Food: Spicy Veggie Sketti & Vegan Parmesan

I love pasta and this super easy, tasty and quick vegan pasta dish definitely hits the spot...

Give it a go and thank me later hehe x

Ingredients

Spelt spaghetti

Plum tomatoes

Black olives

Asparagus

1 Red onion

2 cloves garlic

Fresh basil (2leaves)

Kalo garlic and herb stock cube (1)

Fresh thyme (1stem)

Fresh rosemary (1stem)

Red & yellow peppers (1/2 each)

Leeks (1/2)

Cheatin chorizo style pieces (1/2 a pack)

Paprika (1tsp)

Cayenne pepper (1tsp)

Sesame oil

What to do....

First boil 4cubs of water with the kalo stock cubes and add spaghetti till cooked.

Wash and chop up the onions, garlic, peppers, leaks, tomatoes, asparagus, olives and garlic.

 Heat 1tbsp of the sesame oil and add the onions and garlic.

Once soft and fragrant add the peppers and leaks. When softened add the rest of the vegetables cook on a low heat.

Add 2tbsp of water, all herbs and spices and cook till you have a thick sauce.

Once all cooked drain the spaghetti and fold in the veggies.

Serve with vegan parmesan and ENJOY!

@MsShayDivine

Life: Affordable Housing?

As a young professional living in London, you would think it would be quite straightforward to become a 1st-time buyer...WRONG!

It's been a number of years since the UK Government introduced shared ownership and "affordable housing" schemes  but they're not as friendly as they sound.

• Deposit- 5%
• Mortgage
• Service Charge
• Solicitor fees
• Stamp duty
• Minimum salary
• Credit score
• Preferences for people who live/work in the borough

Firstly, let's look at these new builds which are propping up almost everywhere. 

These are NOT "affordable" unless you earn over on average £38,000 a year (Min).

Oh yes!

I have done my research into this! I have been looking for the last 3years and I kid you not, it's a JOKE!

I have seen a few developments priced at well over £500k where you need a deposit of OVER £28k and a minimum salary of £42k pa for a 1-bedroom box!

I don't know about you but that doesn't seem like a scheme fit for those who cannot afford a mortgage. And even so, who wants to live in a box in a basement under a shop?

Who are these schemes affordable to?

Ok, so minimum salary knocks a lot of people out of these schemes, what else...

Oh yes, Rent!

Rent on your 25% share is on average £1200 per month for a 1bedroom flat in south-east London.

So...your salary makes you ineligible and then even if you find a RARE property with a low min salary the rent will be ludicrous for a pathetic share of a property you'll probably never be able to own due to staircasing rules and regulations. And the fact that you have no savings as you're now living to pay rent, service charge (which increases as the housing provider sees fit), council tax, bills, travel etc means you cannot afford to save money to buy more shares!!!

All in all I think these schemes are not meant to help people on low incomes at all!

They're designed for the middle to upper class who wish to roll out of bed into a train station to go to their city job where they most likely get £60k+ a year to do little or nothing OR those who want to buy to let for a second income (Internationally buyers too). 

Don't get me wrong! I'd love to buy to let, roll out of bed into work where I get paid stupid money to do little to nothing but that is not the situation for many people who turn to these schemes to get on the housing ladder and better their personal circumstances.

These schemes are advertised for people on low incomes....well what is a low income to these clowns?

If £40k a year is low then a lot of people will never have their own homes and be forced into uncomfortable, overcrowded and poor quality homes.

But hey as long as money is coming into the economy, who cares...right?

Certainly not the UK Government!

@MsShayDivine

Beauty: Liquid Matte Lipstick

Makeup hasn't always been a big deal for me. I'm the kind of girl who can happily wear a homemade lip balm all week and not even think about lipstick.

This might have something to do with the fact that my grandmother used to tell me that lipstick makes your lips wrinkly and no one wants lips like prunes.

Anyway, I stumbled across liquid matte lipstick a few years ago and I'm hooked. 

I still don't wear lipstick every day but I definitely have a few more than I did. I like to wear them on the odd occasion, a night out or to spice up a plain outfit.

It did take me a while to get used to the dry-ish texture when the liquid matte dries but I love how they look and was surprised to find out that they don't actually make your lips as dry as I first thought.

Give em a go.....

***My favourite liquid matte brands***

Barry M

Lottie London

NYX

@MsShayDivine

Food: Bangers with Pumpkin And Sweet Potato Mash

Ingredients (x2 portions)

Mash

1/4 of a small pumpkin 

1/2 small sweet potato

x1 glove garlic 

1/2tsp olive oil spread 

Curry

1 onions

x1 clove garlic

5 mushrooms

1 courgette

1/2 cup quinoa

1/2 yellow bell pepper

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp Chinese five spice

1tbsp concentrated curry paste

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1tbsp sesame oil

Veg

Brocolli (steamed)

Linda McCartney sausages (whichever you choose)

What to do...

Put the sausages in the oven and steam the broccoli till cooked but firm.

Mash

Wash, peel and cut the pumpkin and sweet potato into sizeable chunks and boil in lightly salted water till soft.

Chop garlic and fry in sesame oil till brown.

Drain the garlic and add to boiled pumpkin and sweet potato, mash with olive oil spread till smooth (or to preference).

Curry

Wash and finely chop onions, garlic, mushrooms, yellow pepper and courgette.

Wash 1/2cup quinoa and add to a pan of boiling lightly salted water (1/2cup)

In a frying pan heat 1tbsp of sesame oil

Add chopped veg and herbs/seasoning to taste, fry until veg is soft.

In a mug add the concentrated curry paste and slowly add boiling hot water to form a sauce (If you want a thick sauce add less water)

Mix all the veg, curry sauce and quinoa together and serve with the broccoli, mash and sausages.

Henjoy!

@MsShayDivine

Food: Spicy vegan chickpea and avocado salad in pitta

After a yummy vegan lunch idea...How about this!

Spicy chickpea and avocado salad in pitta

Ingredients

Smashed chickpeas

Avocado

Plum tomato

Pepperdew peppers

Vegan Parmesan

Black olives
Red Onions

Sainsbury's Italian salad

Olive spread

Paprika

Cayenne pepper

Cracked black pepper

Food Dr Pitta Breads

What do to....

Smash the chickpeas and avocado in a bowl.

Chop the Plum tomato, pepperdew peppers, onions and Black olives into slices and add to the chickpeas and avocado.

Add the Vegan Parmesan, 1/2 tsp of Paprika, 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper & 1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper to the mix and let it sit for 15mins.

Cut a pocket into the pitta bread and toast to preference. 

Once toasted spread the olive and humous inside the pitta and add the salad.

Spoon a few tbsp fulls of the spicy chickpea mixture into the toasted pitta pocket and ENJOY!

@MsShayDivine