make | bundles of joy: red pepper and cherry tomato filo parcels

This week's recipe is great for a summer dinner party.  It's really tasty, really easy, and inexpensive too - but it looks impressive if you dress it right!

Now, we're not going to lie - the week we made these was actually really busy, so I'm not suggesting we necessarily dressed them right... But we don't think they don't look too shabby considering we were starving when we made them, and that night we'd already made a birthday cake and prepared a fruit compote.  And that's a testament to how easy they are - it'd just take a touch more effort to make them dinner party ready!

We suggest buying your filo pastry as it is a bit difficult to make.  It's not too expensive - we got ours frozen at M&S, but a packet of frozen Jus Rol at Tesco is about £1.50.

This features the golden pearls of beauty that are chickpeas.  Chickpeas are just so delicious and versatile.  In this recipe, they help fill you up, but they are the main ingredient in houmous (which is delicious) and make a great addition to salads.  You can put them on a roasting dish with a spray of olive oil and lots of smoked paprika and pepper and they become crunchy orange nuggets to embellish your greens.

Anyway, without further ado... to the recipe!

Enjoy today!!
- rosinaviolets    x

Red Pepper and Cherry Tomato Filo Parcels 

Serves 6 

1 x 270g pack of frozen filo pastry (these take about an hour and forty minutes to defrost fully).  

2 red peppers, sliced

2 red onions, thinly sliced

200g cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1 x 400g can of chickpeas, drained

2 tablespoons fresh oregano

2 teaspoons smoked paprika 

1/2 teaspoon chilli powder / splash of hot sauce (our favourite is Encona West Indian Original Hot Pepper Sauce, which adds heat, but also flavour!)

freshly ground black pepper

• Preheat your oven to 200 degrees. 

• Spray a big frying pan with a little bit of olive oil (our favourite is Filippo Bero Extra Virgin Olive Oil Spray, which is about £2.50 for a 200ml bottle) and cook the red peppers and onions for about 5 minutes until soft and just caramelizing a little bit.  If the pan gets a bit dry, don't worry - just add a splash of water from your kettle to steam fry the vegetables, and stop them from sticking.  

• Add in your paprika, chilli powder and black pepper, followed by the chickpeas and tomatoes.  Cook for a further 2 - 3 minutes, until the tomatoes are just softening up.  Everything should be smelling pretty good now! Add the oregano at the last minute.  

• Open out your sheets of filo pastry.  Cut them in half down the middle.  You should now have two piles each containing six sheets of filo.  Separate the filo into six double-thickness squares.  

• Cover two baking trays in greaseproof paper, and spray the paper with a little olive oil, rubbing it around with a piece of kitchen roll.  

• Move your first square onto one of the baking sheets, and then spoon the chickpea mixture into the centre.  Brush the edges with a little water and bring together to form a parcel, squeezing to join.  Make some room on the baking sheet so you can create the next parcel.  

• Carry on like this for all six parcels.  

• Bake in the oven for between 12 - 15 minutes until they are crispy and deliciously golden.  Serve with a green salad.  

make | when you want a treat: oaty raisin cookies

We love a good cookie.  Crisp and crumbly, a little bit soft in the centre.  Yum.  Cake just doesn't have anything on a good cookie!

These cookies are really really good.  Often, baking efforts in our house go for days with no one really touching them.  But when we make these, they go.  Quickly too! The best thing about them is that though they taste like a treat, you don't have to skimp on eating them -  there's not a bad ingredient in the bunch.

Our basic recipe is really cheap, but you can add whatever you fancy to it.  Maybe a dessert spoon of ground flaxseed (great for vegetarians, or people who don't like oily fish - it's really high in Omega 3 fatty acids which play a key role against inflammation, leading to things like heart disease and arthritis), or perhaps add 50g of whatever your favourite nuts are.  You could even change up what dried fruit you use - if you like cranberries, why not have a go with those?

We like these before we go to bed, with a glass of milk.  How do you like yours?

Enjoy today!!
- rosinaviolets    x

Oaty Raisin Cookies 

Makes 18 cookies 

75g raisins 

100g oats (get the jumbo ones, not the instant porridge kind)

50g spelt flour (it's easier to digest than normal wheat flour, and adds a nice nutty taste)

90g wholewheat flour

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda 

1/2 teaspoon fine salt or a tiny pinch of Maldon salt 

5 tablespoons olive oil or other vegetable oil

5 tablespoons maple syrup (this is great - it's really low on the glycaemic index (see below), and is a good source of manganese and zinc.  We always have it in our kitchen.)  

5 tablespoons agave nectar (or 4 tablespoons honey + 1 tablespoon water)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

Tip: Agave nectar comes from the agave plant, which looks a bit like a cactus or an aloe vera.  The syrup is really yummy, and works as a great alternative to sugar because it is low on the glycaemic index (low GI) which means it doesn't impact your blood sugar the way that normal sugar does.  You know the feeling you get when you eat a packet of Skittles?  Boundless energy, bouncing off the walls etc.  And then the slump you get about half an hour later?  That's because normal sugar gives you a lot of energy in one go.  Agave nectar gives you longer lasting energy.  It also contains special compounds which are anti-inflammatory, and boost the immune system.  And that's not all! It has lots of good minerals, including potassium, magnesium, iron and calcium.  

• Line some baking sheets with baking paper.  Preheat your oven to 180 degrees.  

• Put your raisins in a cereal bowl and cover them with boiling water.  This will make them really nice and plump! 

• In the meantime, finely grind half the oats in a food processor.  Add these to the other dry ingredients.

• Add in the wet ingredients and stir to combine.  If it's looking a bit dry, and some of the water from the raisins, and if needed, a couple of tablespoons of milk. 

• Fold the raisins into the mixture.  

• Drop spoonfuls of the mixture onto the baking sheets, and flatten them out a little bit with the back of your spoon.  Bake in the oven for between 12 - 15 minutes, until they're looking a nicely browned.  

• Cool on a wire rack before digging in (with a glass of milk, of course!)  

live | "I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts...": coconut water - should we believe the hype?

So we've been hearing a lot of hype recently about coconut water.  How many of you have seen those adverts of really sporty-looking, glowy, healthy women (often running), with a bottle of coconut water to hydrate her?  We certainly have been seeing a lot lately.

"But coconuts?!" we hear you ask, "surely they are full of saturated fat?!"  Whilst this is true of the actual flesh of the coconut, the coconut water, is naturally saturated fat (and all fat, come to think of it) free.  Emily doesn't like the taste of coconut flesh, but she was willing to try the water in the spirit of our blog post.  Interestingly, we found it doesn't taste at all like coconut.  It doesn't really taste of anything specific, actually! It's like slightly salty, slightly sugary water.  But not at all inspiring, and not something we would drink a whole bottle full of.  Well, at least, not until we'd become acquired to the taste.

Our Grandpa, who grew up in Guyana, used to drink coconut water all the time.  It's been a popular drink in the Tropics for a very long time.  Grandpa often used to tell us when you bought coconut water from a street vendor, they would cut the top off the coconut right there in front of you to ensure the water was as fresh as possible.  We both remember fondly one holiday when Grandpa cut down a coconut from the tree with his machete, then used it expertly to open it up and let us drink the water from inside, all done outside under the shade of a palm tree!

Coconut water is sold here as a natural sports drink, an alternative to the fizzy sugary concoctions on the market.  It does work well as a sports drink - offering you the same amount of potassium as three bananas, lots of electrolytes, and natural sugars for energy.

Whilst coconut water does do you good, it's best to realize that unless you are a heavy athlete, you don't really need to worry about replacing lost electrolytes.  Unless you are really sweaty, you're unlikely to have endangered yourself.  You can just eat a banana before you work out, and then drink lots of water to keep you hydrated.  Us average souls don't really need any kind of special sports drink.

However, if you do want something different to water - we'd say go for it!  Coconut water will do you much better than any non-natural drink.  Stick to things like non-concentrated fruit juice, smoothies, coconut water and water, and you'll be taking in lots of good things, rather than chemicals and empty calories.

The Bottom Line 
Taste: Not too bad, slightly sugary, slightly salty.  Not that inspiring.  BUT... try some coconut water mixed with natural fruit juices!  We loved icoco's coconut water in cherry vanilla.  It had lots of cherry juice in (which, incidentally, is very good for gout and will take down any swellings you may have), but still retained the goodness from the coconut water.

Nutrition: High in easily available carbohydrates in the form of natural sugars, coconut water will give you energy.  It will hydrate you, but also is a great source of electrolytes (notably potassium) which are lost when you sweat a lot.  Many people don't get enough potassium in their diets because they don't eat enough fruit and veg, but if you eat a lot of fruit and veg anyway, this probably isn't a problem for you.  Potassium is really important for regulating blood pressure, and can reduce hypertension by increasing the excretion of sodium from your body.  It's primary function is to regulate the balance of water and minerals.  Containing only 60 kcal per container, coconut water is a relatively low calorie, high nutrition drink.

Price: Here's the deal - it's not cheap.  If you saw earlier, we said we saw it was on sale in the supermarket. If you're on a budget, we'd tell you to stick to water, eat your veg, and have a banana every now and then.  That'll do the trick!

Overall: Coconut water is tasty and nutritious, but you can get the same nutrients from much cheaper foods.  Don't necessarily listen to the hype! (Although, if you do get a chance to try the cherry vanilla version, do - it's yummy!)


Enjoy today!!
- rosinaviolets    x

read | Ishiguro: August's book of the month

Our book review this month will be on Kazuo Ishiguro's 'The Remains of the Day'.  We're revealing the book now so you can read it with us!

We've heard lots of good things about this book, but haven't read anything by Ishiguro before, so we're excited to see what his writing style is like.

Reading at my desk = happy days :)

Here's the blurb:

In the summer of 1957, Stevens, the ageing butler of Darlington Hall, embarks on a leisurely holiday that will take him deep into the English countryside and into his past... 

A haunting tale of lost causes and a lost love, The Remains of the Day contains Ishiguro's now celebrated evocation of life between the wars in a Great English House - withing those walls can be heard ever more distinct echoes of the violent upheavals spreading across Europe.  

We hope you like it, and look forward to hearing your thoughts on it later on!

Enjoy today!!
- rosinaviolets    x

craft | jewellery box: easy peasy decopatch!

This craft is so easy, anyone can do it! If you have a birthday coming up and you can't think of what to buy, why not make something beautiful instead?  You don't need much expensive kit either.

Head on down to your local craft shop to buy a paper mache box you like, or use one you already have - you can use this technique to cover pretty much any solid surface.

What you need 
- Tissue paper
- Decopatch paper (you can get this at your local craft shop), or patterned tissue paper
- PVA glue (or, if your covering something like ceramic, stone, wood etc. you can use the specialist Decopatch paper patch glossy glue, which you can get at your local craft shop).
- Short bristle brush
- White acrylic paint

How you do it 

• Make sure your surface is smooth and clean.  

• Prepare it with a coat of acrylic white paint.  Let it dry before you start sticking!

• Tear your paper into small pieces.  Get a good mix of plain tissue paper and patterned tissue paper.  

• Use your paintbrush to apply the glue to the surface of your object.  Apply the paper and smooth over it with your paintbrush, after you've dipped it into some more glue.  

• The glue will dry clear, giving a glossy finish.  

Ta dah! A beautiful, personal gift box for your friend.  The technique is so versatile though - you could use it to decorate anything - furniture, jewellery, flower pots and vases or even lamp shades.  The only question is - what will we embellish next?! 

Enjoy today!! 

- emily    x

wear | transitioning: summer to autumn

Here in England, the sun doesn't make frequent appearances, so when it is out, we like to go and buy every pair of shorts, every summery dress and every tank top that we can find. This, in hindsight, is rather stupid behaviour, seeing as as soon as we're home again, the sun has hidden behind a cloud! So I thought, let's make the first wear post on how to completely transform your favourite summer items into pieces which work interchangeably with your summer and autumn wardrobe. That floral day dress and pastel top can be worn later in the year, and I hope this post will give some inspiration as to how you can style your own summer items to make them autumn ones.

Just before I post any pictures, I want to make it clear that these outfits have not been posted to dictate what you should wear, but they are here for you to take parts from them and add them to your own personal style if you wish. Your style is whatever you want it to be.

1. Black Jumpsuit
I would definitely recommend a look in your local charity shop if you have never tried it before. You will be surprised what hidden gems you will find!

Charity shop

SUMMER

Add beaded necklaces, sunglasses and strappy sandals to this outfit for an effortless but chic outfit ticking all the boxes for sightseeing whilst on holiday or shopping!

AUTUMN 

Wear over an unbuttoned chiffon shirt with black flats for a workman esque outfit with a feminine touch.

2. Black Denim Skirt
Love this black mini! So versatile.

Front 

Back
H&M

SUMMER

Team your skirt with canvas shoes and a light, pale-coloured top to achieve an easy summer outfit for a busy day at home. Wear hair up to complete the look.

AUTUMN
I changed the summer outfit by adding a colourful knitted cardigan, tights and brown leather boots. I let my hair loose and added a gold ring for a more relaxed look. Personally, I love the cardigan and dinosaur top combo - it's an unlikely combination that works.

3. Pastel Yellow Jumper  

I love this jumper from Pull and Bear, the material crosses over at the back - I'd never seen a jumper like it before. 

Back
Pull and Bear

Front

SUMMER
This jumper looks really good with another pastel or light colour. I wore mine with a pair of high waisted white shorts and added a straw boater. This is my favourite of the outfits because all the items work so well together and give an aura of happiness to my look.

AUTUMN
The blue jeans compliment the pale yellow in the autumn look for this jumper. This jumper is a tricky one to make suitable for autumn because the colour is so summery. Add some robust necklaces to transform this item into a piece fit for autumn.

4. Floral Day Dress
This is one of Mum's old dresses which I absolutely ADORE.

New Look

SUMMER

This dress can be worn alone in summer for a quick outfit which will always look good. I wear mine with my favourite beaded necklaces.

AUTUMN
For autumn, sling a short taupe knitted jumper over the dress and add dangly earrings for an easy way to make this outfit warmer!

I hope you liked this first wear post, and managed to draw some inspiration out of it for your own transitioning. Expect more to come!

Enjoy today!!
- sarah x

make | something sweet for dinner: fruity chicken cous cous

This is for one of those evenings when all you want is something sweet!  We love a bit of cous cous, and now that it's much easier to get so many different types, you can be a bit more inventive with it.  We've used wholewheat cous cous in this recipe, simply because it's a slower release carbohydrate, so should keep you going for longer.  It's still really cheap, with a packet in Waitrose costing only 99p.

This recipe does include pomegranate seeds (which are obviously not so cheap and cheerful!) but if you feel like a bit of an extravagance, do see if you can get some because they are so tasty and really beautiful!

This literally took us about 15 minutes to whip together, using up chicken we had in the fridge, so let this be the base for a meal out of whatever you've got hanging around leftover.  

Enjoy today!!
- rosinaviolets    x

Fruity Chicken Cous Cous 

Serves 4 

250g wholewheat cous cous

400ml hot chicken stock 

200g leftover chicken 

110g pomegranate seeds

400g can chickpeas

50g dried apricots, diced 

2 carrots, coarsley grated 

20g parsley roughly chopped, or 2 tablespoons dried parsley

4 dessert spoons mango dressing

• Put your cous cous in a heatproof bowl and pour over the hot stock.  Cover the bowl with cling film or foil and leave to stand for about five minutes, or until the cous cous has absorbed all the liquid.  

• Meanwhile, prep all your other veg.  Grate your carrots, dice the apricots, drain the chickpeas, de-seed the pomegranate and chop up the parsley.  Put it all into a big bowl with the leftover chicken and the dressing.  

• Tip: To de-seed a pomegranate, make sure you're wearing something you don't mind getting stained!  Pomegranate juice stains wooden chopping boards, so it's best to use a plastic one.  Chop the pomegranate into quarters, and then over a bowl, pick the seeds away from the membrane.  You can fill the bowl with water and rinse the seeds if you like. 

• Use a fork to fluff up the cous cous.  Stir it into the bowl of chicken, pomegranate, chickpeas, apricots, parsley and dressing.  

• You can then put it in the fridge to serve cold with a salad, or warm it up in the microwave to make a satisfying hot dinner.  Yum!

live | organisation: get that freezer into tip top shape!

Our self-imposed project beckoned this week: let's try and sort out our freezer! It really was in a terrible state.  So much so, that we felt a 'before' shot wasn't warranted.  We had no idea what we had in there, and it was all precariously shoved in, so when you pulled out the packet of fish fingers you were in danger of a loaf of walnut bread pinging out and whacking you over the head.

So, we set about taking everything out of the freezer, giving the whole thing a deep clean, and then taking the measurements so we could go out and buy some baskets that would fit the shelves.  That way, we knew we'd be able to pull out exactly what we wanted, without risking getting hit by flying food!

We put all the food into freezer bags, labelled them, and then re-packed everything back into the freezer.

The baskets were embellished with laminated labels so we could see where everything was :)

Here's the final outcome...

Enjoy today!!
- rosinaviolets    x

PS: Don't be alarmed by the amount of ice-cream... Well, actually, you could be alarmed!  :p But it's tasty.... 

make | middle eastern: chicken koftas with colourful coleslaw

This week, we've created a yummy version of a Middle Eastern favourite - koftas!  They are usually made with lamb, but to cut out some saturated fat, and also make ours a little cheaper, we used chicken instead!  Trust us - they still taste really good!  Turkey breast would work just as well too.  

If you don't like spice, then you can make your koftas without the chilli and only use one teaspoon of garam masala.  In the coleslaw, you can then leave out the cooling mint.

We served our koftas with the crunchy coleslaw, salad and a hot baked potato, but they would also taste really good stuffed in a pitta bread.

Enjoy today!!
- rosinaviolets    x

Chicken Koftas with Colourful Coleslaw

For four people:

For the Chicken Koftas

4 skewers

2 cloves of roughly chopped garlic

1 teaspoon chilli flakes

2cm piece root ginger, roughly chopped (we had some chopped frozen ginger to hand!)

2 teaspoons garam masala

400g chicken breast

For the Coleslaw

200g coleslaw mix (chopped red cabbage, carrot etc)

150g natural yoghurt

Half a cucumber, halved, deseeded and sliced

Bunch of fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped (optional)

For the Baked Potatoes

4 baking potatoes 

A tiny bit of olive oil 

Maldon sea salt

• Zap your baking potatoes in the microwave (after piercing them all over with a fork) for 10 minutes on full power.  Then transfer them to a baking sheet (watch - they'll be hot!) and rub them with a tiny bit of olive oil and give them a sprinkling of sea salt.  Put them in the oven at 200 degrees centigrade for 45 minutes.  

• Place the garlic, ginger and chilli in a food processor and whizz it up until it's really finely chopped.  Then add in the chicken and garam masala and whizz again until finely minced.  

• Tip: Make sure you wash your food processor really well after you've finished mincing the raw chicken.  Wash your hands too!

• Wet your hands a little, and then shape the chicken mixture into twelve ovals.  Thread them onto your skewers.  

• Cook the skewers under the grill for about 10 minutes, turning until nicely browned all over, and completely cooked all the way through.  

• Stir together the coleslaw mix, cucumber, yoghurt and mint.  

• Serve everything together with a big mixed salad.