VALENTINES DAY TREATS: QUICK + EASY

Hello everyone! With Valentine's Day fast approaching in just six days, i thought this would be the perfect way to share some quick and easy treat ideas for the themed holiday. For me when it comes to Valentine's day i straight away think of all things pink and red themed, as well as anything yummy and chocolatey. Creating something yourself doesn't have to require a lot of time/skill, as there are so many simple recipes and packaged up nicely can make the perfect gift for someone special (or simply to be eaten yourself of course)...

1. heart shaped cookies ( simple sugar cookie recipe )

Baking cookies doesn't have to be difficult, especially if you follow a simple sugar cookie recipe. You can create sugar cookies for pretty much any season/holiday, simply by switching up the cutter/style of topping you are using. For example for Valentine's opt for a heart shaped cutter to shape the cookie and use pink/red/white frosting/icing or sprinkles. 

2. chocolate covered oreo's 

Probably one of the quickest and coolest ideas for creating a Valentine's treat is simply by covering/dipping some Oreo's with melted Chocolate or Candy Melts, then finishing off with toppings of your choosing. Some of the perfect toppings for decorating the Oreo's with are pink or red coloured Sprinkles, M&M's, Love Hearts and you could even incorporate a lolly stick into the centre of the cookie to create an Oreo Cake Pop.

3. covered strawberries

Another idea similar to covered Oreo's is of course the classic Strawberries covered in Chocolate, that being said you don't just have to opt for a classic Milk Chocolate look. A great way to achieve that perfect Valentine's theme is to dip the strawberries in either Pink Candy Melts or White Chocolate that has had a small amount of Pink Food Colouring to it. Just like any other treat you can decorate as you wish with selection of different toppings, edible Glitter looks stunning on the Strawberries as do little white sprinkles.

4. valentine's movie night popcorn

I would be happy with this treat on any movie night not just for Valentine's, as who doesn't love popcorn and a movie? A way to give your regular cinema sweet popcorn a makeover is to simple incorporate some Valentine's themed sweets or chocolates to the popcorn mixed in a bowl. A personal favourite of mine is either M&M's or Malteasers. If you are making your own popcorn from scratch, you could also add a little food colouring to make the popcorn Pink.

5. valentine's themed bark

Another great no-bake dessert idea which can be decorated differently all depending on the holiday or occasion is of course bark or rocky road, which the only baking that is required is to simply melt some chocolate. If you do want to get a little more adventurous you could create a Valentine's Day appropriate Red Velvet bark, by following this recipe here or many more that are featured on Pinterest.

6. rice krispie valentine's hearts

 If you are a sucker for a Rice Krispie treat or you know someone else that is, then this is going to be the perfect no bake Valentine's treat and another one that is so easy to do. All you need to do is follow a simple Rice Krispie treats recipe using melted marshmallow, cut out into heart shapes with a heart shaped cutter and either leave them plain, add some food colouring to the mixture or top with coloured icing/chocolate to decorate.

Catch up on my previous post: here

xo.

THE BAKES OF CHRISTMAS PAST

Hello everyone! In previous years by now i would already got at least two or three Christmas themed baking posts ready to go, oh how times have changed. Since changing the way i eat/lifestyle at the start of the year (which i have touched on in previous posts), i have obviously cut down the amount of unhealthier options by a lot. That being said i do plan on squeezing an all new baking post before the big day later on in the month, until then i am trying to hold off. Keeping in mind that not every one likes to resist the urge to indulge at this time of year, i thought i would share with you a round up of some of my personal favourite festive bakes...

carrot and gingerbread cupcakes | click to bake |

First up is a twist on a cake that Nigella Lawson did last year, but rather than one large cake i made the recipe into cupcake form. Personally for me carrot cake is hands down one of my favourite, along side gingerbread so combine the two together and you are in for a treat. Cupcakes are such an easy thing to make, as you basically have a classic base then all you can do to switch things up is add in any flavouring and decorate how you choose.

mincemeat, pecan and cinnamon crumble bars | click to bake |

Just looking back and remembering how yummy these crumble bars were, just makes me want to either lick the screen or cave and make them right now. I am such a mince pie fan when it comes to Christmas desserts and this is the perfect twist on a classic, which is just a little more modern with the added flavours and textures from the pecans and cinnamon. 

chocolate holly cupcakes | click to bake |

Next up is definitely one for any chocolate lovers out there and even more so if you love both cupcake and anything chocolatey. Yet again this is another cupcake recipe that you can use and decorate as you choose to do, but i personally love how with the added holly shaped icing on top makes the cupcakes look more like Christmas puddings. Another great decoration topping idea is to add some different coloured M&M's placed around and on-top of some black pen icing, for the appearance of fairy lights.

Want another Christmas themed read? Catch up on my previous post for more:

winter scents: the christmas candle edit

xo.

LOW CALORIE/SYN FRIENDLY SNACKS/DESSERTS (UNDER 100 CALORIES)

Hello everyone! So in a few different food related or Motivation Monday posts, i mentioned that i switched out higher calorie/naughty snacks for things that are a lot lower in calorie. At the moment there are so many yummy and new low/lower calorie snacks, in a wide range of flavours both sweet and savoury. With that in mind for today's post i thought i would share with you some of my personal favourite bought snacks at the moment...

1. fibre one 90 calorie chocolate brownie bars 

(87 calories, 3.0g fat, 1.8 saturated, 7.3g sugar, 0.25g salt)

I am pretty sure that these Fibre One brownie bars are the original line from the brand, as until recently you could only find the square bars. These are perfect if you are a brownie/cake lover as they aren't too big, they are under 90 calories yet they still taste as if you are being naughty. You can also pick up the square bars in Lemon Drizzle, Salted Caramel, Cinnamon and of course Chocolate Brownie which is my personal favourite.

2. fibre one 90 calorie peanut butter popcorn bar

(90 calories, 4.3g fat, 1.7g saturated, 4.2g sugar, 0.13g salt)

As i mentioned in my recent what i ate in a day post, Fibre One bars are a must-try bar and i mentioned how this particular one is my favourite out of all of them. This is perfect if you still want something dessert-like but maybe a little more savoury tasting, as it is filled with a peanut butter flavour and of course popcorn. Another good thing about these Fibre One bars is as it suggests in the title, they are filled with fibre rather than sugar and bad fats. If peanut butter isn't a favourite but popcorn is, you can also pick up these bars in a Chocolate Popcorn flavour.

3. fibre one 90 calorie carrot cake bars

(90 calories, 3.3g fat, 1.8g saturated, 5.8g sugar, 0.23g salt)

Finally from Fibre One i couldn't not mention the newest edition to the product line, which is of course the Carrot Cake bars and the Triple Choc Cake bars. These are apparently a little harder to track down but if you do come across them, i definitely recommend giving them a try as they are just as delicious. That being said personally i love the Carrot Cake bar more, as the Triple Choc Cake bar tastes very similar to the brownies.  

4. asda blueberry muffin fibre bar

(86 calories, 2.3g fat, 1.1g saturated, 7.2g sugar, 0.16g salt)

Sticking on the fibre bar theme, ASDA recently started selling their own range of fibre bars which come in this delicious Blueberry Muffin flavour, as well as their own version of the Chocolate Brownie flavour. These bars are definitely worth picking up if you are on more of a budget and the Fibre One bars are currently full price, as they are more affordable at just £1.25 for 5 bars.

5. yushoi sweet chilli + lemon pea snacks

(88 calories, 3.0g fat, 0.3g saturated, 0.9g sugar, 0.3g salt)

If you are one of those people who loves crisps as a snack or just in general but you don't want to being eating them daily as of course they are filled with fat, as well as being super high in calorie. A great alternative are these baked pea snacks by Yushoi, they give you that crunch that you are missing from a crisp as well as the savoury taste. These are also gluten free and vegan friendly, as well as being free of artificial flavourings and MSG. 

6. kettle bites mozzarella + pesto lentil curls

(97 calories, 3.1g fat, 0.5g saturated, 0.6g sugar, 0.4g salt)

Another good one and so much better for you than crisps, in fact i think i enjoy these more and that is lentil curls. You can pick these up by so many different brands now (supermarkets even stock their own brand versions) but a favourite of mine is definitely the ones by Kettle, as they have so many more unique flavours such as this Mozzarella and Pesto flavour and also my favourite Sweet Chilli. Just like the pea snacks, these are also gluten free, free of artificial flavourings and MSG.

7. skinny whip chocolate snack bars

(94 calories, 2.3g fat, 1.8g saturated, 10g sugar, 0.04g salt)

Back to something sweet/dessert-like this time something you can pick up in Home Bargains, i am pretty sure this is the only place you can get them anyway. These are just like the Fibre One bars is the way that they taste super naughty yet they are low in fat and calories. These bars are available in boxes of 5 for just £1 a box, they also come in three different flavours Double Chocolate, Toffee Chocolate and Strawberry Chocolate.

(In order to stay on track keep snacks to a minimum, such as one snack per day and of course mixed in with a healthy diet of three meals a day, never skipping breakfast) For more Motivation/Lifestyle tips, catch up on my motivation monday series > HERE <

xo.

CHRISTMAS BAKING #3: CARROT AND GINGERBREAD CUPCAKES

Hello everyone and welcome back to another instalment of my "Sunday Christmas Baking" series this December! When it comes to Christmas is it honestly Christmas without something Gingerbread related, whether that be a Starbucks gingerbread latte, a gingerbread man/house or a delicious gingerbread scented candle. With that in mind i wanted a different type of cupcake rather than just gingerbread, then i saw Nigella make a carrot and ginger cake on TV and decided to go from there with an added twist.

to make the carrot and gingerbread cupcakes you will need:

| 165g grated carrot | 160g caster sugar | 150ml sunflower oil | 2 large eggs | 150g plain flour | 50g dried mixed fruit | 1tsp ground ginger | 1/2 tsp bicarbonate soda | 1/2 tsp baking powder |

method:

First things first, you are going to want to pre-heat your oven to gas mark 4/180c/350f and then line your baking trays with the cupcake cases. Then you are going to want to start on your cupcake mixture, take the caster sugar, sunflower oil and eggs and place them all in your mixer or bowl whichever way you prefer to mix your mixture. Then you are going to want to start mixing the ingredients on a low speed and gradually add the flour, ground ginger, bicarbonate soda and baking powder, then slowly start to speed up the mixer. Mix all together until combined and smooth. Once combined you are going to want to take your dried mixed fruit and grated carrot and fold the two ingredients into the mixture. Before baking you are going to want to take your mixture and spoon an amount into your cupcake cases and place in your pre-heated oven for 22-25 minutes, once out of the oven leave to cool completely.

to make the frosting you will need:

| 300g icing sugar | 50g softened butter | 125g mascapone | gingerbread men sprinkles |

method:

For the frosting you are going to want to take the softened butter and place it in a bowl/mixer, beat slightly before adding in the mascapone and beating the two together. Slowly add in the icing sugar (it is better to sift in the icing sugar) and continue to mix until combined. All that is left to do is spoon or pipe on the frosting onto your completely cooled cupcakes and decorate with some little gingerbread men sprinkles (or any sprinkle of choice) or you could simply lightly dust on some ground cinnamon.

Catch up on my previous "christmas baking" posts here...

christmas baking #1: chocolate holly cupcakes

christmas baking #2: mincmeat, pecan and cinnamon crumble bars

xo.

CURRENT NON-BEAUTY FAVOURITES

Hello everyone! It came to my attention the other day that it has been a hot minute since i last did a non-beauty related favourites post, talking all things non beauty related obviously. Seeing as it is December i am loving a whole bunch of different festive related things like food, music and tv/movies, as well as a few fashion favourites. With that in mind for today's post i thought i would share my current non-beauty favourites.

| fashion favourites | miss selfridge checked scarf (similar linked) |

During "Black Friday" week i picked up this scarf (shown in image) in House of Fraser, i was looking to stock up on a few different scarves for the winter months anyway but when i spotted this particular one, i just couldn't leave it in the shop. I love all the different shades of pinks, with the slight blue and yellow accents as i don't really have anything like this in my wardrobe. It was also such a bargain, as it was £8 down from £16.

| fashion favourites | prettylittlething + boohoo |

For clothing at the moment i have really been loving both pretty little thing and boohoo also, they both have so many great knitwear pieces, coats/jackets and especially this boohoo faux fur gilet. I love faux fur jackets/gilet's, as they can add a little something extra to a plain outfit during the cold months. I also have a similar black faux fur gilet that i have been wearing again, which i picked up last winter from pretty little thing.

| music favourites | mariah carey merry christmas (spotify link) |

So towards the end of November and during the whole of December, the majority of music that i have playing on my Spotify is Christmas music and of course the most played album the same as every year is Mariah Carey's classic Merry Christmas album. I also love all the classics pretty much the same as every year, Spotify have some really great festive playlists under the Seasons Greetings genre.

| movie favourites | christmas movies (netflix link) |

Just like with music, from November right up until January i am constantly watching Christmas movies as they are just the best aren't they? I love how feel good a lot of them are and the Christmas24 channel is constantly playing on the TV, as i love the tv Christmas movies the best and the classics of course. Netflix also have a bunch of new festive films which have been recently added, along side a few other channels. If you want to know a huge list of some of my favourite Christmas movies, then tweet me @iamkatiee_ and i will do a separate post.

| food + drink favourites |

Is it just me of does anyone else use the whole of December as an excuse to nibble on something naughty more than usual? by saying "ok seeing as it is Christmas" ha! With that in mind at the moment food-wise i am living for all of the sweet treat snacks, especially mince pies, terry's chocolate orange (these popping candy ones are amazing) and also white chocolate covered oreo's, which are the best thing in the whole world anyway. Drink-wise which i have mentioned in a different post, i am living for the Starbucks festive drinks made with soy milk.

Catch up on last weeks blog post instalments...

| winter wonderland | christmas homeware picks | quick no makeup, makeup |

xo. 

PINTEREST HALLOWEEN TREATS INSPIRATION

Hello everyone! So for today's post i am back with another Pinterest inspiration/recipes i want to try post, but this time things are getting a little spooky *inserts evil laugh here*. Halloween is just a couple of weeks away now and i always like to do some form of treat making, so i like any other time i took to Pinterest to look for inspiration and i just couldn't not share with you all some of the amazing creations/recipes that are on there.

halloween OREO candy bark

So i love love love candy bark/rocky road when it comes to a no-bake dessert and when i saw this Halloween themed OREO candy bark come up on my Pinterest feed, my eyes immediately lit up. The great thing about candy bark or a rocky road, is you can completely customise it however you want, whether you want it to look super scary/glory or light hearted and fun looking if you are catering to younger children.  

pumpkin cheesecake truffle mummies

For me these cheesecake truffle mummies look like the perfect treat for a Halloween party, whether that be for adults or children and the recipe also seems super simple. What i love about this recipe is not only the finished product is Halloween themed, but also the taste/flavour is also as it is pumpkin infused.

halloween OREO pops

When i saw these OREO pops i thought to myself, why have i never thought about doing this? Using OREOS on a stick and dipping/decorating them is literally as simple yet effective, as if it would be when you opt for a huge marshmallow. Personally i know i would prefer to eat an OREO pop and i will definitely be giving these a try out during or on Halloween itself.

halloween pumpkin/autumnal cake

This cake is another dessert that as soon as i saw it it, i was practically dribbling, i mean how amazing and moist does this cake look? Yes i just used the word moist, but it does! I actually did something a little similar last year, but in the form of cupcakes and they tasted amazing. You can check out that blog post, if you didn't catch it the first time here. 

frosted vegan pumpkin cookies

Sometimes i like to opt for the more healthy choice in the dessert area, which always ends up being a vegan/dairy or gluten free option. This pumpkin cookie recipe really caught my eye, as they look seriously indulgent without being and yet again it is pumpkin flavoured, which i love. If vegan/gluten-free desserts are more your thing, then i also did a blog post on amazing pumpkin brownies, which you can catch up on here.

halloween cauldron cupcakes

Finally we have a more on the fun/technical bake in the form of a cauldron designed cupcake, which looks amazing. This recipe is another one from a blog called apumpkinandaprincess.com and honestly there are so many amazing baking/dessert recipes on there as well as DIY's for Halloween, which i will be looking for more personally in the future. It will not be Halloween if there isn't some form of cupcake created in my house, so definitely stay tuned to find out what theme/design i decide to go for soon!

Catch up on my previous post HERE...

xo.