The Universe Directed Me to Bake Rosemary Dinner Rolls

When the Universe tells me to action yeast cookery, I do as I'm told.

Dr Atkins is turning in his grave. Look at all this Carbolicious Goodness! And let me tell you- this yeasty magic has made my home smell 11/10 Divine. The Pioneer Woman makes these but hers are from a frozen mix. I thought her were a packet mix, but someone has really helpfully pointed out that Pioneer Woman doesn't use a Packet mix she uses a Frozen Mix. Either way, she's probably saving some time prep wise.
FF's Rosemary Dinner Roll Recipe
Mix in your kitchenaid with your dough hook 2 cups of flour, 1 sachet of yeast, 3/4 cups of warm water, 1 egg, pinch salt, tsp sugar, 2 tbsp melted butter. Let it rise until it is doubled in size. Mix into balls and place in your greased and floured tin. Allow to rise, brush with melted butter salt and rosemary. Shove in your 170 degrees Celsius oven for about 25 minutes.
I am telling you that these Rolls Rock.
Go and Make them NOW!

Edited to Add: You can make these without a dough hook but you'll need to use your paws to knead the dough for a good say 8 minutes. Good luck.

I saw A Single Man and then baked some Dinner Rolls

You have to admit that my new Chanel Particuliere polish looks killer with these Miu Miu flats. I wore them to watch Tom Ford's A Single Man with my girlfriends.
I really liked this movie and I thought of Tom Ford right through out because the whole thing was like a long Gucci ad, very stylised, very beautiful, stunning interiors and clothes. My friend M thought it was a bit slow but I didn't. In particular I loved:
Charley's (The Julianne Moore character's) lovely black and white dress, her divine upholstered head board, the fabulous bouffant teased hair, her hall way filled with large flowering orchids and topiary kumquat trees (the best thing ever), her Indian silk cushions on her couch and her fabulous pink (yes really) cigarettes. Her eyeliner and pink nail polish were pretty nifty too. Colin Firth was wonderful. This movie is quite sad. 4/5 stars from me.
I wore my Milly top from Jean Brown. And a messy side bun (my addiction these days). Are you all trying it like I told you to??
When I got home the Universe directed me to bake dinner rolls. I love owning a dough hook, it just takes all the fear out of yeast cookery.
I always put stuff that needs to rise with yeast in it in the sun. It rises faster and as you know I am pretty impatient. In winter I sit the bowl on top of the heater. Works a treat. Trust Me!
I use the recipe on the back of the yeast packet. But I add a special salty rosemary topping. You should too.

xxx

Saturday

I met my friend K for coffee today. We went to boarding school together and I have known her since 1985!!!

I read a bit of UK Vogue

It's raining. Bad for my 'do. Good for my garden. I'm tired. I might settle in and watch Lagerfeld Confidential again. Karl amuses me No End.

I've added extra photos to the right of this bloggy. Just find Jackie Our Leader and scroll down. I think you'll be entertained.

Dying to watch a Single Man tomorrow.

Let's frock up in Malene Birger and Test Drive Chanel's Particuliere.

The Chanel Particluliere polish was a big hit. I actually got stopped on the street by people asking what colour it was.
But the colour is polarising. Some people hated it. It is the same shade as my dining room curtains really.
This dress is By Malene Birger from Netaporter. She's Danish. I think it was the 1st thing I ever wore on this blog. It's silk. I love it.

It's Friday so I have lunch with the Regulars. As per my habit for the last 15 years.

This is my friend K. She used to work at the Coalface. She's wearing OPI Charged Up Cherry. She is very funny and makes me laugh. She got this colour in New York at Christmas.

Mr FF and I tried to get a table at Montrachet for dinner but it was booked out so we went Elsewhere. How nice is the sky here? I love dusk.

This is Mr FF.

This is our dinner

This duck pasta was 11/10.

The owner likes us so he gave us this limoncello on the house. It was v. refreshing.

XXX

An Urgent Memo to the Universe

Dear Universe,

Re Your Frequent Directions to Me to Bake Delicious High Calorie Food Products

I refer to the above and specifically to your recent unsolicited direction to produce, manufacture and consume a Key Lime Pie.

Whilst I am generally happy to follow your Directions in relation to baking, I feel it is necessary to advise you that I am putting on weight and my outfits are getting snug.

I understand that you work in what can only be described as Mysterious Ways and have your own Specific Agenda, but I'd like you to Stop This Nonsense Immediately and direct me to make salads. At least for a while.

Thankyou. And Keep Up the Otherwise Good Work.

Regards Your Faithful Servant,

FF x

So then the Universe Directed Me to make a Key Lime Pie

Today I was at home having a little weep because Niece FF has left the Country and I don't know when I'll see her again and I worry about who'll do her nails and dress her Barbie, when all of a sudden, out of Nowhere, the Universe Spoke to Me and Directed Me to Make a Key Lime Pie.

The weirdest thing about this is that I have never ever made a Key Lime Pie Before.

I know. We're through the Looking Glass People.

The Universe has its Own Crazy Agenda.

I made it according to the recipe but at the last moment I decided to give it my cheesecake sour cream topping. I don't know why. Maybe it felt familiar. Maybe it was sort of Comforting. Maybe it was the container of sour cream in the fridge.

Key Lime Pie with Sour Cream Topping FF Style

Get a packet of wholemeal biscuits and blitz them in your processor. Add 5 water crackers you find in the freezer. Melt 100g butter and mix. Press into bottom and sides of 20cm wide spring form tin. Chill in fridge. In your kitchenaid mix 4 eggs, 1 tin of condensed milk, 2/3 cup cream, zest and juice of 4 limes. Pour into your base and cook at 170 Celsius for 40 mins. Remove. Top with a cup of sour cream, 1/3 cup sugar, zest and juice of a lime. Shove back in oven for 7 minutes. Chill. Try not to think about your diet. Wonder if your sisters will send you the entire OPI Hong Kong Nail Polish selection. Which is the least they can do since they are both Tripping the Light Fantastic in Hong Kong. With Niece FF. Without You.

xxx

Chanel Polish. Mrs Palin. The Airport. Unfortunate Nail Polish Mishap.

This is apparently the new Must Have polish from our friends at Chanel. I got my mitts on it yesterday, apparently it is selling out fast. It is dividing people- My sister thinks it looks revolting. Willow says she's a Fan. I might try it out tonight.

Meanwhile at about 6am this morning someone from Wasilla Alaska was reading my blog.

Are you thinking what I'm thinking?

Mrs Palin was it you?

We have different views on many many topics but she does seem to grasp the idea that Good Hair is Key.

Meanwhile this morning very early I said goodbye to my sister and Niece FF at the airport. I did Niece FF's little nails one final time in OPI That's Hot! Pink.

It was very emotional.

Unfortunately we had what can only be described as an Unfortunate Nail Polish Mishap and I now have to figure out how to remove polish from my new 'spensive Wolford tights. That I have worn once.

Must get the scienstists at the Faux Fuschia Institute for Scientific Research onto it.

The universe has just directed me to bake a Key Lime Pie so I'm off to the shops to source the necessary products.

This is a blurry photo but you get the general gist.

I feel a bit sad they've gone. Must stay busy.

At one stage Niece FF tied a scarf round her head and said to me "Am I Jackie?"

I really miss her.

No Chipped Polish for Me!

So anyway, today I wore a Chloe top from Honkers. I love everything about this top.
The shoes are from Honkers too. They're Anne Klein 2.
Ever wondered how I avoid chipped polish? Behold me hard at work, keeping chips at bay. This is That's Hot! Pink by OPI. It's a bit gluggy though.

Remember I made Greek treats last night? Well here's one of the sesame biscuits. People. There are none left! I'd like to say that I off loaded them onto colleagues or friends, but the truth is, I ate them.

The Universe had better stop forcing me to bake stuff soon.

Enough is Enough.

Do you skype? I love it. For years whenever I drove back from the coast I'd pop into my friend T's house for a coffee and a chat. She moved recently to the beach and I still find myself thinking "I might pop into T's" before I remember she's no longer there. It makes us both sad- I really miss her. Well tonight she skyped me! It was our Inaugural Skype. It's not the same, but it's close. I do love technology.

xxx

Red and Pink and Greek Biscuit Treats

Here's our Real Princess, Diana, rocking a beautiful Catherine Walker get up. I love pink and red together. Make Do Style posted a picture of Audrey Tatou at the BAFTAS looking sweet (but too thin) in pink and red the other day, and I immediately thought of this outfit. This image is from a book I love called Dressing Diana by Tim Graham. Diana wore this in Dubai in 1989 and in Egypt in 1992. God I miss her. Look at those eyes. And that hair.
So inspired by Audrey and Diana I decided to Pink and Red it Up Today. My YSL bag sends its love.
This is my new See by Chloe frock from Saks.com (who I've had to swap to following the Bluefly excessive postage debacle). I was happy with Saks but By God they were Slow. This dress is Frocktastic to the Max. It has side pockets and a lace top. What's not to love?
My Mother's hands appear to have been welded onto the end of my wrists.
Mr FF asked if I planned to wear this necklace everyday. Maybe. When I find something I like I stick to it. Worried you don't know what colours I wore Makeup wise? Don't panic. It was OPI That's Hot! Pink, and a blend of Coco Pink Chanel lippie (worryingly only available in the USA) with Mac's discontinued Moxie. I am so sad that they stopped making Moxie. Does anyone know a good substitute? It is the law of Nature that once you find something you love it will stop being made. To me Opium smells like 1978 so I wear it as often as possible. Remember the ad with a naked Yves Saint Laurent and his long layered bob? I do. Because I am Quite Old.
Meanwhile look at this card that my lovely colleague R made for me when the blog clocked 2 months! My other lovely colleague N arranged for everyone to sign it. It is too cute for words.

Embrace Pink and Red, don't be Scared.

You know how I love to get home from the Coalface and start baking stuff?

Well Gourmet Traveller's done a Greek Cooking Special.

So I made these sesame biscuits. People. They are divine. Mix 180g butter, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 egg, baking powder, bicarb, 2 1/4 cup flour, juice of orange, orange zest and vanilla and roll into a small log wrap into a circle, brush with egg wash, sprinkle sesame seeds and sugar and bake at 190 Celsius for 20 minutes. Hey Presto your craving for Greek treats is satisfied.

Trust me, these are the Greek Treats you want. Don't worry about my weight- I walked home from work with my heavy backpack. It was boiling hot. But I'm glad I did it.

I'm watching Kevin McCloud on his Grand Tour. The man is divine and his fluency in French and Italian adds to his already considerable charm.

xxx