FOOD: Testing Jamie Oliver's 15 minute chilli con carne meatballs

In our home we love the Food Network. We put it on in the background when we get home, and usually have a watch whilst cooking dinner.
We have our firm favourites - Jamie Oliver and Ina Garten - and we have our little jokes about their cooking styles and techniques - Ina uses an insane amount of butter and dill in almost all her recipes, not necessarily a bad thing, and Jamie throws food around all over the place from a great height, and is like an excitable puppy about food; though it is quite fun to watch and quite infectious!

The thing we like about Jamie Oliver is his love for easy to make, quick food for the whole family. Currently we're a little addicted to Jamie's 15 minute meals. I mean a meal for four in 15 minutes! Unbelievable right?!?

Well a week or so ago we decided to put him to the test - ok Dann di, I'm no chef, but I did take the photos!
We both loved the idea of Jamie's 15 minute Chilli Con Carne Meatballs so thought we'd try it. 

Now - before I go through the recipe and how it went, there is a little disclaimer. Jamie doesn't count prep into the 15 minutes - i.e. boiling kettles, getting all the equipment and ingredients out... so have everything you're going to need, out and ready, before you start the timer. We timed that as taking about five minute to get all the surfaces ready and all the ingredients on chopping boards etc.

LIFESTYLE: 15 things only cat owners will understand

As a cat owner I've come to learn rather quickly that the little fur babies can bring so much joy, and so much aggravation.
Our boys (Archimedes and Dante) are like my little babies and I love them dearly, but you quickly come to realise that cats can cause total anarchy with the swoosh of a tail. But us cat lovers do love sharing our tales of woe and the funny quirks from them that put them solidly in your heart forever.

Here's a few things only cat owners will understand

LIFESTYLE: Why I'm ok not being pregnant right now

So earlier this year I wrote one of the hardest posts I've ever written. I had a miscarriage in 2014 and it very nearly broke me. Anyone who knows me well will know I'm probably one of the broodiest people on the planet, so that loss was huge for me and for Dann. But I did get through it with support and love from some very special people, and they all know how grateful I am for what they did for us.

But since then I have moved on leaps and bounds, and I've come to the realisation that actually I'm ok with not being pregnant, right now. 

I know it's assumed that as soon as you get married you will start a family, and to be honest, that was totally the plan. I mean I fell pregnant six months after getting married. But something's just aren't mean to be. And I've grown to accept that, with some help from my husband and some amazing friends and family.

LIFESTYLE: A morning of chilli and cheese

This was a last minute trip as we only found out about the event two days beforehand, but as food lovers, and particularly cheese and spicy stuff we knew we just had to go to the Chilli and Cheese Festival in Winchester a couple of weekend's ago.

Held in the Devils Hall - behind the River Park Leisure Centre and with beautiful sunshine for the day, this is a must for any food buff. Lots of local, and small business owners had stalls at the event including cheeses, chilli's, fudge, sauces, and drinks. This event particularly catered to families with children with an array of inflatable activities and mini fairground rides.

BLOGGING: #sotonmeetup - meeting the Southampton Bloggers

^^photo from Hairfinity UK^^

On Saturday I attended my very first event as a blogger - the #sotonmeetup, for Southampton Bloggers - add I've definitely caught the blogging bug and made some amazing new friends!

If you'd ask me when I started blogging, or even a year ago if I thought I would be this happy with blogging, I don't think I could have said yes. But I am, because some of the opportunities coming my way, and the overwhelming feedback, just makes me over the moon happy. And this event really did secure my fate of blogging for the foreseeable future, and that the new direction of my blog was the best thing I've done for myself!

LIFESTYLE: Re-finding my inner happiness

I have a somewhat fiery temperament generally. I've always had a flair for the dramatic, even from a young age, and for many years as a teenagers would go from one extreme to the other in personality. I haven't had the easiest, or the toughest of lives. I was always an intensely private person. Some things have been awful and some things have been great.

However, recently I've found that I really didn't like a certain side of myself, and that I wanted to be a better person, both for other people and for myself.

I'm happy to say I'm a much happier person right now. I feel more mellow and easy going. I feel more relaxed and at peace with the person I've become.
A lot of this I realised after seeing family that I haven't seen for a while, who remarked that I had changed in recent months, and seemed more open and happier in general.
And that was both slightly hard to hear, but also good to hear. I'm taking it as a positive however. I've worked hard to learn about myself and to develop myself. And it's a continual journey, but right now I'm happier.

I thought I'd share some personally things - reasons why I think I'm happier now than I've ever really been.

LIFESTYLE: A peek inside our living room

After such an amazing response and lovely comments about my kitchen renovation, I thought I'd share some of the other parts of my home as we are steadily working our way round and making our house into our home.

As you will have seen recently on the blog we moved into our newly bought home back in March, and since then we have been on a mission to overhaul it and make it our own. We actually completed our living room makeover before our kitchen - read about that here - but the change in the kitchen was so much more apparent. However, our living room is super cute and cosy and we really do love being in it so thought I would share some photos of the make-over and where some of our key items are from.