by Fiona Rossiter on January 11, 2012
The gorgeous Sophie Dahl was born in London on the 15 September 1977. Born Sophie Holloway, she is the daughter of actor Julian Holloway and writer Tessa Dahl. Her maternal grandparents were author Roald Dahl and actress Patricia Neal. Her paternal grandparents were actor Stanley Holloway and actress and chorus dancer Violet Lane. Sophie was the inspiration for the main character, Sophie, in her grandfather, Roald Dahl’s book The BFG.
Sophie began her career as a fashion model, but writing has always been her first love. In 2003 she published her first book, an illustrated novella and Times bestseller, “The Man with the Dancing Eyes”. Following this she wrote “Playing With The Grownups” – published in 2007.
As a devoted food lover and cook she published two cook books: “Miss Dahl’s Voluptuous Delights”, published by Harper Collins (2009) and “From Season To Season” (2011). Sophie is a contributing editor at British Vogue. She has also written for others publications such as: American Vogue, Waitrose Kitchen, The Observer, The Guardian, and The Saturday Times Magazine.
Dahl then went on to write and present her six-part cookery series, currently airing on BBC (South Africa), entitled “The Delicious Miss Dahl” – which I am loving. It features some great recipes, for more on the series visit the BBC Food website. She also wrote and presented a television programme about the Victorian cook, Isabella Beeton which was aired on BBC2, in September 2011.
Sophie with husband Jamie Cullum
Sophie currently lives with her husband, Jamie Cullum and daughter, Lyra in England where she continues write and is a regular contributor to both fashion and food magazines. To find out more about this amazing woman visit her website – Sophie Dahl.
by Fiona Rossiter on November 14, 2011
[heading style="1"]African Inspired Table Décor[/heading]
I recently ordered some beautiful African inspired placemats from the amazing Black Puppy Design. I was really excited when I received them and decided to create an African Inspired table setting for dinner that night. The placemats are “Afro Art” inspired – I ordered three placemats featuring the glorious Protea and three featuring Zebra hide – as I said true African Inspiration.
With the help of these beautiful placemats the overall effect I created was one of colonial elegance. The colour palette consisted of dark wood, deep rich amber, balanced with the monotone coolness of the placemats – awesome! All these glorious African colours, offset by vibrant yellow and greens from the lemons – used as a centre piece.
I had such fun doing this – I love entertaining and table décor should be inspired and allow your creativity to flow! Check out Black Puppy Design to see more of their great products and be inspired!
Images: Super Mom
by Fiona Rossiter on August 23, 2011
One of my all-time favourite magazines to buy is Woman’s Health; I read it cover to cover and find it an essential part of my health and fitness regime. I loved the tips from the most recent issue, August 2011, on reducing the stress surrounding meal prep and planning; “10 Foods and 40 Recipes”. They also have a great website, so click on the link above a take a look.
As we all know, having a healthy diet is so important, especially when you have a family to take care of. Teaching our children good food habits from an early age is vital. Both of our girls love food and that includes the preparation and cooking thereof. Their tastes are quite different but we seem to find some middle ground; although my youngest would eat sushi 24/7 if she could and the eldest will not touch the stuff.
For me the emphasis needs to be on healthy balanced meals but speedy preparation, easy execution but not forgetting taste. As a family we very rarely eat take away food or pre-prepared meals, which often means more effort and time spent on the preparation. So how do you go about taking the stress out of this part of domestic life? The answer is simple; you need to plan your meals in advance. This is easier said than done, knowing how hectic life can be but I have proven to myself that it does work.
I have never been someone to follow recipes but I find inspiration from them – I use them as a guide rather than a bible. I know cooking does not come naturally to some people, so recipes are a great resource but whatever your approach, planning can simplify your life.
If you are in need of some inspiration or direction you can have a look at ‘Woman’s Health Mealfinder‘. I have also found these cookbooks useful: ‘Jamie Oliver’s 30-Minute- Meals’ and Nigella Lawson’s – ‘Kitchen’, for recipes and ideas.
So make the process fun and involve the family, get everyone to pick a meal for a certain night of the week and create a menu. This will help with planning as well; it also encourages children to try new foods and it teaches them good domestic skills. We usually aim for a menu running from Monday to Thursday, leaving the weekend for a bit of spontaneity. We also make our own pizzas and burgers which the girls love getting involved in.
Once you have a game plan and your list of ingredients, you can hit the shops and get cooking. I have included the link to the recipe for my tasty chicken dish, “Fee’s Chicken and Leek Casserole”, which my family love; for you to try.
Hope this is helpful and I would love to hear any cooking tips you have to share.
Image Source: Pinterest
I am Fiona, a Capetonian with a passion for all things beautiful and creative. Inspired Living, is a melting pot of things that inspire me from beauty to fashion & photography. I love to cook & family is super important to me! I hope you stay a while & please do come back! Thank you for visiting my blog! Please follow me on Facebook & Twitter to keep up to date with future posts... 
