Recipe: Healthy Sugar-Free Chia Seed Cake

I love to bake… well, I love to eat cake, so they’re part and parcel of the same interest. However I’m a bit of a sugar addict and I’m actively trying to eliminate as much of the bad stuff from my diet as I can. So, I experimented in the kitchen and came up with this cake; it’s yummy if I do say so myself.

I’ve replaced the sugar with agave syrup which has a Glycaemic Index that is 5 times lower than sugar, meaning you don’t get blood sugar spikes. I also added healthy chia seeds that not only add a delicious crunch to the cake but are packed full of Omega 3s.

Ingredients.
4 Organic eggs
200g Natural Agave Syrup
225g Self-raising flour
2 tsp Baking powder
1 tbs Vanilla essence
10g Chia Seeds
225g Butter or Margarine

For filling.
Sugar-free raspberry jam, or make a coulis by reducing the a punnet of raspberries in a pan and adding agave to taste
Mascarpone or cream – add some powdered artificial sweetener to sweeten, or icing sugar if you feel naughty.

Method. 
1. Pre-heat oven to about 170c
2. Grease 2 baking tins
3. Blend all ingredients together (doesn’t matter about the order, just bung them in)
4. Bake for about 20-25mins or until a golden brown. *The agave will result in a darker colour than normal sugar, so don't worry if it looks overdone
5. Leave cakes to cool on a wire rack
6. Spread jam and cream filling on cakes and sand which together
7. Finish with a dusting of icing sugar or vanilla powder
8. Enjoy!!


I’d encourage you to mess around with this recipe, substituting what you like, trying to make it healthier… or more sinful. The basic recipe is a good base though, but mainly it tastes delicious!

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Diptyque Mimosa Candle Review

I’m a huge fan of Diptyque candles, for the obvious reasons that they look amazing and are a bit of a fashion status symbol, but also because their scent and quality is unrivalled.

Everyone likes a scented candle but until you’ve burned one of these babies you’re missing out – the scents are strong enough to fragrance a whole room without being overpowering and the use of high quality essential oils and spices means that the smell is deliciously relaxing. They even give off a fragrance when not being burned!

The Mimosa candle is ideal for those of you who favour fresh, clean scents – with a floral fragrance that evokes spring the Mimosa candle works best in an airy living room or hallway.

Selfridges £20

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#REVIEW & Other Stories 7:e Våningen Candle

The packaging of this candle rivals any designer one but for a fraction of the price. You can inject some of that cool Scandinavian aesthetic into your home so simply with one of these lovely-looking beauties (there are 6 to choose from).

I chose the 7:e Våningen named after & Other Stories Stockholm atelier - a fresh and clean scent that would make a welcome addition to any bedroom or bathroom - especially with it's matte white pot and natural label.

& Other Stories £17

SHU UEMURA EYELASH CURLERS REVIEW

They say that this medieval looking contraption is the be-all and end-all when it comes to eyelash curling, so I thought I'd better try it.

Having been a false eyelashes devotee for many years I've never really bothered with curlers but now that I favour a more natural look (less truly is more) I'm looking to tools that enhance my natural features.

The Shu Uemura curlers are so easy to use and the curved shape means they get right into the base of the eyelash giving you lots of lift and opening up the eyes.

I tried out the curlers on a no-makeup day at work and got lots of comments along the lines of how rested I looked. 

While this cult beauty tool may not have the wow factor of others it's an essential tool for your makeup bag, especially on days when you want to forgo the eye makeup.

Selfridges £18

#REVIEW & Other Stories Tangier Tales Fragrance

Swedish high street powerhouse & Other Stories are renowned for their cosmetics - their makeup and skincare is as good as their clothing and accessories with sleek minimalist packaging and, of course, it's great quality.

I ran out of my signature scent Ambre Sultan and being a little skint I didn't want to shell out the £75 so I decided to give one on Stories scents a whirl. At a purse-pleasing £26 the perfume comes in a chic glass bottle with a fabric label.

The fragrance is fresh yet rich with notes of juicy pear mellowing to a deep spicy Amber - I've had lots of compliments, there are 5 other scents in the range which you can view here.

December Beauty Favourites

1/ B.PURE MICELLAR WATER
This micellar water is amazing, gently removing eye makeup with ease which is great for delicate skin. The price tag is nice too.
Superdrug £4.99

2/ NV COLOUR COSMETICS LIPSTICK
This is a flattering everyday red with a long-lasting moisturising formula and nifty magnetic lid so you don't lose it, natch.
Nv Colour Cosmetics £6 

3/ BOBBI BROWN GEL LINER
I've worn this for 10 years and although I've flirted with other eyeliners none come close to the long-lasting jet black goodness of this. A cult classic.
John Lewis £16

4/ SEPHORA SOFTENING FACIAL MIST
The air con in my office managed to dry out even my super-oily skin so a moisturising facial mist is a must for hydrating halfway through the day.
Sephora £12

5/ CHARLOTTE TILSBURY FULL FAT LASHES
This mascara by Kate Moss's makeup artist is the most natural one I've tried - it still lengthens and thickens but you could just get away with pretending those were the lashes you were born with.
Selfridges £22

6/ ILLAMASQUA SKIN BASE
A lovely light base which I mix with moisturiser for a bit of a winter tan - I wear shade 13.
ASOS £27

7/ RIMMEL EYEBROW PENCIL
My desert island item - I could not live without this brow pencil (shade brown/black), it's cheap as chips and the prefect formula and application.
Superdrug £2.99

8/  BOURJOIS ROSE DOR BLUSH
This smells fab and gives your cheeks a rosy glow with a subtle shimmer - it looks beautiful on mixed-race or asian skin.
ASOS £7.99