Treat of the Week || Chocolate Cookies with a Twist

Hello Lovelies,

Everyone deserves a treat every now and then, so this weeks treat of the week is coffee choc chip cookies.

I love these cookies, who can beat a chocolate studded biscuit with a soft squidgy middle - they're a guaranteed hit!

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 10 mins 

150g   room temperature butter

80g    light brown muscovado sugar

  

80g    granulated sugar

2 tbsp instant coffee in water

1      large egg

225g   plain flour

200g   70% dark chocolate

pinch of salt

  

  

Preheat the oven to 170C and line two baking trays with grease proof paper, or if your really fancy then crack out your silicon baking sheet!

First put the butter and sugar into a bowl and beat until creamy, now I am all for the easy life so I used an electric mixer, but feel free to beat it by hand and work on those guns of steel!

Once your butter and sugar are beautifully beaten together you want to sieve the flour over the top and give it a good mix (hello electric mixer!)

Next chop up your chocolate with a sharp knife, sprinkle into the bowl with your coffee and stir well.  

Using a teaspoon place small mounds of the mixture well apart on the baking tray, then place in the oven for 8-10 mins until light brown on the edges and slightly soft in the center.

Once out of the oven let them sit for 5 or so mins then transfer them to a cooling rack.

These cooks love to be eaten with a warming cup of tea, they're also partially to a quick dunk!

Hope you pull on your apron and gives these a try, I promise you won't regret it!

The Garlic Farm, A Little Gem On The Isle of Wight

Hello Lovelies,

I thought I would tempt you all in with this super yummy picture of white bate, I mean could you honestly resist a bowl of crispy white bite with garlic sauce and a little bowl of salt & pepper fries, no I didn't think so!

I love The Garlic Farm, It's a little gem on the Isle of Wight.  Although I have visited a couple of times I have never actually walked around it or eaten at the restaurant.

After a bit of a slow morning we drove to The Garlic Farm for an early lunch and a mosey around.  The menu is a garlic lovers dream, so I was in my element!  I spent far to long pondering over the menu, white bait or burger, white bait or burger such a tricky decision.  Although the burger looked immense I have a love of white bate which just cant be trumped, (even by a juicy garlicky burger).  The menu is pretty insane, I could honestly eat everything on it, the food is all as fresh as it can be with the garlic and veggies being grown on the farm.  It is a definite must if you are in the area.

I was very uncouth as I ate the whole thing with my fingers (Grandma wouldn't be pleased!)  I wasn't alone though, while I was neglecting my knife and fork my brother was dropping parts of his burger down the front of his t-shirt, we're such ruffians, you can't take us anywhere!   

After finishing our meal we went exploring.  The Garlic Farm has a beautiful flower meadow which I just wanted to run and frolic in. 

I was wearing my favourite Paisley Print Dress, a shift with a deep V neckline in beautiful purple and emerald tones, which perfectly matched the wild flowers and grass, but sadly the snaps of my brother and I running around where somehow lost!!!

As well as lots of wild flower frolicking there was also their beautiful kitchen garden to view and lust after (some serious lusting was done, especially by me).  When I'm all grown up and married I want to live in an old house in the middle of nowhere with a few children, a beautiful veggie patch, two bouncy dogs, some chickens and maybe a donkey (is that asking for too much?)

Before we made our way back to the shop to fill our pockets with garlic we made a pit stop at the pigs, who can resist giving a big muddy pig a scratch in the back!!!

After washing our hands we ventured into garlic heaven.  we filled our paper bags with Spanish Iberian and Elephant Garlic which is fabulous roasted (Fact: Elephant Garlic is actually a variant of the garden leek, you learn something new everyday).

Alongside their garlic they sell, chutney, dressings and all that jazz.  We were very cheeky and picked up some 'Honey Mustard & Garlic Dressing' for those days when we feel far to lazy to whip one up ourselves!!!

Is anyone else a massive garlic fan?

Crab Eating at Steephill Cove and a walk around the Botanic Garden

Hello Lovelies,

Now this is a very picture heavy post, so before you get stuck in I want you to go and grab a cuppa (and maybe a cheeky biscuit) and settle in for a long one!

Ready?

I have spent the last week gallivanting around the Isle of Wight like a complete grockle!  

It was Cowes week so the Island was positively buzzing with lot's of yachties (and wannabes).  I would normally spend my Cowes week with friends, ideally fitting in a bit of sailing, but this year I decided to spend it with my mum, brother and lovely Grandma.

Our first day there we decided to do a little exploring (Famous Five style).  We walked through the beautiful Botanic Garden, winding our way towards the the steep cliff path/steps down to Steephill Cove.

Steephill Cove is a magical little hideaway in Ventnor on the Isle of Wight, there are only two ways to get to it, either through the Botanic Gardens and down steep steps, or wind down the cliff path, a bit easier on the way down (maybe not so much on the way up)

Once you have made your way down you then want to make the killer decision about where to eat, 'The Beach Shack', the 'The Crab Shed' or The Boat House (you will however need to book for 'The Boat House').  

The first day we went we marched into the nearest establishment that served food, ordered an ice cool water and their freshest crab.

I sat on the bar stall, kicked off my stripey espadrilles and looked out to sea, dreaming of ocean voyages and little adventures.  

However my reverie was quickly interrupted by a waitress with a baguette full of fresh crab and a bowl of Tyrrells crisps.   

Although I was in crab carb heaven with my baguette my brothers salad did look very yummy.  I thought he was being super healthy, but in reality he actually just wanted a crab pasty as well!!! 

While I was talking crab, I thought I would jump forward and throw in day two's lunch.  We all decided we needed to try The Crab Shed so after a morning of fun we walked down to the cove and sampled more delights. 

The Crab Shed is literally the cutest little place, a beautiful shed with shed loads (get it) of driftwood and fishing paraphernalia. 

The crab and lobster that is sold there is caught and landed there daily by their boat the 'Endeavour'.  So everything is amazingly fresh and absolutely irresistible. 

After grabbing the last table we scanned the menu pouring over all the yummy options, after much deliberation we chose fresh lobster and crab pasties, pretty decadent but so totally worth it.

I won't bang on and on about crab but it was just so yummy that I had to share (twice!)

After eating (on both days) we sauntered along the seafront.  My brother digested his massive lunch while I lusted after my dream seaside house.  Steephill Cove is such a magical little place, and I can't believe I've never been there before.

After an afternoon of soaking up some sun, we headed into 'The Cove' for tea.  There was a choice between doorstop three tiered cakes or Isle of Wight ice cream.   Being the ice cream fan that I am I opted for coffee on the first day then toffee on the second while my brother scoffed a massive wedge of carrot cake.

(Back to day one)  

After having had our fill of food and sun we scampered back up the cliff, away from the heat and into the cool shaded gardens.

I can't tell you how beautiful the Botanic Garden's are; the smell was amazing, you got hit every step with a different scent, everything from floral to woody.  It was like walking into a candle shop, scent heaven! 

I got pretty snap happy while I was there, I took so many photos that you could't cedar wood for the trees (I'm on a roll), so I had to do some serious culling and just pick my favourites to show you.

I hope you managed to get to the end before you finished your tea!

100% Organic Hair Care from Old Wives Tail*

Hello Lovelies,

First things first I am very sorry for how long this has taken me to put up, this post was scheduled for two weeks ago but things have been kind of manic my end and my little blog has been neglected!

Now that the apology is done I want to tell you about this little gem that was sent to me by the lovely Lily from Old Wives Tail.  I had never used an oil product on my hair before, having always thought it would leave my hair feeling greasy, however Old Wives Tail has proved me very wrong.  

I was sent the Organic Argan And Rosemary Hair Oil to try and have fallen completely in love.  The first thing that hit me was the amazing smell, it smells just like walking around our cottage garden at home.  Its not rosemary overkill but just enough to make you ooh and aah and the lovely scent.  The Argan & Rosemary is the "ultimate hair treatment to deeply condition, moisturise and protect thick, frizzy and unruly hair.  (The) vitamin E enriched pure organic argan oil and shea butter is used to smooth and strengthen each and every strand on your head to prevent damage and breakage."  

As well as the scrummy smell, Old Wives Tail products are certified organic, paraben free, sulphate free, gluten free, vegan & vegetarian and of course, are not tested on animals, they're a good bunch. 

After feeling very smug that I was being kind to the planet, animals (and my hair) I applied it from root to tip, then left it for the recommended hour.  After a good old pamper of all my extremities I jumped in the shower and gave my hair a couple of washes to rinse it all out then let it dry naturally (as I'm a lazy tyke).

I've never had dry hair just masses of it that has a wavy mind of it's own but this magical pot of goodness definitely tamed the mane.  It made my hair all silky and took some of the wildness out of it, which made it much easier to style.  I give this product a big thumbs up, with the best part being there are five different treatments to choose from, so there is something for everyone.  

Contents: Argania Spinosa (Argan) Nut Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Karite Butter Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) Fruit, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil. 

As a little side note I have been on the Isle of Wight this week for Cowes week and the salt and sea definitely gives your hair a hammering, but this hair oil has been a godsend.  I have been rubbing a tiny bit through my hair in the morning to give it a little more protection from the elements - a serious lifesaver.

Healthy, bouncy post salty seaside hair!

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post.  This product was sent to me for review/feature.  
Sophie Jane is a place of complete honesty, and I will always tell my readers if I have received either a gift, been sent a product to review or been sponsored to write a post.