Friday, 12 August 2016

#FoodieseekerFriday Holiday Clothes!

One of the best things about holidays has to be getting holiday clothes. I love getting new clothes! But I will admit to actually hating going out and trying on clothes. Since having the twins my shape has certainly changed and I find I need one size for my bottom half and a different size for my top. Plus sizes differ immensely from shop to shop. One size will fit in one but be too small in another. This can be really deflating and often leaves me feeling sad and self conscious. So this year for my cruise holiday fashion I have gone to Simply Be. I have often seen the adverts on television and have liked their clothes. But what really appealed was the easy payments that they offer. Buying holiday clothes for five of us can be so expensive! Being able to pay a monthly balance has made it so much easier as I did need a lot of extra items. I have not been abroad for six years and my other holiday clothes simply do not fit! So I have treated myself to a few key items which I will be able to wear both on holiday and when we are back home. I am going to be mixing and matching items and taking clothes that can be both dressed up and casual.

Here are my key items to pack...


Thursday, 11 August 2016

Green Veg and Mint Risotto

Risotto is a great meal to sneak some extra vegetables into the kids. Today's recipe is easier and quicker than a traditionally cooked risotto. It requires a lot less attention and is perfect for when the kids are off school and we have less time for cooking.

This recipe focuses on green vegetables and is full of the flavours of summer. This is what I did...

Tuesday, 9 August 2016

Classically Sweet Oat Bars with Team GB and Aldi

Last week I told you how Aldi are Team GB's official supermarket sponsor for this years Olympic games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I shared with you the first of three delicious recipes that have been created with the help of nutritionists from the English Institute of Sport.and today I am sharing the second, Classically Sweet Oat Bars.

Today's recipe is perfectly practical for long days training and when athletes are competing and need energy on the go. These oat bars contain carbohydrates and provide a fast fuel to not only support performance for athletes but are also for us busy mums who need an extra boost! They are rich in micro nutrients that support general health and immune systems.

The beauty of today's recipe is that it is so versatile. If you have children who do not like raisins, like one of mine, simply substitute them with chocolate chips. If you want more of a sweeter bar add some honey. The possibilities with these bars are endless and so delicious trying new ingredients!

This is what I did...

Monday, 8 August 2016

#CookBlogShare - Week 31 - The Medal Winning Recipes Round Up

Welcome to the round up of CookBlogShare week 31.

This week I could not settle on one theme so I have entitled this round up the "Medal Winning Recipes". Each and every one of these recipes stood out and left me wanting more. Three of the recipes I cannot wait to try for myself but the fourth one is so amazing it definitely wins the gold medal and I will admit that I could never recreate it!

Here are the four medal winning recipes from week 31 of CookBlogShare...

Weekly Meal Plan - Week Commencing 8th August 2016


So far these summer holidays my meal plans have been so hit and miss. I think this is a mixture of being busy, the lovely hot weather and simply life getting in the way. So to make it easier this week I will be relaxing my meal plan. I have listed what I am planning to cook but just not allocate the meals to specific days.

This week I am going to be using up what we have got in the fridge and freezer in preparation for us going on holiday. As it is going to be yet another busy week meals will be ones that can be easily made and ones that do not take a great deal of time.

This is what we will be enjoying this week...

Week Commencing 8th August 2016

Chicken and Chorizo Pasta

Last week we got a lovely chorizo sausage which I will be combining it with chicken and pasta.

Friday, 5 August 2016

Back to School with Added Vitamins

In a few weeks the kids will be going back to school and we all know that when the kids return to school the germs return too. So keeping the whole family healthy is paramount! This can be done by eating a good, balanced, healthy diet, but sometimes we all need some extra help. That is where vitamin supplements comes in! Today I am going to tell you a bit about Emergen-C as well as a delicious way to bake with it! I will be sharing my recipe for my super good for you Orange and Lemon Emergen-C Cupcakes!


Emergen-C is packed with B vitamins, antioxidants, electrolytes and more vitamin C than 10 oranges!*

But what do they do? Well, let me tell you...
  • Antioxidants protect our cells from the effects of free radicals
  • Vitamin C helps to promote a healthy immune system and fight off the bugs
  • Zinc also helps the immune system by helping to maintain white blood cell activity
  • Manganese is needed for healthy skin, bones and cartilage formation
  • B1 Thiamin is vital for a healthy metabolism and it helps maintain a healthy nervous system
  • B2 Riboflavin plays a vital part in breaking down carbohydrates, proteins and fats into energy
  • B3 Niacin is part of the co enzymes that produce energy
  • Vitamin B6 is a vitamin that the body cannot make. It helps to form energy rich compounds and niacin, red blood cells and fat metabolism
  • B9 Folic Acid helps to maintain healthy levels of homocysteine, an amino acid in the blood
  • Vitamin B12 helps to metabolise food for energy and making red blood cells. It is the red blood cells that carry oxygen and may help to promote your energy levels
  • B5 Pantothenic Acid is another essential nutrient that helps to generate energy from carbohydrates, proteins and fats
As well as the Emergen-C pictured above they also do an Emergen-C Kidz range which are for children aged 4 to 13 years old and come in three fruity flavours, fruit punch, orange and grape. So when they return to school you can give the whole family a boost of goodness in one simple drink! What a way to start the day!

Now onto a yummy way to get some goodness into your body. My Orange and Lemon Emergen-C Cupcakes. This is what I did...


Orange and Lemon Emergen-C Cupcakes

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup/175g flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup/150g caster sugar
3/4 cup/150g coconut oil
3 eggs
Juice of half a lemon
Juice of half an orange
1 sachet of Emergen-C orange, if baking for children aged 4 - 13 use Emergen-C Kidz range

Method

Pre heat the oven to 356F/180C

1 - Place the coconut oil and sugar in a bowl and mix together

2 - Add the eggs, one at a time with a little flour to prevent curdling

3 - Mix in the remaining flour and the sachet of Emergen-C

4 - Finally fold in the lemon and orange juice

5 - Divide the mixture between 12 cupcake cases and place in the centre of the pre heated oven and bake for 20 minutes

6 - Once thoroughly baked remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before enjoying


When I was planning this bake I was going to add a topping of frosting but when I tasted the cakes I realised that they tasted perfect just as they are. But you could add frosting to your cakes and add some more Emergen-C!



Here is to a happy, healthy and successful year kids!