Category: Stuff I love!

Busy bee

Hello! I trust you are all enjoying this beautiful weather (although I feel one day of sunshine cannot quite be a heatwave!).

I have been busy over the weekend in the kitchen (but I have been enjoying the weather- I had a walk yesterday evening and went round for a late breakfast in my parent’s garden this morning), so be prepared for many photos!

First up were some amazing chocolate crispy squares from Oh She Glows (I found them while looking for chia seed recipes!!)- I used Rude Health puffed oats as I had them, and did not have rice crispies. They are amazing. Seriously. The recipe is here.

Then I had this “problem” to deal with:

That is a lot of bananas! I have had some banana “pudding” (mashed up with pb and carob powder) and have some in the fridge. But I still had loads left and I did not want to put them in the freezer. Then I remembered seeing a recipe for banana brownies on Peanutnutterbutter’s blog- recipe here.

I added some peanut butter chips to it as well, as they need using up! This smells so good and will be going into work as everyone will approve of the fat free recipe. 🙂

I also tried one of my new salad dressings last night.

I was going to ask you to guess which one, but you can see it in the pic! Whoops! I had it with some falafel type things (chickpeas in the food processor with tomato puree, garlic, chilli, a little water and some gluten flour- then rolled into balls- it made 12), some red and white quinoa (I have run out of dried stuff and the pouches were on offer), beetroot and lettuce. Really I should have had it in a pasta bowl in layers, as the dressing made the qunioa lovely too. It was really summery, and reminded me of dressings we used to get when we went on holiday to France. Yum. Plus, look how pink it is!

Finally I made some hazelnut praline muffins, from my new Hummingbird book- these are for Sunday tea.

Not sure why they are not cupcakes? But basically it was a normal muffin/ cupcake batter, with some nutella (well, whole earth chocolate hazelnut spread) stirred in, then spoon batter into the cases, add a blob of spread and then more batter, and top with chopped hazelnuts. They smell amazing!

Running related news- (we have the Great South run booked which is a 10 miler in October) and today we signed up for the Silverstone half marathon. I think I need to do those sorts of races as I like going for longer than 6 miles at the weekend- they are a challenge and hopefully I can work on getting my times down a bit. And I got an email from the Olympics saying that so long as they take payment, we will have the tickets we bid for! Phew- the early start was worth it! 🙂

Finally, a random picture from the other day- I whizzed up 80g frozen raspberries and added some alpro chocolate. It does go just like sorbet. Then I had the rest of the alpro dessert underneath. Yummy.

And I will be back later to see who has won the Bloom Tea giveaway! Exciting stuff!

Right, I am off to the garden!

Questions- Any 10 mile/ half marathon distance races you have loved? I have all year so let me know 🙂

And what are you doing to enjoy this weather?

Ilovepeanutbutter.com

I was so excited today! I had to go to the post office to collect 2 packets, and guess what they were!!!

Parcel one was my bloggie food swap, from Britt at Britt fit! How amazing! Maple peanut butter!!!! And some amazing looking (and giant) Clif bars!!! Which flavour to try first? Or which one to save ’til last?  Thanks Britt- what a perfect package! (And also love the cute paper shapes- so pretty), and also thanks to Jemma for organising the US/UK swap partners. 🙂

Parcel two was from the lovely Lucy at Porridge and Parsnips! I won her giveaway, and she added some chia seeds to the parcel too- I am really looking forward to trying them. 🙂 The Nature seed mix looks like a bit packet of Graze snacks- I love nuts and dried fruit. Mmm. And don’t you just love the cupcake card?? So pretty.

Sadly by the time I went to get them, I had already had my post run snack bar, so will save these for another day. Buuuuuuut I had not had lunch, so guess what I went for…..

Yum. Mighty Maple pb in a pitta. It was sooooooo good. It tasted like maple syrup (no Sh** Sherlock), and went all melty in the warm pitta. Yum. 🙂 Any bets on how long I can make it last??

Onto the run. I wanted to go a little further than my last 2 weeks, as I have been totally fine. But with all the rain I did not want to add the park loop on as it would be so muddy, so I did my 8.5 mile route, and then added a little on the end (another mile ish). It was so overcast and windy that I thought I would be cold, but it was actually so muggy out there. And, how annoying, after less than a mile my bra strap pinged again. I am going to have to sew it up I think. After about a mile and a half there are public toilets, so I went in there to sort it out. This was easier said than done. I was all sweaty, my glasses steamed up (it was warmer in the toilets for some reason), and so getting it off was alright, but getting it back on again was not easy at all. You can imagine I am sure! Anyway, I carried on and luckily all stayed in place for the remainder. It was fairly uneventful, just so muggy that I was dripping when I got home. Seriously my ponytail was soggy- I could have wrung it out (sorry!). I should have taken a drink with me I think. The run took me 1hr47, but this included the bra strap stop- I think it was about 9.5 miles, so not too bad a pace really.

Home for some refreshing coconut water- this stuff has pomegranate and acai (some kind of berry) in it. I thought it would be quite tart, as pomegranate juice normally is, but it was lovely, so refreshing. 🙂 They are 500ml bottles so I have half for another day, although I think I could have drank it all!

Now, to my weekend free of work! After work yesterday I went to the waffle house- most of the people going actually dropped out (a lot of people being ill sadly) but there were still two of us that managed to go! Alongside my tea I had a delicious waffle with banana, toffee sauce and chocolate shavings, but I did forgo the ice cream. Trying to remember my goals! I was shattered after that (had an early start) so at home we chilled out, listened to the Adam and Joe podcast and watched a little TV.

Today after my run and the trip to the post office, I watched some of the grand prix (while looking for chia seed recipes- and in fact came across a non chia seed recipe which I will post later on!). I was going to go and sit in the garden but it has been overcast all day. Then, while I was watching Wimbledon (the Federer match) I noticed my Dad on TV! He does the line judging (he does it for a lot of tournaments, and has been chair umpire before too) and it is very exciting for me when I see him! Trouble is then I stop watching the tennis. Also he got hawk-eyed (but luckily was right- oh the stress!!). Anyway, then I was surfing the net looking for apartments for a city break with some friends. I have successfully avoided housework so far,but I do not think that will last much longer! Anyway, I have some falafels to make for my dinner, bread rolls for Andy’s dinner and cupcakes for tomorrow- projects to keep me busy!

Right, off to make some falafels in my food processor! The novelty of this has not worn off yet, as you can see! 🙂

PS- Do not forget that the Bloom Tea giveaway ends tomorrow- click here to enter!

Wimbledon!

Love it or not bothered?

I am not a massive tennis fan, but I do keep an ear out on the sports news during the year for tennis results. But I just love Wimbledon! I love getting home from work and putting on the TV- something therapeutic about the noise from the rally’s and the hush of the crowd. I do, however, get annoyed with all the fever surrounding any British hopefuls, and the people who insist on shouting out during the games. Do they not realise that they are supposed to be quiet?

Today I was not home too late, so I got to watch some tennis before going to aerobics!

But first, last night I had some strawberries and caramel dessert- now the size of these strawberries is ridiculous. Last week I got them and they were tiny and delicious. This week, well, look at the picture to see what I mean:

Yes the biggest one was about the size of the pot. They tasted quite nice, but still, there must have only been about 9 in the box- as it was a 400g box that is nearly 50g per strawberry- craziness. Good for Wimbledon watching anyway.

As the camera was in the kitchen, I also took a pic of my breakfast this morning:

Porridge with fresh raspberries cooked in (from Andy’s parents’ garden). Soooooooo good.

And also my lunch as I got it ready:

A pitta with sunflower seed butter, some roasted peppers and almond and sesame tofu ( I tried that this week but I prefer the basil stuff) and a pear. All in the cute lunch boxes! Love paperchase!

Lastly, a confession of sorts. I posted the other week about my hoarding habits. I was down to my last few Cocoa mint nakd bars, and then I saw that on the website the mix boxes of the cocoa bars were reduced (£10.99 for a box of 18 so a pretty good deal, 61p each- plus if you get 2 boxes you get a discount too……) .

So…..

…

..

Yup, not one, but two boxes of mixed cocoa ones (cocoa delight, cocoa mint and cocoa orange). Excuse the messy hair- I had just got out of bed! And excuse the rubbish photo- holding 2 boxes and trying to take my own picture is not an easy task! I do eat them most days (one for my mid morning snack at work) so I will get through the boxes quickly.

That is my guilty face I think! 🙂

So, any confessions from you guys this fine evening?

Bloom Tea Giveaway!!!!!!

I have been sampling a new brand of tea (well, new to me, anyway)- Bloom Tea. Look at the pretty tea bags:

Bloom Tea is a 5 step “Tea Treatment plan” with different tea’s for different times of the day. You can read about it on their website, and I have some information here too:

  • Step 1: A Breakfast Tea Treatmentâ„¢ (ideal at breakfast)

Reawakening ingredients (Sri Lankan Uva, Indian Assam, Kenyan tea) help kick start metabolism first thing in the morning (a result of the synergy between caffeine and theanine).

  • Step 2: A Green Tea Treatmentâ„¢ (ideal for morning)

Muscle relaxing ingredients (green tea, jasmine, rose petals, echinacea) help you de-stress and maintain mental sharpness so you can work better.

  • Step 3: A White Tea Treatmentâ„¢ (ideal at noon)

Stomach cleansing ingredients (white tea, peppermint, fennel, aniseed) help you digest your lunch so you can feel refreshed and light on your feet.

  • Step 4: An Earl Grey Tea Treatmentâ„¢ (ideal for afternoon)

Energizing ingredients (black tea, natural bergamot oil, lemon and orange peels, cornflowers) help you fight fatigue and restore concentration late afternoon.

  • Step 5: A Rooibos Tea Treatmentâ„¢ (ideal for evening)

Detoxifying ingredients (naturally caffeine free rooibos, vanilla, elderflowers, liquorice) help you relax into the evening and boost immunity.

So far I have tried the Earl Grey (this was delicious and light).

And the Rooibos with Vanilla.

Which was amazing- it tasted like Teapigs creme caramel tea- love it! (Full review will be coming up later). I cannot wait to try the other teas.

I also have some extra information from their press pack:

  • Tea is a simple way to get vital antioxidants, which complement any health and beauty regime
  • Tea choices are better suited to your needs (e.g. Step 4: energizing ingredients fight afternoon fatigue)
  • Handcrafted in England from 100% all natural ingredients’
  • As tea is 99% water, this program helps with regular hydration which can also reduce water retention
  • Tea is zero calories if taken without milk and sweetener
    • Tea improves concentration and decreases fatigue without experiencing ‘caffeinism’
  • Enjoyed separately or altogether as a 5-step Plan with added benefits (e.g. lower cholesterol)
  • Add ice after brewing for a refreshing ice tea or fresh fruit for a nutritional summer ‘Mocktail’

DID YOU KNOW?

  • Caffeine levels in tea are typically a third of coffee, take 60min to fully absorb and also controlled by an amino acid (theanine), which promotes calmness and relaxed awareness’ – unlike coffee’s jitters!
  • Moderate caffeine intake stimulates the central nervous system, which increases alertness, concentration, performance and decreases fatigue.
  • Caffeine in tea does not have a diuretic effect unless you consume more than 6 cups in 1 sitting and The Food Standards Agency recommends pregnant women limit their daily intake to 4 cups. Rooibos is a caffeine-free herbal alternative.

Anyway, Craig (the founder of Bloom Tea) has offered a prize for one lucky reader (from the UK), which consists of 5 boxes of  Bloom Tea (one of each type), valued at £18.

So, in order for a chance to win, comment on this post by saying which type of Bloom tea you like the look of the most. Remember it is UK entries only.

You can also have an extra entry if you link to the giveaway from your blog and post another comment here telling me that you have done this.

I will choose a random winner (names in a hat) on Sunday 26th June, after 8pm,  so it will close at 8pm UK time.

So get commenting guys 🙂 And good luck!

Wardrobe malfunction!

Not as bad as it could have been!

I went on my last “long” run today. I say “long” because it was 7 miles, which seems short, but just what I fancied doing. I think after next weekend I am going to enjoy doing this length of run a lot more. Anyway, Andy got a Garmin for his birthday and let me try it out, so I had that on alongside my Nike+. The plan was to compare the pace and distance etc, but it was only once I started that I realised that he likes km, and I like miles, and I just was not working out the maths that well in my head. Anyway, my pace went from 6.24 per km, up to 6.28 on a steep hill, got back down to 6.20 and finished at 6.19. Each time I glanced at it the pace was between those numbers, and I did feel quite fast but also like my legs were going like clockwork. I did the 10k in 63 mins (fast for me) and overall did 11.4 K in 69 mins. That seems to be about 7 miles anyway.

But, the worst bit- at exactly 5k I felt a ping! One of my bra straps had come undone. For the ladies, I have a Shock Absorber Run bra- it is brilliant, and has 2 straps- one across the back of the neck, and one normal one. At first I thought the top one across my neck was what opened (it is like a bikini clasp) but I soon realised that I was wrong. The straps adjust (again like a bikini) by sliding a plastic loop into slots of fabric. I am not sure if I just rushed to put it on, but that was what had worked its’ way loose.  The one that goes down along the left shoulder-blade. Not sure if I have explained it right. Anyway, I tried but there was no way I was able to do it back up while running (and I was not going to stop and take it off to sort it out) so maybe that was why I ran faster??

Anyway, I enjoyed that run and glad that I felt strong and speedy- I have been feeling like a plodder of late so I am glad my legs still work. Those 20 miles seem ages ago now! This week I have a 3 and a 2 miler, so I might do a few fast paced bits on Monday, but the other one will be gentle to keep the legs ticking over.

Also, exciting news, I tried my new food processor today! It did take me about 20 mins (and then it took Andy to actually work out the problem) to get it to work. Turned out I was not quite putting the lid on properly. Anyway, after seeing these amazing looking raw brownie slice things on Emma’s blog, I knew I had to try them! The original recipe is here (I book marked it already!) but I changed it up a bit and only made half, so my recipe is below.

And of course any excuse for me to use my new measuring cups! This is the base + topping waiting to go in the fridge.

And this is a slice on my plate (spoonful so you can see the base).

Mmmmmmm it is amazing!

So, for the base, whizz 1 cup pecans and 1 cup chopped dates in a food processor. Then add 1/6 cup cocoa powder and a tbsp agave, and mix some more. Press this into a small pan lined with baking paper (pressing it with the hands was much more successful than with a spoon) and leave in the fridge to set.

Then melt 1.5 tbs coconut oil. Put into the food processor 1/6 cup date syrup, 1tsp agave, (I had no maple syrup), 1tsp rice dream milk, 1 tsp cocoa powder and blend it up. Then pour in melted coconut oil and 1 tbs almond butter (this has salt in it, which is why I missed out the salt from the original recipe). Pour this over the base and leave to set again.

Just in case you did not see before, here is the exact same picture again!

It really is that good! 🙂

So make some if you have not already!