Spicy Sausage Puff Pastry Pizza.

Today's post is another super easy, completely delicious recipe. This recipe can be followed to the t, or you can mix up the pizza toppings, which is great for using up leftovers.

All you need is:

Jus-Roll Puff Pastry Sheet,

Tomato Purée

Pepperoni Slices

Chopped Chorizo

Cherry Tomatoes.

Mozzerella

Take the pastry out of the cardboard and leave out for 10 minutes, pre-heat the oven to Gas Mark 7 (220˚c)

 During this time you can chop up the tomatoes and mozzerella.

Follow the instructions from the puff pastry and place it into a rectangular  baking tray. Put a good sized dollop of Purée and spread around.

All you need to do now is put all your toppings on the base and put in the oven for around 20 minutes. 

Cut into generous slices and serve with salad.

 

Super easy!

I would love to see your variations of this, send me pictures using the Twitter hashtag #littlelifepizza

Lydia

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Delicous Lemon Drizzle Sponge Cake.

It feels like forever since I last wrote on here. Though probably not. I have just finished a crazily busy weekend of work and decided to celebrate the best way I know how. Cake.

Oh yes.

All you need for the cake is:

• 6oz (170g) Self-Raising Flour
• 6oz (170g) Caster Sugar
• 6oz (170g) Butter
• 3 Large Eggs
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder

Icing:

• 4oz (113g) Butter
• 8oz (226g) Icing Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Milk

For the Lemon Drizzle:

• 2 Lemons Juiced
• 3 oz (75g) Caster Sugar
• Lemon Curd

 
How to make the cake:

• First things first is to light the oven up to Gas Mark 3, or 160°C. Grease and line the tins.
• Then cream together the sugar and butter.
• Add the flour, a few spoonfuls at a time and mix. After 3 spoonfuls, add the eggs, one at a time and mix.

 

 
 
 
 

• Pour in the vanilla extract and baking powder and mix. 
• Spoon the mixture into the tins and pop in the oven for 25-45 minutes (until the cake springs back when tapped).
• After a while of patiently waiting for the cake, mix together the lemon juice and caster sugar. Drizzle over the top layer of cake when cooked, and out of the oven.
  

 
 
 
 
 

• Let the cakes cool. 
• To make the icing, soften the butter and slowly add the icing sugar. Add in the milk alternatively until all mixed together. Whisk for 3-4 minutes.
• Layer the cakes up with Lemon Curd and The Icing. 
• Top the cakes with a sprinkling of caster sugar. 
  

Tilly the dog was patiently waiting to taste the cake, nice try Tills!

A simple, quick, and absolutely delicious Lemon cake, perfect for the cold winter's nights. 

Lydia

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Getting in the Christmas Spirit, Garden Centre Style.

A few days ago my sister and I decided to see the Christmas display at our local garden centre which is part of the Notcutts company, It was a lovely sunny day so we made the most of it!

After a while browsing the autumnal flowers outside and a wander round 'Pets Corner' we found the Christmas Display! Quite a few people know that Christmas is my joint most favourite time of year, along with summer, so I get excited quite prematurely, much to the disappointment of others'. 

 I love the red colour scheme here, I think it portrays so much of Santa Claus and has a real American vibe, which would look great on a great big green Christmas tree!

As well as just generally walking around/taking photos, I thought I would choose a decorative item that really caught my eye. This bauble is so detailed, I found it in the 'White Christmas' display and it is definitely where this belongs, along with lots of silver sparkly lights. And for £3.50 I think this is an absolute bargain!

  

I plan to be visiting a lot of the garden centres around my hometown in the run up to Christmas, so keep checking this page to see what other great finds and ideas I get from them!

Lydia

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Christmas Fair Goodies.

My mum, sister and I took a little trip over to the annual Christmas Bazaar hosted by the Chiltern American Women's Club. It hosted in aid of local charities and is filled with homemade produce, clothes and beauty products. 

After having a wander around all of the stalls, we decided it was time to spend money.

The first thing we bought were these candles by WoodWick, these candles smell so good, but they also crackle when the burn so you get the sound of a wood fire, without the wood fire. My sister has been raving about these for months but has never been able to find stockists in England. Until Now...

This Christmas set is £26 and the Cinnamon Cheer & Frasier Fir really creates a heavenly Christmassy smell. 

This candle is a Trilogy, I persuaded my mum to buy it for me as a Christmas present, so I haven't lit it yet. I usually get a little bored with having the same scent, especially as these candles burn for 100 hours each. 

The lid that comes with the candle is a perfect coaster to protect the surface the candle is sitting on.

You can buy WoodWick Candles here.

The next product I bought is from Ruby Red, It is a completely natural lip balm. I think it Vanilla & Honey, and it smells good!

The lip balm was £5 and is very smooth to put on, such a bargain espcially in time for the cold winter we're expecting.

You can look at the other products in Ruby Red's range on their website.

Last but not least, I purchased these two lovely scarves. I'm absolutely in love with wearing scarves at the moment, unfortunately I cannot remember the company that was selling these, but they were 2 for £15.

 

I don't have any scarves with stars on, or any with a darker colour, so though I would definitely be able to wear this regularly.

How pretty is this bird print?

 

Lydia

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Filling in Time.

Today's topic for BEDN is 'Hobbies' I was a little unsure of what to write about, I do have hobbies, but unfortunately I rarely get to do them. I was thinking yesterday what I could write about and it clicked.

Swimming.

Copyright. TimeOut.com

I headed to the local pool yesterday for the first time in a long time, I loved it. I always have enjoyed swimming, and being around water andthe health benefits make me love it even more!

After swimming, I always find myself knowing I've had a good workout without the aches that I get from running. I also find myself having better posture which is never a bad thing!

I have a 'Swim23' membership from Parkwood Leisure, I get unlimited access to swimming for just £23 a month. Bargain!

I would love to get fitter through swimming and maybe even do a 10km swim. Who knows..

If you would like more info on your local swimming pool, check out Swimming.org

Lydia

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Walking On Air.

So far BEDN is not going to plan. I definitely have not blogged everyday, but I have done more blogging which is a good place to start!

Yesterday, Lisa and I took a trip to Portsmouth. Long car journeys are absolutely hilarious with your best friend, we'll always find something to talk about!

When we got to Gunwharf Quays, we headed straight to Spinnaker Tower. I had one intention, to try and fight my fear of heights by walking on 'air'. 

Once inside the tower you are taken 100 metres or 55 floors to the first viewing deck. We had a very sunny day which meant incredible views!

 

On the viewing deck there are numerous information points, explaining what certain buildings are, and the history of maritime in Portsmouth. 

After reading about the different things on offer, and the sights, we decided it was time to walk the glass floor. this was not easy for me as the fear of heights, and falling, plagues me all the time.

Lisa took the first steps. I joined soon after.

It's a very long way down.

We decided to head off for some shopping, and returned free of charge to watch the sunset. I love how the sun made the view look even more special.

Unfortunately for us, the sun hid behind the clouds for sunset, but it was good whilst it lasted. We headed off for dinner and went to a friend's house before the journey home.

If you want to head up the Spinnaker Tower, more information can be found here.

Lydia

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Blog Chat.

Blog Chat

Today's #BEDN topic is 'Blog Chat' so I'd thought I'd tell you all a little about my blogging journey and my hopes for The Little Life.

First off; The Little Life is not my first blog, I started blogging over on Wordpress with 'country girl, city life' I started blogging whilst at university to keep me busy and keep my English writing skills up. The blog didn't do so well and I had a major bloggers block. 

The Little Life was born in July 2013, hen I had moved back home from uni with a broken leg and I wanted to develop my blogging skills and networks. I started using Blogger and have tried to blog at least once a week, sharing with you my baking adventures, and fun things I have done, I hope this will continue.

Over the past few months I have  begun learning how to use social media to grow the blog, and connect with other bloggers. I absolutely love reading other blogs, seeing the different genres and the lovely layouts.

The Future...

In my big dreams, I would love to have a blog with readers from around the world and thousands of readers. But, if that ever happens, it would be a long way off, for now, I am just looking to keep writing, keep sharing and engaging with the readers I have. I love blogging, how I can write whatever I want and find other people with similar opinions.

I hope this has given you a little insight into how, and why, I blog.

Lydia

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10 Things.

Is this true? I have been able to blog 2 days in a row? Yes! 

I am one very happy blogger today as I am starting 10 days holidays from work. Today's #BEDN topic is '10 things' so I thought I would create a list of 10 things I want to do in my 10 days off work.

Here they are;

1. Paint my nails. Check, in fact, I treated myself to a manicure.
2. Enjoy a weekend with friends as a surprise to them,
3. Keep blogging everyday,
4. Sleep, 
5. Go for a girly day out with my mumma,
6. Conquer my fear of heights in Portsmouth,
7. Bake!
8. Spend as little money as possible,
9. Learn how to maintain my car,
10. Be happy to go back to work,

I hope this gives you a little insight into my life when I'm off work, and of course, I will be sharing with you the things I manage to do!

Lydia

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