BEAUTY: How To Stop Your Summer Tan From Fading

Well, I'm going to hazard a guess and say that I think Summer is nearly over. We've had a sudden drop in temperature and I think although we might have the odd warm day, that's it. Face it, we're nearly done!

It's not a bad thing though, we've got so much to look forwards to with Winter coming but what about that lovely Summer glow we had. How can we keep that going so we don't fade into a pasty looking October?

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Please don't fear! Here are my top tips how you can keep your tan going and also how you can 'extend' your tan yourself at home.

• If you have still got a natural tan from your holiday, then to maintain it you need to keep your skin moisturised and hydrated. Look for shower gels that are more creamy based instead of foaming types. Maybe splash out in a slightly more expensive shower cream that will nourish your skin better. Like this one for example. 
• Add lots of moisturising into your daily routine. Why not try doubling up on moisturisers so try an 'in shower' moisturiser like this one and then follow it up with a nice body oil too. This should keep your skin well nourished and hopefully prevent it from peeling so much.
• Avoid anything that claims to exfoliate your skin as this will make your tan disappear quicker. Also, pat your skin dry after showering instead of rubbing it dry.

Marvellous! But what happens when it goes? Has it gone forever or can we fake it? No, we can't fake it, it will streak and look awful! Not with these tips! This is my tanning technique that I've done for the past 10 years or more. Get your pen and paper at the ready, I'm about to give out all my tanning secrets!

•  Firstly, decide what day you need your tan to look best on. For me, it's usually a Friday night or a Saturday. Therefore every week on a Thursday night I do myself a false tan to give me a 'glow' over the weekend and then into the following week too.
• When you come to do your tan, make sure you have done a really good exfoliation. Use a nice body scrub and then an exfoliating mitt too. This will allow the tan to apply easily and not 'grab' to dry areas. I also like to do this in the morning and do my tan at night so my skin isn't too warm after the shower when applying.
• Before you begin, make sure you have everything you need nearby. This includes body cream/lotion, gloves, tanning mitt and loose, dark baggy clothes to put on afterwards. Make sure your hair is tied back and you've removed all your makeup.
• Right, let's go! Put on your sexy latex gloves (powder free always!) and apply some moisturiser to all the dry patches on your body - this includes feet, knees, elbows and ankles. Apply some false tan to your tanning mitt and start applying. I like to work on my lower legs first and then work up the body - DO NOT DO YOUR FEET FIRST!
• This is the order I work in (also where I break to add more product) - Face and neck (very small amount to mitt - you can apply moisturiser here first if you wish and make sure you blend!), lower legs, thighs, bottom and lower back, upper back, tummy, chest, arms. Do not apply so much product that you end up with brown goo everywhere, but enough to coat your body thoroughly. Keep massaging the product in and blend, blend, blend. Also, just lightly skim over the areas you have applied moisturiser to for now (except feet - leave them till the end).
• When you have done your body, take the tanning mitt off and blend over knees, ankles and elbows to 'soften' the colour with your gloves. If you have enough cream on these areas, it shouldn't grip to them. Then, whatever is left on the tanning mitt, use to blend over your feet and then go over with your gloved hands to blend some more - avoiding the soles of your feet!
• Finally, remove your gloves and moisturiser the back of your hands. Then, with whatever is left on your mitt use to blend over the backs of your hands. Rub the backs of your hands together, the little finger sides of your hands and also your wrists together. This should help blend out any harsh edges.
• Once your done, allow your tan to dry and put on your loose, dark clothing. I recommend sleeping in the tan and then washing it off in the morning.

If it's the first time you're doing this, then do not do it before a big event as you should ideally have a couple of practice runs first. Always check all over incase there's any bits you've missed, trust me once you've missed a bit once, you'll never do it again! So there you go! How to do a tan at home without the cost of a spray tan.

If you still don't feel confident though, go and get a spray tan done. Still do a good exfoliation first, but the salon should apply cream to dry areas and also some vaseline to your nails to protect them turning brown. Avoid oils after your false tan (home or salon treatment) as this can break down the product, as can the chlorine from a swimming pool.

My fav tan to use is always Xen Tan. It doesn't contain any alcohol and so stops it fading patchy. Anything with alcohol inside can cause it to fade unevenly around the inside of elbows and back of knees so be sure to check the ingredients list first.

I hope you've learnt something new and do give it a try!

Thanks so much for reading,

Emmaline x

FIVE FAVOURITES: 5 Foods to eat after a workout

As much as I don't do so much of a 'gym' style workout, I do still work out - in yoga form. I also am not saying that I will never enter a gym again, but for now it's all about the yoga. However, I know that not everybody is like me and so each to their own!

Either way though, it's always good to know what is best to eat post workout to get the most from it and your body.

Here are my top 5 foods that are good to eat/incorporate into meals after working out...

1 - Bananas

These are full of fibre and sugar to keep you full and give you energy. They're also great to repair damaged muscles too.

Eat them on their own or freeze them and add to a smoothie. Or, if you workout in the morning, make protein pancakes by mashing an overripe banana with 2 beaten eggs and beat well. Then fry the pancakes in a teeny bit of coconut oil and there is breakfast!

2 - Eggs

Brilliant as a source of protein to help your body repair after a workout. Eat them anyway you like to get some protein into your diet. My fav is poached with some spinach for that extra bit of goodness.

3 - Lentils

These little things are high in iron and help the transportation of oxygen through the body. This is especially important after working out. They also help to keep your energy levels high - so your not so tired afterwards. Lentils are also high in fibre which helps with slow energy release. Why not add them to a rice bowl or a salad.

4 - Ginseng

Ginseng is great to help fight fatigue and also helps with cognitive function. This is great post workout, especially in the morning to help with brain function throughout the day. You can have ginseng tea or even as a supplement.

5 - Protein Smoothie

I'm very fussy when it comes to protein powders. They have had quite a bad rep over the years and even some of the best of them don't always have the cleanest ingredients. When looking for a protein powder, I always recommend that they are vegan and organic. Something like brown rice protein powder or hemp seed powder is good. This should again help your body repair after a workout and get your body to recover properly.

I hope this gives you some inspiration!

Thanks so much for reading,

Emmaline x

MEATLESS MONDAYS: Breakfast Bruschetta

I love my acaid bowls and avocado on toast, I'm sure you're all aware of that. Now and again though, if I have some tomatoes in the fridge I like to do a breakfast bruschetta for a change.

I like food that tastes good but is super speedy in the morning, I think we are all a bit time short at breakfast and so the quicker the better.

Here's the recipe - if you can even call it that it's that simple...

Method:

• Chop your tomatoes into small chunks - if they're plum tomatoes then into quarters
• Add to a bowl and drizzle with a little garlic oil and chilli oil (if you wish)
• Add to the bowl around 6 or 8 torn up fresh basil leaves
• Add half a teaspoon of sugar (or any other sweetener you like) and give it all a good stir together.
• Make your toast a put the mixture on top and then drizzle with some balsamic glaze and a good grinding of black pepper

If you wish, you could always add some avocado underneath like I've done here. Makes a bit of a change and still lets you get your avocado fix!

Thanks so much for reading,

Emmaline x

LITTLE GEMS: Friends and Family Time

Hello! How are you? How was your week? I've been working hard at the clinic and also trying to get more posts up for you all so I hope you're reading them! ;)

I've been out and about quite a bit this week so I've been taking pics of everything like a mad woman! Here's a quick rundown of my week! Hope you enjoy... x

Spent Monday night at Fox restaurant with my Mamma for the second day in a row! Check out my review here on Fox restaurant. I had the plaice and Mamma went for the beetroot salad.

Had some super tasty porridge on Tuesday! Yummy! Just discovered these new toppings called mulberry crumble. It's literally pieces of dried mulberries that you can either eat as a snack or sprinkle over food. I choose to sprinkle and they make such a difference in the overall flavour. Slightly on the pricier side, but well worth it!

Wednesday was a treat day! Took the day off with one of my besties and went to town for shopping and eating - the BEST combo!

We went to Mr Cooper's House and Garden in The Midland Hotel for lunch. The food here is great and they do a really good lunch menu. Here is the warm sourdough bread with 'whipped' butter! How very posh! Will do an eating out post on here soon.

And well, you probably won't believe this but after town, we hit the Trafford Centre! I saw the new Bridget Jones film and then we carried on shopping. I was so tired by the time we finished I needed some substantial comfort food to sort me out - cue Bills Restaurant.

We both opted for the Fish Finger Sandwich - The ultimate comfort food! I had sweet potato fries with mine. It kind of hit the spot but the bread was a little stale and my fries were cold :( I was so hungry mind, I didn't really care! After that, I was off home to bed - didn't get in till 11pm! Zzzzzzz!

Thursday was my wedding anniversary! 4 years married to the love of my life! This is me on the right and hubs on the left ha ha! Just a casual Saturday in the park he he!

Went for lunch at The Greenhouse on Friday with one of my gorgeous friends from yoga. I went for the 5 salads as always - delish!

Then, Friday night we were treated to dinner at Sakana with the family! This place is huuuge!

I can't tell you how much food there was! It was insane! We did have a large table of people, but wow there was so much food. I will put a post up soon on the food there. It's a mostly Japanese style restaurant with some Thai foods as well - Asian Fusion Style.

Saturday morning called for a big breakfast! I also made poached eggs too which is something I've never made before believe it or not! I think I tried to make them about 10 years ago and for some reason it didn't work (I think the water was boiling and not simmering). They were perfect! I was so proud of myself! I had one egg and hubs had two. Then, some veggie sausages, beans and toast (hubs buttered the toast FYI! Hence the 'white' layer on the toast! ha ha ha!) 

I was so full after this! So we went for a late lunch out at The Greenhouse.

Yes, two days on a run I went here but I just love the food. As it was a weekend, I treated myself to their oat pancakes. It sounds gross, oat pancakes layered with a tomato sauce and then covered in cheese but its amazing! Like seriously delicious! Then a big plate of salad to fill the other corner of my belly :)

Then, I know this sounds random but I made apple crumble for dessert on Saturday night. This recipe is so simple and 'healthy' I made it for my breakfast on Sunday. It was lovely hot with some Coyo Coconut Yoghurt. I would recommend this so much, I only used date syrup to sweeten it and then coconut sugar in the 'crumble' on top. The crumble is made from flaked almonds, rolled oats and coconut oil.

So, I can say it's been a good week for food! Let's see what next week brings! Have a great week everybody and thanks so much for reading!

Emmaline x

EATING OUT: Fox Restaurant | Hale Barns

EEEEK!!! I was so excited to finally try this place! Could it be real?? A restaurant practically on our doorsteps in Hale Barns that serves good food in a nice environment? (I know San Carlo is there, but I'm not the biggest fan of the one in the Marriott Hotel for some reason). Plus this is an honest review too. You know me, I'm not too good at faking it. So here's my review! Hope you enjoy reading it :)

I will be honest, I was a little scared! I had that feeling that it might be a little too pretentious for my liking. I'm the kind of girl that goes for dinner in a pair of jeans/cropped trousers, pumps and a tee. I'm not the kind of girl that goes out with full hair, make up, platform stripper shoes and a bodycon dress - just sayin! So, when I decided to go, I thought I would visit for brunch - surely this should be more chilled at this time right? Right! :)

Happy days! I was off to the beauty show last weekend and so thought it would be nice to go for a late breakfast/brunch before I went. So, off hubs and I went to get some food!

Firstly, all the staff were really lovely and helpful. Very friendly and we were sat next to the door so I got a really nice view of the restaurant. We ordered Eggs Benedict but minus the bacon to eat and a fresh orange and coffee for hubs and a fresh mint tea for me.

Oh, and hubs had some hash browns too with his! I asked for my sauce on the side as sometimes I find it a bit too rich for me.

Being really honest the drinks took around 15 minutes and the food took around 20-30 mins. Was it worth the wait? Yes, kind of. I was starving! It was pretty quiet when we got there and then by the time we ordered it was about 60% full. I do like my eggs benedict when I eat out but my bread was not really toasted and so was a little cold and soft. The eggs were cooked ok but everything was a little 'luke warm'. I think really I should have ordered something different, as opposed to what I had. Maybe adding a little smoked salmon perhaps? I don't know, it was lacking something, so unfortunately we both left a bit meh!

I was determined though to not let this stop me from going back! We both decided maybe we ordered the wrong thing and the kitchen did look very stressed. I decided that it was a new restaurant and so I would give it the benefit of the doubt - everybody deserves a second chance (especially new restaurants! Except Tattu! God that food was shocking!)

So, literally the next day I decided to go back for dinner with my Mum. I promised her I'd take her out that night so why not give it another go!

This time we were sat at the other side if the restaurant which was nice to get a different view. Again staff were really friendly and helpful - all good!

I decided to go for the oven baked plaice and Mamma went for the beetroot salad. Hoorah! The food came relatively quickly as did the drinks! I also had some spinach and mum had some sweet potato wedges. My only moan is that the options for the sides were not that great. For that kind of restaurant I would like to see some potatoes on the menu. Roasted/steamed new potatoes or mash perhaps? With my fish I could only have greens or chips! Not really what I want with a piece of fish. Don't get me wrong, the spinach was yum, but please please put some kind of potatoes on the menu other than chips!

My fish practically melted in my mouth and although it was £17.50 for my fish, it was really nice and cooked perfectly. I think mum enjoyed hers too.

Then for dessert we decided to share a sticky toffee pudding. Ma had a breakfast tea and I went for a fresh mint tea again. This was pretty nice too. I think it's meant to have the ice cream on top but I asked for it on the side as you know I can't really eat dairy.

By the time we were leaving the restaurant was pretty much full. Quite impressive for a weeknight, plus the customers were normal too! No over the top hair/makeup and itsy bitsy dresses thank god - just nice, local people coming out for dinner with the family.

Overall, it was a really nice evening. The food was good, the staff were friendly and so all is well again! It's so nice to have a good, local restaurant. I could actually walk here in Summer and then casually waddle home with my full belly of food.

I would say definitely give this place a go. The service is great and the food is pretty good too! Will be trying their pizzas next! They've even got a proper pizza oven! Yeesssss!!!

Thanks so much for reading!

Emmaline x

FIVE FAVOURITES: 5 Healthy Habits To Build Into Your Life

Hello! How are you? How are you feeling today? All good? I hope so :)

Now that we're almost 'post Summer' and back into the swing of school and work, I wanted to give you some healthy habits that you can easily build into your life to keep you healthy and trim on the run up to the party season. No, don't worry I'm not mentioning the 'C' word just yet, I'm just saying the 'party season' :o) - Those who know me will know how hard it is for me not to say it as I should have been born an elf and am excited about the 'party season' already, but sadly... I digress!

I always say that prevention is better than cure and although it is very early to talk about said 'party season', it is a good time to start changing little habits in your life so when the 'party season' hits, you might feel a little more trim, your skin might glow a little more and your mind might feel a little calmer - I hope! Let's get started...

1 - Hydrate first thing!

We've all heard about people/journalists/bloggers etc talking about this, but if you can hydrate first thing in the morning it's soo good for you. Try and get into a routine and make it as easy as you can for yourself. Instead of trying to fit in a cup of hot water and lemon in - which although it easy, might feel like a bit of a faff when all you want is coffee, try this method. Get yourself either a large cup with a lid or a bottle and before you go to bed, fill it with some water and slices of lemon. Then, keep this by your bedside. When you wake up in the morning, allow yourself 5 minutes to sit in bed and sip on the water, it will be at room temperature and so you can drink this easily and then get on with your day. Our bodies are usually very dehydrated by morning as we have not had any liquids for around 8 hours and so if you can get water in your body upon waking it's super good for you. I don't want you sat there necking a bottle though at full pelt! Slowing sip it, allow yourself some time to wake up and then start your day. Get into the habit of this, it's great for your skin and also your digestive system.

2 - Get in your greens

In an ideal world, we would have our water upon waking and then make a fresh green smoothie each morning for breakfast. As much as it's a nice idea, sometimes we just don't want it. If you can make a smoothie each day then amazing! To make it even quicker, bag up your smoothie ingredients (minus the liquids) and put them in the freezer. Then all you have to do is put them in the blender with some water and blitz. Amazing! If you want a great green smoothie recipe, here is mine...

Green smoothie recipe (all organic where possible)

1 cup of fresh water

1 green apple

1 ripe banana

1 stick of celery

1/4 cucumber

1/2 lemon

large handful of greens (spinach/kale/chard etc)

1/2 head of romaine lettuce

1 teaspoon of green magic powder

Blitz the greens first and then add the rest. If you really need it sweeter then add one date if necessary.

I never recommend adding anything other than water in the morning. Some people like to add almond milk or coconut water, but I think the simpler the better. Sometimes adding in extras can be a lot for the body to digest and so water keeps things simple.

However, if you can't have a smoothie every morning because you don't always fancy it, then try and get some greens into your diet every day nonetheless. Either some spinach with your breakfast or kale with your dinner at night. Or why not use some spinach or chard as a base for your salad at lunch. 

Greens are great to help alkalise the body and may help reduce inflammation. Plus they contain fibre which is great for your gut. So, get in those greens!

3 - Always take the stairs

This is always a great way to get some extra exercise in your life. Hubs and I always take the stairs no matter where we are. The extra bit of exercise will increase your steps, may boost your cardio and help firm and tone your bottom! So, say no that that lift and avoid the escalator - get marching up those stairs!

4 - Swap out your caffeine

I know you all like your coffees and teas, but instead of always reaching for the coffee or tea pot, maybe once a day swap it out for a herbal tea or glass of water. Just once a day change it up so you're not having as many caffeinated drinks as usual. Then, once you have got used to this, then try changing another one and another one until you can cut your teas and coffees down to one or two a day -  or even less! Caffeine can be very dehydrating on the body and and over stimulate the system, so it's good not to have more than one or two cups a day if possible.

5 - Spend a few minutes a day meditating

No, I don't need you to sit at the top of a mountain with your legs crossed, thumbs and fingers touching saying 'aauuuummmmm' (even though that would be amazing!) every day! Or at all for that matter!

We rush around all day doing this and that and then by the time we get to bed at night, head hits the pillow and zonk! We're asleep!

The problem with this, is that we never take time to just 'be', appreciate life or give gratitude for our day. I love doing this at night, for me it's the easiest time of the day to do it and it can also help me sleep. This is all you need to to...

• Once you're in bed and nice and comfortable (and have said all your goodnight's so to speak), close your eyes and rest one hand on your tummy and one on your chest.
• Begin to feel the rise and fall of your chest and tummy under your hands and then focus on your breath. If you're mind starts to wander, try and bring it back and focus back on your breathing again.
• Take 5 deep breaths - in through your nose and out through your mouth
• Then take 10 - 15 deep breaths - in and out through your nose
• Once you have done this, take a minute to list 5 things that you're grateful for that day. It could be a great conversation, something that made you laugh, the home you live in, the food in your belly - whatever it is just be thankful for those things
• Then, if you're still awake, set yourself an intention for the following day. To make it a little easier, start your intention with "I am..."

I love doing this to help me calm. I don't think you can every be truly happy without gratitude. It's not just about saying "yeah yeah, thanks for my bed, I'm grateful for this and that". It's about really feeling that gratitude. To the point you can feel it in the bottom of your stomach - that feeling of "Oh my god, I am so so lucky for..." that's when you've got it! Take a moment to do this each night before bedtime - think of it as your 'me time' - I'm sure you will feel different afterwards.

I hope these little habits can be built into your lift somehow and they make a difference in your life

Thanks so much for reading

Emmaline x

MEATLESS MONDAY: Black Beans, Brown Rice & Spinach Dinner

So, the other night I came home and it was late. Like relatively late late - let's say 9pm and I was pretty tired after a long day at work. I wanted something substantial though as I was really hungry and I was craving some brown rice in a bowl. Now, I know rice can take around 20 minutes to cook, which is not seriously long or anything, but it's waaay longer than pasta! Either way, I didn't care! I wanted rice! So I made it!

I thought I'd share this recipe with you as it's quite an easy one that can last for a few days or serve around 2 or 3 people. It's extremely cheap and pretty much store cupboard too!

I can only apologise about the quality of the picture, but as it was so late at night, the lighting wasn't that great. Here's how I made it...

Ingredients:

1 cup brown rice

Tinned Black Beans - washed and drained

handful of frozen peas

3 'nuggets' of frozen spinach

1 tbsp tahini

1 tsp harissa pasta

squeeze of lemon

Tamari Soy Sauce

1/2 tsp maple syrup/honey/date syrup

garlic oil

black pepper

Method:

• Firstly get the rice cooking, I would do this according to the packet instructions. Make sure you give it a good rinse first then bring to the boil and then allow to simmer for around 15-20mins or until cooked
• In a small saucepan, add the black beans and cook on a low/medium heat until warmed through. Add a squeeze of lemon and around 1/2 tsp of tamari soy sauce and a good grinding of pepper
• Put the beans in an oven proof dish and cover with foil to keep warm and then add add the peas and spinach to the pan (ideally rinsed out) and fry with a small amount of garlic oil. Add salt and pepper to taste
• Make the dressing by combining the tahini, 1/2 tsp tamari, harissa paste and the maple syrup in a bowl and stir until it comes together like a thick paste. Slowly add some warm water little by little until you get a nice pouring consistency (like running yoghurt)
• Finally, it's an assembly job! Add the rice to the bowl, then on top put the spinach and peas, then the black beans and finally the dressing.
• Sit back and eat with a big spoon! Heaven!

I know it's not the most beautiful meal you've ever seen, but it seriously hit the spot - comfort food wise anyway!

I hope you enjoy making it,

Thanks so much for reading,

Emmaline x

LITTLE GEMS: My Two Loves - Food & Beauty!

It's been a bit of a 'quiet' week this week. Not necessarily at work, but in a food sense I feel that I don't have too much to share.

There have been a lot of acai bowls though, that much I can say! So many that I got to a point where I stopped taking pictures of them ha ha!

So I managed four of these babies this week! It's been so warm and I've just not had much inspiration in the mornings - plus I do think I'm a little bit obsessed with them. They are so delicious and refreshing it's untrue. I think my fav one this week was the one in the pic above. I made it early before my yoga practice and put it in the freezer with hubby's and it was seriously cold! It had frozen slightly as well, so it was almost like ice cream! Yum! Everybody must love the idea of ice cream for breakfast right? Or am I just weird ha ha!

To mix it up though, I had a really tasty breakfast bruschetta one day. We had it on sourdough bread as well - which is my favourite ever!

These are so simple to make and yet so delicious. Plus, I don't add any onions so you don't stink on your way to work!

My lunches this week have been the usual organic soup from The Garden in Hale. I seriously can't beat these and they are the BEST soups I have ever had. I can't even make them this good myself! Well, Winter will be on it's way soon (as I sit here sweating whilst writing this!) and I will be the new soup making queen! Watch this space!

I did get time however, to sneak out to The Greenhouse on Wednesday. I had my usual plate of 5 salads and I swear these are the tastiest salads in the area. They are so so delicious and I never get sick of this place. From the cool jazz music playing in the background, to the friendly service (albeit a little bit Victoria Wood Sketch like ha ha). It's great!

I also couldn't have been happier this day as they had all my fav salads out! Oh my! Heaven for £5.85! ha ha

I made a really delicious  dinner on Wednesday night before going to yoga. I'm not usually one to go for the Linda McCartney range, but this seems to catch my eye in Sainsburys. Firstly, I think they have done a little bit of a re-brand and I must say it's rather pretty! Secondly, I was in the mood for some kind of veggie burger but slightly different - this was exactly what I wanted. I think they label these as Veggie Cakes, but it's just another type of burger. I was quite crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside - always good in my book! Plus it was spicy which I like!

I had this with a new rice mix which I bought from the health food shop on Oxford Road (next door to The Greenhouse) which I wanted to try. It was around £3.99 I think for the packet and instead of using it all, I did it half and half with brown rice to make it go further.

I also cooked it with a little bit of vegetable stock to add more flavour and it tasted really good! Even got hub's approval too! I then had it with some fried kale and drizzled over my harissa and tahini dressing. I have been obsessed with this stuff since I bought the BIGGEST jar of tahini and had to do something with it! It's so rich and creamy but not sickly. Love this stuff!

Then, Saturday we ventured out into Hale Village and I found myself in The Garden again! Been here around 5 times already this week but I'm not complaining. The food is consistently good and there's plenty of food on the menu so why not keep going back - plus I didn't have soup so it's fine ha ha!

We shared Nachos and their Summer Rolls. I need to say that I've never had the nachos here before but they were seriously yum! Super crunchy too which I love. Can't stand a nacho that's so thin it flops as soon as it sees the guac! Plus, I'm also a little obsessed with their alkaline water. This stuff is so good for your health. You must check it out next time you're there!

Then, Sunday was all about eating out and beauty! I went to the Professional Beauty Trade Show and sat through four very interesting seminars about skin, health and social media. First though was breakfast!

We decided to check out the new Fox Restaurant in Hale Barns square. We both went for Eggs Benedict. Just what I needed, something to fill my belly before a day of sitting in seminars!

Then, I went to the beauty show which was so busy!

It's always good to see it busy though. Good to know there are a lot of people still interested in the industry and lots of new products on the market.

Then we went for a very late lunch (or very early dinner!) at Home Sweet Home in the Great Northern

Wowsers! Some serious cakes here! I didn't get to sample this time but maybe another time. Not the biggest fan of sponge with buttercream but these do look incredible!

So, it was all about comfort food! I completely indulged in nachos (I didn't eat that many yesterday) and hubs had a burger. This was the biggest plate ever and I pretty much cleared it. You can't not have a big plate of comfort food on a Sunday. No, I wouldn't be eating this everyday but now and again why not!

I hope you had a great week! Not too stressful! I've hopefully got some more posts coming up this week for you. I've also been asked to be a guest blogger for The Garden in Hale (seriously so so chuffed about this!) so why not check out my blog post on The Garden's website about how to look after your skin going into Autumn/Winter. Have a nosey here :)

Thanks so much for reading!

Emmaline x

LITTLE GEMS: Sneaking here and there!

Well, it's been another busy week again full of food and good times! How was your week? Have you been busy too? I've managed to sneak in a few tasty meals out and also some really delicious meals for myself at home too - I think home cooking is my fav style though hands down.

Managed to sneak in a yummy bite to eat from The Garden after my yoga session on Monday. I adore this so much! It's the sweet potato harissa hash. Major yumminess!!

Afternoon snack - the vegan version of strawberries and cream. Here is my cashew cream on top of berries. If you have not tried this you must, it so delicious and creamy. I never thought it would taste this good but it really does. You can find my recipe here.

This was my dinner Tuesday night. I ate pretty late, but was determined to have some rice so I ate a little later than I had to but rice had to be cooked! So worth the wait! I will put the recipe of this up soon with my special harissa and tahini dressing I created. Yummy!

The very nearly black smoothie! I actually can't remember what I put in this, I think it was banana, almond milk, frozen cherries, frozen spinach and a date. Oh what d'ya know, I can remember ha ha!

Thursday breakfast was homemade porridge with a homemade fruit compote and cashew butter. I have a recipe on the blog for this, but to make the compote you just need to put a handful of frozen berries in a small pan. Turn up the heat and add a drizzle of date syrup or maple syrup and cook them down until they soften. It literally takes the same time as it does to make the porridge and is so much better for you than jam. Why not give it a try!

Lunch at home on Thursday consisted of me clearing out the contents of the fridge. I made some more brown rice, used the left over black beans, some leftover asparagus from hubby's dinner one night, half a leftover avocado, leftover tahini dressing and one lonely egg. I then chopped some cashews up and toasted them in a pan and sprinkled them on top. Seriously gave it a tasty crunch plus another dimension to the meal. I think toppings are so important to a dish, they can really finish it off. whether it be just a sprinkle of crispy onions, toasted nuts, chopped herbs, seeds or sprinkle of seaweed - it all makes a big difference to the final meal.

Managed to sneak out again for a quick bite in Victors - so I already had fed myself so I just munched on the veg tempura whilst my friend dived into the rest ha ha! Can't beat a bit of Victor's now and again - love this place!

Semi-late dinner at Vapiano in The Corn Exchange on Friday night. Pasta is pretty good and very fresh. Service was rather lacking though I'm afraid, plus the lighting is really not good for photos! 

Managed to get a seat that looked out into the Triangle (I still call it that!), such a nice atmosphere here, you don't feel like you're in town.

Penne with tomato and chilli and also linguine with prawns and chilli. I thought it was quite nice, maybe a little bit too 'saucey' but looks shocking in these photos! The whole place is in a pink light - makes your food look such an odd colour! Oh, plus we also ordered garlic bread which never arrived! Not to worry though, I was so stuffed after all that pasta!

Saturday morning breakfast! This is hub's plate, I didn't have an omelette, so I just made him one. His plate looked so much more colourful than mine though ha ha! Mine was just veggie sausages and beans - tasted yum, looked so depressing though ha ha!

Lunch and dinner on Saturday, I made so much I had the rest at night! Roasted veggies with chard and watercress salad. This is so simple but so tasty. Will post a recipe up soon!

Had the day to myself on Saturday so might have got a bit carried away baking - oops! I don't bake naughty food like this very often and we had friends coming over so I thought I would treat us all. Let's just say there were around 4 brownies left by Sunday morning! I will take it as a compliment! Here I made Mars bar cake from my `Primrose Bakery book, plus Nigella Lawson's brownies  (minus the walnuts) from 'How to be a domestic goddess'- fav cook book ever! 

I hope you all had a great week! 

Thanks so much for reading!

Emmaline x