A couple of days ago, one of my friends came by, who hardly ever takes to to cook extensively. So whenever he comes by, I find it extra fun to try something new, with which he can help along.

This time I’d set my mind on a recipe in the Allerhande, the local supermarkets magazine: Vietnamese spring rolls! I can say a very successful and tasteful experiment it was. I didn’t know it was so easy to make these yourself. Spring rolls are really easy to make, and aside from the frying bit, quite slim as well. It’s great to experiment with some ingredients, adding for instance shrimp, chicken, egg, or bean sprouts. The perfect party snack indeed!

The recipe can be found on the website of the Albert Heijn, so that I will not repeat it here. But I will give you the necessary nutritional information of course. Bon appetit!

When I ate at my girlfriends home a week ago, she made some very delicious shrimps. Shel told me then which ingredients she’d used, but hey, three glasses of some bad prosecco later… So last night I wanted to eat shrimps again, and kind of guessed how she’d made them so tasty. Here’s my recipe:

Cut the garlic, ginger, red pepper, red onion and cilantro and mix with the shrimp. Squeeze a little lemon juice over the shrimp and mix in a thick teaspoon of a mix of spices called Chinese five-spices powder. Just fry in a wok for a few minutes, and enjoy this super slim dish!

Don’t forget to add a little salad made of lettuce, cilantro, cherry tomatoes, radishes and a good balsamic vinegar. Nomnomnom!

Just two weeks ago I finally decided not to buy the Dutch Vogue any more, but to get myself a subscription. Instead of 50% off,  I choose the free Black Box as a welcoming gift, stuffed with products worth €300. I’m usually not that fond of surprises, but I figured this was probably one of the good kinds.  And though I’m not going to ruin the surprise, I will tell you, it sure was a good choice! Think lots of luxury products and some additional Vogue gadgets. Boy, the indulgence!! Thinking of getting a subscription as well? Get the Black Box with it! Already looking forward to the next edition of Vogue, June ’13, being sent to my home…

The end of the season is in sight. Which TV series will you be missing most? Some of the series I’ve recently added to my list of favorite TV shows:

ELEMENTARY (2012)

“A modern take on the cases of Sherlock Holmes, with the detective now living in New York City.”

Starring Lucy Liu, Jonny Lee Miller, Adan Quinn and Jon Michael Hill this series is rated with a 7.6 on the IMDB. Currently running: season 1.

THE FOLLOWING (2013)

“A brilliant and charismatic, yet psychotic serial killer communicates with other active serial killers and activates a cult of believers following his every command.”

Starring Kevin Bacon, Natalie Zea, Shawn Ashmore and James Purefoy this series is rated with a 7.9 on the IMDB. Number of seasons: 1.

CASTLE (2009)

“After a serial killer imitates the plots of his novels, successful mystery novelist Richard “Rick” Castle gets permission from the Mayor of New York City to tag along with an NYPD homicide investigation team for research purposes.”

Starring Nathan Fillion, Stana, Katic, Jon Huertas and Molly C. Quinn this series is rated with a 8.2 on the IMDB. Currently running: season 5.

Don’t you just love these DIY project I found all over the web lately…

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10

Also take a look at my Pinterest boards DIY – Home Deco, DIY – Paper, DIY – Fashion, DIY – Jewelry and DIY – bags for more inspiration and lovely projects!

Photo via Wander in Style

It wasn’t until I walked into Skins Cosmetics last weekend and noticed the luxurious collection by BYREDO that I realized I’ve seen this brand all over the internet the past months. I’ve collected some of the most inspiring and dreamy images in a BYREDO Pinterest board (of course)… Is it the packaging, the font, the naming, or simply the cost of this luxury product? Because they don’t come cheap: 50ml eau de parfum will cost you €95, a fragranced candle €55 and 225ml body lotion €45. Nevertheless, I’ve added these to my wish list:

The Swedish BYREDO was founded in 2006 by Ben Gorham, a former professional basketball player with Indian, Canadian and Swedish roots. And that’s all I’m gonna say about this man. Go Google him…

Photo via Highsnobette