MY DRAWINGS

Hellloo! My first post of THE WEEK!! To be honest I really don't know what to post about so, I thought its better to have a post then no post at all . Tadahahaaa~~  I'm going to share you some of my artworks that I currently JUST finished doing. it didn't take me as long to draw them.

DISCLAIMER: I'm not a professional so what you are seeing is all amateur work by me hehe... need to work/practice more.

Might add some more of my drawings ^^ MAYBE...MAYBE NOT...YOU JUST HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE.

Recipe: Chicken Jalfrezi

Heres another hot recipe for you girls and boys! I've been getting much more into my spicier food lately, not sure why. I think i just tend to go through phases with the sorts of foods I eat. Like I might for instance, live off salads and soups for weeks, and then the next month literally have chips every day. Same with spicy food- in a spicy mood at the moment, but i could go completely back to Korma-land in a bit. I put quite a lot of natural yoghurt on top of this as a garnish, but that's because it ended up being hotter than I expected again!

Chicken jalfrezi    (serves 2)

2 tbsp olive oil
350g diced chicken breast
½ tsp garlic salt
1 white onion, finely chopped
1 tsp freshly minced ginger
Handful fresh coriander, chopped
1 hot dried red chilli, chopped up finely (add seeds if you want it even hotter!)
½ green pepper, diced
1 tsp asafoetida
1 tbsp curry paste
1 tsp cumin
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
300g passata
200ml chicken stock
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp natural yoghurt
Salt, pepper and sugar to taste
Natural yoghurt for garnish (optional)

1. Add the oil, chicken and garlic salt to a pan on high heat. Cook the chicken for a few minutes until browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. In the same pan, add the onion, ginger, chilli, coriander, green pepper and spices, and fry for about 5 minutes, or until the onions are beginning to brown.

2. Add all the other ingredients, and the reserved chicken, and cook on a medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season to taste, and garnish with extra natural yoghurt if desired.

The one where I popped over to European Parliament

European Parliament eh!  Well I'd never been there before, until last Thursday when I'd been invited to give a presentation about The Rubbish Diet at a conference organised by Zero Waste Europe.

The event, which was held in one of the large committee rooms in Brussels, brought together zero waste strategists, product designers, researchers, waste managers, communities and politicians from across Europe to discuss the cornerstones that are needed to move towards a society that is no longer so heavily dependent on landfill and incineration, integrating resource efficient solutions instead.

It was evident from the debates that we still have a long way to go, especially concerning national and local political will.  However it was also clear from the presentations that there are some great models of how society is changing, especially in Italy where there are now 123 towns, villages and cities actively signed up to Zero Waste goals, which are not just about waste but deliver economic, social and environmental benefits as well.  It all started with the small town of Capannori, where they now have a recycling rate of 82% and have introduced a range of waste reduction initiatives including a research centre, which now liaises closely with industry.

The province of Gipuzkoa in the Spanish Basque Country is also another case study to watch closely.  It was impressive to see how they have turned their waste strategy around from planned incineration, which would have cost 400 million Euros, to a solution supported by 3 MBT plants, 6 composting plants and a biogas generator, costing 183 million Euros by comparison.  Inaki Errakzin, the Environment Minister also outlined how, thanks to better recycling, their approach has helped reduce waste from a projected 240,000 tonnes in 2012 to 209,000.  In Hernani, an area with 20k residents, many living in apartment blocks, they have also seen the average amount of waste decrease from 250 kilos per person per year to just 70 kilos.  Currently 54 towns out of a total of 88 have signed up to zero waste goals, working towards a target of 75% recycling by 2020.

In attendance, for part of the day, was Janez Potočnik, the EU Commissioner for Environment, who also launched the Plastic Waste Green Paper that very same day, which I understand has already received a great deal of coverage in the UK media.

Potočnik sees waste not as a problem but as an opportunity, where with the right economic incentives and outcomes could see 400,000 new jobs across the EU.

It was encouraging to hear his drive, commitment, pragmatism and enthusiasm as he described how not only must we limit energy recovery to materials that cannot be reused or recycled, but we must also be careful about creating overcapacity.  He also declared that there should be zero plastic waste in the environment.

The Green Paper will now see consultations across industry alongside consumers and public administrations.  If you are interested in responding, you can access the relevant papers here and I suggest that you do.

I'm quite relieved I didn't have to give my presentation in that rather large committee room, with its daunting setting and a multitude of translators.  The afternoon was in a much more intimate space as shown below.

Here, we got to hear about some fantastic activities that are taking place across Europe, including an introduction to the excellent Reethaus design studio in Estonia, which creates clothes from fashion waste, an industry which suffers from all sorts of waste issues arising from cutting leftovers, roll ends, planned over-production and excess fabric, not to mention problems such as rejected and cancelled orders as well as faulty items.

Currently the design house works with factories in Bangladesh, where the fabric would otherwise be destroyed in incinerators.  Working in this way, they are able to produce garments using up to 95% less energy and 70% less water for each item.  I love creative design solutions like this and this practical case-study complemented an earlier presentation from the Cradle-to-Cradle Products Innovation Institute where we learned about products such as carpet being made from old recycled carpet and Puma trainers made from recycled PET, supported by a take-back scheme.  In the design world, there is much going on to change the way we look at manufacturing.

On the subject of designing out waste, if your Italian skills or Google Translate fancy a work out, you'll also be inspired by the Effecorta cooperative in Italy, a growing chain of shops which specialises in packaging-free produce.  Having begun in Capannori, the first zero waste community in Italy, the stores have now expanded to Ferrara and Milan.  More information is available on the Zero Waste Europe website.

One of my favourite presentations was from Pal Martenssen from the Kretsloppsparken, in Goteborg, Sweden.  Kretsloppsparken is a household waste recycling centre, but not as we know it.  It goes far beyond your average site, providing regular entertainment and education on tap as well as lovely gardens and a cafe too.  In fact, for some of the music events, they ask customers to pay in recycling rather than cash.

So if your Swedish is up to scratch, you can find out more about the park in this video.  But don't worry, even if, like me, you can't speak a work of Swedish, you'll still get a feel for what it offers.

The conference ended with the screening of the Trashed documentary, which was introduced by Jeremy Irons who had also been at European Parliament for the launch of the Green Paper.

Jeremy Irons addressed the audience, highlighting the issues of plastic waste that had witnessed during the making of Trashed.  If you haven't already seen it, you can read more in an earlier review I wrote about it here.

Some of his final words were that we have to make this problem as sexy as possible, to capture the interest and commitment from as many people as possible.

I wholeheartedly agree and have a few cunning plans up my sleeve myself, but for starters here's a fabulous lip-smacking bin lorry poster that I saw the following day, on a field trip to a waste management plant in Flanders, which boasts a 74% municipal recycling rate.  I confess they implement a pay-as-you-throw scheme which has helped get residents more engaged, but I reckon some clever advertising must also go a long way.

 

It was a real privilege to be part of such a momentous event, which is now expected to draw further interest from the MEPs that were in attendance.  There must be many more great case studies to be shared from around the continent and this could be the first event of many.

'But what of the sexy recycling bins at European Parliament?' I hear you ask... I am sure you're keen to know.

Well guess what I found in the corridors of the power house of Europe?

It's not quite the sexy pose I had up my sleeve but a good dose of comedy enthusiasm must help surely and certainly beats the alternative idea of bin planking! 

How I ever got allowed through the doors of the European Parliament, I'll never know.

Recipe: Chicken Fajitas, with a tomato and spring onion salad

This is the first proper meal that i've made for my new housemates! So cool! My south african house mate Brendan, who i get on fantastically well with, really liked this dish. Aw- i'm glad I can hopefully keep the (4!) boys i'm living with happy through feeding them lovely things! This is a really tasty, quick and healthy dish- and you can make it as mild or as spicy as you like, just depending on personal taste. You can adjust the cayenne pepper and the chilli in the dish- or you could add some spicy salsa or jalapenos to the wraps just before eating. Yum!!

Chicken Fajitas with a tomato and spring onion salad (serves 3)

1 tbsp olive oil
2 chicken breasts, sliced
½ green pepper, sliced
½ red pepper, sliced
½ yellow pepper, sliced
½ white onion, sliced
Handful fresh coriander, chopped
1 tsp Thai yellow curry paste
1 tsp Schwartz vegetable seasoning
¼- ½ tsp cayenne pepper (depending on how hot you like it!)
1 red chilli, finely chopped
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

6 medium or 3 extra-large tortilla wraps.

250g cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 spring onions, finely sliced
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp French dressing
Big handful fresh coriander, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

1.       Add all the fajita ingredients to a large frying pan or saucepan, and fry on a high heat for about 25-30 minutes, or until everything is well cooked and the chicken and veg have started to blacken a bit/ stick on the pan. Season to taste.

2.       Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200C, and put the tortillas, wrapped in cling film, into the oven for 8-10 minutes. Mix together all the salad ingredients, season to taste and set aside.

3.       Take the wraps out of the oven, fill them with the chicken fajita mixture, and serve with the tomato salad, and some natural yoghurt if you so desire.

SPRING IS HERE!!

Hellloooooo~ my Beautiful Bunnies 
YAAAaay!!! Spring is upon us,which means it's time for Spring outfits & accessories!
Who's excited!? or is it just me?
As you can tell from the title, my post is going to be about spring as well as getting you into the spring feeling.

How do you know what to buy for spring?
when looking for stuff for any season find things that you would accentuate with the season example is winter you think of sweaters and the colours red. When you think of spring you think of pastel colours like;mint green, lilac, sky blue,yellow so basically pastel colours that looks refreshing and light. Another way of deciding what to buy for spring is the patterns and fabric because depending on where you live it could be hot or cold like, London the weather is terrible it doesn't even feel like spring yet, so choosing the right fabric is key since you don't want to be wearing a sheer blouse in the cold and you also don't want to wear a sweater in the hot. 
I find that colour-blocking clothes is amazing for spring.

What to LOVE about SPRING? EVERYTHING!!
Spring is a time of Easter with lots an lots of chocolate eggs and sunshine if your lucky .... :( I live in London so our spring is ruined by the rain and cold weather.



this is a really quick random post on SPRING... ^^

KOREAN CELEBRITY DIETS & 5 BEST DIET TIPS

HEY my angelic angels so it been a while...This time I'm back with a korean celebrity diet & best tips to dieting.I know it's hard to diet I've been there ... I also want to diet and haven't been so successful due to sugary temptations and JUNK FOOD!!

I'm always seeing korean celebs with thin bodies and legs, JUST HOW DO THEY DO  IT? if you're thinking about dieting too and don't know where to start, these diet plans could be your reference point. You could try them out or create a variation of your own based on these plans

 I would love to have slim legs like Han Su Hyun

.

Seo In Young’s “Banana” Diet
Lost 6 kgs in 4 weeks

Banana diet, discovered by pharmacist Sumiko Watanabe, is also known as the “glamour diet” because it enables your face to become smaller, burns your waist and belly fat while making your breasts more full.

Morning: 1~2 bananas, 2 cups of water (For breakfast, only have fresh bananas and room temperature water.)
Lunch: Anything can be eaten for lunch and dinner / healthy and non-greasy Korean meal
Snack: have  1/2 ~ 1 banana when feeling hungry
Dinner: Anything can be eaten for lunch and dinner / Korean meal mostly composed of rice and herbs

TIPS

• healthy and non-greasy 
• DON'T eat any deserts or non water drinks (sugary or fizzy is a big NO NO)

DISADVANTAGES… Bananas are high in sugar so may not suit those with diabetes and may result in cavities. Also, since the diet allows you to eat all you want … those without self control would probably gain weight.

Nicole’s “Danish” Diet                                                                                            lost more than 3kg

KARA’s Nicole claimed that she lost more than 3kg by sticking to Denmark diet. Denmark diet, which is known to be a diet plan that is used at the Royal Danish Hospital, is a very strict high-protein and low-calorie diet that lasts for 14 days. The majority of the diet plan is composed of animal protein and black coffee. 

TIPs

•  Repeat the diagram below twice (so 14 days). Meat cannot be fried and you will have to exercise.

DISADVANTAGES... Extremely low caloric intake of approximately 600 calories per day will make you feel weak. Very unbalanced eating plan, lacking in fruits, whole grains and dairy, which can lead to kidney problems, bowel impaction and vitamin deficiencies. I hate black coffee… so I’ll probably fail. Worst is that once you stop, you have to start all over again.

Secret’s Diet Plan

Monday
Morning: 1 slice of toast, 1 apple, 1 sweet potato
Lunch: chicken breast salad
Dinner: 8 cherry tomatoes, 1 cucumber

Tuesday
Morning: 1 slice of toast, low-fat milk
Lunch: 1 sweet potato
Dinner: 8 strawberries, 5 cherry tomatoes

Wednesday
Morning: 1 slice of toast, low-fat milk
Lunch: 1 sweet potato, 5 cherry tomatoes
Dinner: 5 strawberries, 1 cucumber

Thursday
Morning: 1 slice of toast, low-fat milk
Lunch: chicken breast, 8 strawberries
Dinner: 5 cherry tomatoes, 1 cucumber

Friday
Morning: 1 slice of toast, 1 apple
Lunch: 3 eggs, 1 cucumber, 5 cherry tomatoes
Dinner: 10 strawberries, 1 cucumber

Saturday
Morning: 1 slice of toast, low-fat milk
Lunch: 1 sweet potato
Dinner: 1 tofu, 3 cherry tomatoes

Sunday
Morning: 1 slice of toast, 1 apple, low-fat milk
Lunch: 1 sweet potato
Dinner: 1 cucumber

DISADVANTAGES...There is no meat or green leaf vegetables in their diet. Meat is essential for protein, which aids muscle and cell repair, and iron, key component of the bloods ability to carry oxygen and function at optimum levels. The biggest danger would be fainting from hunger and cracking your heads open. I WOULD NEVER RECOMMEND THIS DIET PLAN!!!

Park Bom’s “Corn Diet“, “Lettuce Diet“, & “Watermelon Diet“.

THIS IS AN AMAZING DIET PLAN

Park Bom is always receiving attention for her multiple diets but instead of the one-food diets netizens have claimed she swore by, she actually eats a variety of foods. She snacks healthily and sometimes substitutes watermelon for rice to keep her satiated.

Bom’s a major snacker so she eats a total of five meals a day – three main meals and two snacking meals. Trainer Hwang created the two snacking meals to allow Bom to enjoy her two favorite foods – corn and nuts.

DISADVANTAGES... I actually can’t spot any disadvantages. Bom is snacking healthily and i don’t see anything wrong with that. Just make sure you EAT A VARIETY of foods not just only one food like the most  essential nutrients and vitamins.

Yoon Eun Hye’s Diet

Morning: rice 170 g, dried pollack bean spout soup, steamed eggs, seasoned sesame leaves, corn salad, kimchi

Lunch: rice 170 g, crab soup, sweet potato sprouts, three coloured cold salad, boiled kidney beans, kimchi

Snack: 1/2 bag of puffed corn cookies, cherry tomatoes 200g

Dinner: rice 170 g, mushroom stew, roasted herring with salt, stir-fried butter bur, bean sprouts, kimchi

Snack: 10~20 strawberries

DISADVANTAGES... She eats a lot of rice which will keep her full throughout her busy day. But i would actually recommend a little less rice and instead another dish to boost her nutrient intake. Rice is quite high in carbohydrates. However, if you love rice like i love cake, then try brown rice.

The 5 dieting tips, they are really basic... and not extreme 

To every diet you have to be dedicated to it, what I mean by this is you can't just say you want to loose weight and just surprisingly loose the weight you want NOPE!! NO, NO cause that's not how life works, you have to work hard through blood, sweat and tears.

Try and make things interesting by using phone apps and even games like on Nintendo wii

Basic to dieting has to be by giving up sugary drinks (this means fizzy drinks!) and sweets,chocolate and replacing them with fruits and water.

Make a plan of your everyday meals / keep track of what you eat, so that you know what you need to cut down on (example snacking on crisps eating chips and burgers). However this does not mean you can't eat chips or burgers I'm just saying you shouldn't eat it daily.

EAT SMALL PORTIONS of your daily meals

ONE IMPORTANT THING I WOULD LIKE TO SAY IS THAT STAVING YOURSELF WON'T MAKE YOU ANY SKINNIER!!! SO PLEEEASEE DO NOT STARVE YOURSELF!!!! IT WON'T DO ANYTHING BUT DAMAGE YOUR BODY HEALTH!!!

Recipe: Mexican Tortilla Soup

This is one of the nicest soups I make- and you all know by now that i generally make a lot of them! Its sweet, spicy, tangy, filling, and so moreish! Topping the soup with crushed tortillas gives the soup such an interesting texture as well. I think traditionally tortilla soups are garnished with roast chicken and avocado slices, which you are more than welcome to do- I just didnt do it because my mum is vegetarian and also can't stand avocado!!

Mexican Tortilla Soup  (serves 3)
 

2 tbsp olive oil

1 red onion, diced
1 green chilli, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
½ tsp dried oregano
1 tsp cumin
1 tin chopped tomatoes
650ml vegetable stock
1 tin black eyed beans, drained and rinsed
100g tinned sweetcorn, drained
1 tsp lemon juice
Large handful fresh coriander chopped (plus extra for garnish)
Salt, pepper and sugar to taste
Crushed tortilla chips for garnish
Lime wedges for garnish

1. Fry the onion, garlic and chilli in the olive oil for 5 minutes, or until softened. Add the oregano and cumin and fry for a further couple of minutes.
2. Add the tinned tomatoes and stock, and bring to the boil. Lower the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the beans, sweetcorn, coriander and lemon juice and simmer for a further 10 minutes.
3. Season to taste, and serve, with some fresh coriander and crushed tortilla chips.