Healthier Cocoa Biscuits

I’ve been baking again! I haven’t shared a baking post in a little while although I’ve been making quite a few different things lately. I’ve been faithfully using my Mary Berry Fast Cakes recipe book for nearly all my recent bakes, it’s my new favourite! The recipes in there are simple, easy to follow and great if you want to tweak things a little like I do.

These biscuits went down quite well, and I liked the rich taste of cocoa, as it gave me freedom to swap the sugar for a good quality sweetener. They took no time to make really, and little time to bake too. I often like experimenting with new recipes, and rarely go back to reuse them, but I can see these being a bit of a staple. They would be a lovely, healthy treat to snack on and ideal to freeze for later.

Are you in the mood to bake? 

Where do you get your recipes from? :-) Xx

Recent Reads Reviewed #14

The Little Book of Kindness by Bernadette Russell – 5/5

This book was wonderful, and had some heart-warming suggestions to encourage more kindness into your life. Chapters cover things like how to be kind to yourself, strangers, those you love, the environment and so on. I came away fully inspired to implement the ideas mentioned and would recommend you give this book a read.

Kaspar, Prince of Cats by Michael Morpurgo – 5/5

Morpurgo is quite an acclaimed author, and I was intrigued to delve into his work for the first time. The story of Kasper the cat was fairly extraordinary, and I enjoyed the retelling of Titanic’s sinking. Although aimed at children, I can see all ages taking something from this book.

The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle by Beatrix Potter – 4/5

I picked this one up for nostalgia as I remember these books being read to me as a young child. As we follow Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle and into her world it feels magical. There is a lovely unassuming, sentiment to the way it was written. They still capture my imagination as an adult, and I will be looking out for other stories by the author.

The Beano book 1988 by unknown – 5/5

I got this book from a coffee morning book stall very cheaply, just for a bit of fun. I had never really read a Beano book or magazine cover to cover, and thought this was my opportunity. It’s an annual, which includes mini illustrated stories from the different characters. It made me laugh and put a big smile on my face.

How to Be Confident by Anna Barnes - 5/5

This was a wonderful, life-affirming book that addresses in a light-hearted way techniques in which to feel more confident. There’s a mixture of famous quotes, beautiful illustrations as well as more in depth chapters such as understanding confidence, treating yourself well, etc. The chapter on eating well struck a chord with me, as it provided some insightful thinking and tips on nutrition. Another favourite chapter of mine was about how to feel good about your clothing style which touched on clearing out and revamping your wardrobe, as well as wearing colourful clothing. I fully recommend this book and the author has a whole series covering other topics such as how to be happy, how to be mindful and so on I would love to delve into.

Little Book of Tidying: Declutter your home and your life by Beth Penn – 5/5

After reading Marie Kondo’s tidying book, I was after something to further spark my interest. This book was a lovely surprise and surpassed my expectations. It had some really clever and thoughtful ideas in our approach and attitude towards tidying. It covers lots of things such as, the act of tidying, shopping, etc. I would fully recommend you give it a read.

Words on Kindness by Helen Exley – 3/5

This life-affirming book was quite enjoyable and with being short, I finished it very quickly. The Illustrations were traditional and had a charm about them. I liked many of the quotes, but some were better than others. If you’re feeling like a pick me up, this might be the one for you.

Do you reread books for nostalgia?

Where do you generally like to buy books? :-) Xx

The Snack Diaries | Part Fifteen

Go Ahead! Goodness Coconut Bars 
(From Poundland, £1.00 for four bars)
These had a lovely taste, and the coconut really came through. They weren’t anything overly exciting though. Maybe great for everyday to put in your lunch box or to recharge after a workout.

Pulsin Raw Choc Brownies
(From Fultons Foods, price unknown for three bars)
These were seriously yummy, and moreish! If I’m going to treat myself to something sweet, these would be it. I rarely repurchase, but I’m thinking about it with these. I also want to point out - how eye-catching is the packaging?!

Morrison’s Best Tropical Tea 
(From Morrisons, £2.80 for fifteen tea bags)
I treated myself to these on my birthday, as it looked like it might be something quite special. The product is part of the premium Morrison’s range, and the packaging is really eye-catching. Sadly I didn’t think it was worth it for the price. While the flavour was quite pleasant, the teabags were too weakly concentrated for me.

Thornton’s Classic Collection Chocolates
(From unknown, unknown price and quantity)
I was gifted this a good while back before I was watching my sugar intake. Thornton’s is a very reliable brand for chocolate, and you can pick up boxes cheaply in lots of mainstream shops now. Great for gifting/sharing.

What kind of snacks do you like to eat?

Do you have any fruit/herbal tea recommendations? :-) Xx

Morrison's Wild Raspberry Shampoo & Conditioner

Hope you are all well. Today I’m going to be chatting about this Morrison’s shampoo and conditioner I’ve been using lately. Informally I’ve mentioned a few times about going around different supermarkets and seeing what cruelty-free toiletries are available. It may not be obvious in the photo, but these two bottles are huge! I paid £1.10 for each 750ml bottle, so that seems like incredible value. I was worried the quality was going to be a bit naff, but after reading so many positive reviews on the Morrison’s website, I went ahead and bought them.

The scent is wild raspberry and jojoba, which is a really fresh and fruity scent that I love. It mentions the range is for dry/damaged hair, which suits me okay. I had no problems getting a lather, and found the shampoo to be cleansing. The conditioner was very nourishing too. My hair after drying, seemed in good condition, and the scent lingered. The leaping bunny logo is featured on the bottles, although I don’t think the brand is vegan sadly. I can see these lasting me ages and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to others.

What shampoo are you currently using? 

Have you ever tried supermarket own brand toiletries before? :-) Xx