Pink Julep

Cream of Tomato Soup

2013-05-24T15:58:00.002+01:00

In my continued effort to eat more clean, healthy foods I've been trying very hard for about the past 10 weeks to rid my diet of as many processed foods as possible and replace them with homemade food including sweets or deserts when I can. I'm not going to preach about processed foods or healthy eating - I'm certainly not in a position to be judging anyone's eating habits. What I will say is that you simply can't buy in a jar the satisfaction that comes from making your own food. Knowing what's in the food, healthy, fresh, tasty meals and providing something homemade for loved ones... All of these things make me feel good about sitting down for a bite!

The reason I started making my own soup is quite simple... It's an easy way to get hot, yummy food on the table and trick myself into eating vegetables I don't normally like. Obviously if you have kids, soups can be a great way to get them to eat vegetables too! Find a way to make it fun with goldfish crackers, cheese or fun shaped grilled cheese sandwiches on the side made with cookie cutters that they can use for dunking.

For most of the soup recipes I've made, you literally put the ingredients on the stove with about 5 or 10 minutes of actual tending and then leave it to cook for at least an hour so I often put on a pot of soup and then blog for an hour. What's also great about making your own soup is that it usually yields a hefty portion, so you can pop it in the freezer or the fridge and have leftovers for lunches and dinners throughout the week!

I don't actually like tomatoes in their normal form, but they're so good for you, so we eat a lot of tomato soup in this flat. While I love a really creamy tomato soup and this recipe will work by adding cream instead of milk, I make my soup with skim milk so it's not so fattening. Here's the recipe and if you're having weather wherever you are like we've got here in England, it's a great weekend for a hot bowl of of yummy soup. Enjoy!

Ingredients

3 large cloves of garlic minced or thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 large fresh basil leaves
2 cans of whole tomatoes peeled in their juice
Course sea salt or Maldon Salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 cups of skim milk

Method

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large stock pot. Add the garlic and cook while stirring for two or 3 minutes.

Toss in the basil leaves and stir into the oil quickly, being careful not to burn either the garlic or basil.

Stir in the tomatoes and 1 can full of water. Salt & pepper to taste and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

After simmering, remove the pot from heat and stir in the milk. Leave the soup to cool for about 10 minutes. (It doesn't need to cool completely.)

Whizz the soup in a blender in batches (be careful blending hot liquids) until it reaches the desired consistency. *If you prefer a chunkier soup, you can skip this step, but be sure to crush the tomatoes with a wooden spoon while simmering when you stir or more simply, squish them with a potato masher a few times... That works too.

When the soup is blended, either heat it up to the desired temperature on the stove or store for enjoying later. I like to make this soup on a Sunday to have during a busy week. I love storing my soups in the fridge in pretty mason jars that I picked up at Butlers, but you could also use tupperware or freezer-proof containers if you're freezing it.

When you're serving this Cream of Tomato Soup, it looks lovely garnished with a few small basil leaves, a spoonful of pesto or a light shred of parmesan cheese.

Tips
* Be sure to label your soup for the date your milk expires.
* If you plan to store the soup for quite some time, wait until the day you plan to serve it to blend in the milk so it doesn't expire.
* Goes well with garlic bread, crostini, bruschetta or even a grilled cheese!
* Serve at a party in shot glasses or small mugs sprinkled with goldfish crackers or croutons.

Daily Style May 24, 2013 - Little White Dress

2013-05-24T12:25:00.001+01:00

HPA Gaucho International Polo Tournament and After Party at the O2

2013-05-23T12:05:00.003+01:00

Tuesday night I donned my new red dress and headed over to the O2 for the HPA Gaucho International Polo Tournament to see England face Argentina in what was in short an amazing match! Argentina beat England by just one point, but our boys (including my polo teacher from the Gaucho Polo master class, Captain Jamie Morrison) gave a great effort!

Players from both teams arrived on the field, each driving a different Maserati - it was a rather luxurious & dramatic entrance!

Unfortunately, after an accident at the St. Regis International Cup at Cowdray Park, Argentinian captain (aka the super gorgeous face of Ralph Lauren) Nacho Figueras was unable to play in the match, but it didn't stop the brute force of Argentina's amazing players!

Two other matches as well as an Argentinian wine tasting took place during the night. During the breaks between matches, guests were treated to Tango performances with music by Tanghetto.

The atmosphere at the HPA Gaucho International Polo Tournament was unlike any polo match I've seen before. The crowd was a little rowdier, the polo action was intense and seeing polo inside a stadium with all it has to offer is an entirely different experience all together.

The After Party

After the polo match, guests gathered inside IndigO2 for the winner announcements, even more entertainment and to party with the polo players.

Strictly Come Dancing's Vincent & Flavia performed the electric tango for party-goers. They are truly amazing dancers!

I thoroughly enjoyed my first Gaucho Polo experience. Though it's amazing to watch polo from the comfort of a grassy field in the blazing sun, with the unpredictable weather here in London it's great to have this indoor option to look forward to every year. Everything was great from the announcers making an effort to explain what was happening to the buzzing vibe inside the arena as fans cheered and got excited!

Having learned to play polo with Captain Jamie Morrison just over a week before, I was delighted to have a better understanding of the sport this time around. I have to say, the highlight of the night for me was when Jamie told my slightly skeptical husband that I was actually quite good at polo for a first timer... Ego boosted, good time had by all and memories made! I will definitely be looking forward to attending Gaucho Polo again next year and I highly recommend it for anyone - it's a great night out!

Photos courtesy of Gaucho Polo

Daily Style May 23, 2013 - Snuggly Sweatshirt Chic

2013-05-23T06:00:00.000+01:00

Lookbook - The HPA Gaucho Polo International at the O2

2013-05-22T17:33:00.000+01:00

Phase Eight Dress / Vintage Antoni + Alison Cardigan

Banana Republic Shoes (Similar Here) / Topshop Bag

Tory Burch Earrings / Vintage Locket / Topshop Ring

Daily Style May 22, 2013 - What I'm Wearing to MINT Polo in the Park

2013-05-22T11:42:00.002+01:00

As you may have read earlier, I'm headed to MINT Polo in the Park next month to cover Ladies Day and I'm really excited! Polo is becoming my favorite sport, especially after learning to play last week. It's glamorous, yet accessible... Invigorating, yet completely understandable for someone who is new on the scene... Quite frankly, the best way I can describe it is champagne, hotties & horses! What fashionista wouldn't enjoy a sporting event that gives you the perfect excuse to buy a new dress?

Additionally, I haven't met a polo pal yet that I didn't like. People who work in polo or merely just enjoy the sport seem to be very outgoing, super nice and lots of fun. There's a real community feel amongst polo lovers and everyone from the star players & celebrities to the people in the cheap seats has something in common - they love the sport and the great day out.

For the first time ever on Pink Julep Daily Style, today I'm sharing a complete look that I'm planning to wear. I adore this maxi dress I picked up yesterday and it's perfect for polo because it can be worn with flats. Flats are essential for polo because you're walking around on grass and mud. Comfort is key and though some wear sandals, I think they're impractical for stomping of divots (Hello? There might be horse poo out there!).

Click here for more information on Polo in the Park. For tickets or further information, visit the MINT Polo in the Park website and follow them on Twitter at @polointhepark.

If you're heading to Hurlingham for some polo action next month I'd love to know what you're wearing to the big day!

Right Now: Bowie, Baking & Borgia

2013-05-21T11:26:00.002+01:00

I started watching Borgia on Netflix and it's absolutely fascinating! The series is based on the history of the Borgia's in Italy starting in 1492 as the patriarch of the family becomes Pope. If you're a fan of historical dramas like The Tutors or if you have an interest in Papal or Roman history, you'll love it!
I also recently started watching Arrested Development after hearing that there are new episodes coming out soon on Netflix. I don't know why I waited so long... It's hilarious!
On Saturday I'll be attending my first Putney Bake Club gathering and I'm super excited! After meeting the founder of this social group for a coffee last weekend, I think it's going to be a lot of fun and a great way to meet people. Every month the club meets up at a different local location and each member brings something baked that fits in with the chosen theme. This month's theme is 'Fair Trade' so I've decided to make Gwyneth Paltrow's fudgy brownies using Fair Trade chocolate. If you live in or near Southwest London and love to bake, definitely check it out.
Over the weekend I saw Absolute Bowie for the second time and it always amazes me how much fun this cover band is. We met some die-hard Bowie fans that travelled from outside London just for this little concert. It's great fun and if you ever get the chance to see them, I recommend it. It's only about £10 per ticket so nothing to loose and always good for a giggle. Absolute Bowie usually plays a few times a year at the Half Moon Putney among other places.
I'm quickly falling in love with The Duke's Head in Putney. It's a beautiful riverside pub and they always have something going on. The downstairs bit of the pub is aptly named The Rowing Club and on Sundays they host Secret Cinema where guests can see a film for free and get free popcorn all the while with the freedom to enjoy a drink or order some grub. I tried out Secret Cinema on Sunday and saw Silver Linings Playbook (my new favorite movie) and had a great time. I'll definitely be going back to The Rowing Club for Secret Cinema again sometime!
I have a horrible time finding the right gym shoes - it's becoming a very expensive problem as I keep buying shoes and they either don't fit properly once I've started working out or they cause me pain. So in an effort to stop buying shoes I don't wear, I decided to hit up Sporting Feet in Putney to have my foot scanned. It was really cool! The machine shows the severity of your arch, where you tend to place more pressure/or weight on your feet and the width of your feet. Sporting Feet will scan your feet for free and the staff there are absolutely brilliant for helping you find what you need. Not only for shoes, I've also had some great success in finding the perfect sports bras there - they know what they're doing and it always feels nice supporting a local business too!
After my foot scan, I decided on the Asics Ayami Zone, a super lightweight shoe that's for cross-training rather than running since I'm not a runner. What I learned is that there is in fact a difference between the two. Running shoes are meant to only move forward while cross trainers cater to multidirectional movement for people who do classes or anything other than running in the gym. I love my new gym shoes and so far I haven't had any problems with them.
I know I've blogged before about Tried & True, but I went there for a coffee last week have to give them another shout out! It's delightful to see my favorite independent coffee shop in Putney thriving and it seems to only keep getting better. If you find yourself in Southwest London, definitely check out Tried & True for a great coffee or tea and delicious food & pastries!

Daily Style May 21, 2013 - Red, White & Blue

2013-05-21T06:00:00.000+01:00

Daily Style May 20, 2013 - Gingham Style

2013-05-20T12:41:00.004+01:00

Featured: Buy My Wardrobe Blogger of the Week

2013-05-17T13:23:00.005+01:00

It's an honour to be featured as Buy My Wardrobe's Blogger of the Week! Check out their blog to see the interview with yours truly about Pink Julep, fashion & blogging!

If you're not familiar with Buy My Wardrobe, it's an online treasure trove of preloved luxury items sold by some of the UK's most fashionable women including business women, fashion bloggers and fashion industry professionals! If your wardrobe is bursting, you can sell your preloved fashion via Buy My Wardrobe as well! Additionally Buy My Wardrobe hosts fabulous events where sellers and buyers come together over a glass of fizz. The most recent event was held at the Kensington Roof Gardens and it was fabulous!

To see where else Pink Julep has been featured, check out the Press & Features page!

Daily Style May 17, 2013 - Booties for Summer

2013-05-17T10:32:00.002+01:00

This adorable t-shirt dress is 20% off at the moment with the code 20MAYDRESS - happy shopping!

Daily Style May 15, 2013 - It's All About the Accessories

2013-05-15T06:00:00.000+01:00

Lookbook: ROW2WIN Boat Race at the Thames Rowing Club

2013-05-14T11:41:00.002+01:00

H&M Tank / Gap Cardigan / Gap Sweater / Gap Tights

Dune Boots / Vintage Gold Locket / Tory Burch Earrings

Ray-Ban Matte New Wayfarers

Daily Style May 14, 2013 - Garden Party

2013-05-14T08:58:00.002+01:00

Gaucho Polo Master Class at Royal Berkshire Polo Club With Cool Hooves & England Captain Jamie Morrison

2013-05-13T17:50:00.002+01:00

Sometimes you get that phone call... The one that makes you cock your head to the side, scratch your chin and say "What?!" That was pretty much my reaction when the folks at Gaucho Polo called me up last week to see if I'd be interested in attending a master class at the Royal Berkshire Polo Club with professional player Jamie Morrison. For those of you who aren't familiar, Jamie will captain the England team at the HPA Gaucho International Polo Tournament next week which I'm attending. Tickets are still available at www.gauchopolo.com starting at £20 if you fancy what promises to be an amazing night of sport, wine, food and entertainment!

A lot of things ran through my mind after accepting the offer of said master class, chiefly "How in this world will I be able to play polo?" I'm not exactly the heiress to a horse farm who spends hours a day riding, I'm not particularly sporty and my workouts are infrequent at best. Eventually I convinced myself that the worst that could happen would be having an internationally renowned professional athlete laugh at me while I tumble off a horse Bridget Jones style with a dangerous stick in my hand... I'm happy to say that neither of those happened and while I won't be wearing the England jersey or going up against the likes of Nacho Figueras in this lifetime, I did learn the basics of playing polo! Even more important, I had the time of my life!

My love affair with polo kind of happened by accident. I've always admired it from afar being a bit jealous of the Gossip Girl crowd and reading about the fabulous Hamptons polo scene in Town and Country Magazine. When I accidentally won polo tickets last summer from a contest I didn't even realize I'd entered, I became obsessed with this sport that seems to appeal to even the most unatheletic of people. What I know now that I didn't know then is that 'the sport of kings' isn't just for royalty - polo is a lot more accessible than we think. Sure, it's an incredibly expensive sport - anything involving horses is going to be expensive. There are some exclusive polo matches and enclosures that aren't open to everyone, but there are a lot of polo matches that anyone can watch and though you don't have your own horse, you can still learn to play the sport if you have the time and tuition money handy.

And thus began my day at Cool Hooves Polo at the Royal Berkshire Polo Club, a place where anyone can learn to play polo. We began with a little chat about polo, the dangers, the benefits and the rewards of a successful career while putting on our half-chaps (yes, I wore chaps!) and getting ready for our lessons which were taught in 3 parts: riding, using the mallet and putting it all together.

The Horse

Though I've ridden before, I'm not by any stretch an accomplished rider and it didn't matter. Eddy, my Cool Hooves instructor had me riding confidently in a matter of minutes and taught me how to ride for polo. The most noticeable difference to me was what happens with your hands. Rather than having the luxury of holding onto the horn of a western saddle, polo players must hold on with their legs so they can control the reigns with one hand and hold the mallet with the other. After a while, I got on with it, but in the beginning, I found this part a little nerve-wracking.

Stick it...

After riding lessons, I traded my horse for a short mallet and learned how to swing standing up for a few minutes before getting a longer mallet and mounting a wooden horse. There I practiced several types of shots forwards and backwards on both sides. I suppose I would compare this to golf in a way, but one handed and on a horse... That's the best way I can describe it. From the beginning, my personal concern was learning to swing appropriately so as to not hit my horse - I did however hit myself once, so luckily I was wearing a helmet!

Polo players aren't always sitting - there's a bit of a standing stance that happens. It's difficult to do on a horse if you're a beginner, but it's similar to skiing or doing lunges.

In a way, I almost wished I'd had a lesson before my lesson. It was a little intimidating having Jamie Morrison analyzing my swing and showing me the ropes, but he was super helpful, funny and very nice. It's always a pleasure to learn something new from someone who is truly passionate about their job!

All Together Now...

It seems odd, but once I had my mallet in one hand, I had a better sense of balance than I had without it. Separately, each piece is its own skill, but they all fit together beautifully and it works! Luckily the folks at Cool Hooves are very kind and gave us larger, bright orange balls to make the transition a little easier. I have to say, it's not the most difficult thing in the world after the amazing teaching I received, but polo is not easy... I have even more respect for people who play this magnificent sport now that I've tried it.

Jamie Morrison

Jamie Morrison helping me with the timing of my swing

With my horse, Denzel - she's beautiful!

Chillin with Jamie Morrison after a hard day of sport...

Thank you to Gaucho Polo and Jamie Morrison for the amazing opportunity to learn a little more about polo from a pro before seeing the big tournament next week! I also have to thank the folks at Cool Hooves Polo for being patient, funny and all-around brilliant! I can't wait to go back for another lesson sometime! It's amazing that in just 3 short hours I not only learned about polo, but I'm inspired to try more new sports and go riding more often.

Jamie Morrison goes head to head with Argentine Captain Nacho Figueras at the upcoming HPA Gaucho International Polo Tournament at the O2 on May 21st. Tickets start from £20 at www.gauchopolo.com. Mixing sport with Argentinian wine tasting, live music and food by Gaucho (YUM!) this event is not to be missed! I'll be there cheering on Jamie and the other England players so I hope to see you there!

For more information on Gaucho Polo, check out their website at www.gauchopolo.com, follow them on twitter at @GauchoPolo and check out the Gaucho Polo Facebook page!

Daily Style May 13, 2013 - Neon Nails

2013-05-13T09:48:00.003+01:00

Do you find yourself in a tizzy every Summer because your closet consists mostly of black and grey while many are breaking out their florals and colorful stripes? I definitely know how that feels as I've had a tendency to lean towards blacks and greys my whole life. There's no reason why you can't put a little Spring in your wardrobe though, no matter how dark and dreary. Add a pop of color with neon nail polish, try a bright statement necklace or even throw a colorful scarf over your trusty LBD. Job done and you can get back to enjoying the beautiful weather!

Daily Style May 10, 2013 - A Dress for Wedding Season

2013-05-10T06:00:00.000+01:00

Crew Clothing Co. & Plastic Oceans ROW2WIN Race

2013-05-09T16:44:00.005+01:00

The Fogle Shorts named for Crew Clothing Co. ambassador Ben Fogle

Crew Clothing Co. has teamed up with Plastic Oceans Foundation in ROW2WIN, a fundraising effort to benefit cleaner seas. The two organizations came together yesterday to host a boat race in Putney at the Thames Rowing Club launching their partnership with team captains Ben Fogle, Roz Savage and Dee Caffari and a whole host of high profile rowers including Steve Rowbotham, Natasha Page and London 2012 Gold Medallist Sophie Hosking.

Going forward, perhaps you're wondering how you can help the initiative? Well, I'm glad you asked. Firstly, for every pair of the new Crew Clothing Co. 'Fogle Short' designed especially with artist Steve McPherson that is sold, £5 will be donated to Plastic Oceans. They will be available online and in-store from next week so mark your calendars and get your money out - it's shopping for a good cause!

Additionally, ROW2WIN is going on tour! Ben Fogle set a time for rowing 200 metres. Visit a Crew Clothing Co. Store during one of the tour dates to try your hand at rowing and if you beat Ben's time, Crew will make an additional donation to Plastic Oceans Foundation. If you can't make it to one of the tour dates, you can still enter your time in the online leader board. Get the details on how you can get involved with the ROW2WIN initiative on the website and get ready to row for a good cause!

Daily Style May 9, 2013 - Tropical Fancy

2013-05-09T06:00:00.000+01:00

Daily Style May 8, 2013 - A Pop of Dark

2013-05-08T06:00:00.000+01:00

Ashley's Picks - Best Dressed of the Met Gala 2013

2013-05-07T23:30:00.005+01:00

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This year's Met Gala red carpet just wasn't as exciting to me as previous years, but a few stars were shining bright. These are my picks for best dressed!

Jennifer Lawrence seems to be topping my best dressed list a lot these days. Perhaps it has something to do with her contract with Dior? I loved her look and it was perfect for the punk themed evening. She looked like a punk rocker prom queen in Dior Haute Couture and her little black face veil was just the icing on the cake. Love this look!

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Nothing says punk like tartan and Christina Ricci looks perfectly pretty in plaid wearing Vivienne Westwood Couture. I love how the old Hollywood hair and red lips add the perfect balance of glam to this edgy look!

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Kate Beckinsale always looks amazing, but she has a tendency to go super pretty and princess like on the red carpet. I love how she's gone a bit edgy for the occasion in an asymmetric hemmed Alberta Ferretti gown showing off her edgy heels.

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Katie Holmes obviously didn't get the punk memo, but it doesn't matter. Wearing Calvin Klein Collection, Suri's mom is looking positively glam! It's nice to see Katie back on the scene looking gorgeous!

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Now THIS is a Met Gala look! Well done Paloma Faith for keeping it real in Michael Cinco with a Philip Treacy headpiece. I love the look, especially for the occasion!

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Taylor Swift looks like a punk version of a Disney princess in J. Mendel. This dress is gorgeous and it totally works for rockin the theme!

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Gotta love Zooey Deschanel for marching to the beat of her own drummer. Wearing a seersucker Tommy Hilfiger gown to a punk themed gala is the perfect anti-fashion statement. I love the statement. I love Zooey. I REALLY love this dress! Well played!

All I have to say is thank goodness Miley's recent hairstyle choices have finally come in handy for something! Miley Cyrus is the perfect punk princess in Marc Jacobs and she looks amazing - hard to believe that this girl was once Hannah Montana!

So, I'm dying to know... Who was your pick for best dressed at the Met Gala?

Right Now: TV, Met Gala & Face Treatment Oil

2013-05-07T21:57:00.001+01:00

Well, it's that time again - pardon the one day lateness of this post, but even bloggers deserve a day off on bank holidays. This is what's on the radar this week at Pink Julep!

I've been enjoying House of Cards, a Netflix original starring Kevin Spacey, so I decided to give Hemlock Grove (also a Netflix original) a go, particularly because it stars Alexander Skarsgard's brother. Honestly, either I'm not getting it or it's not that great. Have any of you been watching it? Is it worth carrying on?
I always look forward to seeing the photos from the Met Gala every year, but I'm a bit disappointed this time around... Worst dressed goes to Kim Kardashian. WHAT WAS SHE THINKING? As if her dress wasn't bad enough and completely unflattering, add matching floral gloves to the mix and it's just wrong!
I've been using a sample of the ESPA Replenishing Face Treatment Oil for about two weeks and I'm completely obsessed with this product. The ESPA oil smells amazing, feels amazing and I can tell such a difference in my skin. My dehydration lines aren't as bad as they were, my skin is less dry and my entire face feels as soft as a baby's bottom. I'm definitely buying this product as soon as my sample runs out! (c/o ESPA)
When Dexter came out I was a little grossed out by the idea of it, but I just started watching the show on Netflix and now I'm hooked. I'm already on Season 2 and it's brilliant! If you've never seen it, it's definitely worth checking out!

Daily Style May 7, 2013 - Shades of Grey

2013-05-07T06:00:00.000+01:00

Daily Style May 6, 2013 - Classy in Jeans

2013-05-06T06:00:00.000+01:00

Daily Style May 5, 2013 - Cocktail Party

2013-05-05T06:00:00.000+01:00