Blog

Beating the Stress and Performing at Your Best – The Benefits of Adopting a Daily Meditation Practice

Published on by Sharon5 Comments

There are so many benefits to adopting a daily meditation practice, and it can be especially valuable at highly pressured times in our life, such as exam time. Today, I’m delighted to welcome back my special guest blogger, Holly Ashby from Will Williams Meditation who is going to explain all.

— ❤️ —

As we head firmly into Spring, teenagers and young people up and down the country are preparing for some pretty daunting exams. We all face moments in life where our performance is assessed and our capabilities appraised, and whether it’s in school or at work stress can get the better of us. So how do you make sure your nerves don’t become overwhelming and you have the focus, and confidence, to do the best you can?

Continue reading “Beating the Stress and Performing at Your Best – The Benefits of Adopting a Daily Meditation Practice” →

Sultana Banana Mini Pancakes (Vegan)

Published on by Sharon6 Comments

Today I’m sharing a recipe for Sultana Banana Mini Pancakes ❤️ They are quick, easy to make and use basic pantry ingredients. They’re perfect for serving as a weekend breakfast or for ‘elevenses’. Me and Lil’ L have made them three times so far and they have proven to be a big hit with the family.

Have you tried adding sultanas to pancake batter before? They work beautifully in these American-style fluffy pancakes. In fact, I loved them so much that I ended up adding more than the original recipe called for.

Continue reading “Sultana Banana Mini Pancakes (Vegan)” →

Orange Drizzle Cake with Poppy Seeds (Vegan / Dairy-free / Egg-free)

Published on by Sharon10 Comments

Back in 2013, I shared the recipe for a Lemon Drizzle Cake that I baked for my mum for Mother’s Day. It proved to be a big hit with my readers and, four years later, it’s still one of the most popular recipes on my blog!

Though I made it specifically with my mum in mind, the Lemon Drizzle quickly became my husband’s favourite cake. It’s the one he’s requested every birthday…  even though his birthday is a week before Christmas and Lemon Drizzle feels like a Spring-time cake (well, to me anyway!) Recently, however, I made an adaptation of the Lemon Drizzle and, after tasting it, my husband declared that THIS one may just be his new favourite!

With a few little tweaks, I transformed the Lemon Drizzle into an Orange Drizzle speckled with poppy seeds  It still has the beautiful, moist consistency and light texture, but the flavour is of course orange rather than lemon. Rather than ‘zingy’ like the Lemon Drizzle, this one is more sweet and fruity. It reminds me of summer and sunshine. So maybe Lemon Drizzle will be my spring-time cake, and Orange Drizzle will be the summer-time version. But, of course, you can eat it whenever you like. I know we’ll be eating it in December 😉 Continue reading “Orange Drizzle Cake with Poppy Seeds (Vegan / Dairy-free / Egg-free)” →

How Meditation Makes Us Kinder

Published on by Sharon12 Comments

Today I have a guest post from the lovely Holly Ashby, who works at Will Williams Meditation. Long-time readers may recall that Holly wrote a series of guest posts for me on the subject of meditation in 2015. I’m delighted to welcome her back once gain. In today’s post, she explains how meditation can increase our capacity for kindness and compassion, both for ourselves and for others.

Over to Holly…

Continue reading “How Meditation Makes Us Kinder” →

Chestnut and Mushroom Bourguignon Pie (Vegan with Gluten Free Option)

Published on by Sharon9 Comments

In today’s post I’m sharing a recipe for a delicious pie that’s just perfect for serving in the cold weather months. It’s an adaptation of a recipe published by the Vegetarian Society back in 1995. We first tried this pie last month and it was a big hit with the family. Since then, we’ve already eaten it a couple more times as special weekend dinners. While it looks pretty impressive, it’s really easy to make and requires less than 30 minutes hands on time.

Continue reading “Chestnut and Mushroom Bourguignon Pie (Vegan with Gluten Free Option)” →

Royal Quinoa Vegan Sushi Rolls and Beginners Guide to Rolling Sushi

Published on by Sharon10 Comments

In today’s post I’m sharing a recipe for delicious sushi rolls filled with royal quinoa and fresh veggies. They make a wonderful lunch or light dinner option and a tasty addition to school and work lunchboxes. They’d also be great for serving at buffets and summer picnics. They’re easy to make and, just in case you’re new to sushi-rolling, I’ve included some step-by-step images to help you along.

I absolutely love sushi but rarely buy it from the shops as it’s quite expensive, plus it normally comes with lots of packaging, including black plastic trays which are currently unrecyclable here in Bath. I’d been wanting to try my hand at making my own sushi for a long time. I’d even bought the nori sheets in preparation. But it took me a while to get round to doing it as I’d convinced myself that it would be tricky. When I finally took the plunge and tried it, I couldn’t believe how easy it was! I’m not a neat or delicate person when it comes to food preparation so, if I can do it, you definitely can!

Royal Quinoa Vegan Sushi Rolls
Continue reading “Royal Quinoa Vegan Sushi Rolls and Beginners Guide to Rolling Sushi” →