Gluten Free Gooey Brownies

I always feel really mean when I eat/bake brownies in front of my friend who is gluten intolerant. So for her birthday this week, I made her some special gluten free gooey chocolate brownies. I also wanted to put them to the test myself, to see if they matched up to the tastiness of standard brownies.

A friend told me instead of using flour, all you have to do is simply replace it with crushed almonds. What I didn't realise is, that the almonds come ready crushed in a packet in your local supermarket. I had this image of me bashing whole almonds for a good half an hour, so I was relieved when I found a pack of them in my local Morrisons.

The ingredients:

- 250g dark chocolate (I used Morrisons own brand as it's so much cheaper than the other options and tastes good enough)
- 150g ground almonds
- 225g golden caster sugar
- 250g unsalted butter
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract 

Method: 

- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Allow for it to take around 10-15 minutes to warm up so it is good to go when you put the brownie mixture in.

- Break up the chocolate into small squares and with the butter, place into a glass bowl and allow them to melt over a pan of boiling water. To speed up the process, I usually boil the kettle first, then add the boiling water to the pan. Turn on the heat and allow a few minutes until it boils, then bring down to simmer.

- Mix the chocolate and butter until it has all melted, stirring as you wait to avoid any burning or sticking to the bowl.

- Once fully melted, take off the heat and allow to cool. While this mixture is cooling, in another bowl, beat the eggs and then add the sugar and vanilla extract. Beat this mixture until it is all blended together into a smooth thick syrup like substance.

- When the chocolate mixture has cooled, add this to the sugar and eggs and blend together. Then, add the almonds and stir in until they are fully mixed into the mixture.

- Pour the brownie mixture into a greased tin and put into the oven for around 30 minutes.

(Mine actually needed a little longer, but my oven usually takes longer than others, so I put it in for 30 at first, and checked them every 5 minutes to see how they were doing. Each time you check, insert a knife into the centre and if the knife is covered in a gooey substance, they probably need a little longer, depending on how gooey you want them!)

- Bring the brownies out of the oven (using oven gloves of course!). Carefully take out of the tin and allow to cool on a cooling rack.

- Cut the brownies into squares, as big or as little as you desire, and put onto a plate ready to be eaten.

They can be enjoyed by themselves, or for more of a dessert with a good quality vanilla ice cream.

I was really happy with how the brownies turned out, and will definitely make them again. Now I've had a try, I will most certainly look out for ready made gluten free baked goods to purchase.

Any questions please ask! Although I'm not a baking expert, I will try my best to answer.

Also let me know if you have tried them! If you have any other recipes to share with me please feel free to comment.

Lots of love,
Olivia Dee xx

Yo burger!

As soon as Yo Sushi announce they have a limited edition dish available, I HAVE to try it or I feel very left out (very keen). Not only is it a new dish, but the Yo burger is a completely new concept. It's definitely no ordinary burger, instead of the bread bun they use compact sushi rice and then have different fillings, including chicken, prawn, fish and tofu.

My sister and I decided to share two so we could sample more than one. We went for the seafood choices as always, and they were the two that were also recommended by the staff. 

The dish comes on a tray with little compartments (Yo Sushi's version of school dinner trays!). The burger itself came in a wrapper, pretty similar to how cheeseburgers are served in McDonald's. It then came with 'misochup', daikon slaw and nori crackers.

The burgers themselves were tasty, quite strange but in a good way. The prawn was the best out of the two, as the fish one came with a cheese slice and this completely ruined it in my opinion. That was what I could mainly taste and it made it seem a lot more like McDonald's than it should have been. It also covered the taste of the fish, but I guess for some people they would like the cheese and it's just down to personal preference. And I presume you can order the burger without the cheese. 

The sides were all very different, which made the dish seem more exciting as obviously it's a slight change to having fries with your burger. The nori crackers were similar to prawn crackers and the slaw was my favourite out of them all and had quite a tangy taste. I can't really describe the taste of the misochup as it wasn't like anything is had before, but it was tasty nonetheless. 

It all came very fresh, and the burger was hot so I knew it had definitely just been made. Overall, I am glad I've tried it and it was enjoyable, but now I've tried it I probably won't have it again and would rather spend my money on my classic favourite dishes.

If you want to find out more before you try, have a look at http://www.yosushi-yoburger.com/

On the link, it also tells you the calorie content of each one. The prawn one is only 312 kcal and I felt really full after it! And it usually takes a lot of plates to fill me up. They're all £8 which I thought was too much when it first arrived compared to their other limited edition dishes such as the Ramen and bowl of Katsu Curry. But because it was so filling I didn't need much else.

Have a try of them and let me know what you think! They're available at most of their restaurants.

Olivia Dee xx

Sunday Treats

Yesterday, my lovely mum walked an amazing 50km for Breakthrough Breast Cancer Charity. To say a massive well done and to show her proud we were of her great achievement, my sister and I made her a Sunday brunch. Obviously made enough for ourselves as well.

Poached egg, bacon, cherry tomatoes, watercress and spinach with balsamic vinegar.

My mum and I then went to the Clarins beauty room (in Debenhams) and got a free facial. Sounds too good to be true doesn't it? But they were simply rewarding my mum for being a good customer. She recently bought a product and they offered 2 free 30 minute facials. I haven't had one in so long and it was such a treat. The therapist used several products, but the one I particularly liked was the 'Pure and Radiant Mask'. It was a clay based mask and felt so smooth when she put it on. She explained how you should use a mask 1-2 times a week, which is something I definitely don't do. My skin felt so much better afterwards and much softer than before. A deep cleansing mask such as this draws out the impurities in the skin and makes skin feel fresher and much cleaner.  So from now on, I am definitely going to try to use a weekly mask.

Does anyone have any others to recommend?
Hope you've all had a lovely weekend!

Olivia Dee xx

Bobbi Brown Make Up Class with George Pelosi

Bobbi Brown is a brand I've always wanted to try. I always hear great reviews about the products, especially that they last for so long. So, I figured even though I'm a poor little student, it makes sense to buy good quality products which last longer for a higher price, instead of buying cheaper products that run out alot faster and in general just aren't that great.

I recently went into the beauty hall at Fenwick in Newcastle a week before a ball I was attending at uni. I was inquiring about a makeover I could have beforehand with it being a special occasion. In the past, I've always used Mac for makeovers, as the makeover voucher is redeemable on products (starting from £30), so it's as though the makeover is completely free. But I wanted to try a new brand, as I like to experiment. I asked at the Bobbi Brown counter if they offer a similar service, with me needing to book a makeover for the ball I had coming up. I was served by the lovely Maxine that works on the counter, who explained to me that they do a slightly different kind of makeover service to Mac. Instead of one of the make up artists just simply doing the make up for you, and then you choosing which products you would like to purchase, you have a 'Bobbi's Makeup Lesson' instead which they say is 'Our Treat'. The lessons are free, which is great if you really want to learn how to actually apply a product and also choose one which is suited to you. The artist shows you how to use the product, and then allows you to have a go yourself.

I think this is a great way to learn how to use the products correctly, as most of the time you have to just figure it out for yourself. A few examples of the make-up classes are: 'how to do a smokey eye', 'secret to perfect skin', 'everything brows' and even 'bridal make up'. They range from 5 minutes in length to 45 minutes so they do have to be booked in advance, but not necessarily months ahead. Although I loved this idea, it wasn't what I wanted for a ball as I didn't want to be practising on myself just before an event. But as I needed a new foundation, Maxine told me to come along to a special event they were holding on 19th June.

Georgina Pelosi (more commonly known as George) has worked for Bobbi Brown for 12 years and is an incredibly knowledgeable Senior Beauty Team Artist. She has not only been trained by Bobbi herself and worked alongside her at New York and London Fashion Weeks, but she has also shown her skills by doing the make up for celebrities, recently doing Jessica Ennis' wedding make up. She had come in to the Newcastle store to hold one off classes for the day, and I felt extremely lucky to be able to get an appointment with her.  I told her what I was mainly wanting was a foundation that I could wear for events in the day and night, so ideally something I could build on. You could tell she knew exactly what she was talking about, knowing all the products off by heart and knowing what suited certain people. Here is what she did and some of the tips and advice she gave me:

• She told me how every face is different. Customize make up to your own skin as not one product will be the same for every person. 

• For years I thought I had oily skin, only to be told by her that actually my cheeks and forehead were dry, it was just my nose that was oily and that I had to cater for this. She advised me to avoid moisturising my nose, and also ideally not use foundation on this area and to stick with just applying powder with a sponge. She told me that no one will ever really get rid of the oil completely on their face, as it has to come out somewhere. Just like the other skin types, it is just the way you are, and to block all the oil is not natural and will only lead to blockages and breakouts. 

• She swore by the skin care range Bobbi Brown offer, and said the key secret behind good make up is great skin. The Hydrating Face Tonic she used after the cleanser smelt amazing, and will definitely be going on my birthday list. George said that the skin care range they used on me would get rid of the scarring I have around my chin, so I will have to give them a try. 

• I also explained to her how I have always had problem skin since I was young, so she then asked what products I use. It appeared I've nearly always opted for foundations or BB creams which contain a SPF, and that perhaps this is why I get these breakouts. She figured out that not wearing SPF on her face resulted in her completely clearing up. This would not be the same for everyone as obviously every skin is different and it is very important to wear SPF to protect the face, but she told me to give it a try as mine could be sensitive to this ingredient. 

• She used the 'Luminous Moisturizing Foundation' on most of my face, avoiding the nose, as I explained I wanted more of a dewy look on my cheeks. Then she used the concealer touch up stick on my cheeks as she said this is what Bobbi Brown always does at shows, as it is a quick way to apply coverage and colour. She applied powder on my nose but left the rest of my face as it looked good enough with just the foundation. 

• The way she applied my bronzer was by putting the bronzer onto the brush but then dusting the brush into the palm of her hand, as she explained this makes the product settle into the brush rather than all be on the top of it which would result in too much on the face. She focused on areas which hit the sun, such as the forehead, and nose, and then contoured my cheeks by dabbing the brush underneath my cheekbone and up towards my temple. I had to purse my lips while she slightly dabbed the bronzer around my mouth to avoid having a white 'halo'. 

• George then used the cream blush on my cheeks as well as my lips. It's great that it doubles up as two products in one and was a gorgeous colour in between coral and pink. She blended the product well so that there was no gap between the eye and the cheek. Maxine told me to always smile when applying blusher so the cheeks are defined. She finished off my lips by applying the whitening lip gloss, which is apparently one of Bobbi's favourite products.                        
                                           
• Even though my appointment was mainly for the foundation, I asked if they could show me how to use the gel liner which is a Bobbi Brown product I have always wanted to purchase. George said always apply before mascara, and never pull the skin as this affects the line. She advised me to always use a mirror under the chin and look down into it to draw the perfect line. 

After my makeover, I literally wanted to buy every product. Luckily they wrote down all the products they had used on me that day including the colours that matched my skin tone, so in the future I can refer back to it and slowly fill my make up bag with all the products! I left with the foundation as that is what I mainly went for, but definitely intend on purchasing another product soon.

I highly recommend booking a make up class with them as not only are they so knowledgeable, but so friendly also. In the mean time, George has several YouTube videos which you can take a look at:

Bobbi Brown: 3 Eye Liner Looks

Bobbi Brown: Bronzing tips

Bobbi Brown: 'On the go'

and she is also on the QVC channel on TV on Monday. 

Lengthy post I know, but I wanted to share all the tips and advice I was given and tell you about how great the Bobbi Brown make-up lessons are! 

What other Bobbi Brown products do you use and recommend?

Lots of love,

Olivia Dee xx

Home Made Sushi

It's my first day home today after moving back from Newcastle for the summer. Instead of unpacking my 10000 bags, me and my sister decided to make some sushi. I'd say we're both pretty much obsessed and it's definitely one of my favourite foods. From recent experiences, we never seemed to be able to make our own that well, but after all practice makes perfect and we made our best batch yet. 

All the ingredients were bought from Sainsbury's, so you don't have to hunt out all the ingredients in random shops you never usually visit. I know Tesco also have a section of sushi making ingredients, as well as Waitrose, so I'm sure other ones will too. We thought we'd stick to making the simple maki and then hopefully we can progress to making other types depending on how well it went. It contains no raw fish, so it is suitable for people who don't like the idea of it as many people think sushi is just that. 

This recipe serves 2 people (16 pieces) and takes roughly an hour to make.

All you need is:

- A bamboo rolling mat

- 2 sheets nori seaweed 

- 150g sushi rice

- 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar

- 1/2 avocado

- 1/2 tin white crab meat

- 1/2 tin skinless and boneless red salmon

- 1/4 cucumber

To serve:

- Soy sauce 

- Wasabi paste (as much or as little as you can handle!)

- Japanese pickled ginger 

1. Rinse the rice under cold water and drain well. Add it to a large saucepan which has a lid. Pour fresh water to cover the rice, bring to the boil and simmer on a low heat for 11-12 minutes with the lid on. 

2. Turn off the heat and drain the water using a sieve. Put the rice in the sieve and back into the saucepan and leave to stand for 25-30 minutes. 

3. While leaving the rice to stand, prepare the fillings. Drain the salmon and crab tins and chop the cucumber and avocado into thin small strips. 

4. Transfer the rice into a bowl and pour in the vinegar gently while mixing. Make sure it is a warm temperature and not too hot to be able to handle before going ahead. 

5. Place a nori seaweed sheet shiny side down onto the bamboo mat. Then spread half the rice onto the rice, keeping a 2cm gap at the top and bottom of the sheet. Spread evenly and smooth down making sure it's all level.

6. Spread your fillings in the centre of the rice. We used the combinations of salmon and cucumber and crab and avocado, but there are many different fillings you can choose from. 

7. Begin rolling the nori carefully making sure you do it slowly and tight. Use the mat to shape it so it is even and round. Roll it away from you as shown in the pictures and use your fingers at the front and side to keep the fillings in. When you reach the end, the 2cm gap that was left should join together with the rest, but if it doesn't stick, add a tiny amount of water to the tip so it can join together. 

 8. Repeat this with the left over rice and the rest of the fillings.

9. The ends of the roll can usually look quite scruffy, so with a sharp knife, carefully hold the roll and cut the end off.

 9. Start cutting the roll by firmly holding the rest of it. Apply pressure with the knife and slowly and gently cut it to get through the seaweed.

10. And there you go! Home made sushi that's pretty easy really.  It can be tricky doing the rolling for the first time so don't worry if it turns out quite scruffy, as the more you practice the neater it will look.

11. Serve with soy sauce, wasabi and pickled ginger, and enjoy! 

Any questions, please feel free to ask in the comments :)

Olivia Dee xx

World Gin Day

A post dedicated to gin. I'm hoping because my first post is based on alcohol, you're not all going to judge. But apparently today is 'World Gin Day' and due to my love of traditions and holidays, I thought it would be rude not to post about it. Gin is without a doubt my favourite drink. Throughout my first year at University, I never settled for anything less than having the good old Bombay Sapphire for pre-drinks (which was probably the reason why I was never out of my overdraft). So to go for food and drinks to a gin bar with my housemates before they leave Newcastle, seemed like a perfect way to end our three years together. 

Pleased to Meet You (http://ptmy-newcastle.co.uk/) is a cool new bar and restaurant with the most extensive gin menu I've ever seen. You can create your own personal gin and tonic with three different steps: choose the brand/flavour of gin, the tonic, and then the garnish to make it all pretty (obviously very necessary). 

As always, I was way too indecisive, and ended up going with one of the funky recommended combinations- the Hoxton pink grapefruit and coconut gin with a Fentimens tonic and a slice of pink grapefruit. 

I could really taste the flavours of the gin, which was a nice change to the standard taste of three squeezed limes in my usual G&T. The crystal glass and grapefruit slice, as well as adorable Fentimens little bottle, made it all that bit better, so 10/10 for the visit so far. 

The decor and interior design was beautifully designed, and we were lucky enough to have our own little private area which had a huge chandelier and floor to ceiling chalk board menus. The atmosphere was buzzing and because we hadn't booked we had to wait around 15 minutes to be seated, which was a very good sign to say they had been open for less than two weeks. It had a very chilled out vibe, with most people just having drinks on the tables as opposed to having food. 

Two of my three lovely housemates... please don't leave :(

So this was in the toilets. Pretty random.

But obviously, with us all being massive foodies, we had gone for the food just as much as the gin. The kitchen shut at 9pm which made it seem like it was more of a bar in the evening than a restaurant. We all decided to go for the pulled pork on brioche but unfortunately they had run out (more of a reason to visit again to try it!). So instead we all went for the classic PTMY burger with vintage cheddar cheese and smoked streaky bacon which came with home made chips and a mustard slaw. I shared one of these with my friend Alice as well as sharing another very tasty dish 'Amble Butchers Chorizo with Saffron Mash' with shallots and and a sherry liquor. As I said, I'm always so indecisive when it comes to good menus, so we made a good choice to go halves on two dishes. 

  
I am definitely going to visit again, as it ticked every box you want for a good night out. Good drinks, good food, good atmosphere and also very reasonably priced. It is just off Grey Street in the centre of Newcastle so it is easy to find and a two minute walk from the Monument metro. 

So even though I didn't visit on World Gin Day, I thought the least I could do was dedicate a post to my love of gin and a recent visit to a gin bar. Has anyone else been swapping their standard vodka and lemonade for a gin combo today for World Gin Day? Feel free to comment and link me to your blogs!

Olivia Dee xx

I think it's about time I started a blog...

Finally I've found the time and motivation to start my own blog. I promised myself at the start of 2013 I had to start one, so I'm a few months later than planned. I've just finished my second year at university, so I thought now is the perfect time, with the summer ahead of me, to develop what I will see as my own personal online scrapbook. I wanted a space where I can document anything that pops into my head that I feel I need to store somewhere, whether it's for my personal reference, or to share with others. My obsession with lists, photo albums, and one too many food pictures posted on Instagram made me realise I should probably put all these things together and create a blog. If I was to define it as any, it would be a lifestyle blog, as I will be writing about many different areas instead of one main focus. But we'll see how it goes and where it takes me from here, and hopefully some of you out there will enjoy reading it!

Lots of love,
Olivia Dee xx