Lavera Firming Eye Cream

I’m searching for that elusive eye cream that hides the fine lines from spending time outdoors without sunglasses and not getting enough sleep! I like Lavera products so decided to give their firming eye cream a go.

The firming range is for the over 30s so I had high hopes this would work. It claims to be a “natural lifting effect for the eye area”, stimulates the skin’s collagen system, and contains hyaluronic acids and Karanja oil. The applicator is supposed to have a cooling effect.

How did it do? I didn’t notice any different; the fine lines and tiredness were still there. I understand the intention of the metal applicator but half the cream ends up being smeared on it and I ended up using my fingers anyway.

Would I buy it again? Probably not. The search for a good eye cream continues!

Dr Hauschka Facial Toner

Included in the Dr Hauschka rose cream light winter gift set was a trial size of the facial toner. I’ve been making my own for a few years so was interested in how this would compare.

All the Dr Hausckha products are organic and cruelty free, and many are gluten free. The company ethos is about working with and respecting nature, corporate responsibility and sustainability. This shows in the excellent quality of their products.

The toner is for normal, dry and sensitive skin, and can be used after cleansing in the morning and evening, for setting make up, or any time your skin feels as though it needs a boost. It contains anthyllis extract to help skin remain balanced and healthy, and witch hazel extract to support tone and elasticity, and refine pores.

What do I think? The fine mist has a really lovely floral scent and seems to make my moisturiser go on more smoothly and made my skin look brighter.

Would I buy it again? Yes! I’ve already bought my second full-sized bottle.

Lavera Basis Sensitiv Cleansing Milk

I’ve only started using a cleansing milk in the last 12 months, thinking that soap would do the same job. I’ve been using Lavera hand cream for a while so, after trying a couple of other cleansing milks, thought I’d give theirs a go.

All of Lavera’s the products are organic and certified by NaTrue, not tested on animals and do not contain parabens, SLS, phtalates, parraffinium, or petrochemicals. The cleansing milk is also vegan and gluten free. With key ingredients of organic aloe vera and shea butter, it’s suitable for dry and sensitive skin, including around the eye area.

How did it do? The cleansing milk has a pleasant smell. The texture is rich without feeling heavy, and effective at taking off make up including mascara. My skin feels clean but not dry or tight, and certainly no redness. For the quality, it’s very good value for money.

Would I buy it again? Absolutely! I’m already on my second tube and have a spare for when that’s finished.

100Bon Myrrhe & Encense Mystérieux Perfume

I came across 100Bon (cent bon / scent bon) last year but struggled to find any stockists nearby to see what they’re like.

The company doesn’t use nasties like petrochemicals, preservatives, or artificial coloring, only natural ingredients.  I did notice that the perfumes contained alcohol derived from wheat and they confirmed that it didn’t contain gluten.

They care about packaging, using as little plastic as possible and, where they have no choice, make sure it can be recycled or use vegetable based plastic.  The bottles are designed to be refilled either by buying a larger bottle, or from Lyon-based 100Bon or one of their refill stations.

They also want the brand to be affordable and accessible but without compromising the quality.  Marketing and waste are kept to a minimum to achieve this.

The prices are good so, after a fair bit of procrastination, I thought I’d take a chance and buy a 10 ml bottle of the myrrhe & encense mystérieux perfume, developed in fragrance hub of Grasse, to try.  I’m impressed!  Firstly the packaging … the top of the glass bottle easily unscrews to make refilling easy and is a handy size to keep in your bag or take on holiday.

The perfume smells quite intense without being overpowering and lasted all day without having to reapply.  It reminds me a little of Dior’s Addict but perhaps less spicy, or a woody version of Maison Francis Kurkdjian’s Grand Soir.  Some perfumes, even the expensive ones, give me a headache, but I had absolutely no adverse reaction to this.  I’ll definitely buy a bigger bottle and refill, and look forward to trying their other fragrances.

Ratatouille Chutney

Super easy chunky ratatouille chutney, packed with flavour and a great way to add a few more vegetables to meals.  Serve with salad, bread, or as an accompaniment to hot food.

Ingredients:

• 1 aubergine, chopped
• 2 courgettes, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 yellow pepper, chopped
• 1 apple, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• handful of sultanas
• 1 tin tomatoes
• 200ml apple cider vinegar
• 150g muscovado sugar
• 4 cloves garlic, grated
• tomato purée
• 2 tsp black mustard seeds
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tbsp paprika
• chilli flakes to taste
• rapeseed or olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

 

Method:

Sauté the aubergine, courgettes,carrot, onion, and peppers in the oil until softened.

Add the apple, tomatoes, sugar, garlic, vinegar, tomato purée, sultanas, mustard seeds, fennel seeds,  chilli flakes and paprika.  Bring to the boil then simmer, stirring regularly.

When the mixture is starting to thicken, add salt and pepper to taste.

Continue to simmer and stir until the chutney has thickened to the consistency you want.

Decant into a large sterilised jar and store in the fridge.

 

Brownies

One thing that bothered me about my old recipe for brownies was the use of  margarine. After some experiments I’ve managed to improve the recipe using olive oil, making the cake lighter and richer.  They freeze well for enjoying later, served with sieved icing sugar and strawberries.

Ingredients:

• 225g sugar
• 1/4 cup mild olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 75g cocoa powder
• 3 eggs
• 150g ground almonds
• 1 tsp baking powder
• icing sugar (optional)

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 180 °C and grease a baking tray.

Beat the sugar, olive oil and salt into a smooth mixture.  Add the vanilla extract and cocoa, then slowly add the eggs and mix until shiny.

Blend the ground almonds and baking powder.

Pour the batter into the baking tray, spreading it to the edges.

Bake the brownies for 30 – 40 minutes until the top is set and a knife inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Let the brownies cool and cut into squares.

 

 

Tomato and Basil Soup

My childhood favourite soup was a very famous brand of cream of tomato but a few years ago I discovered that dairy was one of the triggers of my eczema.  The choice  was to continue eating it and using steroid cream or giving it up.  Not a difficult choice, and strangely I not only don’t miss it but feel healthier for it.

I started making my own super easy, tasty version that freezes really well.  It makes great, healthy lunches, especially now the colder autumn days are nearly here.  Crumbled fröknäcke is optional.

 

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 3 sticks of celery, chopped (including the leaves)
• 2 cloves of garlic, grated
• 4 tins of tomatoes
• 2 bay leaves
• fresh basil leaves
• 1 litre stock – I use marigold bouillon stock powder
• salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Heat the olive oil and sauté the onion, carrot and celery until the onion is translucent.

Add the garlic and cook for another minute or two.

Add the tomatoes, bay leaves, basil and stock then simmer.   Leave to cool before blending.

Re-heat, add the seasoning and serve.

Marrow Stuffed with Curried Rice and Chickpeas

I made some rice and chickpeas as a stuffing for marrow but made too much so had it for lunch.  With some more vegetables added, the rice would make a delicious meal on it’s own.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 marrow, halved and the centre (with the seeds) removed
• 1 onion, diced
• 6 sundried tomatoes, soaked and chopped
• 4 portions of frozen spinach
• a few mushrooms, sliced
• handful of sultanas
• 1 tin chickpeas, drained
• 1 – 2 teaspoon curry powder or garam masala
• rapeseed oil
• rice for 4 people, rinsed
• salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Put the marrow on a baking tray and bake the marrow in the oven until soft.

Boil the rice in salted water.

Meanwhile sauté the vegetables in the oil.  When they’re soft, add the chickpeas a curry powder or garam masala and mix through the vegetables.

When cooked, drain the rice and add the chickpeas and vegetables.  Season to taste.

Put the rice and vegetables into the centre of the marrow and return to the oven for a few more minutes.

Enjoy!

Courgette, Pea and Mint Soup

A glut of courgettes and mint in the garden flourishing calls for some fresh, tasty, nutritious soup.

As with all my soups – and most of my recipes – the soup can be frozen and enjoyed later.  This should be done after blending.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1 large courgette, chopped
• 1 onion, diced
• 5 handfuls of frozen peas
• 500 ml stock
• 1 garlic clove, grated
• mint leaves
• salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Heat the olive oil and sauté the onion, garlic and courgette until they’re soft.

Add the peas, stock, and mint then simmer.   Leave to cool before blending.

Re-heat, add the seasoning and serve.

Lemon, Courgette and Pea Risotto

I make courgette and lemon pasta and, for a change, was asked to make a risotto version.  So refreshing for the summer!

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1 courgette, quartered then sliced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 handfuls of frozen peas
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 150g arborio rice
• Grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
• Olive oil
• 500ml stock
• 2 tsp nutritional yeast
• Basil – dried or fresh
• White wine (optional)
• Salt
• Pepper

Method:

Sauté the courgettes, onion and garlic in the olive oil until they’re transparent.

Add the rice and some of the stock, and stir well, continuing to add the stock as the risotto thickens.

When the rice has started to cook, add the lemon rind, lemon juice, basil, nutritional yeast, wine, and peas.

Add more water if the risotto looks too thick.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve and enjoy.