Foodie Friday On Saturday - No Bake Creme Egg Cheesecake

It a strange thing  to say it but I have mixed feeling about this post - On one hand this is one delicious, recipe that's perfect for an Easter Weekend but on the other, I'm now loathed to associate myself with the joke that is now the Cadbury's Creme Egg.

As if a significant price hike, and changes in the size of a multi pack wasn't bad enough, they went and changed the chocolate. Some people haven't been able to taste the difference but when you have a palette as accustomed to chocolate as I do, the difference is obvious. To me they now just taste like a bowl of sugar, they are even more tooth achingly sweet than they ever were, and I personally can't even taste the chocolate any more - wahhhh - a British institution destroyed in an instant!

For the purpose of this recipe though I'm going to have get past that - they are just a small part of what is a very beautiful thing. This recipe could of course be made with any sweets that you like, I'm thinking Rolo's, Caramel Bites, or even pieces of any caramel filled chocolate bar but since it's Easter I guess I have to use these, egg shaped imposter's!

Unfortunately I can't claim this recipe as my own, I have a huge bagful of recipes torn from magazines, and recipes like this one hurriedly copied onto scraps of paper. If you know where this recipe originally came from then I'd love to know, so I can give them credit for a beautiful, if calorific invention x

No Bake Creme Egg Cheesecake

125g Butter

300g Chocolate Digestives (Mine Are Tesco Free From)

100ml Double Cream

200ml Soured Cream

700g Room Temperature Cream Cheese 

200g Icing Sugar

1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

2 Bags Of Mini Cadburys Creme Eggs - Chilled

200g Milk Chocolate 

Butter For Greasing 

1. For this recipe you will need a loose bottomed cake tin x You can line the tin with clingfilm or foil but I have faith in my ancient cook wear so I just greased the base and the sides with butter and crossed my fingers very tightly!

2. Put your butter into a pan and let it melt over a low heat 

Then it's time to crush your biscuits you can either do it like I have but putting them in a food processor or you can put them into a sealed plastic bag and whack them with a rolling pin until you have nothing but crumbs. 

Then mix the crumbs with the melted butter, until you have a bowl of melted chocolate and butter coated crumbs

then press the mixture into the base of you cake tin - smooth it right to the edges and make sure you get as even a layer as possible, I usually find pressing it down with a potato masher works a treat. Then either put it in the fridge or a cool place for at least 20 minutes until it's firm.

3. You now need two mixing bowls x In the first bowl add the vanilla extract, the soured cream, and the cream cheese. I'm using Aldi's Cheese Emporium version here which is just as nice as Philadelphia and a bit cheaper, it really does need to be room temperature otherwise it just won't mix together.

Then gradually sieve in the icing sugar,

and mix everything together until it's smooth

4. In a separate bow whip the double cream until it's thick

and then carefully fold it in to the cheese mixture.

5. Open and unwrap one packet of Creme Eggs, It isn't essential that these are chilled but I think it makes them easier to cut. Cut each one in half, you can either do it anyway you like but I tend to do it width ways because they don't seem to break up as much that way.

Then carefully fold the Creme Eggs into your cheesecake mix, until they're distributed evenly.

Then pour the mix over your biscuit base, again try if you can to make sure that the Creme Eggs are distributed evenly throughout the cheesecake, Smooth out the top and then put your tin into the refrigerator or a cool place for at least 2-4 hours until it's set. I actually left mine overnight this time and it was fine. It might be worth putting your tin either on a tray or a plate just in case you get any liquid coming out of the bottom. I would also recommend that you cover the tin up either with some cling film or a plate, just to stop any drips from anything else in the fridge.

6. Once your cheesecake is set it's time for the fun, if slightly scary part. Melt your milk chocolate either in the microwave or in a bowl over a pan of boiling water.

Then, take a deep breath and pour the melted chocolate all over the top of your cheesecake - smooth it so the top of the cheesecake is completely covered. 

Then take your second bag of mini Creme Eggs and press them into the chocolate to decorate your cheesecake. You can either leave them whole or cut them in half. I like the contrast of the yellow and white against the chocolate so I chopped some of mine in half.

Wait a few moments for the chocolate to cool then return the cheesecake to the fridge for around 20 minutes or so until the chocolate has set.

7. If that was scary the next part is terrifying - it's time to take it out of the tin. In an ideal world you'll loosen the clips and a perfect cheesecake will slip from the sides of the tin. This is real life though and things don't always go to plan! I tend to loosen the clips and then go around the edges with a thin palette knife to ease it out and I nearly always end up using a palette knife to smooth the sides down. 

If all else fails  though and if it sticks or drops to pieces it's isn't the end of the world. I'm sure it will still taste fine no matter what, after all it's what's on the inside that counts.

This cheesecake is very rich and indulgent but it isn't as sweet as what you'd think. I'd  recommend cutting it with a hot knife so you get a clean cut through the chocolate layer. It's not the worlds best cutter by any means so you probably won't end up with a food stylist perfect wedges but it will still taste great even if it ends up in an untidy heap.

If you can't eat it all at once (could anyone?) it will last for a couple of day in the fridge, covered up or in an airtight container.

To be honest by the end of this Bank Holiday I think I'm going to be well and truly chocolated out what with this, and my Easter eggs but at least I'm safe in the knowledge that I won't be the only one wandering around in a brown and white, sweet and creamy haze. Never mind it is only once a year, and as they always say a little bit of what you fancy does you good, these are my cliches and I'm sticking to them ! Thanks for reading and happy scoffing x 

Trimming My Stash - March 2015 Empties And Mini Reviews

Hey everyone x I hope you've all had a good, Good Friday x I've had a really busy and tiring day prepping blog posts, and baking some yummy things which should be on the blog on the next 7 days - very exciting but in the meantime it's time for my March empties post.

Benefit They're Real Mascara - 4g
Cowshed Knackered Cow Relaxing Bath And Shower Gel -100ml
Elemis Quiet Mind Relaxing Bath Elixir - 300ml
Jelly Belly Cotton Candy Bath Soak - 30g
Total - 4 Items 

Well it wasn't a great month was it? I only managed 4 items mehhh so many things just seem never ending at the moment, but I did manage to finish a few bath things so there are a couple of positives.

1. Benefit They're Real Mascara - 4g

Some days I hate this mascara, some days I love it x Hmm this is just a mini one so I'm going to review the full sized They're Real which I also own and make my mind up once and for all

2. Cowshed Knackered Cow Relaxing Bath And Shower Gel - 100ml

I think this mini bottle with a magazine freebie and I'm kind of glad it was, in ideal world it was something that I should have liked but I just didn't. I love lavender and eucalyptus but the smell of this was just so weak and insipid that you could barely make out the essential oils. This was one of my first Cowshed products and I hate the fact that I was so disappointed. This brand gets a lot of hype so if any of you have any recommendations I'd love to hear them.

3. Elemis Quiet Mind Relaxing Bath Elixir - 300ml

A beautiful, beautiful bath product and something that I'm sorry to have finished. Unfortunately I think this product has been discontinued as I had trouble finding it but it had an amazing scent  - a combination of patchouli, ho wood and eucalyptus. Not the most traditional aromas when it came to relaxation but this definitely did the job and scented the house out at the same time. If you are interested there are a few bottles available on Amazon but they aren't cheap, and you can also get a small sized bottle in a few kits from Feel Unique and Debenhams x

4. Jelly Belly Cotton Candy Bath Soak - 30g

I have no idea where this was from or how old it is but what it was, was a tin of foaming bath powder with a sweet, candy bubble gum scent. It wasn't bad and it turned the water a fabulous pink colour. I probably wouldn't repurchase it though even if I wasn't losing my bath tub.

So they were my March empties x I'm feeling a bit more positive about April's empties and I hoping to finish a few skincare products as well as continuing operation bath tub x Are you a blogger or You Tuber that posts about your empties? If you are then I'd love to hear from you so please leave me your links below x

Easter Indulgence Without The Calories Courtesy Of Treacle Moon

My name is Louise and I have a confession to make, well it's not really a confession, it's more a well known fact - I am a chocoholic! There are two foods that I couldn't live without - chocolate and cheese. and over the long Easter weekend I aim to ignore my calorie intake and eat plenty of both.

I have no willpower but if you know someone that does, or someone that can't eat chocolate or doesn't celebrate Easter then there are a few calorie free options for those Easter and spring time gifts.

The most obvious one is a bunch of flowers, I love flowers and we currently have two vases crammed full, but like chocolate eggs they can be expensive and they don't last more than a few days. Nothing lasts forever but if you want an affordable and guilt free, gift option then it might be worth having a look at the Treacle Moon range at Tesco.

I'm a huge fan of this range of food and fruit scented bath and body products and some of their spring additions are perfect for the person that likes something a little bit sweet but without the guilt.

The new additions include bath and shower gels in Sugared Almond Tart, Marshmallow Hearts and Honeycomb Secret, and a matching Honeycomb Body Butter. The Sugared Almond Tart has a big marzipan scent so it's not for me.I personally found Marshmallow a little bit sweet, but I can definitely see myself picking up Honeycomb Secret, which has a gorgeous Crunchie, cinder toffee scent to either use on it's or to mix with one of their other new additions - Dusted Cocoa.

These new additions aren't available in my nearest little Tesco, but on a recent trip to a Tesco Express I managed to have a proper look and a sneaky sniff.  Treacle Moon Dusted Cocoa Heaven Bath and Shower Gel was by far my favourite, so it went in my trolley.

The thick formula works equally as a bath foam or as a shower gel, but if you use it as a shower gel you get the full on chocolate scent. To me this doesn't smell like say a bar of chocolate, instead I think it smells more like chocolate cake or brownie mix, or even a rich, chocolate butter cream

I guess the only problem with this is that it makes me want to bake, and therefore eat chocolate cake - not great if you're watching your weight but I guess it could work as a substitute for some, strong willed people :)

The best thing about this product is the price and size of the bottle. The majority of shower gels in the Treacle Moon line retail at just £2.99 each and come in 500ml bottles. A small amount of gel goes a long way making this product great value for money.

If none of these fragrances are for you, you can also get various fragrances including Raspberry, Blackberry, Apple Pie, Coconut, and Vanilla. Sweet Blackberry Memories and Honeycomb Secret are next on my list to try but if you've tried any of Treacle Moon products I'd love to know what you think x 

Oh and if you're lacking in willpower like me or if you like chocolate as much as I do ,then you might want to check back on Saturday for an Easter recipe to make your mouth water xx Thanks for reading and don't forget to follow xx

Lippy Girl Vegocentric Lipstick In P-Bomb - A Review For My Pure*

For as long as I can remember I've loved lipstick and to me it's pretty obvious why.  Although my mum doesn't wear a lot of make up, you never ever see her without her lipstick, she has tubes in her bag, in the car, down the side of the settee, wherever you look in my house you'll probably find one of my mums signature pink lipsticks.

Maybe it was a strange act of rebellion but I've only started wearing pink lipstick in the last 3 or years, before that I saw it as my mums colour but as I've got older I've realised how flattering  pink lipstick actually is.

I have lots and lots of lipsticks in my collection but I'm always looking to try new products and new brands so for one of March's My Pure reviews I decided to try a lip colour from one of their newer ranges,  Lippy Girl.

Created by ex model Darcey Dieh, Lippy Girl is one of the biggest brands in Canada, when it comes to vegan make up. Yes you heard correctly, vegan make up, the range is completely cruelty free and animal friendly and contains no animal products of derivatives. Containing a mixture of earth minerals, plant oils and waxes including organic Castor Seed Oil, Jojoba Seed Oil, Carnauba Wax and Shea Butter, the Lippy Girl range is also bee free, chemical free, gluten free and lead free.

There are currently 12 shades of lipstick to choose from neutrals, to brights and berries,

but I went for the quite, oddly named, Lippy Girl Vegocentric Vegan Lipstick in P-Bomb.

The 5g lipstick comes boxed and packaged in a black and hot pink  100% recyclable aluminium tube. 

Smelling ever so slightly of citrus fruit, the shade that I chose P-Bomb is a pretty, pale baby pink shade. In the tube it almost appears to have a darker veining to it but it goes on as one shade, with just  the smallest hint of shimmer.

When I first swatched P-Bomb, it did seem to drag slightly, but by the time I used it on my lips, the application was smooth, and pigmentation was fine. It's not the most moisturising lipstick I've ever used by any means, but on the same note I didn't find it drying or uncomfortable to wear. The wear time was pretty good, and I still had quite a bit of product left on my lips even after and cookie and a latte.

I'm going to hold my hands up and admit that my experience in the past with natural, vegan and cruelty free lipsticks hasn't been that great, I've generally found them to taste, and smell unpleasant and to have quite a stiff, dry texture but despite my initial cynicism this one has nearly proved me wrong.

I would have loved this lipstick to have been a bit more moisturising but other than that I can't really fault it. It feels okay, applies well and it lasts. I also love the colour way more than I thought I would. I love baby pinks but they can sometimes by a bit too cool and blue toned to be flattering,but not this one, it's definitely got a little bit of warmth to it that makes it a bit more wearable.

There aren't too many vegan lipsticks on the market so Lippy Girl have found themselves a real successful niche, by producing a cruelty free product that does exactly what it should. I'm still a touch cynical though so I will definitely be trying one of the other shades and I'll be crossing my fingers that it performs as well as this one does. Lippy Girl Vegocentric Lipstick In P-Bomb retails at £12.50 for a 5ml tube from My Pure. Have you tried a lipstick from Lippy Girl yet? Let me know your thoughts x 

(*Sample)

Huge Collective Beauty Haul Featuring QVC, Essence, Chanel And More x

Hey Everyone x Following on from yesterdays Iced Rainbow post I'm back with another haul post and this time it's a pretty huge collective beauty haul. There really is something for everyone in this haul, lots of different things and lots of different price points.

We'll start off with some budgets from one of my favourite brands at the moment, Essence. Over the last few months, I've managed to make a couple of trips to Wilko purely to buy some bits from Essence. I was recently sent a package full of Essence goodies and it only succeeded in whetting my appetite for more.

Although my nails are pretty dreadful at the moment, they had too many pretties to ignore x Reviews and nails of the days to come but I got a few nail art bits including some nail foil and some foil transfer solution. I used to use foils on my nails all the time about 10 years ago and since these bits appear to be being discontinued I stocked up. Foiling is a technique that I love and I can't wait to give it a go again when my nails are a bit longer. As well as the foils I also got a couple of colours - Essence Holo Graphics Effect Nail Polish in 22 I ♥ Magic and Essence Holo Jewels Effect Nail Polish in 12 Bejewelled.

I also picked up one of their Nail Art Designer set. This contains 3 different textured sponges for creating an airbrush effect, and a very thin striping brush.

As well as the nail bits I also got a couple of make up items including the Essence All About Matt! Fixing Compact Powder. I love both the Laura Geller Matte Maker and the MAC Prep + Prime clear / white powders but they are both pretty spending so I'm hoping that this similar looking product will be a good substitute. I also picked up one of the new Essence Make Me Brow Eyebrow Gel Mascaras in 02 Browny Brows. According to some of the reviews that I've this is supposedly a good dupe for Benefit's Gimme Brow, I haven't had a chance to try it yet but I'll let you know what I think when I do x

Another product that's been talked about and hyped up is Rimmel Exaggerate Full Colour Lip Liner in 063 East End Snob. This has taken a bit of finding but I'm pleased I got it in the end.

I've just been wearing this nude, pink, mauve shade over my entire lips and topping it with a bit of gloss but if anyone can recommend a lipstick that goes well with this shade, then I'd love to know x

Another Avon haul, and another nail polish. If there is a sale supplement in my catalogue that;s always what I read first and I was super happy to see some of their Stardust Nail Enamels. I only a couple of these but I love the demi matte finish which is packed full of sparkle. This one is Polished Plum which is packed full of multi coloured glitter. I'm really disappointed that they've discontinued these but fingers crossed the new Mineral Crush polishes will be similar.

Alongside the nail polish I also bought a perfume from Avon. I know it's hard buying a fragrance that you haven't tried before, but after trying the scratch and sniff panel in the brochure I had to buy this one.

Cherish is the perfume that Avon created in association with Abby Clancy and her mum. It's a bit headier then most perfumes that I own but it includes my favourite scent, Jasmine so it's a winner with me.

Next ebay, and although I've bought quite a bit from ebay lately I've only bought a couple of beauty things x One items arrived just a little bit too late for inclusion in this post but I did get these eyebrow razors in time.

These are a zillion times better than the last ones that I got. They are stupidy, sharp so I have nicked myself a few times but they are amazing for getting rid of all of those fine hairs, and strays that ruin the shape. Unfortunately thanks to ebays layout changes I can no longer find the seller, but these ones should be quite easy to find.

Another budget buy came courtesy of Poundland, I seem to mention this shop in pretty much every post that I write at the moment but I can't help it, they have so much good stuff in at the moment. Operation bye bye bath is still ongoing so as well as trying to use up all my bath products, I'm trying prepare myself for the inevitable, not by buying shower gels, I already have tonnes of those but by buying shower caps - I can't be doing with washing my hair every time I have a shower so I'm going to need plenty of these on standby. This is the Miss Piggy version but I'm definitely going to get the Minnie Mouse one too.

From one off, fun, pocket money friendly items, to a few purchases that I've had to think a little bit harder about. The first product in the higher end section of this haul is something that I've wanted for a long time so it certainly wasn't an on the whim purchase.

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in 54 Boy is one of those lipsticks that is truly iconic. The name makes reference to Coco Chanel's love affair with Arthur Edward "Boy" Capel, and it's truly one of the nicest lipsticks that I now own.

Although it looks very pink in my product pictures it actually more of a nude shade with just a touch of sparkle. The formula is very hydrating which does effect the wear time slightly but there is no better feeling then opening that black and gold tube, and smelling that traditional rose fragrance. Lipstick heaven in a tube we'll just pretend we didn't see the £24 price tag.

Lipstick, lipstick, how I love thee, I have so many lip products it's insane but on the 3rd March QVC had a special day where all on air items were on 3 easy pay. I just intended to watch a few shows but I got engrossed in a Bare Minerals order, and as if by magic the place order button appeared on my screen. To be fair I've tried a lot of Bare Minerals products but I've never tried any of their lipsticks.

The Bare Minerals Nude Perfection kit comes with 3 Mini Marvelous Moxie Lipsticks, all in varying brown, and nude tones, that can be wore alone are mixed together. As well as in the limited edition kit that I got all of the lipsticks are available as full sized items separately so I'll definitely be adding these to my to review pile x

Something else that I ordered from QVC came from the Joan Collins Timeless Beauty brand. I've watched the presentations a few times mainly to hear the wit of Ms Collins but you can't help but marvel at the glamour and style of her products and packaging. Seeing as I really don't need any more make up I decided to try something else that she offered, the Class Act Lash Growth Treatment. I've used a certain lash growth product in the past with some success (which I also must review for you at some point) but it is a bit price prohibitive so when I saw this one for under £20, I thought I'd give it a go. Obviously I'll give it a through review when I've had a chance to try it but based on first impressions the packaging is gorgeous and really high end so I'm really hoping that the contents matches that. With every purchase from the line you also get a sample pack of her First Base Foundation to try. The little pack contains every colour that they do so you can pick the perfect shade for you x I think that is a fab idea and I think that it's something that all brands should do. Again I'll let you know what I think, in a future sample Saturday post x

My final QVC purchase (for now!) came from the Alpha H range. I love Alpha H and I'm a huge fan of their star product Liquid Gold. This special offer kit came with both a 50ml and a 100ml bottle of Liquid Gold, and a canvas tote bag. I love this stuff but shame about the bag which absolutely stinks to high even and is currently being aired off in the porch.

The last things I have to show you are all magazine freebies, I've spent a little bit of time in hospital waiting rooms over the last month so I've needed something to relieve the boredom. If you're quick you might be able to get your hands on these x  Harpers Bazaar came with a free 15ml tube of Elemis Pro Collagen Marine Cream, Marie Claire came with a free, full sized, limited edition Nails Inc polish - this is Fiesta, and Glamour came with a free item from Balance Me - I went for the 100ml tube of the Super Moisturising Body Wash.

So that was my pretty huge, and pretty expensive collective beauty haul. I'm going to try and review as much of it as I can but if there is any specific review you would like to see then please let me know x Thanks for reading and I'll see you tomorrow with a review or two xx