National Porridge Day!

Yes!

One of the best days ever!

This morning when I was mooching around on facebook (while eating my porridge) I noticed that today is World Porridge day. What a perfect day to continue with Pimp my Porridge!

Some of these are ideas I have used before, but I am sure we all love a good recap anyway.

For my porridge I always make it the night before- put the oats, milk and dried/ fresh fruit in a bowl, and leave it in the fridge to soak and plump up overnight. Then in the morning I cook it in the microwave for 2 mins 20. I would then top with spices, nuts, nut butter or anything else that I do not cook.

Enjoy:

Banana mashed with cocoa powder + oats + almond milk.

Chopped pear + blackberries + oats + almond milk + spices

Banana mashed with carob powder + oats + almond milk

Tinned peaches + oats + almond milk  + cinnamon

Chopped apple + grated carrot + raisins + oats + almond milk + cinnamon

Dates + oats + coconut milk + cinnamon

Blackberries + oats + coconut milk + mixed spice

Cherries + oats + coconut milk + dessicated coconut

Tinned peaches + oats + coconut milk + dessicated coconut

Frozen raspberries + oats + coconut milk + drizzle of pb + dessicated coconut

Oooh bad pic! Cherries + cocoa + oats + coconut milk

Raisins + oats + coconut milk + cinnamon

Cherries + dried apple + oats + coconut milk + flaked almonds.

Yum! So many tasty ideas! I still stick to good old raisins and cinnamon before a morning run, before a race or when I am trying to save money! But I am loving having different breakfasts each morning.

I know I asked this last week, so what is your favourite way to pimp your porridge?

I had a rest today as I was quite stiff from the run yesterday, and I decided to not push it, and go out strong on Wednesday instead. That is the plan anyway.

PS I am well informed that the fairy hobmother may well be perusing your comments on my wishes post, so have a comment if you have not already 🙂

And PPS (is that a thing?) thanks for all the sponsorship! I am getting so close to my target! Remember the minimum is £2, and those £2’s will add up pretty quick and all for a great cause. Plus some fab prizes (and a couple more to add over the next day or so)- so look here please! 🙂

This is an example of the baking I could add to the prizes, but really it is just an excuse as I love them in the little bags so much! 🙂

Final question- which would you choose- a dark chocolate brownie, peanut butter white chocolate blondie or white chocolate fudge? For market research purposes of course 😉

Willow 10K race

Evening all!

Have you checked out my wishes post first of all- you never know some readers might get lucky!

Today was the Willow 10k- I kept calling it the Hatfield House one, as it is around the grounds.

We ended up parking in the wrong car park (as the written directions said to go there, and the map was of a different entrance) so had a bit of a walk to get to the start. I was hoping to run it all, and I was hoping for 66 mins, as I think that is the pace I am capable of at the moment. The run was lovely- gently undulating, through fields and on tracks- some lovely shaded parts (I wore a long sleeved top as it was so cold yesterday, and I was rather hot!). There were a couple of very steep hills- one at 5K where I really wanted to give up. There were very enthusiastic marshalls, which is always so fantastic as they give up their time to help out at these races. I didn’t take my mp3 player so it was just me and the sights, so I really felt I took it in more- although I was rather alarmed at my heavy breathing going up the steep hill! The final part was a killer too- you came out of the woods and into a strong headwind, up a hill and on long grass- the finish line in sight but 1k away! I wanted to stop and walk then (I felt a little sick and had real jelly legs), and the thought did pop into my head “if I am finding 10k hard, how am I going to manage 10 miles in 3 weeks time” but I pushed it away and tried for a strong finish. Even got to shake Bob Wilson’s hand (he set up the charity)- lucky him as I was sweaty haha!

This is me once I got home with my medal! I do love a good medal 🙂 Andy’s parents surprised us by coming down to see us (as it was almost a loop which you repeated I saw them just at the 5K mark) and so after we finished running we wandered around the lovely shops at Hatfield House before heading home.

The all important goody bag- including a £5 sweatshop voucher, kitkat and mikly way (no banana though), and a little Mr Benn pin.

I got a pirate one and Andy got a cowboy one! Pretty cool mementos I think.

Anyway, I was pleased because I ran all the way, and I think I came in at around 66 mins- the clock time said 67 but I was near the back and had to walk a bit before I went over the start line (the chip times are not available yet). So not my best 10k time, but not my worst either.

Onto the baking! I have been making some bribes for my colleagues- I often bake during the year for work anyway, so once a year asking for sponsorship I think it is ok.

Thanks Jess for the guess- but it was white chocolate (not cheese)- first up;

Pb and white chocolate blondies- these are always super popular at work 🙂

Using my new Lakeland baking trays!

I am so pleased at how they turned out! I keep saying to Andy I think they look like they could be on a market stall. He thinks this is me insulting my baking, but I mean on a nice farmers market stall or something. Like at the start of Rachel Allen’s Bake show. Do you know what I mean?

I also made some dark chocolate brownies- again these are always popular.

Yummy 🙂

I also made white chocolate fudge. Then I put them all into individual bags with a tie saying “in exchange for this blondie/brownie/fudge please sponsor Maria“- with the website and stuff. Fingers crossed it helps me raise some more. Fudge bags;

My table is covered in the little bags!

Blondie bags:

And brownie bags;

And one of each;

I think they look so pretty anyway! It was a lot of work to make them all, and bag them up and decorate them etc, but it is for a good cause and I am hoping people will see that.

Remember, if you sponsor me (see here for details) you can win some pretty awesome prizes, plus some of my baking too. 🙂

Anyone else racing this weekend? Hope you got on OK.

Oh and for fun, here is the first pic I took of myself;

I think I am looking a bit suspiciously at the camera! OK I have taken worse but it did make me laugh!

Night 🙂

Butternut and goats cheese wraps and WISHES!

Hello

I hope everyone is having a lovely weekend.

Last week (inspired by Lucy) I decided to have a go at making butternut squash and goats cheese wraps- Lucy called her enchiladas- I am never sure of the technical meaning of the different mexican names, but these are baked in the oven with a sauce.

Anyway, here is mine!

First I browned a red onion and some butternut squash (I cheated – gasp– by using ready chopped stuff- it was about 2/3 of the bag I think)- I used a tsp coconut oil in the pan.

Then I put 4 wraps in a dish, and put the veggies in there, and then sprinkled with some goats cheese. This goats cheese was herby stuff from Delamere Dairy, which is yummy (and all suitable for veggies too). Mistake alert– I should have greased the dish as they were hard to get out! I do normally so not sure why I forgot!

The folding is the hardest part!

Then covered them in tomato sauce- Lucy used passata I think, but I only had tinned tomatoes so I reduced it in a pan for a bit with some sundried tomato paste. Could have done with some more but I don’t like them too saucy.

These baked for 20 minutes (I think). This is clearly not a real recipe as I cannot even remember what I did! Whoopsie!

I had one and a half with some salad, and they were lovely- a nice change from our usual bean wraps. If I made them again I probably would add some beans, or maybe some other veggies, but I loved the goats cheese and butternut combo. 🙂

I used the rest of the goats cheese and butternut another day to have a warm salad which was amazing. This was spinach leaves, quinoa cooked with beetroot, peppers, courgette, tomato, with roasted butternut and sprinkled with herby goats cheese and some caramelised onion chutney.

Yum.

Last night after work I went for a little 2 mile run,as I knew today I would be feeling antsy otherwise. It helps get rid of the ache from body pump too. Getting ready for the 10K tomorrow- fingers crossed for no rain.

So today I made some scones as my parents were coming over;

I used the recipe from The Great British Book of Baking (last series- I was inspired after watching the masterclass show this morning)- but it was way too wet and I had to add more flour. Anyway, they turned out pretty good. Also, what is the deal with Paul Hollywood? I just don’t get the attraction at all!

We walked up to the allotment (and my parents could not resist doing some weeding even though we were just going to look!)- and then came home to warm up- coffee for them and tea for me. My first “real” cup of tea for 4 weeks I think- ah teapot how I have missed you. My scone used up the last of my meridian raspberry spread- and it was delicious 🙂

I have also been baking (bribes for work)- but I will save that for tomorrow- this is just a hint- any guesses?

Oh, and look what arrived yesterday;

Yup! 6 jars of DCD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

While I was on holiday I received an email from The Fairy Hobmother who works for Appliances Online- she was floating around the blogosphere all summer granting wishes to different bloggers- her mission is to bring joy and happiness to the world’s bloggers by providing treats for great, hard work in the blogosphere. I had mentioned my wish on this post, and it was actually granted! How exciting! They ordered them for me but they kept on getting delayed, (and I was even given the option to choose something else instead) but I decided that they would be worth the wait!

So if you have a wish, feel free to comment below (with your email) as this post may well be visited by the Fairy Hobmother too- good luck!

Also please don’t forget that my giveaway is still open- look here for details.

Oh, and what should I do with all the DCD? 😉

Woo hoo!

Look!

How exciting! I won a prize on the lovely Rachel’s blog 🙂 And the prize arrived! So exciting! 🙂 With the cutest peanut postcard too!

After dinner me and Andy tried a booja booja truffle each. These were rum sultana ones-and I don’t like alchohol or drink, but I do add stuff like that to a Christmas cake -and these smelled like a Christmas cake. Or maybe just like rum- anyway they were super strong! But booja booja always make such amazing chocolate- the rest are safely in the fridge for another day. Thanks so much Rachel I am looking forward to trying every single item in the box 🙂

Now for a catch up;

Monday- good run after work- 4 miles and no walk breaks.

Tuesday- Aerobics- super hard and no time for a cool down! My calves were stiff on Wednesday.

Wednesday- Another good run after work- another 4 miles- so so windy but again feeling good and sped up for the last bit- under 10 min miles at the end which is super speedy for me at the moment. I am now feeling optimistic about Sunday and feel that I could run the whole way.

Thursday- Body pump baby! Heavier weights for squats (quite a boring track I think) and also for the back (as it is slow so I feel I can add more weight and have more control).

Warm butternut and goats cheese salad. This was spinach zapped in the microwave for half a min, topped with roasted butternut, herby goats cheese, caramelised onions, and quinoa cooked with beetroot, tomato, pepper, courgette. Yum.

Lemon slices (from Hummingbird)- I made some for my Nan 🙂

Yay my new bowl! With chocolate alpro and chocolate granola.

Alpro with coconut extract, and chocolate granola. More yumminess.

Also can I just say a massive thank you to everyone who has sponsored me so far! I really really really appreciate it (and the lovely comments too). Plus, exciting news- I have a few more prizes that will be added in the next few days. Altogether now “oooooooooooh“.

Question- how do you get ready for a race? It is 10K but at the moment that is the most I have run for maybe a month? I think the day I got the stomach bug was the last day I ran that far. So anyway I was thinking of going for 2 miles tomorrow and then resting Saturday (well, my parents are over, we have to go to the allotment and I also want to start baking some “bribes” for people at work to sponsor me)- but Andy is resting tomorrow also. He will probably tell me off for going for a run, but I need to wash my hair. So- what would you/ do you do?

Cheers.

WIAW- weekend edition!

Wow it is that time of the week already! Hooray for Jenn for organising the party.

This week I chose Saturday as my day.

Breakfast;

Date and cinnamon porridge (as part of my quest to pimp my porridge). Then I went on a run so this was also giving me some energy.

Post run snack;

Chocolate cherry almond bar from my blog swap with Errign, and some peach and mango coconut water.

Lunch;

Cinnamon and raisin bread with organic crunchy pb, and lots of watermelon. Back on those summery fruits with this hot weather.

Afternoon snack;

I only had one haha! One carrot and raisin cupcake 🙂 I had a friend over (was supposed to be friends but others were ill) which is why I put these out.

Dinner;

and

Half a huge sweet potato with almond butter (thanks Errign) and rocket, and something new from my Graze box– apple dippers with caramel sauce. How have I never tried this almond butter combo before? It is amazing!

Evening snack;

Ecomil chocolate almond dessert (amazing!!!!), cherries and a little granola dust (the end of the packet!).

I was not doing very well with veggies that day! Ah well, can’t have everything.

Please check out my giveaway to help me raise sponsorship for Cancer Research UK. Do you have any good fund raising tips?