Recipe for a healthy protein chocolate milkshake (dairy free)

I love chocolate (who doesn't) but it isn't exactly good for you. Sure there are reports out there that a tiny bit of dark chocolate each day is good for you, but seriously! Who can open up a bar of chocolate and just take a small square?!?! And of dark, bitter chocolate as well!!! (If you can, there is no need for you to read this blog post btw).

delicious and creamy 

For those of you that enjoy the taste of chocolate but trying to diet, eat clean or simply not fill your body with fatty crap, then try this simple recipe for a chocolate milkshake! Not only does it taste like chocolate but it is also good for you!!!!  I'll let you know why, but first here is what is in in...

tastes like chocolate milkshake 

for one person...
250 ml of soya milk (or almond milk works well)
1/2 frozen banana (use frozen as it makes it creamy)
1/2 tsp of cashew butter (peanut butter would work too)
a scoop of protein powder (vanilla or a chocolatey flavour) 
1/4 tsp of raw cacao powder
a sprinkling of cacao nibs if you have them

Miller and Carter, Steak House, Hereford (various locations)

I love a good steak so when the friends we were visiting in Hereford last weekend asked if we wanted to go to Zizzi’s or a steak house, well sorry Zizzi’s, but the words “steak house” fell out of my mouth quicker than a drunken falling off a bar stool.

The Thorny Cow cocktail 

me and Kate enjoying our cocktails 

Miller and Carter is a steak house in the city centre. Looking at their website, there seems to be a few across the country, like in Harrow, Manchester and Poole. With their hand cut, 30 day ages British steaks, I was pretty excited for this.

The one in Hereford was pretty big, with an upstairs where we sat. The place is smart and sophisticated but not in such a way that it is pretentious or you feel too under-dressed in your jeans and tieless shirt!

for the love of steak!!!

The Boy went for the bread selection to start

Having filled my belly with a fair few ciders that day, I wasn’t ready for a starter, but the steak meals already came with their own starter of the classic lettuce wedge and blue cheese dressing (other sauces are available though) so it occurred to me that it would be rude to refuse it!

Beef Wellington

cooked to perfection

Three of use opted for the delicious beef wellington with sweet potato fries (although I was tempted by the mash with this) and their homemade ‘onion loaf’ and of course a delicious sauce. I went with my usual, peppercorn sauce, but if that doesn’t tickle your pickle then I would recommend the beef dripping sauce. Trust me, it tastes better than it sounds!

The red lipstick you should always have (and it's under a fiver)

Every girl should have a bright red lippy in their beauty bag. In fact my red lippy is a permanent in my handbag. I carry it with me always!!!

But getting the right shade isn't always easy as a bright red can sometimes make your skin colour look washed out. 

This red lipstick from Rimmel (with the perfect name of "alarm") is my must have and go-to. 
It is a popping red, bright and classic. 

"Eat Yourself Younger" with healthy food and eating (book review)

Back in April last year I blogged about a fantastic health book called “Eat Yourself Younger” and seeing as I like eating and I want to starve off the ageing process so this book sounded ideal to me! 

“Eat Yourself Younger - Take Years Off Your Looks with This Revolutionary New Eating Plan” by Elizabeth Peyton-Jones is known as the “The Youthing Guru” and for her youth-enhancing detox diets. She has quite a celeb following so if it is good enough for them...

As the summer months approach, it means one thing - BIKINI TIME. So this means a bid from me to focus on my health, fitness and wellbeing (oh and looking acceptable in a bikini). Time to consult the book again.

the book is full of hints & tips to a better body

Elizabeth believes that we can slow down the dreaded ageing process by fighting ageing effects and promote health and well being such as:

• restore balance functioning
• lower body fat
• encourage good sleep
• better skin, hair and nails
• promote high energy levels
• healthy weight 

How? 
With the food choice that we make. 
Easy! 

Two of the main things that have caught my attention in particular reading it this time round is the effects of “eliminative slowdown” and how much your body hates sugar.

raw, no bake coconut and nut butter protein"biscuits"

3pm.

It is that dreaded time in the office when you can feel your energy levels slump, you sweet tooth kicking in and you start heading for the biscuit tin. 

But we all know biscuits are full of sugar and shit. What you need is these - home-made, raw, coconut & nut butter biscuits. 

perfectly biscuity 

perfectly healthy 

The are full of natural sugars (not the white refined stuff), good proteins and will offer slow release energy. Oh and their sweetness and 'biscuit bite' will satisfy that biscuit need. 

Plus they couldn't be easier to make! 

Here is what you need:

Homemade tomato salsa recipe

I don't know if this is technically Summer but the weather is certainly getting warmer which means...BBQ SEASON!!!!

So with that in mind I want to share a recipe with you that I made for my nan's BBQ last year that went down a storm! I will definitely be whipping up this again for her BBQs this year. 

To contribute to the BBQ spread, I made a delicious homemade salsa. Normally I'm a lazy salsa eater and buy the shop bought stuff, but it is sooooo incredibly easy to make your own in fact. I'm definitely converted to homemade salsa only. It is like comparing a BMW with a Skoda (sorry Skoda).

salsa certainly brightens up the food table! 

To make a batch of delicious salsa you will need...

4-5 ripe tomatoes
1 red onions finely chopped
Juice of half a lemon
Handful of chopped coriander
Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
Tablespoon of white wine vinegar and red wine vinegar

fresh, natural, tasty ingredients 

Skin Doctors ingrown hair treatment: review

I have always seems to have suffered from ingrown hairs and whilst the pesky things aren't a health concern, the bumpy skin just isn't a good look, then they cause issues when you start to re-shave over them and sometimes they are a tad painful! All in all they are about as welcome in my life as flowers are to a hay fever sufferer!

One afternoon whilst in the park, moaning at my friend and picking at the unsightly buggers, she recommended that I tried buying a treatment for them. I must admit that I can't remember the brand she suggested but I took to the internet and set a budget and found this great buy.

this has been a beauty savior 

It is an ingrown hair solution from Skin Doctors. It is available on line and I have also recently seen it stocked on the shelves of some Boots stores (Putney was one of them FYI). 

I have never used an ingrown hair treatment before so admittedly I cannot benchmark it against other products but for me, this has worked well.

the tops of my calves are particularly bad 

L'Oreal fibrology thickening shampoo: review

I don't know that many girls that don't wish that they had thicker, more lush hair. I am always on the look out for a product that will thicken my locks and even more so at the moment seeing as I managed to get my hair in such a matted state at the end of last summer, which meant having to brush and tear the knots out and taking out half my hair with it. The result? 6 months down the line, I have the embarrassment of matted hair, and also a thin barnet!!!!


But then I started using this - 

L'Oreal Elvive Thickening Range

L'Oreal's fibrology thickening shampoo! I am not sure it is a long term solution (ie it will make the hair grow) but it does seem to some how thicken up the stands after I wash my hair!!!

The formula in the shampoo apparently thickens each strand, penetrating the hair fibre and expanding it. The substance remains in the fibre and increases after each application, so it claims to help immediately.

L'Orea to the rescue 

Vauxhall City Farm, London

We office workers are notorious for not taking a proper lunch break, even though we all know that it is good for you, but what better excuse to have a lunch break than going to see some farm animals! 

That is exactly what me and my friend did on our lunch break the other day, taking a quick trip to Vauxhall City Farm, a stone's throw from Vauxhall underground and station. 

feeding time! 

love that the rabbits and chickens are
playing together 

how cute is he! 

Vauxhall City Farm is absolutely diddy, so it is a perfect quick trip just to get some fresh air and for a moment, get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. 

look carefully and you'l see the dead Xmas
tree in the background

loving the pony! 

They have the cutest animals, from rabbits, chickens and shetland ponies. My favourite though were definitely the llamas and alpacas (sorry I still can't tell the difference) - they are the weirdest looking creatures with their long  noses, buck teeth and deep stare!