Favourite Meals & Snacks

It is a lovely thing to see loved ones enjoy a meal which you have worked had producing, it is also as pleasing when you appreciate something you have made lovingly for yourself. This post includes my current favourite things to eat/drink, hopefully the recipes will be easy to follow- enjoy!

First up is Jamie Oliver's trapani-style pasta:  

This is a 20 minute wonder which is really light and delicious, due to the addition of fresh tomatoes, chillies and basil. Even those who struggle with cooking will ace this dish- go for it! The process is simply to make a paste/sauce to go with some pasta, super simple and mega tasty.

Looks like a winner to me!

My current breakfast option is a homemade juice or some healthy pancakes to kickstart the day with a energy boost. 

Mia's Wake Up Juice: 

Simply juice one chopped apple with three large carrots, a thumb sized piece of ginger and a hunk of celery and you're done! You can also pre chop your ingredients the night before and pop in a sandwich bag to help your lazy morning self.

Lighter Pancakes: 

These are quick to make but slightly stressful to cook as the mixture is a funny consistency. You want to mash up one banana with two eggs before adding extras (blueberries, chia seeds, vanilla etc). Fry for three minutes each side in some coconut oil or butter before serving with some honey or agave nectar.

One Ingredient Icecream!

This is so simple and guiltfree, you'll be able to munch through bowl after bowl without feeling sluggish. All you need to do is chop up roughly three bananas per person and place slices in a sandwich bag and freeze for around 5 hours or overnight. The next bit is simple, chuck em in a food processor and blitz- it will take a few minutes for the grainy mixture to become smooth and you will need to scrape the edges with a spatula a couple of times. In the photo above I added some frozen fruit and the resemblance to your standard tub of icecream is uncanny!

Hummus Alternative- Butterbean Dip

This is a go-to snack for those working at home days as you can simply whip up a bowl and dip some pitta strips in (or veg..if you prefer). 

Pop a drained can of butterbeans into a food processor along with salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, lemon juice, two garlic cloves and olive oil before whizzing until smooth.

Sorry for the lack of picture- this stuff goes quickly in our house!

I really hope you found this interesting, what are your go-to things to rustle up?

♥

Happy Changes

We are nearly into the third month of 2015 and I have made some really happy changes so far. One which I wanted to talk about in this post is my venture into the world of Yoga.

Now I am not very flexible, nor have I ever committed to daily stretching - until now. I am currently attempting Yoga with Adrienne's 30 day yoga challenge and am loving the experience! During the past month I have taken around three days off the challenge purely because I didn't want to force myself into it.

Adrienne's youtube channel is filled with a variety of yoga sessions- ranging from headache fixing yoga to period pain relieving yoga- perfect for both advanced yogi's and beginners like me. Her videos in the 30 days challenge section vary in length from 15 to 30 minutes but the time flies by. Occasionally I will do multiple sessions in a row if I feel like certain areas need more work.

The video's are chatty and uplifting, but peaceful at the same time. She has a knack for allowing you to take the time to find what feels good, to push yourself to the right level and enjoy the time you are spending with your body. I have played around with yoga at different times during the day and all have different benefits. In the morning, I am left feeling more positive about the day to come, having rid my mind of the negative sludge which follows my waking moments. In the evening yoga offers an opportunity to unwind and reflect on the day thus far.

If you have ever felt like incorporating a little downtime (or sometimes up time if it's an especially intense session) - I could not recommend starting your yoga experience with Adrienne enough!