Lemon Drizzle Cake

Welcome back everyone,
So yesterday I tried and tested a slimming world recipe for Lemon Drizzle cake I'd seen floating around the internet. I was amazed at how nice and just like the real deal it was by using just a few ingredients. For all you Slimming World followers its only 8 syns for the WHOLE cake, so can be enjoyed without any of the guilt!

Ingredients:
50g self-raising flour
Zest and juice of 2 lemons
5 eggs, separated
28g sweetener, I used honey but any sweetener of your choice will work.

Method:
1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees and grease and line a loaf tin.
2. Mix the flour and sweetener in a bowl.
3. Zest both of the lemons using a grater and add the zest to the mixture.
4. Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon into the mixture.
5. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and set the egg yolks aside. Add the egg yolks to the mixture and stir well to combine.
6. Whisk the egg whites in a separate bowl until they are fluffy and form soft peaks, then fold this into the mixture.
7. Add the mixture to a greased cake tray or loaf tin( both work fine) and bake in the oven at 180 degrees for 20-30 minutes.
8. For the icing: Mix 15g of sweetener with the juice of the other lemon to make a drizzle.
9. Allow the cake to cool a little when out of the oven, then pour the drizzle over the top of the cake and place it back into the oven for another 10 minutes until the top of the cake is nice and glazed.

That's how simple it is, yet it tastes just like the real deal. I would highly recommend trying this recipe out, you won't regret it!

Until next time,

Sophie x

June Favourites

Welcome back everyone. I can't believe another month has passed and its now July, time is flying isn't it? It seems like only yesterday I was talking about my may favorites. Not much has changed but I thought I'd share a few products and things I have been loving for the month of June.

1. MUA Heaven and Earth eye shadow palette
I have this palette a while now and have used it on an off. However this month I decided to play around with the colors in this palette a lot more and fell in love with it. I love the colors in this palette. They are very pigmented and last all day on the lid. It is a neutrals palette with gorgeous bronzed shades perfect for creating a day and night time makeup look. I've been loving putting the third shade 'Babylon" all over the lid and into the crease with some mascara everyday for a simple quick eye look.

2. Barry M Blueberry Ice Cream Nail Polish

I've been wearing this nail polish on my nails most of the month of June. Its a sky blue shade, perfect for summer. 2 coats of this polish does the trick and you'll get a few days out of the polish without chipping, which is a winner for me as nail polish usually chips on my nails the second day but this one doesn't. It was also very inexpensive like all Barry M nail polishes and the bottle of it will last you ages.

3. My Fitness Pal

This app has been on my phone ages but I always forgot to use it. Its only in the last few months I been regularly using it to log all my food and any exercise I do. I find it really interesting to see whats actually in the food I am eating and it has definitely made me more mindful of what I eat and choose the healthier option!

4.  Pumpkin seeds and Almonds

As I am trying to be a bit healthier I started adding some seeds and nuts into my diet. I've been loving putting pumpkin seeds in my porridge and having almonds as a snack, they're both full of amazing health benefits, they're good sources of healthy fats and both full of antioxidants.                                         

5. Freeist chocolate

Again as I'm trying to choose healthier options but still have to have chocolate I picked up some Freeist chocolate. They are gluten free and have no added sugar but they still taste amazing and just like 'normal' chocolate without some of the guilt. I love all the flavors but the milk chocolate bar is my fav. 

6. Me before you 

Ever since I seen the trailer for this film I've been wanting to go. A few weeks ago I finally got the chance and went to see it in the cinema. It's a brilliant film, lovely story line, bring tissues with you though it definitely tugs at the heartstrings!

So that's all my favorites for the month of June. Hope you all enjoyed and let me know some of your favorites!

Until next time,

Sophie x

Porridge Bread

Welcome back everyone,
So today I decided I would share the Porridge Bread recipe I tried and tested out over the weekend. I can't take credit for this recipe I found it on 'the 7AM club' on Facebook and it looked too good not to try out! You can eat it on its own or top with sliced banana or almond butter!. Its perfect to have in the morning for breakfast or in the evening with a cup of tea. I hope you all enjoy the recipe and if you try it out let me know!

Ingredients:

500ml tub of natural yogurt

500g of porridge oats

2 tsp bread soda

1/2 tsp of salt (optional)

Dried fruit eg. raisins, sultanas, berries etc. 

Method:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees and line your loaf tin with baking paper.

Begin by mixing the yogurt and beaten egg together in a mixing bowl.

Mix the oats, bread soda, salt and dried fruit(if using) in a separate bowl.

Add the yogurt mixture to the dry mixture and mix thoroughly.

Place in a lined loaf tin and bake at 180 degrees for 50 minutes

Remove tin from the oven at 40 minutes.

Take the bread out of the tin for the last 10 minutes and wrap bread in a damp tea towel (helps soften the crust).

Let it cool completely, then serve and enjoy! 

Until next time,

Sophie x

May favourites

Hi everyone, so today I'm going to share some of the things I loved throughout May. Its hard to believe we're already in June, the year is flying by isn't it? Anyway on to my favourites!

1. Nyx Butter Gloss in Eclair



I picked this up a while back and recently started using it again throughout the month of May and love it! Its very easy to apply with or without lipstick, dries nice and is a really nice everyday pink. There's also a huge shade range of the butter glosses which I definitely need to try.

2. Batise Dry Shampoo

This isn't a new find for me by any means, I've been using Batise for years now. Recently its a been a savior for my greasy hair. With the help of this I can actually get 2 days out of my hair. I also really like the scent of this one.

3. Peppermint tea

When I was in Holland and Barrett I picked up this tea. It has a really lovely taste, not too strong and its also really good for digestion. I like to drink it after a meal. It was only 2:19 euros in Holland and Barrett so cheap as chips.

4. Strawberries

I've always loved strawberries especially now that its summer and there more readily available. I also think summer is the perfect weather to be eating them in as they are so refreshing and sweet. There also great to snack on if you get a craving for something sweet.

5. Hairstyles

 This half up half down top knot has been my go to hairstyle when I want to wear my hair down but don;t want any hair in my face especially during the summertime! I'm also in the process of growing out my side fringe so this hairstyles perfect!

I've also been loving braided buns. Its very easy to do you just braid your ponytail and form it into the bun shape you desire.  I wear my hair in a bun most days so its a nice touch to add to make it look like you put more effort into the hairstyle when you actually didn't!

6. Pretty Little Liars

I know I mentioned this in a blog post before but I just can't get enough of it. I find myself watching 2-3 episodes a night (got to limit myself). The story line is very gripping and always leaves you wanting to watch more. Definitely give it a watch if you don't already.

Well there you have it my favourites for the month of May. I hope you all enjoyed it. Let me know what your favourites for the month were.

Until next time,

Sophie x

Weetabix Cake

Welcome back everyone, over the weekend I decided to try out Weetabix Cake. I know what your thinking, "weetabix in a cake" that was my initial thought too but its actually tastes very nice. It turned out lovely and went down a treat with the family, so today I am going to share the recipe with you!

Weetabix Cake

Ingredients:

300g self-raising flour

225g sugar/2 tbsp honey

2 Weetabix(crushed)

200g raisins(or any other dried fruit you want)

1 tsp mixed spice

275ml semi-skimmed milk

1 medium egg(beaten)

Method:

1.Preheat your oven to 180 degrees and grease and line a loaf tin

2.Add all of the dry ingredients into a large bowl and stir to combine

3.Pour in the milk and egg and mix well until you have a thick batter

4.Pour the mixture into a greased and lined loaf tin

5.Bake at 130 degrees for around 1 hour 15 mins(checking regularly), until the cake is firm to touch, golden brown and a knife comes out clean.

6. Once the cake is cooked, take out of oven and take the cake out of tin and allow it to cool completely on a wire rack.

7. Cut into slices when cool. If you find the cake too dry you can add a spread of butter and enjoy with a cuppa.

Thats how simple it is, definitely give it a go. Its not your typical cake but its a nice change and a bit healthier too! I hope you all enjoyed and I'll see you all in my next post(which will be more beauty related for a change).

Until next time,
Sophie x

Healthy Banana Bread/ Granola Bars

Hi everyone, so today I am going to share with you a healthier version of the beloved Banana Bread. It doesn't contain any flour, butter or sugar so its a great treat to have if you want to be that bit healthier but still feel like your indulging!

Healthy Banana Bread/Granola Bars

Ingredients:

• 360g oats
• 2 ripe bananas
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp honey
• sprinkle of cinnamon
• dash of ginger 
• handful of raisins, walnuts or any nuts of your choice

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees and line a loaf tin with baking paper
2. Mix the oats, cinnamon, ginger and baking powder together in a mixing bowl
3. Mash the two bananas and mix into dry ingredients
4. Add in the eggs and honey and mix well
5. Add in the raisins and mix everything together well
6. Place the mixture in a lined loaf tin and bake in the oven for 20-30 mins
7. Let it cool completely before serving
8. You can leave it as a bread but sometimes I like to cut them into granola bars and wrap them in tinfoil and they last in an airtight container for a few days or you can freeze the bars and take them out whenever you want them. There a great snack when on the go to perk your energy levels up!

I hope you all enjoyed this recipe. Let me know if you try it out and how you get on :)

Until next time,

Sophie x