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Recipe Archives - Megan Taylor

WATERMELLON BOMBE RECIPE

Whilst waiting around at an audition I saw a watermelon cake in some magazine. I was quickly ushered into my casting and never had the chance to read more about it but it stuck in my mind. It reminded me a lot of this amazing Christmas ice cream Panettone cake I make each year. Well, I have made something inspired by both and it came out pretty darn good. It’s fun and super quick to make. It would be a great cake/treat to make with kids and even though it is sweet with watermelon, it’s insanely and surprisingly super healthy.

INGREDIENTS

Small watermelon (because they have less black seeds)
Greek yoghurt (or coconut yoghurt if you are vegan)
Mixed nuts
1 square of dark chocolate

METHOD

• With a sharp knife, cut your watermelon in half and cut of the skin (do you call this the skin or rind? hmmm).
• Now that you have your dome shaped watermelon, place it on a plate you want to serve it on. Not much bigger than your melon and one that you are happy to use a sharp knife on.
• With a cake spatula swipe yoghurt all over the melon, smoothing across it evenly.
• Place a handful of mixed nuts in blender for a couple of seconds to roughly chop them. Then sprinkle them on top.
• I melted one square of Panachocolat Orange & Fig chocolate in a pan on a low heat with a big teaspoon of coconut oil. You could use any chocolate but you need very little. Once melted drip across haphazardly over the “cake/bombe”.
• Leave to set in your freezer. It will be ok to serve after about 45 minutes but longer left the better.

Let me know if you make this, I’d love to know what you think and see pictures x

WATERMELLON BOMBE RECIPE | Megan Taylor

Tiny Valentines Biscuits

I am aware this Valentine’s Day biscuit recipe is coming at quite a late date but as it is half term my mummy readers may wish to make these biscuits today with their children. My non-mummy readers may wish to make these yummy biscuits tonight as they only take 20 minutes from to make from start to finish.
This biscuit recipe is a family hand me down from my auntie and is incredibly quick and easy biscuit recipe to use with children because it is quick and easy and they can do everything themselves, with a little supervision. Best of all they taste delicious.
I have added a a teaspoon of cinnamon because I adore the flavour (Christmas throwback). Other ideas would be to add the zest of an orange to the recipe. One of my favourite icing tips are to add the juice of a lemon to your icing sugar instead of water to give each bite a zesty tang.

Quick Valentine's Biscuits | Megan Taylor

RECIPE

1 oz soft dark brown sugar
2 oz butter
3 oz flour
1 tsp cinnamon
Icing sugar and food colouring.

Quick Valentine's Biscuits | Megan Taylor

METHOD

•Preheat your oven to 160º and grease a baking tray
•In a bowl, mix together all of your ingredients with your hands
•Your mixture will look as if it isn’t going to bind but give it some time and it will turn into the softest dough
•Lightly dust your surface with flour and roll out your dough roughly £1 coin thick
•Cut out your desired shapes and place on your prepared baking sheet
•Cook for 10-15 minutes or until golden
•Once your cookies have cooled down you can start decorating them however you like

Quick Valentine's Biscuits | Megan Taylor

SHOP ☆ BAKING GOODS

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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.

Chocolate Coconut Truffles | Megan Taylor

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.

Chocolate Coconut Truffles | Megan Taylor

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.

Chocolate Coconut Truffles | Megan Taylor

SHOP ☆ COCONUT TRUFFLES

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Chocolate Coconut Truffles | Megan Taylor
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?

El Presidente // Cocktail Recipe

Imagine a sweet warming cocktail like no other. My husband found out about the fabulous drink El Presidente from a barman at Skylon one Christmas a few years ago (if you haven’t been before then you really must, it is wonderful) and we have been making it at home ever since. It is possible to make this cocktail with substandard ingredients but if you want each sip to taste like a drop of heaven then you must stick to the ingredients we suggest.
(Watch a quick video on how to make your own El Presidente at the bottom of this post)

INGREDIENTS

Vermouth (1 part)
Grand Marnier (1 part)
Rum (2 parts)
Ice

El Presidente // Cocktail Recipe | Megan Taylor

EQUIPMENT

Glasses
Glass Cocktail Stirrer
Cocktail Jug
(Dartington – Currently impossible to find)
(none of these items are necessary to improve the taste…just the Instagrammable look)

El Presidente // Cocktail Recipe | Megan Taylor

Cocktail Of The Month: {Sundown}

I am a big cocktail fan and always on the hunt for the new hot drink. I think my love for cocktails grew from watching Sex And The City at a very young age and dreaming of hanging out in New York drinking Cosmos. Whenever Liam and I go on holiday we try to find out what the locals drink and have a taste. In fact we went to Venice for the first time together back in 2008 and found out that Aperol existed. Back then no one in the UK was drinking it and you definitely couldn’t buy it at your local supermarket like you can now. On a recent trip to Barcelona I drunkenly stumbled across a scrummy cachaca called Capucana, unfortunately I am still yet to find a UK seller so I can relive my Spanish cocktails.

I was recently sent a bottle of Soho Juice which is a new cocktail mixer created by two friends. For those of us trying to be a little bit healthier but still want to have a weekend tipple with their friends this may be your answer. It has a very fresh taste predominately of cucumber but with a citrus buzz. If you are a fan of Henricks and tonic which is typically garnished with cucumber I would highly recommend this mixer as your new staple. The Soho Juice company unfortunately aren’t currently selling their drink in shops yet those of you lucky Liverpudlians can drink The Soho in numerous bars across the city. Considering Zoe and Alfie aka Zalfie have spent a day vlogging in Liverpool recently I have a feeling this city is about to become even more popular.

I have a little booklet that the gents at The Soho Juice Company sent me and it is full of cocktail recipes that feature The Soho cucumber drink. One particular cocktail that caught my eye was The Sundown yet when I went to make it I didn’t have all of the ingredients so have made a few mini adaptations. Follow my recipe below for my take on The Sundown yet with some passion fruit. Liam and I adored this cocktail and I know everyone else will as well. Let me know if you try it and send me pictures 🙂
Head on over to The Soho Juice Company for a list of cocktail recipes.

Cocktail Of The Month: {Sundown}Soho Juice ☆ Albury Vodka ☆ Glasses (similar)


Passionfruit Raspberry And Honey Sundown

35ml Vodka
15ml Lemon
1/2 Passion fruit
20ml Soho Juice
10ml Honey
6 Raspberries
Sugar and Water For Decoration

1. Half fill a cocktail shaker with ice cubes.
2. Add all of the ingredients to the cocktail shaker.
3. Shake until the shaker is frosty.
4. Dip your glasses rim’s in water then in a bowl of sugar.
5. Pour the cocktail in your glass and enjoy.

Cocktail Of The Month: {Sundown}
Where to find Soho Juice
Instagram
Website

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 ScalesLove BowlHeart 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)

crunchy amaretti and raspberry cake | Megan Taylor{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.

crunchy amaretti and raspberry cake | Megan Taylor{TOP TIP: Place your amaretti biscuits in a tea towel and have fun bashing them with a rolling pin.}

crunchy amaretti and raspberry cake | Megan Taylor{Not only did the mixture smell divine but looks rather beautiful too}

crunchy amaretti and raspberry cake | Megan Taylor{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

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries are every inch of decadence.
They can be incredibly expensive to buy at events such as Wimbledon or foodie festivals.
I feel that I have finally cracked the best and most simple way to make them look absolutely immaculate.
Check out the method for the chocolate dipped strawberries below.

{Plate – Maxwell & Williams}

You Will Need
☆ Refrigerated Strawberries
☆ Baking Parchment
☆ Dark Chocolate

Method
1.
Line a baking tray, chopping board or any flat surface with baking parchment.
2.
Keep your strawberries stored in the fridge as soon as you buy them.
3. 
Melt a bar of dark chocolate.
Break up the chocolate into a non-stick pan over a very low heat, constantly stirring.
4. Once the chocolate is completely melted take your strawberries out of the fridge and lay on your tray.
5. Dip your strawberries, one by one, into the piping hot chocolate and lay them back on the paper.
6. Within a couple of minutes you will notice that the chocolate will have hardened.
This happens because the strawberries are so cold.
7. Once the chocolate has set on all of the strawberries you can peel them off the paper and place them on a pretty plate to serve.
They peel off in an incredibly satisfying way.

♡ Romantic dining – not just for Valentine’s Day ♡

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 Sugar Biscuits

Today was my last day of work for 2016.
To celebrate I decided to make some quick and easy Christmas sugar biscuits.
After only 10 minutes of cooking you can gather your friends and family together to decorate your biscuits.

Ingredients
100g butter
100g golden caster sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1tsp ground cinnamon
275g plain flour
Decorations of your choice

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 190°
2. Cream the butter and sugar
3. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract
4. Gradually mix in the flour
5. Roll out your dough to 1cm and use cookie cutters to make your festive cookie shapes
6. Cook for 8-10minutes
7. Leave to cool before decorating


Let me know if you make them…
Instagram and Twitter: @itsmegantaylor

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

Brandy Laced Chocolate Walnuts

I have bought chocolate covered walnuts before.
The shop bought ones are incredibly addictive but they cost an absolute fortune.
I feel I have conquered a very similar recipe and made them taste identical to the shop bought ones.
My mum even happened to mention that mine taste even better.
Give them a try yourself. They make a perfect homemade Christmas gift.
{You Tube video at the bottom of the page}

Ingredients
Milk (dash)
Brown Sugar (two heaped wooden spoons)
Butter (tablespoon)
Dark Chocolate (x2 bars)
Cacao Powder
Walnuts

Method
1. Make the toffee sauce by mixing the butter and sugar together.
2. Adding a dash of milk allow the ingredients to mix together and bubble and boil for a couple of minutes.
3. Pour in the bag of walnuts, mix up and allow to set during the next step.
4. Melt the chocolate in a pan.
5. Mix the toffee-d walnuts into the melted chocolate along with a glug of brandy.
6. Line your baking trays with baking paper.
7. Dust the baking paper with cacao powder.
8. Separate the walnuts on to the trays.
9. Pour more cacao powder over the walnuts.
10. It is a bit fiddly but roll the walnuts around to fully cover them in cacao.
11. Leave them in a cool room for 15 minutes to allow the chocolate to set slowly.


{Little chocolate walnut rocks}


{The chocolate finds its way into all the holes}

{Perfect homemade Christmas gift}

{You Tube video}

Nutty Frozen Yoghurt Bowl

**Warning**
This tastes like pudding but is incredibly healthy!!

This nutty frozen yoghurt bowl is my most favourite breakfast of them all, even when it is cold out.

Ingredients
Frozen berries – two handfuls
Yoghurt – 4 tablespoons
Mixture of seeds and nuts – sprinkle
Coconut water – splash
Sweetener of your choice (apple syrup, date syrup, honey, agave syrup)
(quantities to serve 2)

Method
1. Throw the berries and yoghurt in a blender.
(I use this Kitchen Aid one but I sometimes use this Kenwood one if I am only making a small amount)
2. If the blender jams because of the dry ingredients add a small splash of coconut water to loosen it.
3. Try a little and see if you need to sweeten it.
I like the tart flavour but it tastes wonderfully luxurious with a teaspoon of honey.
4. Once blended, scoop out into a bowl and sprinkle a mixture of nuts and seeds.

{Ingredients: Frozen berries, Yoghurt, Seeds & Nuts}

{Frozen Raspberries}

{yum yum yumminess}

Crunchy Cashew Kale Crisps

I had some kale that was almost out of date and only a handful of cashew nuts so I decided to create my own
Crunchy Cashew Kale Crisps.
They were really yummy but definitely gave the house a bit of a funky, yet healthy smell.
These kale chips are a healthier alternative to normal movie night snacks. They would be great for a Monday movie night when, let’s be honest, we are all at our healthiest.
These crisps were really easy to make and tasted really yummy. The chew of the cashew nuts is the best bit.

-Serves 1
-Prep time: 5 minutes
-Cooking time: 15 minutes


Ingredients

Kale (two big leaves minus their stems)
Cashew nuts (1/4 cup)
Red chilli (personal preference, I used a whole chilli which was very hot!)
Salt (pinch)
Pepper (personal preference)
Olive oil (approx. 2 teaspoons)


Method

1. Preheat your oven to 170°

2. Blend the cashew nuts into tiny chunks in a blender. I use this one.

3. Cut the kale leaves off its stem. Leaving the stem behind cut the leaves into little shreds.

4. Cut up your chilli’s red skin into teensy little pieces, leaving the seeds behind.

5. Throw your cut up leaves, chilli and cashew nuts into a roasting tray. Add a glug of olive oil and mix everything together.

6. Cook for 15 minutes, turning every five minutes. 15 minutes allowed me to achieve a mixture of crunchy crisps and chewy crisps.
If you want a more crisp texture cook them for 20-30 minutes but making sure you check them regularly to not let them burn.

7. Either eat warm or let them cool for ten minutes to have slightly crispier crisps.

Hope you enjoy them.

If you make them, make sure you tag me in pictures on Instagram or Twitter @itsmegantaylor

Sugar Free Ketchup Recipe

I only recently realised that I eat quite a lot of ketchup. I only really eat it with eggs or chips but with the amount of sugar in shop bought tomato sauce I thought I had better come up with a sugar free recipe.
I read loads of different recipes from very famous chefs and even though they are healthier than the shop bought ketchup, they still had sugar in!
My recipe uses natural fruit sugars as the sweetener.
I adore my sugar free ketchup warm but it tastes even better when cooled.

Serves 6-8 people (dependant on their gobbling potential)

Ingredients

Tinned tomatoes (1/2 tin)
Purée (half a pot or 3/4 of a tube)
Basil leaves (handful)
Garlic (1 thumb nail sized piece)
Fennel (1/4 of a bulb)
Sun dried tomato paste/or tomato pesto (two teaspoons)
Apple cider vinegar
Apple syrup
Garlic (1/2 clove)
Black pepper (grind up as much as you need to suit your tastebuds)
Whole cloves (2 single cloves)

Method

1. Chop the fennel and garlic into small pieces.

2. With a dash of oil in a small pan add your purée, tinned tomatoes, fennel, sun dried tomato paste, ginger and cider vinegar.

3. Leave to boil for 5 minutes.

4. Throw in your basil leaves then blend the ingredients to a wet sauce texture.

5. Once you have blended your sauce give it a little taste and see if it needs any extra cider vinegar then add your cloves, ground black pepper and apple syrup and cook for a further 3 minutes.

6. Take out your clove leaves (you don’t have to).

7. Finito 🙂

Enjoy with some homemade chips or poached eggs on toast.
Keep refrigerated for up to a week or freeze to keep.
Let me know if you try it out.

Spiced Halloween Biscuits

Any chance to celebrate something and I am in the kitchen baking or making cocktails.
Here is a rather picture heavy blog post of me making Halloween cookies with a cocktail in toe to help me decorate them.
Those who know me will know that I am not the biggest fan of Halloween because I don’t really care for the scary stuff. That being said, I love the excuse to munch on all the sugary treats.

I had a lot of fun in the kitchen creating these Spiced Halloween Biscuits. They are a little gruesome looking but super cute and very yummy.

I hope you enjoy my Spiced Halloween Biscuits. Let me know if you make them and make sure you send me pictures or tag me on Instagram @itsmegantaylor

{Make sure you are subscribed to my You Tube channel for tomorrows Halloween Cat Hair and Make Up Tutorial video}

INGREDIENTS
6 tablespoons soft unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
Zest of 1 orange

DSC_0026

METHOD
1.Preheat the oven to 160°c
2.In a mixer, cream the butter and sugar
3.Beat in the egg and vanilla
4.Add the flour and baking powder
5.Slowly add the butter and eggs
6.If the mixture is too wet, add more flour
7.Refrigerate the dough for approximately 45 minutes
8.Cut into shapes 1/4in thick
9.Place on a baking sheet and cook for 7-10 minutes checking reguarly
(It should be soft in the middle but golden on the outsides)
10.Leave to cool before decorating

Sugar Free Sweet Popcorn Recipe

Every week I have three and a half days where I eat very well and this includes being sugar free. My way of sugar free is vaguely strict. I do not eat any refined sugar, added sugar, any food that has a sugar listed in its ingredients. I do not include natural sugars such as honey, agave or fruits in these ‘sugars to avoid’ list.
Even though I am being healthy I still have a need for that afternoon sugar hit like anyone else. My Quinoa Goddess Balls are a fab sweet hit. Here is another recipe I love which is very low in calories and has a low Glycemic Index therefore making you feel full for longer.

This recipe will fill your house with a festive scent of cinnamon and you will have a huge bowl of sticky and chewy popcorn. Best of all at only 205 calories, you can eat a very large bowl guilt free…although you may not be able to finish it because it is so filling.
(Measurements and calories are approximated for serving two people)

What you will need

80g Popcorn maize (278cal)
2tsp Ground cinnamon (12cal)
2 tbsp Date syrup (128cal) or Honey (120cal) or Agave syrup (120cal)


Method

1. Pop some kernels the traditional way in a pan with a little oil.

2. Set your grill to low.

3. Lay out your popped corn on some grease proof paper on a baking tray.

4. Drizzle honey / agave syrup or date syrup over the popcorn.

5. Now your popcorn is sticky, sprinkle ground cinnamon over the popcorn.

6. Place in the grill for about 5 minutes, continuously checking that they are not burning.

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.

Cocktail Recipe of the month: {Chambourgeois}

Here is a yummy cocktail recipe to help you start the weekend.
It is inspired by a drink I often order at Charlotte Street Hotel. I order a Twisted Mojito (with no mint-making it richer).
Liam and I decided to name our version the Chambourgeois. The scent of the passion fruit and lime is absolutely incredible. You will struggle to only have one.
Below is the recipe for my ‘Cocktail recipe of the month’

CHAMBORGEOIS

INGREDIENTS

Rum
Chambord
Muscovado sugar
x1 Lime
x1 Passion Fruit
Ice

Serves 2

METHOD

1.Scoop half a passion fruit and one teaspoon of muscovado sugar into each glass.

2. Chop up a whole lime in to diced pieces. Divide in two and add to the glasses.

3. With your hand over the top to prevent spilling muddle the ingredients in your glass until they are well muddled together. I use the back end of this spoon yet I have just seen this spoon and simply must have it (**heart eyes**).

4. Crush up a lot of ice and fill both glasses to the top. An ice crusher really helps with this step. We have one like this.

5. Pour rum into your glasses up to the 3/4 mark.

6. With your hand over the top of the glass again, mix the rum and ice into the earlier ingredients. This time with the spoon end.

7. Now top up the glass with more crushed ice.

8. Pour a shot of Chambord over the top.