Southern Lace

Haitus!

2012-01-22T14:41:00.000-08:00

Hi Guys! You may have noticed that I took a little blogging break. Blogging is a lot more work than it looks (just ask any blogger), I've had a good long break and am ready and recharged to blog again.

I am going to kick off this come back with a product review. Or maybe its more of a brand review because I love every item they make!! The brand I'm talking about is British based Naked Bodycare. Kinda sucks that they are only available in the UK because I know they would be a big hit in America. Seriously Naked products are totally kickass. Hopefully one day they will jump the pond over to the US.

All products produced by Naked are at least 97% natural and 100% totally free of parabens, petrochemicals, sodium laureth / lauryl sulfate (SLS) and phthalates! And they don't test on animals. Awesome right?

In case you are wondering why only 97% natural here is a little snippit taken from their website.

You may also ask why only 97% natural? Well, the remaining 3% is made up of things like the preservative system (stops the product going bad after opening ) plus things like emulsifying agents which are necessary to stop ingredients from separating ( we don’t like divorce ). However some of our products are actually 99.5% natural as they didn’t need as much help to behave.

My entire shower routine consists of products from the Naked range. My favourite products are...

Naked Detox Deep Cleanse Shampoo - I use this shampoo once a week to remove any product build up that may be left on my hair.

Naked Care Sensitive Shampoo - A nice mild shampoo for everyday use (or every other day in my case)

Naked Rescue Intensive Care Conditioner - Good moisturising thick sticks to your hair conditioner. Love it!

Take Care Naked – Orange Blossom Body Wash - Smells so lovely. Mmmmm orange blossom :-)

Perfect Getaway Cream Cleanser - A nice moisturising cream facial cleanser. Its not meant to be used in the shower but I totally do.

Naked Skin Blinking Lovely Eye Make-Up Remover - Gets rid of pesky eye makeup in a jiff. Contains witch hazel and aloe vera and is fragrance and alcohol free.

24 Hour Naked – Coco de Mer Body Butter - Who doesn't love a good body butter?

So there you have it those are my favourites but I love'em all! Go check out the online Naked Bodycare store by going here . Alternatively their products are also available in your local Boots and Super Drug.

Dog Popsicles or Pupsicles

2011-08-06T04:28:00.001-07:00

The weather here in England has been nice and warm this week. Its been lovely to be able to go outside without getting rained on. My dogs love to sit outside and soak up the sunshine but when they come inside they are hot and panting. So I decided to make them some popsicles, why should they miss out on yummy summer time treats? I mean we eat ice creams and popsicles when we are out enjoying the sun so our pets should too.

Denver, Savannah and Dallas eagerly watching me making the treats. Bristols was in there too but she got pushed out of the photo.

I suggest buying a popsicle mould just for your pets treats because the plastic may hold on to the fishy flavor even after being washed and I'm pretty sure you don't want salmon flavored popsicles. I bought a set of 2 that makes 12 popsicles at the £ store for £1. You can get them at your local discount store for a £1/$1 or two.

Salmon & Carrot Pupsicles

Ingredients:

1 can of salmon or tuna in water, rinsed if it contains salt
2 carrots, washed
1/2 cup plain yogurt (I used 0% fat Greek yogurt)
1/4 cup water or homemade beef or chicken broth (store bought has too much salt)
small rawhide sticks (as many as you have popsicle moulds)

Directions:

Place carrots into a food processor and blend until finely chopped. Alternatively you can grate the carrots.
Add the salmon/tuna, yogurt and water to the carrots in the food processor and blend until nicely combined.
Place mixture into a container such as a measuring cup with a pouring spout to make it easier to fill the popsicles moulds.
Pour the mixture into your popsicle moulds leaving about 1/4 inch at the top. Place a rawhide stick in each mould and place in the freezer until frozen.

Banana Oat Muffins

2011-08-05T12:18:00.001-07:00

I have another adaptation of one of Ina Gartens recipes for you this week. Like the granola recipe I have made some changes to suit my tastes and what I had on hand. I love the way these muffins turned out. They are perfect for a quick breakfast and freeze well too.

Banana Oat Muffins

Adapted from Ina Gartens Banana Crunch Muffin recipe

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 mashed ripe bananas
1 cup oats
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line 18 large muffin cups with paper liners. Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the melted butter and blend. Combine the eggs, milk, vanilla, and mashed bananas, and add them to the flour-and-butter mixture. Scrape the bowl and blend well. Don't over mix.

Fold the oats and coconut into the batter. Spoon the batter into the paper liners, filling each 1 to the top. Top each muffin with oats or coconut, if desired. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the tops are brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool slightly, remove from the pan, and serve.

Freezer directions:

Place muffins in zip lock freezer bags or air tight containers and keep in the freezer. When ready to eat remove from freezer and thaw on counter or in the refrigerator.

Ina’s Granola Bars

2011-07-23T12:46:00.001-07:00

I usually buy Natures Valley granola bars but after watching Ina Garten make a batch on the Food Network I decided to have a go myself. I have made granola before but I never feel that the recipe is perfect. Its always missing something. Well not anymore! Ina’s recipes is PERFECTION! The bars came out crunchy yet still chewy and they have just the right amount of sweetness. P-E-R-F-E-C-T-I-O-N I tell you!

You can find Ina’s original recipe here. I made a few changes to my bars because I didnt have a few of the ingredients in the kitchen but they still came out great. You can play around with the fruit and nut combo in this recipe. You can even use maple syrup in place of the honey for maple granola bars. Mmmm I bet that would be good maybe toss a few pecan in there too.

Granola Bars

Adapted from Ina Garten’s granola bar recipe found here.

2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup wheat germ
3 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup honey
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup raisins or sultanas
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8 by 12-inch baking dish with foil.

Toss the oatmeal, and coconut together on a sheet pan and bake for 10 minutes, stirring halfway through making sure not to burn. Toast until lightly browned. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the wheat germ.

Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F.

Place the butter, honey, brown sugar, and vanilla in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for a minute, then pour over the toasted oatmeal mixture. Add the raisins and cranberries and mix well.

Pour the mixture into the foil lined pan. Using a silicone spatula or your fingers and lightly press the mixture evenly into the pan. Bake for 15 – minutes, until light golden brown. BE SURE TO CHECK AFTER 10 MINUTES TO MAKE SURE ITS NOT BURNING. Cool for at least 2 to 3 hours before cutting into squares. Serve at room temperature.

Note: Add a 1/2 teaspoon of good quality orange extract for a yummy orange and cranberry granola bar.

Happy Saturday!

2011-07-16T14:21:00.000-07:00

Berry Pickin

2011-07-15T13:42:00.000-07:00

Ranjit and I went to a Pick Your Own Farm called Lotmead Farm. At the moment the strawberries and raspberries are ready for pickin.

They have their strawberries growing on tables so there's no bending down to pick them.

This is one of the raspberry fields.

We picked way more than this. With all the berries we brought home I made 2 small batches of jam, froze some and saved some to eat fresh.

When we finished with all the berry picking we wondered over to the animals were there is the cutes little pony. He's the one on the right. That's is momma on the left. Aint he just so cute! He is only a month old and as cute as can be! I wanted to take him home with me.

The Roof is on Fire!

2011-07-14T13:41:00.001-07:00

Well not really but we did have a small house fire last Monday. Our electric kettle malfunctioned while we were out of the house and caused some damage. We are counting ourselves lucky because it could have been a lot worse. There is smoke damage in most rooms but that can be fixed with a good scrub down and a few fresh coats of paint.

The kettle or what was left of the kettle.

Some of the smoke damage.

I've been cleaning for the past two weeks but there is still so much to do. I think the horrible smoky smell is gone from the house now and the kitchen is usable though it still needs a new counter top and the walls need painting.

Got a recommendation for cleaning up after a fire? All this smoke damage is super hard to clean off and it is covering everything in my house! EVERYTHING! Every single item in this house has to be washed and scrubbed down. So I am grateful for any tips on how to make the job easier.

Festival Feasts

2011-06-10T11:57:00.001-07:00

Summer festivals are on their way and people will be spending time enjoying music and hanging out with friends and loved ones. The food at festivals can be both expensive and unhealthy so UK celebrity chef James Martin pared with Canned Food UK, devised 16 new recipes for enjoying outside. Whether you are camping out or enjoying music at your favourite music festival they have a simple and fast recipe for you to whip up that needs little clean up afterwards.

For more information about Canned Foods UK’s new recipes or to download the FREE - u can outdoors recipe pack, visit www.cannedfood.co.uk. Iphone owners can view the recipes and a selection of step-by-step recipe demonstrations by James Martin by downloading the u.can app available through the Itunes App Store.

I have not tried any of the following recipes but I chose a few from the website that I thought might be tasty.

Note: ALL OF THE PHOTOS BELOW WERE TAKEN FROM www.cannedfood.co.uk

Click the photos to view the recipe.

Breakfast Fruit and Cereal Crumble

Falafel

Coconut Pannacotta with Mango Coulis

Dead Reckoning: Book 11 of the Southern Vampire Mysteries/Sookie Stackhouse Series

2011-06-02T10:46:00.001-07:00

As with all of the Southern Vampire series I love this book. To read my review of books 1-10 of the series, check it out click here.

Amazon.com Summery

There's a reckoning on the way . . . . . . and Sookie has a knack for being in trouble's way; not least when she witnesses the firebombing of Merlotte's, the bar where she works. Since Sam Merlotte is known to be two-natured, suspicion immediately falls on the anti-shifters in the area. Sookie suspects otherwise, but before she can investigate something else - something even more dangerous - comes up. Sookie's lover Eric Northman and his 'child' Pam are plotting something in secret. Whatever it is, they seem determined to keep Sookie out of it; almost as determined as Sookie is to find out what's going on. She can't sit on the sidelines when both her work and her love life under threat - but as she's gradually drawn into their plans Sookie finds the situation is deadlier than she could ever have imagined.

I loved this book just as I have loved all the Sookie Stackhouse books. I love all the characters especially Eric Northman who is my favourite by far. Though I love Bill Compton the least. My vote is that he should be written out of the series but whatever .

I went out and purchased the book the day it was released here in the UK. The Sookie Stackhouse series is one of those books that I always buy and read in the same day because I don't want to put it down. So just like the others I read Dead Reckoning in 1 day and loved every bit of it.

In dead reckoning you see more of a friendship between Sookie and Sam which is cool I guess. In this book Sookie also learns more about her fairly blood and her grandmothers involvement with it. I like that Eric and Pam in the story a lot. You got to know a little more about Pam’s personal life and who doesn't want to read more about Eric?

I think this book was entertaining and always kept me wondering about what was ahead. All in all a good read and I suggest that if you have not read the series yet that you rush to the store, buy all 11 books up off the shelves and have a weekend cuddled up on the couch reading a few good books.

I give it ☆☆☆☆☆

Upside Down Tomato Planter Tutorial

2011-04-08T07:56:00.000-07:00

Now that its warm I am able to plant some vegetables and herbs so I thought I’d post a little gardening tutorial for you guys.
How to make an upside down tomato planter
What you need:

1 hanging basket - I used a cheap green plastic one £1.98
1 hanging basket liner - I used a felt liner but there are different ones out there use what you like. I went with what was cheapest £0.98
Soil
1 tomato plant - I used a yellow cherry tomato variety

First you need to make a hole in your plastic hanging basket. I used one of these thingies. I have no clue what it is called so for the sake of giving it a name we are going to call it a hole making thingie that goes on the end of the drill. Sounds good to me.

Place your pot on the ground and drill your hole in the middle of the bottom of the pot.

See there now you have a pot with a hole in it. Well you should have anyway unless you did something wrong.

Now you need to cut a slit in your liner for the plant to go through. Take your liner and cut an X in the middle then place inside the pot.

Now gently and carefully place your tomato plant through the whole being careful not to break or damage the plant.

Fill the planter up with soil. I used a deeper pot to set my pot in while I filled it with soil so that I didnt damage the tomato plant on the bottom.

Now your planter is ready to hang.

I went a step further and planted some basil seeds in the top half of my planter. Make sure you check your hanging basket daily for water. Baskets tend to try out fast so may need to be watered daily.

And of course I would not have been able to do this without my helpers.

Easy Tomato & Basil Soup

2011-04-07T11:06:00.000-07:00

This is my recipe for Tomato & Basil soup. Its hearty, healthy, and super easy to whip up. I like to eat my soup with a nice crusty piece of bread or a cheesy grilled cheese sandwich.

Tomato & Basil Soup

1 Onion diced
1 glove garlic chopped
1 carrot peeled and chopped
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 teaspoons fresh basil chopped
water
salt to taste
vegetable/chicken stock cube (optional)

Heat oil over medium heat in medium pot. Add in the onions and garlic and cook until the onions start to soften and go clear. Add in chopped carrot, tomatoes, 1 can of water, basil, salt and stock cube if you are using one. Bring to boil and cook until the carrots are tender and the liquid is reduced. Allow to cool then puree with a hand blender or food processor to the desired consistency. Return to the pot and bring back up to a boil to reheat and serve with crusty bread.

Small Batch Baking for Chocolate Lovers

2011-04-06T10:23:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't like chocolate? I love it! So when I received a review copy of Small Batch Baking for Chocolate Lovers by Debby Maugns, I was ready to get baking!

Small Batch Baking for Chocolate Lovers follows the success of her first book Small Batch Baking.

I love to bake but don't do it often because usually the recipes are just too large for the two of us. I don't want to eat an entire cake on my own nor do I want it to go to waste. Cutting a baking recipe in half is not always as easy as it seems. Baking is a science. There is a formula that goes into each recipe. Too much flour in your cookies and you get cakey cookies, too little baking powder in your cake batter and your cake wont rise correctly. Debby Maugans has done all the science work for you and made each recipe with perfect measurements for delicious chocolaty results.The book features over 120 cookie, cake, pie, tart, muffin and scone recipes. There is even a Liquid Pleasures section with fun chocolate drinks.

I flipped through the book and decided on the Oatmeal Chocolate Raisin Cookies. They are crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside with bits of chocolate covered raisins throughout the cookie. I use margarine in place of the butter because I was all out but other than that I followed the recipe exactly. I bet they are even better with real butter.

You can get your copy of Small Batch Baking for Chocolate Lovers at all good book stores.

Oatmeal Chocolate Raisin Cookies – Makes 6 cookies

/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon well beaten egg or egg substitute
1 teaspoon milk or water
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
1/2 cup old fashion rolled oats
1/3 cup chocolate covered raisins

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350*F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.

Place the butter and sugars in a small, deep mixing bowl; beat with a handheld electric mixer on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice. Add the beaten egg, milk, and vanilla; beat until blended.

Place the flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl; whisk to blend. Add to the butter mixture and stir until blended. Stir in the oats and chocolate covered raisins.

Drop spoonsfuls of the dough onto the prepared baking sheet to make six equal size mounds, spacing them 1 1/2 to 2 inches apart. Bake the cookies until golden brown, about 15 minutes.

Slide the parchment paper, with the cookies, onto a wire rack and let them cool completely. Use a metal spatula to lift the cookies from the paper.

Yellow Rice

2011-03-14T14:49:00.001-07:00

Yellow Rice

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon sazon seasoning (*see note)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon Salt (**see note)
1/4 cup canned chopped tomatoes
1 1/2 cup long grain rice
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup frozen peas

In a large sauce pan heat the oil over medium heat.
Add the cumin, oregano, bay leaf, sazon, pepper and salt. Cook for about 1/2 minute.
Add the rice and canned tomatoes and stir for one minute.
Add the chicken broth and frozen peas.
Bring to a boil. Once the boil is reached turn heat to low and cover. Cook for 20 minutes undisturbed. When the 20 minutes is up turn off the heat and fluff rice with a fork. Cover for an additional 5-10 minutes before serving. Goes great with my Black Bean recipe.

Notes:

* Sazon seasoning is a combination of herbs and spices used in Latin cooking. It can be found in the ethnic or spice/herb section your grocery store.

** Depending on how salty your chicken broth is you may want to use less or more salt. Season to taste.

Lacey’s Spaghetti Bolognese

2011-03-09T06:40:00.000-08:00

Lacey’s Spaghetti Bolognese

3 sticks celery
3 carrots, peeled
1 onion
3 garlic cloves
10oz ground beef ( I use lean)
2 cans of dice tomatoes
3 cups read wine
2 teaspoons dried thyme
4 bay leaves
2 teaspoons salt (more or less depending on taste)
water
2-3 tablespoons olive oil

In a food processor blend the celery, carrots, onion and garlic until finely chopper.
In a large pot heat oil over medium heat and add the chopped vegetables.
Cook over medium heat until nice and browned. Stir often so that it does not burn. You want brown not burnt.
Add the ground beef to the browned vegetables. Brown the meat.
Add the tomatoes and wine to the meat and vegetable mixture, stir to make sure you get all the bits that might be stuck to the bottom.
Add the wine, thyme, bay leaves, salt and bring to boil. Simmer over medium heat for about 30 minutes.
Add two cups of water and bring back up to the boil. Simmer for another 30-40 minutes or until a nice thick sauce.
Server with spaghetti and parmigian cheese.

Happy Pancake Day

2011-03-08T01:20:00.001-08:00

Today is pancake day! Also know as Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday, occurs the day before Ash Wednesday (the first day of Lent). I like any excuse to eat pancakes so why not make my cornmeal pancakes today!

Cornmeal Pancakes

1 cup boiling water
3/4 cup coarse stone-ground cornmeal/Polenta
2 tablespoons butter melted
2 vegetable oil
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cu buttermilk
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup flour ( I use 1/2 cup white & 1/2 cup wheat flour)
Oil for pan

In a bowl combine the polenta and boiling water, mix well and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
Add the melted butter and oil to the polenta.
In a another bowl whisk the eggs, add buttermilk and whisk again
Whisk the wet ingredients into the cornmeal mixture.
Add flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda them combine just until mixed.
Heat your non-stick pan over medium heat and wipe down with oil to prevent sticking.
Ladle 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of the batter and cook until tiny bubbles start then flip and cook until done.
Serve with maple syrup, honey or fresh fruit.

Spring is almost here!

2011-03-07T14:09:00.001-08:00

We acutally had some decent weather today. It was all sunshine and blue skys but that didn’t stop the cold.

This morning I took Bristol for a walk in the town gardens then came home for some breakfast. I had one egg and a slice of canadian bacon between an english muffin with some orange wedges on the side.

I spent most of the day in the kitchen having a little cleanout and reorginizing. I took a break mid day for a bowl of leftover spaghetti bolognese from last nights dinner (recipe to come tomorrow). I topped it with some parmigiano cheese and a slice of bread that we bought at the farmers market yesterday. Do you think I put enough butter on the bread? Can you ever have too much butter? I think not.

Yesterday I planted some flowers in my little concret backyard to brighten it up and today I planted some herb seeds and put them my mini green house.

Dinner was a chicken breast, broccoli, corn and a baked potato that I smothered in low fat creme fraiche.

Last week I found this Valentines cookie mix with this cute LOVE cookie press on sale. I bought it just for the cookie press because I thought it was super cute.

Sadly the LOVE didnt show up in the cookies once they were baked. Oh well. I will try again with another type of cookie.

Got To Try New Things

2011-03-03T15:00:00.001-08:00

I was thinking today about how I used to refuse to eat certain foods. Not because I didn't like they way they tasted but because I was just not into them for no apparent reason and didn't give them a chance. Corn is one of these foods. You would never see me eat corn. I just didn't like it at all, not the look or smell of canned corn. But one day a year or two ago I got it in my head to try it and love it. In fact yesterday I ate an entire can of corn for lunch. Maybe not a balanced meal but that's what I had. Other foods that I used to hate are ham and onions. I would not eat ham due to the fact that it was pink. Ok that's kinda weird but true. Now I love ham. I am pretty picky about the ham I eat but if I find a good quality honey ham I am all over it! Onions I eat now but only if I cook them myself as I like my onions to be super cooked and caramelized, NEVER RAW. But the point is I do eat them.

One food that I wish I liked but still just can’t eat is fish. I have tried to eat fish, I have looked for less ‘fishy’ varieties of fish but hey lets get real, if its a fish its going to taste like a fish.

So if there is something that you used to hate or have bad memories of eating as a kid don't give up on it yet. Try it again you never know your taste may have changed. Then again you might still hate it but you will never know unless you try.

If you hate steamed or boiled brussel sprouts why not try them roasted? They take on a whole different flavor and are so much better!
Maybe onions are not your thing, try caramelizing them. They take on a delish sweetness way different from their raw form.

My homework for you this month is to try a new food or retry an old food. You never know you might just like it. What food are you going to try this month?

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-02T11:51:00.000-08:00

Just Another Saturday

2011-02-26T13:23:00.000-08:00

Woke up early again today and took Savannah for an hour walk. It was rainy again today but thankfully it was not too cold.

Once home I whipped up a 2 egg omelet made with caramelized onion, 1/4 of a green pepper, ham and a little chipotle relish on the side.

Then I had a little dark chocolate treat.

Those eggs really kept me full pretty much all day long. But i thought I should have a lunch time snack so I cut up some melon, kiwi, a banana blueberries and blackberries. Of course I made some lime and honey dressing for this. I don't think I will ever have a bowl of fruit with out it again! Love it! I also had a little side of nuts.

I have been craving a roasted vegetable sandwich lately but never got around to making one. Well today Prior Fat Girl Jen posted her kitchen sink sandwich after looking at that I knew I was making one today! I roasted up 1 zucchini, 1 green pepper, 1 red pepper, onion, and tomatoes and made some spicy hummus and served it all up on homemade whole wheat bread with a side of homemade oven baked potato chips. It was awesome! Really filling though so I only ate half of my sandwich.

Dessert was the last of the strawberry trifle from M & S. Again no photo. After that I was still wanting something sweet so I had the lemon meringue pack that came in my Graze box this morning. Its one of my favorites! Its got lemon flavored raisins, lemon yogurt covered peanuts and mini little meringues. Yum.

You can try a Graze box for free by going to www.Graze.com and entering KWX8Z5T at the checkout. Sorry this is for UK only.

Just Another Rainy Day

2011-02-25T14:08:00.000-08:00

I just woke up from an little nap. I hardly ever take naps but today I just passed out on the couch and woke up to Ranjit watching My Big Fat Greek Wedding. I am not really a fan of that movie :-/ Anyway, I was pretty productive today. Forced myself to wake up early and get things done. First thing I did (after showering of course) was one of the dogs out for a nice 40 minute walk. By the time we got back I was getting hungry so made a bowl of fruit with my new favorite lime and honey dressing. Seriously I love this stuff! I really love it on bananas, its just sooo good I cant get enough. Along side my fruit I had a light strawberry yogurt.

After breakfast I did a little bit of cleaning up and put a load of laundry in the washing machine. Which reminds me, I never actually put the load in the dryer so its still sitting in the washer. I must remember to swap it out before bed. All that tidying made me hungry so I made some lunch. Ham, lettuce and homemade honey mustard in a seeded wrap with a side of sliced cucumber drizzled with vinegar and sprinkled with sesame seeds. Another thing I am LOVING at the moment is my homemade honey mustard dressing. Confession: I could eat this stuff with a spoon. Yuck right? I don't care its good!

I had a little accident with the sesame seeds :-/ It was a new package and I was having a little trouble getting it open then all of a sudden it busted and seeds were EVERYWHERE!

After I cleaned up that mess I needed to run to the bank and grocery store for a few items. It was horrible and raining out but I had to go so I grabbed the umbrella and out I went. I hate the British rain!

The umbrella didn't do me any good in the end because I could not walk home with two bags of groceries and hold the umbrella at the same not that I didn't try. After trying to balance the umbrella and banging my head on the handle a few times I though it best to put my hoodie up and ended up getting pretty soaked. Once home all nice and dry I broke off a piece of Green & Blacks organic dark chocolate. Yum...

After my lil snack i started on dinner. Chicken with lemon, parmesan, bacon and tomatoes ( I didn't make this it was totally store bought from Marks & Spencers), broccoli, carrots and hasselback potatoes with thyme and extra virgin olive oil.

Dessert was a little bowl of strawberry trifle (also bought from M & S) with a hot cup of tea. No photo because I just dug right it :-)

I will leave you with a photo of Savannah. I let her out into the backyard and she must have went out there digging around in the rain because she came back in with a clump of mud on her nose. Silly girl. She had licked most of it off by the time I could grab the camera and get a photo.

Small Batch Vanilla Cupcakes

2011-02-23T12:49:00.000-08:00

As promised here is the mini cupcake recipe made the other day. Its great if you fancy something sweet but don't want to make a whole cake :-)

Small Batch Vanilla Cupcakes

Makes 4 - 6 cupcakes

1/3 cup + 1 Tablespoon plain all purpose flour
1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons sugar
pinch of salt
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons room temp butter
1/4 cup buttermilk (makes the cupcakes super moist but you can use normal milk too if you don't have buttermilk)
1 egg yolk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line your cupcake pan with 4-6 cupcake cups.
In a bowl blend the butter with a hand whisk then add the sugar and whisk together until mixed well.
Add in the egg yolk and whisk until blended.
Add in the buttermilk and vanilla and mix well.
Add in flour, baking soda and salt and mix well.
Spoon into cupcake cups and bake for about 15 minutes. Bake for an additional 5 minutes if necessary.
Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Top with frosting (recipe below)

Mini Batch of Vanilla Frosting

2 Tablespoons room temp butter
1/3 cup powdered sugar
2-5 Tablespoons milk
1/2 tsp vanilla

In a bowl whisk the butter, sugar, vanilla and 1 tablespoon of the milk. Keep adding more milk as necessary to get a nice frosting consistency that you are happy with.

Note: You can add a little cocoa powder to this if you want chocolate frosting.

My New Kicks

2011-02-23T01:42:00.000-08:00

No food pictures here today. I didn't have time to take any yesterday and to be honest I didn't eat all that much so I was starving! Not a good thing. Note to self: Put snacks in bag before I leave the house!

My sweet husband treated me to a new pair of shoes last night. For the past few weeks my old pair started to rub on my pinky toe and every time I came home I would have a sock full of blood eek & ouch. Normally I buy Nikes but decided to switch it up and bought Asics. These are so comfortable! They have a gel insole and are so supportive and cushy!

Janetha from meals & moves wrote a guest post over at Carrots n' Cake the other day. She wrote about switching up your food to try new things. I thought it was informative so thought I would share the link for those who have not seen it. Check it out here.

Honey Mustard is the Best!

2011-02-21T13:13:00.000-08:00

I stayed home all day today and caught up on some laundry and housework. I find that I am way more productive when I listen to my favorite radio show from back home, The MJ Morning Show which broadcasts out of Tampa, Florida. If you are ever looking for an entertaining podcast check them out here.

Well I didn't have breakfast until around 11 o'clock but I was pretty hungry by that time so had a nice filling breakfast of 2 poached eggs topped with salt and pepper, 1 slice of homemade wheat bread with butter and 1 red pepper sliced into strips.

I decided to have a big ol plate of veggies for lunch with 1 sliced carrot, 1 sliced red pepper (yes again), a hand full of cherry tomatoes, 2 sliced of cheddar cheese, 1 scoop of cottage cheese topped with salt and pepper and home made honey mustard dressing for dipping. I love this honey mustard dressing, it reminds me of the honey mustard you get in restaurants. Its my new obsession, I have been eating it on everything from veggies to chicken. Its good stuff.

Honey Mustard Dressing/Dip

1 Tablespoon Mayonnaise
2 - 3 Tablespoons Mustard (I use yellow mustard but use what kind you like)
2 Tablespoons Honey
Place mayo, mustard and honey in a bowl and whisk until its all combined. Ready to eat on salads chicken or as a veggie dip.

Ranjit requested that I make him some Indian style lentils and vegetables for dinner. I am not a fan of most Indian cuisine and I didn't really feel like cooking a whole second meal for myself so I decided on a sandwich. I could not decided if I wanted peanut butter and jelly or peanut butter and honey so I went with both. Half PB&J and half PB& honey on homemade whole wheat bread.

After dinner I really wanted a slice of cake but didn't want to make a whole cake so I made a mini batch of small cupcakes :-)

I used the last drop of my Los Cincos Soles vanilla that I bought in Mexico while on vacation last year. This is good stuff! If you ever have the chance to buy some DO! If you live in the US you can buy it here but sadly they done ship to the UK :-(

No frills just yummy vanilla cupcakes with vanilla frosting. I didn't bother with piping bags just smacked it on with a spoon.

I will share my mini cupcake and frosting recipe in tomorrows post.

It's Been a While

2011-02-20T11:56:00.000-08:00

Yay I finally bought a new camera. I only bought it yesterday so I am still getting used to the settings and functions. I could not wait to get started taking photos so I started with today's breakfast.

Fruit salad with a honey and lime juice dressing. I made a dressing out of 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice and 2 teaspoons honey then drizzled it onto some sliced strawberries, blackberries, blueberries and a kiwi. The the dressing gives the fruit salad a really lovely freshness thats not tart and not too sweet. Try it its lush! I also had a lite raspberry & cranberry yogurt.

Ranjit and I had to make an Ikea run. I just love Ikea, I mean who doesn't? We went to pick up a butchers block for a project that I am working on (pictures of that coming soon) but of course I picked up some extras. Its hard to go into that store and NOT fill your basket with all kinds of goodies. I was good though and didn't buy too much.

After Ikea we stopped at this big Chinese grocery store. I wanted to pick up some yellow bean paste for a recipe that I plan on making but we also picked up some extras here too.

For dinner I made mu shu pork the recipe I adapted from Chinese Food Made Easy by Ching-He Huang. I really like her recipes because they are nice healthy Chinese dishes unlike the unhealthy takeout versions. To acompany the mu shu pork I made fried rice with peas, bok choi with oyster sauce and vegetable spring rolls. And of course no Chinese meal is complete without the fortune cookie. My fortune read : A golden retirement with lots of pleasure awaits you. Oh and Don't let the photo fool you. I didn't eat my meal with the chop sticks though I did try but gave up and used a fork as more food was landing on my shirt and lap than in my mouth. They are cute though, they have a little fork and spoon carved into the end.

Oh I forgot to mention the changes to the blog. How to you like it? Thought it needed a little color. :-)

Confessions of a Yo Yo Dieter

2011-01-25T15:37:00.000-08:00

I am a total yo yo dieter. Over the years I have lost weight, gained weight , and then lost weight only to put it back on again. I have joined Weight Watchers more times than I can count on one hand. Dabbled in Slimming World and even tried losing weight on my own. All of these methods have worked for me in the past but then I quit and go all out and just eat, eat, eat and SHOCKINGLY gain the weight back usually with a little added extra. Yeah all right (rolls eyes) maybe not so shockingly.

Well tonight for the 6th or maybe even the 7th time I have rejoined Weight Watchers. They have revised the points plan and I am going to give it another go. I like Weight Watchers. I know it works well for me when I follow the plan and so I am going to try and do just that...FOLLOW THE PLAN! I think it will be easier for me now that Ranjit is also following a healthy eating plan due to his hospital visit back in December. I think if you have someone to support you things will always go easier. So if you have some words of encouragement or tips and tricks to share please do :-) Your comments and emails are always welcome.

Happy New Year!!!

2011-01-01T05:44:00.000-08:00

Be always at war with your vices,

at peace with your neighbors,

and let each new year find you a better man.

~Benjamin Franklin

Well 2011 has arrived! I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas and have a totally kick ass New Year in front of you. My temporary job finished on Thursday so I should have more time for blogging now. I have no idea how people with full time jobs find the time to blog as well as do everything else that has to be done in our busy lives.

Over the Christmas period I lost my voice due to laryngitis and Ranjit was in the hospital for a 8 days! But he was released just in time for Christmas and we had a nice quite day at home just the two of us and the pups. We are now looking forward to a hopefully great 2011!

Saturday Mornings needs your votes!

2010-12-22T08:55:00.000-08:00

The lovely Dana who writes the blog Saturday Mornings is in need of your votes! Check out her great blog and then head on over to http://www.blogguidebook.com/ and give her your vote. Voting ends on the 24th of December. Once you vote head back over to Saturday Mornings and enter her $50 American Express giveaway. All you have to do is leave her a comment letting her know that you gave her a vote and you are in. Click here to find the giveaway.

She has some great crafty projects on her blog so be sure to have a little look around.

Snapfish Review

2010-12-07T02:24:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year when everyone is searching the Internet for a gifts for friends and loved ones. Snapfish is the perfect place to get that special gift and you can personalize it with special memories using photos. Snapfish sent me a few of their great products to tell you about. So if you are in search of that perfect Christmas gift then look no further, Snapfish has a little something for everyone.

Lets start with their photo Christmas ornaments. They come in two shapes, snowflake and round, and start at just £7.99. The perfect memento for a babies first Christmas.

If you are looking for great stocking stuffer then how about a photo key ring. Jigsaw puzzles, stationery and magnets all make great stocking stuffer too.

I love the snapfish photo books. They are professional quality and make perfect gifts for friends and family. Their photo books are so easy to customize and they offer many different sizes, cover styles and backgrounds. You choose your favorite photos, the layout and add your own captions to make a one of a kind book perfect for you.

The photo books are great for more than just those vacation photos. Why not think outside the box and create a photo book to display your child's artwork. My favorite idea is to create a recipe book using all those family recipes and photos.

If you are in need of that perfect meaningful gift then head over to http://www.snapfish.co.uk/ they are sure to have what you are looking for.

50 Free Hoilday Cards for Bloggers from Shutterfly

2010-11-28T03:00:00.000-08:00

If you are a blogger Shutterfly is offering you 50 FREE Holiday Cards and all you have to do is blog about it. How cool is that?? If you would like to participate then check out the offer here and they will fill you in on all you need to do to to get your holiday cards.

I have used Shutterfly many times to print pictures. Their products are always great quality and I am never let down. I will be using them this year for our Christmas cards and maybe even a few personalized gifts.

Some of my favorite products from shutterfly are their Christmas photo cards and the cute custom photo calendars which make great gifts!

Here are a couple of my favorite Christmas card designs from this years collection.

There are so many too chose from that you will have no problem finding the perfect card for your family. Visit www.shutterfly.com today for your photo needs.

CSN Stores Product Review - Vacu Vin Pineapple Slicer

2010-11-28T02:15:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago CSN offered me the chance to review a product from one of their many websites. Of course I jumped at the chance. It took me a little while to choose what product I wanted to review because they have so many great items to choose from. I finally decided on the Vacu Vin Pineapple Slicer. I saw these on TV once and wanted to try it out ever since.

The Vacu Vin Pineapple Slicer comes with 3different size slicers, small, medium and large. It was easy to assemble as you just snap the handle to your chosen slicer and off you go.

Slice off the top of the pineapple

Insert the slicer and twist.

Once you have twisted all the way through the pineapple pull upwards. All the pineapple slices will be on the slicer.

You are left with a pineapple shell that looks like this.

Here is the perfectly sliced and cored pineapple slices ready to be eaten.

I love the Vacu Vin Pineapple slicer. It makes slicing pineapple super easy, without any fuss or mess. You can get your own for only £6.99 at CSN.

I also purchased the Kuhn Rikon Colori 1 Paring Knife in Lime. Its great for slicing fruit and perfect for tomatoes and comes with its own little cover. You can purchase it in lots of bright colors too. Oh and its on sale right now for only £2.99!

Snapfish Giveaway Winner

2010-11-28T01:36:00.000-08:00

Thank you to everyone who entered the £30 Snapfish giveaway. You all have great items on the top of your Christmas list this year.

Its time to announce the winner!

Yvonne said...
A Kitchen Aid Mixer in cream is on the top of my Christmas list this year!
I hope I win! I love snapfish.

Please send me your email address ASAP.

Congratulations Yvonne!

Dessert for Breakfast is Fine by Me!

2010-11-21T10:24:00.000-08:00

I have my very first day of work tomorrow. I have never had a job before where my boss was not a member of my own family. The job is nothing special and is only a part-time temp job but its a job non the less.

Since I have to be up and out early I decided to get something made up for breakfast so that I have one less thing to worry about in the morning. Since its cold out I wanted something warm and tasty but also healthy and filling. After having a little think about it I decided on a breakfast berry crumble.

Healthy Breakfast Crumble

Serves 2

2 cups frozen mixed berries

2 TBS sweetener or sugar

1 tsp corn starch

For the topping

2/3 cups oatmeal

1/3 cup whole wheat flour

1 TBS sweetener or brown sugar

2 TBS almond oil

pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 200c. In a small casserole dish add berries, sweetener/sugar and corn starch and mix well. In a small bowl mix together the oatmeal, whole wheat flour, sweetener, salt and almond oil. Mix together to make a nice crumble topping and place on top on the fruit. Bake in oven for 25-30 minutes until nice and bubbly. Serve for breakfast with vanilla yogurt.

Note: I used artificial sweetener because I am trying to lay off of the sugar but you could easily use sugar, honey or agave.

Christmas Countdown & A GIVEAWAY!

2010-11-19T11:07:00.000-08:00

We have about 5 weeks until Christmas and I have not even started my Christmas shopping yet! But the very generous people over at Snapfish have offered one of my lucky readers a chance to win a £30 voucher to help you get your Christmas shopping off the a great start! There are so many lovely photo gifts that you could get for your loved ones or maybe you just want to treat yourself to something. Its up to you.

Just a few of the wonderful Christmas ideas that can be found at Snapfish are

Personalised Christmas Ornaments

Hardback Photo Books

Photo Calendars

Photo Puzzles

I was sent an an ornament and a couple of photo books to review and I must say they are pretty great. I will be making a photo book this year for sure to give to someone this Christmas. The books are sturdy, well made and a great alternative to photo albums.

That's just a few of the customizable items you can get from Snapfish so be sure to enter the £30 giveaway today by leaving a comment below telling me what is on the top of your Christmas wish list this year. I will choose a winner at random on Friday the 26th of November.

The Family Visit England {Photo Heavy}

2010-11-19T02:22:00.000-08:00

Last week my Granny and Aunt Diana came to visit. We packed lots of site seeing in the short week. Here are some of the photos from this busy week.

Buckingham Palace

Big Ben

Parliament

Windsor Castle

Swindon Steam Museum

Queen Victoria's Parlor Door Taken from her Royal Coach

Queen Victoria's Foot Stool Taken From Her Royal Coach

Queen Victoria's Royal Coach

Roman Baths, Bath

Stonehenge

Old Wardour Castle

I have some Christmas giveaways coming up this week so keep an eye out.

Is it Christmas yet????

2010-11-03T13:44:00.000-07:00

Am I the only one who can't wait for Christmas to get here? I know Thanksgiving is coming and yeah I'm totally looking forward to eating turkey and pumpkin pie. MMMM pumpkin pie! But as you know I live in England now and well the English don't celebrate Thanksgiving (obviously). They celebrate Guy Fawkes night on November 5th. To be honest I don't know much about Guy Fawkes night and to be really really honest I don't much care. Give me an all American Thanksgiving any day over this Guy Fawkes. I usually do a mini Thanksgiving dinner for Ranjit and I but its not the same. So with the lack of Thanksgiving here and the abundance of Christmas decorations out in stores combined with this cold weather it makes me want to put up my Christmas tree and start wrapping presents. I am so ready to chill out by the fire an sip eggnog while watching the pretty lights twinkle on my tree.

CSN Store Product Review Teaser

2010-11-03T13:43:00.000-07:00

CSN Stores offered me the chance to review a product of my choice from one of their websites. Of course I jumped at the chance. CSN Stores, have a little bit of everything from kitchen gadgets to bedroom furniture and so much more! There is a little something for everyone I have no clue what I am going to choose yet I'm still lookin.

Check back soon for my review :-)

Slacker

2010-10-24T06:19:00.000-07:00

Well yet again I have been slacking on the blog posts. What can I say I'm a slacker. I do check in and read your comments and check out your blogs so I am still around just have not been writing as much. My camera is also not working so I am using my phone to take photos which I hate doing because it takes crap photos.

Anyway I wanted to give a shout out to my friend Heather who has just started her own blog. Everyone go check her out at http://thelifeofa33yearoldmotherof3.blogspot.com/ and show her some bloggy love :-)

On the diet front I have been RUBBISH! I'm so not in the mood for it but I've not gone way over board but if I don't reel myself back in soon I'm going to tip over to the dark side again. Gotta work on that.

I am super excited because in just two weeks my Granny and Aunt are coming to visit!! I have not had anyone come visit me since I moved to England 4 years ago so I am so excited that they are coming. I cant wait!! They are only staying a week (though I am trying to convince Granny to stay longer but she ain't havin it) but we have lots of things planned so I am sure there will be lots of photos to share.

Remember to check out Heathers blog http://thelifeofa33yearoldmotherof3.blogspot.com/ and have a great Sunday!!!

Halloween Cupcakes!

2010-10-20T03:45:00.000-07:00

I made these cute Halloween cupcakes yesterday. The ghosts, spiders and pumpkins are made from fondant and the spider web was piped in royal icing. You cant really tell from the photo but the pumpkin cupcakes are sprinkled with orange edible glitter.

I love how they came out!

The Winner is....

2010-10-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

And the winner of the CSN £15 giveaway is...

June said...

I would put the £15 towards a new set of pots and pans :-)

Congratulations June I have emailed your £15 CSN voucher code to you. Enjoy!

Parsnip & Apple Soup

2010-09-30T12:27:00.000-07:00

Parsnip and Apple Soup

This soup was lovely and so easy to make. I doubled the recipe so that there was enough for both Ranjit and I. Give it a try its delish!

Serves 1

1 pint stock
142g/5oz parsnips, chopped
1 apple, cored and chopped
113g/4oz potatoes, chopped
pinch of salt
1 tsp curry powder

Place all ingredients into a saucepan, bring to boil and simmer for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

Use an hand blender or transfer the soup into a blender and puree until you have the desired consistency. Return to the saucepan and heat through until piping hot. Pour into a bowl and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

2nd Weigh In

2010-09-30T01:08:00.000-07:00

I am finally settled into the Slimming World plan and on my second weigh in lost another 2 lbs that's a total of 5 lbs! I am really happy with that. I have been making more effort to get exercise in by walking where I might have hitched a ride or taken a taxi and Ranjit and I are taking an extra walk in the evening after dinner. I have also bought Wii fit and balance board because I have heard lots of people love it and use it to workout. It should be here in a few days and I will let you know how I get on with it.

Next week at my Slimming World meeting we have to bring a party dish that coincides with the plan. I have no idea what to make to bring in. Got any ideas of a healthy party food other than veggie sticks? I have some filo pastry in the freezer I'm thinking about trying to make something with that. If you have any ideas toss it my way :-)

There is only one more day to enter the CSN store £15 giveaway so be sure to check it out here. The winner will be announced tomorrow.

A loss at last!

2010-09-25T03:24:00.000-07:00

As I told you the other day I have quit Weight Watchers after many months of unsuccessful weight loss and switched to Slimming World. I must admit that I was not losing weight because I was not following the weight watchers plan because I was just bored with it. I needed change. I am very happy to report that on my first week with Slimming World I lost 3 1/2 lbs. After going so long without a loss it felt really good to see the scale go down. Because I had been with weight watchers so long it was hard to wrap my head around the idea that I could have unlimited potatoes and pasta and still lose weight! Once I got into the groove of what is free to eat and what to point it came really easy and I like the Slimming World program much much better than Weight Watchers. It just seems easier to follow and I feel so much less restricted.

This week I am going to start attempting some of the recipes from the slimming world website and magazine and will share them with you here.

I have not got any photos because my camera is messed up and I guess I need to get a new one but here is what I have been eating today.

Today is a Green day

Syns used: 0

Healthy Extras

A: 350ml skim milk

A: 28g cheddar cheese

B: 28g Honey Nut Shredded Wheat

B: 28g cheddar cheese

Free Foods

1x nectarine          Peppers               Rice
Lettuce                  Mixed Beans       Pasta
Tomato                  Onions
Corn                       1 x Apple

DON'T FORGET TO ENTER THE CSN STORE £15 GIVEAWAY :-)

CSN GIVEAWAY!

2010-09-24T03:26:00.000-07:00

So many bloggers have done giveaway from CSN and finally CSN has approached me and asked if I would like to host a giveaway. Of course I said yes!

If you have not visited any of their sites yet I highly recommend checking them out, there are many stores to choose from and they carry everything you can imagine. Whether you're looking for wardrobes, cookware, furniture or lighting CSN has what you are looking for.

For your chance to win the £15 gift voucher to any of CSNs great sites, link this giveaway on your blog, facebook or twitter page and comment below with the link. For a SECOND chance to win follow Southern Lace and leave a second comment letting me know you have done so & for a THIRD chance to win check out CSN and leave a comment below telling me what item you would like to spend the voucher on.

So there you go THREE chances to win! A winner will be chosen at random on Friday, October 1st.

You Can't Handle The Tooth

2010-09-19T09:09:00.000-07:00

I was given the chance to watch and review The Tooth Fairy starring Dwayne Johnson. Johnson plays Derek Thompson nicknamed 'The Tooth Fairy,' a minor-league hockey player who because of his unwillingness to believe is summoned to fairyland where he is sentenced to two weeks of tooth fairy duty.

The tooth fairy has a pretty notable supporting cast with Ashley Judd as the love interest, Julie Andrews as the head fairy, Billy Crystal as the kookie gadgets guy and Stephen Merchant playing Derek's fairy case worker. Over all the Tooth Fairy is a cute enjoyable family film.

The Tooth Fairy is out on DVD and Blu-Ray Monday the 20th of September 2010. Check it out!

Swappin

2010-09-16T02:12:00.000-07:00

I have been on and off Weight Watchers for years and it works when I do follow it but lately I just cant seem to get motivated to count those points. I was guessing points here and there, skipping whole days of counting and on some days just going off the rails eating junk. So I think I was getting a little bored with Weight Watchers and point counting so I decided to join Slimming World yesterday. My thinking is when I start something new I always feel motivated and determined so by switching to Slimming World I am hoping to get some of that determination back.

I will be honest I am still a little confused on how the program works but I am learning and I am sure before I know it I will be a Slimming World pro. The other thing I MUST work on is exercise. When I do exercise I am really strict and obsessive going 5-6 days a week but I have been seriously slacking. I will change this even if I only walk the dogs for an hour a day I will try and get some form of exercise in.

I will be sure to let you know how I get on. Wish me luck! :-P

The Help Book Review

2010-09-13T15:56:00.000-07:00

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Amazon.com Summery

Jackson, Mississippi, 1962. Black maids raise white children, but aren't trusted not to steal the silver. Some lines will never be crossed. Aibileen is a black maid: smart, regal, and raising her seventeenth white child. Yet something shifted inside Aibileen the day her own son died while his bosses looked the other way. Minny, Aibileen’s best friend, is by some way the sassiest woman in Mississippi. But even her extraordinary cooking won’t protect Minny from the consequences of her tongue. Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter returns home with a degree and a head full of hope, but her mother will not be happy until there’s a ring on her finger. Seeking solace with Constantine, the beloved maid who raised her, Skeeter finds she has gone. But why will no one tell her where? Seemingly as different as can be, Skeeter, Aibileen and Minny’s lives converge over a clandestine project that will not only put them all at risk but also change the town of Jackson for ever. But why? And for what? The Help is a deeply moving, timeless and universal story about the lines we abide by, and the ones we won’t. It is about how women, whether mothers or daughters, the help or the boss, relate to each other – and that terrible feeling that those who look after your children may understand them, even love them, better than you . . .

I first heard about this book when I was doing some house cleaning and put the TV on for some background noise. Just as I turned on the TV a book review program was talking about The Help. I only caught the tail end of the review but they said it was a 'summer must read' so I put it on my book list and didn't really think about it for a while until I was at the library the other day and saw it on the fast back shelf. I grabbed it and added it to the pile of cake decorating books I had in my arms. It sat on my desk in this pile of books for a week or two, finally one night I decided to start reading it.

The Help takes place in Jackson, Mississippi in 1962 and tells the story of three women; Aibileen and Minny two black housemaids/nannies to white children and Eugenia Phelan, also known as Skeeter; a white aspiring writer fresh out of college. Each woman tells a separate story that entangles as they take on the bravest task they have ever taken on. This book brings out many emotions. You will get teary eyed with happiness and sadness, it will make you laugh, it will you smile, it will make you proud and shameful.

The Help will enthrall you from beginning to end. I loved this book and think it is a must read for all.

I give it ☆☆☆☆☆

Birthday Blues

2010-09-09T02:04:00.000-07:00

Last night I started reading a book called The Help by Kathryn Stockett. I only read to chapter 6 but I am totally hooked. I will be sure to post my review once I finish reading it. Hopefully I will write a better review than the one I wrote for Julie & Julia, I disliked that book so much all I could think to write about it was how much I didn't like it.

I managed to get lots done in the house yesterday. My living room is almost back to normal again. The bedrooms upstairs are in a bit of a state with boxes everywhere but that does not stress me too much because I will be putting them up into the attic very soon.

My birthday is coming up very soon. On the 25th of September I will be....28. Birthdays are good and bad times for me. I LOVE presents and doing fun birthday things but I am not really big on the getting older part. I would much rather have stayed 25 because I am getting a little too close to 30 for my liking. Don't get me wrong I don't think 30 is a horrible age. When I see someone who is 30+ I am not thinking to myself gee shes old. No I just don't feel that being 30 is going to be good for me and every year I get a little bit closer.

For my birthday this year Ranjit and I are going to London for the day. We are going to spend the whole day there and then in the evening we have tickets to see Russell Peters at the o2. Should be a fun day.

I picked up some Slim Fast shake powder to give it a try. I just want to have it on hand as an easy meal replacement. I know its not the most healthy thing I could have but I am not too worried about it. When I was a kid I remember my Granny using Slim Fast from time to time. I remember it having a strange taste and having a powdery or grainy texture. I am happy to say they have improved on their recipe since my childhood. I purchased the vanilla flavor and was pleasantly surprised. It was almost like having a milkshake for breakfast.

Breakfast: 3 1/2 Weight Watchers points

2 scoops of Slim Fast powder with 250 ml skim milk

Lunch: 10 Weight Watchers points

1 slice homemade wholewheat seeded toast with butter, baked beans and cheddar cheese & cherry tomatoes.

I have been eating a lot of beans on toast lately. I just find it to be an easy go to meal.

I snacked on cookies and tea twice during the day. I must start replacing these unhealthy snacks with fruit and veggie snacks. My snacks today totaled up to a whopping 10 weight watchers points. That is really bad considering I got zero nutritional value from the tea and cookies. At least I didn't have any sugar in my tea I guess.

Dinner: 10 Weight Watchers points

Lettuce, cherry tomatoes, 1 red pepper, 2 hard boiled eggs, croutons, bacon bits, and 2 tbs Russian dressing.

I have been wanting to make some type of breakfast muffins so I am going to try and attempt to make some today I will share the recipe if they come out well.

Just a quick one

2010-09-08T02:06:00.000-07:00

I have lots to do today so I am going to make this quick.

Breakfast: 3 Weight Watchers points

1 flour tortilla wrap with 2 egg whites, 1/4 onion, 1/2 small orange pepper and chipolte relish served up with a cup of coffee made with milk and splenda.

Lunch: 5 Weight Watchers points

1 bowl of tomato and basil soup, 4 x ryvita thins crackers & 1 string cheese stick.

Midday snack: 1 1/2 Weight Watchers points

Sorry No Photo - cottage cheese & 1/2 orange pepper

Dinner: 6 1/2 Weight Watchers points

1/2 chicken breast, canned corn, mashed potatoes with butter.

Dessert: 7 Weight Watchers points

Cup of tea with cookies. Again no photo :-/

Total Weight Watchers points used today: 23

Points saved: 3

Julie & Julia Book Review

2010-09-03T12:08:00.000-07:00

So I didn't actually read this book but instead loaded it onto my ipod but it still counts as a book so I am gonna review it.

Julie & Julia

Amazon.com Summery

Julie & Julia is the story of Julie Powell's attempt to revitalize her marriage, restore her ambition, and save her soul by cooking all 524 recipes in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume I, in a period of 365 days. The result is a masterful medley of Bridget Jones' Diary meets Like Water for Chocolate, mixed with a healthy dose of original wit, warmth, and inspiration that sets this memoir apart from most tales of personal redemption.
When we first meet Julie, she's a frustrated temp-to-perm secretary who slaves away at a thankless job, only to return to an equally demoralizing apartment in the outer boroughs of Manhattan each evening. At the urging of Eric, her devoted and slightly geeky husband, she decides to start a blog that will chronicle what she dubs the "Julie/Julia Project." What follows is a year of butter-drenched meals that will both necessitate the wearing of an unbearably uncomfortable girdle on the hottest night of the year, as well as the realization that life is what you make of it and joy is not as impossible a quest as it may seem, even when it's -10 degrees out and your pipes are frozen.
Powell is a natural when it comes to connecting with her readers, which is probably why her blog generated so much buzz, both from readers and media alike. And while her self-deprecating sense of humor can sometimes dissolve into whininess, she never really loses her edge, or her sense of purpose. Even on day 365, she's working her way through Mayonnaise Collee and ending the evening "back exactly where we started--just Eric and me, three cats and Buffy...sitting on a couch in the outer boroughs, eating, with Julia chortling alongside us...."
Inspired and encouraging, Julie and Julia is a unique opportunity to join one woman's attempt to change her life, and have a laugh, or ten, along the way.

I had read good things from other foodie bloggers who loved this book so I was really looking forward to reading Julie & Julia. I must say I was very disappointed. None of the characters grabbed me, the storyline just bored me. I thought it was going to be a cute and funny book about a girl who was having a rough spot in life and decided to take on a project to find herself. Very soon after the book started I was bored. To be honest I don't really have much to say about this book. I just didn't like it. Had I actually been reading it and not listening to it I doubt that I could get through it. I continued to cling on in hopes that it would get better but it just didn't.

I give it ☆☆

Gotta Love Swag Bucks!

2010-08-23T10:31:00.000-07:00

I came across Swag Bucks by accident but I am happy I did. swagbucks.com is a search engine where you earn swag bucks just by searching the web like you would on any other search engine. The swag bucks are given at random so not ever searchs is going to give you bucks but they they soon add up. Swag bucks can be used in the swag store to buy things like gift cards and many other items. I have only been doing it for two weeks now and I have already got a $10 Starbucks gift card and a $5 Amazon.com e-gift card. Free money! Gotta love that right?!

Its free to sign up and you get free stuff for just searching the web like you always do so I say why not! Click the link below to sign up now and start collecting swag bucks!

I'm hooked!

Don't Forget About Me I'm Still Here!

2010-08-18T10:41:00.000-07:00

I have no excuses for not posting in weeks. I didn't realize it had been WEEKS until today. I have just had a lot of things going on here at home. Nothing too major but its been kinda hectic. Our house looks as though a hurricane came through it because I tried to tackle too many projects at once. I have been going through all of our stuff to rid us of anything that we have not used in years and that is taking up space. I have also been redecorating for months so there are paint cans, painting trays and rollers tossed about here and there. Ranjit has brought lots of items that will be going into his new cafe here to the house while they renovate the place so I have lots of restaurant size kitchen equipment in my living room not to mention gold clubs and tools. I wont even go into what is going on in the upstairs half of our home. If you know me you know that me you know that mess stresses me out. There is so much going on right now I don't know where to start but slowly but surly I will get it all done. Hopefully.

My normal posts will resume tomorrow. See ya then!

Check it out :-)

2010-08-06T04:30:00.000-07:00

Jasmine who writes Eat Move Write wrote a great post today so I thought I'd pass it along for you all to read. Check it out here.

Just another day

2010-08-05T14:29:00.000-07:00

While wondering through the store yesterday I came across Linwoods milled flaxseed, cocoa & berries. Took one look at back of the package and tossed it into my cart. Here is what it says on the website.

Linwoods Milled Flaxseed, Cocoa and Berries blend boasts incredible antioxidants qualities, particularly when compared to other fruit and vegetables. An adult would need to eat a total of 1 cabbage, 3 full broccoli, 6 carrots, 3 apples, 1 grapefruit and 10 tomatoes to get the same amount of antioxidants contained in just two spoonfuls of this new super food.

The ingredients list is super simple - flaxseed, cocoa, strawberries & blueberries. I sprinkled it on my yogurt this morning.

Breakfast: Low fat strawberry yogurt with Vogels soy & linseed cereal and a sprinkle of milled flaxseed, cocoa and berries = 2 weight watchers points

Lunch: Mixed salad leaves, 1 carrot, 1 red pepper, 1 Goodlife falafel burger, canned corn and red chili hummus =7 1/2

Dinner: Mixed salad leaves, taco beef, cheddar cheese, 2 x hard taco shells, corn and salsa = 8 weight watchers points.

I had one chocolate chip cashew cookie balls for 1 1/2 points and a coffee for 2 points because I used real sugar and low fat creamer.

I bought an armband for my ipod yesterday on Amazon.com they shipped it super fast and I got it this morning. I have a generation 2 sliver ipod. I have not bought a new one because I figure this one still works just fine so until it breaks down on me I'm gonna keep on using it. I am loving my new arm band. Its going to come in very handy at the gym. I also downloaded the Julia & Julia audio book to listen to while working out. I like to listen to music but I will workout for longer if I am listening to a book. I sort of get lost in what is going on in the story. I had a hard time picking a book to listen to but since I have not seen the movie or read the book I chose Julia & Julia. Plus I have heard good things.

Food is Here to Stay

2010-08-04T12:54:00.000-07:00

After reading this post written by Jessie over at Graze With Me I have realized that food will always be there. If I walk by a candy display I usually stop and buy something just because. When I am out shopping I stop at Starbucks and get some type of frappuccino with whipped cream on top. We order takeout weekly and go to the movies a lot where I more often than not have candy and an icee. When the mood strikes me I eat what I want when I want. This is wrong. We should eat to nourish and not just because it tastes good. I am not saying that I am going to eat foods that I don't like just because they are good for me. That would be stupid. I am saying eat foods that are nourishing but taste good to you. Keep those foods that are not so good for you to a minimum and only have them once in a while. I am not going to give up chocolate cake and ooey gooey cheesy pizza but those foods will ALWAYS be there and just because they are there does not mean I have to eat them because they are there and I can. Wanting and needing something are two very different things. Snickers bars have been around since the 1930s and I don't think they are going to be shutting down the chocolate factory anytime soon so I think I will be ok if I skip a few when I walk past them in the store.

Ok moving on.

Breakfast: Cereal with raisins, milk and a banana - 4 weight watchers points

Lunch: Subway veggie delite on honey oat bread with double cheese, mayo and sweet onion sauce + 1 pack Doritos = 10 weight watchers points! They went a little heavy on the mayo as you can see.

Dinner: Spaghetti with tomato sauce with added vegetables + homemade bread + side salad with croutons and dressing = 8 1/2 weight watchers points.

To my pasta sauce I have added onions, carrots, celery and green pepper for an extra boots of vegetables.

Vegetables into the pot

Toss in some garlic. This is one of my garlic jars.We likes us some garlic in our house and go though a lot of it so I buy garlic heads peel them then chop them in the food processor and put them in jars covered with oil. This way they will last a good while and I don't have to chop garlic all the time. If you do this just make sure to top up the oil when you use it to keep the air from getting to the garlic and making it go bad.

Add two spoons of tomato paste to the pot and cook for a minute or two

Add two cans of chopped tomatoes.

A few teaspoons of chili flakes

Add in some mixed Italian herbs and salt to taste.

Add in a tablespoon of agave or sugar to cut the acid in the tomatoes.

Now add two cans of water, stir and simmer.

I made some carrot ribbons to mix in with my pasta for more added vegetables and less heavy pasta + less calories :-)

Here at last is my dinner.

I also had two of these chocolate chip cashew cookie dough balls = 3 points

What do you do to bulk up your vegetable intake?

Healthy Cookie Dough

2010-08-04T10:45:00.000-07:00

While trying to think of a healthy sweet snack alternative I came up with Chocolate Chip Cashew Cookie Dough. There are many recipes for 'raw' cookie dough out there in blogland I checked out a few then came up with this.

Chocolate Chip Cashew Cookie Dough

Makes 10 Tablespoon size balls
1 1/2 Weight Watchers points each

2/3 cup cashews (raw)
1/3 cup oatmeal
2-3 Tbsp agave or honey
1 Tsp vanilla
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips (white chocolate, milk chocolate or whatever you like)

Place cashews and oats into food processor and blend until you get a nice flour like consistency. Process it as fine as you can. Add in the agave & vanilla and blend until you get a nice cookie dough then stir in the chocolate chips by hand. Roll into balls and place in the fridge to firm up.

This dough is a great base recipe. You could add cinnamon and call them oatmeal cookies dough balls or add a little coco powder for chocolate cookies dough balls. There are lots of possibilities just give it a go.

Week 1 done!

2010-08-03T01:28:00.000-07:00

Ok I know its supposed to be my first weigh in day today but I did not weigh in. During 'this time of the month' I ALWAYS gain and I didn't want my first weigh in to bring be down. So next Monday I will be there on that scale no problem.

My first week went pretty well I think. I didn't get an urges or cravings, stayed within my points and tried to eat nutritious meals. Good for me!

I did my usual running of errands today. Nothing special. I am going to join the gym tomorrow, looking forward to the pool no so much the treadmill. I bought myself a brand new red towel for the pool. Its a nice big one so that it covers up all the fat bits while I walk to and from the pool & locker room.

Here is a run down of today's eats.

Breakfast: Banana with natural peanut butter down the middle & cottage cheese. 5 Weight Watchers points.

Lunch: Salad of baby lettuce leaves, 1/2 red pepper, cherry tomatoes, canned corn, croutons & 2 tbs Russian dressing. 6 Weight Watchers points.

Dinner: 3 1/2 ounces steak, 1 corn on the cob with butter, 1 sweet potato with sprinkle of cinnamon. 7 Weight Watchers points.

I also had a few snacks during the day. 1 small banana and a few slices of turkey. 1 1/2 Weight Watchers points.

After dinner Ranjit and I went to see the Karate Kid. It was cute. I had two scoops of Ben & Jerry's Vanilla ice cream. I think that it was 8 Weight Watchers points but I need to check my book first.

Holy Cow!

2010-07-31T11:27:00.000-07:00

Ive been having a lazy day today. Did a little bit of laundry but mostly just caught up on some blog reading and tv watching not that there was anything on tv today.

I went with a British classic for breakfast, beans on toast. I know it does not look tasty but it is. It took me a while to get used to the British love of baked beans but I eat them every now and again. Homemade whole wheat toast, low sugar baked beans & cheddar cheese for a total of 5 weight watchers points.

I am still lovin salads for lunch so that's what I had again today. Baby salad leaves, 1/2 red pepper, cherry tomatoes, 1 carrot, 1/4 can of corn, croutons & 2 tablespoons Kens Vidalia Onion dressing = 6 points. I have mentioned it before on here that I used to HATE corn. I mean I detested it but for some reason now I love it. Weird...yes. The addition of corn in my salad was kick ass! Try it.

I forgot to take a photo of my salad until I was already half way through. Oops.

After lunch I still wanted a sweet snack so I heated up a buttermilk biscuit that I made yesterday for breakfast and drizzled it with honey. Though it was tasty it made me feel way too full afterward. Next time I should stick to fruit. The biscuit with honey was 4 points.

For dinner I dry rubbed some pork ribs with a mixture of brown sugar, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder & onion powder. Allowed it to sit covered in the fridge for a few hours then slow cooked in the oven for 2 hours at 300 degrees. 10 minutes before I took them out of the oven I slapped some BBQ sauce on them then allowed them to sit under foil for another 10.

The dry rubbed raw ribs before hitting the oven.

I used a mango & chili BBQ sauce that was really good. This is my first time trying out a Holy Cow product but wont be my last. This mango and chili sauce had just the right amount of sweetness & spice.

As a side dish I roasted little baby potatoes, red peppers, garlic and onions tossed with olive oil, cider vinegar, fresh rosemary, salt and pepper. I allowed it to cool to room temp before I served it up. It was a nice alternative to normal potato salads that are heavy and full of mayo. Here it is before I popped it into the oven.

Yum sweet and spicy tender ribs!

Here is my plate. I didn't count the points for dinner because I have NO idea how many points are in the pork ribs. I had 2 BBQ ribs, some roasted potato salad, creamed corn, and mushrooms.

Baked Apples

2010-07-30T14:48:00.000-07:00

Last night I made a baked apple for dessert. I remember seeing somewhere online once where they put jam in the bottom of the apple so I thought I'd try it out. It was really good! I made two apples at 4 1/2 points each.

Baked Apple with Strawberry Jam

Serves 2

4 1/4 points per serving

2 apples cored (but not all the way through leave the bottom on the apple)

2 teaspoons strawberry jam or jam of your choice

1 tablespoon flour

1 1/2 tablespoon cold butter

1 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar

1/4 cup oats

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven at 350. Core apples leaving the bottom on so that nothing spills out. Add 1 teaspoon of jam to the bottom of each apple. In a bowl place flour, brown sugar, oats and cinnamon. Add in butter and make into a crumble. Place on a try and place in oven for 40 minutes.

Try it out and let me know what you think :-)

Two Left Feet

2010-07-29T12:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday went pretty well. I ran some errands and bought myself a new pair of Nike's. Being from Florida I am a flip flop kinda girl but I needed some good shoes for walking and the gym. Didn't really look to much at them last night when I got home but today when I went to put them one they were both left shoes! Ugh I am going to have to take them back tomorrow.

For breakfast I had a bowl of Nestles Clusters cereal with added raisins and milk for a total of 5 Weight Watchers points. You can see my Weight Watchers scale there. If you are following the points plan this scale makes calculating points a breeze. Its really good when you're making meals because you can easily weight and point each ingredient.

Salad for lunch. I had some leftover chicken breast from last night that I tossed in with some baby salad leaves, 1 red pepper, 1 carrot, some cherry tomatoes, fake bacon bits, salt & pepper croutons and homemade honey mustard dressing. Yum! I am really feeling salads at the moment. 8 Weight Watchers points.

I snacked on these little suckers for 1/2 point. Some time in the after noon I had a cup of coffee with creamer for 2 points.

I made homemade Chinese food for dinner. A mixed vegetable stir fry topped with thin egg noodles and a scrambled egg. Even though the veggies were over cooked it was sill really tasty and way way lower in points then my normal Chinese takeout. 5 1/2 Weight Watchers points.

I still have 5 points left. I might use them later and have some fruit for dessert not sure yet. Now I am going to go put some laundry away and wait for Big Brother to come on. Anyone else lovin Josie and John James? I am but Ranjit HATES them both. They are my favorite and I hope one of them wins.

Day 1

2010-07-27T13:17:00.000-07:00

I am following Watch Watchers but I will not be attending the meetings. I am doing it mostly because its an easy to calorie count. I get a total of 26 weight watchers points a day. I think I did pretty well today, didn't have any cravings or urges to eat a massive burger and fries followed by a few candy bars. But that is usually how it is when I start a diet. The first two or three days will be okay its later on in the week and on into week two when the cravings start, that's when I am going to have to push through past those craving days to come out on the other side.

I started my day off with a green smoothie that was not all that green. It was a blend of strawberries, a banana, pineapple juice and 1/2 a scoop of Amazing Grass wheat grass powder for a total of 3 weight watchers points.

For lunch I went the salad route. A large bowl full of mixed lettuce, 1 tomato, 1/2 of a red pepper, 1 carrot, salt and black pepper croutons & two boiled eggs topped with a homemade honey mustard dressing that I am lovin! I don't know why it has never dawned on me to make my own honey mustard dressing. Its lush and my new homemade favorite. My salad was 8 weight watchers points.

For dinner I made my Thai steak wraps and had it with a side of broccoli and greens. I made a few changes when I made the Thai steak today mostly because I was working with what I had on hand and also to cut out some of the fat in the original recipe. I used vegetarian steak strips, didn't have sesame oil so didn't use it just substitute with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. My plate was 7 weight watcher points.

After dinner I had a cup of tea with milk and sugar + 2 cookies. I will be trying to come down on the sugar in my tea and coffee until there is little or no sugar but this is going to be a gradual thing. My tea and cookies were about 4 points.

I still have 4 points left over but I think unless I get some crazy hunger pangs later on in the evening then I am just going to try and bank them for later on in the week.

I am going to get back to the gym this week sometime. I have to get back into that routine of swimming and exercise. I sooo wish I had a pool. I would be in that sucker every day! One day maybe.

Exposed

2010-07-26T14:02:00.000-07:00

I decided today that I was going to go all out and expose myself. Don't worry I am not going to flash your or anything. I have seen other weight loss bloggers post their pictures, measurements and weights on their blogs. I have never been brave enough to do this. Until today. I am going to get serious about losing weight and I need to do this. I think it will help me push harder knowing that when I lose I can post update photos and feel proud of myself for doing so.

I weight myself today at the store, Boots has a scale that will give you a little print out of your weight, height and BMI. I can't say that I was shocked to see how much I weighed but I was a little surprised. I often look in the mirror and think 'I look nice today' but then I see a photo of myself on that same day and think 'what the hell was I thinking' . The mirror deceives. Mine does anyway I don't know about yours.

I have been on diets before and lost lots of weight. Three years ago when I got married I was 50lbs lighter than I am now. 50lbs! I am going to get real about this weight loss thing. I have to do it for ME and no one else. I am only hurting myself by staying fat or getting bigger. No one loses but me.

So here I am no makeup, hair not done...just me.

Weight: 248 lbs (17 st 10 lbs)

Height: 5'4

Measurements:

Bust: 47 inches

Waist: 40 1/2 inches

Hips: 55 inches

Right thigh: 32 inches

Right arm: 17 inches

There you have it. I will weigh myself again next Monday and everyone Monday after that and post the results here.

My First Book Review: Southern Vampire Mysteries/Sookie Stackhouse Books 1-10

2010-07-24T02:26:00.000-07:00

First off here is how I will be rating each book.

☆☆☆☆☆ = LOVED IT!
☆☆☆☆ = Liked it a lot.
☆☆☆ = Not bad, but not something I will reread.
☆☆ = Not great but I could get though it.
☆ = Horrible

Ok I think that is pretty clear and easy so lets move on to my very first book review.

In stead of reviewing just one book today I am going to be review the entire Southern Vampire Mysteries/Sookie Stackhouse books #1-10 by Charlaine Harris. I first became aware of the Southern Vampire Mysteries/Sookie Stackhouse books after watching the first season of True Blood. I picked up the first book in the series Dead Until Dark while in Florida in January. Once I read it I was hooked.

Amazon.com Summery

Cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse is no typical Southern belle. She can read minds. And she’s got a thing for vampires. Which, in a town like Bon Temps, Louisiana, means she’ll have to watch her back—and neck…

Normally I’m not one to go for stories featuring vampires, it was just never my thing, but Charlaine Harris has way of writing about the supernatural world that keeps the books lively and entertaining.

The books revolve around Sookie Stackhouse, a telepathic cocktail waitress who sees her telepathy as a disibiliy instead of a gift. You go on to learn that the Japanese have invented TruBlood a synthetic blood substitute. This allows the secret race of vampires the opportunity to come out and announce to the public that they are real! With the invention of TruBlood the vampires can live among humans, since they no longer have to kill to survive. Vampires are not the only non-humans keeping themselves secret. There is a whole list of supernatural beings living in secret which you learn about along the way with each book.

There is never a dull moment with Sookies whether she is having bad luck with men or someone trying to kill her. Things are fun and crazy always leaving you wanting more. There are some sex scenes in the books that get a little more graphic as the series goes on but nothing too bad.

As a whole the books are great, entertaining and fun to read. There is romance, mystery and interesting plots with some twists and turns along the way.

I give it ☆☆☆☆☆

Reading is FUN!

2010-07-24T00:58:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed the new tab I've added above labeled Books. I have decided that since I read so much I might as well share the books and what I think of them with all of you. I enjoy reading all types of books from mysteries to chick lit to historical fiction. I like a little bit of everything really.

As a child/teen I never read. I cant remember a single book that I read from cover to cover. Even when doing book reports in school I was pretty much a skim through the pages kinda gal. Books just didn't grab my attention. I could not stay focused while reading a book I was too easily distracted. I didn't start reading until I was about 21-22. The first book that I read fully from cover to cover was Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. It is one of my all time favorite books (and movies). Its one of those books that you will read more than once in a lifetime. I have read it about 3 times already.

I tend to read books within a day or two. I am not one of those people who can read the same book a little at a time over a few weeks span. Nope that's not me. I like to read my books in a few days. Usually within a day or two unless I am super busy. If I am enjoying the book then I just don't want to put it down, I gotta know whats coming up next!

My first book review will be up in a few days. I hope you all enjoy this new addition to my blog. Please do let me know about books that you are reading or think I should read. I am always on the lookout for something new.

Almond Oil & Vitamin E

2010-07-21T13:22:00.000-07:00

For about a year now I have been using sweet almond oil as a moisturizer for both my face and body. After about a week of using it my skin was softer and smoother and not at all oily. When I was younger I always thought that I had oily skin but I think that was due to me over washing my face causing my body to produce more oil. I no longer use a face wash every day and since doing this (I have been doing it for years now) I don't get any more breakouts or over oily skin. I do scrub my face daily with my loofah gloves, this keeps my skin fresh and clean. I don't wear makeup ever day but when I do I use oil to remove the makeup then I wash with a mild cleanser and then moisturize with more almond oil.

Since using the almond oil I feel that my skin has a nice healthy glow. Almond oil is rich in vitamin E and there are many benefits to using it on the skin.

- Improves complexion

-Moisturises

-Soothes skin irritation and inflammation

-Delays ageing process

-Relieves dry and itching skin

Almond oil is also said to be good for hair although I have not really tired this. If you have let me know! I get my almond oil from the Asian stores where it is super cheap for a massive bottle that will last ages! The brand is KTC and you can get it online here. It comes in two sizes, I buy the larger one but the small one is still pretty big and will last a really really long time. If you buy it in a health shop or pharmacy then you will pay a lot for a little tiny bottle. So check out your local Asian stores or online before you buy.

Another product that I have been using lately is pure vitamin e oil. It comes in capsule form as well as liquid . I bought a bottle of this thick moisturizing liquid to add to my almond oil as another moisturizer and anti ageing treatment. When applied to the skin vitamin e acts as an antioxidant which prevents the formation of free radicals on the skin and protects it from damage. That cant be bad right?! It is cheaper than a lot of anti aging creams out there and it does not have all the other crazy ingredients tossed in. Some of the benefits of using vitamin e on the skin are

- anti ageing

-helps block sun damage

-moisturizes the skin

Note: If you would like to try using almond oil & vitamin e on your skin remember that a little goes a LONG way so you only need a drop or two of each on your face.

To combat free radicals from the inside you need to make sure you get plenty of antioxidants in your diet. A USDA study analyzed the antioxidant content of commonly consumed foods. Researchers tested over 100 foods. Here is a ranked list of the top 20 fruits, vegetables and nuts:

1.Small red bean (dried), 1/2 cup

2.Wild blueberry, 1 cup

3.Red kidney bean (dried), 1/2 cup

4.Pinto bean, 1/2 cup

5.Blueberry (cultivated), 1 cup

6.Cranberry, 1 cup (whole)

7.Artichoke (cooked hearts), 1 cup

8.Blackberry, 1 cup

9.Prune, 1/2 cup

10.Raspberry, 1 cup

11.Strawberry, 1 cup

12.Red delicious apple, 1

13.Granny Smith apple, 1

14.Pecan, 1 ounce

15.Sweet cherry, 1 cup

16.Black plum, 1

17.Russet potato, 1 cooked

18.Black bean (dried), 1/2 cup

19.Plum, 1

20.Gala apple, 1

Now get to eating those goodies high in antioxidants!

Reality Check

2010-07-15T17:07:00.000-07:00

The BBC has been playing a series of shows called Big Meets Bigger. The concept of the show is to take obese British people to other countries to live with people who are extremely overweight. Living with these families gives them a shock to help them want to change their own habits to live a more healthy lifestyle. The first episode took two young adult girls, Anne & Bex to Mississippi where they moved in with a family who were severely obese. One of the family members Deloris was 490 lbs. She has many health issues and even needed assistance getting dressed. The family continue to eat and say how much they love their food as they munch on highly salted food and things such as fat back and pigs feet.

I have always thought to myself 'I am not that big' or ' I will never let myself get THAT big' but the truth is over the past few years my weight has continued to creep up. I may not eat as unhealthy as some but I eat my fair share of McDonalds, fried chicken and cakes. Watching this show has not shown me anything I didn't already know. I know that high fat foods make you fat, I know that sugar is no good, I know that I need to exercise, I know what foods are healthy. I choose not to eat them...Why? Sometimes I do eat healhty but most of the time I don't. I go on little health kicks here and there where I eat well but that is usually ruined by a binge of some kind and then I go totally off the rails. Why? Do I think I am immune to health problems? I have been checked for high blood pressure, high cholesterol & diabetes. So far I have not had any problems in those departments but I do have my own set of health issues. I have PCOS, gall stones, and back pain most of the time. You would think that it would be enough to make me say hey LOSE SOME WEIGHT! I need to make some changes. Some permanent changes. I don't want my weight to continue to creep up. I am 27 years old it is only going to get harder I MUST DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT NOW

If you are in the UK and want to watch Big Meets Bigger you can watch the the episodes on the BBC website or just click here.

I'm So Jealous!

2010-07-14T13:28:00.000-07:00

On Sunday night Ranjit and I we invited over to some friends house for a BBQ. I forgot to take pics of the food but I made sure to take pictures of their lovely garden. They grow all sorts of things and I am so jealous! I wish I had the space and the know how to plant so many veggies!

Here are the zucchini plants with some tomato plants just behind them.

The one neglected plant in their yard. I am not sure what it is.

Baby cauliflower plants.

Celeriac

Red onions and garlic fresh from the garden.

Challah if ya hear me!

2010-07-13T16:24:00.000-07:00

I made a loaf of challah bread the other day. I was inspired to do so after seeing this recipe that was posted by Pig In Pajamas. I did change it a little by using whole wheat flour in place of the all purpose flour & added some poppy seeds. I just tossed all the ingredients in the bread machine and put it on the dough setting then braided it and baked it in the oven.

Cupcakes for Sale :-)

2010-07-11T10:40:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking about starting up a small custom order baking business for a while now and finally had the opportunity to get my name out there so I went for it. I have been selling cupcakes in our restaurant for a while but thought it would be a good idea to participate in a small charity craft fair/family fun day, that way more people could take flyers and try my product.

Yesterday was the day. Ranjit and I got up and dressed then loaded the car up and off we went. We set up our table and gazebo and waited for the customers. We did pretty well selling 150 cupcakes. I am pretty happy with that result since it was not a massive event. My main goal was to get my flyers out to new people that may want to place orders. I think we achieved that.

I didn't get a chance to take many photos but here are a few that I did take.

Here I am just after setting up waiting for the gates to open. And before you ask no I am not pinchin my boob I think I was fixing my cardi :-P

If you are in the Swindon area and need some cakes give me a shout! My website www.laceyscupcakeUSA.com will be up and running shortly we are just working out a few bugs.

Happy 4th of July

2010-07-04T00:40:00.000-07:00

May the sun in his course visit no land more free, more happy, more lovely, than this our own country!

~Daniel Webster

Happy Independence Day!!

4th of July Goodies

2010-07-02T08:47:00.000-07:00

Its time for waving flags, sparklers & BBQs so I thought I would put together a little round up of some fun 4th of July goodies.

Red White & Blue Trifle by Sandra Lee

Photo Courtesy of Food Network

Patriotic Cookie Pizza

Photo courtesy of Pillsbury

Berry-Lemon Cheesecake Squares

Picture courtesy of Pillsbury

Flag Cake by the Barefoot Contessa

Picture courtesy of Food Network

What are you serving up this forth of July?