cinema – Scandelights

Nights in and a weekend on the town!

Published on February 6, 2020 by HannaLeave a comment

The first week in December was a good (and full on!) one.

Monday night I had Shake Shack for dinner and tried their new truffle burger. Which was OK, but I prefer the regular Shack burger!

Tuesday I had another night in with more comfort food; frankfurters and mash!

And scented candles, new Vogue and some TV.

Wednesday night and more comfort food. This time pizza (store-bought) with bearnaise sauce and a really good book!

Thursday I had frankfurters again and an ice cream for pudding. So nice with several nights in in a row!

But Friday night I ventured out and had a little date night with my city!

I had a lovely dinner at Barrafina Adelaide Street with my favourite croquetas…

… the best ever tortilla (honestly it’s fantastic!)…

…and some scallops!

Then it was time for Le Mans ’66 at the IMAX Leicester Square. Absolutely loved the film and seeing it on that screen added another layer of amazement. Wow!

Saturday I did some Christmas shopping and took pictures of all the Christmas lights I came across.

There were so many pretty ones!

When I got hungry I popped into The Wolseley for a quick bite to eat and had a lovely supper in the café.

Such a lovely Croque Monsiuer!

After some sustenance I did a bit more shopping, checking out Burlington Arcade…

…and Fortnum’s.

Back home I had a little treat from Ladurée for pudding. Love their salted caramel macarons.

Sunday I wrote Christmas cards before once again heading out Christmas shopping.

And was rewarded with this sunset view!

I then braved the queue for the Glossier pop-up!

It was so much fun trying all the products and to see the amazing space they’ve created. It had Alice in Wonderland vibes and was all pink and floral. Lovely!

Then I went to see my friend Gaby and we had a lovely dinner of steak, mash and a madeira mushroom cream sauce and vegetables.

Followed by a cheeky glass of Baileys on the rocks! Such a lovely weekend!

Balance (for once)!

Published on November 16, 2018November 20, 2018 by HannaLeave a comment

Last week was actually pretty balanced. (Not often I can say that!) And it’s definitely I want to aim for in the future.

After work on Monday it took me ages to get home because of really bad traffic, so I had frankfurters and mash for supper. Not very exciting but perfect when you’re starving!

Tuesday was also quiet; I did laundry (which I actually love doing) and pottered at home. Wednesday was cinema night with the usual burgers before. The film we saw was Widows which I really enjoyed, despite the opening scene, ahem. Viola Davis was great, I loved the way it was filmed and the story was interesting and a bit unusual.

On Thursday I went to an event at Fortnum & Mason (aka heaven!) and had lots of nice food, drank champagne, mingled around and looked at their Christmas display. It was (of course) lovely and it really put me in the Christmas spirit.

I might have done a little shopping as well but didn’t go crazy with the ornaments, but it was tempting.

The weekend was super quiet, which was much needed. I slept in, finished two books (!), watched TV and cosied up inside with scented candles.

Yep – that’s what balance looks like for me. A few days out doing fun things, a few doing chores and a few for relaxing. More of that, please!

Not the best week but at least the weekend was nice

Published on November 6, 2018November 18, 2018 by HannaLeave a comment

This past week wasn’t much fun, I must admit. On Monday I had to go home from work and then spent most of the week in bed with some kind of tummy virus. I was still exhausted towards the end of the week but managed to drag myself to the office for a few hours on Thursday before going home to bed again. I really don’t like being ill (but who does!?) and for me the worst part is not having any energy at all, and having to cancel plans. Last week I had to cancel both a book club gathering and a dear friend’s birthday celebrations, which pains me so much.

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Friday I managed almost a full day in the office and afterwards we went out for a quick bite to eat (I was too tired to cook) before going to the cinema to see Bohemian Rhapsody. Which was absolutely brilliant. I loved it so much and Rami Malek was excellent as Freddie Mercury! A must see!

Saturday I rested as much as I could during the day so I could go to a friend’s surprise birthday party in the evening. It was great fun to see her very surprised face when she realised she wasn’t having a date night with her husband but drinks and dinner with a large group of friends instead!

Sunday was a quiet affair with takeaway burgers, The Handmaid’s Tale and a good film. We saw The Founder about the McDonald’s empire and it was really good! A nice relaxing ending to a not so nice week.

Cooking, series and a lovely weekend!

Published on November 2, 2018November 2, 2018 by HannaLeave a comment

Hello,

And sorry for the silence. I’ve spent most of this week in bed being poorly but am finally on the mend. And since I’m behind with my weekly “report” I thought it best to write it up straight away. So, here’s what I got up to last week…

I had a quiet week without too much socialising and I noticed how much more energy I had in the evenings when I just went home to cook (which I did every night) and watched a few episodes of a series or read my book, than when I’m out for dinner and drinks several times a week.

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Cooking wise it was quite simple meals, proper weekday grub, which was nice. I made a batch of tomato sauce on Monday for supper that same evening and the night after (love planning ahead like that!). Half of the tomato sauce was used for shakshuka (isn’t it just the best supper dish?!) with onions and carrots and topped with creme fraiche and feta. Similar recipe here.

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On Tuesday I spiced up the rest of the tomato sauce and used it to make enchiladas. Yum! Wednesday I cooked a new recipe but I want to photograph it again before I put it on the blog, so stay tuned.

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Thursday I had a sudden craving for dauphinoise potatoes and so made a small gratin and ate it with some roasted chicken from the freezer and steamed broccoli.

I continued to watch The Truth of the Harry Quebert Affair (not many episodes left now!) but also started watching Killing Eve on the BBC which is really good!

Friday night we went out for a pub supper before seeing First Man at the cinema. Great film – highly recommend it!

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On Saturday I met up with my foodie friend Anna and her daughter, visiting from Sweden, for some shopping and a lovely afternoon tea at Zetter Townhouse in Marylebone. In the evening I went for drinks before cooking a late pasta supper at home.

Sunday we had a lie-in and a nice cooked breakfast at home before going for a pub lunch and a walk by the river. It was freezing so afterwards we cosied up on the sofa watching Murder on the Orient Express (which wasn’t that great but had an amazing cast) followed by some more of The Handmaid’s Tale. For dinner I made this chicken gratin and for pudding we had vanilla ice cream, homemade raspberry coulis and crushed biscuits, for a bit of crunch.

Apart from the sudden cold weather it was a good week!

A nice week!

Published on October 22, 2018 by HannaLeave a comment

The past week was a bit quieter (although it probably doesn’t seem like it) than the previous, so although tired (as always on a Monday) I feel like I had a really nice week.

On Monday I went straight home after work and made a big batch of soup with broccoli and cheese (I will post the recipe later). Sometimes I just love cooking at a slow pace, stirring the pots and taking pleasure in the fact that I’m creating something from scratch. Obviously this approach doesn’t work when I’m hangry; then my it’s less serene in my kitchen.

On Wednesday it was my Swedish friend Anna’s birthday and she invited a group of us to her flat for a combined birthday and belated house warming party. It was so lovely and I really enjoyed meeting some new people. On Thursday I tagged along to a comedy evening at a micro brewery in Wandsworth, which was a first for me on so many levels. I don’t really like stand up comedy, but still enjoyed most of the acts (while quietly praying they wouldn’t talk to me). I really liked the set up and although I don’t like beer all that much either it was really nice beer and a well organised event! I really enjoy seeing what this city has to offer and trying new things.

On Friday I was pretty tired but met up with Gaby for a quick burger after work and then had an early night and a long lie-in the next day; my preferred way to start the weekend.

The rest of the weekend was quiet and I spent most of it at home. I did laundry, organised my wardrobe, pampered myself with face masks and cooked nice breakfasts but also had time to watch some TV series (Vanity Fair and The Truth About The Harry Quebert Affair) and some films (Election, Gorillas in the Mist) and yesterday I went to the cinema to see the amazing A Star Is Born.

A much needed quiet weekend!

Published on October 16, 2018October 16, 2018 by HannaLeave a comment

My work week last week was FULL ON. A bit too much, actually, but it’s nice to be busy. I was rather busy after work as well and started the week with a dinner out, something I seldom do, but it was lovely to have prosecco, poke and a proper catchup with mny dear friend Gaby (although it was a bit too loud to talk properly).

Tuesday was a really long as it started early and we had a work event in the evening, so I was quite happy to have an early night on Wednesday to catch up on sleep.

On Thursday it was the usual burger and cinema combo and on Friday I had to work late so didn’t get up to much at all. When I got home I had cheese for supper (yum!!) and went straight to bed.

I didn’t wake up until 12 hours later and it was sooo nice to have a lie-in. Much needed after weekends away and busy weeknights. I then had a (rare) weekend at home, pottering around, reading and watching films and series. The weather was beautiful on Saturday so went out for a walk but stayed snuggled up at home on Sunday as the weather was miserable. I love lighting candles and making it cosy indoors!

A very quiet week…

Published on September 25, 2018September 25, 2018 by HannaLeave a comment

Last week was a lot quieter than I had planned, but I got ill again (typical this time of year) and had to cancel those plans. Oh well…

Monday I took it easy at home in the evening, did some laundry and made broccoli cheese for supper. Although it’s really a side dish I like to eat it as it is, with maybe some ham and a piece of toast on the side. Love it!

Tuesday I felt rubbish so after work I went straight to bed and had scrambled eggs in my PJs for dinner before falling asleep early.

On Wednesday I had a little bit more energy so managed a burger and cinema after work. Although BlacKkKlansman was a hard film to watch (because of the subject) I really enjoyed it and would highly recommend it.

Thursday I just stayed in and watched BBC’s new series Bodyguard (that everybody’s talking about) and so far so good. Friday was again another quiet night in, I watched One Day and made the yummy spinach dip for supper.

The weekend continued in the same way; watching TV, sleeping lots and more cancelled plans. But I managed to do a bit of cooking as I didn’t have the energy to go out and wasn’t in the mood for a greasy takeaway. Always something!

The daily grind and a barbecue!

Published on September 11, 2018September 11, 2018 by HannaLeave a comment

After the bank holiday weekend in Norfolk I tried to take it a bit easier and didn’t do an awful lot during the weekdays that week. It was back to the weekday routine with an Ocado shop and chores, but I needed that.

On the Friday night I had a quiet night in and made the lovely spinach dip for dinner (we always have a full lunch at the office on Fridays so a snack is the perfect supper for me) and even posted a tutorial on Instagram, so do follow me there if you want more updates!

On the Saturday it was nice and sunny so I grabbed my book and an ice lolly and spent the afternoon on the roof. I had no plans for the evening but that suddenly changed when texting with a friend who lives nearby and all of a sudden I changed and put makeup on and met her in town for dinner (review to come!) and the cinema. We saw the Mamma Mia! sequel which was actually a little better than I had expected, and a little less cringe.

Unfortunately I woke up sick the next day and had to stay in bed for several days, watching films and series and reading a bit when I wasn’t sleeping. I was so happy when I managed to drag myself to the office on the Thursday and took it easy in the evenings. But on Friday night I found myself with a little extra energy (yay!) and organised my wardrobe by putting away the most summery things and getting out the autumnal clothes. The weather is so unreliable at the moment I want to be prepared!

Saturday I went to Richmond and my friends’ Great River Race and barbecue party! It was so nice socialising, eating lovely food and just hanging out. I contributed with the Mexican corn salad that went down really well. Then on Sunday I took it easy and I finally feel like I fully recovered from being ill. Yay!

BBQ, theatre and a(nother) lovely weekend!

Published on July 23, 2018July 23, 2018 by HannaLeave a comment

I’m enjoying my summer so much right now, and my holiday hasn’t even started yet. Must be a good sign for the next few weeks!

Monday I had a cheeky after work drink with a colleague, which was much needed. Not the drink in itself but catching up outside of the office.

Tuesday was less indulgent; instead I cooked a simple supper at home, did some chores and tidied up.

Wednesday a friend had us round for a barbecue which was lots of fun and really yummy! Loving all the summer evenings spent in friend’s gardens sipping rosé and chatting away.

On Thursday we first had burgers at Bleecker’s pop-up on the Southbank (love their burgers) before going to National Theatre to see Julie, a modern adaptation of Strindberg’s classic play. It was such a good play and Vanessa Kirby was AMAZING as Julie. Never have 1 hr 25 minutes gone by so fast!

The weekend started with an impromptu dinner at The Orange with friends on Friday night, followed by a lie-in the next morning.

After a late breakfast we walked around Battersea Park and had lunch in the beer garden at The Prince Albert.

Then we went for another stroll and had an ice cream before leaving the park.

In the evening I made some sharing food (caprese, parma parcels with figs and rocket, saucisson, cheese and bread) and we started two new TV series. First The Handmaid’s Tale which was brilliant but so hard to watch I couldn’t watch two episodes in a row, so instead we started on Stan Lee’s Lucky Man, which also was very good.

Yesterday I had another lie-in to make up for the late weeknights, and had a rather chilled out day. For supper I made a slow cooked pasta bolognese with garlic bread and afterwards we saw Incredibles 2 in the cinema!

Full on!

Published on July 3, 2018July 3, 2018 by HannaLeave a comment

Last week went by so quickly, but was filled with fun things! Apart from maybe the baking I did on Monday night. A warm flat due to the lovely British summer gets HOT with the oven on for hours. But the cake turned out great, luckily! And I had ice lollies to cool me down.

Apart from that I’ve just been enjoying the sunshine (I seldom get too warm) and made the most of it. Wednesday evening was spent in the setting sun in a beer garden sipping rosé with one eye on the Brazil game and then pizza afterwards.

For the England-Belgium game on the Thursday we had rosé in another pub and delicious burgers. Afterwards we enjoyed the beer garden till closing as it was such a lovely evening.

Friday I went down to Surrey for the weekend where some friends were having a party and I was cooking. It was a great party on Saturday with games in and out of the pool, lots of prosecco, nibbles and a proper dinner in the evening.

I stayed over that night too and enjoyed the pool a bit more on the Sunday before heading back to London and going to the cinema to see Ocean’s Eight.

Such a great week all around – loving the weather and hoping it’s here to stay!