Parcels in the post!

I love getting things in the post! These last couple of days I have been super lucky and have been opening up so many parcels!

I did a blog swap with Errign and she sent me a massive pile of goodies! Nut butters, energy gels, different types of clif and luna bars, plus lara bars which I am super excited to try!

I had the mint brownie bite straight away and it was delicious! Thanks Errign πŸ™‚

I also got my Graze box– we get one of these every other weekend and share the punnets as a snack at the weekend- it included a new one which was apples to dip in caramel sauce. Sounds yummy!

Some lovely looking almond desserts from Ecomil- I cannot wait to try these, perhaps in my new bowls?

How cute are they???? I got them from Paperchase when I was getting some birthday cards, so not actually in the post, but I just love them!

Oh yeah, and a commiserations magazine. This was actually for Andy, who, when his marathon training was going well, decided to sign up for the London ballot (and he didn’t tell me until after the deadline! Not that I would have applied, but anyway)- after Stockholm he was hoping to have not got in, so he was very relieved to get this in the post!

Post run snack- Chocolate Cherry Almond Luna bar courtesy of Errign- delicious πŸ™‚

With the running, it is proving hard to get back into. I tried a run this morning and managed 4 miles, but I had to walk as I was getting stomach pains- not sure what it is all about. Anyway we have the 10K next Sunday and I was originally hoping to be able to beat my previous 10K time, but I realise that it is not going to happen. So I am going to enjoy the run- it should be pretty scenic. We have the great south run at the end of the month, and we decided to sign up to this race– a 10K the week after the GSR. Maybe by then I will be back to running and might stand a chance of beating my time. And if not we have another weekend away and a run somewhere pretty.

Today I got on with more baking for my friends.

I made some carrot and raisin cakes to go with the peanut butter cookies I made yesterday.

Before the cream cheese frosting- I am getting a little obsessed with the mini loaf cases!

Oh, and one final photo- I ordered some bits from Lakeland- including piping bags and nozzles (so I no longer have to just dollop the icing on!), muslin cloth squares (for my almond milk hopefully) and these cool trays that are already divided up. I am terrible at cutting things evenly and so I am looking forward to making brownies, flapjacks, bars etc that are all perfectly the same size.

Do you love getting things in the post? I find it much more exciting than going shopping (plus no queues!). What was the last thing you received in the post?

Feeling better (better do some baking then)

Hello!

I enjoyed everyones cheese answers yesterday! It seems the vegan cheeses just do not cut it, but also people miss it less than they would have thought. Thinking about it more, I am not a massive cheese lover anyway- I really only like cream cheese, mozzerella, goats cheese, strong cheddar and wenslydale. No blue cheese, or brie, or feta or anything like that. I think I just got into the habit of topping meals with grated cheese, when they did not really need it.

Anyway, I forgot on my post yesterday so say that I was better (as my post was about Tuesday I suppose). But I was. Yesterday I had a run and it was great! I didn’t want to go too far, in the end I did just under 4 miles, but I managed it all with an average pace of 10 min miles, a speed I have not got up to for a while. Plus no walk breaks (well, except for annoying crossing the road ones). I was super pleased as I was starting to get a little worried about the upcoming 10K- I was hoping to beat my previous best time, but now I am hoping to run the whole way! I seem to have gone backwards!

I also got back into baking.

Some pumpkin whoopie pies! I was so excited to make these πŸ™‚ Although I did not have any marshmallow fluff to add to the filling, so I made it without and the filling was super runny!

They were a hit with Andy and at work- gently spiced and really tasty. πŸ™‚ Ones to make again for sure.

Also it is National Cupcake week this week. I am not sure if it is an excuse for the Food network to show more of Cupcake wars than usual, but I was emailed a few recipes from this cupcake book and asked to try some on my blog. I went for the black forest cupcakes, only half way through I found out I did not have any black cherry jam (I was sure I still had some of the lovely meridian cherry spread) so they turned into chocolate and raspberry cupcakes. Ffion I hope you approve πŸ™‚ More for work anyway!

And now I am making some autumnal spiced apple crumble bars, based on this fruit crumble bar recipe from the lovely Katie. Happy days indeed.

And if that is not enough, I have body pump later πŸ™‚

Lastly, it is nearly the weekend! We are off to see Steven Merchant on Friday night (I keep forgetting) and then up to Sheffield on Saturday for some Shakespear. How cultured! πŸ™‚ I will have to tape the Great North run as I am getting a bit excited about it!

Any exciting weekend plans?

The good and the bad

First of all the good.

I have been loving bircher muesli for breakfast lately.

This one is nectarine, 25g oats, 100g soya yoghurt and 100ml soya milk and a lot of cinnamon, all left to mingle overnight. Yum.

And the same but with 80g frozen cherries instead of the nectarine, and sprinkled with coconut in the morning.

I had my sweet potato and kidney bean burgers again and they were yummy (with some rocket and some quinoa cooked with tomatoes, beetroot, spinach and courgette).

I found out that Ocado now stock Rude Health Multigrain thins πŸ™‚

I got up super early on Friday to fit in a little run, and it was great. I only did 2 miles but I did that in 20 minutes and I was feeling like I am getting faster again.

I went to the Waffle house on friday! That is always good!

I opened my Starbucks chai and had a cup. Yum.

When I was tidying out my cupboards I found a whole box of Teapigs rooibos creme caramel! I thought I had finished the last teabag ages ago, so it was a lovely surprise! πŸ™‚

I had my hair cut again (and in fact nearly forgot- I noticed it on the calendar when I went to add the shopping delivery time!). I feel I leave the hairdresser with a normal amount of hair!

And I made something fun in the microwave. Guesses? Answer at the end!

And now onto the bad.

I missed body pump on Thursday due to a late meeting at work (I got home at 8 whereas it starts at 7.15).

I had a rubbish run today. I think I am in fact under the weather. My tum felt a little weird before I left, so I waited around a little longer. My whole run was such hard work, I stopped a few times to re-tie my hair and I really appreciated the walking. I was not that much slower than before- it was a while since I had run that route, but it just felt so bad. And all day I have had a sort of tummy ache, so not sure if I ate something bad yesterday, but I think on reflection I should have not gone out this morning as it made me feel worse.

I am almost out of Rude Health Multigrain thins (but no need to worry- see the good points above!).

At least I have more good than bad.

Oh, and I made play-dough in my microwave- did you guess it?

(Add on)-

After dinner on Saturday I felt really bad, and when Andy got back from football (at about 12) we ended up turning the house up-side down looking for the immodium he bought to take to Stockholm, but never used, but to no avail. He did go out Sunday morning to get me some, and so I spent Sunday laying about, drinking water and nibbling on dry toast. But anyway I feel better now. No idea what that was.

Getting back to routine

Hello

I love my routine, I am someone who really likes to know what they are doing and I like the way I do similar things on the same day each week. After 6 weeks of no real routine (due to holidays etc) it has been great getting back into it.

On Monday after work I was really looking forward to my run, and did my 4 mile route and picked up the speed towards the end (9 something per mile πŸ™‚ ). It was the first run where my legs felt normal (before that they had been feeling tight and not really flowing properly) and I am hoping that soon I can re-start with the audiofuel, which I was really enjoying before my routine stopped.

(By the way, we never made it to the allotment on Sunday, as it was such heavy rain, and I found out that I got sunburnt on the saturday-boo. Honestly I am so obsessive about suncream when I am on holiday, but I didn’t realise that my dress had a lower back, so I have a nice red circle on my back).

Today I am really looking forward to aerobics, as I have missed (I think) 5 weeks. Shocking! I know it is going to be hard work though, but I like the fact that I do the same class each week.

When I got home today I was most excited to have a parcel waiting for me;

The lovely Elise at Kallo foods has sent me a parcel of goodies to review for my blog. Smooth and crunchy organic peanut butter, smooth and crunchy peanut butter, dark chocolate spread (how good does that sound?), chocolate and caramel swirl spread, and organic cola and elderflower. So much peanut butter!

I also had a bit of a shock the other day. I was having a couple of squares of ghirardelli chocolate after dinner, and just by chance glanced at the ingredients (they are on the tiny wrappers) and noticed gelatin. Now as soon as I turned vegetarian (I think I was about 15) I stopped gelatin too. I felt horrible having eaten it, but it was too late to spit it out as I had already eaten it. Anyway, I went through the bag (it was a mixed bag) and found that 2 flavours contain gelatin.

Mint (which are just like after eights, I never would have expected it to be in there) and raspberry ones. So I have taken them out now- no danger ofΒ unexpectedlyΒ eating them.

Onto the weather (we love to talk about the weather here) how windy is it???? This morning when I was trying to get my car out of the garage the wind kept blowing the garage door shut. It was crazy! I am glad I am not out running and instead am working out in a wind free studio!

Finally (and only because I took a photo) I have been getting a little hummus obsessed! I got some more from Ocado (it was listed as another brand, but in the pic it also said Sabra on it, and it is smooth and delicious and garlic free)- so my lunch has been a sandwich thin with hummus and spinach, plus a salad of chopped apple (on the bottom so I have the sweet apple at the end), spinach, beetroot, roasted peppers and hummus. Yum πŸ™‚

So, do you like routine or do you love to change things all the time?

Active recovery?

Not sure if that is entirely accurate, but it is what came to mind!

I had my run this morning- while waiting for breakfast to go down I warmed up my new running jacket from Old Navy.

I worked out how to turn off the flash (after 3 attempts) but now not sure how to turn it back on oops! Anyway, the main reason I love it is because of this:

Thumb hole things! I love them! But I realised it does not have a tab over the zipper so I will need to either not do it all the way up or get some kind of neck warmer thing. Ah well, it was too warm to run with a jacket today.

I did my same route up to the lakes and back, which is just under 6 miles. I was getting a weird stomach feeling, which was maybe a stitch, or something, so after 40 mins I walked for a bit, and then finished running on the way home. I was quicker than Tuesday, and I felt better too (and only walked once) so I think my legs and lungs are remembering what to do!

Home to a snack- soya milk with nesquik and a coconut chocolate chip clif bar. Yum.

The other day Andy and I walked up to the allotment after dinner, and all my good work had been overgrown with weeds. So after a shower we headed up there, armed with a massive fork each. Now many hands may make light work, but this all depends on what work there is to begin with. We spent 2 hours digging before deciding to come home for lunch and a rest. So I felt OK after my run, but not so good after all that digging! We have a small patch left (maybe 2 metres square) so we will have to tackle that tomorrow (and get something to put down so the weeds don’t just come back again).

Lunch was thrown together in 2 mins as I was starving! An apple, lettuce, Food Doctor pitta and more lovely hummus πŸ™‚ And we shared the pitta chips which were nice too, kind of reminded me of disco crisps- anyone remember those?

Dinner was another quick meal. Andy was also given some Warburtons flat-bread things, so we used those as a basis for a mexican meal. In a pan I cooked one chopped red onion, added a drained tin of kidney beans, some tomato puree and chilli, and mashed. Then I added a chopped red pepper and small tin of sweetcorn. We warmed the flat-breads in the oven for 5 minutes, and served with salad and guacamole. Delish and so speedy.

Not sure if digging up the garden was the best recovery from a run, but at least tomorrow we don’t have much more to do.

Time for some mint tea now, I am sure that helps me recover, right?