Tuesday 29 March 2016

Healthy Recipe: Courgette Pizza Boats

I am a big fan of variety - I'm always switching up my meals every few weeks so that I don't get bored of eating the same thing every day. I love creating and discovering new and delicious dishes to add to my rotation, and my easy peasy pizza courgettes fit in perfectly.
 I hope that you will love them just as much as I do, and if you happen to recreate my recipe please send me a tweet, or tag me on instagram so I can have a nosy!
You will need:
2 medium courgettes
Fresh rocket (or leafy green of your choice)
A handful of cherry tomatoes
Tomato purée 
Finely diced red onion
Pesto
Crumbled feta cheese

Method:
Preheat your oven to 180 - 200 degrees.
 (temperatures and timings will differ depending on your oven)
Slice the ends off both of the courgettes and using a spoon, scoop out some of the flesh until you have enough room to stuff your 'pizza' toppings inside.
Spread the inside of the courgettes with tomato purée, and add a handful of rocket to both boats.
Top with red onion, crumbled feta, sliced in half cherry tomatoes and a dollop of pesto.
Place both courgette boats into an oven-proof dish, and bake for 15 - 20 minutes until the courgette has softened, and the feta cheese has started to melt.
(Keep your eye on them, you don't want to overcook them or you'll end up with courgette mush!)
Once cooked remove from the oven proof dish, serve and enjoy!
 I served mine with a large side salad, but sweet potato fries or garlic potatoes would both be delicious.

You can really be quite creative with this recipe, using halloumi or mozzarella cheese instead of feta, and switching up your toppings. (Ham and pineapple is a firm favourite of mine!)
I hope you enjoyed this 'Courgette Pizza Boats' recipe, Will you be recreating my recipe? What is your favourite healthy dinner recipe? Are you a big pizza fan like me?

I'd love to know, leave me a lovely comment below.

Let's be friends!

Love Laurenx

Tuesday 22 March 2016

Devon Delights #4: Boston Tea Party Review*

When the lovely people from Boston Tea Party* asked me if I would like to review the brand new healthy additions to their Devon cafe menus, I of course jumped at the chance! (and brought my lovely boyfriend along for a lunch date)
I love anything food related, even more so if it's delicious and nutritious dishes.
I popped in for lunch last week, so I thought I would share my thoughts on their 'healthy options' menu additions, with you lovelies!
This was my first ever visit to a Boston Tea Party cafe, and it didn't disappoint! Upon entering the beautifully decorated cafe, the first thing I noticed was a rather large cake display (typical Lauren) they had everything a sweet treat lover could possibly dream of. From classic lemon drizzle cake to chocolate brownies, homemade scones and flapjacks. They all looked amazing, you could see the care, love and attention to detail that was put into each batch. The pastry chefs deserve a huge pat on the back for creating such wonderful sweet treats.
 Excuse my cake related tangent, anyway on to the review... We were greeted with a warm welcome from Tom, the Assistant Manager - who kindly gave us menus, and told us to take a seat and have a nosy before ordering at the counter. We happily took our seats in a quiet little corner and perused the menu. I opted for the smoked salmon, cream cheese, watercress and chia seeds on pumpernickel rye bread, and a side salad. This is one of Boston Tea Party's  'healthier options' menu additions, which they have introduced this year into their cafes. Their motto is 'healthy doesn't have to mean hungry' which I am completely on board with! I eat a very healthy, balanced diet full of delicious and nutritious foods that fuel my body, and also taste amazing!
Eating healthily doesn't mean you have to compromise on taste or variety.

Here is a list of Boston Tea Party's healthy additions:
Homemade spelt granola with Greek yoghurt, honey, raspberries and blueberries.
Homemade spelt granola with banana and organic milk.
Greek yoghurt with orange, candied pecans and dukkah.
Brown rice porridge made with coconut milk, vanilla extract, maple syrup and cinnamon, topped with mango and blueberries.
After ordering our lunches at the counter, we only had a short wait until we were served our meals. The smoked salmon was delicious, I loved the flavour combination of the dish. You get the crunch of the chia seeds, with the creamy cheese, a slight sweetness from the pumpernickel rye bread and a squeeze of lemon for that zingy flavour. Overall it was a winner, I would highly recommend trying it out if you visit one of their cafes.
After we had eaten, Tom asked me if I would like to try one of their cakes (he clearly spotted me eyeing up the pastries... my bad) me being the sweet fiend I am, couldn't turn him down!
I opted for a slice of the 'Berry Scrumble' which tasted just like a fruit crumble, one of my favourite desserts. It had a lovely berry compote and was topped with crunchy hazelnuts and sliced almonds. 
Utterly indulgent, and bloody delicious too - it's all about that healthy balance after all!

We had such a wonderful lunch at Boston Tea Party - Tom and his team were all so welcoming and lovely, nothing was too much trouble and the food was simply delicious.
I would highly recommend popping into your local cafe for a spot of lunch, here is a list of their locations, we will definitely be returning!

 I hope you enjoyed this 'Boston Tea Party Review' post, I had such a wonderful lunch, and I wish I had a slice of berry scrumble right about now... mmm. Have you ever visited a Boston Tea Party cafe? What were your thoughts? Do you have a right old sweet tooth like me?

I'd love to know, leave me a lovely comment below.

Let's be friends!

Love Laurenx

*Boston Tea Party kindly offered me a complimentary lunch for two, for the purpose of reviewing their new healthy menu additions. As always all thoughts and opinions are my own, for more information please see my Contact/PR tab.

Tuesday 15 March 2016

Travel: Postcards From Paignton #2

If you read my 'Travelodge review post' here, then you'll know that a few weeks ago I spent two days by the seaside, in sunny Paignton. I had such a wonderful trip, ate all the doughnuts (warm sugary rings of heaven) and saw the cutest penguins. So I thought I would share some of snaps from my trip with you. 
(Some of these photographs were taken on my camera, and others snapped from my iPhone)
 Oh I do like to be beside the seaside... ahem, sorry. But I do love the seaside, the pretty views, the picture perfect beach huts and of course the doughnuts! They were delicious, warm and sugary!
We spent most of our afternoons wondering around the pier, having fun in the arcades on the 2p machines and trying to win a cuddly toy! I had my eye on a giant stuffed penguin, but alas it wasn't meant to be! I spotted this fortune teller machine, and had to snap a picture as it reminded me of the film Big! Not quite Zoltar Speaks but close...
On our second day in Paignton we headed off to Living Coasts for the morning. It was brilliant, we got there just in time to see the penguins enjoying their fishy breakfast, (one little cutie got SO close to us, I may have squealed a little) and the keeper told us some fun penguin facts. I even got a penguin sticker, cos' you know I'm cool like that.
We also saw seals, seahorses, lots of fish and otters. The otters were amazing, so clever! I managed to snap a photograph of the keeper showing off their skills, they are such smart animals!
We headed out to Torquay both evenings for dinner, as there wasn't much choice in Paignton other than typical pub grub. I had heard great things about Meat 59, and it didn't disappoint! The burgers were amazing, I went for the frickin chicken burger with rocket, garlic mayo and sweet potato fries. The chicken was tender, juicy and damn delicious - as were the fries, yum! I'd highly recommend stopping by if you're ever in the Torquay area - look for the green cow!
After dinner we drove back in to Paignton, and found a cute little pub along the seafront called The Spinning Wheel Inn, which had live music on every evening and the cosiest fireplace. I had such fun sitting by the toasty fire, drinking a few vodka, soda, limes and listening to some great bands.

I hope you enjoyed this 'Postcards from Paignton' post, I had such a wonderful trip and wish I could do it all over again! Have you ever visited Paignton? Are you as penguin obsessed as me?

I'd love to know, leave me a lovely comment below.

Let's be friends!

Love Laurenx

Wednesday 9 March 2016

Healthy Recipe: Heavenly Baked Plums

If you are a regular reader of my blog, or happen to follow me on instagram you'll know that I have a right old sweet tooth. Cakes, brownies, biscuits, chocolate - you name it, I'll scoff it! But as a fan of healthy living, fuelling my body with nutritious meals and staying active on a daily basis, I try to keep those sweet indulgences to a minimum. I am a big believer in the 80/20 rule (eating a healthy diet 80% of the time, and indulging in 20% of whatever the hell I fancy) and finding a healthy balance that works for me. I am always on the hunt for healthier dessert recipes that will satisfy my sweet tooth, and fuel my body at the same time. 
So with that in mind I have come up with an easy peasy healthy, and bloody delicious (if I say so myself...) baked plums recipe. I hope that you will love it just as much as I do, and if you happen to recreate my recipe please send me a tweet, or tag me on instagram so I can have a nosy!
You will need:
3 ripe plums
A handful of fresh blueberries
Sweetener of your choice - my favourite is the Sweet Freedom liquid sweetener, but you can also use honey, maple syrup or agave nectar
Yoghurt - I opted for natural yoghurt, but Greek also tastes delicious
A handful of granola - The Food Doctor fig and cranberry is my current obsession

Method:
Preheat your oven to 180 degrees (fan assisted oven)
Slice each plum in half and de-stone, then place the plums into an oven-proof dish.
Sprinkle a few blueberries into the middle of each plum, and drizzle over your chosen sweetener.
Pop in the oven to bake for about 15 minutes, until soft.
Once your plums are all baked, serve with yoghurt, a sprinkle of granola for crunch, a few extra berries and a cheeky drizzle of sweetener. 
That's it! Easy, peasy baked plums that are perfect for dessert, or you could even bake them for breakfast.

You can really be quite creative with this recipe, using raspberries, strawberries, blackberries or even adding a drizzle of dark chocolate would be delicious.

I hope you enjoyed this 'Heavenly Baked Plums' recipe, Will you be recreating my recipe? What is your favourite healthy dessert? Are you team sweet or team savoury?

I'd love to know, leave me a lovely comment below.

Let's be friends!

Love Laurenx

Tuesday 1 March 2016

Travelodge Review*: Postcards From Paignton #1

Travelodge* kindly offered to put me up in one of their brand new look hotels - I of course jumped at the chance to have a little trip away with the boyfriend. After perusing the Travelodge website, there are over 500 hotels in the hotel franchise, I settled on the Paignton Seafront hotel in South Devon. I love Paignton and I actually was born and raised in Torbay, before moving to Dorset when I was three - so Paignton holds a lot of special memories for me.
Last Tuesday lunchtime myself and the boyfriend packed up our car, and made the two hour journey down to South Devon, for our stay at the Paignton Seafront Travelodge.
Upon arriving at the hotel we parked at the rear, for a very reasonable £6.00 for 24 hours and headed inside to check in. (Check in is at 3.00pm, and check out is at 12.00pm) We were greeted with a warm welcome, collected our keys and headed upstairs to our room for the next two nights. 
Our room was small but cosy, with the most beautiful sea view - you could see all the way across the pier and seafront, watching the waves rise and crash while sipping my morning cup of tea, was such a wonderful way to start my day.
Travelodge have recently completed a £100 million pound nationwide hotel modernisation programme, with a brand new contemporary look and a new improved room design.
I loved our hotel room, the king-size bed was ridiculously comfortable and the extra plump pillows were a dream to sleep on. We had a little desk area with tea and coffee making facilities, along with breakfast and dinner menus and a flat screen TV. 
The bathroom again was snug, but had everything we needed; a walk in shower, fresh towels, WC, sink and a large wall mirror with bright spotlights, which was perfect for applying make up.
My only little bugbear is that there weren't any plug sockets by the bed to charge your phone (I use my phone for an alarm), so we had to either use the desk or unplug the heater. It wasn't really a problem for us, but perhaps something to consider for the future. 
Travelodge charge extra for breakfast, at £5.75 for an 'unlimited lighter breakfast' which included fresh fruit salad, Yeo Valley yoghurt's, granola, croissants (served warm if you wish) toast and spreads (Nutella, jam, marmalade) and a large selection of Kelloggs cereals, including: Special K, Fruit and fibre, Coco pops, Cornflakes and many more. As for drinks, Travelodge offer a range of breakfast and herbal teas, a modern Lavazza coffee machine (Cappuccino, latte, hot chocolate) and fresh fruit juices. 
You can also upgrade to the 'unlimited full breakfast' menu for £7.95, which offers a cooked breakfast; bacon, sausages, eggs, baked beans and more. Also included in the 'full menu' is everything on the lighter menu, so you can have the best of both worlds. 
Travelodge have a great selection of vegetarian options, including Linda McCartney sausages, scrambled eggs, hash browns, mushrooms and tomatoes. There really is something for everyone.
Overall we had a wonderful two night stay, the room, staff and food were all excellent and nothing was too much trouble. I will definitely be staying at the Paignton Seafront Travelodge next time I am in the area, as it's a great base for visiting Paignton, Torquay, Living Coasts and Paignton Zoo. The views are beautiful, and the hotel is right next to the seafront - you couldn't ask for a better location!

I hope you enjoyed this 'Travelodge review' post Have you stayed in one of the new-look Travelodge hotels?  Or perhaps you're a fan of Paignton too?

I'd love to know, leave me a lovely comment below.

Let's be friends!

Love Laurenx

*Travelodge kindly offered me a complimentary two night break at one of their hotels (of my choosing) including breakfast, for the purpose of a review of their 'new look' hotel and bar cafe. As always all opinions and thoughts are my own. Please see my PR/Contact tab for more information.