Ingredients
225g/8oz plain flour
half teaspoon baking powder
half tespoon bicarbonate of soda
pinch of salt
50ml/2fl oz sunflower/rapeseed oil
250ml/8fl oz soy/rice milk
150g/5oz caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extrace
Big spoonful of raspberry jam!

Method
Preheat oven to 180*C/350*F/gas mark 4
Sift together the flower, baking powder, bicarb, salt
In a separate bowl combine oil, milk, sugar and vanilla
Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry. DON’T POUR IT ALL IN! Do it slowly because you probably won’t need all the liquid – you’re looking for a thick batter.
Once it’s all mixed, stir in a big dollop of raspberry jam.
Line a muffin tin with cupcake cases and fill each case about three quarters full and bake for 22 minutes. Allow them to cool on a wire rack.

Frosting
Whisk together 2oz/50g vegan margerine with 6oz/150g of icing sugar together with a little water and a splash of red colouring until it’s nice and smooth and then just spoon a dollop onto each cupcake! Decorate as you please

Ingredients
170g/6oz plain flour
half a teaspoon of baking powder
half a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
pinch of salt
45ml/3tablespoons of vegetable/sunflower/rapeseed oil
170g/6oz caster sugar
250ml/8fl oz soy/rice milk
45ml/3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest

Method
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*/Gas Mark 4.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, bicarb, and salt.
In another bowl combine the oil, sugar, rice milk, vanilla, lemon juice and lemon zest.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry. Do it SLOWLY because sometimes depending on the type of flour, the temperature, the wrath of the gods, you don’t need all of the liquid and it will become to runny. You’re looking for a fairly thick batter.
Line a muffin tin with cupcake cases and fill each cupcake case about two thirds full.
Bake for 20 minutes, remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.

Icing
Sift 225g/8oz into a bowl. Add a tablespoon of lemon juice and then slowly add soy or rice milk a tiny bit at a time until you have a nice thick icing.
Because your cupcakes won’t have risen right to the top of the cupcake case you can pour a little icing on to each cake and the cupcake case will stop it running (too much!).
Refrigerate until ready to eat!

Make sure you’re sitting comfortably, both feet on the floor about hip width apart and nice straight spine. Relax the shoulders away from the ears and take a couple of full breaths.

1. Head and shoulder circles – rotate the shoulders a few times in each direction, working with the rhythm of the breath and role the head slowly in semi circles (ear to shoulder – chin to chest – other ear to other shoulder and back again) a few times.

2. Stretch the arms out to the sides and up interlocking the fingers and pushing the palms up towards the ceiling. On an exhale, keeping both sitting bones on your chair, stretch over to the right. Inhale back to centre and exhale to the left. Repeat twice more to each side and then release the arms down.

3. Take the right hand onto the left side of your chair and the left hand on to the back of your chair and twist to the left on an exhale. Hold for 5 breaths and release. Repeat to the other side.

4. Hold on to the back of your chair at about waist height. Open the chest and roll the shoulders back and down. Bring the focus to the heart centre and breathe. Take at least 5 breaths here.

5. Exhale and fold forward, abdomen on your thighs, release the head and neck and allow the lower back to release. Stay here for about 5 breaths (if colleagues are looking at you in a peculiar fashion you can always pretend you’ve dropped something on the floor!)

Try and do this at least once a day when you are at your desk all day. Take breaks from your computer whenever you can and if you have time, try to take a short walk on your lunch hour.

And don’t forget to breathe!

Namaste x