● Laura Thornberry ● Lifestyle Blogger ● London Based ●: Search results for pasta

AD| If you're a lover of pasta, you'll definitely want to make this recipe tonight! Something that is ready in no time, super quick and easy to make, and definitely delicious! As you may have seen on my blog, there have been a number of recipe ideas previously as I love to experiment with new ingredients, and I love cooking. For today's post, I was challenged by Batchelors to take part in the campaign is called #ThePowerOfThePea, to share the super-food values of the humble pea with the following recipe for a simple Macaroni Cheese.

Quick and Easy Teatime Mac n Cheese Recipe

Ingredients

6 Rashers Streaky Bacon, chopped*

1 tbsp Oil

250g Batchelors Marrowfat Peas*

4 Spring Onions, finely sliced into rings, including the green*

350g Macaroni*

50g Mature Cheddar Cheese, grated*

Cheese Sauce:

50g Butter

50g Plain Flour

500ml Milk

120g Mature Cheddar Cheese*

200g Cream Cheese*

Sea Salt and Black Pepper

Method

1. Preheat a grill on the highest setting.

2. To make the Cheese Sauce, heat the Butter until melted and add the Flour. Mix together in a saucepan and cook on a low heat for 2 - 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and slowly whisk in the milk. Place back on the heat, whisking continuously until the sauce has thickened, is smooth and is just coming to the boil. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the Cheese, Cream Cheese and Nutmeg (if using) and season with Sea Salt and Black Pepper.

3. Fry the Bacon in the oil for 5 - 7 minutes until the Bacon is golden brown add the Peas and Spring Onion and cook for a further minute. Remove from the heat.

4. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil and cook the Macaroni according to the instructions on the packet and drain.

5. Mix the Macaroni into the sauce, along with the Bacon and Pea mixture, check the seasoning and alter according to taste. Place in an ovenproof dish, top with Cheese and grill until golden brown and bubbling.

6. Serve with a mixed salad and enjoy!

Will you try this recipe out at home?

Check out some of my other pasta recipes including my Super Smoky Bacon & Spicy Tomato Pesto Penne Pasta Recipe and my Super Speedy Vegetarian Tagliatelle Recipe

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AD| In search of a New Year's resolution that you'll actually focus on and achieve? Look no further!

When it comes to New Year's resolutions, many people will struggle to keep up with their resolutions simply by being unrealistic or overambitious. In order to achieve your goals and targets for the year, you need to opt for changes that are manageable, maintainable and actually realistic, to help keep you on tack. Try to incorporate some of these simple New Year's resolution ideas into your daily routine for a healthier lifestyle in 2022.

— Improve Your Diet for Weight Management -

At the beginning of the New Year, many people look at ways in which they can improve their overall health by gaining, losing or maintaining their weight, whilst managing a better relationship with the food/drink that they consume. After indulging throughout the festive period and the New Year, health and fitness becomes many people's main focus for the year ahead.

To help you get started, there are a number of useful health and fitness conversion tools that can be found on the Culinary Schools website, e.g., calories calculator, body fat and weight loss. The weight loss calculator is an extremely useful tool to use in order for you to estimate how much you will need to change your diet and exercise routine in order to kickstart and reach your weight loss goals. The tool is super easy to use, you simply input all your personal data, e.g., height, weight, age, activity level etc, and all your results are laid out for you to clearly see, and to easily help you understand what steps you need to take for weight loss.

— Get Better Quality Sleep -

Sleep plays such a vital role in your overall health, it's essential for maintaining your physical and mental health, so it's important to make it a priority by getting at least 7 hours per night. In order to achieve better quality sleep, there are a number of changes you can make to your daily routine to make this happen. For example, follow a regular bedtime/wake time schedule, invest in new pillows, a new mattress and duvets for a more comfortable sleep, less screen time before bed, and try to avoid caffeine/alcohol late at night. Also, you could try using a sleep support patch. These are designed to help you fall asleep quickly and more comfortably, allowing you to achieve better quality sleep, and feeling refreshed upon waking up.

— Become More Active -

Using the New Year to become more active and find a physical activity/workout routine that you can actually enjoy is not only beneficial for your physical health, but it can also do wonders at improving your mental health. Not everyone will enjoy going on long-distance runs or bike rides, as this may be too strenuous and exhausting, but there are a few simple ways you can become more active in your everyday routine. By spending more time outdoors, getting some much-needed exercise, as well as some fresh air, is a good way to relieve stress and improve mental health. A few good examples include getting in 10,000 steps a day, yoga sessions, at-home workouts, weight-lifting, or even just going out for daily walks will all help to boost your fitness levels.

— Cook More and Less Takeaway Food -

Those of you who lead a busy lifestyle, you might find it easier to order a takeaway or pick up some fast food on your way home from work/school – but this could be stopping you from achieving an improved diet and healthy lifestyle. Research has shown that those who frequently cook their own meals at home will typically eat more healthily and consume fewer calories than those who regularly indulge in take-out foods – but eating these types of foods in moderation could be exactly what you need to balance in your diet. A takeaway once to twice a month isn't going to hurt…right?!

Cooking more at home doesn't have to be difficult, especially if you aren't so confident in the kitchen. You're simply not going to become a Michelin chef overnight, so practice makes perfect. If learning to cook is one of your New Year's resolutions, it's best to start off with a few basic recipes that you can practice time and time again to help improve your cooking confidence. I've previously featured a number of super simple recipes that you can include in your weekly meal ideas, these include Chicken and Broccoli Pesto Pasta, Beef Lasagne, Fiery Coconut Prawn Curry and a quick and easy Spiced Butternut Squash Soup.

— Make Time for Self Care -

If you're not making enough time for daily/weekly self-care, you're more likely to feel overwhelmed, stressed and unhappy. Practising self-care will not only make you feel more confident and more happy on the outside, but also on the inside. To help create a self-care routine that you can squeeze into your everyday life, try incorporating a few things that you enjoy or make you happy. These don't have to be anything too extravagant – maybe a nice relaxing bubble bath, a face mask, book yourself in for a massage, go for a walk in the park, or even take some time out of your schedule to make time for a new hobby or something you're passionate about.

What are your New Year's resolutions? What resolutions, goals and targets do you want to achieve in 2022?

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AD| Recycling at doesn't have to be a time consuming and complicated process. The best place to begin making a difference to the environment is right in your very own home. You'd be surprised with the amount of household packaging waste that can actually be reused and upcycled. By putting more thought into the way you manage your household waste, you'll be able to save money, reduce the amount of waste you're piling up and have a less damaging impact on the environment.

Being more eco-friendly, sustainable and preserving our environment are becoming more important and more necessary than ever. Simply by incorporating a few small changes in your daily routine can really help look after our environment and reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfills and our oceans.

Glass Jars

You can recycle any glass jar for a number uses, but I've found that some are more useful than others based on their size and shape. Glass packaging is definitely better than purchasing plastic, so next time your in the supermarket, see if you can be more sustainable with the way you shop. Some good examples of glass jars that a great to be reused include pasta sauce jars, dessert pots, chutney and jam jars and salad dressing bottles. These glass jars can be used for a multitude of things including storage for dry food items, containers for your overnight oats, or making your own jams, chutneys or sauces to be stored away.

Cardboard Boxes

Cardboard makes up a huge percentage of household waste from Amazon parcels, shoe boxes and cereal boxes, you can often find yourself stacking up quite the mountain. However, cardboard boxes can be extremely handy in the home and can be reused and recycled for a number of things. For example, cardboard boxes can donated to small business or even be used for storage, presenting birthday presents and gifts, and even artwork. Bespoke packaging is totally custom-designed, and could be something to research/be of interest if you're using your cardboard boxes to present gifts for loved ones. You could design and tailor the box for any occasion, and it could end up being a completely unique gift box that didn't cost a penny.

Egg Boxes

You may never have thought of ways egg boxes can be reused in the home, but there are a few simple things you can do than require them. Firstly, if you have children, you can use the egg boxes for arts and craft activities to keep them occupied. They can be cut up and made into different models or even used as a paint palette. Another idea for reusing egg boxes could be using them as storage holders for little bits and bobs you have lying around the house. For example, you could use them for storing jewellery, stationary or even decorative tools such as nails, nuts and bolts.

Glass Bottles

Glass is better than plastic when packaging pretty much anything. It's definitely much stronger, more durable and can be reused in a number of ways, you'd be surprised. Make sure to rinse them out before upcycling into something new. A few creative ideas include using the bottle as a vase for flowers, use them as candlestick holders, insert some fairy lights and use as a table centrepiece or even fill them with oil and add chilli or garlic to infuse with flavour.

Wine Corks

For those who love some wine in the evenings, saving the corks for your bottles could come in handy, especially if you're very artistic and creative. Wine corks can be used for a number of quick and easy DIY projects, where the end result can be simply stunning. You can create your own cork stamps, use the corks to decorate picture frames or even create your very home art installation feature by filling a large glass container with plenty of wine corks.

What other ways do you recycle your household waste?

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Despite having quite the expensive reputation as a city, a day out in London doesn't have to cost a lot of money. There are a huge variety of free London attractions to visit, cheap restaurants to eat at, vast amounts of parks and discounted tickets for lots of top attractions! So whether you’re on a tight budget, or just want something to do for the afternoon, keep reading to find out some ideas for a cheap day out in London!

Make the most of London's open spaces and royal parks with a picnic! With spring on its way, the weather getting a little warmer and more suitable for outdoor activities, a picnic in the park is a great way to spend the afternoon and perfect occasion to spend some time with your loved ones, relax and have a good gossip with your girl friends.

London features 8 royal parks; St James’ Park, Regents Park, Hyde Park, Richmond Park, Bushy Park, The Green Park, Greenwich Park and Kensington Gardens, which are such beautiful, picturesque locations for a relaxing and refreshing picnic! A personal favourite would be Hyde Park, where you can enjoy your homemade lunch and go for a little stroll along The Serpentine!

Preparing some homemade snacks is a perfect way to keep this outing to a small budget and not spend a great amount of money on food and drinks. From homemade sandwiches and cute cupcakes to chocolate cookies and healthy salads, as well as sausage rolls, pasta dishes and a tasty fruit salad, the possibilities are endless!

Some of London’s biggest attractions can come with quite the hefty price tag, but throughout the year, there are many chances to snap up a 2 for 1 ticket to save you some money! 2 for 1 tickets and offers allow you to have an enjoyable, fun day out, without it costing an arm and a leg, so you don’t need to worry about having an empty bank account! Whether Thorpe Park, London Zoo, Madame Tussuad's, London Eye or The Aquarium is your thing, you will be able to find plenty of these 2 for 1 offers in newspapers, your local supermarket or more easily on the Day’s Out Guide, with 150 locations and attractions; you shall be spoilt for choice!

A shopping spree in London doesn’t have to be expensive, especially if you know the best places to go! London is a host to such a variety of interesting and beautiful markets, with Camden, Portobello Road and Spitalfields firm favourites, as well as Brick Lane and Borough Market, sticking to a budget can be easily achieved with some bargain shopping. Whether you’re looking for some adorable ornaments or stunning homemade jewellery or just for a casual browse, there is definitely a market perfect for your tastes!

Finally, if something more intellectual and inspiring is more your thing, London is home to over 300 museums and galleries, where most of these have free entry! With a massive variety, including The Victoria & Albert Museum, The Saatchi Gallery, The Science Museum, Imperial War Museum, and plenty of others to choose from, visiting museums and galleries is a great opportunity to gain some extra knowledge in a specific field, as well as having an exciting and fun packed afternoon, without spending a penny! (Except on specific exhibitions or a cheeky purchase in the gift shop) Whether history, science, culture, art or design is your thing, London delves into the history of everything from astronauts to Da Vinci to boats to war and lots more!

So whether you’re looking to save yourself some money on a day out in London, or just want some inspiration of places to visit, hopefully this little budget guide has inspired you to do something different on a spare afternoon, or to go somewhere that interests you or your hobbies.

Where are your favourite budget places to visit? Will you be visiting any of the places featured in today's post this summer?

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AD - GIFTED | How long has it been since you've had a relaxing pamper night? Especially with the current lockdown and everything going on in the world, it's extremely important to take a step back and enjoy some time to yourself, and there's nothing better than a self care pamper evening. Obviously one of the most relaxing and unwinding things to do is have a nice hot bath/shower, but there are a few other steps you can take for the ultimate pamper. So treat yourself today by checking my list of self-care tips to get inspired.

1. First things first, skincare. Is there anything better than taking your makeup off after a long day, and just feeling extremely refreshed and revitalized. I like to use a hot cloth cleanser to take off any makeup, as its extremely gentle on the eyes for those who wear mascara, eyeliner or eyeshadow. I would then opt for a facial exfoliator, or a face wash with my cleansing brush, for a deeper clean, even followed up by a face mask for that super skin detox. This leaves my skin feeling super soft and smooth. Finishing up with any products that I would use in my skincare routine, depending on my current skin needs. During the winter time, I'm ALL about hydration and getting that skin glow. Moisturising creams, serums, oils are winter essentials, and don't forget that lip balm!

2. Next up, haircare. Washing, drying and styling your hair can seem like such a chore, but applying a luxurious hair mask beforehand makes it so much more worthwhile. Hair masks that make my hair silky, smooth and shiny are my absolute must haves, as well as leaving my hair smelling delicious. I make sure to brush my hair thoroughly before applying my hair mask, and make sure each strand is covered from root to tip, and leave it to get to work for as long as possible, sometimes even overnight! I've also recently added the OGX Kukui Oil duo and The Hair Boss Overnight Serum to my haircare routine, and my hair has never looked better. So soft, nourished and super shiny.

3. After having a nice warm, relaxing bath/shower, it's a must have to put on some super cosy and comfy loungewear/pyjamas. Oversized is a must have as there is nothing worse than tight, uncomfortable clothing. I recently posted some super comfy loungewear finds from FemmeLuxe - think oversized joggers and cute matching co-ords!

4. Creating a cosy environment is an essential part of making your evening super relaxing and calm. Make sure to be lighting some candles, grabbing all the fluffy blankets and cushions, you could even hang up some cute fairy lights. Having a cosy environment around you can help to de-stress and give you a break from your daily routine.

5. Something that I've been including recently in my pamper routine is making a warm, relaxing drink. I've really been enjoying the Organic India Teas* and found these to really help destress and unwind during the colder evenings. My favourite is definitely the Tulsi Pomegranate Green Tea*. Infused with Pomegranate and Hibiscus flowers and the tangy flavour of Raspberries is a delightful combination and the perfect drink to have in the evenings. Tulsi is a great addition as it rich in antioxidants and can help to boost your immune system. The Organic India Teas are extremely relaxing, warming and delicious, and a must try for those who love green tea or even if you want a break from the usual coffee, tea or hot chocolate!

6. One part of your self care evening should be treating yourself to your favourite foods and drinks. There's nothing more comforting than ordering/making your favourite dishes, followed with a glass of your favourite drink to lift your spirits. There's so many great choices, whether you're a lover of pasta, pizza, Chinese, Indian, Mexican, the options are never ending, and there is always food to fit your mood.

7. Finally, get comfy and sit back and watch your favourite films/series. Whether you pick something from Netflix, Disney+, YouTube or just something on the TV, it's the perfect way to spend the rest of your evening. I'm currently watching Orange Is The New Black, and I'm hooked!

What are your self care pamper essentials?

09:00 1 comments

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