Food: Fully loaded Veg Spelt Pasta

 

Fully loaded vegetable spelt pasta!

 

If like me, you love pasta but hate the effects of all the added carbohydrates, sugars etc then this dish may be as good to you as it has been to me :-)

I am trying to eat more veggies and fewer carbs, this dish is a great way to get in as many veggies as you can with half the carbs!

Ingredients

• Organic Whole Wheat Spelt Fusilli
• Tomato passata
• Fresh Basil
• Sweet Red Pepper
• Sweet Yellow Pepper
• Shallots
• Garlic
• Courgette
• Meat Free Style Balls (Veggie meatballs-Soya)
• Smoked paprika
• Black Pepper
• Mixed herbs
• Chili
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil

 

First boil two small handfuls (One if you have large hands) of Tesco Organic Whole Wheat Spelt Fusilli

(£0.75 Tesco)

 

According to 'organicfacts.net'...Spelt Pasta has some great health benefits.

Check out this link for more info...

https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/cereal/spelt.html

Next pre-heat your oven (Temperature:Fan 170°C, Gas 5, 190°C) & add your Meat free balls (£1.50 Tesco) to a foil wrapped baking tray & cook for 15mins.

The next part is the fully loaded pasta sauce!

Roughly chop all the veggies into bite size pieces and leave to one side.

Fry shallots, garlic & chili in 1tbp of olive oil till soft, then add peppers & courgettes.

Next add all the spices, add the passata and bring to the boil.

When the meat free balls are almost done, add to the sauce and it's ready.

Add & mix the sauce & balls with the pasta and ENJOY!

@MsShayDivine

xXx

 

 

Petite & Curvy: Winter Coats (Follow Up)

Petite & Curvy: Winter Coats.. RESULT!

So...After what seems like months of shopping sprees, trying on shed loads of coats in a variety of styles, I finally found the perfect winter coat..in Jan!

So typical.

I seriously under estimated how hard this mission was going to be.

There weren't a lot of styles and lengths to choose from in most stores petite ranges and, as expected, most of those petite ranges DID NOT FACTOR IN CURVES!

So what happened was, I'd get the coat on but the bust &or hip area was not having any of it. There was no way the coat was going to zip/button up.

Most coats I tried drowned me, made me look naked underneath or aged me!

I spent hours on Oxford St, hours in Bluewater & Westfield's and just when I was about to give up and wear blanket scarves all season, then Marks & Spencer saved the day!

Now, remember I said I didn't want a padded coat as they're not tailored very well or flattering and can make us curvy petite ladies look a bit like Michelin man...?

Well I ate my words! And was happy to do so...

Marks and Spencer had a really great range of petite coats in a range of styles but the one that stood out the most for me was the PETITE Padded & Quilted Coat | M&S RRP £79.99

 

This coat is very well made, super warm and looks great on!

The padding is not all one style which adds a great silhouette and flatters my figure.

It hugs at all the right places, has super warm pockets and a luxurious fur hood!

Absolutely love this coat!

This mission further supports the notion that the fashion industry are still not catering to the curvy petites...

A hugh thank you to (@marksandspencer)

@MsShayDivine

Petite & Curvy: Winter Coats

Winter is definitely here and I seriously not happy about feeling all of it!

Time to put away the bomber and biker jackets and get the blanket scarves out of storage with the quickness!

I just want to stay home in bed with a blanket, slippers and an orange hot chocolate but I can't, I have a job and a life and winter can be quite pretty if you have the right clothing and accessories.

From around Oct I usually start moaning to my friends about coats and what style, lengths and warmth issues I have when buying a simple coat for my 5ft curvy frame.

I used to love a padded coat but there were a few problems for me...

Length- Being 5ft tall coats that come up to most people's knees usually reach me at my shins and I can look like I have no clothes on if I am not wearing jeans or trouser.

Style- Some coats, especially padded, can have us funsized folk looking a bit like Michelin man...not a cute look!

Most of these padded coats don't come in petite but on the rare occasion they do, they are definitely not made for the petite and curvy.

Quality- I have lost count of the amount of padded coats I have bought which have either lost all it's feathers within a few months or burst open at the most random seem...

Long story short, I am on the hunt for a winter coat which I can wear for at least 2yrs without my voluptuous frame spilling over and leaving my booty out in cold!

Going shopping this weekend to see what the high street can offer...update to follow!

@MsShayDivine

Petite & Curvy: Jeans

I've been shopping for a pair of plain black jeans for about 6 months, yes 6 months!

Why...because it seems since everyone went "Skinny", "SuperSkinny" and 'Might as well wear tights or leggings' jeans in almost every shop, it's almost impossible to find the classic straight cut or even slim fit jeans when you're petite and curvy...I mean it's hard enough!

Yes, I know they're 'on trend' and yes I know the majority of people like the 'I can't breathe' look but what about the rest of us?

Do we not buy jeans too?

Personally I do not appreciate the skinny or super skinny jean. I think they make my legs look like turkey drummers.

Nice thick thighs, with a small waist and small calves is not a great look in the skinny jean...for me. Not flattering, not happening!

I mean come on, these look like leggings or jeggings on me and they show....everything! If you get my drift lol & why do they need to hug my ankles, let them breathe too!

3 classic jeans, perfect for the petite and curvy girl...

The Classic straight leg

The original slim fit

The petite bootcut fit

Please can we bring these back fashion industry....please!?...

This may be the perfect opportunity to go Vintage shopping...hmmm

@MsShayDivine

Hair: Black Hair Care

***Black Hair Care***

Over the past few years I have lost count of the amount of new products, herbs or methods for all kinds of Black hair care issues. #Productjunkies

It seems everyone has something, uses something or is about to try something new but the one thing that a lot of people forget or fail to realise, is that WE'RE ALL DIFFERENT!

What works for one person, their climate, their texture, their routine etc may not be right for you!

People seriously need to look at their hair, know their hair and understand how their hair responds to climate, diet etc and what works best for them.

That being said there are three things which are vital for everyone's hair care....

• Water
• Diet
• Climate

Water- Drinking water is great for the whole body . When it comes to hair care water intake is important to hydrate from the inside out. Hydration is a must for Black hair!

Another note on water is water quality, hard water can have negative effects on Black hair. You can find out if you live in a soft or hard water are by checking links like the one below (UK).

http://www.bristan.com/watermap

Diet- Yes, you can do protein treatments, ACV washes, baking soda treatments etc but ultimately whatever you put into your body comes out in your pores and yes this does include your scalp.

Eating a healthy balanced diet is also key to healthy hair, skin and nails.

Climate- This is never in your control but being aware of how your climate affects your hair, is also an important part of Black hair care.

For example, I know my hair can get quite dry in the autumn and winter months so I use extra moisturising products and do low manipulation styling.

Knowing your hair is the first step to beautiful, healthy Black hair. Period!

@MsShayDivine