Jack Wills Blanket

This is one of my favourite things but living in a student house, we tend not to always have the heating on till it gets really cold, so this blanket comes in handy as an extra layer of warmth in bed! Or wrapped up on the sofa.

Hot Drinks

‘Tis the season for hot drinks. Hot chocolates, tea, green tea, coffee, lattes, you name it, all those coffee shops bring out the Christmas versions of all the drinks they sell which you can’t possibly get through them all by the time they go! I also noticed the Christmas coffee cups they have already, I mean if that doesn’t make you go buy a drink I don’t know what will!

Wrapped Up Walks In The Morning

I recently went for a little walk around Richmond Park, which is just round the corner from my house. It was more to take in the scenery and get some fresh air but it was nice to wrap up and go for a walk outside.

VS Jumper

This is another one of my favourite items, my victoria secret jumper is so large that I can’t help but live in it when I’m in the house, it keeps me super warm and is so comforting on cold days!

Baths

I’ve only just started having baths, I always thought they were a waste of time when you can have a quick shower but now I love them, and I’ll be having baths all the time over winter! The perfect way to relax and warm up.

Christmas

I’m not going to go into a huge amount of detail about Christmas, except I LOVE it, like really love it.

Family time

I don’t know how it happens but it does, over winter there just seems to be a bit more family time, we all enjoy watching Saturday night TV together and there are all the shopping trips that need to be done for Christmas!

Cuddles with the dogs

I mean these are great all year round, but since one of our dogs is now scared of the dark, he’s now become so needy and wants cuddles all the time. I’m not complaining, I love hugs from him!

My favourite dish to make…

Chicken Pie, I love making this and it has to be one of my favourite dishes to make for everyone. While I’m sat writing this I’m making it for all my housemates for when they get home from work (I’m great aren’t I). I always pack it full with carrots (and onions) to get more vegetables in, and they help you see in the dark right?

I’ll give you the recipe of course:

Ingredients:

1 Onion, chopped

2 or 3 Carrots, chopped

3 Chicken Breasts, chopped into chunks

A splash or two of olive oil

1 Stock Cube

1 tbsp Gravy Granules

Salt and Pepper

Puff Pastry

I added a bit of oregano today, and also I served it with loads of cabbage and then my housemates had chips as well!

Method:

1. First put a splash of oil in a pan and heat it up a little. Add the onion and soften it then add the carrots and cook for roughly 5 minutes or until they are all softened. Season with salt and pepper.
   
   
   
2. Next add the chicken and cook for roughly 8 to 10 minutes, check that its cooked thoroughly first before carrying on. Season with salt and pepper.
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Make up the gravy and stock in one jug, fill it with boiling water and mix it all together. Then add it to the chicken and vegetables and let it simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes.
   
   
   
4. Take it off the heat and spoon it in to a ceramic dish (mine is floral and pink obviously), so that there is a good layer along the bottom. It’s best not to fill it to the top as it can overflow and the flavours blend together better if there’s a smaller amount of mixture.
   
   
   
5. Put a layer of puff pastry over the dish. I always let it fall over the sides so it puffs up nicely and we get extra pastry with the pie!
   
   
   
6. Cook it in the oven at 180C for 40 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and you can hear the gravy bubbling inside.
   
   
   
7. Serve with chips or mashed potato or even more vegetables and most importantly, enjoy!