This soup deserves an Oscar!

A few Sunday's ago we found ourselves wondering around Richmond's Whole Foods, mouths wide open, eyes fixed and stomachs rapidly rumbling at the bakery section. However, being only 2 months (OMG!!) now until we both say 'I do' we are on a strict no sugar, no carbs, (no nothing!) diet.

 

On entering the store we made our way downstairs to the "healthier" section and of course the cat food, remembering this was the one and only reason we had found ourselves within such a dieters hell in the first place. No sooner had we got downstairs something caught my eye, a soup stand with a friendly looking couple handing out cups of thick green soup- well, this must be healthy I thought to myself. Never ones turn down a freebie- even a healthy one- Ports and I both accepted the green goodness - and in just one sip I was blown away.

Being a type one diabetic and finding a soup that isn't loaded with sugar and added sugar is borderline impossible! I spend endless lunch breaks in supermarkets shaking my head at the sugar content in soups. Even the 'green soups' are loaded with sugar - their excuse, to flavour and preserve- but in the name of health- this is NOT HEALTHY!

However, let me introduce you to Soupologie -the Gwyneth Paltrow of the celebrity world! The guy who created them, Stephen, deserves a soup oscar and in my opinion, he should be the one pioneering healthy eating within schools - not Jamie bloody Oliver.

 

These soups are filling, tasty, rich in everything good- oh, and there's only the natural sugar to contend with - which - even at there most 'sugary' is such a minimal amount that I needed NO INSULIN for! For me this is a revelation as pretty much everything pre-packaged these days from soups to salads, these days come packed with nasty added sugars. To be able to buy a soup that I dont have to think about how much insulin I'm going to have to give myself it a bit of a dream!

There are over 20 different soups to choose from which are all free-from meat, gluten, lactose and sugar, so they literally cater for every one.

I was expecting such a health tick-able soup to be very expensive- especially buying it from Wholefoods, however, they are very reasonable for all the benefits they provide at £2.99 each (this will obviously vary across stores).

I am so thrilled that I can now have soup for lunch as many times a week as I want and not have to worry about any crazily high blood sugars afterwards, or having to give myself a ridiculous amount of insulin.

For further information on Soupologie and where you can pick one up, follow this link

Diet cheat day at Kew Village Market.

Every first Sunday of the month Kew Village closes off it's stunning streets and becomes a bustling market with a multitude of different stalls selling cheeses, breads, vegetables and meats to chocolates, jewellery, soaps and other incredible crafts. This was the first Sunday of 2014 so we'd had it in our calendar for a while as a "must visit" and the weather couldn't have been more perfect, crisp and sunny. There were pushchairs, dogs, paper coffee cups and basket bikes in abundance, creating a very French market feel, the place just buzzed. 

Everything was very reasonably priced with fresh loaves of bread from £1.20 and packs of fat organic sausages from £4. We made our way around stocking up on some delicious must haves for a diet cheat day. 

There were tasters in abundance - some of my favourite, of course, being Ildiko's chocolate. Dark, milk and white chocolate, infused with some delicious flavours, these really were special and I couldn't help myself. 

Every stall was so individual to the next, there was no shouting or jeering customers over, it was just relaxed, friendly and very vibrant. There was a real sense of community, which was understandable given how unique Kew Village appears to be. 

Even Pizza Express had a beautiful and endearing facade.

As the market stalls began to shut down, we made our way back to the station ready to head home.  

I really cant speak highly enough of this bubble of West London beauty.If you want to visit Kew Village then the next Market will be held on Sunday 2nd March with a list of stalls here. 

I hope you all had great weekends.

Emi x 

A vintage wave, live music and liquor, 1930s style.

Last weekend we headed to Cecil's, a basement bar of a Victorian tea warehouse, 200 metres from London Bridge and under the looming presence of the Shard to celebrate our gorgeous friend Lisa's birthday. In a private, intimate venue holding a maximum of 120, the high ceilings of Cecil's shelter a delightful stage & impressive sound system, with live Jazz, attentive waiters and some very delicious beverage options.

The dress code on the website states:

"Outrageous, extravagant or hedonistic, the only scandal would be to remain unremarkable betwixt the glittering moths that come and go among the whisperings, champagne and stars. Be it strapless, off the shoulder or a plunging backless crowd pleaser, Ladies this is the night to adorn yourself in that dress with the perfect décolletage"

Having recently bought a stunning Jarlo floor length velvet gown that I'd been eyeing up for months, I was so excited to have the opportunity to wear it.

I also decided that in order to try and fulfil the 1930s look I wanted to try and do my hair myself, by creating a vintage wave. One of my very best friends, Ami sent me a link to a brilliant You Tube clip which I followed to the tee and urge you all to try! My hair is naturally very thick and curly, but recently - in wedding prep mode- I have had a Brazilian Blow Dry so it's a lot more relaxed with a lot less frizz.

What you need to complete the vintage wave:

• Foam Curlers (I bought mine from Boots)
• Mousse (I bought mine from Umberto Gianni)
• A comb
• Kirby grips
• Hair spray

I wore about 12 foam curlers (from Boots) for the whole night before, which was very uncomfortable and I definitely didn't sleep well, however, the results couldn't have been better when taking them out the following day. I probably kept the rollers in for about 16 hrs in total as my hair was damp as I put them in . . . and I will admit I wasn't expecting it to work at all.

On taking out the curlers your hair literally springs up in to tight spiral curls - very Jane Eyre! You have to brush the curls out against the palm of your hand (to avoid frizz) and literally keep on brushing! I also sprayed some super hold hair spray every now and then just to keep the curls set in place. 

I was totally astounded by the results, bouncy, voluminous, glossy curls and all for the fraction of a cost of going to the hair salon!

                 

                   

I took my brush along with me to the event and a couple of times throughout the night I gave my hair a little brush and amazingly the curls stayed more or less in place!









                 

                  
                  Lisa dazzled us all in an incredible gown lent to her from a friend who works in the world of theatre.

                 



               

I think the pictures will speak for themselves in detailing what an amazing evening it was! If you want to experience something similar than for a Saturday night tickets are £20 each and this includes a welcome drink. The drinks themselves are very reasonable - for London prices- being about £6 for a Gin and Tonic and £7 for a glass of sparkles (Prosecco). Book now!

Emi x