Healthy Chilli Con Carne Recipe

Recently I've been trying to eat clean with fresh ingredients and no added nasties, which means store-bought sauces have been removed from house! Instead, I've taken to Pinterest for healthy versions of our favourites. I'm a huge lover of chilli con carne, whether it be with rice, in a wrap, or with a lovely salad - it is just a yummy dish. I found this recipe on the Southern-In-Law blog and I've edited it to add some extra goodness! This has become a firm favourite in our house because it is tasty and such an easy recipe to whip up.

Ingredients - serves 4

- 250g beef or turkey mince

-1/2 onion chopped (I use frozen to save time!)

-1 medium carrot, grated (with skin on for more nutrients)

-5 mushrooms, chopped

-1 or 2 tomatoes, chopped into chunks (optional to add more freshness)

-1 clove garlic, crushed (I use lazy chopped garlic)

-1/2 tbsp cumin 

-1 tsp oregano

-1 tsp paprika 

-1/4 tsp chilli powder

-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (add more or less chilli and cayenne depending on how hot you like it)

-2 tins of crushed tomatoes (800g)

-1 tbsp tomato paste (I usually use more!)

- a cube of beef stock powder

-1 bay leaf (optional)

-1 medium can kidney beans, drained and rinsed (about 450g)

1. First cook your mince until browned off, if using turkey mince add the beef stock now to add more flavour. Move your mince to one side of the pan so you can cook your onions. When they start to soften add your spices and garlic and combine. Give that a few minutes then mix the mince and the onions together.

2. Next add your chopped mushrooms, tomatoes and grated carrot. Mix together and leave to cook for a few minutes making sure to stir.

3. Add your tinned chopped tomatoes, tomato paste and beef stock (if you are using beef mince), stir through and bring to the boil. Turn down to a simmer and add your bay leaf. Leave for around 30 minutes to an hour depending on how thick you like it.

4. When it has reached your preferred consistency remove the bay leaf and add your kidney beans and stir through. Leave to cook for around 5/10 minutes longer before serving.

Serving suggestions - I like to eat mine in a baby gem lettuce leaf with a dollop of Greek yoghurt and a sprinkling of cheese. Mmmmmm!

Do you have any good Pinterest recipes you can suggest?! *I left out the mushrooms and kidney beans by accident in my haste to get these pictures done! Oops!

Tips to make following recipes and cooking that little bit easier!

In our house I'm the one that cooks the meals so I've had to get savvy in order to save time. I  do love cooking, but sometimes it can get a little too tedious which has meant I've wanted to find some short cuts. Here are a few of my tips to spend less time in the kitchen and more time enjoying your food.
Four tips to spend less time in the kitchen!

1. Get everything prepared and ready before you begin. Basically pretend you are on a cooking show. Get lots of little bowls and plates out so that you can prepare all your ingredients ready to throw into your recipe. This means you won't get half way through your recipe and realise you've forgotten something!

2. Get your measuring spoons out ready next to your spices. Line up your spices behind the spoon relating to how much you need. It makes it much easier than having to peer at your recipe each time you pick up a spice then having to find the right spoon!

3. Clean up as you go. Get the sink full of soapy water ready to wash dishes as you go. As well as this make sure to chuck packets and extra bits of food in the bin so you have less to clean up at the end. It makes sense really as you will have time to chill whilst your food is cooking away because all the clean up will be done.

4. Take the easy way out. Okay who else cries when they cut onions, have fingers smelling of garlic for days after touching one and huge vegetables get the better of their strength? Well I know I can answer ME to all those! I've found supermarket products that make my life so much easier. For years I've been using frozen onion, but only now have I discovered other kitchen hacks. You can buy garlic and chillies already chopped from Very Lazy which is so much quicker and easier than cutting it yourself! Then just recently I found butternut squash cut and frozen! My life was made as I always struggle to cut them and then having to scrape out their seeds.

Hopefully, I've made your life a little bit easier with my tips? Some you probably already know and do, but oh well! It's nice to spell it out sometimes!

Do you have any good tips for me?

Throwback Thursday!

Throwback Thursday, it's a thing people do right? Well, I've decided to pick a few posts from last year that you may or may not have seen before (depending on when you started following). I hope you enjoy this short trip back in time! First up was that time I decided to make candles! In November last year I thought it would be a good idea to start making candles, maybe even start selling them. Well as with a lot of things that didn't happen and I now have millions of jars in my spare room waiting for something to happen to them. As Autumn and Winter grow ever closer I might get our my wax flakes and scents and have another go! Read all about the process I went through to make the candles and see some pretty pictures - I know us bloggers can't resist candles so have a peek! Next up was the time we took a trip to Runswick Bay. This is a gorgeous coastal location perfect for some time by the seaside. Indulge in some scenic pictures of this North East gem whilst in the comfort of your own home! One of the prettiest manicures I've posted on this blog happens to be this gloppy nail art. I was so pleased with how it turned out and I even wrote a brief explanation as to how I did it. Hopefully, you can try it too?
Hope you've enjoyed this throwback Thursday!

The Boiler Shop Steamer - Newcastle

Whenever I venture to a city I have to find a new exciting place to eat. On the train up to Newcastle, my friend and I discussed going to the Fat Hippo, having only heard good reviews. However, when we were separated on our second train (as it was so busy) I overheard a group of people talking about an event and they reminded me that I wanted to give the Boiler Shop Steamer a try.

I'd been going on about this to Matt saying that I wanted to go as it is right up our street. Amazing food in an industrial quirky setting. The group that were chatting about this on the train mentioned it was free before 6pm on Saturday so I suggested it to my friend and she was up for.

I got directions on my phone to the venue from the train station and to my surprise it was about five minutes away, just behind the train station. That was a bonus as it was just starting to rain. When we walked up to the warehouse I was amazed! It looked so good, I was literally giddy to get inside and see what it was like. It didn't disappoint. Inside it looked like a disused warehouse with light shining in from the top windows and around the perimeter were different food vendors selling many cuisines as well as a bar with cocktails and beer.

We wandered around the stalls to see what was on offer and funnily enough, we decided on a burger from the Fat Hippo stall. Instead of paying the vendors directly with money you had to get tokens. Almost everyone's menus had a price listed next to the item in tokens and each one was worth £2. Our burgers were two tokens each and our fries 1 token, so basically the burgers were £4 each and the fries £2 which I think is pretty decent.

Although not the most attractive burger in the world, after being squished in the wrapper fresh from the grill, it certainly tasted great. The burger was cooked to perfection being a little pink inside and there was no grizzle or nasty bits in the meat just squishy yumminess! On top of the burger was cheese, pickles, ketchup and mustard - so simple yet so tasty! There weren't that many people around at about 12.30pm on Saturday but I noticed on twitter that on the night it was ram-packed! Definitely, the place to be!

The Boiler Shop Steamer is on every first weekend of the month in Newcastle. I would definitely go again as the venue is amazing (if a little warm!), the food is gorgeous and the drinks are pretty nice too!

Have you been to this before? What do you think of it?

Essence Colour & Go nail polish review and swatches - 172 Splash

Essence, a brand that has just landed in the UK much to the excitement of many beauty obsessed girls throughout the country. I myself can't wait to get hold of some of these well priced bargains. I was lucky enough to receive a nail polish, an eye liner, mascara and a lip gloss from Essence to review. So I've started with my favourite, nail polish!

172 Splash - £1.59*
When this polish arrived I fell in love with the colour! Although metallics can sometimes look a little childish I really liked this and couldn't wait to try it out. A great thing about these polishes is the brush. It is small but well-formed holding a widespread brush which coats a large section of your nails with ease. It's really easy to hold and manoeuvre over your nail, meaning you can stay in control and it makes it easier to stay on your nail.
The formula is great and glides on with ease. Even though I use a Seche Vite topcoat with this polish it stayed on marginally longer than normal polishes and didn't chip!
I'd definitely recommend these polishes as they are a great product at an amazing price. I'll have them all, please!

How to ensure your nails are stunning every time

I know that for some people doing your nails is something you dislike, its like a minefield. How do people get their fingernails so darn perfect? If you take some time out of your day to focus on your nails you can really ensure they are on point. - Make sure your nails are clean and maintained. I mean all polish off, any nasty bits of skin polished clean, cuticles pushed and cut back as well as your nails being filed to create a smooth edge. Just a tip - use a crystal nail file as they are much gentler on your nails (without loosing the grit). Although this is a bit harsh as an extra clean I rub my nails with a nail brush and a bit of exfoliating wash to ensure they are sparkling and smooth! This may be too far but it works, just ensure to moisturise after to keep your skin soft... -Invest in a good base coat. I always look for something that adds something to my nails (whether it help repair or strengthen my nails). It also has to be quite rubbery to help the nail polish stay on for longer. -Make sure you paint around the tips of your nails to ensure your polish doesn't chip (or it takes a bit longer for it to start!). If you do this with your polish and your topcoat it will seal the polish around the edges to help prevent chipping. -The biggest secret to amazing looking nails is clean up. Before I learnt this I always thought people were magicians with a nail brush never getting a drop around their nails. How wrong I was and how easy it is to look like you are amazing at painting your nails. Basically, you need a fine paintbrush (I use a nail art brush I got in a set from eBay) and some nail polish remover, preferably in a little pot, with some tissue to dab the brush when removing colour. Then just use it to clean up like you would paint around your nail. Easy peasy lemon squeezy. Be careful with colours like red though as they are harder to get off! -Lastly, don't forget to moisturise! If you don't moisturise on a regular basis you could have dry hands which will ruin even the best nail paint job. Either use cuticle cream or good ol' hand cream just make sure to give your hands some TLC. Please note that I am self-taught at doing my nails and have not had any training. If my tips work for you then great and if not at least we tried! Best of luck on your mission to have brilliant nails!

Graze Breakfast Boxes

I've been a fan of Graze for years now, choosing to opt-in and out of my weekly deliveries when I get a bit bored of them. Graze have really upped their game adding new snacks and different box types to their growing range. Right now I'm opting in and finding lots of new yummy treats including flapjacks, cakes, blends of tea and savoury bites. Now Graze has branched out and are now providing breakfast boxes full of granola and porridge.

In each breakfast box, you receive four packets each the perfect size for your morning bowl. Just as you would with Graze snacks, for the breakfast box you can go on to the site and choose what you like the look of and what you definitely don't want them sending you. I've enjoyed trying some granola I wouldn't normally pick up such as a rocky road one with bits of cherry and a chocolate orange one with chocolate curls and dried orange. I've received two boxes so far but haven't had a chance to eat them all so I think I'll get this box once in a while rather than every week. If you'd like a free breakfast box (new or existing customers) use this code - DanniY29