For Victoria

My darlings have you ever wondered what the dickens has happened to Heinz celery soup?? Well the lovely Victoria and I jolly well have.
Mrs. Lee to the rescue. This may be even nicer, If I do say so myself. Give it a whirl and a swirl of cream or créme fraiche

Mrs.Lee’s Celery soup

2 heads of celery
2 leeks or one small onion
A couple of cloves of garlic
1 potato
1 litre vegetable stock
Pinch of nutmeg
Salt and pepper
Single cream 100ml ( or milk)

Sweat onion( or leeks) together with garlic and celery in large saucepan in olive oil or butter
Add chopped potato and stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for half an hour

Add cream and seasoning and blend
Serve with an extra swirl of cream or créme fraiche and a crack of pepper

Et voila !!
Who needs Heinz??

One may or may not have slung in a small sherry one may or may not have been drinking

Think pink

Darlings think pink. As a G&T girl how dreamy to drink it pink

This was achieved simply by adding a couple of drops of bitters. ( angostura)Very much like a pink gin cocktail but longer. A regular gin and tonic made prettier.
Of course my darlings one must have lounging attire to compliment non??
Some fabulous silk pyjamas from Agent Provocateur

And matching mules

One doesn’t always have to look like Barbara Cartland in pink. Although sometimes it can’t be helped xxx

Would Ralph have it???

Happy Monday darlings. How was le weekend? Ours was filled with F.F’s( fabulous friends) and fizz. We even managed a walk to blow away the cobwebs and one muddy dog later…

As you know my darlings, it is all too easy buying another little something pour Chez Lee. Without rhyme or reason in can end up more like a charity shop than a chic abode. Now we simply ask one another ” would Ralph have it?” If the answer is no then back it goes. No argument, well maybe a trifle shirty.

You get the idea??
If one had to choose one designer for life to dress ones home and ones body it would be he.

Eternal elegance , these Essex gals than we are being choked with need to take heed.

Well of course everyone looks better after the cocktail hour

Golly!! All a little familiar, black velvet sofas . Check. Gilt Louis chair. Check. Chevron cushion. Check. Storm lanterns….. Cripes!!!!! One has been Ralphed!!!!

How to be lovely

Of course my darlings, we already are. How are we this Sunday morn? A little jaded perhaps ? Maybe something soft and gentle to bewitch you?
I actually bought ” How to be lovely” the Audrey Hepburn way of life for my sisters birthday. A charming little book.
What would Audrey do???

Pop on a lace frock no doubt and mesmerise. One has always found lace enchanting and alluring with intrigue and mystery thrown in for good measure. Thanks to our beloved Kate ( Middleton darlings, who else?) lace is having a resurgence .

We knew it was coming after her wedding dress but now it appears everyone is at it.
Oh, we like sheep…
Ms. Kidman stepped out recently and did lace beautifully. Just enough flesh and just enough hidden. Collette Dinnigan I think.

For those of us wanting to give lace a whirl ( one has done lace for YEARS darlings) There are a plethora to choose from. Two that suit are;

From Harrods

From Coast.

Or one can tie a duster round ones head with gay abandon .
Have a glorious day. Xxxxx

A little piece of toast

Darlings good morning, it all started so well. A clear bright crisp day and the whole weekend to look forward too until
…….
” What would you like for breakfast?”
” Oh , the usual darling”
” Sorry, I finished the bread off last night”
Tea with erm… tea just isn’t going to cut it ladies. One has a penchant for toast with Coopers Oxford marmalade ( yes of course butter) and no matter what low carb diets are en vogue one just can’t shake it. It is an itch that must be scratched .
However not this morning, a day old croissant is simply a day old croissant and definitely not what the lady ordered.
I do hope your day has started better???
Oh and to continue on the lack of toast theme, the blumming toaster is on the blink. One now has to stand in front of it and turn it!!!! On the up side there was a gold limited edition Dualit that caught ones eye. Now where did I see it???

By wudwerx from notonthehighstreet

Even the birds get a slice

90 is the new 40

Hello my darlings, whatever Iris Apfel is having I want some of that.
Definitely drinking at the fountain of youth and also at dinner ( thank the lord) this puss is still fashion forward and turning heads where ever she goes

This rare bird is indeed spirited and horrified that ” the fatter and uglier a person is, the less clothes they wear”
Oh mon dieu how true. The first sunny day and one reaches for eyewear and smelling salts as the pasty flesh is exposed.
Leave it in Magaluf darlings

Chez Apfel

This fashion Ikon should have Ms.Moss
quaking in her boots. Having just launched a collection for Mac how could one resist a new lippy with names such as ” Embrace me ” and ” Entertain me”

This exotic bird quotes Chanel who once said ” Nothing makes a woman look so old as trying desperately hard to look young”

Take note my dears, take note.
As soon as her eyewear is launched I’m having it, whether I need it or not!!!!

If my marriage lasts as long as hers ( she is 90 her husband is 97)
We will BOTH deserve a medal

Don’t you want me baby

Oh yes darlings I do !!! Especially if you come in the form of a smurf coloured birkin. One shall not be put off by the Kardashian clan rocking the colour du jour. All I can say is that if I ( mother) took it upon myself to buy the exact same bag or indeed anything else as my offspring there would be sulks all round and maybe a casualty or two.

Mummy bear

Baby bear

And together…… Play nicely ladies. At least they were wise enough to put the referee between them.

Have a lovely day my darlings , don’t buy anything I wouldn’t xxxx

Let me entertain you

Darlings,”we don’t have to take our clothes off, to have a good time oh no”
Do dinner parties fill you with dread??

J’adore un petit soirée but can get into the most dreadful flap. As you know my darlings mon book du jour usually is of the cookery persuasion apart from good old Jilly of course.
At present it’s Jo Pratt’s
In the mood for entertaining

One can’t help thinking that the format and recipes have been done before however, it has been put together prettily and has a couple of interesting additions to add to ones repertoire
Pimp up your dinner party is well worth a look, especially the amuse-bouches and the scallop and avocado tortillas
Mr.Rhodes himself has given it his blessing so it can’t be all bad

Scallop and avocado tortilla

Makes 6
15 minutes

1-2 flour tortillas
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small ripe avocado
1 spring onion finely chopped
Juice of 1/2 lime
6 slim lime wedges to serve
1 tablespoon chopped coriander
2 pinches of cayenne pepper
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 large scallops

Use a glass or pastry cutter to cut 12 4-5cm tortilla circles
Fry in olive oil for 1 minute until golden
Mash the avocado and mix in spring onion lime juice , coriander and a pinch of cayenne pepper and salt
Season the scallops and fry 1 minute until springy, cut in half to make 12
Assemble; a teaspoon of avocado on top of tortilla disc, then top with scallop repeat with the tortilla and avocado and finish with a scallop
Garnish each one with a dusting of cayenne and a slim wedge of lime
Serve immediately

What Katie did

Good morning my darlings, it has turned chilly hasn’t it? What better reason than to wrap up warmly in a new coat. Before you exclaim ” not another Mrs.Lee?” this one was sale bought and a classic to boot.
Now talking of boots…..
Another Jaeger gem and very Kate.
Miss Middleton may have even more coats than yours truly, however I doubt it. Although she seems to be catching up fast

Now all one needs is a hat and an excuse to wear it. Daughter no.3 will soon be passing out into the Royal Navy. Perfect, non?

Another soupçon?

Darlings, I don’t know about you but one is totally souped out. To remove excess and to feel all together more human one turns to soup. At Chez Lee it has been soup city. Pea, mint and broad bean, carrot and coriander , all manner if vegetable combinations with countless herb and spices .As one is about to fall off the wagon, it shall be done in style.
As with most things wonderful, it shall be pink and it shall contain a soupçon of booze.
Beautiful beetroot borscht

The Delicious Miss Dahl did it wonderfully
Recipe summary
This hot pink borscht looks best served in a glass punch bowl with party fare all around.

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4

Ingredients
6 medium sized beetroots – washed but not peeled
5 unit spring onions, white part only
unit olive oil
1 1/2 litres vegetable or chicken stock
unit Shot of vodka
unit Juice of 1/2 a lemon
2 tablespoons creme fraiche, plus extra to serve
unit Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
unit Handful of chopped fresh dill
unit Chopped hardboiled free range egg to serve – optional

Directions
Wash and trim the stalky bits of the beetroot.
Sweat the spring onions in a pan with some olive oil on a low heat until they are translucent.
Then add the stock to the spring onions and leave on a low heat to warm.
In another pan, cover the beetroot with water; bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes until the beetroot is tender.
Drain, and when cool enough to handle peel off the skins and cut the beetroot into rough chunks.
Put the beetroot into a blender with the spring onion, stock and puree until smooth.
Add the shot of vodka, lemon juice, crème fraiche, season and give the mixture another whizz in the blender.
The soup can be served hot or cold. Either way serve with the chopped dill on top, a swirl of more crème fraiche and some chopped hardboiled egg if you feel like it.
Et voila!