House Favourites

I don't have a full favourites for you this month, I've been so busy that I haven't had time to sit down and read or buy any new clothes to show you!

What I do have however is a whole load of home favourites that I want to share with you.

First up and a gadget that I have used every single day this month is my Blendactive. Honestly it is so easy to just whip up a quick breakfast smoothie as you blend, screw on a take away cap and you are away. I have been loving my green smoothie as the mint tastes fresh and mornings that I want a sweet kick I have been slurping away at my banana, mango and strawberry smoothie. It was really inexpensive and does a brilliant job!

Blend active - £29.99

Next up my new bread maker! A present from my brother and girlfriend at Christmas and a bloody brilliant one at that. It is just SO easy to make bread. You chuck everything in the bowl, knead it, prove it, knead it some more, prove it some more and then in the same bowl you made it in you pop it in the oven for 40 mins. Only one bowl used and some lovely bread to show for it. The brand is called Lekue and everyone should get one!

Working at a school I get to browse the books that appear from The Book People and I have picked up a couple of lovely cookbooks including an awesome  Low-Carb cookbook to help with the diet.

I got a lovely new teapot with a very pretty pattern recently. It has a spring feel to it which is quite refreshing especially when it seems that it will never be warm again.

 George Living - £8

This gorgeous copper and bamboo bowl has found a place in our home, goodness knows what I will put in it but my gosh it's pretty. I am loving copper at the moment and there is some really lovely stuff knocking about. If I could buy everything that I wanted I wouldn't have any space in my house!

 Oliver Bonas - £9.50

I am such a sucker for house pieces, I would spend so much money if I could but like I said I will soon run out of space! I just love making a house a home.

Sorry that this isn't a proper favourites, but I hope you enjoyed it all the same. Things will hopefully be back to normal next month!

C x

Recipe - Salted Caramel Brownies

If you are feeling indulgent and want a break from your January resolutions then you have come to the right place!

These Salted Caramel Brownies are ridiculously moreish and the dark chocolate and sweet and salt caramel work together in a sticky mess that will make your mouth water just a little bit.

Click the picture below to see what I mean!

C x

42 things that go through my head when working out

1. Right let's do this...
2. Where's my sports bra?
3. I can't find my sports bra, Oh well no exercise today then
4. Damn it, there it is hanging off the radiator
5. Bloody hell this thing is tight
6. Let's just do a couple of bounce tests
7. Yep, still working to hold them in
8. I'm really tired from that jumping.
9. Maybe I should just leave it for today
10. No. Come on you can do this
11. DVD on
12. Wait, where are my weights
13. Right....2 jars of sauce it is
14. Ok let's go
15. I feel good. I can do this
16. Squats. I hate squats
17. I'm tired...how long have I been doing this....
18. 2 minutes. Great
19. Why are they so smiley?
20. I'm not smiling and I'm doing exactly what they do
21. Oh good - active rest
22. No! More rest! I don't want to keep going and this is definitely not fun
23. How has she still got a full face of makeup!?
24. Do they pause half way through to retouch her makeup?
25. Why am I sweating so much!
26. Move Cat! How am I meant to squat thrust if you are lying in the way
27. What do you mean I'm only just finishing Lap 1!
28. My legs hurt
29. I wish you would stop telling me to keep with it when clearly I am on Hard level not Beginners as promised
30. I look ridiculous with these sauce jars
31. This had better be burning off 500 calories
32. I think I might cry
33. Squeeze two more in?
34. I'm actually ok just lying on the floor for now
35. Last set!
36. I've got this
37. I haven't got this
38. How am I meant to stand in the shower after?
39. I might have a bath so I can lie down
40. I hate you TV work out people
41. Finished!!! I do not feel good like they promised
42. Now I've done some exercise can I have extra cheese for dinner?

C x

Recipe - Low-carb Pizza

As many of you will be aware I am currently trying to watch what I eat. Now pizza is pizza and I'm not offering a miracle pizza with no calories but what I am offering is a slighty healthier, just as tasty pizza option so you can munch away without so much guilt!

Click the picture to watch!

C x

Fat Shaming

Isn't there just something about the New Year that makes us all want to better ourselves!

My post today is something that I do to myself. I make constant excuses and to be honest I'm bored of being disappointed in me.

I am a massive culprit for the New Year 'lets lose a few pounds' which is fine but it's never maintained. I do it for a few months, lose motivtion and then think 'bloody hell this is boring - back to the melted cheese I go'. And really it should be fine. I should just accept and be happy that I like my food but when I see pictures of myself I just end up thinking I'm not happy. Sure in the cheese infused moment I am, but not so much when I am crying over my reflection.

So to be honest I've just had enough. I've gone back to my Fitness Pal and I am logging everything I eat. I've already noticed trends and have made moves to change them. My problem areas are fat and sugar. Even when I started eating 'better' fruit still has SO much sugar so I've been trying super hard to keep under my 45g allowance for the day.

Anyway its paid off so far, I've lost half a stone but I'm not too excited as I always lost the first stone quickly, its the others I need to worry about.

I even bought my very first sports bra the other day so now my they wont hit me in the face...fantastic news all round. I spent most of last night shouting at my fitness DVD man for making me suffer but I think if I stick with it, maybe, just maybe, it might stop being so painful.

I don't know something seems to have shifted this year, I think I'm realising that it's going to get harder as I get older so if I really want to shift a significant amount now is the time I have to do it. Plus I'm fed up of my thighs rubbing together and I want to go bare legged this summer, tights in the heat are a real pain.  

I'm just going to keep ploughing through and changing little things like my portion sizes and hopefully I will be able to finally shift those couple of stone and keep them off for good. I'm still going to treat myself to a couple of pieces of fried chicken every once in a while though, I mean come on, I'm only human!

C x

Recipe - Apple & Pear Cake

I have a very special treat for you on the blog today. My very first cooking video! Oh yes - jaunty jingle and everything. It's the New Year and everyone is going for the healthy eating angle so today my cake is an apple and pear cake! You know, so you can feel vaguely like you are being healthy whilst eating cake...

I hope you enjoy watching! Click the picture to link through to the video!

Ingredients

225g self raising flour
115g light brown sugar
115g butter, unsalted
1 large egg
200g apples, peeled, cored & diced
200g pears, peeled, cored & diced
100g sultanas 
2 tbsp cinnamon
6 tbsp milk

C x

New Year

A very happy New Year to you all!

I hope you have a lovely year ahead filled with lots of happiness and success.

I've gone back to my old resolutions of the year and I am happy to tell you that out of the fifteen I set myself I managed to keep one! Perhaps best not to actually set any so I can't disappoint myself by failing to keep them.

Instead we will just say that I will try my best to have the greatest year possible whilst trying to fulfill some goals.

You may have noticed I've had a bit of a spring clean on the blog - New Year means a little bit of a spruce up. All the recipes are now also under their own tab making them easier to find. This is also to celebrate getting 10,000 views on the blog which is just brilliant and has made me so happy :) Thank you to all of you who read this, it means a great deal to me.

Its going to be a very good year indeed. 

C x