Broccoli & Stilton Soup Recipe

This soup is AMAZING!! I usually make a batch every other week so I don't get tired of it, but to be honest, I don't think I ever will! I make it more often in winter and take it to work with me for lunch to eat with a salad! It is filling and tastes creamy even though no cream is added! I like mine chunky so only blend 3/4 of the batch although you can have it smooth also.

This is adapted from the many recipes online and on Pinterest. Like I do with all recipes, I modify to a few simple ingredients that I more or less have handy all the time!
The soup also freezes well so if I have any left over (very rare) I put it in a Tupperware container and freeze it for another day. To defrost I just leave in the fridge overnight. Add a little water to thin out if it is a bit too thick.

I have many different variations of this soup so once you have the base ingredients you can more or less improvise on adding other ingredients to your own personal taste and preferences!

So, here is the basic recipe below, as well as variations I make to give you some ideas!!

I use frozen chopped white onions bought from Asda. The broccoli is also frozen but defrosted and chopped. If using fresh make sure everything is well washed and chopped to roughly the same size, this ensures everything cooks at the same speed. The smaller you chop the less time it will take to cook so keep that in mind!!

Ingredients for Soup

100g Stilton Cheese
1 large onion, chopped
1 large potato, peeled & cubed (you can also use 5 or 6 baby potatoes)
350g broccoli, chopped & washed
1 liter boiling water
1 vegetable stock cube
1 chicken stock cube (optional)
Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
1tbsp oil for cooking
Salt and pepper

1) Boil water and add the stock cubes. Stir until dissolved and put to one side.

2) Add oil into a medium-large pan and warm over medium heat.

3) Once oil has heated, sauté potatoes until soft (10mins) add onions and sauté until translucent.

4) Add the stock, made earlier, and simmer for 10 mins.

5) Add the broccoli and simmer for another 10 mins.

6) Crumble the Stilton and stir into the soup until melted.

7) Remove from heat and using a blender (I prefer a handheld one) carefully (its very hot) blend up until thick and creamy. If you like your soup a bit chunky, remove some of the cooked broccoli and potatoes. Add back in once you have blended the rest!

8) This is the time I prefer to season my soup as the Stilton is salty so now everything is ready I can taste and add salt, pepper and cayenne until perfect!

9) Serve with warmed buttered crusty bread

Variations & Extras

Instead of onions, use half a leek! Sauté as you would the onions!

I have also tried this recipe with other Blue cheeses and it works great too!!

Other ingredients that can be added: celery, chopped or dried chilli's,  mushrooms, sweetcorn, grated carrot, suede- well any veg but remember that it will effect the taste!

I usually use the rule that if the veg is quite hard (suede & celery) I will add it with the potatoes and cook at the same time, as it is the same density. If the veg is softer such as mushrooms, corn, grated carrot, then this can be added at the same time as the broccoli as it will take less time to cook.

I have no photos but will upload one once I have made it next time!

Enjoy!!

Sam

Perfect Pizza Dough Base Recipe

I absolutely LOVE pizza as they are versatile and basically can be anything you want them to be. You can have a pizza for every mood and they are also great for sharing with friends.

Before I learnt how easy it was to make your own pizza, every time I fancied one I reached for the takeaway menu and I reckon I have spent waaaay too much money on actually finding a decent pizza from a number of different fast food establishments- the majority are disappointing (base too chewy and cheese not good enough are common complaints of mine).

That is when I decided that instead of spending my hard earned cash in pizza shops in search of the perfect base/sauce/topping combo, I would have a bash at making my own! I have made pizza's for friends as well and I am always complimented on them (they love the base best and have said that it is better than the pizza shop!!)

Another benefit of making your own dough is how much money you save as the flour lasts for ages, the yeast can be kept in the fridge and the toppings change to whatever you have in your fridge at the time! I have estimated I can make roughly 5 or 6 large fully topped pizzas for the amount you would pay for just one in you local takeaway (£8.00-£9.00)- and that isn't even using up all the flour and yeast!!

I have a basic recipe for the base but customize it whenever I fancy something a little bit extra.
Don't worry, the thought of making a dough is daunting but it is ridiculously easy (I even make it after a night out on the town)

Mushroom, spinach and pepperoni combo

The Dough Base (adapted from the Basic recipe by Gino D'Ampo)

Ingredients

200g Strong Flour (plus extra for dusting surface for kneading)
2tsp Fast Acting Yeast (or a 7g packet)
140ml Warm Water
1tbsp Olive Oil (plus extra to oil a bowl and a baking tray)
Salt (to taste)

Method
1) Add a drop of oil to a clean large bowl and brush up the sides in a light coating- set aside for later.

2) Add flour into a separate un-oiled mixing bowl and make a well in the middle with a wooden spoon.

3) In this well add the yeast, water and olive oil. Add the salt aswell but not into the well just into the flour around the edge (it may effect the yeast from working if added directly into the well).

4) Mix in with a wooden spoon until you have a dough.

5) Flour your flat surface and turn out the dough on to the dusted surface and begin to knead for 5 minutes (adding more flour if necessary when dough becomes sticky)

6) Once you have finished kneading, shape dough into a ball and place in the oiled bowl, covering the top with some cling-film or a clean tea towel. Leave in a warm place for around half an hour, to allow the dough to prove and double in size.

7) Oil a baking tray and turn on your oven to Gas Mark 6 to warm up.

8) Once your dough has doubled in size, you can either split it in half to create 2 thin crust pizzas or use it all and have a thicker crust pizza (or can make a stuffed crust)

9) Dust the flat surface and begin to roll out your dough using a rolling pin, once at desired size pick the dough up and place onto the oiled baking tray. it is now ready to top with your favourite combos!

10) Once you have added all your favourite toppings, place in pre-heated oven for roughly 15 mins checking every now and then to make sure it is cooked/not burning as all ovens are different!

My Favourite Combos & Extras

When I make my dough I also like to experiment with different tastes and textures so at stage 3 above I usually add something extra to the dough such as dried basil or sesame seeds to give the dough some flavour as well!

I use a shop bought tomato paste and grated cheddar cheese on top of the base. My boyfriend likes BBQ sauce on his base (I'm not a fan of BBQ sauce so I just stick with usual tomato). I sometimes stuff the crust with mozzarella by lining slices around the edge and then folding the crust over and sealing with my fingers.

I sometimes crush fresh garlic into the tomato paste which is gorgeous and a great addition. It pairs really well with the majority of toppings!!

For the toppings, it is usually what I have in the fridge at the time! I always have mushrooms, ham, mozzarella balls  and a spicy sausage (pepperoni or chorizo).
Other toppings I use are: jalapeños, peppers, chopped chili's, chicken, prawns, mussels (any seafood) and spinach, but it is really what ever you fancy at the time (or what you have handy).

Enjoy!!
Sam

Callanetics - 10 Years Younger in 10 hours

I stumbled upon this whilst on Amazon looking to see if Darcey Bussell had anymore DVDs because I love her Pilates for life DVD and the way she teaches so much.
I had never heard of Callanetics before but the amount of stars it had made me curious.
The first thing that I noticed was it was over 3 decades old and I almost clicked off the page but intrigued to find out what Callanetics was I stayed with it and read the reviews.
I was immediately sold, it seems the only complaints that the DVD had was that it was outdated and they found Callan annoying. A bit of a pet hate of mine, the concentration when doing DVDs should be on the moves not what people are wearing or the instructors voice.
Every review claimed they had lost inches in ten sessions or 'hours' as it's referred to.
Callanetics is a system designed by Callan Pinckney, it concentrates on tiny half inch movements of the body and has been likened to Pilates as the movements are small and controlled.
I have spent the last two nights reading every review I can find on Callanetics and I have only came across two which claim it did nothing to them.

My DVD came today (17th June 2014) and I put it straight on, I watched it first before I did it, something which I never do but Callanetics was so alien to me I honestly didn't know what to expect despite watching mini clips and reading non stop about it.

A leotard clan of about 6 or 7 appeared on my screen and I had a giggle as I did the warm up, for about all of five seconds then the giggling stopped, this is serious stuff and you really have to listen to Callan and concentrate on what she is telling you. She stresses throughout the video never to put strain on your back giving you pointers on how to avoid this.

After the warm up is the stomach exercises. Now I have done Tracy Anderson, Pilates, Yoga, Boot Camp DVDs and everything else but NEVER have I felt the sensation I experienced with Callanetics. Rather than an aching sensation I sometimes get with crunches my stomach muscles felt like a hot water bottle, they warmed up, it is so hard to explain. I figured I had done something right because I had previously read about a warm sensation whilst reading other reviews.
The stomach exercises consisted of getting in to a crunch type position but only moving a tiny amount, I wouldn't recommend anyone trying to do these without the help of the DVD, Callan explains exactly what you need to do to prevent injury.

There is a part in the DVD where you need a barre, now obviously like most people I don't own one of these so I used the back of a chair, after the exercises she does show you how you can use a low table or anything to do these exercises.

The DVD is an hour long but you aren't exercising for an hour, there are lots of breaks where Callan is either explaining things to you, demonstrating things or showing you pictures of past successes.

I have only done this DVD once, just today and I am going to carry on with it and update you with my progress. Please read reviews on Amazon, it seems this DVD got lost in translation once VHS turned to DVD format and people forgot about it.

I have high hopes for this DVD and I am hoping it is the toning DVD sensation people are claiming it is. Most reviewers are saying they dropped a dress size with in the ten sessions (ten hours).
I am hoping to lose an inch off my hips, my hips is my problem area.

This is not a weightloss DVD but an inch loss DVD, people have shared their experiences with the DVD claiming to have lost no weight but a lot of inches.

Watch this space, I will be in touch soon!

Charlie

*update - the morning after -  my body feels like it's been worked, not the usual 'new' exercise aches I've had in the past, more like a I've-been-stretched kind of feeling. Everything about Callanetics is unique! * 

Louise Solomon Yogalates for Weight Loss

This DVD was the first DVD I bought when I wanted to lose weight, I hadn’t exercised in years and thought what better way to ease myself in to exercise than a bit of stretching and holding poses.

This DVD is about 50 minutes long. Louise gets a lot of stick on Amazon from customers that find her voice annoying, the way she says ‘belly’ and ‘body’ seem to piss people off enough for them to write paragraphs upon paragraphs of how it grips their shit. To me those people are the type of people who you can never please and want to find any excuse not to exercise. She isn’t annoying, she’s Australian and softly spoken and concentration should be more on what you are doing than listening out for accents that annoy you.

Anyway back to what is important. Does. It. Work.

Yes, this DVD is a great way to ease yourself back in to exercise, it is very very relaxing and Louise explains every exercise, stretch and movement with precision. Louise also explains when to inhale and when to exhale.

The stretches and poses are not difficult however there is a girl in the DVD (Louise’s Daughter) who you can follow is something is particularly challenging for you.

The time flies doing this DVD and although I have had it for over 2 years now I still occasionally put it on. However it is not very challenging and I do only do it to de-stress on stressy days. Having said that, even though it is easy you will feel it the next day, although I wasn’t struggling to breathe and lift a pen like I was with Tracy Anderson’s Mat Workout I could feel slight aches and pains. You will also lose weight and tone up with this DVD as well as gain great posture whilst all the time feeling relaxed. What more could you want?

The DVD has 3 menu options.

The main workout – like I said before this is roughly 50 minutes long. You will do all sorts of yoga moves, the downward dog, the jellyfish and my favourite, childs pose. Doing the exercises I felt very feminine and not the sweaty heffer beast I feel when I do a cardio DVD. This Yogalates DVD won’t make you sweat but I swear it makes you taller!!!!! And also you will lose inches over night with this however I don’t know if these results are lasting as I always use this DVD in conjunction with another.

Instant Abs – 15 minutes of pure abs. On the DVD the 15 minute abs is described as an ‘extreme abdominal workout, designed for even faster results’ personally I wouldn’t call them extreme but I would definitely call them effective.

Relaxation – Louise talks whilst the DVD plays beach scenes with waves etc. She has you laid down and talks you through every part of your body relaxing. I love this, I even use this before bed if I am feeling restless and it helps me sleep. This part of the DVD is amazing and will have you laid on the floor still long after it has ended.

I give this DVD 8/10 I think the main workout could involve more leg work and I would have liked to have held some of the poses for longer which could be achieved by pressing pause I know but it is very hard to press pause when you are doing the dancers pose.

This DVD does do what she tells you it will do, you do lose weight and inches and for an hour a day of basically just relaxing then this DVD is surely nothing more than a miracle?

Charlie

Darcey Bussell Pilates For Life

 

I only found out recently after searching for a Pilates DVD that Darcey Bussell had one out!! My only experience with Pilates is Louise Solomons Yogalates which is a combination of both Pilates and Yoga so Pilates is more or less new to me.

 I waited by the door every day for the post man, anxious to try it. After 3 days he finally handed it over and the feeling of ripping his face off for 2 days of a no show subsided quickly as I ran to my dining room and inserted the DVD.

The DVD is split up into many parts, unlike other exercise DVDs I own the warm up and cool down are not incorporated in to the main work out.

The DVD is split up in to sections;

·         Introduction – Darcey explaining why she does and loves Pilates

·         Warm up

·         Key starter points – helpful tips on how to lay without arching or sinking your back

·         Main Programme – choosing this option will bring up another screen of options so you can break it down in to sections or the full workout

·         Mini programme – I have never used this but it is a quick session if you’re pushed for time

·         Warm down

This DVD is NOT a weight loss DVD, Pilates might help you lose inches but it won’t help you lose fat, Pilates is more for strengthening core muscles and giving you a lean defined body.

The warm up is Darcey stretching and holding light and gentle poses on the beach. Very easy and relaxing.

The main work out which I did in full (I have never split it up) is roughly 50 minutes long and it was excellent. The first thing you notice is how amazing Darcey’s body is, you can see every muscle in her body and she holds poses no matter how hard with complete grace. She guides you through each stretch with accuracy and explains what each move is doing to your body.

I thought there would be an air of snobbery with this DVD with Darcey being a ballet dancer I assumed the whole thing would have been the total opposite of what it is, I thought she would swan in and out of each pose with an expectancy of you to follow suit as quickly and effortlessly as she does but that is not the case. She pauses between moves and nothing is rushed, there is enough time plus more to position yourself properly and enough information for you to be sure you are doing the right thing before you begin each move. She explains that some exercises may be hard but to stick with them as your flexibility will improve.

Darcey lets you know how many times to do each move or how many counts to hold certain moves for but she doesn’t count out loud which is particularly difficult when you have your face planted in to a towel and she tells you to hold a pose for a count of four however this is not a big deal, it is something that can be picked up quickly.

This DVD is easy, easy if you’re flexible anyway and if you aren’t this will get you flexible in time. It is very relaxing and much like Louise Solomons Yogalates you won’t break a sweat but you will feel like you have worked out the day after. There are lots of controlled movements and pose holding stretches which I absolutely love.

If I had to choose between Darcey Bussells Pilates for life and Louise Solomons Yogalates for weight loss I would choose Darcey’s DVD but it is a close call. Darcey’s DVD has what I thought was lacking in Yogalates which is holding poses, Louise Solomon doesn’t seem to hold poses for very long where as some of Darcey’s are held for 10 counts. I feel holding poses improves steadiness and therefore improves the core muscles which is basically what Yoga and Pilates is about.

I have only done Pilates for life 7 times so I can’t comment on if it is working just yet but I have a feeling I am going to get great results from this DVD. I have done my seven sessions consecutively too just because I enjoy it so much but Darcey recommends beginners to do this DVD at least 3 times a week.

I have decided to do this DVD 7 days a week and Yogalates on weekends because I do miss certain moves in Louise Solomon’s DVD. Four hours of Pilates and Yogalates may seem a lot in the space of two days but trust me, these DVDs are relaxing. I look forward to doing them, they aren’t a chore like some exercise DVDs and as a complete stress monster I feel I need to do these as often as possible as a wave of calm does come over me which is always welcomed.

I am really looking forward to getting results from this DVD, I look forward to doing it again as soon as the DVD has finished which bodes well as the title is ‘Pilates for LIFE’ I can see myself doing this DVD still in the years to come, whether I get any massive results or not. I enjoy it that much!!

PS the exercise Darcey holds on the back of the box is the hardest out of them all, whether you can barely lift your leg or you can throw it over your shoulder Darcey explains that in time you can do it!

I am giving this DVD 10/10 yes I am being premature with my scoring, I usually give a DVD a few weeks/months before I decide how good it is but I have never enjoyed one as much as I enjoy this and I know I will do this every day and I will miss it on the days when I can’t. I miss it already and I have just done it.

Tracy Anderson Method Mat Workout

I have to start off with this DVD. Want to get a slim toned body? Look no further than this DVD. This DVD is amazing, I love Tracy Anderson and own all her DVDs. The Mat Workout was my first one and I was hooked from day one.

My love affair with this DVD goes back to April 2013.

I was looking for a new DVD, one that didn’t insist I jumped around my dining room like a frog in a box, don’t get me wrong, I have DVDs like them and they work but I wanted to tone and I wanted something different.

I read reviews on Tracy Anderson after seeing she was Gwyneth Paltrow's trainer and used to be Madonna's. She intrigued me, so I bought it.

I hate hate, hate exercise DVDs where you need equipment, nowhere on the DVD box does it say you need weights and a chair but you do. Normally I would have switched the DVD off as soon as I seen her drag a chair in to the shot but luckily I had one in front of me and god am I grateful because if I didn’t this DVD would have been a dust collecting shelf filler.

Right so the first time I used it……..I sweated, I shouted and when I finished I walked into my living room, flopped on to my sofa, turned to my fiancé and I remember saying ‘ Tracy Anderson is a sadistic bitch’

The next day I woke up, the only part of my body that moved freely were my eyeballs. The rest of me was in pain, I struggled to get ready for work and I cried when I had to climb four flights of stairs once I was there.

I sat at my desk and swore I would never do it again, however the more the day went on the more I thought about how many muscles the DVD must have affected. Every tiny part of me ached, surely that meant that every tiny part of me got worked. Isn’t that what I wanted?

So I went home and inserted the DVD again and struggled through it. Days went by and it got so much easier, after a week the DVD wasn’t daunting, it was pleasant to do and after over a year of doing it I still love it and enjoy it. I don’t do it every day like I used to, I do it about 1-2 times a week.

I lost inches fast (but not weight) my thighs went down to 16 inches and my waist 24 inches.

About the DVD

 

Ok Charlie, we have read your thoughts and experience with the DVD but what is in the DVD, what can we expect, tell us the moves? I hear you cry.

Well, a lot of repetitive moves using the same limb. She refers to her exercises as muscle exhaustion and when you are stood behind that chair muscle exhaustion is what you will feel, at first your legs feel lighter than air, 2 minutes later they feel like lead as she has you doing all these strange leg lifts on one leg then eventually moving on to the next one. Legs are the first part of the DVD after the lovely graceful warm up.

Next up is this bizarre rib cage dance thing, I can’t describe it but I remember the first time I did it, I had no idea what I was doing, I knew I was doing it wrong and I felt frustration, almost teary that I couldn’t master it straight away. Tracy tells you that one day the moves will just click and she is completely right, before long I was moving my rib cage exactly like she was and I even remembered exactly what was coming so it became a kind of dance routine and I absolutely love this bit of the DVD and it’s very welcoming after what has just happened to your poor legs.

After rib cage moves we have arms. Pure torture is how I felt and I began to wish I was back doing legs. Tracy has you keeping your arms up at all times moving them in forceful moves with no flopping or dropping your arms at all and you feel like you want to cry. I have no arm or upper body strength at all (I can’t even push a half full trolley around a supermarket, not joking) so this was pure excruciating pain for me and the first few times I went against Tracy's wishes and dropped my arms, after a week though and my arms were up for the full session, it was still painful but worth it.

She then moves on to weights. I have no weights and I was pissed off that there is no mention of weights on the box but I used tins of soup instead. She insists on never using weights over 3lbs because you will bulk up and look too athletic. Remember her aim is to make you TINY not sporty. This routine is surprisingly not as bad as the arms without the weights!!

We then drop to the floor and do some more leg work, this leg work is pleasant and easy if you are flexible, I really enjoy the floor work. Staying on the floor we move on to abs which again I find easy and enjoyable. Your body will be twisted in moves that you have never done before or even thought were possible but that’s all part of her ‘method’ she works the smaller muscles to pull the big muscles in, giving you the ‘tiny’ frame.

THEN FINALLY!! The cool down, which has got to be my most favourite cool down of all cool downs, it’s not too different to her warm up.

My final thought on Tracy Anderson is that she delivers what she promises if you put the work in. Tracy doesn’t give much instruction, in fact she hardly talks which I know was a main grumble on Amazon customer reviews however I like that she doesn’t talk much and after a week you will know exactly what to do next anyway. I can do this DVD off by heart.

This DVD is supposed to be an introduction to her other DVDs (Metamorphosis) and you are meant to do it 4 – 6 times a week.

I used it 7 days a week for months and tiny is what I became! If you are looking to tone up and lose inches then this is the DVD for you but BEWARE this DVD will NOT get rid of fat, whether you have a bulging stomach or just a little extra fat then this will not shift it, cardio is the only way that will go.

I give this DVD 10/10 it is amazing and I love it, the music's pretty good too and I find myself singing along.

 

Charlie