Happy weekend! I tend to eat well during the week and stay away from anything fattening or unhealthy, but life is too short to do that every day, so I mostly eat whatever I want at weekends! These sweet potato chips are right up my street… and actually not that bad for you – sweet potatoes are better for you than regular potatoes.

This recipe is from Donna Hay and you can see the full recipe and instructions by clicking here.

Have a fabulous weekend and I shall be back soon xx

Well I had high hopes for the weekend after waking up this morning to blue sky and sunshine, but by the time I was ready to go anywhere the sky was grey and the rain had arrived! Boring

One thing that definitely does not bore me about a weekend – is breakfast! During the week I try to be good and just have a bit of cereal or fruit in the morning, whilst all week looking forward to the weekends when I allow myself whatever I want for breakfast. Croissants, toast, bacon sandwiches, scrambled egg & smoked salmon are a few of my favourites!

I came across this Chocolate and Strawberry Breakfast Cake over on Gourmantine’s Blog and am delighted to learn that as well as looking fabulous, it is also rather healthy! Please click here for the full recipe and instructions.

Have a good Saturday and enjoy your breakfast xx

Happy Friday! I don’t know about you, but I am super happy that the weekend is almost here. I am just so tired this week – think I may sleep all weekend… during the day at least

I came across this White Cosmo Cocktail last week – how yummy and pretty does it look?

Oooh, yes please! What is your favourite cocktail? I am loving Porn Star Martini’s at the moment and frozen Strawberry Daiquiris! Although I do like the sound of this White Cosmo and may have to give it a go this weekend!

Have a fab Friday and I shall be back soon xx

Image via Style Me Pretty.

I have had a lovely Easter weekend so far and thought I would share a few of my Instagram pics with you. I went to an Easter gathering on Saturday and just look at this fabulous spread – thanks Milly!

I like chocolate, but I can only eat little bits at a time without feeling sick (I am a savoury girl!) so needless to say… I feel sick!

You cannot have Easter without some pretty tulips and flowers always make me smile, so I bought a few bunches.

I LOVE cheese, so was very happy to go to The Cheese Box on Friday – one of my favourite places in Whitstable! It has a bar, so you drink wine whilst munching on large plates of different British cheeses… yum!

How about you… what have you been up to over the Easter weekend? Who else forgot the clocks went forward?!

Have a great day and I shall be back soon xx

Thank goodness it is the weekend! It has been a long week and I am looking forward to a few days of relaxation. What plans do you have, anything exciting?

Food is usually a big part of my weekend and I love the look of these baked sweet potatoes, seen on Gourmande, stuffed with feta, olives, oregano and sundried tomatoes. Yum!

Don’t these look delicious? Healthy too which is a bonus. Please click here for the full recipe and instructions on how to make your own.

Have a lovely weekend and I shall be back soon xx

As it is Shrove Tuesday (pancake day!) today, I thought I would share a few of my favourite pancake recipes with you. I always like to start with savoury and then move on to sweet – so we can look at both. Just click on the link below each photo to see the recipe.

Savoury Pancakes

Squash, goat’s cheese & rosemary pancakes

Green Onion Pancakes

Sweet Pancakes

Blueberry pancakes

Strawberry pancakes

Oooh, yum – don’t these look tasty! What is your favourite pancake recipe? Feel free to share it here – put your link or recipe in the comments below. I think strawberry pancakes are my favourites – lovely with a drizzle of honey too.

Enjoy your pancakes and I shall be back soon xx

Delightful Advert – These yummy recipes scream summer and although it’s still a little early in the year to enjoy your pancakes outside in the sunshine you can still enjoy a lovely view to the world through Zenith Windows and Doors

It is Chinese New Year today – so happy new year to all of those who are celebrating it! 2013 is the Year of the Snake - which is apparently a year meant for steady progress and attention to detail. The Snake is the enigmatic, intuitive, introspective, refined and collected of the Animal Signs and a Snake in the house is a good omen because it means that your family will not starve!

Not sure about you, but I always feel I should eat tasty Chinese food for Chinese New Year… any old excuse! I found this “Inside Out Chinese Spring Roll Salad“ recipe, which I will be trying out tonight -

How about you – have you done anything to celebrate? Are you having Chinese food tonight?

Have a good evening and I shall be back soon xx

Images via Pinterest and Better Recipes.

Happy Saturday my delightful lot – I am so happy it is the weekend! What are your plans for today? I am off to see my sisters wedding venue this morning, Whitstable Castle, followed by breakfast there… what a lovely way to start the weekend.

So, would you pay £150 for a bacon sandwich?! I must admit, I do love a bacon and egg sandwich – especially when hungover, but I don’t usually pay quite so much for one!

The £150 sandwich, created by cafe owner Paul Philips, is selling at a coffee house in Cheltenham and is raising money for 2 charities with the added hope of getting into the Guiness Book of Records. It is made up of seven rashers of rare breed bacon, truffle spread, water cress, a free range egg, sliced truffles, saffron, edible gold dust and finally cooked in truffle oil.

I want one! I would pay £150 to get rid of a hangover and as this is so special, maybe it would?! It is for charity after all. What do you think – would you buy one?

Have a great Saturday and I shall be back soon xx

Image via Daily Mail.

Since the start of Channel 4’s Come Dine with Me, I must confess I have been hooked and the popularity of the dinner party has exploded even more – with people even having Come Dine With Me parties! Team this with the rejuvenation of the ‘make do and mend’ attitude of recession-struck Britain, and a dinner party comes out tops in terms of it being an easy and relatively low cost way to spend your evening.

But how do you go about throwing the ultimate dinner party? Here are some of my top tips if you are planning on hosting a delightful night in -

 100 Layer Cake

Set a Dress Code

Setting a theme for your dinner party is fun and a great ice breaker – favourite characters as well as film stars are popular options. Black tie is a classic dress code – who doesn’t love an excuse to get dressed up and look gorgeous? If you are short on time then why not try looking on the internet for your outfit. This time of year you will find online catalogue shopping at its best, with many clothes still in the sale – so perfect for picking up a bargain or fancy dress outfit.

 Messy Nessy Chic

Food

If you are doing it yourself – keep it simple! Take the pressure off a little bit and perhaps ask guests to bring a dish – of course you want to wow them with the main course but ask them to bring nibbles, a pudding or a starter? Maybe have a prize for the best course! Naturally, you will want to impress with your food but tonight is definitely not the time to try out a new, never-tested before dish. Stick to what you know and keep it simple.

 ngoc minh ngo

Entertainment

Why not have a bit of post-dinner entertainment? As long as you don’t start singing to your guests like they often do in Come Dine With Me, you should be ok! Remember how much fun you had as a child playing pass the parcel, musical chairs and pin the tail on the donkey? Retro party games allow your inner big-kid to come through – and musical chairs after a bottle of wine is a lot of fun – dangerous, but fun! Set up a photo area with props – you will have some fab photos and a great reminder of the night.

 Rachael Muller

It’s the little things…

In your panic to make your main course without poisoning your guests and getting your outfit just right, don’t forget the other little things. Presentation of your table is so important so try and make it look pretty – use candles, flowers and pretty glassware and crockery – trust me, it will make a big difference. Also, how about table place names – that way you can control the layout and direct the conversation by splitting up couples or groups.

Music

Also, don’t forget a bit of background noise – even if you have invited your closest friends it is still nice to have some nonchalant music on in the background. Choose songs according to your theme and make sure the playlist is long enough for the duration of your party. Maybe have a cheesy pop playlist at the ready too, just in case you fancy a dance later on!

 Dust Jacket

The main thing is that you relax – remember that it is not a competition (unless you really are on Come Dine With Me!) – your friends are there to enjoy your company!

What are your experiences of dinner parties? All good fun, or more hassle than they are worth?

Have a good afternoon and I shall be back soon xx

We have all heard of Superfoods and most of us have an idea of what they are and what they do, but having learnt a bit more about them lately I was fascinated at how much good they can actually do.

Over the last few years I have moved further and further away from horrible processed and fatty foods and much prefer fresh, good quality, ingredients and dishes. Don’t get me wrong – I am not a health freak and do indulge in the odd hangover Burger King or girls night Dominoes – but I will then have that fat, dirty feeling afterwards – haha!

Refinery29

I am not sure if this is a symptom of getting older and wiser, but I am just more aware of what I eat and where it comes from, so I thought I would take a look at this with you on the blog today.

It is proven by experts that these superfoods can help to ward off cancers, combat heart disease, lower cholesterol and keep skin looking better and feeling healthier. A no brainer for me then! They are full of vitamins and minerals that our bodies need, as well as antioxidants which work in the body to support a healthy immune system, prevent common illnesses and prevent cell damage that can lead to lines and wrinkles.

Food For The Eyes

There are lots of superfoods – honey, dark chocolate, salmon, oily fish, broccoli, spinach, blueberries, eggs, beans, bananas, extra virgin olive oil and pumpkin seeds to name a few. A bigger list can be found here, but I will look at a few of my favourites in more detail below -

Martha Stewart

Salmon is one of my favourite foods which I could quite happily eat every day, so even better that it is so good for you with all of its omega-3 fatty acids. The wild Alaskan salmon is the best in terms of nutrients, so at least try and get wild if you can. There are fish, such as trout and mackerel, that have even more omega-3 fatty acids than salmon and you can read a great article on eating fish here.

skinnyms

Honey has long been known for its beneficial effects. The Egyptians wrote about it back in 5500 B.C, the Indians used it for their religious ceremonies in 1000 B.C and even the Babylonians used it in their medicines. It is probably the healthiest natural sweetener you can get – packed full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

Good Foods

Houmous is a staple food in the Middle East, but overlooked by many here as just another dip. It is much more than just a dip and is also a superfood, full of protein, good fats, iron, zinc and much more. Those who know me, will know I have a bit of a houmous addiction (seriously!) and if I am honest I did not always know it was a superfood – there is no way I am giving it up now!

Happy Thoughts

Blueberries are one of the most recommended superfoods as they contain so many nutrients. Just 100g contain the same amount of age defying antioxidants as five servings of other fruit and vegetables. Blueberries are high in vitamin C and fibre, as well as pterostilbene which acts to protect the heart in the same way as cholesterol lowering drugs. They are also good for the skin, brain and for fighting against cancer. Try other kinds of berries too – superfoods, including acai berries, can be found online.

Superfood detox salad via Yummy Mummy Kitchen

What do you all think of this superfood thing – super, or just a fad? I know we are always being told what is good and bad for us, but I  personally think that there is just too much evidence on this, and I for one will continue to try and eat as many superfoods as I can. Not just because I think I should – but because they taste good and make me feel better too!

Would be great to hear your thoughts on this – so please leave comments at the bottom of this post.

Have a super day and I shall be back soon xx