Seeing as March marks the start of a new year for me I thought it might be quite nice time to introduce my monthly favourites to the blog.

March got off to a lovely start with my Mad Hatter’s Tea Party.  I really enjoy cooking, baking and most importantly sharing my wares with friends over a cuppa (or better still a glass or two of wine!)

In February I found myself turning to Signe Johansen’s Scandilicious to bake a cake for my housemate’s 30th birthday.  A special birthday demands a special cake and the Tropisk Aroma cake didn’t disappoint.  So I knew when my own birthday came around a few weeks later I wanted to bake something from the same book.  I ended up making a few different cakes and they all turned out really well!  I love the simplicity of Johansen’s recipes.  They’re uncomplicated, easy to follow and taste really yummy!  Keep your eyes peeled for recipes of the Valhalla Brownies and the Almond, Cardamom and Blueberry cake, coming soon to the blog.  In the meantime, I hope these pictures will suffice!

We’re very lucky to have a good sized garden at the back of our house – a rare luxury in this city.  London may be well-known for it’s human residents but it’s also home to many different species of wildlife from the woodpecker who lives in the square near our house to the foxes who visit us from their den next door and the portly grey squirrel who keeps eating all the food we put out for the garden birds!

I live at the bottom of the house and outside my bedroom is a tiny courtyard that I’m working to transform into my own little oasis.  March was a month for making plans to grow plants that offer little bursts of colour and a few fragrant herbs that we can use in our cooking.  I’m not a natural gardener but I’m having fun learning what will and won’t grow in this wee spot.

I’ve also really been enjoying playing about with my camera and capturing little snippets of Spring.

In typical British style, while the days are getting longer and brighter the wind hasn’t quite died down so it’s what I like to call ‘hat and sunglasses weather’.  Enter the Hetta!  This wee beauty popped up on my Facebook feed at the start of the month and with the promise of being one hat worn four ways I wanted to get my hands on one.  I love mine so much I got one for mama as well.

It’s nice and light; handy for throwing into your handbag or suitcase if you’ve not got too much space to spare but want something chic and versatile that will change up your look.  Lines & Current, who sell the Hetta, is the brainchild of Belfast entrepreneur Rebekah who champions clean lines with a bohemian twist.  What’s also really lovely about this brand is that its committed to donating 10% of its profits to causes which instigate positive change and give hope to those who need it.  So far L&C customers have helped support charities like Starlight as well as the #NoMoreTraffik campaign.

I’ve had no call to feel homesick this month as I managed to hop over the pond for flying visits no less than twice.  While I was in Belfast I called in to St George’s Market and picked up some candles from The Bearded Candle Makers.  So far I’ve been enjoying the delicate scent of Surfing in the Rain and am looking forward to unwinding with Snape’s Doe next.  I love the playful names of the candles and each one evokes memories of different places I’ve been back home.

Last but not least is a mention for my favourite pancake recipe of the moment!   It even passed mama’s taste test last weekend which is just about the best endorsement I could hope to get!

I hope you enjoyed my first monthly favourites compilation.  What things or places have you been enjoying in March?

See you on Sunday!xx