Travel: Iceland Day One

Hey everyone! Sorry it’s been a while, but I have been super busy from before Iceland, over Christmas, and right up until now. And in fact I will now be really busy until mid-January, as I’m going full time next week at The Cosy Club, and I’m moving in with my Nicky next week too! Anyway, so finally had time to write a little bit about my travels, hope you like!

So I was very nervous about this trip, as I was going on my own, but I actually found myself quite relaxed getting the coach to Heathrow, and going through all the airport stuff. I suppose foodie-wise, my trip didn’t really get off on the right foot! I decided to try out this Café Est place in Heathrow Terminal One- and oh my god guys, seriously, don’t eat here!!! When I came in, I noticed there was something on the menu outside that said “early lunches” that had basically the same stuff on the main menu, but for cheaper, because they served it 11am-12pm. Like an early bird special I guess. So I went in, and I noticed this early thing wasn’t on the menu this woman gave me, so when I ordered my meal (lasagne) I mentioned this but the woman was like “oh we must not have put the new menu up there” but I thought screw it, I’ve already sat down, I’ll order it anyway. I was thinking £11-12 for a lasagne, I hope this is good. I also ordered a double espresso, which took forever to arrive, and then the lasagne took ages to arrive as well. When it arrived, it didn’t even come with salad, and it was FROZEN in the middle, meaning of course that they hadn’t make it fresh (or it was v doubtful to have been made fresh). When I told this to the woman she was like “oh I’ll go sort this out for you” but I was just thinking, NO, I want something else, I don’t want to be served a reheated reheated lasagne, I don’t want to end up ill- but she hurried off! And I noticed a guy two tables over from me that had the exact same frozen lasagne thing as well. So it was served back to me and mreh, it wasn’t really that nice. Paid, didn’t tip, and left- super disappointed. Literally, look at this lasagne, even this cool looking Asian businessman guy sat next to me asked literally “what is that??” when it arrived.


Flight was quite nice; IcelandAir had done it up all nice and Christmassy, and had all these cute messages about Icelandic folklore/ Christmas traditions/ languages. And the plane was called Heklar, which is one of the volcanoes on Iceland. Got into Reykjavik fairly easy, although the moment I got to Iceland I realised that it wasn’t just the hotel/ booze that was expensive in Iceland, it’s just EVERYTHING. I mean, I had to get a Flybus to the main BSU bus terminal, and then a shuttle thing from the terminal to my hotel. The shuttle was all right (I thought shuttle transfers were included in the hotel price but apparently not) but the Flybus was £11!?! Usually travel costs are always really good everywhere else I’ve been in Europe, like when Nick and I went to Prague we were shocked that we spent about £3.50 for a 24 hour travel pass, which worked on buses, trains and ferries- amazing. So got to the hotel and it felt late because it was so dark- but it was only 6pm! It is really hard to get used to, in fact, I don’t think five days was even enough to get used to the almost constant darkness- I expect it would take years to be fine with it. You just naturally feel tired because it’s dark, but you just have to keep reminding yourself “Doesn’t matter if its pitch black, its 9am, Doesn’t matter if it’s pitch black, its 6pm” Lol. Hotel was nice, SUUUCH a comfy bed. Mind you though, am I the only person that thinks this is weird- my bed was a double bed, but it had these weird little “personal” 1 person covers, instead of the normal 1 big one. Weird right??


Decided OK, I will be brave, and Instead of just having dinner at my hotel restaurant I would have a bit of a wander about outside my hotel, central Reykjavik, and try and get my bearings. Now, when it comes to food, I brought with me a load of names of recommended restaurants. The best ones were the ones that my boyfriend’s work colleague Sif recommended- she is Icelandic also, so she really gave a nice personal account of which places I should try/ what I should eat whilst I was in Iceland. I then looked at Trip advisor and wrote down a lot of their recommended restaurants, which were in a close radius to my hotel (A lot of these synced up with Sif’s recommended places). Whilst walking around and going down different streets, what was super useful was that there was this little Christmas market outside my hotel, with this big Christmas tree covered in bright red lights. So if I felt like I was getting a little lost, or too far away, I knew that I had to keep my eye out for the red Christmas tree, and then I would know how to get back to my hotel. Saw some funny things on my way too- love the MASSIVE puffin with all the little puffins. Awww, gawd I wondered how much that actually cost- Lol! Imagine trying to get that back through the airport, haha!

Anyway, managed to find this really nice Italian place called “Hornid”. Staff seemed fairly friendly, and they sat me next to where these two fit Nordic looking guys were making the pizzas (Mmmm! Haha!). Ordered a nice cold beer called “Skor” (except with a pointy thing over the o, I don’t know how to do that with my computer), which was the nicest beer I had whilst I was in Iceland, I recommend it. I then got the “Pizza con Rucola y Parma” (Pizza with rocket and Parma ham) with a side salad. The side salad was rubbish (iceberg lettuce, sundried tomatoes and olives and a thin salad creamy type dressing) but the pizza was delicious. I don’t normally order pizzas because usually I can’t eat all of it, but I was so hungry by then I really fancied one. Pizza was so delicious, with loads of parmesan and fresh rocket and tasty Parma ham. There was also garlic oil and chilli oil to dip the crusts in- mmmm!


After this a wandered back to my hotel and fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow- travelling really does knacker you out doesn’t it???

Homemade Facial Scurb for All type Skin

For getting soft and smooth skin, everyone should be scrubbing their skin to remove died cell. You can use homemade scrub or any brand scrub cream which is available in market. Homemade scrubbing pack is cheaper than market product and all ingredients are available in your kitchen cupboard.So, if you want to get healthy and smooth skin, try below homemade scrub recipes which will leave your skin hydrated and refreshed.
Normal skin scrub-
Mix 2 mashed strawberries,1 tsp almond oil and 3 tsp granulated sugar together  very well, make it thick paste. And massage this scrub on your face, neck and dry skin area by using your figure tips as circular motion. Leave it sometime and risen off with warm water. You will have soft and glowing skin.
Dry skin Scrub-
Almond oil is good moisturizing oil for dry skin; it will help to keep your skin smooth and soft.
Make a paste of 2 tsp of find oatmeal, 2tsp plain yogurt,1 tsp almond oil and leave it 5 minutes for soften oatmeal. Rub this scrub lightly on face and neck avoiding eye area. Continue to massage for about 5 minutes after that wash it with warm water.
Oily Skin Scrub-
Cornmeal is a great scrub for oily skin.
Combine 2 tsp cornmeal with 1 tsp lemon juice and 2 tsp of yogurt or curd, make it thick paste. Then massage it into the face for about 5 minutes and rinse off with tepid water.

So boys, what should you do when you get cold?

Over the next few weeks I will be working with British Gas as one of their Smart Mums ambassadors, thinking about the significance of energy conservation this winter.

This project comes hot on the heels of the energyshare campaign, where I saw the hard work of communities who are trying to create energy from renewable sources.  With all the complexities of such a project, it's a far cry from the simplicity of flicking a switch in our homes to immediately emblazen rooms in light or to turn up the heat.

With the festive season being one of the coldest times of the year and now the boys are off school, it's been a good time to have a chat with them about how we can save energy over the holidays.

I caught them by surprise, this Sunday, just as my youngest came home from swimming and my eldest was about to embark on a Pokemon Fest at the computer, wearing just a short sleeved top  - his choice - brrrrr.  The house was not particularly warm that day.

"What should you do if you get cold?" I asked.

A simple question.

"Turn up the radiators!" shouted one.

"Dive under a blanket!" called the other.

The first was just being a frivolous tease.  He knows we have a permanent choice of blankets in our living room, which are always put to good use whenever we're sat around watching television, or using the laptop.  Aside from the technology, it takes us right back to an era when central heating wasn't available. I'm snuggling under one, whilst writing this post.

Of course, being just seven and ten, when the boys are not sat around, they're tearing around the house, using their own energy to keep warm.

It's just a shame I can't harness that and divert it back into the National Grid.

Or the sound of their laughter too, just like in Monsters Inc.

We're actually pretty good at managing the heating and putting on extra layers.  However, our particular downfall is leaving the lights on, especially in the children's rooms, when they are rushing around to get to school.  It's always the bedside lights that are a pain to remember to turn off.

So he who laughed about turning up the radiators has now got his nose to the grindstone, designing mini-posters to remind him and his brother to turn off the lights!

And if that doesn't work, as a back-up plan I'm busy gathering together a load of pennies as a financial incentive, so that each time they remember to turn them off, they will physically be able to visualise the saving too.

The problem with that last strategy is that I can see them turning on the lights especially to turn them off again.

Best not tell them about that one yet then!


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This is a sponsored post for the British Gas, Smart Mums project. More posts  are also available at the BritMums Smart Mums Blog.

Home Made Toner For Glowing Skin

Cucumbers like watermelons, are 95% water. Also vitamin C is there. It is good dietary fruits , they help to control the inner body temperature and body flush out toxins. You can use as it your beauty recipes.

Take one medium size cucumber, peeled it and cut it small pieces. Make puree of it by using blender Extract the clear juice in a bowl or cup. Pour it into a clean bottle and add 2 tea spoon of honey.
Before use this toner, shake first. After that take some drop in a cotton pad. And sweep over face and neck and uncovered area at morning and night time,leave it for 3 to 4 minutes. It will work as a toner. You can use it one week by storing in refrigerator.

Skin Care in Winter

Winter is a great season to enjoy. In winter, skin gets so dry cause of weather change.

Another big reason of dry skin is that in winter we try to take less water and replace it with hot drinks like coffee, tea, hot chocolate and this is one of the reason of dehydration in body.

So try to take more water even in winter and keep your skin moisturize.
During winter, regular lotions and creams aren't even that helpful.

So, try to go with the Home Made products which will last long and keep your skin mosturized.

Tips:

Try to use some cream or lotion which contains glycerine in it.

While taking bath, add few drops of any oil in it. This will keep your skin moisturized for a long period of time.

Don't use too much heat in your home. Adjusting the humidity in your home can also help to prevent dryness.

In winter, take diet rich with Omega 3 and 6. Such as Fish, eggs and milk.

Aloe Vera juice is good for the skin. Drink 1-2 glasses of this juice in a day. Aloe Vera gel can be applied on the face as a good moisturizer too.

Cover your skin as much as possible when facing extreme cold and harsh winds. Use gloves, mufflers, scarves, and jackets.

Recipe: Chilli Garlic Chicken, with Smashed Carrot and Parsnip

A recipe using the old and the new- from the last harvest of my summer chillies, to the lovely seasonal winter root veg! To be honest i probably shouldn't be blogging right now- i've got a lot of packing and organising to do!! Going to Iceland on saturday (and no- not the shop!! No chicken tikka bites for me!!). Will update you all on my shinanigans when i get back, promise! The root vegetable "smash" doesnt look amazing I guess, but the flavours in this dish are to die for!

Chilli Garlic Chicken with smashed carrots and parsnips (serves 3)

The chicken
3 large chicken breasts
50g butter
1 tbsp olive oil
3 little hot green chillies
25g fresh coriander, stalks and leaves
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp crushed ginger
Salt and pepper

The mash
350g parsnips, peeled and diced
700g carrots, peeled and diced
1 tsp cumin or dukka
2 tbsp single cream
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 200C. Mix all the chicken ingredients (except the chicken!) in a food processor. Put the chicken breasts in an ovenproof dish, and rub the butter all over the breasts. Cook in the oven for 40 minutes (Halfway through cooking process, baste with the juices).
2. Meanwhile, bring a large pan of water to the boil. Boil the parsnips and carrots in salted water for 20 minutes, or until soft. Remove the chicken from the oven, and remove the chicken from the juices it’s been cooking in.
3. Drain the vegetables, and mash with the cream, cumin, and all of the juices from the chicken. Season to taste, and serve alongside the chicken!

Egg Beauty Recipes For Beautiful Skin

Egg has more protein in your daily diet. If you will take one boil egg in your breakfast ,then you will get more protein for healthy life. Instead of it,you can use it as beauty recipe. If you would like to get natural beauty and tightening your skin,use some egg beauty recipe for different type of skin.

For Dry skin-

Make a pack of 1 raw egg and 1 tablespoon of honey. Apply it on your face and neck and let it for 15- 20 minutes. After that wash it with Luke warm water.

For Normal Skin-

Combine 1 egg and one spoon fresh sour cream. Spread it on the face and neck,leave it for 15 to 20 minutes, then risen off with tepid water. By using this pack , you will get smooth and soften skin.

For Oily Skin-

Mix together one egg and 1 tsp of oatmeal. Apply this paste on your whole face and neck. After sometime risen off with tepid water. This mask will help to remove blackheads.

Natural Beauty Remedies of Watermelon

Watermelon is not only good for health but also helpful fruit for beauty. You can use it as your daily beauty purpose. Here are some tips of watermelon:

• Take watermelon piece and rub it on you face and after few minutes wash. The face will get cool and refreshment. If you apply it in summer then you can get better result.
• It is prevents from sun shine. Make a mixture of same quantity cucumber and watermelon juice. Massage it on your face and expose area. Leave it for couple of minutes, then clean the face by using cotton. It is a good way to make your skin beautiful and glow.
• Make a Ice cube by taking mixture of mint leaves paste and watermelon. After massage this Ice cube as a circular motion on your face. If you do like that then your skin pores become open which gives glow and shining skin.
• For glowing skin you can do other method, make a paste of pea nuts and add watermelon juice. And keep it few minutes. It is a good facial scrub for the skin. It will help to glow the skin.
• Watermelon works as a toner. For making toner, take one cup of watermelon juice and add one spoon of lemon juice and fridge this mixture. Clean your face by applying this juice and make your skin soft and glowing.

"No More Socks for Christmas" says Suffolk Circle

Members of Southwark Circle in London.  Suffolk Circle members will be marching with similar banners, 11.30am, Wednesday 14th December, The arc, Bury St Edmunds.

As a little girl, I used to love helping my mother wrap the Christmas presents.  It was one of my favourite things to do... until I got bored.  And I would get bored.  There were always too many presents and they were always the same, with the long monotony of socks, ties, handkerchiefs or bubble bath.  Sometimes there would be bath salts, just to break the routine.

As I carefully wrapped the presents, which would then be dutifully distributed to all the older members of our family in time for Christmas day, I couldn't help but think how awful Christmas Day must be for old people if every year they opened a pile of socks.  It would be like The Day of The Triffids, except with socks. Surely they already had enough socks or if they didn't they were old enough and sensible enough to buy their own.

Some of those 'old' people were only in their forties.

I'm now 43. a ripe old age to be caught in the firing line for chance gifts that belong to the older generation.

"The joy is in the giving, not the receiving" we hear all across the land at Christmas time.

Indeed it is and as a society we get hooked into the joy of giving presents as tokens of our love and kindness, our appreciation and our warmth towards others.  Yet, very often giving is purely duty-bound and an automatic process that ends up with a national pile of unwanted gifts.

"I really don't know what to get Uncle Jim," I heard a lady say last week, as I walked past her and her friend in Bury St Edmunds.  "He never likes what I get but I've got to get him something because it's bloody Christmas!"

It sounded like Uncle Jim's joy would definitely not be in 'the receiving'.  And as for the lady concerned, there was certainly no joy in the act of 'giving' either.  It sounded more like she was desperate for some pain relief!

So thank goodness the world is coming to its senses, at least in Bury St Edmunds, where under the auspices of social enterprise Suffolk Circle, a Flashmob & protest march is taking place this Wednesday to encourage people to think twice about what they buy for older friends and relatives this Christmas.  

Suffolk Circle members will gather in the Arc shopping centre at 11.30am, bringing unwanted gifts from last year.  They will march with banners to Suffolk Circle HQ, where the gifts will be donated to the Gatehouse, a West Suffolk charity dedicated to helping those in material and emotional need.

Suffolk Circle believes that wasting money on unwanted presents is even madder in the present economic climate.  For me it's all about physical waste too, i.e. the embedded energy and water wastage just to get the thing from the factory, to the shop, to the Christmas tree, only for it to sit in a drawer for 12 months before ending up in a carboot sale, landfill or charity shop

It's not about ingratitude, because actually it really is simply "the thought" that counts and the awareness that an unwanted present puts unnecessary emotional pressure on the benefactor as well as the beneficiary and leaves a trail of material and economic wastage in the process, even if it is just one pair of socks!

Of course it goes without saying that no offence is intended, accidentally or otherwise, towards anyone who really adores getting socks or just simply always needs another pair, whether that be at Christmas or any other time of year. 

And I admit, it really is nice to get a snuggly pair sometimes.
 
Sometimes!

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If you live in Suffolk and would like to take part in the flashmob, please go along on Wednesday 14th December.  11.30am.  Meet opposite the Costa Café, arc shopping Centre, 14 Prospect Row, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 3DG.

Suffolk Circle is a social enterprise whose members can get practical help with life’s little bits and pieces from local Helpers. They can also get out and about, meeting people with similar interests, reconnecting with their community, doing and learning new things. For family members and friends who live further away it’s a great to make sure their loved ones have neighbourly support, as well as a lot of fun, all year round.  Membership costs £15 for six months or £30 for a whole year.

For further details about the Suffolk Circle or Wednesday's march, please contact:
Finbarr Carter, Head of Membership. Tel: 01284 774880, or visit  www.suffolkcircle.org.uk.

Homemade Grape Beauty Recipes

Do you know grape juice is an excellent cleanser for all skin types? Of course it is a good beauty element. Here are some homemade beauty recipes by using grape.

• Cut two to three grapes in half and apply that juice all over the face and avoid the eye and mouth area. After some time risen off with lukewarm water. You can use it all type of skin.
• Make a mask by combining 1 tsp grape juice, 1tsp of lemon juice, 1 tsp mint juice. Apply it on your face and neck then wash off .After that mix rose water and ice water and apply that your face. This recipe only for oily skin.
• Take 10 grapes, 2 tsp chamomile tea and 2 tsp of corn flour. Mix the chamomile tea with the corn flour, make a paste after that add mash grapes on that paste. Apply on your face that paste and leave it for 15 minutes then risen off .Then apply as usual moisturizer.

Recipe: Carrot, Maple and Bacon Soup

Sounds like a reeeeeeally weird combination I guess, but when you think about it things like honey and maple syrup are used with root vegetables all the time. Honey roasted parsnips or carrots are of course, a very popular dish at Christmas. So I thought I would try and see whether maple syrup and carrots compliment eachother, and it worked out really really well! I then thought, this soup is quite sweet, so it needs something salty to set it off- and then I remembered Americans love putting maple syrup on their bacon and pancakes at breakfast, so I thought that would make a good garnish. In some supermarkets you can actually get "maple cured bacon" as well, which is delicious too. I am entering this recipe into Love The Garden's "Christmas Carrot" recipe competition. It is a recipe competition for bloggers that ends 21st December- all you have to do is post up a carrot recipe onto your blog, mention their site, and you are end up with a chance to win a £200 dinner at any restaurant of your choice! Here is the URL, if any of you fancy going in for it! http://www.lovethegarden.com/blog/christmas-carrot-competition

Carrot, Maple and Bacon Soup (makes 2 large bowls, or serves 4 as a starter)

50g butter
1 red onion, diced
1 white onion, diced
½ tsp mixed herbs
500g carrots, peeled and diced
30ml maple syrup (plus extra for drizzling)
700ml vegetable stock
Salt and pepper to taste
4 thin rashers smoked bacon (or generally 2 rashers per person)

1. Sautee the onions, mixed herbs and carrots in the butter and maple syrup, covered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the lid, and continue to cook for about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables have started to caramelise.
2. Add vegetable stock and cook on a high heat for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oven to as high as possible, and cook rashers of smoky bacon on s non-stick baking tray until they go nice and crispy (this generally takes 10-15 minutes).
3. Blend the soup, add any extra water/stock if necessary to get to your desired thickness, season to taste and serve hot- garnished with crispy smoked bacon and an extra drizzle of maple syrup!

energyshare, Hexham, social media, old friends and me

The last couple of weeks have have been some of the most extraordinary in my blogging life, having spent much of November helping to campaign for public votes to help Hexham River Hydro win energyshare funding of £100,000, WHICH THEY DID ON SATURDAY, so a HUGE THANK YOU to all of you who voted.

With the campaigning over, I now want to take some time out to reflect on what has been a very exciting but overwhelming experience in many ways.

When energyshare first got in touch to ask if I'd like to work with them as a blogging champion for one of the shortlisted entries, it sounded like a very exciting prospect.  It was the first time I'd heard of energyshare, but the idea that it was supporting community based energy creation, based on inspiration by River Cottage & Landshare originator Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall was a very interesting one indeed.

What I hadn't expected though was the community project that I would be allocated would be one that would involve a 5 hour train trip, up north to Hexham in Northumbria.

Nor had I expected the impact the community would have on me when I arrived there.

And I certainly hadn't prepared myself for the string of coincidences in my life that would surround Hexham either.

Energyshare recognised that they'd given me a community that was very far away from home and gave me the opportunity to support them remotely.  Having read the project details for the Hexham River Hydro scheme, I knew I could blog about them enthusiastically - I love the idea of harnessing power from water -  but I didn't think I could do it with the level of passion that was needed unless I saw it first hand.

The first phone calls I made with Tamsin, then Gillian and then the rest of the the Hexham River Hydro team revealed the first glimpses of their drive and enthusiasm that I was desperate to harness during my proposed visit there.  And I wasn't to be disappointed.

From the moment I stepped off the train and was welcomed by Malcolm, one of the project team members, I knew it was going to be a 24 hour whirlwind of a visit.  During the short walk to the town centre, I'd already gleaned some information about the town's initial commitment to renewable energy, with Malcolm pointing out the solar panels that had been installed on the roof of the sports centre.

Then came the opportunistic video in the stocks outside the town gaol (you'll need to see my video), followed by the very exciting introduction to the team, who were having a project meeting at their hub, at Scott's Cafe in the Forum cinema.

The Hexham River Hydro Project Team

Once calm had been restored, it was a real privilege to settle myself into the meeting and hear the ideas that the team was planning for campaigning to secure as many public votes as possible for their energyshare funding bid.   There were so many ideas that truly reflected the group's energy

That night after pizza, I was "unofficially inaugurated" into the community by taking part in the Hexham Community Choir.  For 50 minutes, the choir suffered my tone-deaf vocals, until Gillian announced why I was in town. Soon after it was off to the pub for some cider and more singing.  It was a real warm welcome to what was an unfamiliar town in an unfamiliar part of the country.

Hexham Community Choir

The real work started the next day.  Well, I say it was work, it was more of an insightful introduction into the team's enthusiasm, knowledge and commitment as well as their vision on how a hydro electricity generator could create funds for social projects around the town.

On location at the site of the river hydro scheme

And everything that I experienced that day was eye-opening, whether it was watching leaping salmon for the very first time in my life, making Christmas cards with the mums who use the community house No. 28, or meeting the teenagers at the Youth Initiative, who are so grateful for their facility and also realise how it's heavily dependent on fund generation.

The Community House, No 28.

And having the opportunity to meet, conservationists, councillors, the mayor, members of Transition Tynedale, students of the local Mencap college and local schools, really cemented how much Hexham Community Partnership worked hard to create a fantastic foundation for such a great community.

Members of the community, including The Mayor, Transition Tynesdale, Hexham Community Partnership and councillors

I really felt honoured to have met so many people during my visit, which is why when it was announced at the live countdown on Saturday that they had won the £100K energyshare funding, I found myself getting quite emotional over the result too and so pleased for the community that I'd championed.

Hexham River Hydro's Gillian Orrell at the energyshare finals. If she was this pleased about winning a vote rush prize, just imagine how it felt to win the £100k funding. It's just a pity my camera battery ran out, so I couldn't capture the scene.

I've now got a funny feeling, that this isn't the end of my relationship with Hexham. Not only because of the lovely welcome and my interest in following the development of the Hexham River Hydro project.

There are a few coincidences that have come about too.

Having uploaded my photos onto Facebook, it quickly emerged that not only does one of my social-media contacts originate for this beautiful town, but one of my favourite soap-makers lives only ten minutes away too, the fabulous Allyson, with whom I've had many a conversation during the last three years.  Even while I was there, I stumbled upon the gallery of the most amazing artist Matt Forster. We'd started following each other on Twitter well before I'd even heard of Hexham.  His work is truly superb and is really worth checking out.  Here's a peek at just one photo I took during my brief visit to his gallery.

By artist  Matt Forster

However the most amazing coincidence of all is the news that Gillian, had received a telephone call from a good friend of hers several days after my visit, to enquire whether it was true that a Karen Cannard had been in town.

It turns out that her friend is none other than a lovely former colleague of mine, who as a young lady used to work for me at a music digitisation company in London, back in the 1990s. After I'd left, she'd spent time travelling overseas. I moved house several times and then relocated to Suffolk. We lost touch, but I'd always wondered what had happened to her.

Now I know and it was an absolute delight to hear Gillian bring me up to speed a whole decade later.

So, I've now got plenty of reasons to visit a place, which until a few weeks ago, I'd actually never even heard of before.

Huge congratulations to Hexham River Hydro for winning the large category on Saturday and thank you for being such fabulous hosts.

I have no doubt we will meet again and I am looking forward to catching up with my old work friend too.

So thank you to energyshare for pairing me up with Hexham. My personal tale is a very unexpected result indeed.

Natural Beauty Remedies Using Lemon

Lemon is a health and endless beauty receptacle. We will never manage to thank it for all the free benefits it gives us trough its vitamins with miraculous effects for beauty and vigor.
Lemon is a look likes orange which is very useful in your daily life. It use for good health and endless beauty. Some natural tips by using lemon

• Take half of lemon piece , rub it rough skin like knee,elbows,heels for removing roughness. Let it for few moments then wash and massage this portion with moisturizing cream.
• Make a mixture of some slice lemon,scatter on it 2 spoons of fresh mint leaves and then pour 1 liter of boiling water. Leave for 3-4 minutes then take a steam bath for last 10 minutes. While you are taking steam bath , that time your head should be cover with towel.
• 1 teaspoon of lemon juice mix with egg yolk. After 5 minutes , apply it on your cheeks. Let it for last 15 minutes,wash with warm water and wipe out cheek with towel for dry. Then apply moisturizing cream.
• You can use lemon piece to keep whitens and stronger of  your nails and removes spots in your palm after cooking.
• For refreshing bath and tired feet , take lemon slices put it wash bowl tub's water. Before going to bed,soak your feet in water for 15 minutes and rub your heels. Wash out and wipe out with towel.
• When you feel tired , drink a glass of lemon water without sugar.
• Chew a slice of lemon from time to time for brighten teeth and refreshing mouth.
• Mix 1 spoons lemon juice, 1 spoon sugar, and 100 ml milk,Apply it on the face with a cotton pad or cotton. Leave it for 1 minute then wipe it off with warm water. Skin will be glow as a crystal.
• Add 2 spoons of almond oil with four drops lemon juice. Massage it before ½ hr taking bath. This will make your skin soft and smooth.
• Remove neck darkness by applying mixture of Bengal gram flour and 4 spoon of lemon juice and some milk which helps to decrease the dark complexion.
• For dandruff problem,mix few tablespoons of lemon juice with little warm olive oil. Gently massage oil your scalp. Keep it 15 minute in your head, then wash with shampoo.
• If you drink warm lemon juice with honey at every morning in empty stomach,it will help to reduce weight.
• Combine lemon juice with fresh cream and make it natural moisturizing lotions, it helps prevent anti age marks and dryness on face.

Recipe: Leek and Potato Cakes, with Chickpea and Carrot Salad

The last of the leeks- and pretty much everything else in the garden to be honest! Theres only about a dozen little red chillies left on my plants, and i expect the first frost will kill them off. This was a nice little relaxed brunch i made for me and my parents- i spose the leek and potato cakes are pretty much like bubble and squeak, except for the indian spices. Good way of using up leftover mashed potato if you have any as well.

Potato and Leek Cakes, with a Chickpea and Carrot salad (serves 3)

For the Cakes
1 kg potatoes, peeled and chopped
50g butter
1 tbsp medium curry powder

30g butter
1 large/2 medium leeks
Pinch of sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

2 tbsp olive oil (plus maybe extra if needed)

For the Salad
1 tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 carrot, peeled and grated
Handful fresh coriander, chopped
15ml lemon juice
10ml extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
Natural yoghurt (optional garnish)

1. (Either use leftover mash, or…) Boil the potatoes for about 25 minutes, or until soft. Drain, and mash with the butter and curry powder. Set aside.
2. In a large deep frying pan, fry the leeks in the butter and sugar covered for 10 minutes. Cook for a further 10 minutes uncovered. Add the leek mixture to the potato mixture and mix until well combined. Season to taste and set aside (with the lid off to allow to cool).
3. Mix together the lemon juice, olive oil, cumin, sugar and some salt and pepper. Add all the other salad ingredients, season to taste, and set aside.
4. Heat a large frying pan up with 2 tbsp oil until quite hot. Shape the potato/leek mixture into 6 patties. In batches (adding more olive oil if needed) fry the patties about 3 minutes on each side, or until the patties have become browned.
5. Serve the patties with the chickpea salad, and a dollop of natural yoghurt on top if desired.

Remove Dark Underarm Using Natural Remedies

Dark underarm is caused by using low quality deodorant,hair removal cream and excess sweating etc. If  you have excess sweating problem on underarm,don't wear tight dress. And also have allergy problem by using any deodorant then you should not use any deodorant. Instead of these precaution, you can follow some natural remedies. Some of the natural tips for dark underarm:

• Take Lemon juice and sugar , mix it and apply in dark underarm,leave it 15 minutes and wash it. Do it for 2 weeks regular , after that you can get the better result means that dark color will become whiten.
• Potato works as  bleaching. You can use potato juice in dark area. Try putting this method on the affected area for 2 weeks, then you will notice the changes of the skin.
• Other natural remedies is make a liquid by adding same quantity of lime juice,glycerin and rose water. And massage it in the affected dark area before go to bed. Keep it whole night and wash off it  next morning. You would see the result in a few days.
• You could get Baking soda in your kitchen cupboard. Make a paste of baking soda and water. After taking bath apply it to your underarm,while you are applying this paste that time underarm should be moist. Leave it until dries, then risen off with warm water.

 

Secrets Home Remedies Tips For Dry Skin

Three types of skin occurs in people. These are dry skin,oily skin and normal skin. Dry skin faces so many skin problem , and its not looking good. That’s why this type of skin requires special treatments to make moisture skin. You can avoid it by using any quality moisturizing cream that is available in cosmetic store.
But it is very cost effective and you can get long lasting result.
If you try kitchen recipes for good bye dry skin problem then you would get good result. And also you can get the ingredients easily in your daily market and its cheaper than market product.


Some Natural tips for dry skin:

• Take 1 tablespoon of egg yolk, 1-2 tablespoons milk powder and 1 tablespoon honey. Mix together and make a paste after that apply it face,neck and other dry area in you body. Keep it for 15-20 minutes and wash it by using cold water. You would get moisture skin.
• Apple is a good fruit for healthy Diet. you take it empty stomach in the morning you will get glow skin. You can use as a face pack. Grate 1-2 apple finely and massage it in dry skin area,leave it for 20 minute and risen off it by using cold water. Cucumber is also useful for dryness. You can use it in face, neck as a dryness pack.
• Honey is a boon for natural skin care. Take half tablespoon of honey and mix it with 1-2 tablespoon of rose water. Apply on face, neck, and other dry skin area. This will clean the skin, tones it, and makes it glowing.
• Get soft and glowing skin by massaging almond oil. And remove your dry skin and rough skin.
• Lemon gives vitamin E to the skin. Take one spoon lemon juice mix with one tea spoon avocado oil and massage it face,neck and dry skin and leave for 10-20 minutes and wash it cold water. It will remove dry skin.
• If you massage your skin with aloe Vera herb, no doubt you will get nourishing and refreshing skin.
• Prepare a paste by taking 8 to 10 mint leaf,fuller earth powder and water. Freeze it over night. Next morning take out and keep in normal temperature for 10-15 minutes. Apply that paste on face,neck,hand and legs. After 15 minutes wash it.
• Apply Mash ripe banana as a face pack on face,neck and dry skin and wash it warm water after sometimes.
• Make a mixture of egg yolk,olive oil,some drop of rose water,lemon juice and orange juice. Apply this mixture to your face and leave it for couple of time and risen off with cold water.

Some Easy and Simple Homemade Beauty Tips

•  Make a paste of  glycerin, lime juice and rose water and apply it on your pimples and blackhead s area at night time and next morning wash it. It will helps to relief from pimples and blackheads.
•  For lip  pigmentation use almonds and castor oil paste and apply it before go to bed. It will remove all types of spot and soft your lips.
•  If you have dark circles in your eyes area, us the paste of  coconut oil and castor oil and  rub it with your finger till oil is absorbed.
•  Make a natural scrub by mixing coarse sea salt,almond oil,lavender essential oil and water. Apply this mixture on your hands and legs for a couple of minutes after that risen off cold water. You can feel refresh after washing it.
•  After shampoo and conditioner of your hair, take few drops of vinegar in water and wash hair on that solutions. By this you would get glowing and silky hair.
•  Castor Oil works as a medicated oil. By using castor oil you can reduce the puffiness of your eyes and get fresh feeling.
•  Take slice cucumbers and keep it on your eye lids for 10 to 20 minutes. After removing it you ca n relax from  eyes tiredness. And you can also use cold milk. Take cotton absorbed milk and keep it on your eyes then wash it fresh cold water.
•  To Avoid chapping lips by applying Vaseline with honey. It may apply three times in a week.
•  Keep you lips soft and shiny by using rose petals with fresh milk butter.
•  Remove anti age mark on your hand by rubbing a piece of lemon on your hands.
•  It is very difficult to comb hair after shampoo. If you can use baby talcum powder on your hair,then it will easy to brush.

Competition: Bel Cheese Academy's Recipe Competition

Biggest one yet! Or at least one of the most exciting, certainly. Bel held a recipe competition a couple of months ago. You had to be a professional in the catering industry, and you had to come up with a recipe using one of their products.

Bel is a large company- they make Boursin, Laughing Cow, Baby Bel, Leerdamer and many other types of cheese. I sent in my recipe for lasagne- the one with the pack of garlic and herb boursin mixed into the white sauce- and I won! I won a brand shiny new Ipad 2, and wait....theres more..

Bel has asked me to be a "Brand Ambassador" for them, which basically means that three or four times a year, Bel is going to send me products, and with those products they want me to make delicious recipes which they will publish on their website! How cool is that!!! This is the kind of thing that i would love to get involved with after my degree, working with food based companies and even perhaps working with them on product development. It's definitely a big step in the right direction when it comes to my career. Very exciting though!

Home Remedies of Soften Neck

Everyone concentrate on face to keep clean and make it more attractive but very less people are cautious about their neck. Whenever you are applying face wash,face pack, moisturizer, talcum powder on your face , you should apply also on your neck.

There are some beauty tips for whiten and soften neck skin.

Take 3 tablespoons of borax powder, 2 tablespoons of glycerin and 2 cups of rose water. Mix all the ingredients and make skin tonic. Apply that tonic on your neck and you can also same tonic on your arms and shoulders rinse off after dry this tonic.

Make a homemade night cream by taking equal quantity of lanolin and butter,beat them thoroughly in a double saucepan over boiling water. Rub this cream over your neck and shoulders in upward direction. Leave it over night and wash it next morning.

This two beauty recipe is not more costly. And  after someday you can get better result.

Recipe: Yoghurt and Mustard Baked Chicken

This is a really good way of getting flavour into chicken, and at the same time keeps the meat so moist and tender. Marinade it for a least a couple of hours, or even for a much longer time- up to 24 hours even. What's also good is that you mix the marinade, marinade the meat, and then cook the dinner all in the same dish- so that avoids any extra washing up! I have served this with some spicy kidney beans and green salad- lovely!

Yoghurt and Mustard Baked Chicken (serves 3-4)

4 normal or 3 large chicken breasts
50g natural yoghurt
30ml honey
20g wholegrain mustard
5g grated parmesan
5ml lemon juice
Salt and pepper

1. Mix together all the ingredients in an oven proof dish except the chicken. Add the chicken, prick a few times with a knife (to allow the marinade to seep in) and mix into the yoghurt mix. Allow to marinate for at least 2 hours.
2. Preheat the oven to 200C. Cook in the oven for 30-35 minutes (depending on the size of the breasts), and serve, with any extra juices from the dish poured over your side vegetables/ salad.

Natural Beauty Tips for Beautiful Feet

Feet is the essential part of the body. Most of the people are not bother about the feet. Everyone should be cautious about your feet like how to keep your feet smooth and beautiful. You can make it smooth by using some some quality branded product and also kitchen product. Home made product is cheaper than market product. And also home product does not have any side effect.

Take 1 cup lemon juice add 2 tsp olive oil and ¼ cup of milk. You can add rose petals only for smell.After that take some amount of water on the tub and add that mixture and soak your feet. After some time wash your feet by using mild soap. If you will do like that once a week, you can get the smooth and silky beautiful feet.

Recipe: Pasta with Leeks and Mushrooms

This is a strange little dish- weird mix of herbs and spices and using worchester sauce! But it works, celery salt, worchester sauce and lemon works very well together (c'mon, just look at the bloody mary- possibly the most perfect coctail in the world, minus the tabasco, lol) and all of those ingredients happen to go very well with mushrooms and leeks. In the picture I have here I used tagliatelli, but I think this recipe works better with spaghetti or linguini actually.

Pasta with leeks and mushrooms (serves 2)

150g dried spaghetti, linguini, tagliatelli, or any pasta of your choice.
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large leek, or 2 medium leeks, diced
200g sliced mushrooms
¼ tsp smoked paprika
¼ tsp mixed herbs
¼ tsp celery salt
2 tbsp Worchester sauce
Squeeze of lemon
10g freshly grated parmesan
Wedges of lemon for garnish
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Fry the leeks and mushrooms for 10 minutes covered, stirring occasionally.
2. Put the pasta onto the boil and cook according to the packet instructions. Meanwhile, remove the lid from the vegetables, add the spices and Worchester sauce and cook for a further 10 minutes.
3. Add the pasta into the vegetable mix, add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and stir until everything is well coated. Serve, with freshly grated parmesan on top, and lemon wedges on the side.