The Haagen-Dazs Easter Master-class

Whenever an email pops into my inbox and mentions chocolate I get excited! I am a huge chocoholic and I also love ice-cream so there was no way I was going to miss the opportunity to attend this masterclass.

When Kimberley and I turned up in Leicester Square we were greeted really warmly and handed some champagne (how perfect) and told how the evening would go and what we would be doing, you can only imagine the size of the grin on my face when I was handed an apron incase things got messy!

The blurb in the email read:

"Join us for an evening of discovery with acclaimed food stylist, writer and presenter, Phil Munday.  Experience the passion, craft and inspiration behind his latest ice-cream creation, the limited edition Haagen-Dazs Easter Egg, exclusive to the Leicester Square store from 22nd March"

We saw how Phil created the chocolate Easter egg using chocolate and a mould and then how he transformed it into something I just wanted to frame rather than eat.  Using ice-cream, some sorbet and one or two toppings, Phil managed to create this amazing, perfect work of art, talking us through how he did it.  Then it was our turn!

We had a menu of 8 different ice-creams and sorbets to choose from, the menu of which you will see above and the idea being you choose an ice-cream to fill the chocolate egg, naturally all of the ice-cream was Haagen-Dazs and then you needed to choose something to go with it to make it look decorative.  Before all of that we got to decorate our plates, which is easier said then done when you are not very artistic, but I managed it as the photos show.

So I choose salted caramel ice-cream to fill my mould and then I made a hole within which to place my chosen sorbet, I opted for Raspberry and boy do those two flavours go well together and then we had an endless choice of extra toppings to choose from to get really creative and my effort is shown below.

Obviously after all that hard work there is only one thing left to do - eat it!  yes we got to eat our very own creations after they had been photographed and boy did I enjoy it.

If you want to try out this delicious Haagen-Dazs Easter creation it will be available until 25th April 2014 at the Leicester Square restaurant. 

What do you think of my Haagen-Dazs Easter Egg creation? What would you have chosen?

How to make your own hand and body scrub

Like most people I use my hands a lot, whether it is cleaning, washing-up, polishing, ironing or typing to name just a few of my every day things, it takes it toll on my skin, not to mention the ever change in weather which can leave my hands feeling really dry and horrible.  

A few weeks ago I shared a post on my blog about how I love to use Coconut Oil and listed some of the ways I like to use it best, which you can see HERE. In that post I mentioned a quick recipe that you can use at home to make your own scrub.  Today's post is a similar scrub which I have been using, made at home in my kitchen and given it takes less than ten minutes to make, I thought I would share it with you.

All you will need to make this scrub is:

• 1 Kilner Jar because it has a secure lid
• A tablespoon, 
• A knife to cut the orange
• 3/4 cup of granulated sugar which will act as your exfoliant to remove dead, dry and flaking skin
• 1/4 cup of Pure Coconut oil, this will soften and moisturise your skin 
• 1-2 tablespoon's of freshly squeezed orange juice which smells wonderful and is both invigorating and uplifting

I have the little ramekin as an extra for when I squeeze the orange juice onto a spoon for measuring so it can catch any excess juice.

Once you have gathered all of the things you need for this scrub, all you need to do is follows:

Put the coconut oil directly into the Kilner jar which is where it is going to stay and then add the sugar.  Once both of these ingredients are in the jar, give them a stir, using your tablespoon, to ensure they are mixed together, then do a little test to see how if you are happy with the coarseness of the mixture by taking a small amount out of the jar and place it on your skin and then rub gently, if you are happy that it will give your skin a good scrub leave it as it is, if not add a little more sugar and test it again.  

Once you are happy with your scrub, cut your orange in half and then squeeze the juice onto the tablespoon, add it to your scrub and mix it in before repeating.  Again, give your scrub a really good mix and again text it on your skin.  If you are happy with it, clean the edges around the top of the jar, securely close the lid.  

A little tip - You need to ensure your scrub is stored in a cool, dry place and I would recommend leaving it for 24 hours or overnight before using it to give the coconut oil time to solidify again before using.

Now I have used this scrub on my lips, legs, arms and hands to date and it is really lovely, effective and best of all cheap, not to mention really effective on dry skin.  It also makes a nice little gift for someone too.

Have you ever made your own products at home?

Himalayan Detox Bath Salts from Therapie

When asked if I would like to try some Himalayan Detox Bath Salts from Therapie**, I immediately said yes. Those of you who know me, will by now know that I absolutely love having a bath to help unwind, de-stress, relax and escape from the real world for an hour or until the water is cold and I can't stand it any longer.

Now, this is a bit of fangirl post because I absolutely love these bath salts and it isn't often that this happens. These salts were created by aromatherapist Michelle Roques Oneil, who with around 25 years experience in the business has been voted as one of the worlds top ten Aromatherapists! These salts contain over 84 minerals and are infused with many essential oils such as Lemongrass, Lavender, Juniper and Geranium to name just a few. The scent is nothing short of being divine, that is the best way I can describe it and no sooner had I opened the packet to take a sniff, the water was running in the bath so I could try them.

These salts are said to help you de-stress, eliminate toxins, Detoxify your Body and they also help with insomnia, balance pH levels as well as counteracting the electro-magnetic energy we absorb from modern day gizmos - woah!! Or to put it another way: 

"A blissful cocktail of therapeutic Himalayan mineral salts, powdered Amethyst & essential oils of Lemongrass, Juniper & Geranium; these pink crystals work to balance pH levels & positive/negative ions, to help the body establish equilibrium. The Amethyst has a high mineral content, to heal & clarify problematic skin whilst counteracting the electro-magnetic energy we absorb from modern day gizmos. Add to this blood purifying & anti-inflammatory properties & discover that heaven is a bath soak".

All from a very small handful that you need to use as shown above and the salts themselves are a mixture of pinks and white grains making them just as pretty as the scent.

As soon as these salts come into contact with the water (they do dissolve) and then the vapour from the steam, the scent really comes alive and once in the bath it does truly become an amazingly relaxing experience and like nothing I have ever experienced from similar products and some people refer to these salts as being the natural Valium due to the long lasting effects. Once out of the bath there is a very slight residue on your skin which Therapie recommend not washing off, so I massaged my skin for a few minutes and then continued as I would normally do and shoved on my PJ's on and the next thing I knew my alarm was screaming at me to get up because it was time to get ready for work.

It has been a long long time since a product has given me the ability to sleep so soundly and I do believe it is this product because having now used them three times, once on a Saturday afternoon, where I was out for the count for a good few hours and when I did wake up I felt totally refreshed, the sluggish feeling had gone, instead I was alert and raring to go.

A pouch this size which has 100g inside will last a good few months and they cost just £10 which you can see HERE and I cannot recommend them highly enough.  

The Dos and Don’ts of Leggings

Leggings were a big deal in the 80s, then the 90s, and again in the 00s. It is now 2014 and it seems this particular item is going nowhere. There have been some interesting incarnations of the legging, some more appealing than others, but however you wear them, you have to admit that, when done right, they look great as well as being comfortable. Despite the fact that leggings have been around for a good few decades, there are still those that commit big fashion crimes when wearing them, so here are the basic dos and don'ts of wearing leggings: 

As tights

It is perfectly acceptable to wear leggings as a substitute for tights, they are much cosier in the winter, and less see through if you’re rocking a short skirt. If you choose to do this however, make sure you are wearing boots or other foot covering footwear, as being cut off at the ankle does nothing for the legs, even on the loftiest of supermodels. If you are wearing your leggings in the place of tights, you should shop around and try and find a pair with invisible seams so they really look like thick tights even up close. For really cold days why not invest in a pair of thermal leggings complete with fluffy inners to keep your pins extra toasty?

As trousers

The nation is split as to whether leggings should be worn as trousers with most believing that if you are going to do this you need to wear a long top that covers at least the top half of your bum. An absolute must if you are going for leggings in the place of trousers however, is that you buy a quality pair that are big enough. The least attractive thing in the world is a pair of leggings that have worn through or are being stretched too much over a derriere so that your whole bottom can be seen through the fabric. Have a look at George at ASDA's range of leggings for some good quality thick pairs.

For the gym

Leggings are great gym-wear as they are stretchy, absorbent, comfortable and available in different lengths. Originally most popular with aerobics goers, they are not used by weight lifters and runners as the training attire of choice. Team your leggings with an oversized t-shirt for a practical yet stylish workout outfit that won’t let you down at that critical moment. Leggings are especially good for those who are new to exercise and don’t want to fork out on expensive gear until they have decided whether it’s really for them. As you progress you can look into purchasing special sports leggings or yoga pants. 

Leggings are one of the most versatile items of clothing you could own, easily transitioning from day to night depending on how you wear them. What other item of clothing could both be worn to the gym for a workout, or with a tunic dress of an evening for cocktails? Leggings are 100% here to stay, so now’s a great time to invest.

Do you wear leggings?

**This is a sponsored post