Hi Everyone 

I’ve a little recipe for You all today. It’s a soup I made over on Snapchat. It’s a little bit different with a serious burst of flavours. My Dad gave me a few parsnips from the garden this evening. I used them in this zesty soup. Give it a try and let me know how You get on.

Enjoy 

Love Maria 

 

Ingredients 

2/3 parsnips diced

2 pink lady apples peeled & diced 
1 onion diced

1lt of veg stock (1 used 3 oxo cubes)

2 handfuls of spinach 

2 teaspoons turmeric,

2 teaspoons of paprika

2 teaspoons crushed chilli (optional)

1inch root ginger diced

2 cloves of garlic 

Zest & juice of a lime

25gchorizo 

Drizzle of rapeseed oil, teaspoon of real butter.

  
Method.

Heat up a lage saucepan & add the rapeseed oil & butter.

Fry off the garlic & chorizo for a minute adding in the onion, lime zest &juice, Ginger. Season with salt & pepper. 

Next add the diced parsnip and diced Apple and sauté for a few minutes.

Next add the turmeric,smoked paprika & chilli flakes, you can adjust these to your own liking. 

Slowly add the veg stock and leave to simmer. You can add the spinach at this stage and cover turn the heat down very low for about 20 minutes.

Leave to cool and blend. I use a hand blender it’s very handy for soups. 

  

Hi Everyone 

It’s been a lovely relaxing February so far. Traditionally it’s one of the quieter months in business. I have had some time to destress and unwind a little. It’s so easy to get caught up in the pressures of life. Sometimes situations or people can drain the life from us. It’s so important to put our own mental health and emotional well being first. 

 

 
Those who are following me for a while know my Instagram feed is full of photos of lough lannagh, trees, local scenery, water etc. I always find the beauty of the west of Ireland breathtaking. Looking at pretty scenes give me feelings of positivity. I always find it very calming to walk by the water, that’s why there’s loads of Lake selfies on my Insta and snapchat.

  
So over the last few weeks We have tried out a few new places to walk. On Valentine’s Day we did the Raheen Woods walk out the Newport Road. It’s not a very long walk but You could easily walk around the loop twice. It’s just fabulous out there in the beautiful woodland walk. I’d highly recommend it. A great spot and only minutes from Castlebar Town. 

 

 
On the same day We made a trip to Belmullet. On a beautiful clear day there’s nowhere more beautiful than the beaches of North Mayo. We stopped for a quick snack in the Broadhaven bay hotel. A beautiful spot for a little mini break. I hear there’s some great walking trails in the locality which We intend to explore soon. 

  

 

Last week We took a spin up to Cong on Friday evening. What a quaint beautiful little place. We went for a long walk around the grounds of Ashford Castle, it is spectacular.A stunningly  beautiful place. Mesmerising to be honest. We would love to stay there sometime as a special treat. I’d say it’s an awesome experience.  I’ve heard the food is to die for. We walked all around the grounds it was just fabulous. I would highly recommend a visit to this amazing spot. Ashford Castle is on the Galway Mayo border, definitely worth the trip to Cong. 
 

 

So I’m thinking of taking a photography course starting at the end of March in Castlebar. I’m always snapping on my phone but I have a dslr camera too. It’s a hobby for me really. I love to celebrate the beauty of Mayo and share it with the world through my social media channels. I think the colours and the landscape this time of year is just beautiful. I love that We live in such a spectacular County. So I was inspired to write this post on some of our Local beauty spots that I enjoy. I also love the turlough greenway and the windmill walk out the old Glenisland road. The Booster station is another fabulous spot for a hill walk.  I’m sure there are more glorious spots around   . I intend to explore a lot more in the coming months. I will keep You all informed of any beauty spots that I discover. 

 

So that’s it for today folks, I hope You enjoyed this post and please give it a share to promote our beautiful County Mayo.

Thanks for reading 

Love Maria xx 
 

 
 
  

Hi Everyone 

I’m sharing a naughty but nice treat with You all today. It’s not low fat or particularly clean it’s just good old fashioned wholesome food. It’s a tasty treat for all the family without any processed junk or chemical additives. It’s easy to make and can be frozen and used at a later date. I have made this and sliced it up and frozen it in little individual freezer bags. Very handy for the aul portion control. Let’s face it We all need a little treat now and again. It’s nice to have a few simple recipes You can call on from time to time. Most of the ingredients are from Aldi as I tend to shop there most of the time. It’s very low cost to make Your own bread. I don’t really do it to save money as most of You know I love to cook, it’s just a bonus. 

  
There’s been a lot of talk lately about hidden sugars and nasties in our food. I think it’s good that We are becoming more aware and thinking before We buy. For me a good rule of thumb is to check the sell by date. If there’s a fifteen month stretch on the best before date, You probably shouldn’t buy it let alone eat it.

We can’t be saints all the time. On occasions and certain times of the year it’s nice to indulge a little, but We can still keep it reasonably y healthy by going for real food. Spending a few minutes extra in the kitchen per day can really improve the quality of of our food consumption and make all the difference to our long term health. Knowing what We are eating is half the battle. The only way to do this is to get creative in the kitchen. 

So anyway here’s the recipe, enjoy it. It’s a perfect one to make for Paddys day or Easter especially if There’s family coming to visit. You can all WOW them with Your baking skills.

Thanks for reading and please share

Love Maria 

Ingredients list

250g of self raising flour

20g of sugar

2 mashed bananas 

1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract 

1 teaspoon of baking powder

50g of chopped walnuts 

30g of chopped hazelnuts

 20g of desicated coconut 

30g of sultanas

300mls of buttermilk 

15g of coconut oil melted 

 
Method

Pre heat Your oven to 180 degrees.

In a mixing bowl add all Your dry ingredients and mix well. 

Add in the buttermilk and mashed bananas until You have a batter similar to pancake mix. 

Melt the coconut oil in the microwave and pour in. (If you don’t have coconut oil you can use real butter) it will do the exact same thing. 

Line a loaf tin with grease proof paper and pour the mix in. 

Scatter some desicated coconut and a few walnuts on the top.

Bake at 180 for 50-60 minutes 

Check by using a skewer if there’s no cake mix on the skewer it’s fully cooked.

Wrap in a clean tea-towel and leave to cool in the tin. This leaves the bread lovely & moist. 

  
Hi Everyone 

Today I have a bridal post for you all. As it’s coming up to our first wedding anniversary I thought it’s perfect timing. So a lot of You who have been following me on Facebook for a while know I documented my bridal prep journey. It started in 2013 when We got engaged and continued up until our wedding in March 2015. A lot of brides write to me asking advice about their hair for their wedding and how to get their bridal mane in fabulous condition. I also get a lot of questions about my weightloss in prep for our wedding. I always called it “Bridal Bootcamp” for the craic. I felt I was in Bootcamp with all the preparation and planning for the big day. 

 

I was inspired to write this piece after chatting with my blogger buddy Lisa Leonard from BeautyFashionFitness.wordpress.com Lisa is currently on her bridal Bootcamp for her wedding in June. Lisa is a great one to follow for any brides out there. You’ll find her on snapchat at BFFLISA

  

So my own area of expertise is of course Bridal hair I have styled many brides and helped them prepare their hair for their big day. I’ve put together a few tips that would be essential for a bride or even just for anyone looking to improve their hair in general. Depending on how much work needs to be done I’d normally like a year to achieve the best possible condition and to ensure growth, but of course this isn’t always possible. 

  

• Start to prep the hair about a year before the wedding. Book in with Your stylist for a full consultation to look at the colour , length, condition, cut etc Discuss Your dream hair with Your stylist and together You can make a plan.
• Stop any home colouring immediately. I know most of You don’t colour at home anyway but just in case there’s anyone who still does. 
•   
  

  December bride Colette

   
• Book in regular trims with Your stylist. You need a little trim a minimum of every 12 weeks. 
• Get the colour right now. The sooner You get Your colour right the better. If You are happy with Your current shade now happy days. If not You need to start booking those Colour appointments ASAP. If Your hair is highlighted it may or may not need a few full heads of highlights to even it out for the big day. This is something that needs to be addressed early to allow you to build up to the dream colour. 
• Start Olaplex with every colour application immediately. Trust me every girl needs it in her life. Just amazing. I’ve written a few posts on Olaplex You’ll find them on my blog. 
• Make a decision on the shape of the haircut. If You are planning an upstyle I’d recommend growing out any short layers. You don’t need them. A one length or even just some long layers will give you far more options. One place You need some length is around Your face. Avoid chopping into or blending in the sides too much. If Your hair is heavily layered at the moment, commit to growing it out.
•  
  

  Bridal trials can be done close to your wedding.

•  
• Next is Home care, this is the hard part. You need to be kind to Your hair. Treat Your hair with respect. I know this seems obvious but You’d be surprised how a few small changes can improve Your hair immensely. 
• Invest in a salon shampoo and conditioner. Sulphate free. Reccomend by Your hairdresser who actually knows Your hair. Don’t kid Yourself by buying shampoo from the supermarket. It’s cheap for a reason because the ingredients are cheap. It’s really not worth the saving because it costs You more in the long run to undo the damage. 
• Go easy on the brushing. If You suffer with tangles try leaving Your conditioner on longer and de-tangle in the shower with a wide toothed comb. 
•  
  

  2013

   
• Go easy on the towel drying , gently pat to soak up the water and de tangle immediately. Don’t leave it in a towel for 30mins and then vigorously brush this will break Your hair. Hair is at its most vulnerable when it’s wet, so be kind. 
• Dry Your hair 100% with a hairdryer with the nozzle on. In a downward direction No head upside down unless you want frizz?? Yes you read that right. Drying it 100% will shut down the cuticle protecting the inner bonds. That’s why you need the nozzle to direct the heat.Tying hair up wet causes more breakage than any heat appliance ever could. 
• Try to avoid over washing. Every second day is plenty and if You can leave it longer by all means do. 
• The Straightner is next. Used properly it really shouldn’t cause too much damage at all. If You condition and Blowdry your hair properly in the direction it’s meant to go. You shouldn’t need much straightening unless You have very unmanageable hair. Wash, condition, dry and if it’s necessary use your Straightner I Reccomend GHD. Take small sections and apply a tiny bit of pressure. You only need to go over the hair once, maybe twice. A GHD will not damage Your hair but poor technique definitely will. As will straightening over hair that has been previously straighted. This will break the cuticle scales causing irreversible damage in which case It will need to be cut off. Do it once, do it properly and leave it until the next wash. 
• Taking supplements can definitely help. I use silica and also EFAs like omega 3,6&9 can really help with hair growth. These can be picked up from Your local Health shop. Heneghans health shop here in Castlebar stock them. 
• I’d reccomend getting Your colour done a few days before Your wedding. At this point You will be only maintaining Your hair. All the steps will have come together and Your mane will be divine. 

 
I’m going to write a separate post on Planning Your bridal hair style. I think it would be very long and information overload if it was all in one post. Please let me know what You think of this post and share if You find it helpful. 

As always Thanks for reading

Love Maria xx

  

Hi Everyone 

I’m back today with a really handy recipe for beef curry. It’s a slow roast curry which I oven cook in a casserole dish. It’s a handy one to cook on a day off as You can leave it in the oven for hours. I think it’s a great recipe for this time of year when it’s so cold out. This will last a few days if You make a big pot. You can also portion some up and freeze it. Slow cooking makes the meat lovely and tender and brings out all the delicious flavour. Try it and You’ll see.

For the Unislim folks it’s 3 & 1/2 Yums for the whole recipe. I got 5 portions so it’s less than 1 per portion. 

Let me know if You make this and as always please share. Thanks for reading.
Love Maria xx

  
Ingredients 

2 packets of lean diced steak. I used the Lidl ones in this recipe.

1 large onion 

Red and yellow pepper

1 potato chopped 

Frozen peas

1 tin of chickpeas

Spinach

30g of sultanas 

3 spoons of vegetable instant gravy 

Schwartz hot curry powder

Turmeric, cumin, garam masala, cardamon pods black pepper. Coriander garlic, ginger, chilli powder. 

1 Mango 

Passata

2 oxo beef cubes

Natural Yoghurt 

Method

Marinate the meat first by tossing in spices and natural yogurt. Mix up turmeric, cumin, garam masala, curry powder & black pepper chilli powder,cardamon pods  in natural yoghurt. Toss them in this and leave overnight covered in the fridge. 

When You are ready to make your curry. Preheat your oven first and Brown off the meat and onion on a hot frying pan. Get your casserole dish ready by covering the bottom with a small bit of hot water. Add meat to the casserole dish.

In a blender, blend the mango ginger garlic and passata to make a sauce. Add this sauce to the meat  with 2 pints of beef stock and Stir well.

Cover and place in the oven at Gas Mark 9 or 200 degrees for the first 20 minutes. Then turn down to Gas Mark 3 or 150 degrees and leave it to cook slowly for 2 hours 

  

After the two hours remove from the oven and add the peppers, chickpeas, peas,peppers , diced potatoes, spinach and 30g of sultanas . Add in the 3 tablespoons of vegetable gravy you can use beef or chicken gravy either. This will thicken the sauce. 

Pop the casserole back in the oven for another hour. Gas Mark 3 

In the meantime get your rice ready. I made egg fried rice by frying some pre cooked basmati rice with 2 eggs and some soy sauce but You can used boiled either. 

I find the best way to cook rice is to just cover it in water and a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil and turn off the heat. Leave it covered for 15 mins or until all the water has absorbed. Then transfer it to a collander and rinse in cold water. This will remove starch and leave it perfect for frying without going soggy. If you don’t want to fry it You can pour boiling water over it to heat it up again. 

(The rice tip is one I learned from my favourite Food Blogger Karen from Kenmare Foodie) You’ll find her @kenmarefoodie on snapchat