Shoe Porn: Jigsaw Tweed Peep-toes

You guys really didn't like the loafers I showed you last week (I still think they're lovely). So instead, feast your eyes on these pretties. We're in that weird place where it's a bit rainy, but still warm and no one really knows what to wear. Summery sandals just aren't working at the moment.

But these tweed peep-toes might. They're from Jigsaw and they're so lovely. Classic but interesting. The tweed will see you right through to the shivery months (I refuse to talk about those any more) and you'll be teetering about in these for years to come.

They're £149, so don't go jumping in any puddles whilst you're wearing them.

Design Porn: Rob Ryan Wall Sticker

Since moving house last week I've developed the perfect excuse to trawl the web for pretty bits and bobs (but only in my chosen colour scheme - white with blue accents, if you're interested). Luckily my new landlady doesn't mind me making adjustments so I can drill, sand, paint and stick to my little heart's content.

This is fortunate because I've fallen head over heels for this:

That sizable chunk of Rob Ryan pretty is £55 from the Tate Shop. It's not cheap for a wall sticker and it'll be a massive brain-ache to put up but how gorgeous is it? And until I can afford the £300+ price of a Rob Ryan papercut it's certainly an adequate substitute.

Sluttishly easy: Langoustines in garlic butter

Langoustines make the perfect lazy girl dinner. They're healthy, sweet tasting and easy to cook, and best of all look like tiny mini lobsters. What's not to love?

You'll need:

• A handful of langoustines. What's a handful? 6 to 8 per person, or, if you're greedy like me, 15. Adjust the other ingredients accordingly.
• A knob of butter
• A couple of garlic cloves
• A pinch of chili flakes
• A squeeze of lemon
• A bunch of chopped parsley

Make it!

Wash and drain the langoustines. Improvise a Chorus Line style choreography with a few of them on the counter top.

Meanwhile, in a large pan, melt a knob of butter on a medium heat. Add the chopped garlic and chili flakes and let them sizzle for a moment. Then add the langoustines and a good squeeze of lemon, before covering the pan. Steam the little darlings for a few minutes until they are ready - their flesh should be opaque and firm but still tender.

Garnish with the chopped parsley and more lemon juice as needed. They're delicious on their own as a starter, or you can serve them with pasta for a more substantial main course. Make sure you eat them with your hands. Nothing says class like langoustine juice dribbling down towards your elbows.

Sluts Rule Brittania: Union Jack Doorstop

Since relocating to England, I can’t help but notice that I have been indulging in some good old fashioned patriotism for the Motherland. What better way to show your support for your adopted nation than by celebrating each and every day with a sweet little Vintage Union Jack Doorstop from dot com gift shop.

Made with vintage-style blue gingham, it’s filled with sand for maximum squelchiness, and weighs 1.5kg, just enough to keep that wretched door from clanging about. Have you noticed that for any door to stay shut, absolute no windows may be open? It was a comedy of errors in my flat last week, as all doors kept banging in some kind of frustrating symphony.

It’s £13.95, and if your the kind of modern gal that likes everything to be matching, you can also pick up the teacosy, shopping bag and (my second favourite) apron.

Sluttishly Easy: Chicken Stock

Stock is one of those things that whilst I see the benefit of, I often just can't be bothered. It's a lot of faffing, isn't it? But, after roast dinner at the weekend, it seemed a shame to let everything go to waste, so I went about making chicken stock for the first time. I wish someone had told me how easy it was.

We used our stock for soup (recipe for those coming next week) and it made a huge difference. The soup actually tasted of something. The flavour was in every mouthful. Let's be honest, soup is just stuff in water. I plan on making that water as tasty as possible from now on. I'm not sure I'll ever go back to stock cubes now.

This recipes is pretty simple, and it doesn't require very much tending to at all. Just leave it bubbling away on the hob and wait for your house to start smelling like one of those country houses you see on adverts.

You'll need:

• A chicken carcass from your roast dinner.
• Two carrots.
• One large onion.
• For sticks of celery.
• Handful of peppercorns.
• Six cloves of garlic.
• Two bay leaves.
  

Make it!

Chop all of the veg and put in a pan with the chicken carcass. Cover with water and bring to the boil. Leave to simmer for two hours. Every so often, you'll need to skim off the foam that rises to the top of the pan. When you're done, strain the broth a couple of times and leave to cool. Put in the firdge, and then strain once more before using.

If you've got any left over, it's perfect for freezing. Then you'll have fresh stock whenever you need it.

Flickr image from caspermoller's photostream.

What are our favourite treaty foods EVER?

Treaty foods are the best. You've had a bad day, it's raining, or you're just feeling a bit blue. There's nothing that will cheer you up faster than your favourite treaty food. They make the world a better place, even though they're horribly bad for you. Treaty foods are never salad things, are they?

Want to cheer the Domestic Sluts up when we're a bit blue? Here's a handy little guide to making us smile.

Siany: Roast potatoes. Anything potato-based will capture my heart (seriously, you want me smitten? Spuds will probably do it). But roasties are just the best things in the WHOLE WORLD. Especially my mum's. She gets them all crispy, without drying them out, and they're all fluffy and oh, would you look at that, I've bought a train ticket home...

Jane: Cheese! Feta, marscapone, cheesecake, or just plain old cheddar, smothered over toast or pasta, melted into mashed potatoes and generally improving every meal a thousand times over. Cheese is one of my most ardent culinary loves, and I swear if it wasn't for my cheese weakness, I'd probably be at least two stone lighter (although also a lot less happy, I'm sure).

Abi: Chips! I'm afraid to say I do love my salt, and nothing quite excites my tastebuds as much as a plate of sizzling fries with a generous dashing of sodium chloride. If I'm really wanting to treat myself, I'll add in a dollop of continental-style mayo as well, and I like to have a bit of that posh Tiptree tomato sauce close at hand for dipping, too. Gosh, my tummy's growling just thinking about it.

Madévi: Pork products. My father is from Lyon so I must have inherited his charcuterie gene. Whether it's saucisson, a spicy chorizo, or char siu, I can't get enough of the sweet, sweet porky goodness. Sometimes I bring home a packet of pork rinds and eat it alone, in the dark. It's my secret shame. Don't tell anyone.

Alex E: Jaffa cakes do it for me. In fact I'm eating one as I type this. They're chocolatey, but not too chocolatey, and that zingy orange centre is just the best. Just don't ask me to decide if they're a biscuit or a cake.

Sam: Cheese and tomato on toast. Salty salty goodness, and just enough arterial choke-age to be worth it! So easy to make as well, and I nearly always have the ingredients to hand. I love to make the grilled cheese first, then at the last minute add sliced tomato straight from the fridge. It’s a taste sensation!

Sel: Like Jane, I'm hopelessly addicted to cheese. When it comes to treaty cheese though, absolutely nothing beats a fat wedge of stilton, either on a cracker, squished between heavily buttered fresh bread or shoved into my mouth on its own as fast as my fingers can get it there. Or melted with some sautéed mushrooms. Or paired with some roast beef and horseradish. Right, that's it, I'm off to the kitchen!

Frances: Crisps! They're not the most expensive, classy or luxurious treat but - perhaps due to my mum's habit of letting me scoff a packet when I got back from school (Mum, what were you thinking? Not such a healthy habit for a growing child!) - I find them hugely comforting. I'm quite particular when it comes to flavours though. No pretend meat flavours please. A Canadian friend recently brought me back a packet of Lay's dill pickle crisps ... sorry chips. They didn't lay about for long.

What are your favourite treaty foods?

Flickr image from artwork_rebel's photostream.

A lot of bottle

I never use normal vases. They're just a little bit too plain for me. And the ones that aren't plain are far too expensive. There's not much point buying expensive vases if you can't afford to buy any flowers to put in them (I'd much rather buy flowers myself, instead of waiting for boys to buy them for me).

So I'm smitten with these lovely pharmacy bottles from Camel & Yak. They'll look lovely on my windowsills. They're the perfect vases for daisies. Daisies are my favourite.