1. Still gobsmacked...

2. I want this hair upon my heed.

3. I fancy wearing this chevron maxi with a neon yellow belt.

4. The food styling & photography on this blog post blows my mind. I could look at it forever.

5. Ahhhh, this valentines day card is the best *spins around on a hill in a nuns get up*

6. Do you follow Deb? She's one of my favourite pinners ever! And she writes an awesome blog...

7. What a lovely post about little Wilf from lovely Fritha :)

8. I'll be serving this popcorn up at Flo's party for sure! How pretty??

9. Give me a winter salad over a roast dinner any day...

10. This has always been one of my faves.

Happy weekend friends! Have a good one xxx

WOWZERS INDEED!!!!!

WOW! You guys......

I am so so happy (and completely shocked & stunned) to have been nominated in the BEST FOOD BLOG and the BEST FAMILY LIFE BLOG categories for the first stage of the THE MAD BLOG AWARDS! Woah!

 Dizzy Loves Icy has really grown over the past year and I'm thrilled that you enjoy coming here as much as I do - hurrah and long may it last! If you enjoy the blog, and fancy adding to our nomination stats then you can do so here!

Thank you xxxx

FOOD: BAKED KALE CHIPS

Do you know, February is my least favourite month. Not because I'm scarred by valentines days gone by as an awkward teenager, where the postie only ever delivered cards sent by my mother (no, I'm over that - it's fine honestly).
No, the reason I hate February is because how miserable it makes everything look. I mean it really feels like the bleak mid-winter here at the moment and it's GRIM.
The sky is constantly white. The trees look like they should only ever be present in Tim Burton's brain and all I want to do is sit and juggle salt & vinegar crisps into my mouth at record breaking speed. I know it's not acceptable and I know Pringles have no place in any month other than Decemeber, so i've been making these kale chips instead.
Oh my, they are good! They are so good that one batch is never enough. When I'm scoffing these down, I feel lucky that kale is one of my favourite things ever and I'm happy that I can eat these to my hearts content because they are actually GOOD for me! Whoo hooo, how often does that happen?

Try making them for you're kiddos packed lunch - i bet they'll love them...

FRIDAY I'M IN LOVE 01.02.13

1. I'm loving checking out what looks Theo's been rocking lately! Seriously CUTE :)

2. Check out Sarah's further adventures in T-Shirt painting. This has been my fave so far!

3. Want an easy peasy instagram DIY? Sorted.

4. Super ideas for super sirachia!

5. I'm currently experiencing 'death by dress shopping' for a wedding. What about this one?

6. Maybe this plate will be the one my hub chooses to replace the one he broke this week?!  

7. Five Years! Wow! Five years of one of my favourites...

8. I'm drinking insane amount of Teapigs tea at the moment. The Liquorice & mint is my fave, but i want to drink them all!

9. I love Gina. She makes me laugh and she drinks cabbage. In awe / blog crush / girl crush...

10. Haters gonna hate right? Pah!

Hello! I need to take a little breather as Friday night I suffered the mother of all Gallstone attacks and ended up being whisked away in an ambulance at 4am. It was horrific and according to my GP almost definitely down to my recent diet change (more on that soon). It's not a experience I want to have ever again - I was tachycardic, I was hyperventilating so much I could not move my arms and well, I'll spare you the rest (no, really!) but my body and mind need a few days to just 'be'. So, I'm going to spend the time reading, getting early nights, drinking water, drinking way too many cups of various tea pigs and watching back to back episodes of Parenthood!

Thank you for your patience, and I'll see you all very soon!

xox

FRIDAY I'M IN LOVE 25.01.13

1. I am OBSESSED with this US TV show! How have I only just discovered it?

2. This is basically how I'd like to dress every day.

3. I'm on the look out for a juicer so I can drink my kale. Any tips on which one to get?

4. WOW! Talk about a pretty cool way to send out save the date cards!

5. I'm thinking of making some number versions of these for India's 2nd birthday. Aren't they fab?!

6. Forever a stationary geek, I'm loving this range.

7. Do you know of the Harvard Sailing Team? I am a mahoosive fan...

8. Oh my goodness. I want to eat this RIGHT NOW!

9. I found this jumper and thought it looked like a knitted version of my blog!

10. HAHAHA!

Happy Weekend Friends x

FOOD: WINTER BRUSCHETTA

Even when it's really chilly out and the snow is slowly melting and almost decapitating you as it falls off of shop rooftops (yes Mr Sainsbury's, I'm talking to you), I STILL do not want a roast dinner. I'm sorry, and I know that I deserve to be carted away by the men in white coats for saying this out loud but I just don't like them. Christmas dinner? Fine, I'll carve a turkey nut roast with the best of them and if you're nice to me I'll even source out a really awesome way to make sprouts edible, but EVERY WEEK? No thanks. I'm just not a 'meat and two veg' kind of girl and I guess the ideal winter food for me would be.... um, tacos and well....tacos, but apparently man can not live on tacos alone (try me) so I had to find something else. I hit the jackpot when made this Winter Bruschetta at the weekend because it was gorgeous and so comforting and i recommend it 100%, if you're in the market for something crunchy, flavoursome and good for you (it is still January). Yes! This is the one for you...

SNOWY

It did snow and I will be posting pics of my lot having fun in the snow! Of course I will - i am a lover not a hater :)

and one of a little lady mesmerised by her waking up to her first snow. She sat saying "WoW, White" and kept pointing...

FOOD: BUTTERNUT SQUASH & BEAN JAMBA STEW

Do you have snow? We have snow - loads and loads of snow which is awesome because we never usually get any. Normally, the whole country is banging on about how annoying snow is & how it's ruining their whole life whilst we just sit here praying for even a little sprinkling. Well, this time it's our turn & even though I almost broke my neck this morning at 8am on the way to swimming lessons, i will NOT moan about it because snow is brilliant. The whole place looks beautiful, the kids are so happy that they could pop & the quiet tranquility it brings is so so welcome when you live smack bang in the middle of a busy city. So, yes I 100% love snow.

Obviously with all this random talk from me about the weather, I am of course seamlessly linking you up to the perfect meal for a snow day. Butternut squash & bean jamba stew (try saying that after one glass too many) is what your tummy wants and needs. It's inspired by Jambalaya which i love so i'm super chuffed to have a really excellent vegan one to turn to now. Score! 

It's lovely, you should try it.

FRIDAY I'M IN LOVE 18.01.13

1. How good does this veggie burger look? I'll definitely be trying that this week.
2. Check out this new to me blog, the little red house. I love it!
3. Winter mood lifters! Noted.
4. I'm about to paint my table with chalkboard paint & now this makes it even more fun!
5. My friend Abi got a new job in an awesome place! Congrats (& I wanna pop in for a cuppa!)
6. I read this round up this week & i want to do them all...
7. Do you need help in getting the right shot? Just remember these top tips ;) HAHA!
8. We are turning a boring old cupboard door into this fab magnetic D.I.Y this week.
9. Fried Chickpeas? Sounds strange, looks amazing...
10. True.  You know it...

HAPPY SNOW DAY EVERYONE!! KEEP WARM & HAVE FUN!!!!!! xxx

FOOD: BAKED SKINNY FRIES

Hands up who remembers Christmas? 

Meeeeeeee!

Do you know how I remember Christmas? I mean aside from the fact that it is only January 17th? 

Well, it's not because of the million new teeny weeny new Lego pieces i have to dig out of my bare feet constantly & it's not because my husbands bottle of Baileys is STILL sat in the sodding fridge. No, it's because Christmas is still happening here. Yup, Christmas is still sitting here big, loud and very proud ON MY THIGHS.

These jeans? Painful. My joggers? Bliss. My appetite? Enormous. 

Something had to give, so I made these. 

And they were delicious, so I'm happily sharing them with you safe in the knowledge that it is fine to eat chips in January. I made two batches, one with one less tsp of polenta and both worked well and were devoured within minutes!

Now, if i could only skinny up some hash browns....

ALMOST SIX

Flo will be SIX (say, what?!) this February 14th & this year she wants a craft party with a valentines day theme. So, she's having six of her little friends to come party and with the help of some willing family members we're going to help them create some (hopefully) lovely things to take home with them. At the moment I'm frantically pinning like a mad woman and trying to get some things sorted in advance. I've started planning the favours for the party bags with these make your own necklace cards from Alexis being made tonight (i can't wait to do this). Already the food lists are being drawn up - of course they are, this is me..  and on that note actually how easy are cake pops to make? I've never made them, or had any desire to either but i think they'd be good for the party? Bear in mind what a shockingly awful baker I am before you answer that though...

So, wouldn't you know planning a party can actually be quite fun & that's coming from the mother who normally hates this process. That might possibly be due to the fact that we've been to the sodding Zany Zone for parties every year bar one so i'm not going to beat myself up too much about my lack of Alsopp-ness just yet. Thankfully, it looks as if this party might actually be one that doesn't have me wanting to lie in a dark room drinking gin for weeks afterwards. Here's hoping...

Sources all from Pinterest:

1. Flower Crowns

2. Cupids Arrows

3. Heart Pompoms 

4. Heart Crayons

5. Bath Bombs