Chinese chicken with noodles

I thought i'd share a yummy recipe for a chinese marinade which can be used on pretty much anything! The recipe states chicken, but it also goes well with beef, cod, salmon, sea bass and king prawns.

 Marinade
4 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sesame oil
4 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
2 heaped tsp chopped garlic
2 chopped spring onion

This marinade will serve about 2-3 people, multiply as needed.

Mix these ingredients together, put into dish and pour over the chicken, cover with cling film and let it marinade for a few hours.

In frying pan, cook on med-high heat until cooked through.

Chop another spring onion and some cucumber to garnish.

In a separate wok, cook some fresh egg noodles in a bit off water , 2 minutes before they are ready add a dash of soy and a dash of sweet chilli sauce.

Serve and enjoy,
x

TRESemmé Products...

Instant Refresh, Volumising Dry Shampoo

This is a product I use quite a few times a week, It revives your hair and put some life back into it when you need a quick fix.  I often use it in the afternoon, after washing my hair in the morning to give it some more volume. I usually wash my hair everyday, but I know thats not the best thing to do as it takes the oils out of your hair, so somedays I just use this instead. It's fantastic, I normally stock up on this product when I go to Asda, they usually have good offers on TRESemmé products.

Split Remedy

I was pleasantly surprised when I opened my recent package from New Look to find these lovely little samples along with my order, they are usually filled with leaflets that go straight in the bin.

The samples included shampoo, conditioner and a leave in treatment all from the Split Remedy range.  The shampoo and conditioner were good but had the same effects as most of the other different TRESemmé types, my favourite of the TRESemmé shampoos and conditioners is still the 24 Hour Body range as it gives really great volume to my hair whilst still leaving it healthy and nourished. The leave in treatment was really good, it left my hair feeling really smooth and shiny and I probably will purchase the full size of this product.

x

Vaseline Body Lotion

This week i've been trying to use up some half empty products I have just lying around. I came across this Vaseline - Aloe Fresh body lotion. I'm trying to figure out why I ever stopped using it, it has a lovely scent to it and is lovely and cooling. It's a light lotion and sinks in to the skin really well. It's not too expensive either at only £2.79 for a 200ml bottle from boots.

x

New O.P.I's

This week I thought I would treat myself to some new O.P.I shades, with so many options to choose from in the end I opted for 3 normal shades and 1 shatter for a different look. I've only had them for 3 days and have already changed my nail colour 3 times! They are £11 each but worth it for the quality! 

Top Left, White Shatter.
Top Right, Roll In The Hague.
Bottom Left, Japanese Rose Garden.
Bottom Right, Thanks A Windmillion.

x

New Look Purchases...

 Last week I purchased three new items from the Inspire range at New Look. Being a bigger girl myself hasn't always made it easy to buy clothes but there is so much more clothing out there now as everyone's range for the larger girl is expanding.  Luckily when I ordered they had a special offer on and I managed to get 20% off, I could have gone mad and bought a few more items as there was so much choice, maybe next month!

I chose the Hawaii vest, which is perfect for a summers day, flexible to wear with jeans or maybe a pair of shorts if the weather permits. The charcoal blazer is a smart staple piece, which can be dressed up or down. A light material with 3/4 length sleeves, perfect for the cooler summer days. The white  gypsy top is versatile, goes with any colour, a simple top I always need in my wardrobe.

Hawaii slogan vest £8.99
Charcoal waterfall blazer £24.99
White gypsy top £7.99

x

Montagne Jeunesse Masks

Montagne Jeunesse Face Masks
I usually buy these from Asda, there is normally some sort of offer on them and they have a wide variety of these masks. These masks were 75p each.
My favourites from this range of masks are the peel off ones, they are not as messy as the paste style ones, and i'm not going to lie...peeling them off is a weird guilty pleasure of mine. I think my ultimate favourite is the cucumber one, is supposedly helps to de-stress. It's lovely and cooling and helps to deep clean pores.

 

Give one a try, pamper yourself! x

Movies...

This week i've watched two brilliant films on Sky Movies,

Footloose (2011)
I didn't have high hopes for this film, mainly because it's simply a reboot of the original film. It's a very rare occasion if the reboot of a film is better than the original. In the case of this film, I think they've managed to do it pretty well, if it's not better then it's definetly on par with the original. A fantastic modern version of an old classic, well worth watching! It makes you want to get up and start dancing in front of the television!

Deja Vu
This is a film I had seen before but couldn't remember how it ended. It features Denzel Washington, who I think is a brilliant actor, I've always enjoyed films he has been in. He plays an agent who travels back in time to save a woman from being murdered. This film had me gripped throughout, a film definitely worth watching.

x

Crunchie Blast

This week my sister walked in with a box of Cadbury's Crunchie Blast ice creams. I'm not a fan of the Crunchie chocolate bars but I gave into temptation and decided to try one of these. Wow, it was so yummy, a honeycomb ice cream coated in Cadbury's milk chocolate and popping candy. Rather high in calories at 230 per stick, but absolutely worth it! So delicious and definitely will be buying these again. 

x

Supermarket Clothing...



Over the last few years clothing in supermarkets to me has become so much more popular, and has firmly put it's footsteps into the world of fashion. Some of their clothing isn't always to my taste but then it's like that everywhere for everyone I would think. I'm always buying clothing from supermarkets, whether it's a top, shoes, PJ's or even a pair of jeans. All of the clothing is reaonably priced too. It always seems to be the way, if i'm wearing a more expensive top it's never commented on, yet if i'm wearing a top from a supermarket i'll get asked where my top is from. Shows you don't have to spend loads of money on clothes to look good! Here are a few of my latest purchases...

Both of the tops are from George at Asda,



Tribal Print Vest £8

Animal Print Cami Top £12

The shrug is from F&F True at Tesco, perfect to wear with those summery tops.


Black Shrug £10


x

Homemade Spicy Tomato Soup

Today I thought I'd share the recipe for a yummy soup I made recently, It doesn't look the most appetising but what soup does? It's a yummy tomato soup, but with a fiery kick.

Ingredients:
1 x Tbsp Olive oil
2 x Cans of chopped tin tomatoes
1 x Yellow pepper (diced)
3 x Carrots (diced)
1 x Onion (diced)
1 x tsp Tomato puree
1 x tsp Garlic puree
1 x tsp mild chilli powder
1 x Vegetable stock cube
Water
Season to taste

Heat the oil in the pan with the garlic puree, then add the carrots, onion and yellow pepper, cook for about 5 minutes. Once softened add the chilli powder, tomato puree, tin tomatoes and stock cube. Add salt/pepper if you wish. Add water depending on how thin you like your soup.

Blend the soup, and enjoy.
If you prefer your soup thinner add more water or put through a sieve.

Enjoy x 

Top Summer Scents

Today I thought I would tell you about my 3 top summer scents! Which in fact I love so much, I use them all year round!

Soap and Glory
This one is my most recent fragrance purchase, and what a brilliant purchase it was!
It contains one of my favourite scents, the scent that has made me somewhat addicted to the Soap & Glory range. It's just amazing, and at only £16.50 from Boots it's an absolute bargain.

Chloé, eau de parfum
This has to be one of my favourite fragrances ever, I wear it all year round but I would say it is more of a summery scent. With the main aroma being roses, it makes for a lovely feminine and floral scent. Bottle is starting to run out, will need to make sure I replace it soon, couldn't live without this lovely scent for too long!
£38.50 - £66.50

Lacoste - Touch of Pink, Eau de Toilette
This a a perfume which i've used for years, since my early teens and still love it to this day. As you can see from the bottle just like the Chloé it's running on empty and needs to be replenished very soon!
£39.99



x

Essential Make-Up Kit

I like to wear make-up everyday but during the week I tend to keep it lighter with just a few products so it's not as harsh on the skin.

My everyday make-up kit consists of...

Nivea Visage - Daily Essentials, Tinted Moisturising Day Cream
£3.66 at Boots

I've used this product for years, it's a light and refreshing tinted cream, which is nicer to wear everyday rather than a heavy foundation. You don't need to use much of it and it's an absolute bargain at only £3.66!

The Body Shop - Tea Tree Concealer
£6.00
This concealer perfectly hides any blemishes on the skin, it's also handy to pop in your handbag and isn't too expensive.

Rimmel London - Sexy Curves, Intense Black
£8.19 at Boots

This mascara gives your lashes great volume, I'm always being asked whether I have false lashes in, I don't. I just use a few layers of this mascara until I've achieved my required look.

Nivea - Pure & Natural, Milk & Honey
Currently on offer for £1.33 at Boots

This is a simple and easy product, I do like the little Vaseline pots but don't always like having to make my fingers oily to put on lip balm. With this there is no need for messy fingers and the Milk & Honey is soothing on the lips and stops them from becoming chapped or sore!

x

The Fabulous Fruity Slices

Recently I've seen a lot of "The Fabulous Bakin' Boys" range about but have been trying to avoid temptation and save myself a few calories. However, on Saturday I gave in and bought 2 packs of their fruity slices.

I'm not usually keen on flapjack type things as they can usually be quite dry and flavourless. These however are absolutely lovely, Full of flavour and not dry at all. Both the apple and strawberry flavour slices were gorgeous, so fruity and the right balance between oats and fruit so that it's not sickly.

I'll definitely be buying these again and would recommend them to anyone who likes the idea of a fruity flapjack.

At the moment you get get them for just over £1 or 2 for £2 in some shops. They're not too calorific at around 165 Calories a slice, but I think I'll have to hide them away and keep them as a weekend treat!

x

Movies...

Sister Act
Well this is just a classic, A film you have to see at least once in your lifetime, I’ve seen it so many times! I saw the musical of this in London too, it was fantastic and a definite must see show!

Bridesmaids
Yesterday I saw this film for the second time. The first time I wasn’t overly impressed. I think I had built it up so much in my head that I thought it was going to the same as or even better than The Hangover. To my disappointment it wasn’t, far from it actually. However when this film came onto sky I thought I’d give it another go, and to my surprise I actually enjoyed it, much more the first time, I was giggling quite a bit throughout. I would definitely recommend watching this movie, if necessary give it a second chance like I did!

30 minutes or less
This is a film I could take or leave really, nothing to write home about and probably wouldn’t ever watch again.
x

Burt's Bees for Busy Bees

Over the past week I've been testing these miniature Burt's Bees products. I was given them as a little Christmas present but have only just got round to using them!

They are the perfect size products for your handbag so they can be used when on the go and when you haven't got much time to have a proper pampering ritual yet still want to look after your skin.

Almond Milk Beeswax Hand Creme

This is a lovely little creme which keeps your hands lovely and smooth, perfect used after applying the Lemon Butter Cuticle Creme.

Almond Milk Beeswax Hand Creme

Lemon Butter Cuticle Creme

This creme is fantastic, probably one of my favourites of the Burt's Bees products, It's a quick and easy way to keep your cuticles soft and healthy.

Lemon Butter Cuticle Creme

Orange Essence Facial Cleanser
This product has a lovely smell to it, the travel sized bottle is brilliant, the perfect size to take away on holiday as you only need a small amount.

       

Orange Essence Facial Cleanser

Peppermint Foot Lotion
Just like the facial cleanser this foot lotion comes in a handy travel size, the peppermint is really refreshing and cooling on the feet whilst leaving them silky smooth.

Peppermint Foot Lotion

Hand Salve

Now this is probably my most favourite product and one I would definitely buy again, once again being the perfect size to fit in your handbag. This product soothes and moisturises and is perfect for when you have chapped or sore hands.

Hand Salve

Blueberry & Apple Jam

Due to a busy week I haven't been able to blog as much as I would have liked. Over the last year I have had a real interest in all different sorts of arts and crafts, just making things really.
Today I thought I would share the simple recipe for a yummy jam which I made last week.

                                                      Blueberry & Apple Jam
- A punnet of Blueberries.
- An Apple , peeled, cored and chopped finely (I used Golden Delicious).
- 5 heaped tablespoons of Sugar.
- Juice of 1 Lemon.

Add the apple, blueberries, lemon juice and sugar to a heavy bottomed saucepan, bring to the boil and them simmer for about 10 minutes. Slightly crush the berries whilst they are cooking, Once it has thickened and started to set pour into a jar/container and then once cooled put the lid on and refridgerate.

It is really simple to make, and really yummy on a piece of toast!
Enjoy
x

The Diamond Jubilee Concert

The Jubilee concert which aired live on Monday on BBC1 was my favourite event of the weekend.
I had my doubts before it started, wasn't too sure about some of the acts but all in all it was an amazing concert. Anyone who was lucky enough to be there should feel very priviliged. It's a piece of history and definitely something to tell the grandchildren about! To have that many acts performing and at a royal event is pretty special, I suppose we should all thank Gary Barlow. Is it just me thinking that he's only doing it to become a "Sir"?.

The Queen arrived in a lovely outfit once again, and she seemed to enjoy herself even though unfortunately the Duke of Edinburgh was still in hospital. It's good news to hear that he's finally on the mend.

Most of the acts were pretty good, from the likes of Ed Sheeran to Paul McCartney. However my least favourite was Cliff Richard and Will.i.am, Will.i.am is fine on the background of a song, producing or writing a good song but he is a terrible singer, Gary Barlow made a bad decision there. He's just lucky he had Jessie J to save the song for him.

My ultimate favourite performer of the night was Stevie Wonder, boy can he perform. For me he was in a complete other class to all of the other acts. Age seems to have effected a few of the acts, Cliff Richard, Elton John and Paul McCartney were all not quite what they used to be. With Stevie Wonder he doesn't seem to have an aged performance what so ever, an absolutley brilliant singer.

x

The Royal Jubilee

So June is finally here, the sun is shining and the summers being welcomed in by the Royal Jubilee. It's quite nice to see the country becoming quite patriotic for once. A lot of people are just happy to be getting a long weekend of work but there is still a sense of pride in the air and everyone seems to be getting into the spirit of it. Whether you are going for the full works with a street party and bunting or simply watching the weekends events from the comfort of your own living room.

British Nails

The celebrations started off with Derby Day on Saturday, I couldn't go to it this year but it is normally a brilliant day out, and being only 10 minutes away from Epsom it's fabulous to have an annual event so close to home!

As usual, a little flutter on Derby Day is a must in our household. It just so happens that this year has been my luckiest year so far! The last few years I haven't picked any winners at the Derby but my sister has been rather lucky.

I had a winner in the first race, a second place in the third race, and the second and third in the Derby! Didn't win a lot of money, but got my money back and a bit more so I'm pleased with that!

Today was the Jubilee Thames Pageant, This we watched at home, It would have been a fantastic event to be at, but the mobbed crowds + the drizzly windy weather doesn't mix well with me. If anything it's a bit better watching it from your own home, you may not be able to soak up the atmosphere and the buzz from the crowds but you get a fabulous view and get to see everything that's going on. It all started with the Royals arriving, Kate and William with Kate looking fabulous as usual in a Red dress and spending time talking to the crowds which I think is just brilliant and just what should be expected from all of the Royals. Then The Queen arrived, also one who always looks brilliant, I suppose you wouldn't expect anything less but for her age she looks very well and extremely happy, I don't think I've ever seen her smile so much throughout all of the Royal events.



The commentary was pretty good from the BBC but it did make me laugh when someone referred to the queen as a "Precious Piece of Cargo". All in all it was a fantastic procession, and seeing that amount boats all together was incredible. It was definitely an occasion which will be remembered for a very long time.
x