food Archives - Megan Taylor

Chocolate Coconut Truffles

One afternoon when I was clearing out one of our kitchen cupboards I found an unopened bag of desiccated coconut and got to thinking what I could make. It was with this that I came up with these chocolate coconut truffles which I have fallen in love with. These truffles are the perfect healthy afternoon pick-you-up ?. Made with healthy ingredients they are 90% guilt free. I have in fact covered them in dark chocolate but if you are vegan or trying to be healthier you could use a chocolate such as Ombar or IQ chocolate to melt over as these are both sugar free and dairy free. I just used a very dark bar of chocolate from Waitrose. Carry on scrolling to find out how to make these scrummy balls of goodness.

INGREDIENTS

200 grams desiccated coconut
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
4 tablespoons frozen raspberries
200 grams dark chocolate

TO DECORATE

The most fun part of making these balls and also baking cakes and cookies is the decorating. It is a chance to get creative and have a fun time making everything look pretty. The ingredients that I used were popping candy, frozen raspberries and chocolate mulberries.

METHOD

•Melt the coconut oil over a low heat in a medium-sized pan
•Grind the frozen raspberries in a pestle and mortar until you have created a fine dust
•Add the desiccated coconut, vanilla essence and ground frozen raspberries to the melted coconut oil and mix everything together
•Spread out your ingredients on a baking sheet and place in the fridge for 20 minutes
•Once your mixture is chilled you can handle it better and form it into small balls
•Once you have formed all of your balls, place them back in the fridge for 5 minutes
(this step isn’t 100% necessary, it just helps keep the balls solid when you roll them about in the chocolate)
•Melt the dark chocolate over a low heat in a small pan
•One by one, roll each ball around in the chocolate and pick it out with a spoon
•Carefully lay them on a baking sheet
•Decorate your truffles before the chocolate sets
•Leave the chocolate truffles to set in a cool room. If you are in a rush you can place them in a fridge
which makes them taste amazing but the chocolate may bloom.

SHOP ☆ COCONUT TRUFFLES

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Have fun making these chocolate coconut truffles and tag me in any pictures.
I hope you all have a fantastic romantic weekend. What are your plans?

The Coolest Snack Of The Moment

I am a snacking fiend. I either spend my days hunched over my laptop or scooting around from audition to audition. With my hectic lifestyle I often miss out on time to sit down and eat lunch. In turn I have to have a bag full of snacks. I am constantly on the hunt for healthy snacks to eat on the go. My snack tick list tends to be; sugar free, vegetarian and most randomly and most importantly, snacks that don’t get stuck in my teeth. This last point is because when I am in between auditions I can’t have bits of food in my teeth without realising. I recently came across the company ‘Nothing But’ and I believe they have now answered my prayers! If like me you love a new snack then read ahead for the coolest snack of the moment…

The company Nothing But have a whole range of snacks which are split into savoury and sweet and are just freeze dried with nothing added. With my insanely sweet tooth I can’t help but prefer the sweet treats yet much like desert let’s save that treat until last and get started with the savoury offerings.

Buy ‘Nothing But’ here.

SAVOURY
Options:
Beetroot & Parsnip • Pea & Sweetcorn • Mange Tout & Red Pepper
My favourite was the sweetcorn pieces, most likely because they were the sweetest. Yet the combination of the peas and sweetcorn together worked really well. The flavour of the red pepper was amazing, the freezing process really brought out the flavour.

SWEET
Options:
Apple & Fig • Strawberry & Bannana • Pineapple & Grape
I think my favourite packet was the Pineapple & Grape. My mouth is literally watering as I sit here typing. The pineapple is familiar as I am a huge pineapple fan with dried pineapple snacks but I have never had grapes like this before. They tasted absolutely incredible and wonderfully sweet. I also adored the strawberries.

I have really enjoyed trying out all of these snacks. I actually poured all of the packets into two bowls, one sweet and one savoury and felt like they would be a wonderful alternative to snacking on popcorn or sweets at the cinema. Have you tried the Nothing But products before? Do you have any other amazing sugar free snacks that I should try?

Buy ‘Nothing But’ here.

SAN CARLO CICCHETTI, PICCADILLY

I am in London most days for work and as a result I feel like there aren’t many places I don’t know about. Yet, a few years ago Liam took me to a restaurant called Cicchetti right near Piccadilly station. It isn’t new and isn’t the only one yet I had never heard of it so I thought I should let you in our little secret gem. I assumed that a restaurant in a tourist spot like Piccadilly Circus would be overpriced and quite frankly tacky. I was very wrong. Chicchetti is the Italian version of having tapas. I adore this style of eating. I am one of those people that like to take one bite of each chocolate then put it back in the box just so I can try them all. Chicchetti is perfect if you want to try a bit of everything as all of the plates are quite small. Go with a friend or partner and order about six dishes to share between you. The food is served fairly swiftly so if there was a particular dish you enjoyed you can quickly order some more and not have to wait. The food service is a bit like Wagamas, no rhyme or reason as to which dish you get at which time.

I have only been to this restaurant in the summer but I feel it would be gorgeously cosy during the winter months. The first time I went to Chicchetti I went at peak dinner time and it was rammed and very atmospheric, but not too loud. The second time I went (pictured in this blog post) was at about 12:30 just before the lunch rush and although we served much more quickly I preferred the atmosphere when it was busy.

Food of choice
•I am particularly fond of the fried mozzarella balls. I am a vegetarian, Liam a keen meat eater and there were plenty of options for both of us.

Cocktail of choice
•Fragolini…this was the seasonal cocktail and was delightful. I could have drunk five! If this cocktail isn’t in season for you simply order an Aperol Spritz.

Let me know if you go
☆

Tried & Tested : Deliciously Ella Energy Balls

I have followed Deliciously Ella‘s work for a while and have been inspired add a little more vegan-ness into my life because of her (I have been a vegetarian since the age of 9). I love her books and have reviewed them both here:
Deliciously Ella
Deliciously Ella – Every Day
If you follow my Snapchat you are likely to know that I am a huge fan of Whole Foods and buy many yummy healthy goods from there whenever I pass by…thank goodness there isn’t one down my road, else I would be broke. So when I heard the Ella and her husband were selling their energy balls in Whole Foods I rushed there in a flash and bought one of each to try them all and review them for you. The balls sell for £1.99 and are rather generous in their size and really fill you up with their density.

Cashew & Ginger
Although I enjoyed this cashew and ginger flavour it was in fact my least favourite out of the three. I love cashew nuts and I adore ginger but this ginger felt a little too sweet and overpowering for me. That being said I still really liked the ball and feel like it would have many benefits to you if you were run down and would also be a fab morning breakfast pick me up.

Hazelnut & Raisin
The hazelnut and raisin flavour was my second favourite. There is a lovely hint of cinnamon in this flavour which makes me feel a teensy bit excited for Christmas. I also really enjoyed the crunch and density to this one. I feel like everyone should like this one because there’s nothing really to dislike 🙂

Cacao & Almond
This is by far my favourite of the three energy balls on offer. Imagine a chocolate brownie without the guilt and that is this ball. I have a very sweet tooth and my first downfall when I am trying to be healthy is my craving for chocolate. This cacao and almond ball is the perfect remedy for the mid afternoon sweet cravings.

Have you tried these yet? What do you think?

Crunchy Amaretti And Raspberry Cake

I have been a little bit sidetracked by beauty blogging lately so it has been a long time since I blogged a foodie recipe. Today’s recipe is a yummy crunchy amaretti and raspberry cake. Back in May I picked up this recipe on one of those free recipe cards that Waitrose have but never got around to making it. Then one day on a job I was given a slice of the most yummy cake and when I asked for the recipe it just happened to be the one I picked up from Waitrose. I then obviously believed it was fate that I must finally cook the cake. I also have a new set of weighing scales and gorgeous personalised mixing spoon which says Megan’s Signature Bake on the spoon letting me pretend I am on the Great British Bake Off.

{These bamboo weighing scales make me very happy, not only because they are very photographic for my blog but also because they work a treat.}
{Weighing Scales ☆ Love Bowl ☆ Heart Jar}

Ingredients
175g softened butter
175g golden caster sugar
3 medium eggs
150g self raising flour
75g ground almonds
150g crumbled amaretti biscuits
50g roughly chopped dark chocolate
200g raspberries
(Icing sugar to dust on top)
(Cream to serve)

{Personalised Signature Bake Spoon}

Method
1. Preheat your oven to 160° and grease your baking tin (approx 20cm).
2. Mix the butter, sugar, eggs, flour and ground almonds together.
I used my Kitchen Aid but you can use your own strength with a wooden spoon to mix all of the ingredients.
3. Fold in the chocolate and raspberries.
4. Fold in 3/4 of the amaretti biscuits.
5. Pour all the mixed ingredients into the cake tin.
6. Sprinkle the remaining amaretti on top of the cake.
7. Bake for 60 minutes.
8. Leave to cool for 5 minutes before taking it out of its tin.

{TOP TIP: Place your amaretti biscuits in a tea towel and have fun bashing them with a rolling pin.}

{Not only did the mixture smell divine but looks rather beautiful too}

{Here is the finished cake which I snapped before I had sprinkled it with icing sugar…sorry}

Have fun baking and let me know if you bake it, tagging me on Instagram x

March 2016 Favourite

My latest YouTube video is my March 2016 Favourites. I have compiled everything I have been loving this month and done a little ‘show and tell’ to let you know all about my months favourites from beauty to literature. I have linked below where you can buy all of the products I mention and there is also a link to my rather lengthly video 🙂

Fashion
Zara Jacket

Beauty
Bramley Bubble Bath
Balm Balm Serum
D&G PassionEyes Mascara
Chantecaille Mascara

Food
Coconut Flakes

Digital
Marble iPhone Case
Snapchat @itsmegantaylor1
Thirteen
Olympus Pen
Olympus Pen Strap

Literature
Fool Me Once
Fool Me Once Trailer
I Quit Sugar – Book One
I Quit Sugar – Book Two
I Quit Sugar – Recipe Book
Blogosphere Magazine
The Life Plan

Frozen Fruit Smoothie Recipe

I love to have a smoothie after a workout rather than a juice because when juicing you loose the majority of the fibre from the fruit. When you loose the fibre you are not going to be as full up from your drink.

I like my smoothies to be fruity and sweet. I am not a fan of vegetable smoothies and juices so I try to conceal the vegetable flavours that I do add. In this smoothie I have added a little bit of kale to add iron to my vegetarian diet.

This smoothie tends to keep me full for about 2 hours.

Ingredients

Coconut water (150ml)

Ginger (frozen and grated to taste)

Frozen mango (handful)

Frozen raspberries (handful)

Frozen melon (handful)

Frozen kale (a few leafs)

Method

Pour your coconut water in the blender

Pour in all of your frozen fruits on top of the water

Grate your frozen ginger into the blender

Blend all your ingredients adding a little more coconut water if the ingredients are not blending together or give the mixture a poke with a long wooden utensil (turn the machine off for this) if there is a bubble in the mixture

Serve in a glass with a spoon

Enjoy x

My Top 5 Favourite Sweet Sugar-Free Snacks

January is passing by quicker than ever and being healthy is getting increasingly more difficult.
I find the best way to succeed the healthy eating lifestyle is to find some sweet treats that are healthy.
Below are My Top 5 Favourite Sweet Sugar-Free Snacks.

1. Booja Booja Ice Cream
I am not usually a fan of ice cream because I don’t like milky creamy products
but this product is completely free of those ingredients.
It is dairy free in fact and has no added sugar whatsoever.
Booja Booja make scrummy truffles and ice cream.
They are on the pricey side but savour every mouthful, it is worth it.

2. Apples and Grapes
Once you give up sugar you will realise how sweet apples and grapes are.
These fruits give you a big sugar burst so try to not gorge on too much if you are trying to limit your sugar intake.
*TOP TIP: Next time you buy a bunch of grapes, put them in the freezer.
Every little grape tastes like a biteful of grape sorbet.

3. Honey and Cinnamon Popcorn
I blogged this recipe on my blog a few months ago and have had great feedback.
This sweet popcorn is sugar free and very addictive.

4. Yoghurt and Honey
This may sound like something you would normally eat for breakfast but it is a lovely healthy sweet treat.
Add honey or date syrup to a tablespoon of natural Greek yoghurt.
Sprinkle raspberries and strawberries on top for added yumminess.

5. Sugar Free Nutty Biscuits
I came up with this recipe last week by smushing loads of nuts and seeds with dates.
They are incredibly filling and a guilt free sweet treat.

Do you know of any other quick and easy sugar free sweet snacks that you can recommend?

@itsmegantaylor

Sugar Free Nutty Biscuits {recipe}

We are a week through the healthiest month of the year.
For some of us, our motivation may be waning.
I have come up with this sweet treat that has no sugar added whatsoever.
It way be hard to believe when you taste these cookies but the only sugar is that of the fruit.

Sugar Free Nutty Biscuits

Ingredients

30g sliced almonds
80g Coconut Flakes
125g Pitted Dates
50g Raisins
30g Pumpkin Seeds
Zest of 1 Lemon
3/4 tbsp Coconut Water
1/2 tbsp Apple Juice Syrup (I used this delicious Apple Syrup but you could use apple juice instead)

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 150°c
2. Throw all the ingredients into a food processor
3. Blend together for approximately 4 minutes, until they almost form into a ball (add more coconut water if needed)
4. Divide the mixture into 16 balls and lay on two lined baking trays
5. Flatten each ball with the back of a spatula
6. Cook for 15 minutes rotating the trays half way through

You can leave these biscuits to cool or eat them right away.
They are lovely warm but harden up when left out to cool.
They are incredibly filling and make the perfect breakfast on the go or snack when you fancy a sweet treat.
Let me know if you make them and tag me on Instagram @itmegantaylor

Christmas Panettone Bombe

Inspired by a Jamie Oliver Christmas program about 6 or 7 years ago I have made a Christmas Panettone Bombe.
If like me you are not a fan of Christmas pudding or mince pies, this would be a perfect alternative for you.
It is fun and easy to make.
{Video link at the bottom}
If you don’t like panettone you can use a sponge cake.
…if however you are from a country that has a Lidl, I would highly suggest you buy your Panettone from there. It is yummy, huge and only £3.99!!
Compared to every other shop on the planet this is an absolute bargain!

Ingredients
Panettone (1/2 medium/large)
Ice Cream (one tub)
Jam of your choice (3 tablespoons)
Cointreau
Dark chocolate (x2 bars)
White chocolate (x1 bar)

You Will Need
Cling film
Bowl
Freezer
Bread knife

Method
1. Line a bowl with cling film. More layers the better.
2. Slice off the panettone’s base and then cut the rest into layers about 1.5cm thick.
3. Line your cling film bowl with the panettone slices and squidge them down a little.
4. Drizzle the cointreau over the panettone lined bowl.
5. Spread your jam over the panettone.
6. Fill the bowl with ice cream.
7. Place the base of the panettone slice, that you cut off earlier, onto the open top, forming the base of your bombe.
8. Cover the base in cling and place in the freezer until the ice cream has set.
(About 3-4 hours).
9. Melt your bars of dark chocolate and drizzle it over your panettone bombe.
10. Place the cake into the fridge for 10 minutes until the dark chocolate is set.
11. Melt a bar of white chocolate and pour over the top of the cake.
12. Decorate with a sprig of holly on top.

Instagram: @itsmegantaylor
Twitter: @itsmegantaylor

My 5 Autumn Loves

When I was younger I didn’t much care for autumn. I found it depressing that the summer was over. This was mostly because it meant the end of the school holidays. As an adult I have discovered all the excitement of autumn and must admit I now find it one of my favourite times of the year.

Below I have listed my 5 autumn loves, explaining why this time of the year is so wonderful.

1. Candlelight and fires
I adore those evenings when it is super chilly outside but you have nowhere to be. I love sitting on the sofa in front of the fire with candles all around the house…and Strictly Come Dancing on the TV.

2. Anticipation
There is so much to look forward to. There’s Halloween, fireworks night, Christmas parties, Christmas shopping, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve to plan for.
Eeeek…very very very excited for all of the above.

3. The food
Hot soups and warm baked cookies are my comfort foods of choice at this time of year. A big bowl of soup and a crusty loaf on the side is a perfect lunch when out and about. My favourite place to get soup when I’m in town is Pret. Their vegetarian soups are always yummy. I keep an eye on this page each day to see if they are selling a soup that I fancy.
I also feel this time of the year is a key baking time. A freshly baked biscuit is wonderful with a big mug of tea. Why not try out my Chocolate Dipped Orange Zest Biscuits for that festive flavour.

4. Bright and crisp mornings
How incredibly gorgeous are those bright mornings to wake up to! I love it when the sun is shining bright, there are no clouds in the sky but the air is super chilly. These mornings are actually my favourite to work out in. I love going for a run or going to Bootcamp in this weather. The mix of sunshine and endorphins is always a winner to me.

5. The fashion
A gorgeous coat, jeans, Chelsea boots, thin layered jumpers and BIG sunglasses are my favourite go-to outfit of the season.
My main aim is to prevent being cold so I can run around in the leaves like a big child whilst keeping warm.
(Keep an eye out for my next blog post on my ‘Autumn Fashion Picks To Keep You Warm’).

What do you love about autumn?

A healthy hug in a mug: {Lemon and ginger tea}

It is widely publicised that we should start off our morning with a mug of warm water and lemon but how about adding some fresh ginger in there? I adore this drink and have a mug most mornings.

Growing up, my parents would always make me honey, lemon and ginger in hot water to drink whenever I was ill and I adored it. It is fine to add the honey or agave syrup but for that slightly healthier edge and a way to prevent spiking your blood sugar and insulin levels, why not just have lemon and ginger? I love that tiny heated burn that ginger gives you. I also feel a strong sense of satisfaction whenever I drink ginger because it really feels like it is doing you some good.

I like to buy a fresh ginger chunk from the supermarket. At about 40-50p for a large chunk, which will last you months, you may as well give this drink a go. I chop it up in to little pieces and store it in a Tupperware pot in my freezer. It will keep for a very long time.

Below is the recipe for how I make mine. Make sure you read to the end for the health benefits of lemon and ginger.

Method

1. Either chop up half a lemon or squeeze half a lemon into your mug.

2. Throw in a few chunks of your frozen ginger (fresh ginger is fine too).

3. Cover in hot water.

4. Et voila x

Lemon benefits

Clear skin- lemon helps prevent skin wrinkles and acne.

Immune system- lemon is known to help maintain your immune system and protect you from many illnesses. This is because of its high quantity of Vitamin C.

Flushes out toxins- lemon is great to drink at any time of the day. It aids digestion.

Ginger benefits

Gingerols- ginger is full of gingerols helping with muscle pain and soreness after injury or tough workouts.

Immune boosting- helps produce healthy sweating. In turn helping us naturally detox and great for when we have a cold or the flu.

Helps alleviate nausea- if you get travel sick or have an anxious belly it is great to consume some form of ginger. Having ginger in your hot drink can help calm your anxiousness. It can even help with those time of the month belly cramps.

Autumnal Granola Recipe

The nights are getting darker, the wind so much chillier and the autumn leaves are falling at a rapid speed. I personally love this time of year. We can layer up our clothes, put the fire on and have an excuse to hibernate at home with a great movie, hot water bottle and a cup of hot chocolate. That’s not to mention the great anticipation of the festive Christmas period.
The only downside to the chillier season is pushing myself out of the door in the morning. I have to eat breakfast before going to work otherwise my tummy rumbles like a mini earthquake. When I am cold I tend to crave a warm croissant or a fried egg sandwich sssh. I have come up with this granola recipe which is low in GI, super healthy and can be eaten warm or cold. Shop bought cereals, granola’s and muesli’s are full of unnatural sugars and ingredients that you would never find in your kitchen cupboards. My granola recipe is full of seeds and nuts and the only sugars are date syrup and honey…very natural and wonderfully sweet for that yummy sugar hit in the healthiest way possible. The great thing about this recipe is you can just use anything you have in your cupboard you don’t have to follow the recipe meticulously. You don’t need to go out shopping for any expensive ingredients…have fun experimenting.

Don’t forget to tag me in photos of your granola if you make it. @itsmegantaylor
Here is how to make my autumnal granola recipe.

Time

Prep: 5 minutes

Cooking: 10 minutes

What you will need

Syrup:

1 tablespoon Coconut oil

1.5 tablespoon Date syrup

1 tablespoon Honey

Granola bulk:

1/4 cup Mixed seeds

{I used: flaxseeds, sesame seeds, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds}

3/4 cup Mixed nuts

{I used: haselnuts, Brazil nuts, walnuts. If you want a mix of nuts but don’t fancy spending a fortune on bags of nuts, Waitrose do a great mixed nuts bag so you can get a good variety in your granola}

1 cup Jumbo oats

1 cup Coconut flakes

1 cup Quinoa pops

3/4 cup Raisins

2 teaspoons Ground cinnamon

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 160°

2. Blend your mixed nuts in a blender until lightly mixed. Do not let them go to dust…unless you are aiming for more of a muesli texture.

3. Throw all dry ingredients into a baking tray (nuts, seeds, coconut flakes, quinoa pops, oats, raisins).

4. Melt the coconut oil, date syrup, honey and cinnamon in a pan on a low heat until mixed together.

5. Pour the syrup over the dry ingredients and mix together.

6. Place in the oven for ten minutes, mixing up the ingredients every few minutes.

7. Leave to stand until cool before storing to prevent the ingredients going soggy.
Enjoy with yoghurt, milk or even by itself as a healthy snack.

My top 5 healthy cook books

I have been a vegetarian for a very long time…twenty one years in fact.
When I was a kid it wasn’t very common. None of my friends were vegetarian and as far as I know nor was anyone at my school.
I am loving the current shift in attitude towards the whole vegetarian and plant based lifestyle. The previous negative stigma is no longer as apparent. There is an abundance of healthy eating Instagram accounts which have brought to the surface these fabulous Instfame beauties celebrating the natural lifestyle and bringing out these wonderful cookbooks.
These are my current favourite tried and tested healthy cook books:

1. The Uncook Book by Tanya Maher
The pictures in this book are beautiful and enticing. I am forever intrigued by the raw lifestyle. I would love to have more raw meals a week but my head says it is only achievable in the summer, yet this book makes the raw life seem attainable. Unfortunately the majority of the amazing recipes such as the fruit leather require a dehumidifier. Not only are they pricey but I cannot find space in my kitchen for anymore appliances…I haven’t even found any room for a dishwasher.

Fave recipe: Falafels on sticks

2. Get The Glow by Madeleine Shaw
I am loving this book. You will probably already use a lot of the ingredients within this book so you don’t have to go out and do a very expensive shop before you can make something. Every recipe looks so yummy but there are a fair few meaty recipes which I obviously won’t be making…although I could always use halloumi as an alternative.

Fave recipe: Quinoa burgers

3. Deliciously Ella by Ella Woodward
This book is fully plant based and sugar free and full of wonderfully delicious recipes. The only downside is that there aren’t many sweet treats in there. Having read this book from front to back a few times, I do feel the sugar free life could be achievable. Ella has even brought out an app full of even more recipes and is regularly updated.

Fave recipe: Sugar free baked beans

4. Hemsley Hemsley by Jasmine and Melissa Hemsley
From the girlies that made the spiralizer insanely popular and the word courgetti known across the globe. This book is beautiful and the least strict on healthy eating out of my top 4 picks. A fair few meaty dishes and sweat treats. You will find some scrummy recipe in here for all the family.

Fave recipe: Summer lime coleslaw

Speedy chips

Being freelance I don’t have much stability in my schedule, yet most Thursday’s Liam and I have a tradition of having a special dinner together. We always have homemade chips, veggie burgers and a cocktail or three alongside Thursday night comedy on E4. The Big Bang Theory is our favourite, what’s yours?
When I spotted this Von Shef chipper whilst browsing Amazon I knew my Thursday night prep time was about to reduce drastically.

It is far more hardy than the Spiralizers we have all bought into. It can even create chips out of sweet potatoes which are always an impossible task for my weedy arm muscles.

You simply put your food in, push down the leaver and out pops your identical chips…much easier for cooking times.
The device also comes with an extra blade with smaller holes to make french fries.

After a couple of minutes of par boiling the chips I pop them in the oven with a little oil for about 50minutes.
You then have yourself some scrummy guilt free chips.

You can buy it here.
Being an avid lover of Amazon Prime I was sad to see it wasn’t applicable for free next day delivery but mine arrived within two days.

Why stop at chips, you can even make quick crudités.
The only negative I have is that you can’t fit in a large potato but this is only a minor qualm of this fab product.

Ritz Crackers Campaign

On a very chilly Friday morning I made my way to Clapton…miles away from Surrey…to shoot a campaign for Ritz Crackers. Until this day I had never eaten a Ritz Cracker before. This Friday saw me bite handfuls of them and they are scrumptious! I was really pleased to have booked this job. The casting just involved me posing in front of the camera smiling lots. These commercial modelling castings are often known as the money making jobs because the brand has to “buy you out” for a set amount of time as well as the day rate. I get booked for more of these jobs than fashion shoots because I am rather smiley 🙂 I actually got told on a recent casting that I smile too much…it certainly put an end to my smile in that casting…super scary casting director!
The job was so much fun. There were five models all twenty-something’s there to smile, laugh, eat and drink…”such fun”!
The campaign will be about for the month of June starting today in the Metro (picture below). You will also spot it in glossy magazines and around the shops and at bus stops. Let me know where you spot it 🙂

Chocolate dipped, orange zest shortbread biscuits

My mum found this scrumptious butter biscuits recipe last week in the Saturday Mail. There were a whole list of recipes for baking aimed at baking beginners. Ever the competitive spirit I took the simple shortbread recipe a step further adding orange zest and chocolate. I personally believe, chocolate makes everything better.

INGREDIENTS
150g unsalted butted, softened and diced
225g plain flour, sifted (plus extra for dusting)
100g caster sugar
1 egg yolk
1tsp vanilla extract
Zest of 1 orange
50g of dark chocooate
(You will need a cookie cutter or glass to cut them and a rolling pin)
(Makes approximately 30 cookies)

STEP 1
Preheat the oven to 180°.
Using your finger tips, rub together the butter, flour and sugar until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

STEP 2
Using a wooden spoon, mix in the egg yolk, vanilla extract and the zest of one orange.

STEP 3
Form the dough into a ball, then turn it onto a lightly floured surface kneading the dough for a few seconds.

STEP 4
Roll out the dough to a thickness of 5mm using a rolling pin.

STEP 5
Using a cookie cutter, cut out 30 cookies and place on baking sheets. You do not need to grease the sheets. Bake for 10 minutes.

STEP 6
When turning golden at the edges, leave them to cool then decorate your biscuits with chocolate however you wish. I went for the dipped effect.