A look back over the summer!

I have had a pretty up and down summer this year, not managed to have a holiday but spent time with my friends and family up north, got my creative on and had a beautiful garden. I have had some fab crafting competition wins and been featured in a few magazines which i am really proud of as i have really just begun crafting :-) I have also had some rotten health issues that today are absolutely driving me mad! I have no energy and have not managed to get out of bed today (even though the past week i have only made it as far as the couch) So i decided today would be a fab day to look back at the good things and maybe perk me up a bit!

Here are a few pictures taken while in Hull at my Aunties and around the Yorkshire coast.

A reminder of the yummie food i can have on my diet as i have fallen off the wagon the past 2 weeks but tomorrow i am back on it :-) 

Some of the loves of my life :-) The people and fur babies that make it all worth while <3

Piccies of my garden and the beautiful sunflowers, my home town, some animals and insects i've rescued over the summer and the storms which have been pretty intense this year, but i have loved every min of them.

Finally some of my blog post creations and pretties i've made for projects or for fun and to share tutorials with you all. I promise there will be lots more to come from me over Autumn and beyond once i shake this episode off which i am hoping will move on sooner rather than later! But i do have restriction friendly posts coming up :-) 

Have a look though your phone and smile about summer! 

Enjoy the rest of your sunday everyone 

Emmie xxx

Szechuan Beef Slimming world friendly Recipe

Anyone who knows me knows how much i love food!! I am currently following the slimming world plan as calorie counting and portion control isn't for me at all, i gain weight easilyand very quickly when my body isn't playing the game but this plan if i stick to it works even if it's only 1/2lb a week, it's 1/2lb off and not on. Anyways one of my all time fave foods is Chinese and luckily i have a Chinese Uncle that is an amazing chef who i have been lucky to learn from over the years and adapt what i have learnt into Slimming world friendly recipes. I love beef and especially Chinese style and am really into szechuan so i decided to share my recipe with you.

What you will need..........

Frying Steak

3 Spring Onions

1 Onion Sliced

75ml Beef Stock

1tsp Sesame oil (2syns)

Frozen peas

1 Green Pepper

2tsp Szechuan peppercorns Whole

2 Garlic Cloves

1tsp soy sauce

1tbsp Artificial sweetener

Rice

To start off prep your ingredients......

Start by cooking your rice as you do or instructed. Then begin the prep (my lovely man does mine for me as i can't use knives without injury) by peeling and slicing the onion, roughly chop the spring onions, chop the pepper, crush the peppercorns, make up the stock and add the soy sauce to it and cut the beef into thin strips trimming all the fat off. Chinese cooking is usually very quick in beginning to end cooking process so it's better to have your ingredients ready to go.

Add your oil to the pan and heat until smoking then add the garlic to brown off.

Add the strips of beef and cook for 4 mins on a high heat constantly stirring.

Crush the szechuan peppercorns ready to add while the beef is cooking.

Add the onions and cook for another 2 mins.

Add the crushed peppercorns, peas, peppers and spring onion and cook for 1 min

Add the stock and boil for 2 mins 

Lastly add the sweetener and stir in then cook for 1 min then serve on a bed of rice and enjoy...

This dish is just  2 syns for the whole lot of it, win win situation! 

Eventually got here

Well after a long time waiting for a lot of factors to click into place so i could eventually get to this point, but at last i am here and ready to jump into blogging with both feet. Iv'e got my new swanky laptop and my gorgeous new camera so i am ready to play. I have dabbled with blogging before but this time i am on it and ready to do it and do it regularly and properly. What i will be bringing you are lots of gorgeous recipes for everyone including lots of gluten free, slimming world and other yummies, but my true passion is crafting and i shall be sharing lots of tutorials, hints and tips on paper crafting, recycling, reusing, frugal shopping, home made pretties and shabby chic home items to name but a few. I hope you enjoy being here and and will look forward to any comments and feedback you may have for me.