The Zero Fuss, Zero Added Sugar Bake: Banana & Oat Cookies

Today's sweet treats are something a little different. I found the recipe for these online when looking for ideas to use up over ripe bananas. These little bites require minimal effort in the making and 35 minutes in the oven to bake.

For this bake you will need:

• two large ripe bananas
• 1 cup poridge oats
• 0.5 tsp cinnamon
• 0.5 tsp butter or olive spread.
• 0.5 tsp sugar (optional, I ended up trying without and they were fine)
• a quarter cup of raisins

Mash the bananas in a mixing bowl with a wooden spoon. Add the cup of oats and cinnamon (in retrospect this was a LARGE half tea spoon, no wonder they tasted pretty strong!)

Add the butter and raisins and mix well into the other ingredients. The mixture will start to loosen but this isn't a problem as the cookies do not need rolling.

On a greased/lined baking sheet spoon the mixture into approx 12 small mounds and slightly flatten with a dampened tea spoon. They will not spread outwards while baking so you don't need to be too careful at this stage.

Bake in the oven at 350 degrees F for approx 30-35 minutes until the cookies are crunchy on the outside. The texture of these is spongy on the inside (almost like a banana bread) but the oats and raisins give added texture. Leave to cool before serving.

These are great as a slightly less guilty snack or even served in a more sinful way as large banana-ry granola bites with yoghurt or ice cream.

Are you going gluten-free or catering for someone who is? I would love to know you're fave homemade treats in the comments below.

The Weekend Round-up

Last weekend's post seemed to go down quite well so I thought I would write another Sunday edition of what we got unto this weekend. Saturday was a fairly slow start, I cooked eggs for breakfast and the sight of this smiley one made me chuckle in my bleary eyed state.

We then had errands to run and Jake needed a haircut so we drove to our local town fairly early (11am) before the rest of the world woke up and all tried to get in the same car park...we've played that game before. Alone in John Lewis I perused the Chanel and Clinique counters and made a few cheeky purchases. I also picked up my FAVOURITE bargain find for the summer which I will review on Tuesday.

Home from a busy morning of battling with the masses it was time for a cup of tea and a shortbread. These chocolate chip cuties are from Sainsburys and are a great addition to your coffee table if you have guests, not to mention the adorable scottie dog. Saturday then descended into a typical rainy day of getting bits and pieces organised (I broke out my new accordion file (see Friday's post here).

Sunday was a much brighter day. Laundry out on the line, lunchtime supplies gathered we debated going to have a mooch around a local retail park at some home bits. As soon as we got in the carpark (or should I say queue for the car park!!) we decided that it was not worth the madness and instead we went for a drive in the countryside.

We ventured to a small village called Lapworth where we have half been looking at a house, and my gosh it's beautiful! We parked up and went for a long walk by the canal enjoying the sunshine and half looking for this house. In the end we gave up as we couldn't pin point it and watched as many of the narrow boats made their way through the locks.

A short walk in the other direction along the canal yield the holy ground of a Sunday walk...the Pub! We sat outside in the gorgeous pub garden, Jake had a Cornish Doonbar Ale (can take the man out for the west country...) and I had a lime and soda (living on the edge) and enjoyed the end of a beautiful afternoon. 

Getting out into the country is good for the soul and on the drive home we both felt more relaxed and at ease for the week ahead.

Whats your favourite sunday afternoon? I would love to know.

Stationary Addicts Anonymous...Head This Way?

I have been known to be easily lured in by a new notebook and will admit that I have a  truly unacceptable collection of post-it notes, stationary addict? Oh yes! I recently started a new project which ALWAYS in my mind requires a new notebook, so to Staples I ventured and it did not disappoint. The Martha Stewart Collection is quite possibly the most feminine stationary that Staples have to offer with the majority of their collection being in this gorgeous duck egg colour, a demure chocolate brown or a gorgeous cream.

The first thing I picked up was what I actually went in for, a notebook. This one is a good size, somewhere between A5 and A4 and unusually for a side bound notebook it opens completely flat which means it is easy to write on both sides of the pages. It was all going so well at this point, until I spotted the Buy on Get One Free stickers...which led to the rest of the cheeky purchases.

I also decided that for my new project I would also need some NoteTabs. These were also on the BOGOF offer and I couldn't decide what else I would like so I got two packs for £3.50. 

And then with another 'free' item left to chose I picked the Accordian File in duck egg which I have been wanting to pick up for a while. Since Jake and I have lived together we have managed to keep important documents in nowhere short of about 4 separate places. Something that has been on my to do list for a while is to shred anything old/irrelevant and file the important bits for both of us in just the one safe place. With the weather set to be a bit pants this weekend it sounds like a great rainy day job.

Anyone joining me for SA meetings?? Sign up below.

Summer Shoes Showdown

So the sun has finally decided to show its face for more than a single day *apologies in advance for jinxing it* which means its time to rethink summer footwear. It's time to bare those toes in some of this summer's offerings. A capsule shoe collection if you like with something for all occasions.

The Go-To Wedding Shoe [Similar available from Kurt Geiger]

A nude court shoe is a summer wedding essential. The concealed platform meals that these will be comfy all the way into the small hours and the colour will go with just about any summer dress. A great way to make your legs look longer and complete an elegant look. These are no longer on sale but KG and many other brands launch similar year on year.

The Smart Sandal [Available from Office, RRP £32]

A smart sandal is a great addition to your summer shoe line up. Smart enough that it can be dressed up and worn to work while still letting the air at your toes. These ones from office are great with a slightly elasticated back which make them super comfy all day. They also do the same sandal in black or champagne and I must say I have been tempted to get the full range.

The Rainy Day Shoe [Available from Superdry, RRP £20]

Lets face it, during our lovely English summer there will be many an occasion when open toed sandals are just not going to do the trick. Squelchy toes no longer with these boat shoes from Superdry. They will keep your toes dry, prevent wet flip flop slippage (can't be the only one to have stacked it in flip-flops in the rain?) and keep your outfits looking fresh. A great alternative to boring back ballet flats!

The Ultimate Flip Flop [Available from Havaianas, RRP £22]

And then last but by no means least, the flip flop. A summer staple and my every day footwear of choice. So comfy it doesn't feel like your wearing anything at all? That is the ticket! Havaianas have been around for years and although pricey really are the creme de la creme of flip flops. They will outlast any cheap nasties and are instantly comfy. This Luna style has an additional ankle strap which I think is great, it makes them easier to walk around a bust town in (people won't walk on the back of them) and means that you can also drive in them. Thumbs up all round.

What are your summer shoes of choice? I guess now the only challenge is to decide on a pedicure colour??!!

Off to Glasto? Your Feet Will Thank You for Reading This First

Wellington Boots. While many people like to go for the sophisticated and classic blue and green style Hunter Wellies, mine are more of an ode to my childhood and the bright glossy wellies of the early 90's.

I do actually have a pair of long navy blue Hunters which I have had for years and despite mud, muck and horse are still going strong. They are however a bit of a faff to get on and off and do get incredibly warm in the summer so perhaps wouldn't be my first choice of festival boot. These however are something special.

The short boots benefit from being a more manageable size and slip on more easily for 'in and out of tent shoe requiring missions'. They come in either the classic style (more matt) or this high gloss finish and in a beautiful range of colours.

I chose this Fuchsia pink pair as the Mint ones were out of stock so my attempts at grown up sophistication were quickly forgotten as my heart took over and my mouth said "pink" to the sales assistant in Kurt Geiger.

I plan to wear these to brighten up the laborious task of sorting out our new garden while listening to Glastonbury loudly on the radio. Ankle deep in mud and loving life? You can take the girl out of Devon......

Available from Hunter

On the Go Luxury: Chanel Les Beiges Retractable Kabuki Brush Review

So this isn't the snappiest titles blog post I've ever written but it is an honest description of my latest coup. This brush has been toying with me for a while. A luxury travel brush that exudes chic when touching up a little afternoon shine. Sounds perfect. It is Chanel however, so while that does mean gorgeous it does NOT mean budget friendly. A necessity? Absolutely not.

The Chanel Les Beiges powders have been out for just over a year now and they are fantastic. Sheer enough that you never look cakey but will instantly see to any lingering shine. Fantastic stuff. This brush first caught my attention last autumn when I bought the powder compact (I got B20) but I ummmed and arghhed too long and this limited edition beauty was all gone. Until now. A re-release for Summer 2014, it's back and this time I couldn't pass it up.

The retractable brush is great for handbags as it means there is no danger turning the inside of your handbag 50 shades of beige. I will also be swapping this out for my usual powder brush on holiday as a space saver. The brush itself is ultra soft as you would expect from Chanel, it almost feels like velvet. It is fairly densely packed so it picks up a moderate amount of product. Great for pressed powder in sheer/translucent shades but this is NOT the one to use for bronzer or you risk looking very Katie Price.

Personally, I am very pleased with this purchase and I hope that I will continue to look tres chic reaching for it in my handbag for years to come. Now if only i could so easily incorporate eau de chic into every other aspect of my life?!

Available from Department Stores (John Lewis/HoF) & Chanel Concessions UK Wide

PS: Shoutout to the amazing Chris from Chanel in John Lewis Solihull for being an absolute babe of a sales assistant!

Wimbledon Starts Today...It's Scone O'Clock

With the start of Wimbledon today this is one recipe that you need to break out in time for Murray to take centre court. Again it comes courtesy of Mary Berry's Complete Cookery Course and is a great staple.

For this bake you will need:

• 350g Self Raising Flour
• 1.5 tsp Baking Powder
• 30g Caster Sugar
• 75g Raisins/Sultanas
• 85g Butter/Olive Spread
• 2 Large Free Range Eggs (beaten)
• 150ml Milk

This recipe follows in a similar vain to my previous, bung it all in, mix with wooden spoon, hope for the best. So to start pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees fan, gas mark 7. Sieve the flour and baking powder into a large mixing bowl and then either rub the butter into the mix or add melted butter and stir to produce breadcrumbs.

Once this is done, add the caster sugar and dried fruit. Mix these into the bowl with a wooden spoon.

Beat the two large eggs and add to the mixture before adding the milk. 150ml is a guide, personally I found that this was too much milk so did not add it all. We are looking for a mix that can be formed into a dough, not too sticky but with all the dry ingredients combined into the dough.

Once you have a dough it needs to chill in the fridge to allow the butter to re-solidify so that it is easier to roll. Wrap in clingflim and place to chill. 30 mins in the fridge or 10 mins in the freezer should do the trick.

Once chilled and out of the fridge, flour lightly a work surface and roll the tough to 2cm thick. Use a cutter to produce your scones. I picked a medium size but late is probably preferable. Cut out the scones until you run out of dough, re roll and repeat the process. The recipe should make about 10 large or 15 medium scones.

Place the scones onto a baking sheet and brush lightly with milk/egg wash to brown them up during baking. Once in the oven set a timer for 10 minutes to check on the scones. My dodgy oven took 13 minutes on the middle shelf.

Place on a wire rack to cool before transferring to a air tight cake tin/plate and serving with cream and jam. These scones should keep for unto three days but BY FAR are best eaten on the day. They can however be gently reheated in the oven on day three to revive.

These scones are slightly breeder than those served in a traditional cream tea. Now it may be my Devon roots showing through but I personally prefer my Grandma's recipe (which I will write up when I try it) with a more crumbly scone. Nonetheless these I am sure will not hang around long in our house and the biggest debate will be this...which goes first, the cream or the jam???

The Weekend Round-up

So this is a little different. I don't usually blog on the weekend but I was flicking through some of the pictures I've taken over the past two days and decided to share. Saturday was started off with a bowl of porridge and strawberries in bed while catching up on my YouTube subscriptions. Jake decided that Saturday would be the day of reckoning for our garden so fuelled on porridge I got up and set to work.

Of course every keen gardener needs a pair of trusty wellies. These bright bad boys are from Hunter and are the shorter length boots that are great for summer and festivals (full post coming on Wednesday, just in time for Glasto). Kitted out and ready to go we spent a few hours hacking at the chaos outside, mowing the lawn (not my job) and thwarting a 9ft thistle (my job :s) before deciding that enough was enough and the garden was just about presentable for a BBQ.

BBQ lit and I decided that I would make a pitcher of Pimms for one...in a pint glass. Yes I am that classy. It also wasn't my only pint of Pimms, but the less said about that the better. The men took charge of the meat, I made an Orzo Salad (recipe here) and also a Moroccan Fruited Giant Cous Cous salad. All very tasty. Sadly we lost the men to the football around 8pm but even I have to admit (quietly) that the Ghana Vs Germany game was pretty entertaining.

So Sunday morning rolls around, a LONG trip to the local recycling centre to dispose of garden waste ensues, but all made better by coming home to an elevenses of homemade scones (recipe tomorrow morning, ready for Wimbledon). Served with clotted cream (first) and a fruity jam (second) these little beauties are what June is all about.

Note: The jam then cream Vs cream then jam debate is long running on our house, but I am right I am sure of it. The other way around just seems wrong! Jammy knife in the clotted cream? I think NOT!

Big Bazongas? The Strapless Bra that Dreams are Made Of

Never in my life did I think that I would be posting pictures of my underwear on the internet! For this however I will make an exception. As a disclaimer, this post is mainly targeted at ladies who aren't exactly small of chest. While this bra is excellent and I am sure is equally good for smaller breasted women also, I can only recommend based on my own experience.

Before I discovered this strapless bra from Wonderbra I honestly thought that I would never be able to go for a strapless dress again unless it was boned as traditional strapless & multiway bras are honestly useless once you venture above a C cup. As a 34f I was beyond hope....or so I thought.

I first discovered this bra *well not this one, it's new* about three years ago and I was amazed at how well it did it's job. Gone are traditional underwires and in their place are plastic 'hand like' structures inside the cups. These are designed as if you were holding your own boobs up (see illustration on the back of the packaging below).

It honestly defies gravity and keeps everything well in it's place. Available in a number of colours, if you can only afford one, go for the nude. It will not show under anything, particularly white summer tops and while not the most glamorous piece in your possession I am sure, my gosh it will be the most useful!

These do need some care and attention while washing, gentle/hand wash and avoid stuffing into a draw as the plastic inner supports may crack over time. This is my third purchase of this Wonderbra. The first lasted years, the second got left on holiday *sob* and then this one was a bargain purchase on offer in Debenhams. Keep an eye out in most department stores as they are often on a promotion. 

At a retail price of £34 they align with prices in Bravissimo and it is available from a 30A to a 38G. It is worth trying one on however. I recommended the bra to my mother (it's a family trait) and although she is petite, she found her Wonderbra tight across the back so you may need to size up if you are between sizes.

Currently £10 off, available from Debenhams Online

Long Lasting Lips

Super long lasting lip colours seem to be the flavour of the month with great releases from both the high end concessions and the highstreet alike.

The most recent release is the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet which is a long lasting liquid lipstick that dries to a matt finish. The formula is good and surprisingly not drying on the lip. I find that if I blot between coats to layer the colour then I get a long lasting result that wears evenly. No lines around the outside of your mouth here!

The colour as you can see below is a vibrant red, this shade is 01 and is a true pillar box red. The camera is showing is as slightly more orange than is true. A great bold lip and perfect as a handbag emergency colour for when you need to quickly vamp up a look. At £8.99 these won't break the bank either although it may be hard not to go out and buy every shade in the collection. (Available from Boots)

The second offering is more of a muted every day colour and I bought this one with the intention of wearing it to work. L'Oreal L'Extrodinare Liquid Lipsticks are available in 9 shades and boast to have the colour intensity of a lipstick, shine of a gloss and softness of a balm. This rosy pink is shade 101.

Personally while this one makes a nice lipgloss I don't think it has great staying power. Things seem to wear after the first drink and go downhill from there. As the formulation wears off it also seems to drastically dry out my lips. 

As you can see the colour is pretty enough but doesn't look drastically different to a good gloss. Again for £8.99 (available from Boots) this one won't break the bank but Tanya Burr's new Lip Glosses are £6.99 (available from Superdrug) and have a more even formula.

And finally, the most talked about lip product of the last few years? The YSL Glossy Stain. This one is in the shade 103. Bought on a whim to cheer me up one rainy day over the winter, this is possibly my most underwhelming YSL purchase ever. 

The colour in the packaging is lovely, a pale fuchsia colour with a blue undertone. On the lips however as you can see below it translates with a lot more red. I also struggle not to find this product streaky. Two or three coats are needed to build up the colour and unless you have recently exfoliated your lips, it will drag and catch on any dry skin.

I also haven't been too impressed with the staying power of this lip product nor how it wears. I seem to end up with the dreaded ring around my lips after less than an hour. I will balance this however by saying that hundreds of people rave about the glossy stains and it could easily be down to user error on my part. That said I *personally* don't feel it is worth its £25 price tag (available from John Lewis).

What is your go to steadfast lip choice? I would love to know in the comments below.

The Best Thing to Come Out of the World Cup? Benefit Beauty Score

Everyone loves a travel mini right? Well this new 'world cup' edition beauty kit from Benefit will makeup for the fact you may not get your other half back for another FIVE weeks!

The Beauty Score makeup set (available here) retails for £29.50 and given the size of some of the samples relative to the full size products actually represents pretty good value for money (on average £2.90 per item, actually calculated value will be posted below). The set contains 10 luxury samples which are the perfect size for on the go makeup bags or an ultra light holiday makeup bag.

I have never actually tried any of the skincare offerings from Benefit before so I am excited to try this eye cream. It promises to 'fade dark circles' as they all do, so I will perhaps report back in the future. This will be handy for travelling home however as you get a 3g sample which will last at least a couple of weeks given how little eye cream you generally need. The full size product is 14g and retails for £25.50 so this works out as being worth £5.46. A great way to try a quite expensive product without committing to the full size version. 

The next sample is of the best selling bronzer Hoola. This is the bronzer I use daily so I was quite excited that I would have a smaller more manageable travel size version to chuck in my makeup bag when jetting off on holls. The bronzer is completely matt and great as a contour as well as a general face warmer-upper. 

The full size version is just over twice the size at 8g but retails for £23.50 therefore this sample is actually worth £8.81.

As a long time fan of Benefit's Coralista I have never tried Bella Bamba as I always thought they were too similar to justify spending another £23.50 on, particularly as in recent years the boxes have gotten a lot smaller as I noticed when comparing my newer Hoola to my old box of Coralista.

This blush is more pink/blue toned than the peachy Coralista and I am sure will look fantastic with a tan. A subtle shimmer runs throughout and means you could easily go without highlighter. Travelling light? Yes please.

Again the full size of this £23.50 for 8g so this sample is also worth £8.81

I have already written about my love for the That Gal Primer in my empties post (here) so I will leave that for you to peruse. This sample is 7.5ml and I was honestly SHOCKED to find out the the full size version only holds 11g!! The packaging of the full version is MUCH bigger and would have you believe it holds far more. Anyhow, the full version retails for £22.50 therefore this sample is worth £15.34.

The Porefessional Primer is a new to be cult classic in the making. I like the formula of the product but I haven't much more that swatched it. This is again a 7.5ml sample of the full 22ml version (available here, RRP £24.50) so is noticeably better value for money than the that gal primer. This sample works out as being worth £8.35.

Another Benefit best seller, the They're Real mascara is raved about across the internet by beauty bloggers. I have previously had a sample of this but on discovering it had a plastic brush I passed it on to a friend. I am now determined to give it ago however given my mascara trials of late.

This sample is 3g compared to the full size product which is 8.5g and retails for £19.50, therefore this sample is worth £6.88 and is a good way of seeing if the product lives up to it's name before shelling out for the full size product rather than sticking with hughstreet alternatives.

Both of these products are ones I've owned over the years but are not currently in my makeup stash. High beam is a liquid highlight which is great applied on the top of the cheekbones and blends nicely with other cream based blushers and bases. A word for the wise, it doesn't like being put on top of powders so this one is a dewy skin day only kinda gal.

This sample and all the other small tubes are 2.5ml and come with a small doe foot applicator. Personally I think these are a great way of taking away your fave products without looking like you've packed half of Boots! The full size of the High Beam is £19.50 (13ml), so the sample works out at being worth £3.75 so not the best value of the bunch but mighty handy all the same.

The Benetint is the original version of Benefit's cheek and lip stains and is still going strong. A pink hued red looks good on most skin tones and is great as a jack of all trades product. I do find that this needs blending quickly to avoid 'dot' marks, so do one cheek at a time!

The full size 12.5ml Benetint retails for £24.50 so this smaller sample is worth £4.90.

I have never tried this next sample so I am looking forward to giving it a go. Ooh La Lift is an under eye brightening boost that promises to perk up tired eyes like an instant facelift. Bold claims so I will report back in the future as to it's success. It can be applied on bare skin or over makeup.

The full size product is 7g for £17.50 which means that the 2.5g sample is effectively worth £6.25

And then last but no means least, the Benefit Stay Don't Stray Primer for concealers and eye shadows. I have never considered using a primer for concealer but those with greasier eye areas may find that this keeps everything in place all day. I would liken the formulation to Urban Decay's primer potion. A smudge over each lid is all that is needed to keep eye shadows from creasing. The full size version is 10ml at £20.50, therefore the sample is worth £5.12.

Overall, I think this set offers a great range of products and is an affordable way to test out new products before committing to buying the full size version. The total value of the set is just shy of £77 and comparing the size of the samples to that of the full size products was definitely illuminating!! I would encourage you to do the same.

A great summery set ready to be packed in a suitcase headed for somewhere hot and sunny. I guess the only dilemma left is where to go, and if I left during the World Cup would Jake notice??