Nutella & Peanut Butter Brownies Recipe

There's nothing more satisfying than tearing open a brownie to find a gooey centre, is there? These brownies are incredibly moist and sooo delicious. I actually followed a Nutella brownie recipe from Mother Tyme (I love her blog!) not so long ago and was so happy with the results that I was eager to bake them again. I didn't quite have enough Nutella though so I played about a bit and came up with the yummy combination of Nutella and peanut butter! The saltiness of the peanut butter cuts through the rich chocolate and there is a slight hint of nuttiness. If you're not a fan of peanut butter, you can just stick to Nutella and vice versa. 

To make around 6 big brownies or 9 small brownies you will need:

3/4 cup flour

1/3 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

Approximately 2 heaped tablespoons of Nutella and peanut butter (the more the better!)

Dark chocolate

Start by pre-heating your oven to gas mark 4 (180 degrees or 350 degrees fahrenheit) and cream the eggs and sugar together

Slowly add the eggs, followed by Nutella and peanut butter and continue mixing

It's surprisingly difficult cracking an egg with one hand and trying to take a photo of it in mid-air!

Pour the flour into the mixture and, you guessed it, mix!

This is optional but I decided to break up a few squares of dark chocolate for a gooey chocolaty surprise!

Grease a brownie tin (approximately 6"6) or line with baking paper and pop in the oven for 40-45 minutes

Like I've already said, these brownies are so moist and gooey that you might assume they are undercooked when they aren't. I found 40 minutes to be the perfect baking time

Mmmm... just look at the chocolate oozing!

As always, I'd love to see your recreations if you attempt to make these! I promise you won't be disappointed!

"There is nothing better than a friend, unless it is a friend with chocolate." - Charles Dickens

Lots of love,

Lily

London Sightseeing & Chocolate Tour

You're in store for a photo-heavy post today due to the fact my Mum and I spent yesterday strutting around London - our tootsies were rather achy at the end of the day! We actually had a chocolate tour planned for midday but we decided to get up there bright and early and spend some time visiting some of London's most iconic landmarks. Despite London being my capital city, there's actually a lot of it I hadn't and still haven't seen. I suppose that's an excuse to go another day though, huh?

First up - Big Ben. We were lucky enough to witness the clock being cleaned, how cool is that? 

I just hope none of them had a fear of heights!

Surprisingly, David Cameron didn't invite us in for a cup of tea that morning. It didn't stop us peering through the black bars and trying to get a sight of Downing Street though! 

We managed to catch the 'changing of the guard' outside the archway that leads to St. James' Park. Police were there to keep everyone safe as the regal black horses charged through the busy streets of Westminster. 

We had time for a few quick shots of Clarence House and Buckingham Palace before rushing off to our next stop - the chocolate tour!

We all met outside the Argentinian Coffee shop and were given our first taste of chocolate for the day - chocolate coated coffee beans. Even though my Mum and I aren't coffee fans we ate them politely! During the tour, we stopped at 6 different chocolate shops around London whilst learning all about the history of chocolate. I don't have many photos of the chocolate as I was too busy stuffing my face! 

Choccywoccydoodah wasn't actually part of the tour but it would have been sacrilege not to have stopped by after finding ourselves in Carnaby Street!

If you're not familiar with the TV show, Choccywoccydoodah make all of their wacky and bespoke cakes out of chocolate. How clever!

Once the tour had finished, we decided to continue our sightseeing with St. Paul's Cathedral and the Tower of London.

John Wesley, Father of Methodism

Here's me on the steps that lead to St. Paul's Cathedral, where Kate and Wills got married! 

Turns out we we weren't allowed to take any pictures in there (thanks to the lady for kindly telling me off) so enjoy this picture of the grand inside, it's all you're getting! 

It was so beautiful seeing the ceramic poppies mark the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War. I didn't know that the Tower of London was used for recruiting and training the troops.

Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red

Tower Bridge

We had time for one last exertion at St. Katherine's Dock before heading home. I instantly recognised this boat as it looked similar to the one used for the Queen's Jubilee - it was infact Her majesty's boat!

What do you do when you find a telephone box located next to a letterbox? Take a photo of course! How incredibly British of me!

I am wearing:

Top - Select

Jeans - H&M

Boots - Topshop

"When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford..." - Samuel Johnson 

Lots of love,

Lily

Back 2 School: Outfit Ideas & Drugstore Makeup

I'm already counting down the days until I'm back at school eeeeek! I'd be lying if I said I was looking forward to it, I'm actually slightly nervous - year 10 is when things start to get serious! Anyway, let's brighten things up and talk makeup and fashion. 

When it comes to makeup, a lot of schools are strict and instruct students to keep their makeup natural looking. Also, you don't really want to be touching your makeup up all day long so I like to narrow things down to the bare minimum and keep things simple. Everything below is from drugstores and is super affordable. 

Simple Hydrating Light Moisturiser   -   Rimmel Stay Matte Powder   -   Soap and Glory Trick or Treatment Concealer   -   Bourjois Healthy Mix Gel Foundation   -   Bourjois Maxi Delight Bronzer   -   KIKO Glow Touch Lips & Cheeks in 103 Heavy Honeysuckle

Outfit Ideas

Outfit 1 - Geek chic

The tartan trend is appropriate for school and fashionable outside of school. The tailored, buttoned skirt and peter pan collar are cute but smart and the thick-framed glasses make this outfit even more studious looking. The classic brown leather side bag is small in size but a structured shape making it easy to pack things. Other accessories include some adorable heart earrings and a watch to tell the time. This chick got it all sorted. 

Top - New Look
Skirt - Forever 21
Shoes - New Look
Watch - Chanel
Earrings - Primark
Glasses - Claire's Accessories
Bag - Primark

Outfit 2 - Skool Punk Rocker

Here is a great example of how tartan can be worn with different styles. The basic white t-shirt makes the necklace a statement piece and the leather jacket and tasselled side bag with studs add some spunk to the preppy skirt. As for hair, having it all over to one side with the little plaits is edgy yet pretty. 

Top - Primark
Skirt - Select
Jacket - H&M
Bag - Peacocks
Bangles - Primark 
Necklace - Next

Outfit 3 - Casual Chick

It's home time! Woohoo!

The bright floral leggings are fun and quirky but also comfortable and therefore a great match with this laidback knitted jumper. The backpack and hair plait keep the outfit young and vibrant and the Converse are a practical addition to this casual yet bold look.

Jumper - New Look
Leggings - Forever 21
Backpack - Market stall (sorry!)
Earrings - Primark
Watch - Chanel
Converse All Stars

For those of you returning back to school in the forthcoming weeks, good luck and most importantly, have fun!

"Work hard, have fun, make history." - Jeff Bezos

Lots of love,

Lily