Lasagna

I thought it was well and truly overdue I shared with you my lasagna recipe with you all,  it a rich full bodyed lasagna, and the sauce is better if you can make and let it simmer for all day.

Ingredients 

4 tablespoons olive oil

1kg beef mince

1 onion diced

1tablespoon minced garlic 

4 tablespoons Italian herb  mix (dried herb mix)

4 tablespoons tomatoe paste

1 tin tomato purée 

1tin crushed tomatoes

1 cup Red wine

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Lasagna sheets ( I like a lot of layers so I don't use heaps of sauce between, maybe 2 1/2 big serving spoon size fulls each layer so I use just 1 1/2 boxes of sheets). 

Bechamel Sauce

60g butter

1/3 cup plain flour 

4 1/2 cups milk 

1 1/2 cup grated tasty cheese

Salt and pepper

Method

Add oil to saucepan and soften onions then add garlic, don't burn then mince and brown, once cooked add tomato paste, dried herbs, brown sugar, (cayenne pepper if you like optional) salt and pepper and combine throughly. Then add tomato purée crushed tomatoes and red wine stir and simmer on a very low heat,  the longer the better for approximately 6 hours, you will have a much richer fuller flavoured sauce. Always taste your food while cooking, so you can adjust your seasonings. (Like my Italian seasonings, I used different brand in this batch, and it didn't have enough oregano for my taste so I just added a little more oregano). 

cheese sauce 

Warm milk in microwave, melt butter in saucepan then add flour, combine until all the flour is taken up, slowly add the milk whisking continually so you don't have any lumps and sauce thickens, add cheese and salt and pepper to taste, you might like to adjust the cheese if you like it really cheesy just add more. Transfer to large jug ( easy way when assembling the lasagna) Always taste you food whilst cooking.

Assembly

In a rectangle baking dish, spoon a little of the sauce on the bottom this just stops the pasta sticking to the bottom. Then place a layer of lasagna sheets, then top with lasagna sauce then pour a thin layer of cheese sauce, repeats the sequence pasta sheets lasagna sauce cheese, making sure you last layer is lasagne sauce cheese sauce then add good handful of grated cheese and sprinkling of dried chives. 

Bake in a moderate oven 160c until golden brown, serve with garden salad and garlic bread. 

I hope you enjoy this recipe, and hopefully it will become a family favourite in your house as it is in ours 

Enjoy Maz xxx 

Coconut Oil and Turmeric Mask

After such great results with the Coconut Oil and Bi-Carb Soda cleanser, I thought I would try a mask, that I had found that also had great reviews. 

 

Mask ingredients 

1/4 teaspoon Turmeric 

1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil

Mix all ingredients together to form a paste 

 

 

Apply to your face and massage in, avoiding delicate eye area, and leave on your face for 15-20 minuites 

Ha ha my skin looks a similar shade to Donald Trump, also whilst I was trialling this mask I indulged my hair in a treatment of Coconut Oil. Just scoop a tablespoon of coconut oil and massage through your hair and leave on as long as you like all day if your have time.

When the time was up I just hopped in the shower and washed it off with my Coconut Oil Cleanser, (see recipients on blog, ) my skin felt amazing I didn't use a toner just moisturised it. 

 

Ta da and this is after, no makeup just moisturised skin, thumbs up from me. My skin is defiantly softer, smoother,  and lighter and brighter. Will defiantly be combining this with my daily cleansing routine, and I'm loving the fact that it an all natural ingredients and inexpensive to make. I hope you get the chance to whip a batch and you enjoy the results.

Maz xx 

Pumpkin Soup

 

This is my Pumkin Soup recipe, normally you would use potatoe but I use sweet potato instead,  because it's a healthier and a better carb and fibre option. 

Ingredients 

1 whole small pumpkin (I love using the "Jap " variety)

2 large sweet potatoes 

2 large brown onions

3 -4 tablespoons chicken stock powder 

Salt pepper 

Water

1/2 cup cream 

Chop everything like picture above them place in a slow cooker or large pot, ( I find the slow cooker gives the best result as you just put everything in a "set and forget).

 

Fill a jug with 2 cups of water and mix stock powder salt pepper then pour over the ingredients, then top up with water to only half way up, ( as the pumpkin and sweet potato will release a lot of liquid). You can add some spices if you wanted to like, ginger, a little chilli, or as a follower suggested she uses a Moroccan spice mix, it's entirely up to you, I keep it plain as my family are a bit fussy. 

 

I cook it on medium heat for  around 6-7 hours, if cooking on the stove just  low slow simmer. When completely soft and cooked through just blitz with a hand blender, you can add  1/2  cup of cream at this stage just and blend it through. Do a taste test at this point you might want to add some more seasoning.

To serve add a dollop of cream, Greek yogurt, or sour cream whatever your favourite is,  then I always add a sprinkling of chopped chives, gives a nice crunch and freshness. Also its delicious served with a couple of slices of toasted sour dough bread lathered with butter. Ta da there you have it my take on Pumpkin Soup, with winter upon us in Australia it's the perfect easy filling meal for a winters night,  and it mandatory that you must be sitting in a lounge chair with your PJs on watching telly with the fire roaring 😂😂👍

Hope you try this recipe, and would love you comments and feed back 

Maz xx

 

Chicken Fajitas

 

Made these healthy delicious Chicken Frjiatas for lunch today, l had all the family over for lunch and it was such an easy way to entertain a large crowd. 

I never measure anything usually when I cook it's just a squirt of this a shake of that, so just adjust the flavours to your liking. This also makes a huge amount easily enough to feed 8 people.

Ingredients 

Oilive oil

4 chicken breasts sliced in half long ways then sliced thinly 

3 red capsicum thinly sliced 

2 onions thinly sliced

1 tablespoon Smokey paprika 

1 tablespoon Cumin

Salt pepper 

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/4 cup Tomato sauce

1/4 cup BBQ sauce

Chilli (if you like it hot) I've got some fussy eaters so I didn't 

Water 

Method

Heat oil in a large pan add capsicum opinion and brown till soft and camamelised you may need to add little water at this stage.

 

Once you have cooked remove from pan add a little more oil and add chicken and cook, then return onion capsicum mixture to the  Chicken and combine all together.

 

Then add smokey paprika, cumin, salt pepper, brown sugar, tomato sauce, BBQ sauce. You may need to add a litte water if you find there's not enough sauce and it's drying out. Stir all your condiments in and simmer and let all the flavours develop, about 1/2 hour, the longer the better but just make sure it doesn't dry out and the heats not too high 

When ready to serve chop some spring onion and scatter on he top it look beautiful if you have a big bowl and people can serve themselves,

 

   

I served mine with smashed avocado cucumber cheese lettuce and sour cream, then wrapped it all up in a warm tortilla, or wrap of your choice ( mine was a chia wrapped in this pic)

Absolutely a stunning simple meal for a crowd, that quick tasty easy and delishious, and looks amazing presented in a large serving bowl. 

I hope you enjoyed this post and  you get the chance to make these amazing little parcels of yummness.

Would love your comment if you liked this recipe and thought it was helpful.

Maz xx

 

  

Coconut Bicarb Soda Facial Cleanser

 

I was fed up the other day with usual store brought cleanser, my skin was dull, dry, enlarged pores, it just looked really tired. So after looking on Pinterest, and a lot of diy beauty sites, I decided to try the Coconut Oil Bicarb-Soda one, due to a lot of good reviews and reports and also the amazing benefits of coconut oil. It's very simple to make and once you have mixed yourself up a batch you can use it daily or every second day like me (I'm a newbie do I'm just taking it slowly just to see how my skin reacts to it). I Also love that it only contains 2 ingredients, and no chemicals. After I used the Cleanser I didn't use a toner, as I don't like the drying effects it has on my skin, I just applied my normal moisturiser . 

How To Make Cleanser 

2 tablespoons Coconut oil

2 tablespoons bicarbonate Soda 

Mix all ingredients together into a paste

Use in shower as you would your normal Cleanser use avoiding your eyes, wash off with water.

 

  

I hope you get the chance to try this as I was very impressed, my skin felt soft, clean, and a lot lighter and brighter. Will defiantly be making a jar for the shower and use it on my body as well, you could add some essentials oils to it as well if you wanted. 

Maz xx 

Banana Blueberry Muffins

 

I made these muffins for a cancer fundraiser today, they were absolutely delicious, and the perfect accompaniment was a drizzle of runny icing and sprinkling  of coconut.

Ingredients 

1 egg

1/3 cup of milk 

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup sour cream 

1 cup mashed banana
2tsp vanilla extract 

2 cups S/R flour

1/2 cup sugar 

1Tbsp baking powder 

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup Blueberries 

 

Method

In a bowl lightly beat egg,  add milk, oil, sour cream, mashed banana, and gently stir. 

In a separate bowl combine sifted flour, baking powder,  sugar, and salt. 

Add all at once the liquid to the dry ingredients and gently fold through until until moistened then add blueberries and stir through. 

Fill prepared muffin tins 3/4 full and bake in oven at 160c for 20 to 25 min or until golden brown.

To make icing place 1 cup icing sugar in a bowl add enough water to make a drizzly consistency about a 1 Tbls, then  use a tablespoon full of icing and hold over muffins and let it run freely over  the top, while still wet sprinkle with coconut. 

 

I doubled the recipe, and used 5 bananas and 2 punnets of blueberries and it made 30 muffins.

Ta da there you have it I hope you have the chance to make these muffins as they are absolutely delish. 

Maz xx

 

 

Makeup Tutorial for Mature Women



Before and after

Hi my name is Maz, I'm 53 and live in the outback of Australia. Over  the years my makeup requirements have changed, from wearing it everyday when I was younger and working full time, to hardly any at all while raising my 4 children, and to now at 53 wearing 50+ sunscreen everyday as necessity of the harsh climate I live in, and maybe a bit of BB cream if going to town (I love the Garnier in medium have tried many brands this is my favourite). I mainly wear makeup if going to a function or special occasion, and love seeing the difference the right makeup can make. I love all my wrinkles and lines they are who I am, and I have earned every single one,  but there is nothing wrong with wanting to put your best face forward, and looking as good on the outside as you feel on the inside.

I have never spent a lot of money on skincare or makeup and don't go to the beautician (have had 2 facials I my whole life) not because I didn't want to, but the cost (having 4 children away at boarding school they were always the priority) and isolation were the main factors. I usually purchased products from chemist or supermarket.(can see another blog post about this)

After noticing my usual foundation really wasn't doing anything, and wasn't getting the fresh dewy finish I was looking for (the joys of getting older and menapause ) I popped into the  cosmetic counter at Myers and got some expert advice, on a recent trip to Dubbo.  I told the consultant my requirements that I don't wear makeup everyday, but when I did I wanted full dewy coverage that lasted and would also even my skin tone. Her recommendation was "Estée Lauder" perfectionist youth-infusing Serum makeup in 3C2 Pebble , $70 shit!! Have never spent that much on a foundation in my life,(my usual foundation was Loreal Lumi Magiqe $30) but thought I'm not wearing everyday so will last, (trouble is it looks so good when you have it on you want to wear it everday). I also purchased a lip gloss their Pure Colour Envy 170 Poten Petal $40  love this colour and it stays on for hours. 

Now the other item that was pricy but was worth it is "Smash Box Primer " this stuff is fantastic, my daughter uses it, and one day I sneaked into her room and tried it, this stuff evens the skin and fills in your pores not totally but enough that you notice, its $53  I have tried a lot of primers and this is my favourite.

Ok so now onto the tutorial, I have taken photos in order of how I apply my makeup, ok here we go..God I hope you think I look better in the after than the before.

Hi, this is my skin cleansed and moisturized ready to apply the makeup

  

This is after I applied the Smashbox Pore Minimizing Primer. I have tried quite a few primers and this is far the best I have used.

I dot the foundation on these areas of my face and use a makeup brush to apply, love using a brush gives
great even coverage but don't get one that's too soft must be firm I purchased mine from Priceline,(just ask consultant they are only too happy to help) apply concealer now if needed I always place some on the tip of my nose as is red from removal of sun cancers.

Next eye shadow, I purchased  this colour palate was from local chemist was not expensive, its totally up to you I brought it because of mixtures of colours, has some gold shimmery ones which would be great for a night function, I love the natural tones. I cover the complete lid in the light cream as this gives a neutral base.

I then use the lightest brown and cover the bottom of the lid and to the outer side

Next I use the shimmery light brown and add it to the area closest to the nose and work out to the centre

Now its up to you how dark you want to go next,  but I used the darkest brown from the centre bottom, and worked up to the centre crease, and out to the side, I also depending if I want a bit more dramatic eye like I have for this tutorial will run a little under the bottom lashes from the outside corner not much but makes the world of difference.

Next I apply my blush, I use a cream blush as you want to continue with the dewy complexion a little on the cheek and then I don't know if this is normal but I brush lightly over the eye area just to blend the colours together. I know all the Makeup artist are most probably having a hear attack but that just what I do.

Then after that its "Brow Time", look I'm not an expert with this but I know you can by all types of kits, I just get mine waxed and tinted when I can and use  an in-expensive brow pencil and fill in the gaps. Then I use a black eye liner pencil and place some from the centre to the outer lid, and only if you want to I run some on the inside of the bottom lid really makes your eyes pop

Then all that's left is some mascara and lippy, I use a lip liner in a shade a little darker then apply my gloss

Ta Ta there you have it, god I hope you think I look better than when I started.

Here are the items I used, and a few of my favourite products

Before and After.

           So there you have it I hope you have found this post helpful and it has given you some useful information, on what makeup I have found that works for me. I would love your comments and feed back if you found this post useful and informative, as I had a lot of fun putting it together for you, and you know my favourite say "Sharing is Caring".

  Also this is a totally independent post I have not been paid in anyway shape of form to promote any of these products within this blog post.


Thanks Maz   xxxxxxx