100 Calorie Courgette Soup Recipe...

Hey! At this time of year many if us (including me) are desperate to shed a few pounds for summer, and personally I am bored of the usual salads which leave  my tummy rumbling away all afternoon! So when on the hunt for a quick, easy, filling, yet low calorie and healthy lunchtime option, I came across this tasty courgette soup, which for a pretty generous bowl full comes in at around 100 calories and takes me about 30 minutes to make; sounds hard to believe I know! I would usually have this with two rice cakes or low fat cream crackers just to give it that extra tummy filling factor and I'm good to go!

The recipe serves 2 people if your having it as a meal, or you could have it as a light starter and spread it between 3-4 people; I like to make it in big batches, bung it in the freezer in containers and then heat it in the microwave when I want  some!

Ingredients

2 large courgettes

1 large onion

350ml of vegetable or chicken stock

Salt and pepper to taste 

Method 

1. Chop the onion and courgettes

2. Sweat the onions in a tiny bit of olive oil, I have a spray bottle which I love as you don't use any excess oil. You can get them in cook shops for less than a tenner and they're a really good investment if your serious about the dieting lark!

3. Once the onions are softened, add the courgettes, followed by the stock and simmer for 20 - 30 minutes or until everything is softened.

4. Now blend the soup, either using a hand or a jug blender, serve, and enjoy!

Let us know if you find these recipes useful in the comments or on twitter - @vanillavelvets

Bye for now! x

Benefit High Beam Dupe?

So today I was in poundland and saw this, it's called "Chit Chat Highlighter" .

It reminded me of the benefit highlighters in the way that they're both a liquid formula with a brush in a glass bottle, white lid etc! 

Even without my benefit high beam with me I could tell that this was a more pinky tone in the bottle and I didn't expect it to be excellent.

However once I got home and swatched them next to each other on my hand they came out the EXACT same colour, I promise you, just look at that photo! 

Now clearly there is massive price difference- but the only flaw I can find with the 'Chit Chat Highlighter' is that the brush is a bit rubbishy, but it's good enough to get the product out and as I'm sure you know you don't use that to blend it in anyway so I don't see it as a major issue! 

I'm so so please I picked this up and I actually think its slightly more pigmented and long lasting than Benefit! So all in all I would definitely choose this over Benefit and really want to go and grab another one as I have absolutely no idea where else you can get this brand, or how long it will be in pound land. (If any of you do know please please let me know, I would really appreciate it!!) 

The only reason for the size difference of these bottles is because i have the high beam in a mini version- i believe the full size version is the same size as Chit Chat

 

Benefit top, Chit Chat below

Chit Chat left, Benefit right

Cheap Ring Trick

I learnt this little cheap trick ages ago, and it's flipping useful! Say au revoir to embarrassing green fingers and ruined rings!
Cheap jewellery, and rings in particular, although very pretty in the shop can turn your fingers green instantly turning tasteful to tacky, but here i have the solution! So, before you wear your latest Primark purchase, grab a good top/base coat, or any clear nail polish and coat the inside of your ring, leave it to dry! Then if you have time do the outside too, but the inside is the part most important!
I always do this as allows me to buy cheap rings from on the high street without them staining your hands- a nasty give-away that no-one wants!


These are just a couple of silver coloured rings i bought a while ago in a pack for a few pounds in HandM- now i can wear them all the time!


Nail polish- BarryM in Mint Green
As always picture quality isn't perfect, my apologies if this bothers you