Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Healthy Meals For Kids - Day 2!

Happy Tuesday!

Here is a lovely recipe to cook for your children. A balanced and healthy meal is crucial for their growth. Do away with junk food and introduce them to delicious, hearty food. It doesn't have to be expensive or time-consuming! This recipe, a chickpea coriander burger - can be prepped and cooked in less than 45 minutes! So get out your apron and start cooking this mouth-watering meal. I know I'll be!

Chickpea and coriander burger.

Ingredients:
400g can chickpeas, drained
zest 1 lemon, plus juice ½
1 tsp ground cumin
small bunch coriander, chopped
1 egg
100g fresh breadcrumbs
1 medium red onion, ½ diced, ½ sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
4 small wholemeal buns
1 large tomato, sliced, ½ cucumber, sliced and chilli sauce, to serve

Instructions:
1. In a food processor, whizz the chickpeas, lemon zest, lemon juice, cumin, half the coriander, the egg and some seasoning. Scrape into a bowl and mix with 80g of the breadcrumbs and the diced onions. Form 4 burgers, press remaining breadcrumbs onto both sides and chill for at least 10 mins

2. Heat the oil in a frying pan until hot. Fry the burgers for 4 mins each side, keeping the heat on medium so they don’t burn. To serve, slice each bun and fill with a slice of tomato, a burger, a few red onion slices, some cucumber slices, a dollop of chilli sauce and the remaining coriander.


Have an awesome day and keep smiling!

Love & Peace!

Harambe Or The Little Boy - Whose Life Means More?

It's Tuesday and the news is still rife over Harambe the gorilla who was shot dead. The world was outraged and protesters are still sitting outside the zoo with placards. It was very unfortunate that the gorilla had to be shot just a day after his 17th birthday! But if we think logically, we can be assured they did save the little boy. After all, don't we all value human life? We all want to live forever, we eat healthy, don't want cancer etc, etc. So the little boy deserves a life. A male gorilla can be very unpredictable and very dangerous. They are three times bigger than man and have 6 times the strength of man. The gorilla was agitated with all the screams and shouts all around. Had a female gorilla got the boy, it would have been a different story. Also as a Mum, I would have been distraught if my child had fallen in. Don't blame the parents. We all do our best for the children. They obviously care for them and were treating him to a day at the zoo. Days out nowadays cost a lot and it's not choices we can all make. Food, clothes, and bills obviously are first on the list. RIP Harambe, but I know we want our human population still here on earth. The zoo should get a proper cemented barriers around the gorilla enclosure and then cover it with ivy so that nobody can fall in again.

Let us be thankful that the kid was saved. It could have been anybody's child. Children can be unpredictable as well. Love your children and stop wars, guns, investment in armory, and nuclear anything in this day and age. It's ridiculous while we can continue to commemorate all the battles fought in years gone by we are still waging wars today - shameful!

Have an awesome day and keep smiling.

Love & Peace.

Monday, May 30, 2016

Healthy Meals For Kids - Day 1!

Happy Bank Holiday Monday!

Hope your day was great, it was warm and sunny. A barbecue would have been the icing on the cake but sausages on the grill pan and homemade burgers with a fruit salad & potato salad for the young and old was on the menu for my Bank Holiday. The racing was good, and a few winners made me a very happy girl. Especially starting off the day with Andrea Atzeni winning on Pretty Vacant. Spanish City & Quebee were my other wins to boast about. Although I was terribly disappointed when Richard Johnson again failed to win on Long Lunch who I was confident about.. But so it is :) I'm certain he's not going to be champion jockey next year, I'm certain!

Today's blog and all this week I'm going to blog recipes for kids. Really healthy dishes that have your kids running to the table and finishing everything on their plate!

Spinach, Sweet potato and lentil dhal.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
thumb-sized piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 red chili, finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 sweet potatoes, cut into even chunks
250 grams red split lentils
600ml vegetable stock
80g bag of spinach
4 spring onions, sliced
1/2 small pack of Thai basil, leaves torn, to serve

Instructions:
1. Heat the oil in a wide-based pan with a tight-fitting lid. Add the onion and cook over a low heat for 10 mins, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli, cook for 1 min, then add the spices and cook for 1 min more.

2. Turn up the heat to medium, add the sweet potato and stir everything together so the potato is coated in the spice mixture. Tip in the lentils, stock and some seasoning. Bring the liquid to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and cook for 20 mins until the lentils are tender and the potato is just holding its shape

3. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then gently stir in the spinach. Once wilted, top with the spring onions and basil to serve.



Hope you enjoy preparing these dishes for the young ones in your family.

Have a super day and keep smiling!

Love & Peace.

Sunday, May 29, 2016

Gorgeous Bralettes - Summer's New Trend!

Happy Sunday!

Sunday, funday. Time for relaxation, music, catch-up movies and some nice food. Time as well for meditation and exercise. All these fun things to do as well now that summer is so close. This summer, bralettes are going to be really popular. So you might think it's very cute and if you are wearing a very sheer top you could pair it with a lovely bralette. They are super cute and don't let your age hamper you from getting something you really like!

1. Lace bralette / 28 dollars / humblechic.com
2. Strappy bralette / 15 dollars / target.com
3. front-close bralette / 18 euros / victoriassecret.com
4. only hearts bralette / 46 dollars / journelle.com
5. dotted mesh and lace bralette / 13 dollars / wetseal.com
6. lace crop top / 17 dollars / Amazon.com

A quote comes to mind from the very beautiful Lauren Hutton, ''Fashion is what you are offered four times a year by designers, but style is what you choose.'' 

Have an awesome day and keep smiling!

Love & Peace. 

Friday, May 27, 2016

Fun Accessories To Make Your Spring Outfits Sparkle!

Happy Friday!

Fun accessories is the blog for today. With Bank Holiday weekend with us, half term holiday for the kids it always is the best time of the year. The weather is delightful and we can wear our beautiful dresses and accessorize with gorgeous earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and the new craze- ankle bracelets!

This last week, Vanessa Hudgens was making them really popular by adding them to her outfit every day of the week! I have chosen out my favorite accessories to share with you all. If you like any of them they are all available to order online. One has been designed by Ariana Grande - great collection!

1. Ariana Grande Pearl Stud Bunny / 8 pounds / Very.co.uk
2. Leaf wrap arm cuff / 13 dollars / missselfridge.com
3. three layered charm / 20 dollars / genuine-people.com
4. spiked ankle bracelet / 23 CAD / silkfred.com
5. hexagon marble ring / 9.95 dollars / evermarker.com
6. Dreamcatcher earrings / 8 dollars / boohoo.com

Have a wonderful weekend and keep smiling!

Love & Peace.

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Carrot Cake With Creme Fraiche And Pecan Nuts

Good Morning / Afternoon / Evening / Night, wherever you are in your day - I hope you're smiling!

One of my favourite comfort foods is carrot cake! Funny as I am not a dessert girl or a pudding freak. Although I just adore eating cake and one of my favourite cake is ''carrot cake.''

It's healthy because it has tons of carrots in it, so you're getting a portion of your daily veg in. Carrot contains vitamin A so good eyesight is also being taken care of. This recipe has crème fraiche, just go easy on the cream! It has nuts too, so that's an extra bonus. So enjoy eating this cake and eating it without any guilt.

Ingredients:
For the cake
  • 175g/6oz soft dark brown sugar
  • 2 large free-range eggs
  • 150ml/5fl oz olive oil (not extra virgin olive oil)
  • 200g/7oz wholemeal self-raising flour
  • 1 tbsp ground mixed spice
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 200g/7oz carrots, peeled, coarsely grated
  • 80g/3oz pecan nuts, roughly chopped, plus extra to decorate
  • 1 lemon, zest only
  • 110g/4oz sultanas
  • 25g/1oz raisins
  • 50g/2oz desiccated coconut
For the icing
  • 250g/9oz crème fraîche or mascarpone
  • 250ml/9fl oz double cream
  • 2 tbsp icing sugar
For the sugared carrots
  • 300g/10½oz baby carrots, washed, with 2.5cm/1in green stalk still on
  • pinch salt
  • 70g/2½oz caster sugar, plus a little extra
  • 50g/1¾oz butter
Instructions:
  1. For the cake, preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
  2. Lightly grease two 20cm/8in round cake tins and line the bases with baking parchment.
  3. Whisk the sugar, eggs and olive oil together in a large bowl using an electric hand whisk for 3-4 minutes until the mixture is smooth.
  4. Sift the flour, mixed spice and bicarbonate of soda into the bowl, tipping in the grains left in the sieve. Stir in gently. Fold the grated carrot, pecan nuts, lemon zest, sultanas, raisins and desiccated coconut into the mixture.
  5. Spoon the mixture equally into the two cake tins and smooth the surface of each with a spatula. Bake on the centre shelf of the oven for 35-40 minutes. They should be nicely risen and feel firm and springy to the touch when lightly pressed in the centre; if not, cook for a little longer before testing again. When ready, cool for five minutes before removing the cakes from the tin and cooling completely on a wire rack.
  6. For the icing, place all the icing ingredients in a bowl and beat together until light and fluffy. Cover the bowl with cling film and transfer to the fridge for 1-2 hours, until you are ready to ice the cake.
  7. For the sugared carrots, place the carrots in a saucepan and just cover with cold water. Add the salt, sugar and butter. Place over a high heat and bring to the boil. Boil for 5-6 minutes - the carrots will cook as the water evaporates and a glaze will form in the base of the pan. Toss the cooked carrots in the glaze and then remove them from the pan to a plate with a bit more caster sugar. Roll them in a little more sugar, and leave to cool.
  8. When the cakes are completely cold, spread the icing over the top of each cake and layer them up. Just before serving, scatter a few pecan nuts over the top of the cake and garnish with the sugared carrots.
 

A quote comes to mind from William W. Purkey, ''You've gotta dance like there's nobody watching, love like you'll never be hurt, sing like there's nobody listening, and live like it's heaven on earth.''

Have an awesome day and keep smiling!

Love & Peace.

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Trendy Sunglasses For Spring/Summer

Happy Tuesday!

Spring sunshine and soon the warm days of summer, will find us all reaching for our shades. No we don't want last year's old pair, we should get ourselves a nice new pair. It  doesn't have to cost a lot but there are plenty of good designs available at the shops. I have selected a few of my favourites to give you an idea of the latest fashion now. Normally people invest in a pair of Ray-bans and use them for years. I think that is so unfashionable. Get something hip and chic and new and wear it with pride. You then don't have to be grouchy if they fall down, get lost, or scratched. Sunglasses are my no.1 fashion accessory and I never leave the house without it. I even use them if it's sunny and I'm looking out of the window (after all, I don't want extra forehead wrinkles!)

Botox is something I will never consider unless I get to 50+ and I'm deeply depressed because I have not found a loving partner to get old with :)


1. vintage sunglasses / 8 dollars / Gojane.com
2. mirrored heart sunglasses / 12 pounds / riverisland.com
3. eclipse sunglasses / 55 AUD / princesspolly.com
4. punk sunglasses / 39 dollars / lordandtaylor.com
5. pink sunglasses / 50 AUD / princesspolly.com
6. retro mirrored sunglasses / 14 dollars / popmap.com

Have an awesome day and keep smiling! Nothing feels better than having a drink in the pub with mates and being among people not too different from yourself. Europeans fit in , and don't look to different than Brits !! Keep smiling and vote to Stay in the EU referendum ! I love you all. God Bless.

Love & Peace.

Monday, May 23, 2016

Delicious Green Tea Coconut Ice-Cream

Happy Monday!

The beautiful Chelsea Flower Show started today. The flowers were fragrant, the designs breathtaking, and the thousands of variety of flowers were nothing like I've seen or even knew existed! I love yellow flowers and they had tons which were gorgeous and truly magnificent and that's one reason why we should love Mother Nature and protect and preserve our beautiful earth before trying to find life on other planets or start selling weapons to Vietnam like the US have started today. No good comes from selling weapons! But ugliness is part of society and unless love & peace is embraced, more I see no good coming of anything!

On another note, the beautiful sunshine was glorious. So a truly healthy ice-cream is what I thought all you would enjoy! Green tea has loads of uses and health benefits which I shall feature in an upcoming blog. But today, a very healthy green tea coconut ice-cream is deliciously mouthwatering and very healthy. If you are not allergic to nuts, feel free to add a handful of nuts over the top for garnish. I love it. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 13 1/2 ounce can of coconut milk
2 Eggs
4-8 tablespoons of coconut sugar crystals
1 tablespoon of green tea powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

  1. In a blender, place coconut milk, eggs, sugar, matcha powder, and vanilla extract and blend well. Transfer the liquid to a sauce pan and heat under medium heat for about 8-10 minutes until the liquid thickens. When the liquid is cooled, chill it in the freezer for 30 minutes. Transfer to the container of an ice cream maker and follow manufacturer’s instructions to make ice cream.

Have an awesome day and keep smiling!

Love & Peace.

Saturday, May 21, 2016

Fashionable & Trendy Phone Cases!

Happy Saturday,

Wherever you are in your day - I hope your weekend is special! I have had a few blah days so a nice blog with featured IPhone cases should cheer up anyone! I know even if I don't need a new case I just love looking up all the designs and what's really fashionable at the moment. Here are some of my favourite designs.

 
 
1. Iphone 5/5s case cactus / 9.99 pounds / Mango.com
2. Iphone 6 Stella McCartney lips / 63 Aud / farfetch.com
3. Iphone 6/6s Poison / 38 dollars / Nylon.com
4. Iphone 6/6s karat / 30 pounds / Selfridges.com
 


With so many things going on in the world, social media is a lovely way to stay connected. To hear the latest news, gossip, and of course - not miss out on all the latest photos from friends. While Instagram is solely a place to brag about your lifestyle with photos of places you have visited and the new stuff you acquire and the luxurious lifestyle some people have. So instagram never interested me as I am a humble person with a few things. But it seems now Facebook is the new place even if you haven't been on it for 18 months or more to suddenly show up with a photo of a newly acquired house! Some people have no boundaries. Anyways, the moral of this is humbleness. A quote from which comes to mind from Frances Chan ''We are a culture that relies on technology over community, a society in which spoken and written words are cheap and easy to come by, and excessive.'' We have lost ourselves to material wealth and forget half of the population is below the poverty line!

Whatever you do today, give a thought to the homeless, the old, the sick, the depressed, and people with mental anxiety. The world is bigger than you! Love and peace will always be my motto!

Have an awesome day and keep smiling!

Love & Peace.

Thursday, May 19, 2016

Spicy Chicken With Lemon Couscous!

Happy Thursday, today I have a delicious recipe I would love to share with you all. Chicken is one of my favourite meals and I could happily eat chicken every day. Since I am never on a diet because I always eat healthily I would opt to eat a couscous in place of potatoes with the spicy chicken. Couscous has a different, unfamiliar taste to most people but if you flavour it well, it is very pleasing to the pallet! Couscous is traditionally a North African dish and I thought it would be a fitting dish to put up to remember all the lives lost today with the disappearance of the plane bound from Paris to Egypt. May all the souls rest in peace. Too many lives being taken away through unnecessary violence in this day and age.

In tribute, a delicious dish from that side of the world.

Ingredients:
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large red onion, sliced
  • 2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp harissa paste
  • 400g portion cooked, shredded chicken with 300ml gravy, defrosted
  • 400g can chopped tomatoes
  • 1 tsp caster sugar
  • 400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • Squeeze of lemon juice
  • 6 tbsp natural yogurt
  • Small handful fresh coriander leaves, chopped 

  • for couscous:
  • 300g couscous
  • Grated zest and juice of ½ lemon
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • About 500ml chicken stock, hot
  • Handful fresh mint leaves, chopped
  • 50g blanched almonds, toasted and roughly chopped

  • Instructions:
    1. Gently heat the oil in a casserole over a medium-high heat, add the onion and cumin and fry for 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and fry for 1 minute. Stir in the harissa and fry for 1 minute. Add the chicken, gravy, tomatoes, sugar and chickpeas.
    2. Season, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice, yogurt and coriander.
    3. Meanwhile, put the couscous in a large bowl, add the lemon zest and juice, and the oil. Season and stir, add enough stock to cover by 1cm, then cover with cling film for 5 minutes. Fluff up, stir in the mint and almonds and serve with the chicken.

    Have an awesome day and keep smiling.

    Love & Peace.

    Wednesday, May 18, 2016

    Beautiful Spring Hairstyles!

    Happy Wednesday!

    Spring weather - the cows are out in the fields, the lambs are learning to walk and can join the sheep out in the paddocks. Yes, beautiful scenes conjure up in my head, the country side, meadows, streams, picnics, and beautiful hairstyles.

    If you love your hair you certainly don't want it to just hang loose. Here are some ideas of beautiful styles you could use to make your hair look gloriously trendy.


    On to other stuff todays horse racing was 'gloriously' bad! The champion jump jockey was shockingly at his worst. With some good rides and a firm favourite with the bookies, he rode like a novice and being beat by a 16-year-old on a 16/1 horse makes me realize there was a reason why he was a runner-up to Sir Anthony McCoy for the last 18 years before eventually getting the crown this year! I'm sure he has little chance of retaining the trophy this year. David Noonan and D. Bass will surely give him a run for his money. He should get his game on soon. Ink Master needed a better ride!

    Okay, that's enough of my lamenting. Richard Johnson is rich enough and been around enough in the game not to care! But saying that I still think he's darn cute!

    Have an awesome day and keep smiling.

    Love & Peace.

    Saturday, May 14, 2016

    Day Five - Healthy Spring Smoothie!

    Happy Saturday!

    Like it is, come every May my Saturday is reserved for the NAFF Eurovision song contest! It provided lots of laughter and songs that I wouldn't remember tomorrow. The UK excelled, all credit to the two lads. I loved the song (well, not loved but it was good for Eurovision) How did they not do better with so many numpties singing?

    Thankfully, one or two others were good as well and I had a great evening. Australia almost did it! Luckily not. Since when is Australia European? But never mind, we love all Australian exports: Kylie, Jason, Neighbours etc. They all want to be in England where it's all happening! UK - best country in the world.

    Now for a nice smoothie to dilute all that beer and wine and alcohol you must be downing to enjoy the weekend! Keep lots of healthy smoothies chilled to make your mornings have a great start! 

    Pineapple Smoothie

    Ingredients:
  • 1 cup cubed fresh or drained canned pineapple
  • 1/4 cup frozen pineapple-orange-juice concentrate
  • 1/2 cup non fat vanilla yogurt
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 ice cubes, crushed
  •  
    Instructions:
    Combine pineapple, pineapple-orange-juice concentrate, yogurt, water and ice cubes in a blender; blend until smooth. Serve immediately.
     
     
    Have an awesome day and keep smiling!
     
    Love & Peace!

    Friday, May 13, 2016

    Day Four - Healthy Spring Smoothie

    Friday the 13th.. spooky day or just one full of hype it's ridiculous? Anyways, whatever it's meant to be finds itself showcasing the day as spectacularly different!

    The last day of York festival (horse-racing folks!) and all the results were, well, surprising! Actually, the whole day of racing was well weird! The results were un-expected and random and if Bronze Beau was going to be a certain winner he somehow didn't figure in the top three even with a very good draw! I didn't believe Frankel's colt would be able to achieve anything special, especially from a debut run. Off-springs are generally very unlike their parents! Anyways, he didn't race green and just like the mighty Frankel who first ran on a Friday the 13th, Cunco achieved his victory on a maiden run.

    Okay, so even on a day like Friday the 13th we need a nice smoothie to get fit & healthy if we even want to be around to see all the new developments in this world. Maybe it will yet be a better place with more money go to around and not a divided circle of ''have's and the have-not's.''

    Enjoy your delicious smoothie!

    Kiwi, Banana + Ginger

    Ingredients
  • 3 kiwi fruit
  • 4 tablespoons organic porridge oats
  • 1 banana
  • 8 ice cubes
  • 200 ml organic milk
  • 250 g organic fat-free natural yoghurt
  • ½ cm piece fresh ginger , finely grated
  • honey , optional

  • Instructions
    Top and tail the kiwi fruit and stand them on their ends. Slice the skin off in vertical strips with a sharp knife. Whiz the kiwi fruit with the remaining ingredients, apart from the honey, in a blender for 30 seconds and pour into 4 tall glasses. Sweeten with a little honey, if you like. Read more at jamieoliver.com/recipes/fruit-recipes/kiwi-fruit-ginger-and-banana-smoothie/#ROJA0ug0RR4m1oCi.99
     
     
     
    Have an awesome day and keep smiling!
     
    Love & Peace.
     
     
     

    Thursday, May 12, 2016

    Day Three - Healthy Spring Smoothie

    Happy Thursday!

    Drinking is beneficial to our body and we need liquids to survive. It's a known fact that we can live longer without food but if we cut out liquids we meet our maker sooner. So quench our thirst, stop reaching for fizzy drinks and make your drink of choice healthy!

    Healthy drinks can lower the risk of heart disease, it can improve your mood and also give you a good portion of your five-a-day. Hope you enjoy my smoothies!

    Berry Smoothie:

    Ingredients:
    • 1 ripe banana
    • 140g of blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries
    • Apple juice or mineral water
    • Honey, to serve

    Instructions:
    1. Slice the banana into your blender or food processor and add the berries of your choice. Whizz until smooth. With the blades whirring, pour in juice or water to make the consistency you like. Toss a few extra fruits on top (suggestion), drizzle with honey and serve.


    In the words of Mahatma Gandhi, ''It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.''

    Have an awesome day and keep smiling!

    Love & Peace.

    Wednesday, May 11, 2016

    Day Two - Healthy Spring Smoothie!

    Happy Wednesday!

    Keep healthy with delicious smoothies every day. I shall be blogging a new one each day. Plus one it, so you can reference it whenever you need to get healthy. There is a saying that comes to mind, ''sickness comes on horseback and departs on foot.'' So try to keep healthy and eat/drink better.

    Mango, coconut smoothie:

    Ingredients:
  • 200ml (½ tall glass) coconut milk
  • 4 tbsp coconut milk yogurt
  • 1 banana
  • 1 tbsp ground flaxseed, sunflower and pumpkin seed
  • 120g (¼ bag) frozen mango chunks
  •  
    Instructions:
    1. Measure all the ingredients or use a tall glass for speed – they don’t have to be exact. Put them into a blender and blitz until smooth. Pour into 1 tall glass (you’ll have enough for a top up) or two short tumblers.
     
     
    To quote Shakespeare, ''Our bodies are our gardens - our will are our gardeners.''
     
    Have an awesome day and keep smiling.
     
    Love & Peace.

    Tuesday, May 10, 2016

    Healthy Spring Smoothie - One

    Happy Tuesday!

    Spring is in the air and the weather has been so much better. Yes, a few Spring showers and some nice warm days! I even craved an ice-cream and then a smoothie. As the days get warmer, don't keep reaching for the ice-cream, still keep up with your five-a-days! So all this week I will be giving you ideas for delicious smoothies you can whip up at home and keep it healthy. Chill it, so on really warm days you can quench your thirst with these healthy fruit or veg smoothies!

    Banana Smoothie

    Ingredients:
    2 ripe bananas, peeled, coarsely chopped                            
                                
                                

                                
                                



    Instructions:
    1.  Place the banana, milk, yoghurt, peanut butter, honey, wheat germ and ice in the jug of a blender, and blend until well combined.
    2. Pour among glasses. Drizzle with extra honey to serve.

    Have an awesome day and keep smiling!

    Love & Peace.

    Monday, May 9, 2016

    Homemade Yummy Mexican Tacos!

    Happy Monday!

    The start of The Invictus Games, the transit of Mercury, and the beginning of a new week if all of the above does not interest you - maybe a nice recipe will be your thing! Today I wanted to share with you all, one of my favourite dishes! Mexican Tacos!

    It's a big hit with my children and I love it too. So happy cooking and Bon Appetit!

    Ingredients:
  • 500g pack lean minced beef
  • 1 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 1½ tbsp dried oregano
  • 4 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 2tsp paprika
  • pinch chilli flakes
  • 24 taco shells

  •  
    Instructions:
    Heat a large frying pan until very hot, then brown the mince. Remove, then season with salt and pepper. Add the oil to the pan and fry the garlic, oregano and spices for 1 min until fragrant. Return the beef to the pan and toss well, then cook for 2-3 mins until hot through. Warm the taco shells following the pack instructions and serve with the beef.
     


    An inspiring quote from Vincent Van Gogh, ''I dream my painting, and I paint my dream.'' You too can ''Dream your life, and make it come true.''

    Have awesome day. Keep smiling!

    Love & Peace.

    Sunday, May 8, 2016

    Mother's Day Is Special :)

    Happy Sunday & Happy Mother's day!

    All around the world it was a very special day.. Yes, Mother's day. Because if it was not for a ''woman'' our population would not be there! So we bring the next generation into the world and we nurture them, in return there is one day in the year when we are honoured with flowers, cards, gifts and told how much we mean to everyone. Our children make cards and often buy us gifts. Yes, it's also a time when we think of our own mother's, as we are grown adults we now realise how important our mother was for us! I remembered my Mum and how she was never far from me to hear my every thought, moan, and happiness. I miss her every day and I miss her most today when I see all my friends posts photos of their Mums on FB!

    My Mum passed away too soon at barely 60 years old she was gone! Just last week, Jonathan Cainer passed away suddenly at 58, so my Mum had two extra years on him.. I should feel lucky she had all that time! I don't know why I miss Jonathan Cainer as much as I miss my Mum. Maybe because I read his advice every day and it was always relevant to me. I valued all the little things he said. I remember one time reading, ''No matter how bad things get, you will get by and it'll get better.'' It's something my Mum would say! Anyone else would not be bothered to lend a hand or even bother to reply!

    ''I wish I could tell my mum, I said a little prayer for you. To tell the Lord, thank you for blessing me with you. For all your love and care and the close laughter, joy we shared all through the years. You were there now through you live miles away. With Jesus in Heaven, yet in my heart - you stay. Never far in prayer, I hear you say stay strong, tomorrow is a new day. I will always be by your side. Lift your head, everything will be fine. My Mum was my best friend. Thank you Lord, although I'm scared to walk alone with no hand to hold. I will make it, until I'm dead. I will look up and count the stars and hope for blessings you will shower ahead. Let the sun shine through every smile I see. In my children, and their love for me.''

    I hope you enjoyed reading these few lines of poetry that I wrote. Keep smiling and I hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day. And it was not the ''knock out'' Amir Khan got yesterday in the boxing match! Hope he recovered from it, they were still sweeping up the pieces he left all over the ring long into the morning lol :)

    Stay blessed and love your Mum - you only have one!

    Love & Peace.

    Friday, May 6, 2016

    The Best Beauty Buys For Incredible Skin!

    If you want to keep your skin great, soft and youthful - you have to start looking after it! In order to get the best out of your skin, more and more beauty products are being manufactured to help us retain out beauty and youth. With so many products out on the market, it can be confusing what to choose. I am going to list five great products to help you get started.

    1. Toner
    Toning lotion with Witch Hazel is an oldie but a goldie. The gentle, all natural liquid ''Dickenson's Original Witch Hazel'' costs $6, but it does the trick. It doesn't sting while sapping sweat and oil from your face. Dab it lightly with a cotton ball to help de-grease your complexion without dulling your glow.

    2. Anti-Age Exfoliator
    The best one is ''Pro X by Olay Micro Peel.'' This one boasts a trio of glycolic, citric, and lactic acids to disintegrate dull, dead skin cells and makes way for a fresher complexion. After just one week you will see more radiant skin. And because it has glycerine in it, you can use it even in the dead of winter because it will give you extra hydration.

    3. A De-Coloration Treatment
    ''Skin Medicine Lytera'' is perfect, if you have been obsessed with wrinkles but have forgotten about all the sun damage and sun spots that have cropped up on your nose and cheeks. This brightener can help you play catch up in the pigment reduction department.

    4. A Moisturizer
    Is very essential and this one for a normal skin tone is a real winner. ''Aveeno Positively Radiant SPF30.'' This lotion delivers a respectably high SPF with a lightweight, non-sticky consistency. Of costs a very reasonable 15 dollars, a great buy!

    5. Anti-Age Eye Roller
    Last of the five would have to be a very important one. We need to look after our delicate eye area and this this anti-aging eye treatment is worth its weight in gold. It's from Garnier ''Skin Active Renew Eye Roller'' is a tool that checks all the boxes for a great formula to give you great looking skin around the eyes. It has a cooling metal tip which you can massage around your eyes to get blood flowing. It decreases puff as well has glycerine to moisturize. Feels therapeutic and you actually want to whip it out in the morning, lunch-time and night-time and get rolling!

      
    Hope you find this useful. Have an awesome day and keep smiling!

    Love & Peace.

    Wednesday, May 4, 2016

    Slogan T-Shirts.. Fashion Essential!

    Happy Wednesday!

    Only I'm just seeing the 10 PM news as I write my blog and I'm seeing wild fires in Canada (Alberta!)  how is this possible? Ninety-thousand people evacuated! Isn't Canada cold? It's not even summer how is this possible? I'm gobsmacked. Have I teleported to the future when there is global warming and the world is hot and wild fires are breaking out? Hmm. The world is changing into an unrecognisable place?

    Maybe my choice of slogan t-shirts for today is suitable for the mood of the world! We all need to make a stand, be vocal and make changes. If you could wear a slogan t-shire, what would it be? Hope you like my choice of t-shirts.

    1. I liked unicorns before they were cool T-shirt / 6 pounds / Newlook.com
    2. Wifi tank top / 16 AUD / Allyfashion.com
    3. Graphic tee liquid sunshine / 14 dollars / Etsy.com
    4. Movie quotes tee / 28 dollars / Etsy.com

    A little quote which always inspires me is ''I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.'' - Jimmy Dean.

    Okay, blue skies and a promise of 22 degrees sounds good so these t-shirts will be pretty awesome to expand your wardrobe. So if you keep buying new stuff remember to also get rid of old stuff you are not using anymore. If you haven't used it for over two years, it's time to donate it to a charity shop. Maybe someone else will love it and wear it with pride.

    Have an awesome day and keep smiling.

    Love & Peace.

    Monday, May 2, 2016

    Life Is short... Summer Sandals

    Bank Holiday Monday. It was a time of enjoyment, fun, and very good weather. Leicester even became champions of the land! An incredible feat. The first time in 130 years they have done what nobody imagined. Congratulations, Leicester!

    Then my day was winding up and with a nice glass of wine and some telly to enjoy and as I looked on my laptop, I see the news that Britain's greatest ever astrologer Jonathan Cainer has passed away! I am deeply saddened and as I read through the report I couldn't help but brush away tears. This year has stolen another shining-star to join the others in Heaven. And has left us with gaping holes. Jonathan has still left a lot of predictions and forecasts which will be published and which I look forward to reading. I have always been a big fan of Jonathan Cainer. A kind and generous man. My condolences to his family & children. A very proud grand-pa he was as well. My thoughts and prayers #RIPJonathan. You will be greatly missed! Jonathan will never be forgotten, as his nephew Oscar will continue and take over his work.

    I had planned to do this blog with a election of summer sandals to inspire you, when you hit the shops. So I will still put them here and hope you like them as much as I do.

     
    1. Sandal with fringe / 25 dollars / Hm.com
    2. Sandal / 20 dollars / Hm.com
    3. White sandal / 50 dollars / Aeropostale.com
    4. Women's beach sandals / 45 dollars / Billabong.com
    5. Seas the day sandals / 50 dollars / Billabong.com

    Love & Peace.

    Sunday, May 1, 2016

    Great Jeans For The Weekend!

    Happy Sunday / Funday!

    The weather is finally looking up and if you want to go scramble outdoors, go hiking, have a picnic in the woods - what better clothes than a nice pair of jeans. They can be casual for a fun weekend or you could dress it up with a nice blouse and go to a rock concert or hang out at Coachella (well, if you're lucky to go there this year!). I love a pair of jeans. It's great in the rain or if you have to travel away from home - it's comfortable and denim is known for being tough materiel. Washes well and a great investment because it will last a good five to ten years!

    Some of my favourite jeans from a brand new collection. Great style and good buys!


    1. Colored Denim / 30 pounds / houseoffraser.co.uk
    2. Ripped Boyfriend Jeans / 18 pounds / Boohoo.com
    3. High waisted skinny jeans / 25 pounds / newlook.com
    4. Flared regular jeans / 20 pounds / Hm.com

    A little motivational quote for Sunday: ''Good, better, best. Never let it rest. Tell your good is better and your better is best.'' St. Jerome.

    Have an awesome day and keep smiling!
    Love & Peace.