Morrocan Lamb Tagine

This is a very easy and delicious alternative to a winter stew. Really tasty and so simple to make.

To serve 4 you will need:

1 or 2 tbsp oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 tin chopped carrots (bit of a cheat but works just as well!)
400-500g of lamb, chopped into chunks about 2cm squared.
1/2 tsp of cumin
1/2 tsp of mint
1/2 tsp of parsley
1/2 tsp of ground ginger
1 tsp of cinnamon
2 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed and then finely chopped
1 tbsp of honey
100g of chopped dried apricots
1 vegetable stock cube, crumbled

Then to bulk it out I usually add 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced. You could even add a parsnip. Not strictly Moroccan but this works really well!

Begin by softening the onion in a heavy based pan. I used a casserole pot for this dish.

Once soft add the carrots and diced lamb and cook until brown and then add all of the herbs and spices and the garlic and cook for another few minutes. I mixed all of the spices/herbs/garlic together before adding to the pot so they were more evenly distributed.

Add the honey, apricots, sweet potato (and anything else you might want to add) and the stock cube and cover with boiling water and bring to the boil.

And now the easy bit. Turn down the heat, cover the pot, sit back and relax for about 1 hour or even 2 if you have the time.

Serve with cous cous and enjoy! (Sorry for the rubbish photo! It's so hard to find good light at this time of year.)

No7 Eyebrow Palette

I love Boots 3 for 2 Christmas offer. Since the cheapest product is free I usually buy myself a little something as a reward for all of the hard work of Christmas shopping. This week I bought myself the No 7 Eyebrow Palette.

This palette comes in a very cute little box and contains four eyebrow powders, an eyebrow pencil, a mini applicator brush and a (very) mini pair of tweezers.

I can have quite unruly eyebrows at the best of times so I need all the help I can get.

The eyebrow powder come in four different shades. Two browns (one dark, one just a little lighter), a browny grayish shade and a pale nude/pink shade, which is probably more of a highlighter. The pencil is a light shade of brown.

The tweezers are actually a nice surprise. i was worried they would be difficult to use as they are very small but they are great. They made me wonder why tweezers really need to be any bigger!

The pencil is a little bit too light for my brows but the texture and ease of application are both really good and the powders do the trick too.

Despite this I think the palette really misses a mirror. With one it would be great for on the go brow touch up but without I'll probably end up just using this occasionally at home. It would also have been nice if there were colour options for the brown pencil (e.g. blonde, brunette etc.) because the pencil i pretty much useless to me and I'm sure it would be to a lot of people.

This product is pretty good and at £10 is also pretty cheap but there is not enough I love about it to make it a make up routine staple.

MUA Elysium Palette

I have a new found love for MUA products and when I saw this whilst wandering around my local Superdrug, I knew I had to buy it.

The palette comes with 10 eyeshadows in varying matte and shimmery tones as well as a double ended highlighter and eyeliner pencil.

The colours are really lovely and seem to have pretty good staying power. It's nice that there are  a few sparkly ones included for the festive season.

The colours all have really pretty names and I'll walk you through them one by one.

Air - Very pale and smooth colour. Perfect for a base or highlighter.
Cherub - This very pale pink colour is adorable. Just the right amount of sparkle.
Charm - My favourite of all the colours. Perfect for day wear. Very subtle and natural.
Refine - Very similar to Charm but just a hint darker.
Entrance - A hint of sparkle. Perfect for Xmas party smoky eyes.
Adore - Beautiful colour but just a bit too dark for my pale skin.
Astral - My favourite sparkly colour in the palette. Nice colour and perfectly sparkly.
Grace - This one would also be perfect for smoky eyes.
Smoke - I'm a bit scared of this colour to be honest. It's very dark and very pigmented.
Seraphic - I love the name of this and the colour. Another one that's great for the party season.

The eyeliner pencil is a nice consistency and holds its colour really well and the highlighter does the trick to.

This palette is fantastic and at £6 is an absolute bargain. A must have for any make up lover!

My Two Favourite Mascaras - Compared

I'm pretty simple when it come to makeup and I tend to stick to the same brands for most things. When it comes to mascara there are two that I love.

ModelCo Fibre Lashxtend and Maybelline Great Lash Mascara.

I've used Maybelline since I started using make up when I was about 14 and there is always at least 1 in my makeup bag. It doesn't clump, looks natural and is easy to apply.

I first used the Modelco mascara when I received a tube free in Glamour magazine earlier this year and I am a convert! It has a slightly higher price tag than the Maybelline brand, but as my mum says, you only get what you pay for!

The Modelco Fibre Lashxtend comes in at around £16 which isn't going to break the bank but is quite a bit more than the £5 I usually pay for Maybelline.

So is it worth it? Judge for yourself....

Maybelline Baby Lips - Peach Kiss

I purchased this product because I really need a reliable lip balm at this time of year. The winter in Edinburgh is really harsh on my lips and they are often cracked and sore.

Maybelline Baby Lips caught my eye because as well as being a lip balm it is a nice nude pink colour.

It's a nice soft lip balm with a pretty but subtle colour and I've used it religiously over the past few weeks.

My lips have managed to avoid being cracked so far and I think this will become a firm favourite lip balm over the winter months and at only £2.99 its well worth the money!

Forgotten Treasures

I was clearing out my wardrobe a few days ago and stumbled across a few products that I had forgotten all about but really love.

Percy Reed Finishing Polish

This is actually something that I got free in Glamour Magazine but I love it. I’m not usually a fan of hair products as they can make my hair seem flat and lifeless but this is fab. It’s got a lovely texture and doesn't have too strong a smell. I hate using scented products on my hair. It’s great for taming fly away hairs and split ends. The best freebie I've ever received!

Body Shop Vitamin E Cream Exfoliator

I have an unhealthy addiction to the Body Shop. I can spend hours browsing the shelves, smelling every product and using every tester. The stuff is great quality, reasonable priced and ethically sourced. I bought this product when I was in the middle of a bad skin phase. I bought it with just about every other product in the Vitamin E range and used them religiously for a few months. They really did sort my skin out. Unfortunately I used everything up and never got round to buying them again but I absolutely love this range and would recommend it to anyone trying to whip their skin into shape!

Body Shop Honey and Oat Face Mask

Another Body Shop favourite. This mask is lovely. It’s thick and creamy and smells delicious. It has little grainy oaty bits in it too so you can feel is exfoliating as you put it on. This product feels really natural and luxurious and I can’t believe I’d forgotten about it until now!

Pure Simplicity Heel Balm

I was given this as a gift in Australia last Christmas. I spent 5 weeks in Oz and my feel really suffered from wearing flip-flops (or thongs as the Aussies call them) non-stop for weeks. This was a lifesaver. My feet were sighing with relief when I first used this and I continued to use it when I got home to keep my feet in shape. Every time I use this product the smell transports me back to the Aussie summer and I can’t wait to get back there!

Wedding Stress!

I am getting married in 6 months. So far I have arranged my venue and my dress and nothing else. I have a friend who is also getting married at around the same time. She has sorted everything already. I really need to get started. The problem is, I’m just not a good planner. I always get everything done but usually at the last minute. I’m the kind of person who does Christmas shopping at 4 O’clock on Christmas Eve.

So I've made a list of things I still need to do:

Bridesmaid Dress

Wedding Cars

Florist

Photographer

Hair and Make Up

Honeymoon

Shoes, Jewellery etc.

Guest List

Cake

Invitations

Favours

Table Decorations

Menswear

Wedding Rings

The list is endless. Where do I start!? Have I forgotten anything? How will we pay pay for it all? Aaaaaah!

Wintery Beef Stew and Potatoes

This recipe originally came from my mum and it always makes me think of being warmed up during cold winters when I was little.

To serve 2-3 people you will need:

500g of lean beef chopped into chunks
1 tbsp of oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 celery sticks, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp parsely
1 tsp mixed herbs
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tbsp plain flour
500ml of beef stock
2 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Sea Salt and Black Pepper to taste

You can also add any other veg you want to this such as swede, parsnip or leeks to bulk it up.

First add the oil to a large pot and heat gently. Whilst this is heating up toss the meat with the flour until its dusty and add to the pan once hot. Fry the meat until it's browned all over.

Add the onion, garlic, celery, carrots and any other veg to the meat and cook for a few minutes until the onions start to look soft.

Add the stock, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar and all herbs and spice as well as salt and pepper to the pot. Cover and let this simmer at a low temperature for at least 2 hours. I usually try to leave it for 2.5 to 3 hours if I have time. This way the meat is very tender and the gravy nice and thick.

If you want a richer sauce you can also add some red wine but I usually don't bother with this.



I serve with some sauteed herby potatoes and steamed green veg for a filling and relatively healthy winter meal.

A great winter warmer!

MUA Make Up Haul

For my latest make up haul I decided to try MUA (Make up Academy). This isn't a brand I've used before and I was interested to see what kind of quality I could get for such a low price.

I purchased:

MUA Pro Base Primer
MUA Blusher in Cupcake
MUA Power Pout Colour Intense Tint and Balm
MUA Pro Base Complexion Kit

MUA Pro Baser Primer - £4.00

I used this primer after I had moisturised. It feels quite oily takes a while to absorb into the skin. It also doesn't have a particularly appealing smell. However once applied it does the trick. My make up stayed looking pretty good all day long. Not the best primer I've ever used but certainly not the worst.

MUA Blusher in Cupcake - £1.00!

This blusher is the perfect colour for my skin tone. It applies nicely and looks very fresh. No points for the packing though, it's so difficult to open that I broke a nail on my first try!

MUA Power Pout Colour Intense Balm - £3.00

This is clearly a dupe of the Clinique Chubby Stick (which I also own, so this product has a lot to live up to). The packaging is very similar as is the range of colours. I went for 'rendezvous'. I'm not impressed with the colour as it's nothing like the packaging would have you believe. I thought this would be a tinted nude colour but it's closer to hot pink and looks terrible with my fair skin. The balm itself is very soft and doesn't feel overly greasy but the colour has really put me off.

MUA Pro Base Complexion Kit - £6.00

This is the product I was looking forward to trying the most. I went with 'Ivory' as I have very pale skin but you can also choose 'Nude' or 'Mocha'. The palette contains a cream to powder foundation, cream concealer and a highlighter. It also has a mirror and a sponge and brush for application so it's perfect for touch ups on the go. The feel of the foundation is quite greasy but once it's applied it feels powdery soft and not heavy on the skin. It provides pretty good coverage too, as does the concealer. To me the highlighter was a bit too dark to highlight properly but it does work nicely as a light blush or even a lip tint.

Not bad for £14.00! I'll definitely be trying more products in this range.

Nivea Daily Essentials Tinted Moisturising Cream

I am not a big fan of foundations as I find them very heavy on my skin. A friend recommended using a tinted moisturiser as they tend to be lighter..

I've used Nivea products before so I thought I give Nivea's Daily Essentials Tinted Moisturising Cream a go.

My first impression of the moisturiser is that it looks a lot more expensive than it really is. It retails at around £3.56 but I got it for £1.78 in Superdrug during an offer period.

The application is really easy as it blends so smoothly. I was surprised as the colour looks a lot darker than I had thought it would be but once it blends in it is very subtle and light. It also has a very nice scent (typical of all Nivea products).

The cream is SPF15 which is great for me as I have very fair skin and like to wear something to protect me even in the winter months and does feel very moisturising when applied.

All in all it's a pretty good product and I'm looking forward to using it more!

Warm and Yummy Sausage Casserole

To serve 2-3 people you will need:

8 Pork sausages. I used some nice pork and herb sausages from Sainsbury's

6 rashers of streaky bacon, roughly chopped.

1 large onion, chopped.

1 shallot, chopped.

2 garlic cloves, crushed.

1 can chopped tomatoes.

2 sticks of celery.

250ml of chicken stock.

1 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce.

1 tbsp of brown sugar.

1 tsp of dried mixed herbs.

1 tsp of dried thyme.

1/2 tsp of dried parsley.

1/2 tsp of smoked paprika. If you like things spicy you could use chili powder here instead.

100ml of red wine (use water if you don't have wine).

1 tin of baked beans.

Salt and black pepper to taste.

Firstly add a splash of oil to a frying pan, heat up and add your sausages. Fry them gently for 8-10 minutes and then take them out of the frying pan and add them to a casserole dish.

Whilst your sausages are frying, chop your bacon, onion, shallot and celery and crush the garlic.

Fry the bacon until it goes brown and crispy and then add this to the casserole dish with the sausages.

Next fry the onion and shallot, adding the garlic and celery after a few minutes.

Once this has mix has gone golden brown add the tomatoes, stock, Worcestershire sauce, sugar and herbs along with the red wine/water. Allow it to simmer for a few minutes and then add the contents of the frying pan to the casserole dish.

Let this simmer gently for around 15 minutes then add the tin of baked beans. I drained most of the sauce away first as I didn't want my casserole to be too watery or tomato-y but you can leave this if  you wish. I also added salt and pepper at this point.

Let this all cook away for around another 15 minutes and then serve with potatoes and Yorkshire puddings for a perfect winters evening meal!

Thai Beef Massaman Curry

Thai food is my favourite and I love a Massaman curry however this was the first time I'd tried to make one at home.

To serve 4 you will need:

80g of unsalted peanuts

500ml of coconut cream

4 tbsp. Massaman curry paste

600g lean beef cut into chunks

1 large potato cut into chunks

1 onion - chopped

1 tbsp. ground cinnamon

1 tbsp. tamarind paste

1 tbsp. brown sugar

1 tbsp. fish sauce

Jasmine or Coconut rice

You can also add a red chilli to this is you want a bit of a kick but I prefer my curry mild so I didn't bother.

Firstly I roasted my peanuts for a few minutes in the oven and then chopped them once they had cooled.

Next add the beef, onion, curry paste, potato, cinnamon, tamarind paste, sugar and fish sauce to a large pot with about 200ml of coconut cream and keep stirring it until everything has mixed well. Add around 3/4 of the peanuts too.

Finally add the rest of the coconut cream and about 200ml of water to the pot and simmer on a low heat for around 2 hours. This should make the meat really tender.

The sauce should be nice and thick so if it looks a bit thin you can add some corn starch to it to thicken it a little.

Serve up with some lovely jasmine rice (you can add desiccated coconut for extra taste) and sprinkle the rest of the roasted peanuts over the top.

Delicious!

Delicious and Easy Balsamic Herb Salmon Recipe

I'm always looking for new things to cook because I get bored of having the same meal over and over again so I usually spend one day a week trawling the internet for something new and easy to make.

Today I cooked Balsamic and Herb Salmon and it was delicious and so easy.

To serve 4 people, you will need:

4 Salmon Fillets
1 Tsp Garlic Powder
1 Tbsp of Honey
1 Tbsp of Water
1/3 Cup of Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tbsp of Oil (olive, vegetable, sunflower - whatever you have)
Sea Salt and Black Pepper to taste
1 Lemon

You can also as many other herbs and spices as you like. I added parsley and some basil.

The recipe itself is very easy.

Preheat the oven 425° Fahrenheit/200 Celsius and whilst this is heating up make the sauce. To make the sauce simply put the garlic, honey, water, balsamic vinegar, salt, black pepper and a splash of lemon juice in a bowl and make sure its mixed well. Make sure add any extra herbs and spices here too.

Next use the oil to grease a baking tray and place the salmon on the tray.

Brush the salmon with about half of the sauce and bake uncovered for around 12 minutes.

Take the salmon out of the oven, cover with the rest of the sauce and bake for a further 3-5 minutes.

I served this with some fresh green beans, sautéed herb potatoes and a wedge of lemon (just for decoration).

Easy and delicious!

New Makeup Haul

I usually try to go without any sort of foundation/powder/concealer but unfortunately at this time of year my summer tan has worn off and it becomes easy to look pasty, especially in Edinburgh during Autumn/Winter. So I have decided that the time has come to invest in some makeup to cover the blemishes. I don't really like spending a lot of money on makeup so I decided to take advantage of a good offer with a well priced brand.

I purchased a few products which were:

1) Seventeen Define and Conquer Contour Kit - £4.99 (pictured)
2) Seventeen Blemish Balm - £6.99
3) Seventeen Miracle Matt Pressed Powder - £3.99

The Seventeen Define and Conquer Contour Kit is brilliant! I've never tried contouring before and this kit made it easy and I instantly saw results. It comes with a little card showing you where to use each powder. It's a great product for a great price. 10/10!

The second product I bought, the Blemish Balm, is supposed to moisturise and provide coverage. I'm always sceptical about  these types of products but I have to say this one is pretty good. It feels very soft between the fingertips and application is very smooth and easy. Coverage is also pretty good but not 100%. 7/10.

The Miracle Matt Pressed Powder does exactly as is says. It's simple and effective. The finish is pleasant and coverage is as good as you would expect from a pressed powder.

All in all the Seventeen range is better than I expected it would be for the price. I'm a happy girl!

Day One of a New Me!

I got home from work last night, opened a (large) packet of biscuits and threw myself on the sofa and before I knew it I'd devoured more than half of the pack. Then I dragged myself upstairs to change into something more comfortable and stood in front of the mirror wondering why I was a lot softer round the edges than I used to be.

So this is it! No excuses. No more biscuit binges! This time I'm sticking to it and day one of trying to avoid binge eating has gone pretty well.

Breakfast: Porridge and a cup of peppermint tea.
Lunch: Pasta salad
Dinner: Paprika Chicken Breast, Roasted Veg and Boiled Rice.

Not too bad for my first day.

I know that I'm not going to get the body I want by cutting down on food alone and I hate going to the gym. So I'm going to invest in some (not too expensive) home gym products. Any suggestions?