Recipe: My super-duper shakshuka!

Shakshuka is one of my favourite meals because it is...

• A classic winter warmer 
• Light on carbs and calories 
• Quick
• Easy 
• You can make it super spicy
• It involves poached eggs (I love eggs, which is a bit selfish of me considering my fiancé is allergic to them!)
• You can add lots of basil (I love/am obsessed with basil too)

I experimented this evening and added some frozen peas & chickpeas and it was peautiful! (Sorry, had to do it.) These are optional, so don't add them if you don't fancy them. The amount of spice also depends on your heat threshold, I like my food spicy so I added quite a lot. Because this dish is so fast and easy, you can just experiment with it and see what tickles your fancy. 

To make this dish, you will need:

• A tablespoon of olive oil 
• Half a red onion diced
• A couple of crushed garlic cloves
• Half a red pepper, either sliced or diced 
• One red chili pepper diced 
• A handful of frozen peas
• Half a tin of drained chick peas (approx 120g)
• Half a tin (approx 200g) of chopped tomatoes
• Two tablespoons of tomato purée
• One tablespoon of paprika
• Half a tablespoon of chilli powder (add more if you like spice)
• Half a tablespoon of cayenne pepper (again, add more if you like spice)
• Half a tablespoon of ground cumin
• Salt (onion salt works well) and pepper to season
• Two tablespoons of chopped basil (frozen basil works just as well)
• Two eggs
• Fresh parsley to garnish

Firstly, heat a medium-sized pan and pour a tablespoon of olive oil in. Add the diced onion, pepper and chili pepper, followed by the garlic. Keep the temperature to a medium heat and add the chickpeas and frozen peas. Cook them for around 5 minutes. 

Stir in the chopped tomatoes, add the spices and the chopped basil, then add the tomato purée before letting it simmer for another 5 minutes. Season the dish with salt and pepper, then carefully crack the eggs over the top of it. Cover it and let it cook for around 8 to 10 minutes, depending on the size of the eggs. Keep an eye on it though, you want the yolks to be yummy and runny! When the eggs are ready, dish up, sprinkle some parsley over it, probably take a photo for Instagram and enjoy! x

Is acne-shaming the new fat-shaming?

This morning I went through my usual routine of trying to turn myself from sleepy zombie to wide awake writer. I put the kettle on, ate my porridge, scanned my favourite social media sites and read the news headlines. I'm slightly (massively) ashamed to admit that I love a bit of celebrity gossip and I usually get my daily fix of this from the Daily Mail showbiz section (please don't judge me). 

While I was scrolling down the stories, I saw the usual culprits - the TOWIE star showing off her bikini bod on a beach in Dubai, the Geordie Shore girls stumbling around outside a nightclub, an interview with the latest CBB evictee and so on. 

Then one story in particular caught my eye. And not in a good way. 

I'm well aware of the newspaper's usual antics - fat-shaming, the relentless publicity given to z-listers etc. But this one article seemed to go just that one step too far - even by the DM's standards. Take a look and see what you think:

At first glance, it was the headline which bothered me - the way it stated that Delta Goodrem was 'once again' caking on the make-up and 'drawing attention' to her skin. The poor girl was probably using make-up to do anything BUT draw attention to her skin! 

Now I have to be honest, I'm a bit biased about this issue. I suffered from bad acne throughout my teenage years. Then, when I was 17, it got so severe that I was referred to a dermatologist who prescribed the controversial drug, Roaccutane. 

If you are not familiar with Roaccutane, it's an incredibly strong acne treatment which has a bad reputation due to the possible serious side effects (such as depression) and it has even been linked to a number of suicides.

Roaccutane is generally a last resort for those who have been plagued with bad skin for years and you are carefully monitored while you are taking it. I had blood tests every month which was a nightmare for me as I'm very squeamish/wimpy! 

Apart from that, my experience with Roaccutane was mostly good. It did the job in the way that it cleared my skin up, but the main side effect I experienced was having extremely dry skin and lips. I remember buying masses and masses of Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream because it was literally the only moisturiser strong enough to soothe my skin. Even then, my make-up would always look flaky and patchy and my lips were always chapped. However, in the end, it was a price worth paying because my acne hasn't returned since (touch wood). 

I think the reason why that article hit a nerve is because I can completely relate to the horrible feelings you experience when you're going through the acne nightmare. Feeling ugly, feeling self-conscious and feeling sad... to name just a few. It can be hard to understand if you're lucky enough to be blessed with good skin, but if you've ever had a massive spot then you'll know how annoying it is when you're talking to somebody and all they do is stare at it, instead of looking you in the eye. I very much doubt that the writer of the article knows how it feels to have troublesome skin, otherwise they wouldn't be so insensitive, or even run the story to begin with. 

I think, actually, I hope, that it was just a slow news day and not the start of a new trend similar to fat-shaming.

Book Review: I’ve Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella

First things first. If you are reading this and you are not a fan of the ‘chick lit’ genre – this book is not for you.

Personally, I am a devotee of chick lit and a huge fan of Sophie Kinsella (or Madeleine Wickham). When The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic was released, I read it in the space of a few hours. Fast-forward 10 years and, while working as a journalist on my local paper, I had the opportunity to interview Sophie. On the day of the interview, I remember picking up the phone to call the number her agent had given me and being so nervous that I dialled the wrong number twice. I had spent such a long time thinking of all the questions I wanted to ask her and I had to constantly remind myself not to get too overexcited and sound like a crazy superfan! But as expected, she was absolutely lovely and even sent me a signed hardback copy of Mini Shopaholic which made my day/week/month/year/life (read the interview here).

Anyway, I took I’ve Got Your Number away with me recently as it seemed to tick all the boxes for an ideal holiday read. The book didn’t let me down and was everything I wanted it to be. It was easy and enjoyable reading. It made me laugh and it made me cry (due to too much laughter!)

Sophie once said in an interview that she likes to start her books with a ‘what if?’ scenario and this book opens with a bloomin’ sticky one. The protagonist, Poppy Wyatt, has lost her engagement ring (a priceless ring that has been in her beloved’s snobby, know-it-all family for three generations). Not only that, she also goes on to lose her mobile phone, thanks to an opportunistic thief. Now I don’t know about you, but just the thought of losing my phone makes me shudder *shudder*. During Poppy’s nightmare situation, she finds a seemingly abandoned phone in a rubbish bin and begins chatting with the stranger at the end of it who doesn’t appreciate her snooping into his private life.

I kind of suspected the ending (as you often do with many chick-lit books) – who was going to end up with who and what-not. But it’s how it happens that makes it so intriguing. The story took an interesting twist towards the end which left me wondering whether my theory would be right after all.

Without giving too much away, my highlights were:

• The hilarious scene in the jewellers when Sam is organising a replacement ring for Poppy
• The Scrabble game
• Poppy’s ‘burnt’ hand being examined by the dermatologist
• The mix-up with Sam’s dad
• The subtle but special moment in the woods
• Poppy’s heart-to-heart with Wanda
• The ending – as I said, it took an unexpected turn, so I was kept guessing right until the end! The last scene is also pretty hilarious in general.

After finishing the book, I read a couple of online reviews in which readers were torn about whether or not they liked the fact that Sophie used footnotes. Personally, I liked them. I felt they added to the story as they were a nod to Poppy’s academic in-laws and they made the book feel quirky and different.

I would definitely recommend I’ve Got Your Number to any fans of fabulous chick lit. It’s the perfect light read and will definitely make you smile and giggle!

If you’ve read a good book lately, please comment below with any recommendations, I’m always on the lookout for my next read! x

Recipe: Seared tuna steak with spicy mango salsa and steamed veg

A Sunday roast is a tradition in casa Manning-Owen-Jones, but today we were feeling a bit adventurous and fancied something a little different. So we ummed, we ahhed, we flicked through our favourite recipe books and studied our top foodie websites. We wanted something healthy and light as we're on a health kick after the naughtiness of Christmas and our very decadent holiday in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. After flicking through our 5:2 diet recipe book, we decided on a tuna steak, paired with mango salsa and some yummy greens. It was seriously yummy and even better, really light on calories.

To make it you'll need:

• Two tuna steaks, 150g each 
• One mango
• Two small red chilli peppers
• Half a red onion
• Half a red pepper
• Coriander 
• One lime 
• Pinch of salt
• Asparagus 
• Tender-stem broccoli 

The mango salsa is super easy. Simply dice up the mango, chilli peppers, onion and pepper. Chop the coriander and add it to the mix, along with a pinch of salt. Using a fine grater, add the zest and then the juice of the lime. Give the salsa a good stir. 

Place the tuna steaks in a bowl and pour a tablespoon of olive oil over them. Rub the oil into the steaks and add salt and pepper to season. Then, turn up the temperature on the hob and heat a griddle pan so it gets really hot. While the pan is heating up, pop the asparagus and the tender-stem broccoli in a vegetable steamer for 4-5 minutes.

When the griddle pan is hot enough, carefully roll the tuna over it to sear the edges, then place it on the griddle for just 30 seconds each side. Put the steaks on a plate and pop them in the oven to warm through. This will give you a rare (so rare it's practically still swimming!) steak - see pic below - but if you like your fish actually cooked then you could cook it for 2-3 minutes each side.

When the vegetables are done, plate them up with the tuna and spoon the salsa onto the side... enjoy! x

PR Story of the Week: There's something about Taylor

I remember hearing Taylor Swift's music a couple of years ago, but I wrote her off almost immediately as country tunes aren’t really my cuppa tea. She then crept back onto my radar when she started going out with Harry Styles (I’m not a 1D fan, honest…) and they ventured up north to the Lake District for a weekend away (good choice guys, good choice). 

Then, after the demise of Sty-lor, I didn’t really take much notice of her again until, say, last summer. Over the last six months, however, I’ve grown to really like Ms Swift, admire her even (I'm actually listening to her new album while writing this blog).

In a world where young girls are growing up with saucepots like Miley Cyrus and Rihanna as supposed role models, there’s something hugely refreshing about Taylor Swift… partly because she refrains from twerking, boasting of drug-taking and posting semi-naked selfies (whatever floats your boat, but is there REALLY any need to flash the entire Instagram-using population??) 

Despite her global domination of the pop charts and mind-boggling fame and fortune, she still seems completely and utterly down-to-earth. Yes, I can hear you cynics in the back muttering ‘Well isn’t that all down to her squeaky clean image that has been carefully crafted by her PR team?’ And yes, it might well be. It probably is, in fact. But even with all the help in the world, I very much doubt you can keep up a completely fake persona for long (you only have to watch Celebrity Big Brother for proof of that!) 

PR Week recently featured an article entitled ‘Is Taylor Swift the best person at PR, like, ever?’ And yes, I reckon she might well be. In the piece, author Gavin Devine wrote that those of us in the PR industry would do well to study the Taylor Swift masterclass. I agree, I think we certainly would on a professional level, but so would any other young woman (or man) who is in the public eye. For her popularity can be partly attributed to the fact that she appears to genuinely adore, appreciate and respect her fans. After all, they are the reason why she is where she is and Ms Swift seems to recognise that... unlike a certain popstar brat who was pictured a few years ago appearing to actually spit on a waiting crowd from the roof of his hotel. 

I chose this as my favourite PR story of the week because it highlights three key elements of PR success (engagement, media coverage and consistency) and it puts them into an interesting context, that is, a pop star’s reputation. Read the PR Week article here.

What do you think of Taylor Swift? Is she a good role model for young girls? Or is her image simply PR spin? Let me know your thoughts x

What the bloomin’ heck is my blog name all about?

Since I can remember, my family has laughed at the (apparently) amusing little phrases I’ve always said. I asked my mum for her particular favourites and they included ‘Cor blimey,’ ‘Crikey Moses,’ ‘Oh my giddy aunt’ and ‘Bloomin’ heck.’ 

I don’t have a clue where I picked them up as nobody else in my family says them and neither do any of my close friends. As well as providing some humour for my mum, one of my phrases actually came in rather useful lately. Last year (2014) was a funny old year for me, career-wise. It took a turn I didn’t expect and I am now in the process of setting up two businesses, both of which revolve around writing, so what was initially a rather strange situation ended up turning into a dream come true! 

One of my businesses is providing PR, copywriting and marketing support to SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises). I’ve worked in the media and PR industry since I was 18, so I’ve heard just about every PR business name, from the simple and subtle to those that are just plain odd. So, when it came to thinking of a name for my own business, it turned out to be a much bigger challenge than I initially expected. At first I thought ‘Pfft a name? Simple. I’ll just do a brainstorm. Nothing can go wrong with a good ol’ brainstorm!’ (And it’s a good excuse to buy Sharpies… not that I need an excuse to buy Sharpies). 

So, I did one brainstorm. Then another. And another. And what did I have by the end of them? Diddly squat, that’s what. 

William Shakespeare once pondered ‘What’s in a name?’ Well, an awful lot, as it happens. I wanted a name that would represent my business and the brand I am going to build, but with a bit of personality and fun thrown in too. I kept reassuring myself that the answer would come to me eventually. Surely it would have to, right? Well it didn’t. 

Eventually, I decided to take a different approach and write down some words to describe myself. As the face of the business, I realised it was important for the name to also reflect me as a person. I began with my professional values and skills – hard-working, organised, enthusiastic, respectful and creative. Funnily enough, after that, a few of my odd little phrases popped into my head… crikey, blimey and bloomin’. Then, during what can only be described as a cartoon-esque light bulb moment, it came to me. Bloomin’ Creative. That was it. My business name. It was exactly what I had in mind. It was different, it was quirky, it represented my business and it represented me. So that was that, Bloomin’ Creative was born (or registered on Companies House) and My Bloomin’ Blog began! X

My first blog

Hello and welcome to my blog!

Ooh. Eek. This is a bit exciting. I have been meaning to start my own blog for ages (AGES).

So while writing my New Year resolutions for 2015 (eat less, exercise more, blah blah) I decided, enough is enough! I am ACTUALLY going to blog this year. It has happened before, I’m not going to lie. My typical pattern goes a little like this:

*Reading a blog* Ooh I love blogs! I’m going to start one tomorrow. Definitely. Absolutely definitely. Tomorrow. Actually, I have so much work to do tomorrow. Maybe next week… Although, I have two deadlines next week. Hmm. I’ll put it on my ‘to do’ list for next month. If it’s on my ‘to do’ list then it’s 100% going to happen. Yup. *Nods convincingly and adds to list*

Then it’s May, then it’s June… then before I know it, I’m agreeing with Perry Como that yes, it IS beginning to look a lot like Christmas. And yes, mince pies definitely DON’T count if you cut them up into quarters and eat them while standing.

So, in true January tradition, I have convinced myself that I am going to keep this resolution and I am going to blog.

I don’t know what I am going to blog about exactly… but I love writing and I am particularly passionate about food, wine, travel and books. I am also planning my wedding this year so my blog will no doubt document my transformation from a happy, (fairly) normal 24-year-old girl to a full-on bridezilla who colour codes her spreadsheets (totally haven’t done that already...)

Hope you enjoy! x