My top 5 LeanIn15 book 1 recipes - chloescorner

Happy fri-yay you lovely lot! hope you've all had a good day. In an attempt to be healthier, as a family, we've been following the recipes in Joe Wicks' (aka The Body Coach) first and second Lean in 15 books. I thought I'd share my top 5 recommendations with you guys for today's blog post!

Recommendation Numero Uno - Turkey Meatballs with Feta (page 93)

We loooove these meatballs *heart eye emoji*. In his book these are under the 'low carb' options which is suggested if you're having a rest day although we find them ever so versatile as you can easily add spaghetti or pasta to make it slightly more carb dense and filling yet just as bloody tasty.

Recommendation Numero Dos - Joes Chicken Pie (page 98)

This recipe is made to serve four so in my little family of three we normally have a leftover portion which is just as tasty for the next days tea/dinner warmed up! just make sure you store it in the fridge. Another incredible recipe from Mr Wicks - Creamy chicken with mushrooms and spinach topped with filo pastry. Quick, easy and tastes amazing.

Recommendation Numero Très - Mighty Duck Noodles (page 134)

Omg I cannot even begin to explain how much this recipe blew me away. It tastes just like a Chinese takeaway but so so much better for you and doesn't leave you with that horrible bloated/'I feel sick' feeling afterwards. To say its healthy it doesn't lack in flavour - I honestly think this has been one of my favourites over the whole couple of months. We've made it on numerous occasions and even made it with meat substitutions such as chicken and beef and it was still just as good!

Recommendation Numero Quatro - Joe's Sweet Potato Cottage Pie (page 163)

Cottage pie with a healthier, and in my opinion much more yummy twist. I've found a love for sweet potatoes since starting to adapt my nutrition so this recipe was a no-brainer and a must try. The use of Worcestershire sauce in this makes it mouth wateringly good and just makes your standard cottage pie that little bit more interesting.

Last but not least, Recommendation Numero Cinco - Teriyaki Chicken Stir-Fry (page 154)

Another takeaway favourite made healthy - mmmm. I honestly would prefer to prepare this over buying its unhealthy substitute I find it so much more satisfying - he definitely doesn't skimp on the flavour thats for sure!


So there we have it - My top 5. I could've picked so many more to share with you but in all honesty I just think you should all go out and grab the book - I couldn't recommend it enough! I've loved eating and preparing the meals every night, mostly along side my mum although sometimes I've dabled and made it alone. I have to say its improved my simple cooking skills by a mile and I definitely won't be eating boring, unhealthy or bland food at Uni!

Let me know if you've tried this book and what your favourite recipes are!

All my love,

Chloe xo

Sugar Junction, NQ Manchester - chloescorner

Apologies for the lack of posts guys! I've been trying to spend as much time with my friends before they all leave for Uni as possible which unfortunately meant my blogging taking a backseat for a lil bit.

I'm a massive sucker for cakes, chocolates... in fact anything sweet and I'm all over it! (much to the dismay of my figure - oopsy). So as my bestfriend is leaving for Chester tomorrow morning to start her course at uni we decided to head out to Sugar Junction in Manchester (Northern Quarter, Tibb Street) for Afternoon Tea. I've always seen posts of the delicious meals people have tucked into there but never really had the opportunity to try it for myself. Safe to say I've well and truly been missing out! 

PS - I do apologise for the not so great quality photos, I didn't want to be carrying my DSLR around on a casual day out although I don't think my Iphone did too bad of a job!

Right from the get go we knew that this place was something special which was evident in the small que that was forming on the outside although the tentative staff made sure we were seated as soon as possible. The little cafe has a vintage theme throughout. From pretty little glasses, intricate details on the napkins, beautiful china plates - it truly is stunning and unbelievably photogenic! There is a huge selection of different dishes so even if you're not particularly hungry they have light bites to eat too. 

The Traditional Afternoon Tea is £15.50 per person and comes with a selection of 3 sandwiches each (out of a possibility of 4), Scones with Jam and Clotted Cream and several other luxurious treats and cakes - the menu differs daily to the sweet treats they're serving that day. Me and Paige were given the options of the following; Sandwiches - Ham and Salad, Salmon and Cream Cheese, Brie and Cranberry (which I surprisingly loved!) and Egg Mayonnaise. A little Strawberry, Blueberry and Cream filled tart each. Cakes - A slice of Chocolate and Guinness Cake and A slice of White Chocolate and Raspberry Cake each. Each Afternoon Tea is served with your chosen tea out of the 17(!!!) choices although neither me or Paige like tea so we opted for the soft drinks which they included in the price instead.

To say that our eyes were bigger than our bellies was an understatement - I managed 2 Sandwiches and a Scone before I was ready to pop although you can ask the lovely staff for a box to take whatever you don't manage to finish home with you. As you can see I didn't manage to gracefully place mine in the box and ended up making quite a mess haha.

All in all I couldn't recommend this quaint little cafe enough! If you're local to Manchester or thinking of visiting I highly recommend giving Sugar Junction a visit even if it's only to indulge in a heavenly slice of cake.

http://www.sugarjunction.co.uk/menu.html Here is the menu for you to have a little nosey at! 

All my love,

Chloe xo

Guilt-free Lemon Drizzle - chloescorner

I'm a bad blogger, I know! I've been so busy with crazy overtime at work I've barely had time to think let alone blog although sometimes I think it's good to let off some steam and return to my little corner of the internet and what better way to do that with a delicious - yet completely guilt-free - cake recipe? Plus I'm currently obsessed with The Great British Bake-off and wanted to make something to satisfy my unbelievably sweet tooth.

My older Cousin and his girlfriend came round for tea earlier for a well needed catch-up and yummy food. I've recently gone on quite the health kick but decided that no family meal is quite right without a cake. After scanning a few of my Mum's healthy (mostly WeightWatchers) cookbooks I found the perfect, healthier version of a lemon drizzle cake recipe. (Recipe taken from the 'Fabulous and Filling' WeightWatchers book although original was a lemon and passion fruit drizzle - I adapted it to just lemon).

Ingredients:

- 100g self-raising flour

- 1 tsp of baking powder

- 125g of caster sugar

-75g of low-fat butter

- 150g of apple sauce

- 2 eggs (separated)

- the zest and juice of one lemon

1) Pre-heat your oven to Gas Mark 4/180 degrees. Grease your cake tin with a thin layer of butter or line it with parchment paper (non-stick) and then leave this to one side whilst you prepare the mixture.

2) Sieve your flour and baking powder into a bowl and then add 100g of the caster sugar, all of the butter, apple sauce, just the yolks of your eggs and the zest of your lemon and then whisk this together using an electric whisk (mostly for ease of use but do feel free to use a non-electric if needs be) for 2-3 minutes or until it is fluffy and pale in colour. Don't worry if the mixture seems a bit runny and thin as it soon thickens during the next step.

3) Add your egg whites into a separate bowl and whisk these until they create soft peaks. Once the peaks are forming you can then add this to the rest of the mixture, folding it in rather than beating - this makes the mixture thicker and even fluffier in texture.

4) Pour your mixture into your cake tin and pop it into the oven for 25 minutes or until it is golden brown and fully risen with a bouncy, firm middle.

5) Add the remainder of your sugar (25g) to a bowl and then squeeze the juice of your lemon in with it and stir till the sugar has dissolved. Be sure to remove the pips if any fall into the bowl in the process! You can then leave this to one side till the cake has baked.

6) Once the 25 minutes is up and the cake is fully cooked, take it out of the oven and leave to cool for a little bit (maybe 10-15 minutes). You can then prick the cake with a fork several times and then drizzle your sugar and lemon mixture over the top. Don't panic (like I did) if the cake starts to look overly moist (oh how I hate that word!) as when left to one side for an hour or so the cake absorbs the drizzle making the perfect lemony cake.

Et Voilà! An unbelievably tasty Lemon Drizzle with nothing but compliments all round. I highly recommend you to recreate this easy recipe! If you do then be sure to take a picture and tag me on Instagram or Twitter - my username is @chloecotgrave. 

I'm getting my arse in gear and getting more posts ready to share within the next few weeks so do keep your eyes pealed!

All my love,

Chloe xo