Revlon Photoready Powder - Review

The Revlon Photoready powder has quickly become one of my favourite pressed powders. I can't believe that it has taken me this long to try it out as it has been a makeup lovers favourite for years. What I love most about this powder is that it does give you a little bit of coverage, resulting in a lovely flawless finish to your skin. I have religiously used my Rimmel Stay Matte pressed powder for the past 5 years and didn't think that anything could ever top it. This is just as good as the Rimmel powder in terms of lasting powder; it does keep me matte all day long which is great. I can't believe I am saying this but I do think it is slightly better due to the coverage. That is saying a lot seeing as I haven't touched another powder ever since I started wearing makeup! The shade I am using is light/medium which is perfect for me. It doesn't leave you cakey, it just glides across your skin in a lovely silky way. This powder retails for £11.29 in Boots which is quite a lot compared to the Rimmel powder, but compared to some higher end powders it is definitely better value for money. Overall, I would definitely recommend this powder as it is long-lasting, gives a flawless finish, and isn't cakey. 

Seda x

The Best Tomato Pasta Sauce Recipe! (Vegan/Gluten-Free)

Ingredients

* 1 tsp coconut oil

* 1 small red onion

* 1 tsp garlic puree

* 8 cherry tomatoes

* 50ml water

* 1 tsp garlic pepper

* 2 tsp dried basil

* 1 tsp sugar

* 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Method

On a chopping board, peel and chop the onion. Then chop the tomatoes into small chunks (they will roughly be chopped in quarters). 

Melt the coconut oil in a large non-stick pan on a medium heat. Add the onions and fry till slightly browned. Add the garlic puree and cook for a further minute.

Add the tomatoes and the tomato puree to the pan and mix well. Then add the garlic pepper and basil. Cook for about 5 minutes until the tomatoes start to soften. The mixture will appear slightly thick so you can add some water at this point till it forms a sauce like consistency. Add the sugar and vinegar, stir, and then turn the heat right down and simmer with the lid on while you boil the pasta. 

Boil your choice of pasta. I like to use gluten free brown rice spaghetti. 

Plate up and enjoy :)

Seda x

Healthy Halloumi, Tomato & Pesto Toasted Sandwich

Ingredients

* 2 slices of bread of your choice (I used 50/50 bread)

* 6 slices of halloumi

* handful of spinach 

* 3 cherry tomatoes

* 1 tbsp pesto

Method

Place the bread on a board. Spread both slices with the pesto.

On one of the slices lay the halloumi, tomatoes and spinach and then drizzle with a little more of the pesto. 

Put the other slice on top of the sandwich and press down. Place in a heatproof sandwich bag and toast until the bread is golden and the cheese melted.

Slice in half and enjoy! 

Seda x

Moist Lemon Drizzle Cake (Vegan/Gluten-Free)

Ingredients

Cake

* 1 and 3/4 cups gluten free self-raising flour

* 2 tsp baking powder

* 1/4 tsp salt

* 1 cup granulated sugar

* 2 tbsp maple syrup

* 1/3 cup rapeseed oil

* 1 cup soya milk (or any other dairy free milk)

* Zest of two lemons

* Juice of one lemon

Syrup

* 2 tbsp icing sugar

* Juice of one lemon

Icing

* 100g icing sugar

* 2 tbsp lemon juice

Preheat your oven to 170c. In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. 

In a separate bowl mix the sugar, maple syrup, oil and milk.

 Grate the zest of two lemons, use the juice of one of them, and mix into the wet mixture. 

Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk till combined and there are no lumps. Be careful not to over-whisk. Place the mixture into a greased loaf tin.

Cook the cake in the oven for 40-45 minutes. 

Mix together in a saucepan the ingredients for the syrup and heat until the sugar has dissolved. Use a wooden skewer to make holes all over the cake to allow for the syrup to be more easily absorbed. Pour the syrup over the cake and leave to cool completely. 

While the cake is cooling, you can make the icing for the drizzle. Mix the icing sugar and lemon juice together until you have perfect drizzling consistency. It shouldn't be too runny, but should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Drizzle the icing all over the cake. 

Decorate with strawberries if you would like and leave the cake so that the icing can harden. 

Serve and enjoy!

Seda x

Deliciously Creamy Chicken & Pea Risotto

Ingredients

*1 tbsp coconut oil

* 1 large onion

* 1 tsp garlic puree

* 6 chicken thigh fillets

* 250g arborio risotto rice

* 1 chicken stock cube

* 250ml white wine

* 750 ml boiling water

* 150g frozen peas

* handful of fresh thyme

* 75g grated parmesan

* 1 tbsp butter/margerine

Method

Chop up the onion. Heat the coconut oil in a large saucepan and add the onions. Cook until translucent in colour. Add the garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes. 

Chop up the chicken into cubes and add to the saucepan. Mix and cook until the chicken in white in the centre. This should take around 10-15 minutes. 

Measure out the rice and wash it in a sieve. Put the rice in the saucepan and mix till it is coated. 

Get two 500ml measuring jugs and split the chicken stock cube between them. Boil the water. Put 250ml of wine in one of the jugs. Top the rest up with the water.

Slowly add the water and continuously mix until the rice has absorbed it all. You should only be adding about 100ml at a time, and should wait till the water has been absorbed before adding any more. Make sure to keep stirring as this will give the risotto its creamy consistency. 

Once you have added about half of the stock, add the peas and mix. Continue adding water and mixing until it will not absorb anymore. 

Pick of the leaves from fresh thyme until you have a small handful and then add this to the risotto.

Grate the parmesan and also add this to the risotto and mix. 

At this point the risotto should be done. Just before serving, mix in the butter or margarine to give the risotto a silky appearance. 

Plate up and enjoy! 

Seda x

The Furry Friend Tag - My Maltese Milo!

1) What is your animal's name?

Milo

2) What type of pet is it and what breed?

He is a dog (well, puppy) and a Maltese :)

3) How long have you had your pet friend?

We have had him for 11 days. We collected him when he was ready at 8 weeks old.

4) How did you receive your pet?

Well, I have wanted a dog from before I can remember. It took a lot of persuading but finally my parents gave in and allowed my brother and I to get a dog :) Their main concern was that both my mum and my brother are allergic to most animals, so it was important that we choose a dog that it hypoallergenic. Luckily for us, the Maltese are a breed that do not shed and do not cause allergies so that was great! We looked for a long time online to find the right kind of breeder and the right family to buy him from to make sure that he was going to be nice and healthy. We found a nice family and went to visit them and Milo a couple times. When he was finally ready at 8 weeks old to leave his mum, we went and brought him home to join our family.

5) How old is your pet?

Milo was born on the 6th May 2016 so he is 9 and a half weeks old :)

6) What are some quirky aspects of your pet's personality?

Milo is a very playful pup. He loves cuddles and playing with his toys, particularly his soft monkey toy. He is at the age where he is teething so wants to chew absolutely everything, including us! He is a very clever puppy, and even though he is so young we have already taught him to sit, stay and fetch. He doesn't have a massive appetite but that is normal for Maltese, but he does like to eat his kibble when they are used as treats for doing tricks. He loves to have cuddles all day long, loving to sit on my lap and watch TV. He gets so excited when he sees any member of our family and is so loving and energetic.

7) What does your connection with your pet imply to you?

I love having Milo. It is lovely to have someone who will remain so loyal and loving to you, regardless of anything else going on in your life. He is like my baby and I love him to pieces. I can't believe it took this long to get a puppy, but I am so grateful that he is now in our lives.

8) What are your favourite past times with your pet?

• Cuddles
• Playing fetch
• Chewing his bone
• Sitting in his cardboard box
• Learning tricks
• Exploring around the house
• Getting his belly rubbed
• Playing with his soft toys
• Playing with a ball
• Sitting in my arms while I walk around the garden

9) What are some of your pet's nicknames?

Milo, Baby, Monkey, Bubba

Seda x

Best Waffle Recipe Ever!

Ingredients

* 375g self raising flour

* pinch of salt

* 3 tbsp sugar

* 3 eggs (seperated)

* 3 tbsp melted butter

* 1 tsp vanilla extract

Makes 8 waffles

Method

Put your waffle maker on to heat up. Place your flour, salt, sugar, egg yolks, butter and vanilla in a large bowl and whisk. 

In a separate bowl, place the egg whites and whisk with an electric whisk until soft peaks form. 

Place the whisked egg whites in the bowl along with the batter and fold in gently with a metal spoon. 

Lightly grease the waffle maker and spoon 2 ladle-fulls of the batter and cook for the time according to your waffle maker. Mine is usually done in about 4-5 minutes. 

You can top your waffle with whatever you want. I chose chocolate sauce and whipped cream for this one. 

You can be a bit healthier by topping your waffle with banana and maple syrup. 

Seda x

Healthy 3-Ingredient Pancakes! (Gluten-Free)

Ingredients

* 2 bananas

* 2 eggs

* 1 tsp baking powder

* 1 tsp cinnamon (optional)

* 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

Method

Mash the bananas on a plate with a fork until just softened. Do not over-mash them, leave them with small chunks to create a better consistency. 

Place the bananas in a bowl with the eggs and baking powder. At this stage you can add optional ingredients like vanilla and cinnamon if you prefer. I think it gives them a much better overall flavour.

Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add 1 tsp coconut oil to melt. Once the pan is hot, use a ladle and spoon small portions of the mixture out. Make the pancakes quite small as it will be easier to flip. Once they are browned on one side and small bubbles appear on the surface it is time to flip. Cook them for a minute on the other side until done. 

Enjoy! 

Seda x