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 π
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 π
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?
Some pumpkin whoopie pies! I was so excited to make these π 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. π 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 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 opened my Starbucks chai and had a cup. Yum.
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!
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!).
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!
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.
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 π
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.
Home to a snack- soya milk with nesquik and a coconut chocolate chip clif bar. Yum.
Lunch was thrown together in 2 mins as I was starving! An apple, lettuce, Food Doctor pitta and more lovely hummus π 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.