ARE MEDJOOL DATES HEALTHIER THAN REGULAR DATES?

This is the question I found myself tapping into Google yesterday, after I'd spent a pretty penny on a handful of medjool dates. Medjool Dates are enjoying buzzword status in the world of healthspiration at the moment, but how do they differ from regular dates?

Well, I taste tested a few yesterday and can tell you that they are a helluva lot sweeter, stickier and softer, which makes them a great option for recipes. They would work well in my Raw Fruit and Nut Cacao Balls.

But their sweetness and texture didn't answer my question - are medjool dates better for you than regular dates (I believe the ones commonly found in supermarkets are called deglet noor); are they worthy of buzzword status? I'm inclined to think not. I'm no expert, but from what I've read online there seems to be little difference between the two, in terms of the nutrient kick.

For a sweet snack, I would prefer regular dates as the medjools are extremely sweet. I don't make a habit of snacking heavily on dried fruits since they have a concentrated sugar content and it feels counter-intuitive to me to overload on sugar. But when I have a sweet tooth, and we all get them (there has to be a reason that we have sweet sensors right on the top of our tongue) I don't mind poppin' a few dates for an energy burst.

My Conclusion: medjool for baking, regular dates for sometimes snack poppin'.

Image Credit: Groundworks

THE BEST EVER HOMEMADE LEMONGRASS SUGAR SCRUB

I blogged a recipe for homemade sugar scrub a little while ago, but I had to risk sounding like a broken record and come back with an update. I've been tweaking my concoctions and this is hands down the best I've made. Just popped out of the shower and feel 100% invigorated and fresh - you have to try this.

Homemade sugar scrubs are just a mixture of sugar, a carrier oil, and an essential oil for scent. The purpose is of course to exfoliate your skin and buff away dead cells, but the oil also acts as a moisturiser.

I've been experimenting with a few different carrier oils. Previously I've tried coconut oil and sesame oil. Coconut oil is okay; it's obviously known for its hydrating properties, but personally I find the scent overpowering. The same goes for sesame oil. I had read about its amazing moisturising power so decided to give it a try, but it left me smelling a bit like a stir fry? That brings me to my third experiment: olive oil.

Recently I saw a TV interview with a hand model. When asked for tips for keeping her hands in good condition, she said that her secret was good old, humble olive oil. Well, if you're going to take advice from anyone!

For body purposes, you want to use a light/mild olive oil. The brand that I have in my cupboard is Moro Light Taste Olive Oil. This is perfect because the smell is so mild, it enables the scent of your essential oil to take the limelight.

As for the pure essential oil,  I've used bergamot and lavender in the past, but obviously used lemongrass for this pot and it's my favourite, hands down. Lemongrass is refreshing, uplifting, calming, relaxing, all at the same time. I love it!

How To

Find yourself a plastic tub that is safe to keep in the shower. Fill it with sugar (to measure) then tip the sugar in a larger bowl. Add about the same quantity of light olive oil (so, 1 cup of each, for example) and mix it in. You want the consistency to be moist and only slightly liquidy so just play around til you get the consistency right. Next, add your essential oil bit by bit until you get a desired strength. I added about 1.5 teaspoons lemongrass to my batch (which was a bit more than a cup of sugar).

Enjoy enjoy enjoy. x

DIY TISSUE TASSEL GARLAND

This happened. In the little home o-ffice. Squee! See what happened is, after Christmas I got all forlorn after I had to take down the hanging decorations and such (you know?) so I kinda needed to create something that was colourful (tick) dangly (tick) and welcome all year round (tick tick).

I hung it on Friday afternoon and when Lindsay arrived home I said, "You're not going to like the girliness that has happened in the spare room". He walked to the doorway and said, "Oh Sweet #@#$* #@$*$". I'm almost positive that was a compliment.

I've been wanting to make one of these babies for a while. They're very cheap and easy to make - all you need is a few packets of tissue paper from the dollar shop, and the rest you should have at home (string, scissors, sticky tape). My garland is about 3.5 metres long, with 24 tassels. They're quite fiddly to make - I would say this project took me about 5-6 hours, but you just get the music going, do a few tassels here and there, and you'll be done before you know it. If you're ready to make your room wonderful, do what I did and watch a quick tutorial, like this one, and you'll be all set. Oh, and when it comes to boyfriends? I think the old "ask for forgiveness, not permission", works especially well. x

Just showing off one of my most prized possessions - my restored typewriter!