When the kids & I were up in Aberdeen for half term, my sisters other half Robin made us a fantastic lamb stew for dinner. The stew was flavoursome but not too spicy so the kids enjoyed it. I'm all for us eating the same meal and so in that respect this recipe is ideal. It's from Two Fat Ladies, Full Throttle and I thought I'd share it with you here with his tips :)
From what I can see on Google, Harrira is a Moroccan soup, but this was definitely more stew consistency than soup as the rice soaked up most of the liquid.
Harrira
{Ingredients}
115 g chickpeas (from a tin - saves you soaking them overnight!)
350 g lamb in bite-size pieces (Robin recommends you double this lamb quantity to 700 g)
1 large onion, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
25g butter
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Salt & pepper
900mL - 1.2L chicken stock
400g chopped tomatoes
55g long grain rice
Pinch of saffron
1 red pepper, skinned, de-seeded & cut into strips (another tip - it's better if you don't skin the pepper)
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp chopped parsley
{Method}
Fry the onion in oil & butter until translucent.
Add the lamb and brown evenly.
Add the ginger, coriander, turmeric, cayenne, cinnamon, salt & pepper to taste and fry for a few minutes.
Transfer to a saucepan in which you have the chicken stock, cover & cook gently for an hour.
Add the chickpeas, tomatoes, rice, red pepper and lemon juice and cook for a further 30 minutes.
Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.
Robin served the stew with toasted tortilla wraps and it was the perfect accompaniment
Late to the party this week, but here's my #LittleLoves post.
// Watched
One of my new colleagues Kevin (he's asked for a mention!*waves*) gave me his copy of Lucy to watch. Lucy is an action/sci-fi/thriller starring Scarlett Johansson and Morgan Freeman amongst others. I really like Morgan Freeman - he's up there in my top 10 favourite actors. I tried to keep an open mind as I much prefer true to life movies, but I really struggled to get into this and ended up not watching the last half hour as I had ironing and stuff that needed done for the next morning. It was just too far fetched. Sorry!
We've also been watching Orange is the New Black on Netflix and I can't help but feel that it's glamorising prison. I appreciate that it's a TV show and it's a drama, not real-life, but it's starting to make prison look appealing and I'm pretty sure that real-life prison is not a fun place to be! I remember my mum giving me a book to read when I was younger about drug users. She had asked me to read it before we gave it to my little sister because she was concerned that it was glamorising drug use (which it sort of was). Anyway, this reminds me of that.
// Wore
My new Origins charcoal face mask - I do love some pampering me-time :-)
// Read
Last week we were at Catch, this week we were at TriBeCa. I h ad the Porkies Revenge burger and it was amazing!!!! There's some footage in the vlog below where you can see the burger... yum!!! And the pancakes... they looked so good!
// Heard
Not much again this week... more rain!
// Made
I made a banana and chocolate chip loaf to take into my work on Sunday last weekend. My colleagues really liked it, phew! I really enjoy baking and find it relaxing (when it's going to plan!) and it's nice to have some willing folk to eat the cakes as I could quite happily eat them all myself (which my PT would not be impressed with!).
// And Lastly...
I had a brilliant weekend with my friend Steph. It was a rollercoaster of emotions on Saturday and Sunday... I didn't have the kids and when the house is empty I find it tough... tears from me at the start of the weekend followed by a hairdresser trip, shopping haul and lots of eating out!
I'm pretty good now at looking after my face... I've a regimen of cleanser, serum and moisturiser and then I've got an exfoliator and face mask that I do weekly.
One part of my body which is neglected is my hands.
And yet, your hands are the part of the body which you use the most and they also show your age too.
The skin on my face is lovely and smooth (most of the time anyway!) whereas my hands are cracked and getting wrinkly.
Gloves
Wearing gloves definitely helps neglected hands. In the cold harsh weather, the skin on your hands can very quickly get cracked and sore. I've got a super cosy pair of mittens that I just love. I also picked up another pair of multi-coloured mittens in the Sainsbury sale at the weekend and they were just £3. I've not got a photograph, but if you keep an eye on my Instagram then I'm sure they'll appear soon!
Moisturiser & SPF
I've been using the Merumaya Hydrate & Protect Hand Cream (£12.50 for 50 mL). The consistency of this product is nice and thick yet it does absorb super fast. The cream also has an SPF which helps prevent against sun damage that can age the skin. Already after just a few uses I can notice a difference in the condition of the skin on the backs of my hands.
Massage
When I rub in my hand cream I give my hands a little massage. I do this for a few reasons. One, it's relaxing. There's something lovely about taking a minute out to massage your hands and taking some deep breaths. And then secondly, it improves the circulation - ideal for me as I have Raynaud's Disease - but this will have secondary effects of improving the condition of your skin.
Vitamins
Due to my Crohn's, I don't absorb Vitamin B12 and I have to get 3 monthly injections of this at the doctors. I suddenly realised that maybe I should be taking a multivitamin as I've been pretty tired this last week or so. I'm fairly sure that this will help with the condition of my skin and nails even though it wasn't the motivation for me to start taking it.
Drink Plenty Water
Drinking water is essential for clear, hydrated skin and of course this goes for your hands as well as your face and body. This is something I need to work on as I know that I don't drink enough water each day. Nails
I think that when my nails are painted, my hands look a lot better. It doesn't need to be a colour - even just a clear polish I think makes a huge difference. I've been using Sally Hansen Diamond Shine which dries really quickly - I love it. I'm not sure it has worked to protect my nail colour as my polish chipped within 24 hours last week which was disappointing. However I think that was as a result of the nail polish (Leighton Denny) rather than this base/top coat as I haven't had a problem with any other polishes. What's your nail polish recommendation for a zero chip formula?
I think that breakfast in bed and a hand made card would be utterly perfect on Mother's Day (especially if a long lie is thrown in the mix!), but if you do want to buy something, then here are some ideas for gifts.
Personalised travel mug from Snapdragon, £15
I was sent this fantastic travel mug from Snapdragon...
This would make the most perfect Mother's Day gift, and I think it's great value for money for a truly unique gift. The mug can be personalised in three ways... the hot drink, the name and the alcoholic drink can all be chosen specifically to suit the recipient.
There are also loads of other ideas for Mother's Day gifts at Snapdragon, such as handbag mirrors with personalised embroidered pouches (from £8), Mother's Day quote mugs (£15) and personalised notebooks (£6.50).
Bracelet by Lily Belle, £49
There are some absolutely gorgeous personalised jewellery items over at Not On the High Street, such as this nude leather and rose gold wrap bracelet from Lily Belle.
If you are looking for some more ideas, then there's also my Christmas Gift Guide for the ladies which has some suggestions that would also work for Mother's Day... perfume, make-up etc.
It's Friday again... goodness the weeks are flying by! It's the lovely Emma over at Life at the Little Wood that's hosting #LittleLoves this week. Be sure to join in :-)
// Read
The menu at Catch, Giffnock.
Rick & I headed to Catch on Sunday for our dinner. It's a contemporary chippy that's opened up in Giffnock, East Renfrewshire. The takeaway is open from 12-10pm and the licensed restaurant has space for 45 covers. I loved the interior design and the branding of the restaurant. The "fizz and chips" concept is really clever... and if you do choose to have a bottle of champagne with your fish supper then it'll probably be the most expensive fish supper in Scotland! There were no scallops or lobster croquettes when I was there, so I'll just have to go back again!! Suits me - the food was really good.
// Watched
I watched quite a few movies this week. Rick & I had a very lazy Valentine's Day doing absolutely nothing. We crammed in 3 movies and I painted my nails! It was pretty perfect!!
I do enjoy a weepy movie, and I think I cried at all three... I had control of the remote, so these were my choices!
50/50 - "inspired by a true story, a comedy centred on a 27-year-old guy who learns of his cancer diagnosis, and his subsequent struggle to beat the disease."
I accepted a FaceTime from my sister as we were nearing the end of 50/50 and I was in floods of tears. She was genuinely concerned as she thought something was wrong, but I had to explain that it was the movie I had chosen to watch! I was inconsolable! Perhaps not the best movie for V-day, but I did enjoy it. It's also good to have a cry every now and then I think.
Veronica Guerin - "an Irish journalist writes a series of stories about drug dealers", starring Cate Blanchett.
In Your Eyes - "two seemingly unconnected souls from different corners of the United States make a telepathic bond that allows them to see, hear and feel the others experiences, creating a bond that apparently can't be broken."
In Your Eyes was a bit far fetched for me. I much prefer films that are more true-to-life.
I also watched another movie on Tuesday night - Love and Other Complicated Pursuits(which seems to now be called The Other Woman). It tells the story of a woman's difficult relationship with her stepson. I enjoyed this one too, and I'm surprised that I didn't cry.
// Wore
I painted my nails on Saturday - a kind of greige colour with an attempted silver glitter ombre effect. But within 24 hours they were chipped :-(
I've also been wearing my new ankle Wellington boots from Asda. A total bargain at £2.98!!!
// Made
I baked a batch of cupcakes on Sunday evening to take into my work. I stupidly decided to try a new icing recipe and it didn't work very well (the new recipe called for icing sugar, butter and milk and the emulsion cracked which has made it look fluffy rather than smooth - I was annoyed to say the least!). Despite this, the cakes tasted good. One of my colleagues said it was the best cupcake he had ever had. I was very pleased!! The recipe I use is here although I've been using my KitchenAid rather than my Magimix.
// Heard
I struggle with this prompt every week!
The past few days I've heard a lot of rain... what happened to the milder weather! // And Lastly...
My lovely friend Steph is coming to visit this weekend and I cannot wait to catch up with her! She's currently on the train speeding towards Glasgow just now! Yay!!
I am absolutely loving Washi tape. The first tape that I bought wasn't very adhesive, but I've had better success with the mt brand. There is such a huge selection available and I'm struggling not to buy all of them!! I've been using my tape to display my Violet + Percy word garlands, decorate my FiloFax and make envelopes pretty. It did get me thinking though... what else could the tape be used for? So of course I took to Pinterest to find out!
I just logged into Pinterest on my computer to find that I've got over 5K pins... wow!!
Anyway, I thought I'd share with you a few ideas for pancakes seeing as it's Shrove Tuesday tomorrow (Pancake Day).
I'm getting better and better at Scotch Pancakes the more I make them. My son even said that my pancakes were better than TriBeCa...now that's saying something! (For those of you not in Glasgow, TriBeCa is an American diner that serves up amazing pancakes and waffles amongst other things!). When I was growing up, Pancake Day was all about crepes with sugar and lemon, but when I tried making crepes the kids weren't impressed. They prefer the smaller, fatter pancakes.
You may have spotted the photograph of my white finger tip over on Instagram yesterday? It sparked up a wee conversation around the topic of Raynauds Disease and I discovered that a few of my Instagram/Twitter friends are sufferers.
Raynauds Disease or Phenomenon is a condition that affects blood supply to parts of the body - typically the fingers and toes. The blood vessels go into a temporary spasm which blocks the flow of blood making the fingers go white (just like if you put on a plaster too tight, or if you are making a loom band bracelet on your fingers for example!). The finger then goes blue as the blood flow returns to it, and then red. Symptoms that are associated with the condition are pain, numbness and pins & needles which can last for a few minutes up to several hours. It tends to be triggered by cold weather, and I'm just reading that it can also be triggered by stress/anxiety.
It's not a serious condition in that it's not a threat to your health but it's annoying to live with.
I've had Raynauds for about a year now, and this winter it's been pretty bad. The photograph of my finger above is a good day... it's sometimes all my fingers! My toes also get affected, but it's not as bad/painful as my fingers.
There is treatment that you can take which your doctor would prescribe, but for the moment I'm managing without tablets. I don't really need anymore tablets to be honest, I already struggle to take the ones I'm supposed to for my Crohn's!
February, which is statistically the coldest month of the year, is Raynaud's Awareness Month - so I thought it was appropriate to write a post all about it here seeing as I'm a sufferer.
So how do I manage the condition? I thought I'd share with you a few bits of advice...
// Wear two pairs of socks.
// Get some cosy slippers - and put them on as soon as you get up.
// Central Heating - mine is set to come on before I get up so that the house is warm, particularly the bathroom.
// Shower - turn it on for a few minutes before you get in to warm up the bath/shower tray so you're not stepping onto a cold surface.
// Have a hot breakfast or lunch - some steaming porridge or a bowl of soup can help warm you up.
// Invest in some gloves - I've got a pair of mittens that are toasty warm!
// Electric Blanket - I was given one at Christmas from Rick and it's been the best present ever. It really does help warm up my hands and feet.
// Wellington Boots - make sure you have some shoes that are waterproof. There is nothing worse than having cold, wet feet. My current wellies are done in and are leaking, so it's time for a new pair. But I also have a pair of Goretex Clarks boots that I picked up in the sale this year.
// Hand warmers - I have little hand warmer that Rick also got me at Christmas but I need to make more of an effort to reactivate it so I can use it again. Just a pain that you've got to stick it in boiling water. Seems like a bit of a faff. But when I do use it, it's worth it.
// Give up smoking - this doesn't apply to me but apparently smoking reduces your body temperature and can make the symptoms worse
If you would like any more information on Raynauds, want to know how you can help in research projects or want to get involved in fundraising, go to raynauds.org.uk. To donate, please text COLD15 and the amount (£5/£10) to 70070.
Personally I can take it or leave it. Is it bad that I'm not that bothered? I've bought Rick a card and a present, but I don't know if he's bought me anything. I honestly don't think I'd be upset if he didn't. We sort have already celebrated, as we were sent a Donald Russell Ultimate Valentine's Box to review. It was seriously the most amazing steak that I've ever had at home!
This year we're kiddie-free for the Valentine's weekend, and with all the driving and visiting family that I did last weekend for half term, I'm just looking forward to a relaxing day in the house! We've got to take the kittens to the vet (the poor wee things have been neutered/spayed and have to go for a check-up) and then I'll be coming home to lounge in my PJs!
In the past, I'd have been making little favours for my children's friends to celebrate Valentine's Day, but I've just not had the time (or the spare money).
My son chose a card (with chocolate cupcakes on the front) to give to one of his girlfriends at school and he also decorated a few envelopes to hand out to some of the boys, which he did yesterday. I don't think any of them realised it was to do with Valentine's Day though! It was nice to see the reaction of one of the boys who was on the receiving end of an envelope. He was so pleased, and after my son had disappeared round the corner, he was waving it about to one of the other boys shouting 'look what I was just given by xxx'. I think he felt quite special. Very cute - it was just an envelope! It was my very own 'Secret Life of 5 Year Olds' moment. (I've just finished watching Secret Life of 4 Year Olds on 4oD and it was rather amusing - my daughter is going to be 4 in April and I can already relate to show!)
Anyway, have a lovely day regardless of what you're up to!
That's right, it's Friday... which means it's nearly the weekend and it's also time for Morgana's #LittleLoves.
// Read
Didn't read much at all this week... :-/
// Watched
We were sent a copy of Shaun the Sheep, Flock to the Floor to review. My dad & his wife Jo *love* Shaun the Sheep so we saved it until we visited them this week. We all thoroughly enjoyed the episodes, which are new to DVD. However I don't think the kids enjoyed Shaun as much as they did the Pajanimals. The littlest especially keeps asking to watch them and she sings along with the DVD - so cute - definitely the signs of a winning TV programme!
// Wore
I let the littlest dress me this week for #mykidsdressedme. She picked out a bright blue summers dress, which we teamed with black tights as I was going to be cold, and then the highest high heels she could find... bright pink wedges. I struggled to walk to the school and got a number of funny looks as I teetered about the playground!!
Text FUNNY to 70011 to donate £1 to Comic Relief in honour of my efforts! You'll find lots more details about the campaign here on The Bear and Miss Rabbit's blog and you'll find the Story of Mum gallery here.
// Made
Ok, so it's not technically me that made this... but my sister and her boyfriend are really good at DIY and they've put together this light fitting for their bedroom. Isn't it cool!!
A couple of things me & the kids "made"...
My son's self portrait - his rainbow face!
The cat mobile we assembled & hung in my daughter's bedroom.
// Heard
Loads and loads of laughter. We had a brilliant half term holiday visiting family and friends. Here I am with Me & My Munchie at Satrosphere again... we're just as bad as the kids!!
And more laughter with my gran... she's doing not bad for 92 years old!
// And Lastly...
I took the kids on a walk around the areas that I used to play in as a child, and we found the tree that I fell off when I was about 9 years old. I broke my right arm, quite badly - snapping my radius and ulna in two. The littlest was really intrigued by this and kept getting me to re-tell my experience! Everything has changed since I was a girl and what used to be beautiful fields are now building sites as new houses are thrown up!
When I started running, back in 2011, one of the first things I purchased was a pair of trainers that were fitted for me & my personal running style (I'm fortunate to have avoided pain/injuries and I think the fact that I have these trainers has no doubt helped) and I also got a few bits of clothing. If I was going to be pounding the streets as a newbie runner, I at least wanted to look the part!
A few years down the line and I'm needing to get back in shape again. I'm a firm believer that looking good helps you feel good. So when I was asked if I'd like to trial some new gym clothing from Buchanan Galleries, I of course said yes please :-) To help me achieve my fitness goals, from Next I received the following three items:
It can be tricky getting clothes when you're tall like me, so to find a pair of staple grey joggers in a Tall leg length was great. They're really comfortable and are especially ideal for kicking about outdoors with the kids.
Wearing my Next joggers and Floral Layer top at my PT session. I've chosen to hire a PT just until I get back into good habits again. So far, so good I think. I've lost 7 pounds and I'm starting to feel the benefits.
I unfortunately found the floral layer top wasn't supportive enough on it's own (it's double layered - with a floaty, floral printed vest on the top and a black scuba crop top underneath), so I had to wear a sports bra underneath which I don't think looked as good. As the vest was quite floaty, it sort of got in the way with my PT session exercises. It's definitely a top that I'd wear for running the summer outdoors, or perhaps to a step class. Not one for metafit, circuits or anything where you're having to be down on the ground doing press ups or Burpees etc.
The crop top is gorgeous - I do love the floral print. But I'm just waiting until my tummy is a little flatter before I show this off!
The littlest also received a tracksuit from Next. The material is so soft, and she absolutely adores it.
This isn't somewhere that I'd really think of to go to for sports gear, but the clothes are really good quality at great prices. My son loved his outfit. I'll most certainly go back to H&M for kids active wear in the future.
Sports T-shirt, £5.99 from H&M (we need to work on our posing!)
My son has put together a fitness video for you to watch!!
We are fairly active as a family, although one thing we need to do more of together is swimming. My dad & his wife Jo have a lovely big garden and when we're at theirs we always have some running races to see if we can beat out personal bests! Turning simple running into a game is a winner with my son - he's very competitive! We also walk to school when we can and my son attends a martial arts class.
This year it's my aim to get the kids more confident on their bikes, with the plan that they can cycle round the park whilst I jog next to them.
I'm also going to have a look for a charity fun run that the kids can participate in.
The 14 day Teatox comes with 14 daytime cleanse teabags and 7 bedtime cleanse teabags (the bedtime ones are to be consumed every other day).
"The aim of Bootea teatox & eating plan is to give you the boost you need to get back on track with your healthy eating and active lifestyle".
There are some amazing before and after photographs on the Bootea website where you can also access their eating plan.
I've certainly noticed that my skin has become rather spotty... I've a few craters on my face right now and I guess this is part and parcel of a detox. However I've not noticed any dramatic changes in my figure. However I've been on holiday for half term and haven't really been watching what I'm eating. I did weigh myself when I came back and I haven't put on as much weight as I would have thought I should have, which is positive. Overall though, the jury is out on this one for me.
Have you tried a Teatox?
Situated at the heart of Glasgow’s style mile, Buchanan Galleries houses big name British retailers such as John Lewis, Next and River Island. It also boasts some of the biggest international brands, from Lego to Levis and Hollister to H&M. Buchanan Galleries is now open longer with stores staying open until 7pm every evening except Thursday when it stays open until 8pm and Sunday when the shops close at 6pm. For more information on Buchanan Galleries and the stores visit buchanangallereis.co.uk or follow on Facebook – Glasgow Shopping or Twitter @glasgowshopping. We received complimentary fitness gear and a 14 day Teatox from Next, H&M and Holland & Barrett at Buchanan Galleries in exchange for this post. Opinions, as always, are honest and are my own.
