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An Bhialann - Brunch Club




An Bhialann is based in Ranelagh and again is one of the more meaty restaurants that do brunch at the weekend...












its nice and bright and not the kinda place that will crowd you out... 



they take coffee seriously here! 







The full Irish was a hit! 



and the Eggs Benedict with bacon... 


Perfectly soft! WIN!



Again, I was amused in the loos... seems to be a recurring thing now! 






quirky lamps to light the way... 



and yes the Iguana wallpaper sparkles... I KNOW! 

Check them out >>> HERE <<< 


Infuse your food...

Adding a different flavour to just one dish can make all the difference... It's easy to get bored when you're eating the same thing all the time... roll up flavoured spray oils... 

There's 15 sprays per PP (feel free to correct me but 15 sprays is approx 1 teaspoon of oil and that's 1PP) but you won't use that many with either of these brands! So they will last you ages... 

For stir fries or salad dressings these are the business... I'm going to try a garlic bread at the weekend using it...I'll pop up a post to let you know how I get on! 



These are from Lidl... Garlic, Basil and Chilli


The 'Fry light Infuse - 1 cal' garlic and chilli, 
are in Supervalu, Tesco and Dunnes... 
oh and the bottles are smaller than the standard Fry light... 


A funny thing happened on the way to the office...

I was sent for the coffee run and whilst standing in the queue in Starbucks I spotted the word 'Slimbo' ... 'Ooooh' says I... 'that might be a good option for lunch if I get stuck.. I wonder how many ProPoints are in that??' I mumbled ... so whilst waiting for the Mocha/latte/skinny 'NO SUGAR'/'will-you-get-me-a-bar-of-chocolate?' list to be filled... I snapped all the sandwiches that were there and pointed them back at my desk... BRACE yourselves... 



Ham & Cheese Slimbo - 7PP (SEVEN!)
It's tiny... two mouthfuls at best... well maybe my mouthfuls but still!



Smoked Salmon and Rocket Slimbo - 6PP



Ham Salad Bap - 11PP
ELEVEN and look at the size of it in my hand!!! 



Veggie Good Houmous wrap - 10PP



BBQ pulled pork tortilla - 13PP



Sweet Chilli Chicken Ciabatta - 11PP



Ham and Cheese Please - 14PP 
FOURTEEN!!!! 


Goats cheese and moroccan styled veg tasca - 12PP



Smoked cheddar and spinach tasca - 13PP



Ham sambo - 8PP



Sure as eggs is eggs - 11PP ELEVEN!!! 


I'll stop shouting now... seriously though, there are many days when I would have happily picked one up and thought 'I'm not doing much harm with a 'slimbo'!' 

One thing to note, there's no fibre posted on their packaging... I have contacted them and am waiting for a reply but till then... be careful out there!! 


V8

Juicing... the word almost fills me with me with dread... I've tried lots of juice diets, cleanses, uurrgghhh, nearly ALL of the juice fads going... and to be honest I've never lasted the course... now I'm talking the kind of juices that you have to hold your nose whilst your downing it... I'm pretty sure everyone's given them a try... yes, I love smoothies... yes, including the skin and using the whole fruit makes them very low in ProPoints so I'm not against 'juice' per say... Now, before anyone shouts how delicious and yummy and good for you they are... I know... I know... I know exactly how good they are for you and honestly I'm not against the fruit or the veggies, for me it's when they're combined! I'm a probably a juice snob... and can I also note, I'm not going to down a shot of wheat grass ever again either... no way! PLUS cleaning a juicer is second only, to my other most hated chore, ironing!




I love fruit, I think it's one of the reasons I've been so successful on the ProPoints plan, I don't over dose on it but I love snacking on it, and using it to flavour other foods like porridge, making popsicles, and adding them to my baking, blueberry muffins anyone? 


Honestly, I admire people who can drink carrots and celery, not that I don't love carrots and celery in their natural form I love my veggies I just can't drink them! Until now... and I think that's because they're mixed with fruit! 50/50!



V8 have come to town with their V-Fusion juices and I'm giving them a go! There's two in to choose from... Raspberry & Beetroot or Passion Fruit, Mango & Carrot... The Raspberry & Beetroot one is just gorgeous... it's not gloopy nor does it smell like stewed veggies (see I'm a snob) ... the fruit really gives it enough sweetness, to drink it like a lady out of a proper glass! I'm a massive raspberry fan, I used to pick them as a teenager near my grandmothers house and most of the time I had hives from eating too many... This is sweet enough to drink and the hint of beetroot is just enough to give you the healthy buzz! 



1 PP per 100ml / 3PP per 250ml serving

Low fat and free of artificial sugars means you're still getting all the good stuff without the additives! PLUS you get two of your five a day in one 250ml serving! If you're looking for a more tropical taste... the Mango & Passion fruit one is DEFINITELY worth a try! I had this one the other night at a party as I was the designated driver and in a cocktail glass no one was any the wiser! Smells so good too... and so much better than bringing a litre of diet coke for the night... I know 3PP sounds like a lot but when you think of how good it is for your insides and if you struggle to eat fruit and veg, and many people do, it might be the way to start getting the goodness into you! Water it down if you're struggling, it'll be like a cordial! 



0PP per 250ml serving 


V8 Vegetable Original juice is big in America and that too is available here... it's been produced there since 1933 and the recipe hasn't changed from day one... 8 ingredients -  tomato, celery, carrot, beetroot, parsley, lettuce watercress and spinach... all the good guys.. 100% pure vegetable juice and 150ml glass counts as one of your five a day! Bonus!

The Original Vegetable juice, not really for me, like I said I'm a bit of a juice snob... BUT it's the perfect ingredient to make Bloody Marys! See the way my mind works! AND I'm going to add it to my Zero PP soup this week to see how that works! *crosses fingers and toes*

If you can't be doing with the peeling, chopping and all that palaver... and if you don't have juicer, or one that only needs to be cleaned for an hour afterwards or if like most of us you don't have the time to make your own... these are the business! 





These are available in Dunnes and Tesco... €2.69 for 1 litre of the Original and €2.99 for 750ml of the V8 V-fusion! 

check them out >>> HERE <<< www.v8juice.com 














Because...




I've had to give myself a good talking to this morning... remind myself how much I want this... to be healthy... not skinny... not a size 10... but to be happy in my own skin... and it's so easy to veer off path... 

Today... have a think... How badly do you want it? Seriously? How much does it mean to you? Bad enough to make a stand... to fess up in work/home/college to friends/relations ... 'I'm trying to lose a bit of weight and be healthy, I'd really appreciate your support...' You'd be surprised at the reaction... people who you thought would be there, won't be... and others will surprise you with 'I really wanted to say something to you but wasn't sure if you fancied a pal to walk with...' 

The only person who can do it, is you... and you CAN do it! But you've got to WANT it badly enough... Surround yourself with the right people... people who love you and want you to be happy... and you're half way there... 

Because if you want it bad enough... you'll do it! 



Rehydrate - part two...





The wind... geez the wind!!! Hibernation is the trend at the moment... it's miserable out there... but with heating on, fires lighting and the fan turned up to defrost the car its important to rehydrate... yes, your 8 glasses of water and that's hard enough to keep up...  but your body and skin need a loving too! Here's some of my picks to get you through to spring... 




Me Me Me - Seventh Heaven Enriched Moisturising Facebase is perfect when you're not leaving the house for the day or not going to face the general public! You know those days when it's laundry, a walk, catch up on TV and general faffing about... or like me your work from home and only the postman need to get a fright! Well, this stuff is perfect for those days...  It's got that rich feeling to it without being heavy or feeling greasy... It's made with shea butter, Vitamin A and Beta Carotene to hydrate and nourish ... AND even if you are going out in the big bad world, leave it a few minutes to soak in and work its magic, it's a great primer base plus it smells SO good... citrusy, officially it lemon, orange, lime and mandarin ... but your face feels really fresh once its on with no irritation! It's got a real springtime vibe about it! 

I got mine in Superdrug but its also available online for €18.99 >>> HERE <<<






Elizabeth Arden products are cult products for a reason and if you do suffer with dry lips this product is the business... This has a vaseline type feel to it but its more... buttery?! if you know what I mean? It doesn't have that greasy finish to it but it definitely puts a 'seal' over your lips... great to lash on before bed,... the scent is eucalyptus and honey which sounds a bit medicinal its not over powering at all... it comes in a 'lipstick' form in Boots for €22 too but seek out these tins for €7.90! I got mine at the check out in Dublin airport but they can be found at the beauty counters too... Bargain! Doubles up as a fab cream for your cuticles and to tame your eyebrows! WINNING!





Freeze 24•7 Skin Blizzard Intensive Hydrating Facial Serum is the bees knees! One drop of this stuff rubbed in the palm of your hands and instantly your face feels nourished and like new! And with all the central heating, fires, fans in the car you're skin can feel really dry and tight but this serum is like a light relief! You literally only need a tiny drop once a day to keep your skin in check... don't forget your neck! It's pricey at €72 in Debenhams but it'll last you AGES, and your skin will feel amazing... put it on your list instead of Mothers day Choccies and an Easter Egg...  the range is often discounted in TK MAXX too, keep your eye's peeled for it... 





For your hands ... my two favs are Almond Milk Beeswax Hand Creme from Burt Bees, which smells divine... this one is thick with the same texture as butter, so it's one to put on before you go to bed and you'll wake up with super soft paws! There's a 'banana' version as well if almonds aren't your thing... you can purchase these in Holland & Barrett, Boots and all the usual spots for approx €10 but it will last you ages! Think of how many chocolate bars that is! 


The other is Whipped Hand Cream from L'Occitane at €10.50 is a bit pricey but its 25% shea butter, so it's got all the good feels on your hands without any strong scent, especially in this kind of weather! You can buy it online >>> HERE <<< or in any of their stores...



Again for those days when you don't need a full face of slap... Bright Here Bright Now from Soap & Glory is a lovely light moisturiser that will give you a lil glow without all the shine and glitter, AND you can mix this in with your foundation to give you that luminous' look... Think along the lines of Benefit - That Gal ... you know the way your winter foundation doesn't work in summer? well try a blob of this and mix it through your foundation and it works a charm to get you through springtime!  €15 in Boots worth it too!






Not forgetting your lovely locks especially after all the GHD and hair dryers over the festive season... L'oread Elvive Extraordinary Oil is perfick for those of us with long hair ... again you only need a couple of drops to keep the dry ends away... You can add it before you shampoo to protect your colour, during styling to protect it from the heat.. or a drop rubbed between your hands once your done to finish your style off with a glossy shine! Again this smells gorgeous... and the bottle will last you AGES! €12 in Boots but it varies so shop around! 





For a good body lotion that you can lash on, Vaseline are one of the best out there and the variety in their range means there's something for everyone... I'm a huge fan of the Spray and Go moisturiser after the pool... no faffing with bottles and especially after a dip in chlorine you're skin feels great.. but their body lotions and gels are just as good.. The lotion is fab to lash on or the body gel which will give your skin a nice sheen for the money, AND you're getting a fab moisture kick to your skin... I'm a cocoa junkie, I just love smelling like holidays but there's aloe vera, oat extract (which doesn't smell like porridge!) and just plain old lotion if perfumed stuff isn't your thing... 

Shop around in your local pharmacy for these... Approx. €6.99 in Boots



Now DON'T forget your tootsies! Seriously, I know we're all still in boots and fluffy socks but before you know it, you'll have to get 'em out and no one wants to face dry cracked skin on your piggies... so two products I use all the time are Gorgeous Feet from Boots with its SUPER hydrating, lash it on once you're in bed and it'll work its magic overnight! €4.49 (They've updated the packing since I bought this but its in the 'Make-My-Feet-Pretty' area! 


And below... well you can't go wrong with Palmers Cocoa Butter in any shape or form but this Peppermint and Mango (don't knock it till you try it!) Foot Magic is actually MAGIC! and only €3-ish absolute bargain! 








Rug up and keep hydrating! It'll be flip flop time before we know it! 




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