Bluberry,Lemon and Honey Flapjacks...

We have had gorgeous weather the last couple weeks, perfect for sitting outside in the afternoons or spending the day in the garden. These flapjacks are delicious and a lovely treat with a cup of tea, especially after a day spent gardening.

Ingredients

600g porridge oats

250ml honey

250g blueberries

200ml coconut oil

zest of 1 lemon

Method

1. Heat the coconut oil and honey till melted.
2. Once melted add the oats and blueberries and mix gently till combined.
3. Place in a baking tray and bake in the oven at 180 for 20 min or until lightly golden on top.
4. Once baked leave to cool. Cut into squares with a sharp knife .

The sweet honey is cut by the subtle lemon flavour and sharp blueberries and is the perfect combination of crispy and chewy.

Urban Escape Harpenden - Style and Couture Evening...

Tonight I was lucky enough to be invited to the Style and Couture evening held at Urban Escape in Harpenden. It was an evening dedicated to showing people how to recreate their favorite styles at home and answering any hair related questions you may have.

On arival, you were greeted by the gorgeous Ellie, Amy and Natalie, with a lovely glass of prosecco and then shown to your chair where you could ask your stylist to show you how to recreate your favorite look. They also provided you with lots of tips and information on how best to look after your hair.

Everyone that came to the evening seemed to have a lovely time and all looked absolutely gorgeous on leaving. The combination of prosecco, hair and an amazing team of stylist made for a wonderful evening enjoyed by all.

The Harpenden team, managed by Deepa is the most wonderful and talented group of stylist and always take the very best care of you when you visit the salon. If you have not yet found 'your perfect salon' I highly recommend that you pay a visit to Urban Escape in Harpenden. 

New Menu Launch - Slug and Lettuce Harpenden

Today the Slug and Lettuce in Harpenden launched their new menu and I decided to go and try it! For those that know me well will know that The Harpenden Slug is one of my favorite watering holes in Harpenden as their cocktails are divine! I am however also partial to a lunch or breakfast date there with my son Benji, who has been a popular presence since he was little. So me popping in to try out their new menu was a must.

The Slug and Lettuce group like to update their menus often which I like as it keeps things fresh and exciting. It makes you as a customer step out your comfort zone a bit,  as sometimes we tend to order the same thing over and over again.

So what did I have? This was between two people, well we each had a cocktail platter! 

Mini Cocktail Platter - Tapas 'Tails £11.45

mini French Martini, Strawberry Bellini, WooWoo and Mojito

How could I not have this gorgeous little array of cocktail goodness! All my favorites on one plate.
The cocktails may be small in size but still, pack a punch. My only disappointment was with the French Martini as they have changed the recipe and I did really miss the vanilla vodka.

Small Plates - 5 for £18

Crispy salt & pepper shrimp bombs with paprika garlic mayo , BBQ Chicken skewers with pineapple salsa, Lotus-style steam buns with BBQ pulled pork, pickled red onion

I am a person who likes choice when it comes to food and I enjoy a few little dishes to nibble on rather than one big one, so the small plates are perfect for me. The Shrimp bombs were good and the Pulled Pork buns were delcious - I could eat the pulled pork all day. And although the chicken skewers were tasty I wasn't a huge fan of the pineapple salsa. But everything can't always be perfect.

Calamari strips with a spiced tomato sauce, Chorizo in sweet chili sauce

We also had the breaded calamari strips that were again delicious, especially with the spiced tomato sauce but the Sweet Chilli Chorizo was by far my favorite! I just wish I had more bread to dip into the sauce.

Dessert Plates 3 for £7

Lemon & Lime Tart Wedges The zesty one, Warm Brownie Bites With whipped double cream, Warm Mini Churros Caramel-cream-filled churros, with dipping sauce

For dessert again we went for the small plates and really indulged in the sweetness! The lemon and lime tarts were well 'tart' but yummy and the brownie bites were warm and gooey just how I like them. My favorite though was the mini churros and the divine sauce they came with. I will however mention or shall I say warn you, the filling inside is HOT! So if you are like me and tend to skim over things ie the menu, you may end up burning your mouth with its unexpected molten center.

Overall we enjoyed our meal. The food is good and didn't break the bank, which is something we all tend to look for these days when eating out. So if you about in Harpenden and are feeling a little peckish why not pop into the Slug. You can see their full menu's here. 

The Fitness Space Harpenden - Grand Opening...

Today I attended and covered the Grand Opening of The Fitness Space Harpenden.  It was a great morning with two special guests, one being the mayor of Harpenden, who helped Aarron the owner cut the ribbon and the other was Tim Benjamin, ex GB athlete and the creator of The Fitness Space Franchise.

Aarron and the Mayor cutting the ribbon.

Tim Benjamin | Mayor of Harpenden 

The Gym

Now I could be biased as 1. Aarron and the gym are my neighbors, no excuse living upstairs. And 2. I am a member there. But in all honesty, it is the best gym I have ever attended, strong words I know but it's true!

The Technogym equipment is amazing and easy to use and if you ever are unsure about how to use something there is always a friendly member of staff on hand to help and explain. Two more unique features that you get with being a member of the Fitness Space is the use of their app My Wellness that is connected to all the equipment tracking your progress and keeping you in direct contact with your personal coach. They also offer a body composition test that breaks down everything and helps show your progress month by month as well as number of classes including Box Fit and Hot Yoga.

The best part for me, however, is how personal they are at the Fitness Space Harpenden. They know each member by name and make you feel so welcome and comfortable. They develop fitness programs around you and your needs and strengths and will help you work your way through that personalized program before leaving you to get on with it each time you come in. 

I have been a member of many gyms and been put off going so many times by being intimidated by other, shall we say 'muscley' members, scary looking equipment and just being lost as a member. But that is not the case here, I love and enjoy going to the gym now. I love seeing my results month by month and wish I could attend more. 

Huge credit must be given to Aarron the owner, who has an amazing presence in the gym and has helped me along with so many others in a relatively short time since opening. Aarron supported by his amazing coaches/staff Amy and Manuella make they gym what it is and I couldn't recommend it more. 

If you live in or around Harpenden I strongly encourage you to pop in, have a look around and have a chat with either Aarron or one of the girls. Or just check them out on their FB page which again is hugely focused on their members, inspiring and helping them to achieve the best results possible!