Summer opening of Buckingham Palace. Mood = Regal!

Buckingham Palace is opening their doors to the public once again! The 19 enormous state rooms that are usually reserved for entertaining dignitaries from around the world open to the public in August and September, you really will be able to see how the other half live.

Summer Opening at Buckingham Palace

This year there is a special exhibition, which takes a look at the collection of Royal Faberge ornaments. The exhibition reveals the extraordinary talents of the Russian goldsmith, Carl Faberge and how his name became synonymous with the finest royal collection of in the world.

The Royal Wedding
The Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding dress, designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, is also on display! Her Royal Highness worked closely with Sarah Burton in formulating the design of her dress under the brand Alexander McQueen. The dress is on display alongside the shoes and earrings worn by The Duchess on 29 April, as well as the magnificent Halo Tiara.

Standard adult tickets: £17.00

Children aged 5-17: £10

For more information click here 

Baity goes to Italy..... Mood= Italian Affair!

When my brother told me he was getting married i was super excited for him. More than happy as his princess manana is an amazing girl.... But then he said Florence, and my heart began to beat even faster. I have been to Italy, but when i was very young. My parents took us on the orient Express and showed us the wonders of this country. But all i have are pictures and not real memories.

I was very excited and began to organise my trip. On the agenda was Portofino, Forte Dei Marmi, Pisa and Florence. It was an excuse for me to eat my way through Italy. And eat my way through Italy was exactly what i did.

At Baity kitchen, 90% of the staff are Italian and gave me lots of tips to on what to eat what and where. So i took their advice and did just as they said for a change..... :)

My trip began in Portofino. Simply beautiful and stunning. The weather was on and off during our 3 days there, but we made the most of it by eating our way through the time we spent there. The hotel we stayed in was impeccable and the food..... WAS DIVINE!

Fresh pizzas from a wood oven, Burrata mozzarella, tomatoes that actually tasted of tomatoes, and the truffles. If you want to get into my heart, the fastest way is to present me with truffles. I just adore them and one of my dishes, beef carpaccio was laden with them. Ooooh I'm in heaven just thinking about it right now.

The next best thing was going to Forte dei Marmi. It was just so cute and very much my kind of thing. The whole town is taken over by bicycles and a very quirky cute beachy scene. All the restaurants that we went to were just perfect serving up local fish and simple no fuss food that just tasted of what it was supposed to taste like. I just loved everything. The bresaola was soft and almost fluffy. No need to chew, no need to season. Langoustine were cooked to perfection, almost raw and so so sweet. I loved it there.

My favourite thing about being in Italy was the grocery shopping. I know they have supermarkets like we have over here in the UK, but the best part was the little family owned shops that have everything you want on one shelf, from deodorant, to chickpeas, razors to tinned tuna. The best was the hanging hams just behind the counter. I just wanted to put the whole thing in my suitcase. So yumm, and so beautiful.

Our next stop was Florence, were the festivities were taking place. We were a huge group of people for the wedding so the food sampling became immense as everyone wanted to go everywhere. And so we did. We went to little trattorias, fine dining and hotel restaurants. Each and everyone of these places were incredible. The atmosphere in Florence for me was electric. The city was magical and i think that contributed to the food. The views were almost museum like and i felt like i had stepped back in time. I ate so much i thought the dress for my brothers wedding was not going to fit anymore but i didn't care.

Florence was stunning, striking and simply wonderful. I didn't want to leave. But unfortunately all good things have to end at some point. But i am so glad it ended with the wedding of my Brother.

This Italian adventure was so far the best holiday i have taken in a long time simply for the food and the atmosphere. I would highly recommend this little tour to anyone who has the chance of taking it. And eat the steak fiorentina. I had one nearly every day while staying in Florence..... DELISH!!!!!

Next stop, the south of Italy....

Baity's guide to the perfect glass of Pimms!

We LOVE Pimms at Baity Kitchen and even if it means drinking it indoors with the rain pouring outside, it still makes you feel fresh and summery!!!

It is definitely true to say that nothing quite beats a glass of Pimms on a summer’s day. Pimms is almost as much a tradition as the cup of tea with gallons of it being drunk by British people every year!

VS

History of Pimms

It was James Pimm, in the 1840s that invented the Great British thirst-quenching drink!  
He used gin, quinine and a secret mixture of herbs to be used as an aid to digestion, dishing it out in a small tankard!! This became known as the No. 1 cup!


After the Second World War, Pimms extended their range, using a number of other spirits as bases for new cups. Scotch lent its name to No. 2 cup while No. 3 used brandy, No. 4 rum, No. 5 rye and No. 6 vodka. Of these sequels, the vodka cup and brandy (now called Winter) are the only ones in production while original No. 1 cup still reigns supreme in popularity.


Pimms Recipes
Traditional Pimms No.1

Slice of orange

Lemon, 

Apple

Cucumber 

One sprig of mint

Add to two parts lemonade to one part Pimms

Watch how to make the perfect Pimms here!


Here are a few more Pimms recipes if you fancy mixing the classic up a bit!

Turbo Pimms No.1

As above but five parts lemonade, two parts Pimms, one part gin.


English Passion Pimms No.6

Take a shaker 2/3 full of ice and add 50ml of Pimms No.6, 25ml of Zubrowka vodka, flesh and juice of a passion fruit and a dash of sugar syrup. Shake well and strain into a tumbler full of ice. Garnish with a sprig of mint and two short straws.

Maximum Voltage Pimms No.6
Take a shaker 2/3 full of ice, 50ml of Pimms No.6, 25ml of Zubrowka vodka and 25ml of Cointreau. 

Shake well and strain into a high ball full of ice. 

Fill with soda water and garnish with mint. 

Watch the pimms advert here!

Baity's Summer Design Top Tips

So far, the British summer has left a LOT to our imagination.  The long summer August days we were all dreaming about have already been slashed and on the 9^th August – the sky is grey and the winter jumpers are on (why do we live in England again  - it certainly isn’t for the weather that’s for sure!!).

However, do not fear! Help is at hand. Baity Kitchen are offering their Top Summer Design tips – catering for all interior design needs, just simply follow our tips to get a fun, vivacious summery look (even if the weather outside contradicts the season!)

Bring the outside - inside!

Last month – we wrote about the latest interior trend, bringing the outside inside. Following on from that post here are some more ideas of ways to bring the outside inside.

Bring alfresco dining inside – using outdoor dining and tableware! Firstly find a summery tablecloth or picnic throw for your kitchen table, like this one that we used for our interview with RED magazine last month!

Bright, block, summery colours or even patterned, floral designs - the bolder and brighter the better!! Accessorize your table with outdoor dining-ware using plastic summery goblets, flutes or tumblers, fill them with some freshly mixed pimms with fruit, mint and ice or whatever else takes your fancy!! There’s nothing like a glass of pimms to make you feel summery!

In the evening light colourful lanterns, which provide romantic, ethereal lighting and enjoy a glass of wine – the perfect summers evening, even if you have to be inside! 

‘Summer–up’ indoors!

All you have to do to make an indoor space feel a bit more summery is to bring a touch of colour. Try replacing cushion covers with bright zingy colours, bringing a breath of fresh air to a more wintery room. We recommend Baity’s brand colour - mint-green which will never go out of fashion due to its freshness.

Flowers are integral for this look. Simply putting single flowers in small jam jars are a cheap and easy way to create this look (like we do at Baity Kitchen!!)

Enjoy the summer – even if you have to stay indoors, sheltering from the rain! 

BRING THE SUMMER INSIDE!!

Stitch and Bitch!

STITCH AND BITCH

Knitting is proven to be one of the longest standing popular leisure time activities of all time! Dating way way back many centuries ago - back to the 11^th century.

The worlds love for knitting is arguably kept alive by the notorious stitch and bitch sessions that are run up and down the country and all around the world – (where people meet up to literally knit, chat and eat cake!!). There’s nothing like a good old chat with friends and the knitting is really relaxing and therapeutic!

At Baity Kitchen we LOVE the idea of ‘Stitch and Bitch’. Anything that involves a good old gossip and a piece of cake suits us perfectly and the knitting just tops it all off!

Stitch London, is London’s most popular knitting group – run by Lauren O’Farrell. At Stitch London they pride themselves on being a ‘Feisty but friendly stitching group and also an online stitching monster, crashing through the world like a radioactive woolly Godzilla with sticks and string’!

The free weekly knitting sessions are open to everyone and you don’t even have to be able to knit. They are happy to teach you for FREE…and they welcome cross stitch, crochet, and other types of handicrafts!!

For more information about Stitch London, click here!

Baity's Allotment!

We just love our little garden/allotment – everyday it gives us totally organic, fresh and fragrant herbs which we could not live without!

Baity's list of ways allotments can change your life: 

• They provide you with a cheap source of fresh fruit and vegetables
• They are organic as there is less contact with pesticides - which means that the fruit and vegetables that you grow are better for you
• They give you a great reason to spend more time outside
• They give you a good sense of achievement
• They provide you with a positive focus
• They are educational as you will learn lots of things your didn't already know about how to plant/grow various fruits and vegetables
• They are a great stress release
• They give you a great way to escape the pressures of modern living
• They encourage you to spend time with your neighbours and create a good community spirit
• Its a very sociable activity
• They provide you with a fun form of exercise

To find about getting an allotment near you...click here

One of our favourite things to grow at the moment is strawberries. Now is the perfect time to plant strawberries outdoors (they can be planted anytime between late June – September) – in your allotment!

Top-Tips for growing strawberries

• The ideal soil is well-drained and rich in humus
• They prefer to be planted in full sun, out of the wind
• They can produce fruit for five or six years
• To prevent slugs, put down pellets or place grit or broken egg shells under each plan
• Place a net over the plants to prevent birds and squirrels from eating the fruit 
• Pick any ripe strawberries so they don't rot on the plan
• Check the plants every other day during the ripening period 

How to plant your strawberries

Prepare the soil by digging over, removing any perennial weeds and adding manure

Plant with the crown at soil level and water well

  Five strawberry varieties to try…

1. 'Elvira' - a heavy cropper producing large, soft fruits from June to early July
2. 'Hapil' - high-yielding variety with large, bright red fruits from early to late July
3. 'Florence' - grows well in all soils and produces large, dark fruit in late summer
4. 'Vivarosa' - one of the few varieties to produce pink (instead of white) flowers
5. Fragaria vesca - provides good ground cover in cottage gardens