paper straw and a slice of strawberry on top, all served in a mason jar. Ladies love mason jars) and enjoy, preferably in your favourite sunny spot in the garden.

It's thick, sweet and with a heavenly natural taste of proper, Somerset-grown (depending on where you hail from) strawberries.

Hello, British Summertime. As always, we're angry you left us for so long but we must forgive you, as we have of course all missed you so much and we love you even more.

Frome Independent Haul

Yesterday, I ventured over to The Frome Independent Market, one of the simple pleasures of each of my complex months and came back with some wondrous new items which have lead me to introduce you to some superb new local brands.

One of these brands is Hive Originals, a Wiltshire based company who produce all things bees. I couldn't resist their gorgeous set honey which truly is one of the most pungent, rich, creamy set honeys I have ever tasted. I'm a huge advocate of set honey anyway, but this makes me fall in love with it all over again. On the back it states that it takes twelve bees a whole lifetime to produce one teaspoon of honey and so, to you bees, I say well done. Consider it a lifetime well-spent. 

From this company I also bought a mango flavoured beeswax lip balm. I'm often sceptical about lip balms with beeswax in them as they can often smell and taste a bit fusty and, as much as I love honey, I do not like the constant smell and taste of bee produce on my lips. However, this lip balm smells amazingly tropical and offers a sheen on your lips, as opposed to a matte, Chapstick type consistency. It's gorgeous. A daytime cocktail, with none of the embarrassing aftermath. 

The second company I found was Glover & Smith, a husband and wife team who create gorgeous, simple but iconic jewellery. I plumped for a pair of acorn drop earrings, being a lifelong fan of the quote, 'Mighty oaks from little acorns grow'. 

I always love a little bit of every day jewellery that means a little something extra to me.

These new brands I think will be regular features in my life and I thought I should probably introduce you to them too. I hope you love them as much as I do.