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Can Lager be Lovely or is Beer Just for Boys?

I'm not at all afraid to admit I enjoy a nice cold beer. Quite regularly in fact. I'd even go so far as to say I've had some of my happiest days relaxing with friends at Summer BBQ's with a tin in one hand and some unidentifiably charred meat in the other, or by the pool at Es Vive, listening to some balearic beats, sipping on a cervaza and topping up the tan. 

Interestingly though, when I picture myself with a beer, or look back at many of the thousands of photos I store as evidence of good times gone by...I see me in the daytime, on holiday or occasionally in a local pub, but very rarely over a romantic dinner with the boy, or at a glamorous launch event. When the girls come over, they bring wine. At events, we drink cocktails. And when I asked a selection of lovely ladies in my life some quickfire questions on the subject, their

 answers mirrored my own;

50% genuinely like the taste of beer.

75% would happily drink beer in the daytime, at a gig or on holiday.

0% would order a beer at an evening event or on a dinner date.

As the roomy and I have been known to enjoy a bottle or eight of most types of alcohol here at Princess Palace, I asked for her reasons why she wouldn't want to drink beer in a dress. In her opinion, beer has its place, but is "inappropriate" at certain social occasions. When I probed as to why, she couldn't give me a definitive answer, but words like "unladylike" and "ladette" came up. Having a good understanding of her close social circle, I appreciate that at times ordering a beer would be frowned upon by some, which has inevitably helped form her opinions. 

In my case on the other hand, after being dragged up between a suburban cul-de-sac, a yuppie flat & a hippified, chaotic foster home as a child, then moving from squats as a teenager to life as a Chigwell dwelling WAG in my 20's and back to North London now, I'm lucky to have a wide group of independent friends from different backgrounds...& am slightly more likely to ignore stereotypes and just do what makes me smile. So it got me thinking. Why, when I like the taste & have friends and a boyfriend who would happily order me anything I want from the bar without any raised eyebrows, do I feel the same?

For me, it's more to do with the way beer is presented to us girls...or rather the way it's NOT presented. The marketing is nearly always aimed at men, is often associated with sports, particularly football and even the drinking vessels themselves are usually clumsy and lacking any trace of "girliness". I certainly don't want to spend hours (or even minutes!) getting dressed up, then stand there struggling to hold on to a stubby pint glass in my tiny hand. I can see many a pretty outfit ruined by the inevitable spillage! Add to that the feeling of bloating after drinking even a relatively small quantity of lager and the gassy effects of most beers available, and it seems easier to stick to the Vodka...

So. Can anything be done to change the overall image, and make beer a drink of choice for glammed up young women on a night out, or is it destined to remain a Sunday afternoon drink at the local pub?

Step up The Bittersweet Partnership. This new business has been launched by Coors Brewers, to work in collaboration with women, answering questions, dispelling myths and developing new products that will be specifically aimed at us girls and our tastebuds. They have even formed a panel of female experts, pulled from the world of fashion, lifestyle, media, beer and food, to act as an independent voice for women across the UK. Commentator Janet Street Porter, broadcaster Carol McGiffin, socialite Fran Cutler, chef Allegra McEvedy and fashion designer Amy Molyneaux all sit on the panel, and the website includes many of their opinions on this subject, along with the chance to enter competitions, a collection of beer cocktail recipes (including an interesting take on a Mojito) and the opportunity to have your say on the subject.

Personally, I think this is a great idea. If I could find a beer, presented in the right glass, that had lower calories and didn't leave me bloated after a few sips, I'd happily order one at any occasion. 

For more information on this initiative, which was launched on 18th March, take a look at the media report which is full of interesting facts and statistics relating to beer from a womans perspective.

What a Weekend!

I love Sundays.

It's such a lovely day to do nothing. Although, as I'm famous for my fidgeting, I've never really been that great at sitting still. So with my bad back and achey knee...I've just got back from a sunny walk down the river with the puppy, painted my nails, have a carrot cake baking in the oven and making the house smell YUM, & to make things even better, the roomy has just put Footloose on...DANCE IT OUT as we say in our house!

This whole weekend has been blissful. Fridays party was even better than expected, although the injuries certaily took their toll and this little Party Princess was home by midnight, for possibly the first time in history! I've seen a few photo's from after I left and it looks like the fun continued for some time....

Yesterday was spent road-tripping with the boy, eating too much and watching movies. My pain levels were pretty high, so we stayed in & got involved with WWF's Earth Hour, adding weight to the fight against climate change. What a fantastic concept and a worldwide success...even though I had to question whether using the fridge light to see in the kitchen was allowed, or if it was considered cheating??

So...am now over-excited about eating cake (again) as am just about to ice it with some orange cream frosting - and even more excited about some FANTASTIC clothes I'm about to put in my online shopping basket! As some of you may know, I've been truly stressed out about the enforced lack of heels in my life recently, so I went seeking outfit advice from the ultra-talented Fashion Fairy (otherwise known as Sara) at ASOS on the recommendation of my Twitter Pal @ASOS_Nat. She came through with some absolute beauties, including this Antik Batik piece, a stunning Ella Luna silk dress & this colourful Prophecy number. I'm a bit of a boho chick at heart, so looks like I'll be teaming up my maxi dresses with some bangles, necklaces and a pair of gladiator sandals this Summer. Who needs heels anyway when you have help from those lovely girls at ASOS?!

Friday Feeling!

I think I was temporarily insane last night. After a day spent cooking up a storm came an evening of agony, coupled with some slightly manic ramblings that I hope were a side effect of large amount of pain medication rather than anything more serious! I didn't make much sense, so with slightly fewer pills floating round my system, I hope I'm back to normal this morning....

Firstly, let me start with a photo of the day, taken by my good friend Wez a couple of weeks ago. At 1am there was a blank wall outside his house in South London, and by the morning this was there. Amazing!

So anyway, It's nearly the weekend and despite a very achy back, I'm excited. There are so many good things happening in London this weekend that I'm planning on dragging myself out of my sick bed and participating in a few. I update my What's Happening in London Tonight and London News sections daily - but here are some additional weekend treats for you...Enjoy!

La Dolce Vita @ Olympia:

Returning for its 5th year, this 4 day festival is a must for anyone with an interest in Italian food, fashion, cars, travel or property. Cookery theatres, musical performances & a variety of delectable food are just a few of the things on offer.  I have a real love for my Grandads country, so this sounds like a little slice of heaven to me! Open from 11am-6pm today and Sunday, and from 11am - 7pm on Saturday. Standard adult tickets are £16 - or opt for the Fiorini ticket at £22, which includes vouchers for food.

Affluenza Exhibition  - Until Saturday 28th March 

LAST CHANCE TO SEE!

A timely exhibition based on Psychologist Oliver James' definition of affluenza as 'the disease of affluence'. Held in a temporary gallery in Clerkenwell, you'll find work from 30 emerging & established artists. The expo is the brainchild of a Samaritans volunteer and is fully supported by the charity. Open until Saturday, and with entry at just £2, it's well worth a visit.

 

The Boat Race 2009 - Sunday 29th March

Head down to the Thames to watch this years race for free from one of the many vantage points along the river. The best include Putney Bridge (start), Hammersmith & Barnes (mid-course) and Chiswick Bridge (finish). Expect the best pubs and bars along the course to be busy but its a great day out, especially if the sun comes out!

Myself and the boy are off to (gently) party with the fabulous Ms G. tonight in honour of her 30th birthday. Not sure how long I'll last but it's all set to be a night of glamour and debauchery in an intimate & private venue, so I'm looking forward to seeing some familiar faces and enjoying music from some of London's top DJ's. It hasn't been easy to plan an outfit for such an occasion when you're restricted to flats, but I think a plan has finally come together! Still can't help but torture myself lusting after these new heels from TopShop tho.....

Other parties & events happening tonight are listed at the top of this page on the left & will be updated over the weekend...there's a lot to choose from... 

Oh and don't forget the clocks go forward on Sunday!

Happy Friday everyone, I'm off to enjoy a lovely cup of tea and some banana bread for breakfast!

Veggie Lasagne and Banana Bread - Heaven!

So, I woke up this morning still in silly amounts of pain, had a lovely cup of tea (thank you roomy!) with my 10 morning tablets - yes, 10, and got excited about my impending food delivery.

I am a sucker for fresh ingredients, and was a little put out that I couldn't go to my weekly food market this morning. Instead, I relied on the supermarket to deliver me my goodies. Shame. They forgot my aubergines, and delivered me sliced cold meat instead of the Marlin steak I'd ordered, which I thought was an interesting choice. 

I have been making my veggie lasagne for years, but always with aubergines. In my medicated state, I have to admit I was a little stumped, but made a few adjustments and in baby steps, seeing as I can't stand for more than 10 minutes, set to work on roasting my vegetable selection and making a delicious, thick cheese sauce, with nutmeg, bay leaf and fresh black pepper. The smell was enough to cheer anyone up - operation or no operation!

With that in hand, and feeling a little bored, I got carried away....and decided to make banana bread too. I realise now this was a pretty strange decision, firstly as I lent a friend my loaf tin months back and haven't seen it since, and secondly as I'm really not a big fan of bananas. But seeing I'm on morphine and hurting, I think I should be allowed to do peculiar things.

Mashing bananas in my current state was a little tricky, so I used the blender. Adding these to sugar, flour, eggs, mixed fruit and some fresh vanilla seeds, I considered my options and eventually transferred the mix into a round cake tin. I must say, licking the spoon was an absolute pleasure. Delicious.

So now, all I can do is wait for the roomy and the boy to get home before I can enjoy the results of my productiveness. In the meantime, I'm off to take some more drugs and have a lie down - am in agony. Hope it was worth it...

...& at least I won't have to do the washing up!

PS: That Banana Bread ROCKED! Moist and tasty - I'll be adding the details to my recipe section. As for the Veggie lasagne - I served it with a baby leaf salad and balsamic dressing and it was a success, with everyone having seconds (including the roomy who has the appetite of a sparrow!) I however, definitely missed my aubergines....

Recovery: Day 1!

Sooo...it's been about 24 hours since I came round from my procedure, which was meant to relieve pain in my back and shoulder. I can assure you, it hasn't worked (YET) although I'm going to be a patient patient...

I'm finding something even more depressing than the hurts though. More depressing than missing out on partying with the boy at Keeley Hazells Muse Management launch tonight (which would have been better for him than me by the way)...more depressing than having to wear flats instead of heels for the next 3-6 months (Eurghh)...& worse even than the knowledge that as I can't get to the shops I've spent far too much money on ASOS today...

I have no food in the fridge! I am having to resort to beans on toast. I am not happy.

Tomorrow though, my over excessive, treat myself as I'm in recovery, yummy scrummy Waitrose order will be delivered, YAY! I'm planning on dragging myself into that kitchen, hobbling about a bit, and with the help of some uber-strong painkillers and a bit of luck, making my delicious version of veggie lasagne and a moist, sumptuous banana bread for afters...

Yum. My mouth is watering already. For now though, disappointingly, I'm off to open a can.

Today, is hospital day...

I am off to hospital today to have 20 rather nasty large injections into my back muscles to try and give me some short term pain releief. It has been 5 years now, and this is my 4th procedure on my back, but the first of this kind....

Worst of all, I am HUNGRY. Not eaten since 10pm, Grrrr. I'm sure this waiting for food bit is more painful than the needles themselves!!

Wish me luck people - I'm scared.

Welcome!

So, here I am, for the first time in the wonderful world of Blog. Exciting times. I suppose the best place to start would be to let you know who I am, so here goes....

I love this crazy life of mine 99% of the time...and especially my fantastically supportive, beautiful friends who make it so very special. I have a fuzzy weird proud attachment to London with all its cosmopolitan charm....and my second home is Ibiza, but not the seedy side you see on the documentaries. The island is beautiful and spiritual and full of surprises, if you haven't visited, I recommend you go...its magic. 

I like lazy summer days in parks or by the river and sunny evenings spent with lovely people. Pink sky makes me smile. I love red wine, especially a wonderful Malbec, but unfortunately it doesn't love me....these days I'm better friends with a dry Martini...vodka and an olive, sublime. I travel as often as possible, by plane, boat, train, and random UK road trips to spots like Brighton, what a place. I love finding hidden gems...sexy little boutiques, deli's, restaurants...& I'm a total coffee addict (skinny lattes with an extra shot - delicious). Photographs are special so I take a lot and cherish the memories...and am at my happiest by the seaside, even when its raining. 

I don't like people who trample on other peoples sunshine...there's no need...play nicely. I'm fiercely against banana eating unless they're well disguised in banana bread, and am not particularly keen on foreign call centres either - frustrating when I'm in a hurry. I'm happy. I like a lot more than I don't like which I think is a good thing. I wish I wasn't shallow but can't help it, I worship the fashion Gods...I have a wardrobe full of dreams, clothes all over my floor, and nothing to wear, ever. 

I'm intelligent but have absolutely NO common sense, thought it might come with age but, no, not so far. I give very good advice but am not so good at taking it. I rarely sleep more than 3 hours a night, am still nearly always smiling, I laugh too loudly & am luckily less unhealthy than I used to be. I will always miss my Grandad madly.

I'm a Party Princess turned Domestic Goddess - will leave the 24hr partying to the kids now and make cakes instead! I love laughing so hard I think I'm going to die, Edward Monkton cards, Jensdays, rainbows, the smell of books, open spaces and making the important people feel good. I'm afraid of clowns, & have problems with taking the rubbish out, Mr Hit & Run, getting tangled in the covers and always being too far away, no matter where I go.