Oh my am I G-L-A-D this week has come and gone.  Mostly glad that it’s gone.  The highlights have been few and far between which has made me all the more determined to write about them.

First up I discovered that quinoa can be cooked in a rice cooker.  It is much fluffier than the stove top method.  All you need is 2 cups of water to every cup of quinoa and a bit of stock powder for flavour and you’re done.  Press ‘cook’ and return when after ironing 3 of other people’s shirts (I’ve never been one to suffer in silence) to find your fluffy quinoa piping hot and ready to go.  The quinoa also freezes and reheats well when cooked this way so I make extras when I can.

The rest of my escapist moments this week have been rather British.  It’s only 19 days until I leave for London and it’s keeping my spirits up immersing myself in some cool Britannia.

www.news.com.au

Starting with the first of the three (only!?!?) Absolutely Fabulous reunion episodes.  It’s been 20 years since Edwina and Patsy came into my world with their of the moment fashion references and perfect comedic timing fuelled by Bollinger, cigrarettes and Lacroix.  In the time that’s passed and as I’ve seen more of the world, I’ve found myself not just laughing with the girls but also beginning to relate to their experiences.

It’s hard to say whose return I enjoyed the most.  Bubbles’ take on the Royal Wedding was hilarious and nearly stole the show from Patsy’s famous glare and French twist (whose perfect shape owes just a little to the cigarettes Patsy keeps within it).  Edwina has her own moments involving an out of body experience brought on by watching ‘foreign’ DVDs with subtitles which cause her to think she can now speak Danish.  But most of all, I loved the fact that Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Saunders look their age and humour themselves as women who are older than they were but are only getting better with time.

www.largeprintbookshop.co.uk

There is nothing like crashing out on the sofa with a bit of insider gossip in novel form to take your mind far away from the trials of everyday life.  At the moment, I’m living vicariously through the pages of ‘Hotel Babylon’ by Imogen Edwards-Jones.  I didn’t realize that this novel was also made into a television series.  Thank you again, Wikipedia.

With an endorsement by Candace Bushnell, how could I not enjoy ‘Hotel Babylon’?  It’s a fascinating insight into the world of a 5 star hotel in London and the staff that make the hotel look like an oasis of luxury and perfection.  There are crazy guests, crazy staff and some revealing facts about just how much of a profit hotels make on room rates and high teas.

It’s Friday and denim in the workplace was clearly required.

Jeans – NextDirect, belt – Hermes. top – Zara, bangle – Mai Tai Collection, necklace – Run For Office by Red Phoenix Emporium I have nothing but good things to say about my Next jeans.  They have a bit of stretch in them and are very comfortable, right from the first wear.

My bangle is from Mai Tai’s horn bracelet collection.  This is the black version.

It’s always such a pleasure getting an order from Mai Tai.

Such beautiful packaging.  Untying a ribboned box is such a pleasant way to discover a new online purchase.

I’m off to put my feet up and have a quiet evening with my Kindle and a glass or two of Mumm.  I will return tomorrow with news of just how Mr SSG and I managed to fit this 1.4kg Costco pizza into our domestic oven/

Have a lovely weekend everyone.  I know I will.