Getting some Coconut Oil inspiration

A couple of weeks ago for breakfast I made some Banana and Berry pancakes for a lazy Sunday breakfast - and they were lovely.  It was the first time I'd used Coconut Oil and to be honest I was a bit wary about it. I mean it smelt lovely and coconutty as I cooked - and reminded me of tropical holidays - but I was concerned there might be  a strong taste of coconut, but thankfully there wasn't.  

I knew that there was more you could do with coconut oil than using it for frying, but quite frankly I was stumped, so I thought I'd ask some other bloggers to give me some inspiration. Today I'm sharing that inspiration - and sorry, but I think you're going to be hungry by the end of this post.

1. Thai Chicken Traybake from Easy Peasy Foodie

I love Thai flavours and I don't think you can beat a traybake so this recipe is right up my street. MOH's not a big fan of aubergine, although he still eats them and sometimes even begrudgingly enjoys them, and I'd still include them here I think. It's almost become a bit of a personal goal to convert him!

Thanks Eb, this is definitely a recipe I'm going to try.

2. Coconut Scones from Charlotte's Lively Kitchen

Charlotte said she accidentally made vegan scones when she wondered what would happen if she substituted coconut oil for butter and then as she had some coconut milk in the fridge she used that too.  And while these look good enough for a fancy afternoon tea I think they'd also go well in my lunch box. 

I'm hoping they'll freeze like normal scones too, so I can take one out as I make my lunch in the morning.   

3. Coconut and Honey Omelette from Charlotte's Lively Kitchen

This recipe intrigued me. I thought I'd not had a sweet omelette and then I thought about crêpes and they're probably quite similar, so this is probably not as unusual as I first thought.  And let's be honest I've had at least one or two crêpes!

Recently when my parents were visiting I cooked them a boiled egg for breakfast and I was struck by how little time it took compared to the time I imagined it might take. I realised I could have eggs for breakfast during the week, but of course I haven't (yet) so this might be the recipe that changes that, especially with the fruit too as it'd be an almost virtuous breakfast, wouldn't it?  Thanks for both of these recipes Charlotte.

4. Coconut & Raspberry Mini Victoria Sponge from Snap Happy Bakes

As Hayley says in the post's introduction these will definitely make you ready for summer. Don't they look great? Hayley assures us it's easy to bake with by replacing butter in recipes with coconut oil. She's also used it in the icing, mixed with icing sugar and milk.

I have one of those mini victoria sponge tins, and I really should get it out of the cupboard and give these a go, shouldn't I? I can hear my dad nodding from here in answer to that (well, if you can hear a nod!). Thanks Hayley.

And fudge, brownies and cupcakes too...

Well you know how I like a cake, or two... It seems that coconut oil is ideal to use in the sweet stuff and you can substitute it for butter (thanks Hayley!)

Fudge

This fabulous recipe from Emmy's Mummy for Layered Chocolate and Coconut Fudge is one I'm banking, because Clare's right fudge does make great gifts.  It is something I find quite dangerous though. I mean one moment it's there and then the next it's gone! 

Please don't say it's just me.

Brownies

Well, I couldn't not include a chocolate brownie recipe when it was offered could I?  These Best Ever Paleo Chocolate Brownies that Renee from Mummy Tries shared look gorgeously squidgy - just as a brownie should be.  My usual go to recipe for Brownies is Nigella's Everyday Brownie recipe, partly because it's easy and partly because I love that she has an everyday recipe.

I think though that I'll be giving these a try because if they look that good, they must taste good too.

Cupcakes

Because cupcakes should be even more everyday than Brownies.  These Coconut Banana Cupcakes by Galina over at Chez Maximka just go to show that everyone needs a good cupcake recipe in their repertoire. There's banana in the cake - which must make it almost healthy - and these could be a good lunchbox addition for the days that I need something with icing on.

 

Thanks ladies, I'm definitely inspired and now itching to start getting more adventurous (for me) with this new-to-me ingredient. If you've a favourite recipe, I'm keen to hear about it - let me know in the comments - or let me know if you're planning to try one of these recipes yourself.

 

Thanks also to Vita Coco who sent me a jar of coconut oil to try, with these inspirational recipes I'm ready to be more adventurous.

Your essential guide to creating the perfect sleep sanctuary

At the end of a busy day, you should be able to step into your bedroom, close the door and forget about life’s stresses and strains. To help ensure your bedroom is a haven of relaxation and tranquillity, here's an essential guide to creating the perfect sleep sanctuary.

Select a showstopper bed

Without a doubt, the most important piece of furniture in your bedroom is your bed, so don’t settle for second best. To really wow choose a showstopper design, like an exquisitely detailed French bed complete with opulent headboard. These can make a real style statement, and you’ll feel like royalty when you slide between the sheets each night.   

If you’re looking to save money but don’t want to sacrifice aesthetics, a great alternative to replacing your current bed is to get a new headboard. You can take your pick from a selection of designs that will add instant star quality to your sleeping space. For example, specialist suppliers Crown French Furniture offer elaborate headboards in rattan, carved, sleigh and upholstered designs.    

Of course, no bed is complete without a supportive mattress and crisp cotton sheets, so don’t skimp on those.

Make sure your storage is spot on

Clutter is a definite design faux-pas if you’re trying to create a luxurious sleeping area, so you’ll need to find the perfect storage solutions. Sizeable wardrobes and drawers, and the addition of useful extras like bedside tables and ottomans, can help ensure you have a home for all your clothes and knickknacks.

For the best results, make sure these furnishings complement each other, and your bed, in terms of their style and colour. A mish-mash of designs can lead to a confused, chaotic look and that's not something that will make your bedroom a calming space.

Layer your lighting

So that you can create the perfect ambiance at the flick of a switch, it’s important to layer the lighting. If you can, fit dimmer switches to your overhead and wall lights, and make sure you have cute bedside lamps to bring extra personality to your room.

You might also want to include some subtle fairy lights in this space. Whether you position these tiny bulbs around your bed or along your wall, or you tuck them away in a glass vase, they can bring a little magic to your room.

Add those all-important finishing touches

Once you’ve got the main elements of your bedroom in place, you can turn to those crucial finishing touches. Whether that's adding a scattering of pillows and cushions and sophisticated throw to your bed or placing your favourite prints on the wall and dotting delicately fragranced candles or diffusers around the space, there are a host of accessories that will help bring your revamped bedroom together.

Whether you’re planning a full facelift or if you simply want to tweak your space these design suggestions should give you the inspiration you need. Good luck!

 

This is a collaborative post with Crown French Furniture, a family-run business who sell beautiful furniture and aim to help put the heart back into your home.

Your crowning glory?

So are you proud of your crowning glory, or do you suffer from bed head?  Actually I'm a yes to both of those. I love my asymmetrical 'do' but I suffer terribly from bed head - for me there's a bit at the back that suits itself, regularly.  

This week was a hair cut week and for the past year or so I've had my hair cut at home, and it's great. For the first time I persuaded MOH to have his done too.  His style is shaved all over and he often does it himself, he's very much a Barbers man, rather than go to a hair salon. But he survived having his hair cut by my hairdresser.

We both have flecks of grey now, and each of us blame the other for causing them (clearly it's not due to our age!) but thankfully neither of us are losing our hair.  Even though MOH's hair is cut short, there's still quite a lot of it - as our kitchen floor found out earlier this week!  I'm more likely to moult, but even so there's still plenty of hair left to clog up the plughole the next time I wash my hair, apparently...

In fact losing my hair isn't something I've thought about. But lots of people - often men - do. The Harley Street Hair Clinic have an infographic which shows how men feel about going bald. There's some interesting stats in there...