Last week we shared the 30 day squat challenge and for some this was too much, and for some it was not enough 🙂 So today we share the 30 Day Plank Challenge. You can do this in addition to the Squat Challenge or if you found the squat challenge too hard then try this one!
Clare with the Hair just grows and develops in ways I never dreamed of when I begun Blogging but all in ways I am delighted with, I have many regular Magazine features, TV appearances as well as Radio and now I have now begun Blogging 4 business , running a company technology blog, created and developed a #DigitalMarketing #Survey for B2B , B2C and the report on this will be officially published shortly and most recently I was invited into LIT Limerick to give a talk to Marketing, Digital Marketing, Event Management students on Blogging and tips to apply when beginning to blog, on the next page is a copy of this talk, I have added this to Clare with the Hair to maybe help someone a little blog lost, or just starting out to find there way.
Clare with the Hair hit over 70,000 readers in February , my best month yet but now March looks set to beat this figure, my best week has been 21,700 and my best day 6,105 readers! I am told this is incredible so I am documenting all the things I do and sharing all of this with you x
Head to page 2 to get my Top Tips on beginning to Blog
There are many Challenges to try and today we share with you this 30 Day Squat Challenge,
This is pretty full on for beginners and a walk in the park for serious squatters, but if you are somewhere in the middle then this is spot on for you. If however you are a beginner why now half the numbers each day, and if you are a pro double them, this can be adapted to anyone’s level.
Imagine how proud you will be in 30 days from now.
Go on begin the challenge with me today and let me know how you are getting on along the way x
1/ Write about what you love and not what you think others will love
A big mistake a lot of new bloggers make is, they look at a popular blog, and they think they can just re-create this and bam! You have a popular blog too!!! Wrong, this will create boring content that you have not really created, you have not put your heart into and you will probably get bored with long before your readers do, 1,000’s of people create blogs but very few actually stick at it, posting once a month about nothing does not make for a great blog and this is what happens when you try to just re-create and not be you and write about your loves , you get bored with bothering and readers find you by shear accident and not actively seeking your blog.
If you love a subject, then you can be sure that 1,000’s of others do to, I write about food , I cover other area’s but there is a big focus on food, if you love to read about planes then maybe write about them, car’s , life as a student, charity’s you assist, whatever you love , you create a blog on.
2/ Be Different
Now I have listed this but it is not the typical advise, we can have 100’s of people writing on the same topic, that is ok, the typical advise here would be to find something different to write about but really what I would say here, is write what you like about what you love and don’t get bogged down with trying to be different. You are you and that is what makes your content different to the next person’s.
Sounds a little odd but this is where your personality can shine. I often get told by friends, that when they read an email from me, they can almost hear me speaking it while they read it, sounds mad but this is so important, don’t stress over how is ‘should’ be written, write how you would say it.
4/ Good Content is Key
If you are going to the trouble of creating a blog and writing content, then make it content that is worth reading, create content that people will go out of their way to read, sometimes 100 words gets the message across and sometime you will need pages, I see a lot of blogs where the writer tries to have all posts similar in size, this is nuts! Sometimes pages describing the colour of a lipstick is just too much but equally make sure you get the message you are trying to say across, it is like watching a movie that ends way before you were ready for it too or a 30 min tv show being dragged out to 60 minutes , the content was really only made for 30 minutes and dragging it out to 60 minutes just bores you, a blog post has a similar issues if you try to drag it out
5/ Look at your Photography skills
This is not an area you initially need to invest money in but you do need to invest time, time to learn to take the best possible picture on the device you currently have, people love images and they are super to make your blog look great even is you have a very basic layout and style, for example my blog is food based, it is the pictures that makes some read on and it is the pictures that makes them click from twitter, face book etc. Take good clear crisp pictures, may well written blogs have rubbish pictures and suffer with readers numbers because of it.
I like my posts aligned to the left with pictures in the centre, whatever format you like keep this for all posts, if readers like your lay out, they will get confused if you change this, Also use headings and put real thought into these, it is what will make someone click to read, they are also great for breaking up a long post and to separate key information, for example my food posts begin with time/numbers they serve etc, onto ingredient, then directions , without heading this could look a mess and very hard to read.
7/ Research
If you want your blog to grow, you will need a blog you love and the more your research other blogs, the more you will see things you can adopt and from seeing other idea’s your idea’s will grow and a great blog will develop. They may have a layout that you like or widgets that would work for you, this is not about copying however, it is about expanding your idea’s on blogs and what makes a good blog great.
8/ Fake it until you make it
What do I mean here? I mean put your best foot forward, and be so confidant about your blog and what you do, your blog maybe tiny so make it look as big as the best. Initially you might begin with a free template and work towards a paid for one, put time into content, pictures, research and your free template will be great.
Also if your goal is to sell space to advertisers then begin with placing free ad’s , advertise your family business, a local charity, local community radio, advertisers like to see others already advertising and your free ad’s will make your blog look very popular, do not offer free ad’s to large companies, they will never pay of people begin placing ad’s for free.
9/ Do Good
Promote what you love instead of bashing what you dislike. Blogging is a fantastic platform so use it for good.
I am a big believer in goodness brings goodness, be it luck, karma, blessings, I am a super positive person and I believe this is why good things happen for me, I think they can so they do!
Also Engage with your readers, if someone read’s your post and then takes the time to get in touch with you, be nice to them, be complementary, be humble, these people will be your walking talking marketers as they will share your blog and speak about your blog to their friends and family.
10/ Connect with Blogging Groups
There are 1,000’s of groups you can connect with, be it Blog Network IRL on Facebook of Twitter, myself Clare with the Hair . com on FB, Twitter or my blog, I will post a list of groups and events locally in the next few days as well as all today’s tips if anyone would like them.
I find blogging a very social thing to do, I make many on line connections but I have made many real life one’s too from the blog meet up’s, and what is great about theses is that even though we are all different ages, backgrounds, we blog on many different subjects, we all have that common love of blogging and we all share the things that work and don’t work for us, blog events are a great space to meet lots of super creative people, it gets you out of the house for a real life chat , a few drinks, a coffer, a natter, a lot of people think bloggers live behind a screen and never have real life conversations, but this is not the case, I meet with more people today than I ever have through my life of blog.
This is a real winner of a dish and the perfect food to tweak by adding your choice of meat, vegetables and fish, use Chicken, Lamb, Beef , Tofu, Mushrooms, Vegetables , whatever you like, once you have the curry base and you can tweak this to your own personal taste you have a great base for a variety of curry’s .
Measure out the 8 spices into a bowl (first 8 ingredients). warm up a large pan and bring to med-high heat. Gently roast the spices in the dry pan, watching the spices doesn’t burn, keep stirring. After about a minute it will become fragrant and begin to get dark at this point take it off the heat and pour back into the bowl, set aside.
Put the pan back on the heat, add in the oil and bring back to medium high heat. Add in the chopped onion and cook thru until translucent. Once the onion is cooked, add in the ginger and garlic and mix well, watching the garlic doesn’t burn. Next add the spice mixture back in, followed by the sieved tomatoes. Pasata
Mix in about 1 cup of water , you want a thick sauce, but not too paste-like. Add in the salt, bay leaves and cardamom seeds.
Grate the zest off of the lemon, add to the pot, along with the juice from of the lemon. . Let it all simmer on medium-low for 10-15 minutes.
Poach your chicken and add to the curry, carry on cooking for min 30 minutes.
Everyone has their own take on what is the best Beef stew and today I bring you mine, it is Warm, a hint of spice , meaty, packed with good wholesome winter vegetables and I always make a big pot so we can have left overs the next day and I like it even more the next day , This is my perfect Family Favourite Beef Stew.
Makes: 8 servings (for dinner on day 1 and left overs on day 2)
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 3 1/2 hours
Ingredients
800g shin beef, cut into large chunks
400g carrots peeled and cut into chunks
400g potatoes baked
350g shallots or pearl onions, peeled, half the larger ones
250g chestnut mushrooms (about 20)
2 garlic clove, grated
2tbs grated ginger
1tbs Chilli Flakes
1tbs mustard
1tbs each of finely chopped Parsley and Thyme
2 broken Bay leaves
1 tbsp tomato purée
250ml bottle red wine, any you like
750ml of good reduced sodium beef stock
1tbs cracked black pepper
1tbs coconut oil
Clare’s Family Favourite Beef Stew
PREPARATION
1/ Heat a large casserole pan , sprinkle the pepper onto the beef and fry until golden brown, about 3-5 mins, then turn over and fry the other side until the meat is browned all over, if you have to add fat, use 1tbs of coconut oil. Do this in 2-3 batches, transferring the meat to a colander set over a bowl when browned.
2/ In the same pan, fry the shallots, carrots , mushrooms for 6-7 minutes, add the garlic, ginger and herbs until lightly browned. Mix in the tomato purée and cook for a few mins, stirring into the mixture. Then return the beef and any drained juices to the pan and stir through.
3/ Pour over the wine, stock and top with a little water if you need to almost cover the meat, but isn’t completely covered. Bring to the boil and use a spoon to scrape the caramelised cooking juices from the bottom of the pan – this will give the stew more flavour.
4/ you can leave this on the hob on a low heat for 3 + hours or place in the oven, if after 3 hours you find the sauce is not thick enough, you can remove the meat and vegetables with a slotted spoon and boil the juices on high to reduce them down a little.
5/ Add your un peeled potatoes into a hot over for 45 minutes, removed , slice in half and scoop out the hot floury centres , place in a large bowl and top with your stew, enjoy!
Clare’s Family Favourite Beef Stew
Top Tip: You can replace all the wine for stock if your diet or taste requires. I added a few steamed green beans at the end, you can add any vegetables you wish.
Who does not love pizza , it is the perfect comfort food, carbs , cheese , meat, what is not to love and today I bring you my favorite home make pizza’s . as a mum catering for a family, what I love most about pizza is, one can be created for everyone taste with a change in topping , I love fresh basil with Buffalo mozzarella and cherry tomatoes, my husband wants ham, chicken, beef and pepperoni, a real meat feast style and my daughters like just one topping, pepperoni or chicken.
Making the base take times but fresh homemade pizza base is really worth the time, if you make this once, you will never buy take out pizza again, you can use wholemeal or white flour and you can leave out the wine in the sauce, the best thing really is you decide on the finished flavor and calorie count.
Topping , Use any you like , cheese, meat, tomatoes, red onion, peppers, egg or anything you like
PREPARATION
For the pizza dough, mix the flour, salt, olive oil, yeast and water together in a bowl.
Turn the dough out onto an oiled work surface and knead for 5-10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Shape the dough into a ball and tip into a bowl.
Cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rise for an hour.
Divide the mix into four balls. Roll out on a surface dusted with semolina. Place each piece on a flat baking tray.
For the sauce:
place the shallot , wine and garlic in a saucepan, cook until reduced and you are left with only 1-2 tbs of wine in the base of the pan
Add the chilli, sugar, pepper and stock cube and top with passata, cook until this is reduced a little and has thickened , add the fresh ripper basil just before adding to the base (please allow sauce to cool fully before placing on the base)
Topping: (my Fresh mozzarella, cherry tomato and basil pizza)
Tear a ball of buffalo mozzarella and place evenly over the sauce, slice and add the tomato’s , add some fresh ripped basil and dust with fresh cracked black pepper.
What ever your topping of choice , this will be super, The sauce is delicious and the bread base so fresh and light, you will love this and never want take out pizza again.
So we have had our starter of breads and dips and now we move onto the main’s, this is great as in this can all be done in advance with just a little warming once you are ready to eat.
Clare’s Cheeky Chicken Ballotines with Crushed Potatoes and Fresh Minted Greens
I love chicken , who doesn’t but sometimes it can be boring and a little bland, well not these, they have smoked bacon, white wine, shallots , herbs, mushrooms and cream, they are a super treat for you and your Valentine this weekend.
Clare’s Cheeky Chicken Ballotines with Crushed Potatoes and Fresh Minted Greens
Chicken Ballotines seem really fancy and taste so good that your valentine will be super impressed with your cooking skills, but actually there are not too hard and if you follow my steps you will master this and really wow your dinner guest.
Serves 2
Preparation : 60 minutes
Total time: 90 minutes
Clare’s Cheeky Chicken Ballotines with Crushed Potatoes and Fresh Minted Greens
Clare’s Cheeky Chicken Ballotines with Crushed Potatoes and Fresh Minted Greens
Ingredients
2 large Chicken Breasts
4 good quality streaky dry cur smoked rashers
200g potatoes
100g of mushrooms, 1/2 diced 1/2 sliced
2 medium shallots dices
2 cloves of grated garlic
150mls of white wine
1 low soduim chicken stock cube or 50mls of fresh chicken stock
50mls of cream
2tbs cracked black pepper
Zest of half a lemon
1tbs Fresh chopped Thyme
2tbs of Grain mustard
50g of Strong Cheddar cheese
200g selection of greens
30g of Butter
1tbs of fresh chopped mint
Directions
1/ Begin with the stuffing for your chicken, place the shallots , 1/2 the mushrooms’s (the diced half) in a saucepan, top with the white wine, mustard, garlic, stock,pinch of pepper, lemon zest and thyme, cook this until nearly all the liquid has evaporated , take out half the mixture and place in a bowel to cool down (do not add hot stuffing to the meat allow this time to cool), in the pan add the sliced mushrooms and saute these off, leave to one side.
2/ Get two sheets of Grease proof paper and bash your chicken breast out, make them quiet thin, maybe the thickness of a euro coin, flatten out the bacon also, once both are flattened out, place two rashers on two sheets of cling flim, top with the chicken and place half the stuffing inside and roll, use the cling to assist you and leave this in tightly in place as this stays on while you poach the chicken. Place the chicken in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up.
3/ Bake the potatoes, place in a hot oven, no need to wrap, no need to add anything, place straight onto the racks and back for 35-45 minutes
4/ Steam your chosen greens until a tad under cooked, place in bowel until later
5/ remove the potato centres, and lightly crush, add the cheese and pepper and mix well, leave to one side
6/ Place your chicken in a pan of hot water and poach for 10-12 minutes, remove from the pan, remove cling and place in a non stick frying pan (no oil as the rashers will create there own) and brown on all sides
7/ Add the cream to your mushroom stuffing mixture you set aside earlier and warm through, taste and season as you feel needed
7/ Warm your potatoes, warm your greens with the chopped mint and plate up your meat as per the pictures.
Clare’s Cheeky Chicken Ballotines with Crushed Potatoes and Fresh Minted Greens
Enjoy!!
Top Tip: All this can be ready hours in advance, have the chicken cooked up until the point of frying, have the sauce to the point of adding the cream and the vegetable just need a warm through in your microwave.
Today #TastyThursday was launched with RSVP Magazine featuring my food blogs 🙂 Look out for this today and every Thursday x
I initially began speaking with RSVP and a few other publications at the beginning of October and many telephone calls, emails and meetings later the decision was made to work with RSVP and today this went live for the world to see 🙂
I am beaming, I could not be happier with how this blog is going, Being nominated in the food category for a UK Blog Award 2015 (no news yet as to weather I have made the next round) was incredible and if I get to the next round I think I may actually burst with excitement and now this, My food in a real life national publication for the world to enjoy 🙂
x x x Claire’s Smooth and Silky No bake Christmas Chocolate Tart x x x
It is a scrummy treat any time of the year but with the addition of Baileys and the lushness of this I think it should be saved for a super time treat 🙂
2014 has been an incredible year, I am actually emotional looking back at it and all the amazing moments and I can’t wait to see what 2015 brings 🙂 This year I began working with TV3, began my own weekly Radio show, Started this my new baby Clare with the Hair, became ‘The Face’ of Boudoir Darlings and we created a Charity Calender with monies raised going to Clare’s Wish Foundation (a charity who grant wishes to adults with life limiting illnesses), Nominated in the UK Blog Awards and now working with RSVP. So many changes, so many new ventures yet all enjoyed and loved so much.
So here we are flying through the week again, and as always I am looking for a meal I can have on the table for my family, nice and quick after a long day’s work. This is a great one for the kids to help with, always great as a finger food when you have people over and ideal to over make and pop next week’s portion in the freezer or to take to school / work with a wrap or salad the next day, these always go down a treat with my family and I hope you enjoy them too. In my opinion these are far tastier than any chicken take outs 🙂
125g/4½oz fresh breadcrumbs using really nutty brown bread
2 tsp parsley
pinch of salt and pepper to taste
4 boneless and skinless chicken breast, cut into strips
50g/2oz plain flour
3 medium / 2 large free-range eggs, beaten
2 tbsp melted coconut oil
4 tbsp of finely grated Parmesan cheese
100ml of milk
PREPARATION
Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5. Oil two baking trays with melted coconut oil.
Mix the breadcrumbs, parsley in a bowl. add the finely grated cheese and mix well, add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Place the flour in another bowl.
Dip the chicken pieces in the milk, then the plain flour, then in the beaten egg and finally coat in the breadcrumbs. Shake off the excess and lay the cheesy chicken fingers on the oiled baking tray. This is much easier if you keep one hand clean from the egg and milk for dipping into the flour and bread crumbs.
Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes, turning once. Remove from the oven when completely cooked through and golden-brown all over.
Serve the cheesy fingers with a variety of dipping sauces, use red sauce, barbecue sauce , the curry dip I used for chips, or any you like best. My family love these with a green salad in summer and with baked chips and beans during the colder months.
This was done with a whole chicken breast but works equally well with the fingers
Tip: Over prepare these and freeze additional batches (before placing in the oven) in your freezer containers and over cook a few for your lunch the next day, to bring to work with a salad, or in a wrap or for the kids chopped up with some pasta in their lunch boxes.
ClareWithTheHair.Com 