Winter Comfort Food

We all know in Winter, all you want to do is sit in front of a warm crackling fire (or air-conditioning), and drink Hot Chocolate with extra sprinkles and marshmallows, but we all know that a lovely warm casserole or chicken soup is by far the best cure for the winter chills. Last year in Winter, I started to cook my chicken stew packed with loads of various vegetables ranging from carrots to leeks. I find that a nice warm chicken or beef stew packs-a-punch in Winter as its filled with all the good nutrients we need during the Winter months.

So the question is, how do I create my version of a Chicken Stew? Well it's pretty simple and it takes around 1 hour and 30 mins to be all cooked and ready to serve.

You will need: 
 -Chicken Breast or thigh fillets (whichever you fancy). 
-A range of vegetables such as 1 brown onion (diced finely), 4 carrots (cut into round slices), 1 leek (diced into cubes), 5 potatoes (cut into big quarters), celery (cut into cubes), sweet potato (cut into round slices). 
 -Healthy olive oil 
-Casserole stock pot or cast-iron pot 
-Vegetable stock 
-Water 
-Chicken stew powder mix- to add flavour to the dish. 

I start off by using a big iron casserole pot with a lid, and put it on high heat and add some sort of healthy olive oil, and let it heat. I start by cutting the chicken breast into small cube like pieces, and set it aside. I then dice a large brown onion finely and place it into the casserole pot and let it cook until soft or lightly brown. Once the onion is in the pot, I cut up the rest of the vegetables (carrots, leeks, celery), but I don't cut up the sweet potato or normal potatoes just yet, because if I pop it in the pot too early, they will get all mushy and too soft. I place the chicken in the pot with the vegetables and cook until chicken is just cooked and then I add the chicken stew powder mix and vegetable stock in a jug and mix together until the mix is combined and pop it in the pop and allow the chicken and vegetables to simmer and cook slowly. I add warm water occasionally to the pot to ensure the liquid doesn't soak up too much. After the chicken and vegetables have simmered and cooked through, I then add the sweet potato and normal potatoes in to the pot and cook for a further 25 mins. Once the liquid has bubbled, chicken is cooked, and vegetables have cooked though and are soft, dinner is ready.
Serve with either wholemeal bread or garlic bread and Bon Appétit! 
x

1st of June 2014: Winter Season Special

Hello there, it's been a while since I have written a blogpost here on Beauty Artiste. Today is the 1st of June 2014, and the first day of the Winter season. This season I will be writing many posts about the latest fashion this season and tell you all about the new beauty products I have been using at the moment. I will also be writing up a few blogposts about ideas for interior decorating and inspiration for Winter food recipes. 

This season, the latest fashion trends are bold and neutral colours, showing beige/neutral coloured trench coats, red scarves, bold lipstick colours, gold eyeshadow and lots of stripes! For Autumn and Winter, I have been loving wearing striped shirts and blouses paired with a red scarf and navy trouser pants. 

I will keep you all updated on the latest season's trends here on Beauty Artiste, so check back here often to see the latest posts! 

Have a lovely week everyone! 

I will be back with another inspiring blogpost soon! 

x

Valentines Day Inspiration Gift Guide #14

Hi there, sorry I haven't written a blogpost in a few days, but, I hope everyone had a lovely and splendid Valentines Day! Sadly, this inspiration gift guide for this special day is now finished and I will write another inspiration gift guide for Valentines Day next year! 

Here are a few pictures of what I received on Valentines Day 2014… So lovely!

~ Gorgeous bouquet of red and yellow roses from my gorgeous other half! So pretty :)

~ Pandora! 

~ Yummy chocolate! I love how it says, "For You," so romantic. 

I hope you all enjoyed reading this little 14-day Valentines Day Inspiration Gift Guide here on Beauty Artiste! Until next time, thank you and 'au revoir!'

x

Valentines Day Inspiration Gift Guide #13

Wow, it's getting very close to Valentines Day- only one more day! I hope so far, after reading this little inspiration guide that I have written here on Beauty Artiste, has helped you with organising Valentines Day and has given you a few ideas of what to buy your loved ones, going on a picnic or needing a little help in what to cook for your loved one on this special day. 
 
The Outfit: Now Valentines Day is a great day to wear pinks, reds and white colours, because not only are they romantic, they look soft and very feminine. If its Spring/Summer where you live, then you could wear a lovely sundress, a bright coloured jumpsuit, or shorts (and a pretty blouse). If it's Autumn/Winter, then try wearing a black dress or a 'Magenta' coloured jumpsuit with a nice white or black blazer over the top with some pretty statement heels, would be perfect! Pair the outfit with some girly jewellery and accessories and off you go!
 
Makeup: Pretty pink blushes, eye shadow and a statement red lip or pink lip is the way to go!

Nails: Pink, red or white, with glitter! Or try natural nails with a little red heart painted at the end/tip of your nails- so 'oh-la-la!'

Try a few new bright coloured blushes or lipsticks this Valentines Day! It's the perfect day to wear pink and red!

See you in my next and final post for the '14-day Valentines Day Inspiration Gift Guide!'

Valentines Day Inspiration Gift Guide #12

Valentines Day is a great day to have a picnic in a nice relaxing area with lots of shade and pretty flowers in the surroundings- a good scenery is a plus when choosing a spot to have a picnic at!

If you're surprising your loved one with a lovely Picnic in the park or somewhere that has a great scenery, this Valentines Day, and need a few ideas of what to bring and where to have the picnic?

You could make a variety of miniature sandwiches, fruit, chocolates, dessert, water, wine (if preferred), soda drinks, and of course 'Chocolate covered Strawberries!' 
You will also need the important necessities such as, picnic blanket, drinking cups, plates, travel knives and forks, picnic basket, napkins, umbrella (if needed), blanket, camera, and sunscreen! 

Why not have a picnic near the beach? Or in a pretty flowery park/field? Having a picnic looking onto a very scenic view, is romantic and breathtaking. Have a walk along the boardwalk on the beach by sunset- so romantic! Always take photos of your picnic on Valentines Day for memories! You could then collaborate the photos together to make a romantic photo album! Take photos of the picnic food, your loved one, the sunset, scenery, flowers and all the memories and funny moments you share with your loved one, this Valentines Day! 

See you in my next post! :)
x

Valentines Day Inspiration Gift Guide #11

Welcome back to the 'Valentines Day Inspiration Gift Guide' here on Beauty Artiste! 

Still need a few creative ideas for Valentines Day? Well why not build something for your loved one?
For all those men out there, why not build/make your loved one something quite arty and super creative? You could make a garden house/tree house for your love ones' flowers and make a little treehouse garden? Build her a pretty mirror for her to use when applying makeup and such. Or maybe create and build a little secret garden in the backyard with plants and pretty flowers, lots of shade too! This would be great for her to relax, have a tea or coffee and read a book in the garden in a nice and shady area! 

Or build a pretty shabby-chic french dressing table for her to use? There are millions of building ideas of what you could build/make for your loved one this Valentines Day!

Get creative! :) 
x

Valentines Day Inspiration Gift Guide #10

Valentines Day is nearly here… still deciding on what to get your loved one?

Well, why not buy your girlfriend/fiancé/wife a pamper massage gift card/certificate at a nice relaxing salon? There are heaps of Beauty/Massage therapy salons these days, and everyone enjoys a nice pamper day every once and a while! So go for a little wander, look at all the beauty/massage salons and compare each massage and pick the most relaxing, therapeutic and interesting massage on the menu! 
They sometimes add a little manicure or pedicure to the pamper package too, so look out for that! 

~ The skincare brand Dermalogica  do great spa/facial/massage treatments! So relaxing and therapeutic! Great for the skin too! 

~ Manicures are great and very nourishing/relaxing! They can be added to treatment packages too! 

Hopefully this post has helped you a little bit in choosing what types of treatment massage/facial packages to buy for your loved one, are out there at many beauty/massage therapy salons. 

See you in my next post! 

x

Valentines Day Inspiration Gift Guide #9

Hi there, welcome back to the 9th instalment of the Valentines Day Inspiration Gift Guide! 

So, you've decided to buy your loved one, a beautiful bouquet and/or arrangement of flowers for Valentines Day but aren't quite sure which kind of flower to find and buy?

Well women love flowers, there is no denying that! There are heaps of colours and kinds of flowers out there to choose from. You could buy roses- which are so beautiful and are a staple present for Valentines Day! Everyone loves roses! 

~ Roses come in all different colours and shapes/sizes. There are reds, pinks, whites and yellows. 

Picture reference here

~ Here is a few different kinds and colours of roses that you can possibly choose from when picking roses…












~ Gerberas are gorgeous to give your loved one this Valentines Day too! They look so delicate and girly! 

Picture reference here

~ Daisies are so incredibly gorgeous and are so very delicate! A very fresh, floral and romantic flower! They look great in bunches in a bouquet! Perfect for a Valentines Day gift for your loved one. 

I hope this post has helped you in choosing what type of flower (for a bouquet or as a single flower) to give your loved one as a gift, this Valentines Day! See you in my next post! 

x

Valentines Day Inspiration Gift Guide #8

Hello! 

Still wondering what to get your loved one for Valentines Day? Well, I have a few ideas of what to get/make for your loved one/s that I think will impress them dearly! 

Jewellery: Everyone woman loves Jewellery, because hey, it's glittery, shiny and sparkles in the sun! It makes woman feel super special when they receive any sort of jewellery from their loved one on Valentines Day, or any day to be specific. Same with men too, they like a little bit of sparkle and shine to their look! Watches, rings, bracelets, necklaces and lots more, are great gifts to get your boyfriend, fiancé, husband, and/or friend, this Valentines Day! 

Flowers: Women also love flowers- because they're pretty and makes any girl blush/smile when they receive a bouquet of flowers (roses are very appropriate for Valentines Day)! 



~ Photos of you and your loved one from all your adventures and memories you wanted to remember, can be collaborated in to a lovely scrapbook, which is an absolute perfect and very thoughtful gift to give your loved one, on Valentines Day! 

~ Candles also make great gifts too- you could always make a scented bouquet of an assortment of pretty scented soaps, candles, bath and shower lotions and body creams. Make a bouquet using a pretty coloured box, add a layer of pretty coloured tissue paper or straw, place the products in the box, use cellophane to conceal what is inside the box bouquet, wrap it around the box- making sure the cellophane is long enough so you have a long part at the top in order to tie it up with a bow. Use a pretty coloured bow and the cellophane together creating a big point at the top of the bouquet. Similar to the body shop gift sets in baskets. 

~ Chocolates are a great gift to give either boy or girl, as it suits both and everyone likes to receive a little bit of chocolate on Valentines Day! Delicious! 

I hope this post has helped you a little in what to get your loved one this Valentines Day! See you in my next post for the 9th instalment of the Valentines Day Inspiration Gift Guide here on Beauty Artiste! 
x

Valentines Day Inspiration Gift Guide #7

Hello there! Welcome back to the 7th day of the Valentines Day Inspiration Gift Guide here on Beauty Artiste.

Now why not be a little adventurous and have quite a different type of Valentines Day by going out playing golf or tennis- try out new adventures with your loved one/s. Go on a romantic walk on the beach, or a rainforest walk? Have a picnic in a romantic beach area with candles and a seafood dinner? 

Go have ice cream at a romantic and peaceful Gelato store- ah Gelato is delicious! Why not go on a bike ride along a lovely beach pier or along a lovely rainforest walk with your loved one. 

This Valentines Day, be a little different and adventurous and your loved one/s will love it!  

Have a picture-photograph-memory day by taking snaps of pictures of you and your loved one at different sceneries and take photos while you're on your adventure then collaborate the photos together and make a scrapbook for all those Valentines Day memories and the adventures you and your loved one went on, to look back on, later on…

I hope this post has inspired you to be a little adventurous this Valentines Day!

See you in my next post! 

x

Valentines Day Inspiration Gift Guide #6

Hi there and welcome back to the 6th instalment of the Valentines Day Inspiration Gift Guide! 

Today I will be writing up a little blogpost about Valentines Day food recipes for mains and entrees, that will help you in knowing a few ideas in what to cook for your loved one/s on this special day! I have chosen the prettiest, yummiest and easiest looking recipes that anyone can cook! Most people tend to have oysters, prawns, fish, chicken or red meat on Valentines Day- which are all so beautiful and delicious! 

Bon Appétit!

Keep reading to find out what these recipes are…

~ Smashed Chat Potatoes with Garlic & Herb Cheese and Prosciutto- for an entree. You can find this recipe here. 

~ Parcel of Chicken and Champagne. 

Now on to the mains…

~ The Classic: Fish and Chips! 

You could make the fish and chips in to a main dish by using bigger fish fillets and more chips! Add a little salad or vegetables and there you go! 

~ Chilli Lovers' Chicken- this looks spicy but not too spicy. Delicious! 

~ Cupid's arrow of sugar and spice beef- these look and taste divine! 

Now even though I have already written a post about dessert for Valentines Day, I thought I would add a little dessert idea after dinner that suits and ties in well with this recipe (entree and main) theme. 

~ French Kissed Raspberries stacked with delicious Filo Pastry. 

I hope you have enjoyed reading this Valentines Day Inspired recipe (entree, main and dessert) post! See you in my next post for the 7th instalment of the Valentines Day Inspiration Gift Guide here on Beauty Artiste. 

x

Valentines Day Inspiration Gift Guide #5

Hello there! I hope you have found some ideas for what to buy and organise on Valentines Day, from reading these little gift guide posts I have written here on Beauty Artiste. 

Valentines Day is the perfect day to make and give chocolate covered strawberries to your loved one/s. They are delicious and look divine- too pretty to eat! 

There are many food and dessert recipes you could use on Valentines Day but I thought I would pick my very favourite recipes that I think would be great to share with and cook for your loved one/s. 

Also, when you are cooking a special romantic dinner for your loved one, always have fresh flowers, romantic soft music and candles to add a classy, elegant and romantic feel to the evening and throughout dinner. 

Here are a few recipes which sound and look amazing…

~ Chocolate Covered Strawberries. 

Picture reference here

Now I also know that breakfast on Valentines Day is super romantic and there are so many recipes out there for a great romantic breakfast which says 'I love you!' 

~ Pikelets with Strawberries and Sweetheart Butter… Yummy! You can get the recipe here. 

And finally… 

~ Chocolate Heart Tarts- that say 'I love you!' 

You can find this wonderful recipe here. 

       

I hope you have found a little inspiration from this post for your cooking and dessert making for Valentines Day! Check out tomorrow's post to be inspired by a few Valentines Day food recipes- mains and entrees. 

x

Valentines Day Inspiration Gift Guide #4

Hello there, welcome back to the 'Valentines Day Inspiration Gift Guide #4' here on Beauty Artiste. 

Candles and Valentines Day are a great mix as they compliment any dinner table setting and are super romantic to have going when you're cooking dinner for your loved one/s. 

Candles are a great gift to give your loved one/s on Valentines Day as they can be quite useful for relaxing and making a dinner party environment more 'inviting'. Candles come in all different scents, brands, shapes, sizes and price ranges. 

I love candles as they make great gifts and are super relaxing to have on when you're trying to relax or having a relaxing bath. Some candles even are useful for therapeutic uses, by burning the candle the wax and essential oils for the smell and allows you to relax (mind, body and soul therapeutic uses) and can be of calming nature. 

There are so many kinds of candle scents and smells, and each person's preference in candles are different. Some people like spicy scents, cinnamon-like scents, vanilla and coconut and sweet scents. I love all kinds of candle scents, as they all smell so lovely!   

Right now, i'm loving the Yankee Candle 'French Vanilla' scented candle from the food and spice collection as it is such a beautiful relaxing scent that doesn't smell too strong or sweet but just the right combination of spicy, therapeutic, feminine/masculine and sweet. 

Here are a few candle brands and scents to look out for: 

~ The Yankee Candle 'French Vanilla' scent from the 'Food and Spice Collection' smells absolutely divine! 

~ This Yankee Candle looks absolutely beautiful when lit, and smells warm and very inviting. Super romantic! 

~ The candle on the right, is a 'Serenity Candle' and the scent is White Tea and Neroli. Plus, its such a pretty candle with the added garland around the bottom filled with flowers, pearls and glittery berry-like pieces. 

~ Now finally… The bigger candle of the 3, is a 'Serenity Candle' and has a burning time of approximately 30 hours (wow, thats heaps of candle time). The scent is Suya Spice and Raspberry- which smells quite sweet but not too sickly sweet, more of a romantic type of sweet scent. The 2 little candles I just bought from a candle store for about $3 each and come in this cute little shabby-chic glass tea light holder packaging- the candles inside of the glass are included with the tea light holders.  The scent of these 2 little candles, is vanilla- love it! I love how the light shines through the shabby-chic looking silver glass, it just makes a pretty design on the ceiling when the candle is lit, which is super romantic and very suitable for Valentines Day! 

I hope this post helps you with your choices for candles! 

See you in my next post for the 5th instalment of the Valentines Day Inspiration Gift Guide! 

x 

Valentines Day Inspiration Gift Guide #3

Hello, welcome back to the 3rd instalment of the Valentines Day Inspiration Gift Guide!

Now lets talk a little scenario-esk: Lets say that its Valentines Day and you have organised the chocolates and flowers but need a movie to watch at night? Well what about a lovey-dovey film or a romantic? How about a romantic-comedy? 

My ideas movie-wise, would be Chocolat (starring Johnny Depp and Juliette Binoche), The Notebook (starring Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams), Love Actually, Pretty Woman, When Harry Met Sally, Dirty Dancing, Dear John, Pride and Prejudice, and PS, I love you.  
These movies are great to watch with your loved one/s. 

Hopefully this has helped you with your movie queries for this Valentines Day! 

See you in my next post for the 4th instalment of the Valentines Day Inspiration Gift Guide! 
x 

Valentines Day Inspiration Gift Guide #2

Hi there! Welcome back to the 'Valentines Day Inspiration Gift Guide #2' here on Beauty Artiste!

If you're wondering what to get your loved ones this Valentines Day but need a little inspiration and a few ideas? Well, Chocolate is a great gift to give your loved ones, because hey, everyone loves chocolate!

And why not add a fluffy teddybear to the chocolates? You can get a teddybear with several chocolates bouquet at most chocolate/candy stores. If you are newly dating and would like some ideas of what to get your loved one? Buy a small teddybear and a box of chocolate and wrap a big bow around them together in tissue paper or cellophane or in a pretty coloured box! 

Here are some pictures to give you a few ideas of what to get your loved ones. Visual and art-like decorative ideas…

~ A lovely fluffy teddybear to add to a chocolate box bouquet. 

~ Jessica Walker Luxury Assortment box of chocolates. 

~ The 'Luxury Assortment' of chocolates! Oh my goodness, they look and taste so delicious! 



















See you in my next post for the 3rd instalment of the Valentines Day Inspiration Gift Guide! 
x

Valentines Day Inspiration Gift Guide #1

Hi there! 

This the 1st day of February 2014 and the first post of the Valentines Day Inspiration Gift Guide to feature here on Beauty Artiste. 

I've decided to start writing posts for the upcoming lovely day, 'Valentines Day,' - more of a gift guide and beauty inspiration guide. This years Valentines Day will feature pinks and reds, and girly colours! Feminine outfits that add a little 'Ooh-lah-lah' and 'Sparkle, Sparkle, Sparkle' to the look. I love wearing pink and glittery eyeshadows, blushes and lipsticks during February as I feel like these light girly colours really add a sparkle to any look and is very Valentines Day-inspired (so cliché of me). 

I have a few ideas for those who need a little help or some ideas in what to give their loved ones this Valentines Day. Keep reading on to find out what these gift ideas are: 

 

~ Beautiful roses, lillies, and Gerbera's that say 'I love you".

~ Bouquet of roses, so pretty!

~ Beautiful scented Vanilla candles make a great gift! This candle is stunning!

~ This is the 1st of February Valentines Day inspired beauty and perfume favourites! Pinks, red, glitter and sweet-scented perfume.

Stay tuned for the next instalment of the Valentines Day Inspiration Gift Guide!

Thank you for reading! 

x

1st February 2014 and update!

Hello there, long time no see! 

I looked at my blog a few weeks ago and realised I haven't blogged in ages- oh my goodness! 2013 was an amazing year! Lovely memories and good company with friends and such! I was excited to let the year 2014 in and make new memories and blog more!

January was a lovely month- also because it was my birthday on the 2nd, and I turned 18! January has been about trying new beauty products and discovering new beauty brands! Specifically Dior, Dolce and Gabbana, Valentino and Juicy Couture. I've been organising my winter outfits all ready for Autumn and Winter- I've recently had an interest for cashmere winter knits and pretty coloured cable knit jackets/sweaters that you can pair with printed trousers or light coloured trousers. 

Now its the 1st of February, and is such a lovely and pretty month and, Valentines Day is coming up too! I've recently been inspired to write a 14-day blogpost (post each day up until  the 14th of February) for Valentines Day. I would like to write up a gift guide for this lovely and pretty day! I will also write about recent looks that I have been loving for Valentines Day, using lots of pinks and girly colours! 

See you in my next post! :)

x

What's been happening in July?

I thought I would start off by writing up a 'Monthly Round-up' post about all of things that has appeared in July and what I've been up to throughout the month of July.

Well, July was a busy month and it was halfway through the wintery season, and Spring is nearly on it's way!

1. This month, has been all about trying new perfumes and scents, because most of the time I stick to the same perfume each time, and never venture out and wear strong-scented perfumes.
So, I promised myself this year that I would try out new perfumes, and I did! The perfume that has recently caught my eye the most, is Bvlgari Jasmin Noir (Eau de Parfum). This perfume is such a beauty! The scent and the bottle itself is just absolutely beautiful. The scent is quite musky, very feminine, luxurious and has a woody scent which adds the sensuality to this perfume. This perfume is great because it's quite subtle but very long lasting, and just makes you feel luxurious!

2. July has been a great month and the weather has been perfect for pairing silk blouses with lovely trench coats! My newest addition to the 'blouses' family, has been this perfectly woven silk blouse which is on the spliced side of colours (black and white). This blouse perfectly suits trousers or subtle printed pants. I paired this blouse with my other newest addition to my jewellery collection, this gold chain that is the perfect length for blouses and outfit attire. This outfit will be a staple in my wardrobe for every season as it's comfortable enough to wear in the Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter.

3. I don't think I have ever shown my blogging essentials or where I begin writing my blog, but I thought I would post a picture of it here in this blogpost for you all to see. It was a Sunday afternoon, and I received some beautiful flowers which were very sweet, and that's where the last blogpost took place. I always feel inspired to write, when I see quite lovely things such as flowers, beautiful boutiques or inspirational and whimsical things.

4. I received these beautiful flowers and they were so pretty, I couldn't resist but to take photos of them! They are just so pretty! I always love fresh flowers in my house as it makes you feel happy (and makes the environment happy) and adds a lovely feminine touch.

So there we go, that's what I have been up to in the month of July! I hope you enjoyed reading this post, and I hope to write more of these each month!

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What has been your July essentials/favourites? 

✿