YouTube Videos for Essential Cooking Techniques

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It's no secret that I love to cook, but no one is born a superb cook. I started really getting into cooking when I started Standard Grade Home Economics and that is where I learnt the basics that still come up in even in complex recipes I attempt today. Because I think the world should cook and appreciate food as much as I do but instead of blatantly nagging people I should post some useful cooking tips so people who want to cook but believe they can't, can now start trying.

And here I have hunted down some YouTube videos for very basic food preparation techniques. These foods come up in so many recipes (the videos are ranked by commonness) so if you want to get into cooking it's near essential that you know these techniques and understand what the recipe means by them.

By far the most important. Not only do chopped onions feature within many recipes but because of the way a onion is formed it could fall apart if not cut properly.

I LOVE garlic and it is in almost every savoury dish I create. And judging by the amount of recipes I see garlic feature in I'm obviously not the only one.

Sifting flour isn't a hard technique. However I have come across comments and questions on the internet from budding cooks and bakers not knowing what it means. So now you know. And remember whenever you use flour, baking powder, cocoa powder or any other powder in your baking: sift it! Unless the recipe explicitly explains not too (which would be close to never).

Common in stir-fries and curries a pepper adds quite a bit of flavour so my tip is to make sure you don't cut the slices too thick.

Admittedly I'm not a huge carrot fan however I recall using one for a recipe for the first time since school a few months back and couldn't understand how to chop one. Slice one, yes, that is simple. But chop? As the video states they roll about on you and the presenter explains how to stop that.

Potatoes aren't something you'd use unless it was a potato based dish (in my experience) so it comes near the end of the list. However, just like carrots, due to it's circular shape they can roll about you. Again, this video shoes you how to stop that.

Not the most exciting blog post - but if you want to get started in a kitchen these are techniques you are going to have to know.

Lots of chopping and dicing love!

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How I Looked: Interview Look

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Blazer: H&M (old!)

Top: New Look

Skirt: H&M

Necklace: Claire's Accessories (old)

Shoes: Primark (old)

Nails: Zoya

I'm now finally getting round to uploading the outfits I wore to my two interviews before landing my job just recently. This was the outfit I picked out to my first interview which I unfortunetly didn't get but was told in my rejection e-mail that my interview still went well but someone only just got it ahead of me. So still take this as a good interview outfit! (for the creative sector - mind you!).

I found out about this interview less than 48 hours before I had to attend it and rushed into town to try and find something. I've always thought that New Look has an amazing selection of smart clothes that are a bit more exciting than a black dress, so is where I headed after finding my statement skirt in the H&M range - which is still a really good range for fashionable work clothes but might still be a bit too much for some offices.

The outfit for my successful interview should be coming soon after :P

Morag x

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Fashion Bloggers For Your Mum

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It was somewhat recently that I decided to dip into the world of the middle aged fashion blogger. Despite having been infused in the world of fashion blogging since 2009 (and blogging in general since 2005!!!) I had only kept to bloggers of my own age and those who shared the same style.

My curiosity was initiated by shopping with my mum one day who asked for style tips (she has none of her own...sorry mum) and I realised I wasn't going to be able to help her (given that she is over 50 and is built differently from me). The other is reason is slightly awkward. I had in the past few months met someone who I had assumed to be 50 - but turned out to be 40. I never said any of my thoughts outloud (thankfully!) but the reason I had mistaken them to be older is not because they had tangled grey hair and wore slippers outside - in fact it was the opposite. They put too much effort into looking 20 that they just ended up maximising their age because they were trying to fight it.

So that got me wondering how someone looks stylish at middle age but without looking like they're hanging onto their years as a hot twenty something?

Enter my favourite fashion bloggers who are hot to trot at 30+.

[Should add that I do believe that anyone should dress how they please - this is only for the advice for those who want it!]

Not Dressed as Lamb
By far my favourite I've found so far. With red locks, bright colours and a penchant for patterns I can't help but just think she's an older version of yours truly. At least I hope this is the older version of me. We'll get past the whole me hating wearing trousers thing.

November Grey
Shes' just had a baby so lots of maternity fashion too!

The Elegant Bohieman
Lifestyle blog covering fashion, beauty and even some religion!

Obviously Obsessed
I'm not entirely sure of Darby's age. She seems the younger than those listed before her but I can't say she's still a bar-hoping 21 year old. I'll just post her here and hope to not offend. :/

Bleubird Vintage
I've mentioned James's blog on here before under my blogs you might be surprised to know I read post. It's primarily a mummy blog but there's no denying that this a hot 32 year old. Who makes a pregnancy bump look good.

Morag x

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beauty make-up

Review: MeMeMe Seventh Heaven Facebase

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MeMeMe Seventh Heaven Enriched Moisturising Facebase £15

Just like the MeMeMe cream foundation I reviewed a fortnight ago I picked this up with the Groupon code MeMeMe put out during the month of June. I was trying out an Avon primer (non cruelty-free) that I had been gifted that was terrible anyway, so it was a naturally fit that my next MeMeMe purchase would be their primer.

I picked this one out simply because it was the only primer they had in the range. I had previously bought some cosmetics from their range (their gold Shimmer Stack is my go-to bronzer for contouring) and had been impressed with what you got for your money. However having only one primer in your range is a negative cause it ignores that there are various skin types out there. I personally don't need anything that adds moisture to my skin; my skin sits at the opposite end of the spectrum. But I still bought it anyway as I had liked all MeMeMe products I had tried in the past.

Ignoring that this wasn't the correct choice for my own skin type I have very little negative to say. The description on their website claims to 'rejuvenate, nourish and hydrate skin' and I can't say that this product doesn't do that - it's just that my skin is naturally all these things anyway so I don't need to add to it.

Also we have to touch on the smell, which I think is heavenly. It smells like something I might find in a sweet shop, but also a very clean sweet shop. When it comes to sexy smells on other people I love being able to smell their deodorant (not after-shave!!) and my all time favourite smell on a man is Head & Shoulders Shampoo, which is a non-cruelty-free shampoo before any man feels like wooing me that way lol.

The only negative I found that is that it didn't really help my make-up stay in place. Because it is moisturising it added extra oil to my skin which I felt made foundation move-around a bit and had trouble being absorbed into skin.

Overall I would say that for oily skinned girls such as myself this product shouldn't be added to our collections and we should stick to primers that mattify our skin. I do still occasionally reach for this if my skin is looking a bit dull (which can happen in winter). I won't completely poo-poo it for the sake that it did add moisture (just moisture I don't need) and dry-skinned girls may still love this. Overall, MeMeMe still remains one of my favourite drugstore brands.

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Review: Soap & Glory Supercat Eyeliner Pen

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Soap and Glory Supercat Eyeliner Pen: £6

I've been a fan of winged eyeliner for years now and whilst it was almost always part of my "night-time look" it only a few months ago became part of my day time look too. Drawing on eyeliner helps make my eyes look bigger and the winged bit helps draw attention to the outer corners helping trick people into not noticing my close together eyes.

I picked up the Soap and Glory catliner pen after Lily mentioned she was a fan and couldn't recommend it more highly. Having been a fan of all Soap and Glory products I had tried thus far I decided to pick it up when my current one ran out. I had received an eyeliner pen in one of my old Glossybox or Boudoir Prive boxes and immediately discovered that I found it much easier to apply than liquid liner. Since then I have only ever contemplated buying pen liners because I find it much easier to work with and 'draw' a certain shape on to my eyelids.

Applying the Soap and Glory eyeliner was just as easy as I had imagined. I needed to go over certain bits to make it as pigmented as I wished so the 'carbon black' on the packaging is a bit misleading but nothing that I would complain about.

However the thing that does make me want to hunt out a new eyeliner was it's lack of staying power. Whilst wearing this you have to be careful not to touch your eyes at all, or cry even a bit. Whilst crying and over-rubbing your eyes in never something I'd recommend whilst wearing any eye make-up; even just trying to remove an eyelash would cause this to smudge. I also suffer hayfever in the summer so need an eyeliner that can withstand a lot. Then even if you do manage to not rub your eyes or cry you'll find that it will fade within hours.

I hate saying I wouldn't recommend this as every other product I've tried from Soap and Glory range (mainly their skin products) I would highly recommend within a heartbeat. This is the first item from their make-up range I've tried so I don't know how their other make-up measures up, but I'm a little put off and might just stick to their body products.

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Review: MeMeMe Flawless Cream foundation

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I picked this up at the beginning of the summer when MeMeMe did quite a spectacular Groupon offer on their products. In need of some new make-up (some of my 'essentials' had ran out) and already having been quite impressed with some of their products I decided to take up the offer. I did however do my first research into finding out if MeMeMe were a cruelty free brand. They are not BUAV approved but some Googling help secure my piece of mind that they don't test their products on animals.

Upon first application it did strike me as very creamy. I'm not too used to cream foundation (normally liquid) so this was new for me and I did find it was easily smoothed across my face but took a while to set in. That's a plus for me as it means you don't need to be quick (I've heard the Estee Lauder Double Wear is a foundation you need to be quick with - but they're not cruelty-free so I haven't personally tried the brand). Though it does mean you need to a wait a bit before applying the next stage of make-up (which for me is concealer). I did find on a few occasions I managed to wipe it out of place while doing the rest of my make-up.

The coverage was quite sheer which, for me, is ideal as I only want my foundation to even out my skin tone but still let my freckles show through. I usually let my concealer cover the break-outs that I am very prone to. It has light reflecting particles which for so many is great - but because my skin is oily and as a result fairly dewy anyway I certainly didn't need this quality from a foundation. I think it made me look a bit greasy.

As with all MeMeMe products I adore their packaging. Which obviously isn't the final say on whether a product is worth purchasing - but knowing it will look nice on your dresser is a plus.

Overall, I do not think this product was correct for me but that it shouldn't be ignored by others with a different skin type. I can't speak for those with dry skin but I feel it would be good for you dryer-skinned ladies. The "rich in microspheres and light-absorbent pigments" is certainly true but because my skin is oily, it made me quite shiny and whilst the foundation stayed on my face for some time it did move about when I rubbed my face - which is also no doubt a lot to do with my oily skin. As stated before it also took a while to dry in - again probably because my skin is the opposite of dry.

Are you a cream foundation person? Have you tried this?

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