7 things for 7 days...#2

I'm stunned by the number of page-views the first instalment of this new series received! Hopefully this is a sign that I should continue regularly sharing my favourite moments and random musings from the past week...

1. What better way to prepare for the impending #snowmageddon than with a hearty venison stew?! Through the magic of Twitter I was lucky enough to win tickets to The Factory House's inaugural supperclub, where this classic winter warmer was the star of the show. The meat shredded easily after 5 hours slow-cooking, and the rich umami gravy contrasted perfectly with creamy cabbage and mashed potatoes. Apparently those cute oven-proof side dishes were for my boyfriend and I to share, but somehow most of their contents ended up in my tummy...!

2. This week I finally found time to delve into Yotam Ottolenghi's beautiful new book Jerusalem, and plumped for his "chicken thighs with caramelised onion and cardamom rice" as the first dish to replicate. Having never cooked anything like this before, I was surprised by how easy the recipe was to follow, and was seriously impressed with the results (especially considering this was my initial attempt)! Sour cherries appeared to be an acceptable substitution for his suggested sweetened barberries, and the delightful aromatic scents lingered in the kitchen for days afterwards.

Judging by the number of "likes" on Instagram, people also seemed to approve of my decision to combine the leftover rice with orange and honey roasted carrots, dried apricots, steamed brocolli and crushed pistachio nuts for a simple and healthy Friday night supper

3. I've eaten more porridge than Goldilocks and all three Bears combined over the past few months, and that addiction has only increased since I spotted this peanut butter and banana version by Pastry Affair. It's the ideal way to refuel after an early morning gym session and is the only breakfast that keeps me feeling full until lunchtime...although these buttermilk pancakes from the Riding House Cafe also left me very satisfied!

4. A totally awesome thing happened this weekend...Kate from Life, Love and Living with Boys tested out my recipe for sticky roasted sausages and potato wedges with Olive Branch's apricot jam glaze, and enjoyed it so much that she then reviewed it on her own blog! I'm sure this is standard stuff for established bloggers, but it's never happened to me before, so I'm very flattered!

5. I try to avoid posting photos of myself on this blog (unlike the sisters on A Beautiful Mess, I haven't perfected my relaxed pose), but I wanted to show you my latest accessory for surviving this arctic weather. I've been daydreaming about this turquoise knitted hat ever since I discovered it in the Accessorize sale a few weeks ago, and it has now been reduced even further, meaning that my remaining restraint was destroyed! Sadly my cream hat (as I modelled in Mondomulia's article on our trip to Brockley Market) has unravelled itself, so I feel justified that this cute and cosy purchase is really just a necessary replacement...

6. Surely the revelation of horse meat found in Tesco's beef burgers is all the proof anyone needs to be convinced of the advantages of purchasing your meat from independent butchers and farmers?! Last year I learnt how easy it is to make your own burgers from scratch at home (see Day #172 of #Project366), and living in London I'm also lucky enough to be spoilt for choice when it comes to top-quality burger vendors. In fact, I've promised my man a trip to Patty & Bun in the next few weeks, to see how their rave-reviewed "Ari Gold" compares to his current favourite of Mother Flipper's double-candied bacon burger.

7. Have you seen Nala cat on Instagram? I couldn't believe the resemblance with our own #littlecat when I first saw her picture - the wide eyes, the giant ears, the childlike-expressions...it's like they were separated at birth! My boyfriend adopted Penfold from a shelter when he was just a #littlekitten so we don't know his parentage, but if #littlecat really were part-Siamese too that would explain his affectionate temperament and intelligence, plus his striking features. I'm not suggesting we put him through a Jeremy Kyle-style DNA test any time soon though...!