My Favourite Things – June

You know the drill! Here’s what was spinning my beauty foodie wheels in June!

VO5 Give me texture rervi

VO5 Give Me Texture – My hair is quite fine, super soft and when it’s freshly washed it’s so silky, flat and unmanageable my hair slides straight out of pony tail. It’s a hard life. My hair dresser used a texturizing powder on me recently that I wish I’d bought, so in between hairdressers appointments I thought I’d try this cheap version. It works a bit like dry shampoo, but instead of spraying the product onto the roots you sprinkle the powder on and rub it in with your fingertips. The result is volumised hair that has loads of ‘oomph’, texture, life and, in my case, hair that will behave itself in a pony tail/messy bun/whatever-style-takes-my-fancy. I find the roots of my hair feel quite ‘gritty’, almost dirty, when I sprinkle the product on, but that’s good: That’s what gives it texture and grip. All in all, the product does what it says it will, it smells great and it’s $7 from the supermarket. Score. Incidentally I also bought the VO5 Smoothly Does It, Tame and Shine spray. Sadly, that gets my thumbs down as it doesn’t tame my fly-aways like it said it would. (more…)

Pin It

Ramen Noodle Soup with Crispy Salmon

salmon ramen recipe
Ramen noodle soup with crispy salmon

Ramen is a delicious Japanese soup dish that is made with noodles served in a broth that’soften flavoured with soy sauce or miso. You can add any toppings you like to the broth: Sliced meat, dried seaweed or spring onions are all popular. However my favourite is pan fried crispy salmon and I can’t get enough of it! This recipe is (loosely) inspired a ramen dish that blew my mind at Wellington’s Wagamama restaurant.  Shamlessly I have attempted to rip theirs off whilst putting my own spin on it!

This recipe serves two, simply as this isn’t something my fussy seven year old eats (his eating preferences are the bain of my life), so it’s just Hot Hubby and I that scoff this back!

Note, this isn’t a good meal to serve friends, or eat on a first date: It’s pretty noisy!  (more…)

Pin It

Blogging – One Year On…

SAMSUNG CSCThis time last year I was frazzled. I was deep in the middle of one of my busiest weeks of the year at work. I was frantically getting my family organised for a three week family holiday to Thailand and Singapore. So, what better time to start a blog? Right? I reckon there’s no such thing as a good time to do anything. So, on that basis, I stopped analysing the pros and cons of starting a blog and simply took action. I’m so glad I did: The last 12 months with The Beauty Foodie blog has been a fantastic ride and I’ve found my new happy place.

I am often asked why I started blogging and what I enjoy the most about it. So, as The Beauty Foodie celebrates its first birthday this week, I thought the answers to those questions would make a great blog post! (more…)

Pin It

Date Cake with Crunchy Caramel Coconut Topping

caramel date cakeI’ve been making this exquisite moist date cake with a crunchy caramel and coconut topping on and off for years. I love it because it’s a reasonably non-fuss cake that I can be made at reasonably short notice and the ingredients are pantry staples I always have on hand. Taste wise, it’s a sensation: It always gets people groaning and asking for more. The only thing to note is that it is best eaten on the day it is made, if not the day after. That’s usually no problem, it gets demolished! (more…)

Pin It

Five Minute Face – When going out au naturel isn’t an option

5 min makeupOne of the design faults of my personality type is that I seriously under estimate how long things are going to take. I am frequently running late and I totally stress myself out and it’s entirely self inflicted! Aggh.  Here’s a classic example:  At 10.00am on Sunday morning I organised to meet my Mum for coffee at 11.00am. “Tonnes of time” I thought. Then, nek minnit (Kiwi speak for next minute, FYI), it’s 10.40am, I am still in my PJs, I haven’t washed my face let alone whacked a face on.  Believe it or not, I’m not adverse to going out in public with no makeup on: I do it often. But, on this particular day, I looked haggard, tired and my eyelids were unusually puffy. Heading to our local cafe au naturel , frankly, wasn’t an option. So, first I invested approximately four minutes in face washing/prepping (skipping this isn’t negotiable) then I pulled out my five minute makeup face.  Here’s what I did.

(more…)

Pin It

Roasted Cabbage Recipe – Better than it sounds!

roast cabbage recipeThis roasted cabbage recipe is one that’s definitely worth a go:  The result is a side dish that will impress… It’s absolutely scrummy.  Talk about taking the humble cabbage to a whole new level!

You can get creative with this recipe – I’ve made lots of variations now, including adding a touch of grated parmesan, using different herbs and spices (any of the Masterfood seasonings are great, i.e. Moroccan Seasoning or Tuscan Seasoning), or roasting it simply with olive oil and drizzling it with balsamic cream at the end. Our favourite version is below. Quietly, I’m high-fiving myself at finding a vegetable recipe that Hubby requests.  Give it a go – I reckon roasted cabbage is one of the most surprising vegetable dishes ever!

 

(more…)

Pin It

Cauliflower Rice Recipe – A game changer for carb lovers

cauliflower rice recipeI love carbs and stodge. There it is, I’ve said it. Very un-PC of me, I know. Bread, potatoes (including hot chips), crackers, kumara, couscous, pasta, rice… Oh yes, rice. I love all stodge: It makes my heart sing. Unfortunately stodge also make my bum large and my jeans shrink. Don’t worry, this isn’t another blog post where I’m going to rant about my weight and vow to drop to a size 10 before spring (and subsequently commence blogging my weight loss journey and exercise regime). I am a curvy girl, I happen to like most of my curves, I just wish last winter’s jeans fit – and dammit, they will be worn again someday soon! So why have my jeans shrunk? Simple case of more ‘input than output’. I take responsibility – I know my love of stodge is partly to blame!

Hang on, I can hear you thinking, where do carbs and shrinking jeans fit in with a recipe for Cauliflower Rice? That’s easy! I’ve been trying to cut down on carbs (particularly at night time) in a quest to reclaim my shrinking jeans. Being a lover of pasta and meat in a sauce, I was really struggling with relinquishing these, but then my Aunty Angie, who has lost a truckload of weight recently, asked me if I’d tried “cauliflower rice” as she partly attributes her weight-loss to knocking carbs on the head at dinner time. That was enough to motivate me to go and buy a cauliflower and get in the kitchen and started playing. It turns out that I might have been living under a rock: I’ve since been hearing about cauliflower in the place of rice/couscous everywhere! It’s hugely popular with the Paleo way of eating. Anyhow, I’m now really happy to share with you this gem of a recipe that has seen us eating, with gusto, this guilt-free rice-like substitute. Cauliflower rice is easy, delicious and, importantly, it’s a great way to consume more veges and add bulk and density to a dish, without the calories. I hope you enjoy! (more…)

Pin It

My Favourite Things – May

You know the drill – right? Here’s the beauty foodie finds that have been floating my boat this month.  Another eclectic round up… Did you expect anything less?

Elf Shine Eraser Blotting Sheets

Elf Shine Eraser Blotting SheetsElf oil blotting sheetsI get a super shiny face during the day and really detest having to re-powder my face to take the shine away. Then I discovered Elf’s blotting sheets! These are little pieces of oil absorbent paper which you press onto the shiny parts of your face to soak up excess oil and remove shine. Check out my dedicated product review photo, mid demonstration.  Despite having read bad reviews on this particular product, I thought for NZ$3 I’d live on the edge and give them a whirl. I’m glad I did: I reckon they are fab! Check out my demo photos. Bonus marks for not smudging my makeup either. These are a must have in my handbag: Top marks. Price: $3 from Kmart. (PS I’ve heard that Starbucks napkins make fabulous blotting sheets… Anyone tried these?! I’m nervous mentioning that… I’ve got visions of Starbucks experiencing a surge in popularity next week, followed by a sudden and unexplained mass exodus of their serviettes… (more…)

Pin It