Chocolate, Confessions and a Mug Cake...... (Vegan / Gluten Free)

Confession time – it has been a whole month since I have put finger to key board and created a blog piece. Yep – I am a little ashamed of myself! I love blogging /rambling / chatting to you all so please know it hasn’t been my choice to abandon the blog (though it seems to have fended for itself quite well – all my blog post views have shot through the roof so happy days!!) Life, as it does, has come zooming in at a million miles an hour and the only typing I have been doing is uni work – sob! The good news is it has paid off and I passed my first term with a first, plus it is now the Christmas holidays so I am able to get into  full on blogging mode again, which incidentally is my happy place, win win. To make up for my disappearing act I am gifting you gorgeous lot the secret recipe for my vegan, gluten free, CLEAN EATING (oh yeah!!) chocolate mug cake. Please don’t lick the page……

Chocolate Mug Cake – serves 1

•1 medium ripe banana - mashed

 •2 tablespoons Choc Shot (liquid chocolate made from fruit)

 •2 tablespoons coconut sugar

 •½ teaspoon vanilla extract

 •2 tablespoons almond milk

 •3 tablespoons rice flour

 •½ teaspoon baking soda

 •2 tablespoon dark chocolate chips

How To -

1.In a large mug mash the banana up as much as you can so there are no large lumps visible.

 2.Add in the choc shot (liquid chocolate),  sugar, vanilla extract and almond milk and mix everything together.

 3.Add in the flour and baking soda, give everything a good mix to make sure everything is well combined.

 4.My microwave is 800 watt power and I found the perfect amount of time was 2 minutes and 45 seconds on full power.

 5.Start with 2 minutes on full power in your microwave then test your cake it should be firm to the touch with a little spring in it. If not give it another 15 seconds and test again.

 6.One cooked let it stand for 1 minute before topping with oatly vegan cream and eating. Enjoy!

Hot baths, bath bombs & a little Christmas Inspiration......

With the nights getting cold and dark nothing beats a long hot soak in the tub and the bath bomb is definitely the icing on the cake as they say. Lately I have developed a new found love of LUSH bath bombs – the smell, the way they leave your skin feeling sooo soft  and the fizzing / whizzing they do in the bath is an addictive combination! However the price tag (I am on a savings mission) does not excite me. So I decide to have a go at making my own and they turned out surprisingly well! Why not have a go or make them for little stocking fillers as Christmas approaches. - perfect Sunday afternoon craft session or what?!

Homemade Bath Bombs (makes two large size or 3-4 "Easter Egg" size depending on your mould (you can easily double or triple)

4 oz. baking soda

2 oz. corn starch

2 oz. citric acid

2 oz. Epsom salt

1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons water

1 teaspoon essential oil (I love otto rose)

1 1/4 teaspoon oil (I like coconut or olive oil here)

1-2 drops food colouring (optional)

How To -

1 - In a bowl combine the dry ingredients (the first four listed above).

2 - Whisk to remove any clumps, corn starch tends to be clumpy.

3 - In a small glass jar stir together the wet ingredients (the last four ingredients listed). If you're using coconut oil, give it a quick melt in the microwave or stove top first so it will more easily combine with the other ingredients.

4 - Slowly pour the liquid mixture in with the dry mixture, whisking as you go. If you see the mixture fizz or foam, you may be adding the liquid too quickly.

5- Once all the wet ingredients are combined with the dry, take a small amount in your hand and squeeze it together. It should stick together fairly well in one or two big chunks. If it's still too powdery to hold together, just add a tiny bit more water and mix until it does hold together.

6- Then fill each half of your bath bomb mould with the mixture until it's just overflowing a little. Press together, then gently remove one side of the mould.

7- Place the bath bomb on a tray and allow to dry out just a little (10-12 minutes) before removing the other side. Once you are ready to remove the other side, gently invert the bath bomb so the uncovered side is facing down, then gently remove the other half of the mould from the top.

8- The key word, if you haven't noticed, is gently. These can fall apart on you very easily if you're not careful. If a bath bomb does crack in half while you're removing it, you can gently press it back on top of the other half, or remove all the mixture back to the mixing bowl and start the moulding process again. I had this happen to a few, so don't fret, it's easy to fix.

9 - Once they are completely out of the mould, allow them to dry out for 8 hours or overnight. Once very dry, you can wrap them in plastic wrap and store in a dry place until you're ready to use them, or you can gift them to friends. Enjoy!

You can add dried flower buds, like lavender buds, to these pretty easily. Just remember to use food grade dried flowers to avoid flowers that might have been grown with pesticides as you don't want to soak in a bath with that. No thanks! Do keep in mind that after using a bath bomb with dried petals, you will have to remove these from your tub. So if that bothers you, then leave the buds out.

Small Business Saturday - Dash Water......

I am a mahoosive supporter of local small businesses and try where ever possible to shop within my local community. I am a very lucky girly and have been adopted by Gods green county itself, Yorkshire. Meaning I am spoilt for choice when it comes to small local businesses both in my local community and all over the UK. However I do know from literary bestsellers to the latest gadgets, there is no denying that the internet makes it far easier to compare the price of shopping. But the tide is turning and buying locally is the message behind Small Business Saturday.

 And there are plenty of reasons why it is worth going local to support small business Saturday –

1. Your spending will boost the local economy

 Research on spending by local authorities shows that for every £1 spent with a small or medium-sized business 63p stayed in the local economy, compared to 40p with a larger business.

 2. It is the ethical choice

 Buying out-of-season produce, like strawberries in December, lowers your eco-credentials. As does eating veggies and breads that have been flown halfway round the world or wrapped in layers of plastic. When you shop at local bakers, farm shops and green grocers, it is likely that a decent percentage of the produce has had a short field-to-fork journey. Along with supporting local businesses, it means the food is likely to contain more nutrients and have less packaging.

3. They sell quirky, one-off gifts

 Independent shops often stock items which are made locally and aren't available elsewhere: buy a dress by a fledgling designer and there is little chance of turning up to the office Christmas party wearing the same as someone else.

 4. You can help build communities

 Bookshops, cafes and craft shops often drum up custom by hosting events, from book groups to knitting clubs and children's events. If the businesses are not supported, the local groups tend to disappear too.

5. You might get a better deal or some good advice

 Local bakers throw in extra bagels for regulars; grocers give informal 10% discounts; and market stall holders are prepared to negotiate on prices. Independent retailers can use their discretion to reward regular custom, and it can mean you get discounts on the items you actually want to buy, rather than being tempted by multi-buy offers in the big chains.

  So because I am passionate about supporting small businesses and I am an action speaks louder than words kinda gal, every Saturday I will be bigging up my local favourite business in aid of small business Saturday! So with no further ado, let me hand over to Dash Water owned by Alex and Jack to tell you all about it –

We’re Jack and Alex and we originally started out working in the mainstream soft drinks industry. It's where we developed a daily office ritual of bringing in a water bottle filled with different fruit and vegetables. We'd nerdily compare flavours, but frustratingly couldn’t find anything we liked half as much available in the shops. So Dash was born - and we're doing it all with only three natural, organic, British ingredients: water, fruit and vegetables, and bubbles. Crafted in East London, our infusion is a finely-tuned six hour process to achieve perfection, and currently comes in two delicious flavours: Lemon & Lime and Cucumber & Lemon. Dash is for healthy, tasty, on-the-go hydration - all day long. Our mission put simply is to get people drinking more water. We want to make water more exciting for you, using as few, and as naturally good ingredients as possible. We want to create a drink of the highest quality, adding a little sparkle along the way and that's why we're made in the UK, artisanally crafted and mindfully sustainable. Our sparkling spring water is infused with organic and misshapen fruit and vegetables to add a subtle dash of flavour. Meaning no calories, no sugar, no additives - nothing but all-natural ingredients.

http://dash-water.com