WATERMELON ICE CREAM POTS

WATERMELON ICE CREAM POTS

 

These watermelon ice-cream pots are perfect for summer! In this recipe I have made my own ice cream but you can also just by strawberry flavoured ice cream instead if you do not want to make the ice cream! 

What you will need:

• 400g strawberries
• 200ml double cream
• 75g sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 1/2 bars white chocolate
• dark chocolate chips
• balloons

Method:

• Firstly, wash your strawberries and then cut the stalks off. Then cut them in half.
• Place these on a baking tray and cover with brown sugar.
• Place these in the oven at 170'c for 15-20 minutes.

 

• When these are done they will be all soft and caramelised and it smells delicious!
• Place these roasted strawberries into a blender and blend it all up! Once this is done leave aside for later.

 

• Now melt your white chocolate in the microwave.
• You will need to temper your chocolate as this will help the bowls stay together. Click here and scroll down for instructions on how to temper chocolate and why you should temper chocolate.
• Once this is all melted, colour your white chocolate a dark green. I have really bad food colourings so mine didn't go as dark as I wanted it to go but it was still green!

 

• Now for the fun part! Wash your balloons in cold water and then blow up as many or as little balloons as you would like to use, however tie them off when they reach the size of a tennis ball.
• Then dip the bottom of the balloons into the green chocolate and then place these onto a baking tray to set.

 

• I accidently made my balloons too big and so there wasn't enough ice cream to fill them up so I would advise you to make them smaller than I did!

 

 

• Now back to the ice cream! Whip up the double cream and then add the sugar and vanilla essence. Then pour in the strawberry purée over a sieve to get rid of all the seeds. Fold it all together.
• If you have an ice cream mixer you can add the mixture to that now for about 40 minutes to an hour. This will add air to the ice cream whilst it freezes to make the ice cream nice and fluffy in texture.
• Then you can go ahead and test to see if your chocolate pots have set. They should be firm and easily pull away from the baking paper. If so then pop the balloons.
•  

 

• Then pour the ice cream into each bowl and add chocolate chips to make the seeds of a watermelon. ( If you don't have an ice cream maker then just go straight to this step)
• Freeze for 2-6 hours and then enjoy!!!!!!!

 

 

 



PERFECT SUMMER PLAYLIST

Hello everyone! Being away on holiday in Crete has inspired me to share some of my favourite tunes which are great for summer so without further a do this is my perfect summer soundtrack!

1. Geronimo- Sheppard
2. Five More Hours- Deorro, Chris Brown
3. Riptide- Vance Joy
4. It's Time- Imagine Dragons
5. Pumped Up Kicks- Foster The People
6. Take a Walk- Passion Pit
7. Why Don't We Go There- One Direction 
8. Unpredictable- 5 Seconds of Summer
9. Worth It- Fifth Harmony
10. You- The 1975
11. She Came to Give It to You- Usher ft Nicki Minaj
12. Teenage Dream- Katy Perry
13. Run Away- Chase Atlantic
14. Sex- The 1975
15. Get Stupid- Aston Merrygold

So there you are... here are 15 amazing songs I have been loving to get you in the summer mood. I hope you enjoy them! 

RAINBOW CHEESECAKE- baking

RAINBOW CHEESECAKE

 

 

Ingredients:

• 900g of cream cheese (3 packets)
• 250g caster sugar
• 3tbsp plain flour
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 lemon zest and juice
• 3 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
• 200ml soured cream
• 5 food colourings of your choice
• 300g digestive biscuits
• 150g butter (melted)

Method:

• Pre-heat the oven to 160'c
• Firstly crush the biscuits into breadcrumbs and then stir in the melted butter.
• Then press this into a cake tin that has tall sides as this recipe makes a lot of cheesecake!
• Bake this in the oven for 10 minutes and then leave this to cool down whilst you make your cheesecake mixture.

 

• Turn the heat on the oven up to 200'c
• Then with an electric whisk, beat the cream cheese in a bowl until creamy.
• Then gradually add the caster sugar on a slow speed, then add the flour and a pinch of salt.
• Then add the vanilla, lemon zest and juice

 

• Then whisk in the eggs and yolk, one at a time until all combined, then add the soured cream.

Split the filling into 5 different bowls and then colour them any colour you would like.

I did orange, yellow, pink, green and blue.

 

• Place some tinfoil under your cake tin and fold it up the sides to prevent mixture from spilling out and then put the cake tin inside a roasting tin.
• Then pour the colours one at a time over the baked biscuit base. Its okay if some merge together, just make sure you pour them gently into the tin.
• Bake in the oven for 15 minutes and then reduce the temperature to 110'c and bake for another 25 minutes
• Once this this done the cheesecake may still have a slight wobble but don't worry that will set!
• Turn the oven off but leave the cheesecake in the oven for another 2 hours to set.
• Once this 2 hours is over, leave to set in the fridge for another 4-8hours or over night for a better taste!
• Then enjoy this colourful cheesecake that's bound to put a smile on anyone's face!

 



 



Best Shows to Binge: Life, Advice and Rants

Schools out for many and after the never ending stress of exams many are looking forward to all the free time upon them. Planning social times with friends, sunbathing and holidays on most people agenda's but sometimes, its good to spend alone time. Yes summer maybe the time to get out however its okay to curl up into a duvet burrito, grab all the food and watch seasons of a fab tv show. I have done this plenty of times and I will now recommend my go to tv binge.

1. Orange is the New Black
Looking for something that will make you laugh, think wtf and cry all at once? Look no further than Netflix original series OITNB. The main focus is on Piper Chapman, a bisexual woman who is sentence to a 15 month incarceration at a federal woman's prison for transporting drug money 10 years prior. You follow Piper as she struggles to fit into prison life, to carry on her relationship with her fiancee and deal with being in the same place as her ex-girlfriend Alex who got her sentenced. The series aired in July 2013 and currently has 2 seasons of 13 episodes each, with season 3 being released on June 12th. It is the perfect binge as the all the episodes come out at once meaning 13 hours of hilarious dialogue, extremely interesting sub-plots and an all female cast. Couldn't think of a better way to spend 26 hours of my life.

2. Pretty Little Liars
One of the largest American tv shows which just celebrated 5 years since the pilot aired is of course the teen drama PLL. I manged to watch 4 seasons in 3 weeks which sounds embarrassing but each episode will have you pining for the next. Following 4 best friends Aria, Emily, Spencer and Hanna as they seek to find the truth behind the 5th liar Alison's disappearance and what they perceived to be death. Obviously there are many twists along the way which makes the suspense almost addictive. 68 hours to binge with you constantly saying 'just one more episode.'

3. Friends
The ultimate binge and a timeless classic. With all 10 seasons on Netflix, imagine how much time you can waste reliving some of the most remembered tv scenes. Such as Rachel getting off the plane, Counting all of Ross's engagements, Joeys 'how you doin?', Monica's humidity hair, how Chandler couldn't BE anymore serious and of course Phoebe's...interesting running style. So tell your parents you love them because your in for a 98 hours and 20 minute ride. Sleep? Sleep is for the weak.

So get ready because binge watching takes commitment, concentration and hard work...and your mum saying it is a 'waste of your time', 'your room smells nearly as bad as you do' and 'you disgust me'. But don't listen to the haters, alone time is happy time and we all need a good binge every now and again.

Looking after yourself in bad times

Hello strangers!

I apologise for how unacceptably and rediculously long it has been since I last posted. Shoot me down, I'm a terrible human being. I'll spare you the details but things haven't been easy for me recently and I'm going through a rough patch. You know when all the little things add up and explode and everything is crap for a while? Yeah, that's what's happening in my life right now. I usually have some form of escape. Writing, reading, blogging, beauty. But recently I've lacked both the courage and motivation to do anything. I don't want to leave the house, don't want to talk about things because I'm not sure what to say and my self-esteem is non-existent. I know I will be fine, but everything takes time. I'm not looking for any sympathy, in fact I'd rather give advice from the comfort of my bed.

How to look after yourself when you're feeling everything a little too much:

Don't feel bad for having feelings -

The difficult thing, for anyone, when they're struggling is to accept it. I am (as everyone who knows me will strongly agree) a very emotional person. I am sensitive and think irrationally, but that's okay. You're allowed to be angry and upset and lost. It's all part of the process of picking yourself back up and trying again. ('That's the thing about pain, it demands to be felt.')

Surround yourself with the people who care -

One of the most important things on the road to feeling better, is to feel supported. You don't have to talk to thousands of people about your problems. Some people are just out for the story and don't have good motives for listening to you. Don't let anyone make you feel guilty about your feelings. Talk to people you trust. My friends all help me in different ways. I have friends I call at 1am and all they hear is sniffling and sobbing. I have friends who analyse the situation completely and tell me the logical route to take. I ahve friends who are straight forward with advice because they've been there before. I have friends who make me feel important, beautiful and strong. I have friends who take me for coffee, buy me chocolate, write me cards. I have friends who send long paragraphs and others who send small texts. I have friends who make me laugh to make things better. Thank you to all of you. No matter how you are supported, make sure it's real. Make sure it's people who want the best for you and shut out the rest.

Take time -

Don't rush anything. If you're not ready then that's okay. If you need to be alone for a while do it. If you don't have the power to talk to someone then wait for it. Rushing things makes it messy. You need time to calm down and adjust.

Try something new -

It sounds completely lame. Trust me, I'm not the super clever type, I'm a pretty average student academically. However, over the past few weeks I have fallen head over heels in love with poetry. It's actually beautiful and helps me to deal with my feelings a lot more when it's not about historical topics or shoved in my face in English class. Finding something new you can get involved in can really bring you back to life and give you a little direction again. (Oh and I'm also binging 'Pretty Little Liars' too although I'm not sure if that's a good thing).

Understand what your body wants -

When I get stressed and am going through a rough patch, I forget to look after myself. I break out badly (binge eating and stress), put on weight and forget the basics. Make sure you eat properly and regularly. If you take medication, don't skip it. Keep good hygiene, look after your skin, get enough sleep and water. Your body doesn't have to suffer just because your mind is.

Pamper yourself -

(The only slightly beauty related part of the post, oops.) Relax. Have a bath with a LUSH bath bomb, light some candles, paint your nails, put on lipstick, use a face mask, shave your legs, moisturise. Anything that will make you feel prettier and instantly better.

Treat yourself -

Go on, you deserve it. If it's that pretty dress you've had in your online basket for months, an extra square of chocolate or a night out with the girls, it's gonna make you feel better and you need to start feeling better at some point.

Don't give up -

I'm starting to sound like a nagging Mum who lectures their child and makes them cringe but you can't just give up. Nothing is perfect first time. Everything takes experience, confidence and you have to keep going. Don't accept failure for something you really want.

GET BACK UP -

After all the silly crying and the sad music and emptiness, you will find the strength. It could be days, weeks, months but you're going to be just fine. You aren't alone. You aren't weak for feeling. You aren't a bad person. Go tell the people you love you love them right now, thank them for the help and get back up. You'll stumble and crash a few times on the way but that's natural. In the end, you'll be okay. And okay is wonderful. 

Bringing it back: Summer Fashion

Let's go Boho!

2005 was the highest point of the Bohemian style. Kate Moss being the instigator with it being the year of the height of her fame.

Last year the most popular summer trend was the kimono, worn as a casual, light cover for the arms and shoulders but still holding that effortless style. This was the point of the great comeback of the Boho Chicks.

This year Kendall Jenner and Vanessa Hudgens are but two examples of the most fashion inspiring women flaunting the look.

 The key aspects that can make it easy for it to find its way into your wardrobes:

• Obviously, bright, eye grabbing colours. This could be done by contrasting colours and tones, or even complementary colours with one piece as the main feature of colour.
• Bold, geometric patterns, Aztec patterns
• Drape, using the natural fall of the fabric to accentuate the bodily curves.
• Natural fibres, light weight natural fabrics. For example cotton, linen.
• Chunky jewellery. Beads, bangles, chains and pendants.

And my personal favourite, the Harem Trousers:

So, Boho is back. Which era of fashion will be next? The 1920s shift dresses? Curvaceous 1940s? 1970s Punk? Disco?

Next week I will do a tutorial either on tie dying, bleach painting using a tie dye method or silk steaming to link into the Boho summer ahead. 

Till next Monday.

The Round Up: Women's World Cup

The Women's World Cup got under way on Saturday 6th June when the host nation Canada took on China in Edmonton. This year, the competition will feature 24 teams for the first time, for many this being their first major tournament as a women's side including Ivory Coast, Thailand and surprisingly Spain also. 

After a 90 minute battle between the host side and China, including China's Gu Yasha curling a free-kick against both posts and Josee Belanger hitting a drive for Canada which rattled back off the bar. It took an injury time penalty in which Canada's golden girl Christine Sinclair, who's scored 154 goals in 224 international games, to cause riot in the home crowd of a record breaking 53,000 with a coolly taken shot which sends Canada to the top of their group. 

Other scores include New Zealands defeat against the Netherlands on the opening day's other match with a curling strike by Lieke Martens from outside the area in the 33rd minute. Group B's results include a 4-0 victory for Norway against Thailand, leading with 3 goals before the half time whistle. Favorites Germany dominated against Ivory Coast with a 10-0 win with Celia Sasic scoring a hat-trick within the first 45 minutes, Germany only fell short by one goal of matching the record they set with an 11-0 win over Argentina in 2007. However, Ivory Coast's goalkeeper Dominique Thiamale showed some true talent and the side have her to thank for preventing a complete annihilation.

England will be starting their World Cup campaign on Tuesday against another favorite France who knocked out England at the quarter-final stage four years ago. The lionesses have never won a knockout fixture but new head coach Mark Sampson, taking charge for his first major tournament, has a great chance to change that record. Hopes are high for the side ranked sixth in the world to dominate after a 100% qualifying record and supporters hope for a long World Cup campaign for England ahead.