Root Vegetable Soup

 

I've been meaning to share this recipe for a while now. It's a hearty soup that's full of flavour and is the perfect dish to warm you up on those chilly winter evenings.

 

1 Tbsp of oil
1 Large white onion diced

4-5 Parsnips peeled and diced
4-5 Carrots peeled and diced

2 Sweet Potatoes peeled and diced

2 Vegetable stock cubes made with 1 pint of water

Salt & Pepper to taste

It's so simple to make, cook the vegetables in the oil until they have slightly softened. Then add the stock and simmer on a low-medium heat for about 45 minutes. Blend until all of the chunks have gone. Depending on how you like the consistency of your soup, you can adjust it to your preferences. If you like your soup to be thinner,  simply add more water or if you like it thicker then don't put as much in.

For extra flavour and a bit of a bite I cut some bacon into little bits and lightly fried until nice and crispy. As this recipe makes quite a sweet soup I find that the bacon really balances the flavours and adds a great salty kick. I sprinkled the bacon bits on top of the soup, sliced some crusty bread and was ready to tuck in.

Enjoy x

Dirty Works Foot Scrub & Butter

For the past few weeks i've been using a foot scrub and a foot butter from the Dirty Works range which is available at Sainsbury's. My feet are constantly plagued with rough skin and cracked heels so I have to make sure to take care of them to keep them nicely smooth and soft. I decided to take a dual approach in the hope for gorgeous feet by using two different products from Dirty Works. The first of the two is the Sole Sister Foot Scrub, I use this whilst in the bath by massaging it onto my feet, focusing on the heels and balls of my feet. I also use a pumice stone to help get rid of any rough skin.

Once out of the bath and my feet are dried I use the Best Foot Forward Foot Butter and allow its to fully sink into the skin. If I am doing my feet just before bed then i'll make sure to apply even more of the butter and pop some socks on so that the butter has a chance to really sink in to the skin and work it's magic overnight. By the morning my feet are noticeably softer. It just shows how taking a little time to look after your feet by using two simple products can make a real difference. I now try to use these products 2-3 times a week to maintain smoother and softer feet.

 

The foot scrub is really lovely and has a nice fresh minty scent. The mint helps to cool, soothe and revive tired and aching feet whilst at the same time the scrub smoothes the skin. The foot butter contains one of my favourite ingredients, Shea butter. The gorgeous scent of the butter alongside it's moisturising qualities allow for super soft feet and a salon worthy pedicure at home for a fraction of the price. 

 

Best Foot Forward Foot Butter £2.99
Sole Sister Foot Scrub £2.99

You can also order them online from Sainsburys and get it delivered straight to your door with your groceries.

 

I'm becoming a really big fan of the Dirty Works range, they provide top beauty products at affordable prices, what girl doesn't want to be pampered?

x

Nivea Express Hydration Primer

 Last week I bought the December issue of Cosmopolitan magazine and within there were a few different samples of products including the new DKNY Be Delicious Intense , Rimmel's new Match Perfection Foundation and the one that appealed to me the most which is the Nivea Daily Essentials Express Hydration Primer.

With some samples I'll often just put them in a drawer and not use them for ages, or maybe not at all. However I've had my eye on this primer for a while but haven't got round to buying it, so when I got the sample in the magazine I had to test it out straight away. I was so impressed with it that I had to go out and buy it the very same day!

Nivea Daily Essentials Express Hydration Primer has been designed to moisturise whilst perfectly priming the skin for make up application. You can choose the right primer depending on your skin type as it is available for both normal/combination and dry/sensitive skin.

I've only been using the product for a few days but I've already noticed how much of a difference it makes, it makes my skin feel fresh and hydrated all day long. After my usual morning skin care routine and after cleansing my face I apply the primer. It's a lovely light and smooth texture which immediately absorbs into the skin so you don't have to wait around, it allows you to apply your make up straight away. The primer not only creates a smooth base for make up but it also helps to keep it in place and looking radiant for longer.

Today I didn't wear any make up but I decided to still use the primer on it's own. The scent is light, fresh and cooling.  I love how this product has multiple uses, whilst being a primer it can also be used as a moisturiser. Even after such a short time it's quickly becoming one of my favourite products and a new essential part of my daily skin care routine. It's a great value product too, at under £5 it's an inexpensive essential to complete your make up bag!

x

Crazy, Stupid, Love.

It's been quite a while since I've done a movie related post but I thought I'd let you know about a movie I watched earlier this evening. It's called 'Crazy, Stupid, Love.' and it's currently available to watch on Sky movies and On-demand. The film features an all-star cast including Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone, Marisa Tomei and Kevin Bacon.

The story is based on Cal (Carell) who's wife Emily (Moore) cheats on him and wants a divorce. As his life begins to unravel the gorgeous Jacob (Gosling) takes Cal under his wing and gives him a complete makeover and a different way of living life whilst playing the dating game. However there is just one thing that Jacob cannot change, and that's the love that Cal has for his wife. The film also follows Cal's son who has his own mission of love, as well as the ultimate player Jacob who moves from one woman to another.

Alongside the great heartfelt storyline there is a constant stream of humour throughout the movie. With some very funny moments this romantic comedy really is the whole package, the story of life and love. Also if your not a fan of these types of movies then you could simply watch it for the sheer enjoyment of Ryan Gosling, he's rather handsome in this movie.

I'll definitely be adding this movie to my DVD collection, it's a movie I could watch over and over again. A modern classic that I don't think has been recognised for the movie it is.

x

Tesco - My Senses

Today I'm writing about a range of shampoos and conditioners from Tesco. They are called 'My Senses'. I doesn't take a genius to notice that they are clearly copying the popular Herbal Essences products, the design, bottle shape and fruity scents are far from original.

I absolutely love the scents of Herbal Essences and up until a few years ago I would regularly use a variety of their shampoos and conditioners. However one day my hair suddenly wouldn't agree with them, making my scalp itchy and sore. I decided to try out these ones from Tesco in the hope that they would be similar to the Herbal Essences range but without the irritation to my scalp.

There are four different ranges to choose from, Colour Sanctuary, Miracle Moisture, Celestial Shine and Heavenly Body. Rather than getting both the shampoo and conditioner from the same range I chose the Miracle Moisture shampoo along with the Celestial Shine Conditioner. One great thing about these products is their price, they cost £1.65 for a 400ml bottle which is quite a bargain at over half of the price of Herbal Essences.

I was glad to find that they didn't cause any irritation on my scalp and it left my hair feeling smooth and well moisturised. However my own senses aren't reacting too well to this new line, personally I found that the scents of both the shampoo and conditioner were far too overpowering. I do like fruity scented products but I just found these to be a little too strong and almost sickly smelling.

If you're looking for a decent shampoo/conditioner on a budget or if you're keen on a strong fruity scent then I'd give it a go. But just a little tip to make sure you don't make the mistake I did, have a smell of them before you buy. I'm sure a lot of people will love these but I just couldn't get on with them.

x

Have you tried any of the Tesco 'My Senses' range, if so what did you think of them?

Special K Cracker Crisps

I am a savoury food lover, if I had to choose between a packet of crisps or a chocolate bar, the crisps would win everytime. Being somewhat of a picker, I'm always on the look out for different savoury snacks which I can enjoy without worrying about piling on any more weight. I usually look for snacks which are under 100 calories. I was pleased when I found the new Kellogg's Special K Cracker Crisps as they were under the calorie range I was looking for.  The crisps come in three different flavours, sweet chilli, sea salt & balsamic vinegar and sour cream & onion. Each 23g serving is equivalent to 21 crisps, both the sea salt & balsamic vinegar and the sour cream & onion are 95 calories for a 23g serving whilst the sweet chilli is one lower on 94 calories.

I like the sound of all three flavours but I decided to try the sweet chilli first. I love sweet chilli flavoured products as they aren't too hot with only a slight kick but plenty of flavour. The sweet chilli cracker crisps were tasty but very moreish...I just kept eating one after the other. I now make sure to put the 21 in a bowl and leave the rest in the kitchen so that I only eat the portion!

I'm looking forward to trying out both of the other flavours, especially the sea salt and balsamic vinegar.

Do you know any yummy and slightly healthy savoury snacks that I could try?x

Radox Berry Burst

                                                           

Today I thought I would tell you about the latest shower creams from Radox. There are three different scents available, these are Berry, Cherry and Coconut. I decided to try the Berry Burst, the first time I used it I wasn't too sure whether I liked it or not as it has quite an intense and strong fruity smell. It took some getting used to but it's growing on me and I'm really starting to like it. The texture is thicker than a shower gel and the milk within makes for a creamier consistency. Even with the smooth and soft cream it foams into a nice soapy lather. The thing I liked about this shower cream is that unlike many others, this one leaves my skin with a slight fruity scent for several hours after showering. I got mine on the introductory offer in Sainsbury's for 95p.

x