Fruit Infused Water

All this sunshine has really set the bar for summer now. Bye bye boots, there's no going back - it's flip flops all the way till September now. 

Over the weekend I saw loads of girls with fruit infused water so I thought I'd have a go at creating my own. 

The beauty with this instant detox fix is that there's no set list of ingredients - go wild with that 5 a day!

In my old Yankee candle holder mason jar there is:

• Sliced cucumber
• Sliced lemon
• Frozen mixed berries (raspberries, blueberries, redcurrants and blackcurrants)
• H2o baby

Pop it in the fridge and leave it to infuse 'till your heart's content. 

You know how some people say fruit tea smells amazing but taste of nothing? Not this. Obviously, the longer you leave it to infuse the stronger the taste, but I poured after about 20 minutes and it was really fruity. 

Pour into a glass or bottle (or drink straight from a straw), and top up the water as necessary.. bearing in mind the flavour won't be as strong, so you might want to add more fruit too.

I've left my second infusion in the fridge overnight, I hope it's really strong in the morning..

Apparently mint and strawberry make a cracking combination, so that's definitely one to try this weekend.

(Sorry about the blurred quality of the photos, it was dark! I don't know how this beaut manages to make mason jars look so good..) Plenty of more beautiful images to drool over on Pinterest.

Any other infusion combinations I should try?!

Simple lunch box idea: roasted ratatouille

This recipe is the ultimate accompaniment to any lunch or dinner - make a big batch that will last you a few servings and you've got home-made lunches sorted all week.

It's clean, healthy, really tasty and so easy to make.

It's also one of those dishes where you can swap in and out vegetables according to taste (or, in my case, what's left in the fridge on a Sunday).

What I used:

1 butternut squash
1 courgette
1 red pepper
3 field mushrooms
3 celery sticks
1 tub tomato passata
Turmeric
Paprika
Salt & Pepper

If I'd had any, I would've added aubergine and an onion too.

Chop your veg. Throw it all into an oven proof dish:

Add a little extra virgin olive oil, then pour over the passata, turmeric and  paprika. Season with black pepper. I use a whole tub of passata to give it a liquidy consistency, but if you want it to look like this:

... only use half.

Put it in the oven at a low temperature (around 110 degrees), and leave it for an hour.

I like it with chicken breast & spinach, salmon & feta but it also tastes amazing on its own as a ratatouille.

After an hour, when it's looking like this, take it out and leave to cool. Serve as you will.

Boom! Cheap, healthy lunch.. come at me!

Visiting Lagos, Portugal, in April

Me and James have just come back from Lagos (I know, it's a tough life). With both of us about to start new jobs, we fancied a mini holiday to rejuvenate... and get a tan in the process.

Lagos is a beautiful corner of the world with, in my opinion, basically everything going for it - golden sands, a marina, a mountain range close by, cheesy but amazing bars, great fresh sea food, good bike routes, boiling sunshine and friendly locals.

Weather wise, we couldn't have asked for it to be nicer! I've only ever been in July or August, so didn't know what to expect in April. It was around 20 degrees, with a slight wind, so nice in the day but you'd need a jumper at night.

In Lagos, lunch is best spent on the beach front which is exactly what we did each day. There are about six or seven beach huts that serve food and drinks so you're spoilt for choice.

Day one was all about the prawns. After little to no sleep, a flight still at night and an hour in the sun (I fell asleep, massive tan line no-no), it was time for some fresh, rich seafood.

It's worth noting that I didn't like prawns before visiting this little hut on the beach two years ago, so if you're a little unsure (or a full blown prawn lover), this is the place to get peelin'.

It's the hut's special dish. The prawns are HUGE and come sizzling, swimming in an unbelievably tasty dressing - which is mopped up of course, with freshly baked crusty bread and washed down with a Superbock.

We were joined by a little friend; how funny does he look with his eyes shut - so stubborn about the camera!

On Wednesday we tried out a new beach restaurant that's been revamped. With its glass fronted, minimalistic vibe, it's definitely the most upmarket looking restaurant on the beach.

If you're a fan of cocktails, you need to stop by the Yellow Hotel. It's stunning, with great views out to sea.

We're always in the marina, and Quay Lagos is a definite winner for dinner in my eyes. It boasts proud position on the marina front; the food reflects its prime location but without the price tag.

The wild mushrooms and pancetta on toast with a poached egg was one of the nicest starters I've ever had.

Duck liver pate with toast and chutney (AMAZING).

For the main, I had lamb with Mediterranean veg.

James chose the pork belly & crackling..

We finished things off with the ultimate cheese board..

...before heading off out into Lagos for cocktails at Bon Vivant, and a bar crawl with absinthe shots and too many rum and cokes!

I honestly can't recommend the place enough.

Happy Easter!

There's nothing quite like being at home for the holidays.

My Twitter profile has been fighting it out over tweets about running vs. chocolate and wine. I think we all know who won:

"Forgive me Lord, for I have sinned..."

My little sister played around on the camera and I'm a bit embarrassed to say I think these two are probably better than the pics I take!

I've basically just sat out in the garden, eating & drinking for three days straight.

Running by the Clifton Suspension Bridge

 I can't believe after sunshine ALL week it chooses to p*ss it down today... Still, that didn't deter our annual Easter egg hunt (nor did it stop my mum shrieking "you're hot... COLD, colder still.." at us for the whole neighbourhood to hear. It doesn't matter that I'm nearly 24...).

I <3 Easter. I also need motivation to get back on the health wagon as SOON as today is over...