October 2014

Erhm,..yum! I was requested to make these bad boys by my friends for our little dinner party on Friday night, eek they are so good!

Ingredients

Method

1. Take the digestives and put them in a plastic zip & seal bag.  Use a rolling pin to crush them into small pieces – not too chunky but not too fine.
2. Melt the butter in the microwave and combine with the digestive biscuits.  Place into mini paper cases and put into fridge to set.
3. Make the Homemade Microwave Lemon Curd using the above recipe – it tastes scrummy!
4. Leave the curd aside to cool and create your Italian Meringue topping
5. For the Italian meringue, place the sugar and water into a pan and slowly bring to the boil until the syrup reaches 110C/230F on a sugar thermometer.
6. At this stage, whisk the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer until firm peaks form when the whisk is removed.
7. Continue heating the sugar syrup and as soon as it reaches 121C/250F remove the pan from the heat.
8. Immediately resume whisking the egg whites with the beater at its lowest speed then pour in the sugar syrup in a steady stream. (CAUTION: Ensure the syrup is clear of the beaters to prevent it being splashed on your hands.)
9. Continue beating for about five minutes or until the meringue is tepid
10. Take your biscuit bases out of the fridge and assemble with curd and meringue topping.  If you want you can turn on your grill/broiler and brown the tops!

Recipe inspired by MyBakingAddiction

You will probably know Urban Decay for one of two things – either their amazing Naked Eyeshadow Palettes of which there are now 3 and they have brought out amazing basics lines (non shimmer shadows) to go with them or you have recently tried their heavily advertised Perversion Mascara (which is amazing, as is their Subversion Primer).  

I am probably guessing you have never thought of them for skincare or foundation – me either, not until I bought a sample size of Urban Decay Beauty Balm and was knocked off my feet.  I love it and for the last two weeks I haven’t worn foundation just this and my skin looks amazing!

The Beauty Balm minimize pores, lines, wrinkles and redness instantly. You get significantly firmer, more lifted skin in 8 weeks.  The multitasking formula:

• Hydrates instantly and improves hydration over time.• Primes so makeup goes on beautifully and stays put.• Protects with SPF 20 and contains an ingredient that helps guard skin against daily stress.• Perfects to instantly even out skin tone and minimize pores, lines, wrinkles and redness.

• Treats to firm skin, improve elasticity and provide measurable anti-aging benefits.

I made this on Monday for dinner and even the hubby liked it! I did a variant on the recipe from BettyCrocker and made it my own – you can try many different variations but here’s mine and it tasted great!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup cooked quinoa & buckwheat mix
• 1 cup shredded cooked turkey breast
• 1 can (15 oz)  black beans (optional)
• 1 can sweetcorn
• 2 cups enchilada sauce
• 1 cup cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F/220C. Spray 8-inch square or 13×9-inch ceramic baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Boil quinoa mix for around 30 minutes until soft.  Drain and rinse with boiling water.
3. Heat 10- or 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil and onion; cook 5 minutes or until onion is soft.  Add turkey breast until starting to turn golden.
4. Reduce heat to low. Add quinoa, black beans, sweetcorn, 2 cups of the enchilada sauce; stir to combine. Remove from heat.
5. Transfer quinoa mixture to baking dish. Top evenly with cheese.
6. Bake 10 to 15 minutes.
7. Top with avocado, sour cream or greek yoghurt