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AD Three gluten free recipes you can rely on

this post contains gifted items, all thoughts and views my own 

I feel like I’ve not covered enough of my baking on the blog this year to justify all the calories I’ve combined and consumed. Baking helps me to relax, unwind and I am always coming up with new and inventive ways to get creative in the kitchen. As a coeliac, I enjoy making meals for the whole family who aren’t gluten free and testing out things that they can enjoy just as much as me. It can be tough to produce top quality bakes that are in fact gluten free, and GF food does come with a reputation of being dry, crumbly and just generally bad. I am here to tell you that this just isn’t the case once you know what you’re doing. I’ve come up with three gluten free recipes that you can rely on with the help from Sous Chef, whether you are newly diagnosed or just trying to bake something for a gluten free friend. 
Sous Chef (established 8 years ago this month) sells thousands of amazing ingredients from around the world to its customers. I’m in love with middle eastern spices and flavours, so in this blog post you’ll discover a few products that aren’t in your average pantry… 

It’s cupcake day! 

If my daughter had her way, it would be cupcake day every day in our household. I love baking with her and I try to do it as much as possible when we have the time. The easiest things for us to make are gluten free cupcakes. Here’s my perfected recipe over 15 years of making them: 

Mix 250g white caster sugar together with 250g soft spread (I use a plant based spread as gluten free flour needs that extra oil). Once this is silky smooth and there are no sugar lumps, go ahead and crack in 3 eggs one by one. Don’t worry if the mixture separates a little, and you can do this by hand or with a mixer. Next is 250g gluten free self raising flour and three tablespoons cocoa powder (sifted or mixed in with flour before adding). It’s really important to do this slowly, and do this stage by hand so you don’t knock the air out of the mixture. Once combined, add a little drop of vanilla extract plus a quarter teaspoon of xanthan gum -note this last ingredient isn’t 100% essential but I do find this helps to keep the cakes from crumbling. Bake in the oven for around 15-18 mins at 190 degrees, though adjust your temperature accordingly to your oven and cupcake size. You are after a slightly domed top that is firm to touch, and no wobbles! 

  • three gluten free recipes you can rely on
  • three gluten free recipes you can rely on

I let Alice loose with all our Frozen accesories, while I used a vanilla butter cream and beautiful rose petals (via Sous Chef) to create my batch. 

  • three gluten free recipes you can rely on
  • three gluten free recipes you can rely on

New York style baked cheesecake

For the biscuit base:

The base is 80g butter and one pack of gluten free choc chip cookies. Blitz the biscuits in a blender, and mix with melted butter to form the base. Press into your cheesecake mould (lined with baking paper) and bake at 180 degrees for ten mins. Take out to cool, then whack up the oven to 220 degrees before making the filling:

 The filling ingredients 
  • Roughly 900g of cream cheese
  • 250g of caster sugar
  • 3 tablespoons of gluten free plain flour
  • 1½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • A dash of lemon juice
  • 3 eggs and an extra yolk
  • 300ml of sour cream
The topping 

Whisk together your cream cheese and sugar carefully, then add your flour. Next go ahead with your vanilla extract and lemon juice, then the eggs plus extra yolk (one at a time). I added the sour cream by hand next, as I didn’t want to over-whisk the mixture. Making sure there are no lumps, pour onto the cooled biscuit base and pop in the oven for 10-15 mins before lowering the temp down to 100 degrees. Bake for around 45 more minutes, or until the edges have browned and there is a slight wobble in the middle. I let my cheesecake stay in the oven for a little longer turned off as I wanted it to be a bit firmer on the inside. I then left it to completely cool before putting in the fridge overnight with foil on the top.

three gluten free recipes you can rely on

In the morning it was ready to decorate with my pomegranate molasses (via Sous Chef) and the pomegranate seeds! The molasses has a tart bite that cuts through the creaminess of the cheesecake perfectly.

  • three gluten free recipes you can rely on
  • three gluten free recipes you can rely on

Late night chocolate brownies

Sometimes you just need that late night, oven-baked snack to satisfy you. I had a packet of gluten free brownie mix in the cupboard that just required an egg and oil as ingredients. Not entirely my own recipe but hey, you can always rely on a good old packet mix for ease and speed!

My absolute favourite combo is chocolate and pistachio, so here’s where you can get creative with a packet mix. I added some swirls of pistachio cream (via Sous Chef) on top of the brownie mixture in the tin and baked it for 15 mins. They turned out amazing- the creamy swirls just made the brownie so much nicer and they didn’t last long!

  • three gluten free recipes you can rely on
  • three gluten free recipes you can rely on

So there you have it, three gluten free recipes that you can rely on no matter if you have a spare 15 minutes for brownies or a morning to make the perfect baked cheesecake. What’s your go-to gluten free bake? Let me know in the comments below and share with me.

Saharasplash x

Thanks for reading. Have you seen my latest parenting blog post featuring Alice’s current daily routine?

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AD- Teaching my Toddler a Daily Routine

This is a sponsored post, all thoughts and views my own 

I know what you must be thinking. It’s not as if I have all the answers, believe me. My almost three year old has such an independent personality, sometimes I struggle to get it all done every day. It’s been a tough 6 months for everyone, and we have had a lot to deal with in 2020 from moving house to imminently expecting the arrival of our new baby boy. I can imagine for a toddler all this change is hard to take on board. 

We are trying our best as parents to raise our children the best way we can, and that way differs from family to family. You have to take into account so many aspects, and whenever anyone makes a comment about your child or their behaviour it can strike a nerve when you feel like you cannot do anymore than you currently are for them. People are too quick to judge and share what works for them, assuming it’s as easy as that. So this post on teaching my toddler a daily routine is in no way meant to impose into your parenting style/ solve your problems. It’s really important we share our victories and wins, however, and I’d love to let you in on what we are doing with Alice at the moment…

Dental care 

The hardest 4 minutes in a day sometimes! Getting your kids to brush their teeth properly is an issue that I have discussed with many parents, and most of us do have a battle at some point. When they are gaining their independence little by little, it can be a mission to persuade them to do what you want them to do, especially if you are trying to get out the house. Alice had been brushing her teeth well until she hit 31 months (2 years 7 months). I have come up with a new technique that helps me out- pretending to be a dentist! ‘Dentist Mummy’ wants to inspect her teeth, make sure they aren’t dirty, and if they are, we need to brush them and make as many bubbles as we can! She really likes this imaginary play and it seems to be working really well for us. 

Hair care 

Another pain in the bum can be brushing your child’s hair. If they have hair prone to tangles and knots, it’s no wonder they run away from you when they see that brush! I’ve got a daughter with very fine hair, and this needs brushing through regularly to stop her wispy hair getting all tangled. I usually try and distract her with a tablet or a snack and sit her on my knee so she can’t escape. Sometimes she will like to take my brush and do it herself, but it doesn’t really get a proper brush this way. I’ve not found a hack to get her to keep a band or clip in so far, she just pulls it out. If anyone has any tips for me, leave a comment down below please! 

Skincare

As you may know, I am seriously into skincare as a blogger. I am constantly trying new brands and testing out top class products from all over the world. Baby skincare is no different. It’s a fantastic opportunity to get to know my child’s skin type, what works and doesn’t work for her. Right now we are loving Sanex Kids head to toe wash. It’s incredibly mild but with a gorgeous scent that helps restore a natural pH to the skin. It makes lots of bubbles in the bath, and Alice loves using it as a hand wash too. 

Hygiene

A subject on everyone’s minds for the foreseeable future no doubt is hygiene. Now more than ever, we have a duty to teach our children the importance of washing our hands and staying clean. Making sure you have hand wash near every sink and bathroom is a must. Our children copy what they see and take it all in so you are doing your kids a service just by letting them watch you keep clean. I always bring Alice along with me if I need to wash my hands before cooking or using the bathroom, and she definitely is picking up the habit all by herself. I have found myself becoming too complacent to reach for a pack of baby wipes rather than just using plain soap and water after snack time, and I’m glad that’s now changing. 

This is probably going to be one of my last blog posts before giving birth, so I hope you’ve enjoyed it; I’ll see you when our family becomes a little bigger, and my tummy is a little smaller!

Saharasplash x 

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AD|Top tips for cleaning and organisation in the home

This post contains gifted products, all thoughts and views my own

I’m not sure if it’s the fact that my 30s are a mere matter of months away, or simply my current mum lifestyle, but I am now definitely classed as a lover of all things to do with cleaning and organisation. Maybe you just wake up one day and your attitude towards ‘house pride’ shifts, or you just slowly get better at how to adult after trying for a decade or so. Either way, the move to a brand new home has spurred me on to achieve great things inside the place I call my home. I’ve put together some top tips for cleaning and organisation in the home, so if you are feeling a similar way to me, then you’re definitely going to want to take a three minute read… 


Find one cleaning brand to suit multiple purposes

Finding one cleaning brand you can rely on for just about everything may seem like an impossible task at first, but here’s where I introduce you to Delphis. Delphis are an eco friendly, plant-based brand that really produce the best of products from bathroom to kitchen. These products are perfect for a daily spruce or a real deep clean when the oven needs tackling, plus I’ve discovered some handy hacks in the short space of time I’ve used them for. 


Speed up cleaning toilets with a tablet

This is where Delphis have really helped me out in a time of need. Being in my last trimester of pregnancy has slowed me down quite a bit, so just popping a tablet down the loo without having to lift lids, squeeze bleach etc is my kind of awesome. 


Tea variety packs save space in your cupboard

Getting your hands on a box of variety teas like this one will really help save space in your cupboard. It’s the perfect size to store upright or flat, and you don’t need to have ten types of boxes cluttering up your space. You can whip it out and take your pick. This reminds me of hotel breakfasts and puts a smile on my face in the mornings. 


Little trays can go anywhere 

Much to my husband’s disdain, I have become quite obsessed with basket and tray storage for just about anything. From my knicker drawer to the cupboard under the sink, I have things stored vertically in all types of boxes and trays. These are super easy to find online or in store, just make sure you have some time to think about how you store your things as it will change your life. 


Make sure you’re always prepared for guests

I know that in the current covid climate, entertaining guests may not be something that’s on your mind, but we are lucky to have a side gate to our back garden so we can have a few family members round for a bit. Allocate a place in your fridge for those special visits and fill it with drinks for your guests. 


Keep your hands well looked after once cleaning is done

I think you’re either a cleaner who wears gloves or you’re not. I’m definitely not a fan of them when washing up or cleaning, though this can take a toll on your skin. Make sure you look after your hands once cleaning is done. Choosing a nourishing hand wash will give you the extra helping hand and self care you need after a cleaning blitz.


To make things even simpler for you, I’ve found a website where you can order all the products straight to your door! Check out Viking Direct for your cleaning supply needs as well as ordering drinks and products mentioned above to keep your cupboards neatly stocked up.


Thanks for reading top tips for cleaning and organisation in the home, let me know if this inspires you to make a difference in your home in the comments below.


Saharasplash x


Needing more home content to read? Try renovation ideas and updates next!

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Ad| Renovation ideas and updates on our new family home

This is a sponsored post, all thoughts and views my own 

We’ve now been residing in our new Suffolk home for a week, though it sort of feels very strange to be saying that. It seems like we have been here a lot longer as travels between homes have been often over the past few months. We had to move everything ourselves in the current climate, luckily we had a trailer to carry the bigger items like washing machines and fridges! I thought I’d write up a little post about how we are getting on in our first family home as well as share some insight into our visions for the property over the coming months and years. (It won’t all be done at once with a baby arriving this August!)

So things we have already ticked off our list are a new range cooker and dishwasher for the kitchen. They look so great, and considering it took us about two weeks to come to a decision on the cooker, we are very happy with the result. I’ve spent this entire week cleaning the cupboards from top to bottom and have almost finished with the utility.

The garden outside has had a good lawn trim, and we’ve got a beautiful playhouse on the way for Alice soon. Our swing still remains at the old house, which we will pick up at some point over the next few weeks. 

Upstairs is pretty bare really, we’ve converted one of the guest rooms into my husband’s work from home office for the time being and guest room two is where we are sleeping. Our master bedroom currently has no flooring down, this is one exciting renovation project we are taking on ourselves. We plan to lay down a laminate flooring before we order a new bed and accessories, so make sure you are following my home Instagram page @Suffolkfamilyhome for all the latest updates. 

One massive job that was completed before our move was the paintwork. We had the entire house painted from top to bottom in a Dulux Pure Brilliant White so it was like brand new (highly recommended if moving into an older style home). One project we are looking to start fairly shortly is the entrance hallway and bannisters. We plan to paint the top rail a dark grey or black, leaving the spindles white and put in a stair runner with black edging. I cannot wait to start this one! 

If you are looking for a new feel to your home, why not take a look at what TuffX Glass manufacturers can do. I am loving these glass balustrades from TuffX Glass, so maybe a few years down the line we will choose to go with a toughened glass effect for our inside entrance hallway! They handle bespoke work for conservatory glass and roof lights too, perfect for letting as much natural light in as possible.

For the living room, we decided to split our L-shaped sofa into two parts, as this style only works in a certain shape or sized room. Our living space is quite square, and has a fireplace that sticks out (soon to be gone!) so breaking apart the sofa was the only real option. This room is the only room that’s left with original wallpaper and chair rail as we are yet to decide what to do in here. I was hoping to get hard floors to match the rest of the downstairs and keep the chair rail for a half and half effect around the room. But do we paint over the wallpaper or tackle the messy job of removing it all? Let me know what you’d do/have done in the comments below! 

I’d like to thank everyone for all their well wishes so far, and expect more home, style and organisation blog posts to come this year. 

Saharasplash x 

You’ve been reading “renovation ideas and updates on our new family home”, check out my previous blog post here 

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AD| “At Home Hairstyles and Tips”

*Contains gifted products

When at home it can be so easy to just forget about everyday normalities such as getting changed out of our pjs in the morning. The same can be said for hair routines- why bother if no one is going to see it right? But the funny thing is that the simple things in life such as getting dressed, doing our hair or makeup can make a huge difference to our self-esteem and mood. I’ve written a short and sweet blog post called “At Home Hairstyles and Tips” where you can have a five minute read that might get you itching to give something new a go. 

I must admit, there are days where I stay in yesterday’s joggers. It cuts down on the washing pile and there’s not much I am finding comfy at 23 weeks pregnant. Although it can be so easy to slip into a mindless stretch of uneventful days if you are out of work (or childless!), that doesn’t mean to say you should neglect your old ways of how you went about your day-to-day life. Humans are creatures of habit, and as much as the list detesters will protest this fact, a bit of structure to the day makes everything so much better. We feel a sense of pride upon accomplishing tasks, and these can start as soon as you wake up and head to the bathroom. 

Here’s where hair comes in. Take a look at mine, in all its natural glory. It is multi-toned, my fringe has grown out to the length of my nose and it is flat as hell. I want to talk about how to take care of your hair, not just during lockdown, but after it has lifted too. Use this time wisely to perfect your hair care routine, or change it up if you already have one. 

Different hair means different rules and subsequently different tools. Everyone will have their own mane to maintain, so what works for me may not for you. I’m just here to show you how much effort I put into keeping my hair on track no matter what the day holds.

Use the right tools for the job

You need to know your hair type and pick the right products that will maximize your results. Make sure you are using a brand that leaves your hair feeling great after each wash. For me, that’s Joico. I have been using their range for years and my head loves this new moisture recovery shampoo and conditioner. My hair needs hydrating constantly, so these are perfect for me. 

During each wash, I use my Tangle Teezer and head wrap from Soap and Glory. I always wrap my hair and let it dry naturally too because this ensures no heat damage, and gives my post-shower products time to absorb properly. 

It shouldn’t end with conditioner 

Aftercare is a must, especially now we can take time to do it. Post-wash hair products I use are from the Dove Advanced Hair Series collection. Just a few pumps and I run this through my wet hair before leaving to dry. This will really help give your hair a new lease of life and make you feel like you’ve just left the salon too, something we are all missing I bet. 

Now I have two super easy at home hairstyles to show you step by step. Note these require no hairdryers, wands or straighteners- you just need a brush, a few hairbands, grips and practice. 

Half and half French braid style 

This is such a great style if you have a pesky fringe that you cannot be dealing with. Just start plaiting it and stop once you’ve reached your ears and tie with a little gel band. I like to have my hair like this at night too to help protect it from back of the head knots and frizz.  

A twist on the bun

This simply is a bun that is twisted before being wrapped. It is the coolest hack I’ve learned in 2020 for doing a bun on flat, straight hair that won’t keep in place. Simply twist, wrap, pin and scrunchie. 

Have you got your hair under control or are you longing to see your hairdresser again to make it all better? Whatever your first move is when lockdown is over, from visiting top hairdressers in Manchester to signing up for a local hairdresser course to DIY, be safe, have fun and look after your hair! 

Saharasplash x 

Why not check out my latest recipe on the blog: https://saharasplash.com/2020/02/my-favourite-quick-and-simple-recipe-for-fussy-families/

This is a sponsored post, all thoughts and views my own

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AD|My favourite ‘quick and simple’ recipe for fussy families

As a coeliac, a wife to a fairly picky husband AND a very opinionated two-year-old, meal times together can sometimes be difficult. The ideal meal for my husband would honestly be chicken dippers, potato waffles and a load of ketchup. Although we do cave and have the odd freezer meal when time is rushed, I try to add a little more excitement to our plates at dinner time. One thing that has definitely helped out in times of need has been ready-to-go spices and recipe mixes.

So, here’s my favourite ‘quick and simple’ recipe for fussy families. The great thing about this recipe is that you can switch ingredients out according to your liking. I am going to show you how I create a delicious, one pan rice meal that is so easy and quick. My ingredients are:

  • 4 chicken fillets
  • 2 tbsp Schwartz BBQ seasoning (available at Tesco)
  • 1/2 tsp of all spice, salt and pepper
  • Cooked basmati rice (approx 500g or 2 packs of microwave rice)
  • 1 veggie or chicken stock cube (I use the knorr stockpots)
  • 250ml water
  • 100ml chopped tomatoes
  • Any veggies I can find like peas and sweetcorn

Like I said, you can easily switch up the veg or meat to your family’s liking if this isn’t to taste, but the beauty of rice is that it pretty much goes with everything you can throw at it. Onto the method:

Dice the chicken up into thin strips, add a generous dash of oil plus all the seasonings. Again, this amount is totally up to you. Mix together until completely coated, cling film over the top and pop into the fridge for a minimum of 1.5 hours. Once ready, take out and pop the chicken into a large frying pan or wok, either will work fine. Cook on a med to high heat until turned white, then it’s time to add the rice, stock cube, water, tomatoes and veg.

Gently stir and turn down the heat until the pan is gently sizzling, but not going crazy. Now it’s just a waiting game for all that water to evaporate and leave you with all the juicy flavours. I tend to like it a little bit sticky, so once you can scoop a spoonful out and it’s not dripping off the edge, it is ready to go!

  • www.saharasplash.com
  • www.saharasplash.com
  • www.saharasplash.com

Super quick and simple, full of protein, good carbs and veg. My husband and daughter love it, and so do I with very minimal cleaning up time!

What’s your ‘go-to’ recipe that’s a family favourite? I’d love to know in the comments below.

Saharasplash x

If you liked my favourite ‘quick and simple’ recipe for fussy families, why not see how I celebrated Veganuary at the Cosy Club in Ipswich??

This is a sponsored post, all thoughts and views my own