Nutty granola cookies

Just the other day I have been reading an article about the correct ways of melting the white chocolate, and how much more capricious it is in comparison to its milk and dark brothers. Did I heed the wise advice? My melting session ended up as a fiasco, and I had to rethink on how to decorate what was supposed to be Granola Chocolate Cookies.
The original recipe was sent to me by Jordans together with a bag of nutty granola to try a new recipe for Mother's day. The recipe looked delicious, and my guys love cookies, of course, I'll do it.
Here is the original recipe for Granola Cherry & Chocolate Cookies (reproduced on my blog with kind permission from Jordans)

Ingredients:
50g Jordans Super Nutty Granola
100g plain flour
2 level teaspoons baking powder
75g light muscovado sugar
75g dried cherries
75g butter
3 tbsp golden syrup
75g white chocolate, broken into pieces

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180C (fan oven to 160C), gas mark 4. Line a large baking sheet (or 2 smaller ones) with baking paper. I would say, definitely two, as the cookies expand considerably as they get baked.
2. In a large bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, sugar, cherries and Jordans Super Nutty granola, breaking up any large clusters with your fingertips.
3. Melt the butter and syrup together in a saucepan over a low heat, taking care that the mixture doesn't get too hot. Pour into the dry cookie ingredients and mix well.
4. Shape the mixture into 9-12 balls and arrange on the prepared baking sheet, spaced apart to allow for spreading. Bake for 10-12 minutes until light golden brown. I made 15 cookies, and they were not small. I think if you make just 9 balls, you'll get gigantic cookies.
Cool for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
5. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl, positioned over a saucepan of simmering water. Use a teaspoon to drizzle the chocolate over the cookies. Serve when the chocolate has set.

Cook's tips: Use plain or milk chocolate instead of white for drizzling over the chocolate cookies.
Try using sultanas, dried blueberries or cranberries instead of cherries, for a change.
Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Now back to my saga. First of all, I couldn't find any dried cherries, I knew I had a packet somewhere, but either I have hidden it too well, or someone has sneakily eaten them all and threw the empty packet away. Both is possible. I had plenty of raisins, so I used them instead. I suppose the dried cherries would work really well with white chocolate though.

As my white chocolate melting session turned into yet another cooking disaster and curdled, I ended up with a solidified lump. I tried to soften it with butter and golden syrup, but it still looked unspreadable and quite unappetising. Thus I had to improvise and make a lemon icing with the icing sugar and lemon juice.
The cookies are very sweet, I would reduce the amount of golden syrup maybe to 2. And maybe increase the amount of granola. Jordans Nutty Granola is a delicious granola for all nut lovers.

Nutty granola is a lovely ingredient in baking, and I am sure it won't be long before we have another cookie baking session, though I will stay clear of the white chocolate next time. So much easier to melt the milk chocolate.

Disclosure: Thanks to Jordans for sending us a bag of Nutty granola with the recipe for the purposes of trying the recipe.

My fellow bloggers were testing different recipes with Jordans granola and crisps. Check out what they made.
Mother's Day Strawberry and Lemon Munchkins
and
(more to come)

Easter Pick Me Up (Hotel Chocolat)

When the postie brings you chocolate, you feel like giving him a big hug. Especially if it is the chocolate from a luxury brand like Hotel Chocolat. Easter Pick Me Up from Hotel Chocolat is a chocolate gift perfect for sharing. You get a selection of treats in one packet: White praline bunnies, Salted caramel foiled egglets and Raspberry Zinger egglets. This cheerful selection offers treats for the whole family, from kids-friendly bunnies to salted caramel mini-eggs with a more grown-up flavour.

Salted caramel is one of my favourite flavours to go with chocolate, it is simply a marvellous combination. Foiled egglets were prettily presented in a transparent bag tied with a ribbon. Festive and tempting. And a very manageable size too.
I would love to know the exact calorie count per egg, but could only find a total amount - 250kcal per serving (which is a very generous serving of 3 praline bunnies & 1 foiled egglet, or 2 bunnies and 2 raspberry egglets). I think each egglet is roughly 62.5kcal (not bad at all for a non-fasting day).

Bite into a chocolatey treat, and be surprised by a sweet'n'salty lava of liquid salted caramel. Or let it melt slowly in your mouth, chocolate and caramel going all gooey (OK, I swallow as I write, they were so good). A lovely treat!

I'm not the biggest fan of the white chocolate, but all my men love it. In fact that's the only photo of the White praline bunnies that I had a chance to take, as they all disappeared very fast. When I asked my guys what they thought, they said "Really good" and "Delicious, Mummy!", so I have to trust their words and my eyes. Not a crumb was left for me to try. They looked very cute, with a thick layer of white chocolate over the praline.

Then there is a small set of four Raspberry Zinger Egglets. I was happy to discover that they have a raspberry and lime flavoured ganache inside the chocolate shell, which is again made of white chocolate with vanilla seeds and natural colouring (beetroot). These pink egglets (as well as the salted caramel ones) would look gorgeous on an Easter cake. Or make the grown-up version of egg nest cakes and add an egglet as a sophisticated decoration.

It goes without saying that Hotel Chocolat has a wide selection of Easter eggs and treats for all ages and tastes. The choice is incredibly varied, but there are a couple of Easter gifts that made me smile: Egg and chips (a humorous take on the British classic) the & You Crack Me Up Extra Thick Egg (with adorable smiley pralines and chicks).

I plan to send my husband to Oxford (our nearest Hotel Chocolat shop) and buy these gifts for our boys for Easter.



Disclosure: I received an Easter Pick Me Up from Hotel Chocolat for the purposes of reviewing. All opinions are mine.

Boy-Island

It is very trendy these days to portray Russia as the axis of evil and condemn all the Russians en masse. That's a mistake that the politicians with their own agendas do, and the common people follow. In the last few years I am yet to read anything vaguely-positive about Russia. Yet this is a country which has an incredibly rich culture and is full of inspiring stories. It truly pains me that because of the dirty political games on both sides there is a fear that my Mum and I might not be able to see each other again if she is not granted a travel visa this summer. For many years she has been doing her heroic journey, travelling for 22 hours by train to Moscow and from Moscow to London by coach. Several days of travelling, for the sake of seeing her daughter and grandchildren.
My Mum, Lyudmila Kravchenko, is a talented artist. She is well known in Russia. Enamel is her choice of art technique, and she has inspired and taught many younger artists.
Her personal exhibition will be soon open in the city of Perm.
Today I want to share with you one of her enamel pieces. It is a portrait of my son Sasha.
My Mum called it "Boy-Island".

You cannot question the great minds of this world, and John Donne is famous for his beautiful haunting line "No man is an island".
Yet as a Mum of a son on the autistic spectrum, I could hesitantly argue that that's how it feels sometimes.
Here he is, my beautiful boy, sitting by the seashore, so close and so distant.
He is alone, immersed in his world, often aloof. He is not a faraway island, but a small isle next to the big land, a bit like St Michael's Mount, which is separated by the tides from the mother land. When the tides are low, you can walk to the island and reach him easily. When the tide is high, we are separated by the deep water and the waves of frustration, anxiety and misunderstanding.
And that's how my Mum sees it. Interesting enough, the original image of Sasha was taken during our trip to Paestum, an ancient Greek town in Italy, and in the photo he's sitting on the dry land among the ruins of the past.
My boy has just turned twelve. All these years I try to run across to him, battling the deep waters of the tide and the seaweeds that lash your feet.

Teapigs for Mother's day and all year round

"It is never too late, or too early, for tea"
"My view too", agreed Mma Ramotswe. "Now, what would you like? We have redbush tea or we have ordinary tea. Both are available"
"Not everybody likes redbush", said Mma Makutsi... "I prefer what Mma Ramotwse calls ordinary tea, but which can be far from ordinary - if made correctly"...
"I think I'll try redbush", said Mma Sheba. "I have a friend who drinks it, and she swears by it".
"As do I", said Mma Ramotswe. "It has no caffeine and therefore you can drink it even when you are about to go to sleep. And it is very good for the skin, I'm told".
"Where is the proof?" muttered Mma Makutsi... (The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon, Alexander McCall Smith)

While Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi from The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency cannot come to an agreement about which tea is better, I enjoy both redbush and black tea. If anything, I welcome the variety of teas, and have a great choice of different packs and boxes of tea in my kitchen, which is suitable for any occasion or mood and which could match a small sized tea shop easily. Teapigs brand of tea is well known and much loved. Their unique packaging makes them stand out on the supermarket shelves and in cafes (so pleased that our local Cogges manor farm sells their teas in the cafe).

Teapigs use the whole leaf in their tea temples which are basically cute transparent mesh bags. The temples are also bio-degradable, and kudos to Teapigs for doing that.

Everyday Brew is their signature blend. It is a combination of three delicious teas: Assam, Ceylon and Rwandan. These teas are blended "to give a balanced, malty, zesty alliance". It is quite a strong brew, what could be described as a builders' brew. I prefer to have it with a slice of lemon and one sugar (sweetener).
It is a flavourful tea, great both hot and iced.
And what's even more commendable, for every pack of Everyday Brew that we buy, Teapigs will donate 5p to the Noel Orphanage in Rwanda.

 

It is a pleasure to watch the leaves unfurl, once you infuse a tea temple in the hot boiling water.

If you are a fan of Mma Ramotswe and would like a bit of African sun in your own house, Rooibos (or redbush) is the perfect tea for you. I mostly have it before going to bed, this is my last cup of tea of the day. It is smooth, slightly nutty and looks gorgeously mahogany-tinted. I know you may add milk to it, if you like, but I prefer to have it as it is, or perhaps with half a teaspoon of honey. I find it very calming and relaxing.

Going back to black teas, Darjeeling is another clean and refreshing brew. Serve it either in posh dainty cups or more democratic mugs and enjoy its refreshing taste.

If your own Mum or mother of your children is anything like me, she'd be delighted with a lovely Pick'n'Mix gift from Teapigs. Rather than getting your Mum a standard box of Celebrations or Milk Tray, surprise her with a quirky tea gift. We, Mums, love our tea. Tea is a solution to everything (or almost everything), or so I believe. This set is a great way to introduce tea lovers to the varied and exciting world of teas. You can choose twelve flavours including Darjeeling, Everyday Brew, Peppermint, Popcorn, Rooibos, Chai and Jasmine Pearl. There is a tea to suit every taste. How does it sound? This gift ticks all the boxes, and would definitely get you the brownie points for being so thoughtful and creative.
Of course, tea is not just for Mother's day. It is a treat for any day of the year.

Pick'n'mix (photo courtesy of Teapigs)

Disclosure: I received a selection of Teapigs tea for the purposes of reviewing. All opinions are mine.

New games in the garden: Bee-Ball Junior BB-05 Basketball Stand

The last two weekends were lovely, it truly felt like spring. And when the sun is shining, my guys and I find ourselves in the garden. Eddie is either digging in the sandpit, or helping with the garden chores. Sasha moves to the summerhouse with his ipad, doing occasional forays in our territory to check what we're up to. The weekend before last one my husband and I spent some time assembling a new acquisition to our garden, a Bee-Ball Junior BB-05 Basketball Stand.
What could be the better way to tone the remains of the winter flab than by running and jumping in the garden?

Ballets Russes, aka Eddie playing baskeball

The basketball stand is perfect for children of different ages thanks to its quick height adjustment system (you can set the hoop height from 1.65m to 2.05m). We put it on lower level, so that our little man could join in, though Sasha would definitely need a higher setting.

Now what could take some DIY-talented people just half an hour, took us much longer. But finally we did it. We managed to attach the sturdy base to the stand with steel struts. You can fill the base with either water or sand to make it more stable (we just put the bag of sand over it to make it easier to move around the lawn).
It looks stylish, with the chunky wheels at the bottom of the base to move it. The backboard is made of durable UV safe plastic which shouldn't fade in the strong sunlight or crack in the cold.

We were all very enthusiastic. My husband was teaching Eddie how to play.

I was weeding nearby, occasionally tempted to join in the fun and laughter, though I confess I am not very good at it.

Even Sasha left the safety of the summerhouse to play with his younger brother, though he is too tall for the lower setting.

We played and played, it was already getting dark. The last rays of the sun coloured the sky pink.

Soon the Moon was out, and it was time for us to go back in the house and have dinner. We do need to buy a proper basketball, but I can see that we're going to make the most of our garden this coming summer, with our new basketball stand.

You can find all kinds of basketball equipment at the Basketball Equipment Shop (Big Game Hunters).

Disclosure: We received the basketball stand for the purposes of reviewing. All opinions are mine.

World Salt Awareness Week Recipes from Schwartz and giveaway E: 12 April 2014 NOW CLOSED)

This week is a World Salt Awareness Week.
Schwartz, the flavour experts and the UK’s leading herbs and spices brand, has teamed up with UK nutritionist, Azmina Govindji, to create a series of delicious and healthy family favourite recipes, made with herbs and spices that are low in salt and saturated fat.
Two recipes for delicious chicken dishes are reproduced on my blog courtesy of Schwartz.
For more fantastic recipes and tips on healthy eating, visit Schwartz Flavourful Healthy Eating page.

Photo and recipe below is reproduced courtesy of Schwartz

Roast Chicken
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients
1.6kg (3.5lb) whole chicken, skinless
(ask your butcher to do this if possible)
2 tbs olive oil
1 tbs Schwartz Garlic Pepper
2 tsp Schwartz Thyme
2 tsp Schwartz Paprika
1 tbs Schwartz Flat Leaf Parsley
1 lemon, halved
1 large onion, cut into thin wedges
1 tbs balsamic vinegar
125ml (4fl oz) water
1. Pre-heat the oven to 190°C, 375°F, Gas Mark 5. Take enough kitchen foil to be able to line a roasting tin and completely seal the chicken. Place the skinned chicken into the foil lined tin and score the chicken to allow the flavours to penetrate.
2. Make a paste with the oil and the herbs and spices, brush over the chicken. Stuff the lemon halves into the cavity and place the onion wedges around the chicken.
3. Mix the balsamic vinegar with the water and pour over the onions. This will create a light gravy and keep the chicken moist during cooking.
4. Cover the chicken with the foil and roast for about 1 hour 10 minutes. Baste and return to the oven, uncovered, for a further 10 minutes or until the juices run clear and the chicken is cooked throughout. Serve the chicken smothered in the balsamic and onion juices.
Serving suggestion per serving: 80g steamed green beans and
3 new boiled potatoes (120g cooked weight) in their skins

Photo and recipe below is reproduced courtesy of Schwartz

Chicken Stir Fry
Preparation time: 12 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients
3 tbsp reduced salt soy sauce
1 tsp Schwartz Ground Ginger
1 tsp Schwartz Perfect Shake Chinese Five Spice Herb & Spice Blend
½ - 1 tsp Schwartz Crushed Chillies (optional)
1 tbs Schwartz Sesame Seeds
1 tbs clear honey
350g (12oz) boneless, skinless, chicken breast, sliced
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
600g pack stir fry vegetables
4 spring onions, sliced diagonally

1. In a large bowl mix the reduced salt soy sauce, Ginger, Chinese Five Spice, Crushed Chillies (if using), Sesame Seeds and honey. Add the chicken and stir to coat.
2. Set aside to marinade while you prepare the vegetables. Heat half of the oil in a wok, or large frying pan and stir fry the vegetables for about 4-5 minutes. Set aside.
3. Heat the remaining oil and stir fry the chicken for 3-4 minutes, reserving the marinade.
4. Add the reserved marinade, spring onions and chicken, cook through for a further 2 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
5. Stir in the cooked vegetables and warm through for another couple of minutes.
6. Great served with boiled egg noodles tossed with Schwartz Sesame Seeds.

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Would you like to recreate these mouth-watering recipes?
Schwartz have kindly offered a selection of herbs and spices as a prize for one of my lucky winners so that they could try the recipes above. This is a great set to get creative in the kitchen.

The prize consists of:

Schwartz Garlic Pepper
Schwartz Thyme
Schwartz Paprika
Schwartz Flat Leaf Parsley
Schwartz Ground Ginger
Schwartz Perfect Shake Chinese Five Spice Herb & Spice Blend
Schwartz Crushed Chillies
Schwartz Sesame Seeds

For more information on Schwartz herbs and spices, follow @SchwartzCooking on Twitter (did you know they have weekly giveaways?) and Like Schwartz Cooking Club on Facebook.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


T&Cs:
Only the first step is mandatory: all you need is to answer the question by leaving a comment (there is no right or wrong answer)
(if you login as Anonymous, please leave your Twitter name or FB name, so that I could identify you, I do not suggest leaving the email address in the comment)

All the other steps are optional, you don't have to do them all. All it takes to win is just one entry.
Only one entry per person is allowed (however, you can tweet daily to increase your chances).
The giveaway is open to the UK residents only.
Once the Rafflecopter picks the winner, I will check if the winner has done what was requested. I will contact the winner, if they do not reply within a week, the prize will be allocated to another person.

If you haven't used the Rafflecopter before, you might want to watch this simple video.
The giveaway will close on 12 April at midnight (night from the 11th to 12th).

Good luck! 

Baked omelette with wild mushrooms

Since going on a 5:2 diet this year, I have been rethinking some of the favourite recipes which will be suitable for all family and lower in calories as well. Last evening I fancied some omelette for dinner, and it made me think of the school lunches and the school cooks who handled huge trays of baked omelettes, which were cut into neat squares. This one of the few school lunches that I actually enjoyed. My recipe for Baked Omelette with Wild Mushrooms is a far cry from the humble school meals. But the idea is the same: to bake it rather than cook in the frying pan, with less fat and healthier.

Baked Omelette with Wild Mushrooms
Ingredients:
100g wild mushrooms
1tsp butter spread (with olive oil)
1/2tsp Italian herbs mix
3tbsp plain yogurt (I used Rachel's organic fat free Greek Style natural yogurt)
50g self-raising flour
250g semi-skimmed milk
4 eggs
80 g low fat hard cheese, grated (for example, Weight Watchers reduced fat cheese)
olive oil spray (for example, from Filippo Berio)

Slice the mushrooms (if you don't have wild mushrooms, use chestnut mushrooms for a stronger flavour). I buy wild mushrooms from Tesco, they vary each month. For the last few weeks it is Pied de Mouton from Portugal, meaty mushrooms which are relatively big in size, and are very tasty. Fry them with 1tsp butter spread (with olive oil) or just butter and half a teaspoon of Italian herb mix, for about 3 minutes.

Remove from the heat, add two heaped tablespoons of self-raising flour (50g), 3btsp of plain yogurt, grated cheese and mix well with a spatula to make a thick paste with mushrooms. Pour the milk and mix well again.
Separate the whites from yolks. Add the egg yolks to the mix, and combine together. Whisk the egg whites for a few minutes until all bubbly (it doesn't have to be stiff like when you are making the meringues). Carefully fold into the batter.
Take about 8 ramekins (mine are all mismatched) and spray with the olive oil (I use Filippo Berio, as it comes in a bottle with a dispenser, so it is very convenient to use). Pour the mix into the ramekins. Place the ramekins into a big tray, and fill it with warm water, half way up (be careful not to get any water into the ramekins). Place the tray in the oven preheated to 200C. Bake for about 15 minutes.

You can bake these individual omelette protions ahead of your meal, and reheat in the oven, just before you serve them. For a more substantial meal, serve with the multi-seeded bread sandwich with prosciutto and sliced apple (that's what my husband had for dinner).

I had it with a simple rocket salad, drizzled with freshly squeezed lemon juice. As you can see, it is a low calorie version, but it's absolutely perfect for all the family including those who are not on a diet.
If you don't count the calories, use any hard cheese you fancy like Cheddar (which is a whooping 402kcal per 100g), or parmesan (even higher calorie count at 431kcal).

For more egg-citing recipes using eggs, please visit Egg Recipes. Did you see my #ShortcutEggspert badge on the side panel? BritMums and the British Lion Eggs have challenged foodie bloggers to share their knowledge and recipes for tasty meals with eggs. I was very happy to be chosen as one of the Shortcut Eggsperts. Watch this space for more recipes, using eggs.

Disclosure: I received vouchers and an amusing gadget to make soldiers as a participant in this project. All recipe ideas and opinions are mine.

Thomas & Friends jigsaw puzzle (Ravensburger)

Eddie loves puzzles. We have about 10 different sets, and he plays with them daily. He is also very fond of Thomas the tank engine and his friends (and who doesn't love that classic character?!). We had a two-image Thomas the tank engine puzzle from Ravensburger already, but it was getting too easy for Eddie to solve it, I believe he could probably do it with his eyes shut by now. It was time to get a new puzzle.
I searched online, and asked Eddie to pick a new puzzle. He has chosen Ravensburger Thomas and Friends 4-in-a-box Jigsaw puzzle (no.07 235 4). It comes in a sturdy box which displays four different scenes.
There are four individual puzzles, with different levels of difficulty, from 12 to 24 pieces.

The puzzle pieces are strong, and are made of special recycled board. In comparison to the other children's puzzles that tend to split if they get wet (no names), Ravensburger's board is durable. I have accidentally dropped a piece of the puzzle in tea, fished it out and dried it with a paper tissue. It looked as good as new, which I found pretty impressive.
The jigsaw puzzle pieces are cut with precision, and are easy to slot in together.

The puzzle pieces are different in size. While it is easy for little people to find the biggest pieces for a 12-piece puzzle, 20 and 24-piece puzzles are very similar in size. To make the job easier for myself, I wrote the numbers (20 & 24) on the back. I have also asked Eddie that every time he finishes the puzzle, he should put the pieces in a separate plastic bag.

The joy of puzzles is that you can do them together with your child, and help him, or let him huff and puff and complete it on his own. With a new puzzle, I usually sit next to Eddie and help him with sorting or advice (like Look for the colour on the border, or turn that jigsaw piece upside down etc). I have seen Ravensburger puzzles with 35 and 60 pieces, which is an intermediate stage on the way to more complicated 100+ piece puzzles.
Now I wonder if we should move along slowly and get a 30-piece puzzle? Or should we try 100-piece puzzles? That would definitely keep us busy.

Ravensburger is an expert on puzzles for all ages. You can follow Ravensburger on Twitter for more information and competitions (which we enter every week and keep our fingers and toes crossed).

Do your little ones love puzzles?

The Glamour Beauty Edit box (Latest in Beauty)

Spring has come for one day last Sunday, and promptly disappeared again. In anticipation of the warmer weather and a bit of sunshine, I treated myself to The Glamour Beauty Edit box from Latest in Beauty. I might write a lot about food and parenting issues, but I am all woman, and I love my cosmetics. I have been reading Latest in Beauty's email newsletter for a while, but only recently started buying boxed kits there (I will do a separate box on the lovely Hip & Healthy Beauty Discovery box that I got last month).

I love to discover new products, be it food or cosmetics, and when they come in a nice box, who can resist? For the latest installment Glamour magazine and Latest in Beauty have partnered to create a must-have box of beauty products for the spring season 2014.

If you haven't bought their products before, they come in sturdy stylish boxes, which can be recycled as containers for any bits of paper you need to keep, like receipts, bills, articles torn out of the magazines etc. At £14.95 (plus delivery, which is free at the moment, or + £3.95 as was when I placed an order), the contents of the box are worth about £45. Of course, the bargain is only a bargain if you are going to use most of the contents (if not everything). The main selling point for me were the hair scrunchies and Burt's Bees lip balm (which I have bought in the past, and am using currently as well).

The Traceless Hair Ring from Invisibobble is a small box of three hair scrunchies. You can see them below (the third one is firmly in my hair). I love the feel of this hair ring, it doesn't pull the hair and keeps it well secure thanks to its curly zigzaggy design. Very comfy to wear. I used it in a ponytail and in a bun, it works perfectly well. A definite winner.

I don't need to introduce Burt's Bees, it is a well known and much loved brand, and rightly so. Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm is a reliable little product, which is always handy to have in your handbag or on the bathroom shelf. I use it through the day, and before going to bed. I love how subtle the smell is and how soft my lips are after application. It contains Vitamin E and peppermint.

The Traceless Hair Ring from Invisibobble and Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm

What else do we find in the box?
L'Oreal Paris Mega Volume Miss Manga Mascara claims to give you super-lashes. This is a new mascara which builds natural lashes. While the name Manga was meant to appeal to younger womenfolk, don't dismiss it if you don't care a hoot for this visual language. It gives good results, perhaps not super-lashes a la Manga (in fact I would rather not. No offence to anyone who loves this quirky style, but it's not for me). It is convenient and easy to use, the brush has bristles of different lengths to give a better coverage.

L'Oreal Paris Mega Volume Miss Manga mascara and Daniel Sandler Long Lasting Waterproof eyeliner in Aqua Velvet

Daniel Sandler Long Lasting Waterproof Eyeliner in Aqua Velvet is a sleek little pencil. It has been created specially for Glamour. The colour is bright turquoise, as glorious as spring flowers.
It is pretty, and will probably look better on younger girls. For me that was a shade too bright. I think I am going to combine it with darker pencils.
Another point to keep in mind, it is not easy to remove, as it is waterproof. You will need a creamy make-up remover. I tried two of eye make-up removers, and only ended up with blue panda eyes. The creamy make-up remover though did the job.

As I was adding the photo above to my post, my little man who is sitting next to me, saw it and said: "Look, there's Mummy's eye. That's a funny picture!".

Rituals Zensation Organic Rice Milk & Cherry Blossom Foaming Shower Gel Sensation comes in a pressurised container (50ml). I haven't used it yet, only opened the top, and it smells lovely. The small size bottle means you can easily carry it in your gym bag.

Percy & Reed Abundantly Bouncy Volumising Mousse is another product I am yet to try. The bottle looks stylish and funky, with a Babette lookalike image on it. It promises to make your hair more bodacious.

Cheeky Chat Me Up Nail Paint in Tongue'n'Cheek is a pretty nail polish in bright pink with a coral undertone. I like the colour, but I don't do my nails. I have to keep them short, as this is the digging-gardening season, and even wearing gloves doesn't protect my hands from getting them dirty. This is the only product from the box that I won't be using myself. I am sure I will find someone who will be happy to wear this bright and cool nail paint.

Whether you are looking for Motherly gift inspiration or want to update your spring looks, you might consider this kit as a gift or treat to yourself.

Have you discovered The Glamour Beauty Edit Box? What are your favourite products?

5:2 fasting with LighterLife (pros and cons)

After reading a few inspiring diet success stories from my fellow bloggers, I took a decision to join in 5:2 diet club. I don't think I will ever be a poster girl for any diet, as I don't have a dramatic result to display. To start with, I am not that big, and when I mentioned to a few people that I was going on a diet, they told me I didn't need to. I somehow disagreed. Since I stopped breastfeeding my younger son, I have started gaining weight and find it difficult to shift it. It might be not a huge amount, but this was the heaviest I have ever been (excluding my two pregnancies). I didn't find it hard to lose weight after the birth of both boys, it came naturally with the sleepless nights and breastfeeding on demand. But as the boys grow up, I have been piling on pounds, thanks to my love of chocolate and also eating the leftovers from my kids. It is a case of no-wasted-food mentality, of course, as I am not hungry, it's just I hate throwing the food. But I had to stop being a "bin".
When LighterLife queried if I would be up to testing their new range available in Superdrug and doing a 5:2 Fast plan for a month, I saw it as a sign from heaven that I should at least try a month of this new diet that so many people were talking about.
Intermittent fasting (i.e. cutting down the calories for two days a week) is a hot topic these days, and I wanted to share my own personal experience, albeit not very long.
I have already written a couple of posts on LighterLife Fast packs (for example, see what I tested on the very first day of my fasting in the post Joining the 5:2 revolution).

What do I think now, after a couple of months of fasting on the 5:2 diet as well as LighterLife Fast packs? (Just to clarify I had a month's supply of packs, which I used for longer than a month, as I mixed and matched them with the other diet products)

What are the pros and the cons?

Pros: .
1. Ease and convenience, all the packets come with the nutritional information and calorie count, you do not have to calculate everything you are eating and consult the list of products and calories.
2. There are no artificial colourings.
3. The ingredients are from non-GM sources.


Cons:
1. I missed the fresh fruit and vegetables. For three fasting days I ate only the products from LighterLife Fast packs, then decided to swap one of the meals for a piece of fresh fruit or salad. I later reduced the amount of packed products to one or two per fasting day, substituting the others with a variety of different snacks or fresh fruit & veg. That worked the best for me.

2. I wish the selection of meals was more varied. For example, I don't like the diet shakes. Of any brand. I have tried in the past to drink the diet shakes produced by different brands, and found them all not to my taste. It might be also psychological, but I don't feel like I had a meal, if I only drink a shake, so that's a No for me.

So my kind suggestion to LighterLife Fast brand would be to expand the range of meals, perhaps introduce more soups; cut down the salt; I would also prefer a shorter list of added vitamins, as it reads a bit like a Mendeleev's Periodic Table.

You may ask if I had any result, and the answer is:

I lost 1.5kg in January, following 5:2 diet. It might be not a drastic change of weight, but it made me feel in control. I keep fasting twice a week, and if you want to know more, watch this space for more diet foods and recipe suggestions.

Additional information:

"About LighterLife Fast 

LighterLife Fast is a plan for people who either wish to lose a little weight, or who want to manage their current weight more effectively. People eat normally five days a week and for two ‘fast’ days a week have LighterLife FastpacksTM. Having four LighterLife FastpacksTM on each ‘fast’ day guarantees 100% of the recommended daily allowances and full nutrition for only around 600 calories, which would be virtually impossible to have if eating conventional food restricted to this calorie allowance. 

LighterLife FastpacksTM are specially formulated nutritional food options that contain all the protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals required without the extra calories. They are available in a range of convenient and easy-to-use meals, including pasta carbonara, vegetable soup, porridge, banana shake and nut fudge bars as examples of the product range, from as little as £7.99 per box of four FastpacksTM (or per fast day). "


Disclosure: I received a month's supply of products for testing and reviewing. All opinions are mine.