Sunday 27 September 2015

September Favourites

Hello lovelies,
It’s the end of a month again, which means it’s time for me to tell you all about the things I’ve been loving throughout September. First off, I’m back at university, which means I’ve moved back to the UK. Yayyy. It feels weird to be back.

But let’s just get into the things I’ve been obsessed with in September.

First off is Cauliflower! I know what you’re thinking, seriously?! Cauliflower? But I have been trying some ‘low carb’ alternatives like cauliflower mash and honestly it’s good! All you do is boil the cauliflower and then mash it up, add seasoning and a little greek yogurt – voila! Don’t judge before you’ve tried it.

My next favourite has been boiled eggs, so simple & so delicious. Perfect for breakfast, a snack or as a salad topping. Plus you can boil a few at once and then have them in your fridge, which means this one is super time efficient too. ANND you don’t need to be a great cook to boil a few eggs ;)


Fashion favourite of the month have been my beloved grey Nike Roshe. I am obsessed, they are comfy & gray and I love them. That’s all.


One of my major obsessions in September has been the TV show Sex and the City. Once a year usually during exam term or just a time when I am procrastinating to the max (In September I was writing a report for university.) I re-watch Sex and the City from season 1 episode 1 all the way through to the end. This year was no different – and it was fabulous!


That’s all for now.
September was quite an uneventful month compared to the one before when I was travelling (eating my way) through Vietnam. September has been about eating western food again, writing my report, watching sex and the city and packing for university.

Bring on October, the month of pumping spice everything and fancy dress parties.

Stay happy & healthy
Love,

Sunday 20 September 2015

Homemade Healthy Strawberry Jam

Hello there lovelies,
It’s time for another recipe and this time it’s homemade healthy strawberry jam. I know how can jam be healthy?! Well let me tell you this one is! And it is so so simple to make I feel like I’ll have to make this on a regular basis now. We usually think that trying to live a healthy lifestyle or lose weight cannot include jam on toast for breakfast. But if you toast is wholegrain and this jam is on it, it’s perfect. This jam will provide you with healthy omega 3 fats, fiber and plant based protein. The magic ingredients in chia seeds, trust me on this one.

All you will need:
300g frozen strawberries
1 tbsp agave syrup
2 tbsp chia seeds
Half a fresh lime

Process:
Pour the frozen strawberries into a saucepan that is set to a medium heat.
Add the tablespoon of sweetener and make sure you keep stirring the strawberries. The reason it’s better to use frozen strawberries is because they will give off more liquid.
Once the strawberries have become soft use the back of a fork or better yet a potato masher to mash the strawberries into smaller pieces.
At this point the mixture should be quite smooth, which is when you can add the two tablespoons of chia seeds and reduce the heat further.
The chia seeds will expand a little giving the jam its jam like texture.
At this point I added some fresh lime juice as well because I love lime but you could miss this step out if you aren’t too keen.
Fill your jam into a jam jar and let it cool in the fridge.
You’ll be surprised how sweet this jam tastes and you can enjoy it completely guilt free.

Here are the nutrients comparing a regular strawberry jam with this healthy option. I choose to use a 50g serving as a comparable measurement.

Regular Strawberry Jam                                                 Healthy Homemade Strawberry Jam
125 Calories                                                                        47 Calories
0g Fat                                                                                 1.3g Fat (Healthy Omega 3 from Chia)
31g Carbs of which 30g Sugar                                      6.5g Carbs of which 3g Sugar
0.7g Protein                                                                       1g Protein

The difference is CRAZY! 30g of sugar compared to only 3g that’s 7.5 teaspoons of sugar compared to not even 1 full teaspoon of sugar. Who said jam can’t be healthy?! And I promise you the healthy version tastes just as delicious and it’s really easy to make.

I hope you enjoyed this post and give the recipe a try!
Stay healthy & happy
Love,

Sunday 13 September 2015

Sports Luxe – The Trend for us Fit Chicks

Hello lovelies,
I thought I would write about something a little different this week, that’s right it’s a fashion post!
I’m no fashion blogger, but I am a human who wears clothes on quite a regular basis so I thought I could give this whole ‘fashion’ thing a try. 
Today I wanted to write about Sports Luxe or Athleisure, the trend that has been around for years but seems to be flaring up again and is one of my favourites. Annnnd if you lovely reader are as I one of those Fit Chicks then I have a feeling you will love this one too!
When I googled the definition of the Sports Luxe trend this is what came up 
Sports Luxe is the definition of modern, comfy and cool.” – already sounds brilliant, what’s not to love?!
Sports Luxe basically means we can finally wear our gym clothes outside the gym and look social acceptable and maybe even fashionable. It’s the go-to look for an effortless yet fashionable look. 
Think messy buns, bomber jackets, lose comfy vests and t-shirts, fancy sweat pants and our beloved trainers.
This is where the worlds’ of the fitness freaks and the fashionistas collide.
Fitness Freak meets Fashionista = Sports Luxe

I browsed the internet for some sports luxe looks and this is what I found:




And here is my take on the sports luxe look and one of my favourite outfits at the moment: messy bun, my ray bans, lose cropped jumper from Zara, skinnys from Zara my Michael Kors & my beloved Nike Roshe.
Am I a Fashionista yet?! hahah
Hope you liked this kind of blog post even if it’s a little different.
Stay healthy & happy
Love,

Sunday 6 September 2015

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Hello lovelies,
It’s time for another HEALTHY RECIPEEEE yay! I’m back!

The recipe I want to share with you today is a recipe for healthy chocolate chip cookies. They are flourless, refined sugar free & delicious. By now my brother is my ultimate taste tester when it comes to healthy recipes and if he likes them, then I know they taste good! And let’s just say these didn’t last very long.

All you will need:
370g ground almonds
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp agave syrup (or honey)
2 tbsp of coconut oil
1 ripe banana
Chocolate chips (I used 81% dark chocolate)

Process
Pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees.
In a saucepan melt the coconut oil and agave syrup. Make sure it doesn’t bubble; it just needs to be on a low heat.
Add the cinnamon and vanilla extract to the melted mixture. At this point you can add a pinch of salt too.
Next, combine the dry ingredients in a big bowl – the ground almonds and baking powder.
Mash the banana with the back of a fork and then add the banana and the wet ingredients into the big bowl of dry ingredients.
Time for the best part, CHOCOLATE!
Chop your chocolate into chocolate chip pieces and then add them into your cookie dough mixture.
Place the mixture in cookie size portion on a parchment paper covered baking tray. I made 8 cookies from this mixture.
Then put them in the oven for 10-15min or until they are golden brown.
Make sure to let them cool down before you try to eat them.
Last but not least, ENJOY!




These cookies are the perfect little afternoon snack and I promise you, you can’t even tell that these are ‘healthy’! Give the recipe a go and let me know what you think!
Stay healthy & happy
Love,