Garden grazing

Finally! After a false call yesterday, the sun arrived. Blogging with a slightly pinker complexion, it is fair to say I am a rather modest lobster colour and got a bit over excited by this sudden heatwave. 

This is probably at fault from lazing in the garden all day from breakfast until I caught a glimpse of my reflection and saw an offensive shade of rouge red. In my breakfast bowl I had rice crispies AND crunchy nut cornflakes with strawberries, goji berries and milk.

Quick and easy to make with more time to pink, but still simply delicious and enjoyed on the garden bench.

Calories: 158

Following the success of the spinach smoothie, I was craving another green juice for lunch and this one was ten times more refreshing for today's summer day. The quenching of thirst in action.

I exchanged the berries for more green veg and even a green apple. I tried to distract myself from the greenness of this beverage by putting it in a tall fancy glass. Needless to say when I had a swig the colour (regardless of it being too green and looking too healthy) didn't matter. 

At least it matched the grass.

Wash spinach, cucumber and celery.

Blitz with sliced green apple and 1/2 frozen banana.

One glass filled to the brim with veggie goodness.

Gulped down with pepper and carrot sticks dipped into sun-dried tomato hummous and sweet onion rivita on the side.

Now to slam dunk my face into a bowl of natural yogurt. Too pink, too much garden grazing.

Calories: 317

Missing yolk

In the selection of trashy mags we have on offer, I see far too often the case of celebs swearing by egg whites. I  always assumed it was some sort of myth where everyone follows suit and more than likely with the case of celebrities, need a long over due visit to rehab. Not the case. It seems that egg whites are a lean protein and a fat burning food. And who said trashy magazines weren't educational?

Always curious to scrap the yolk, I scrambled my egg whites solo and was a little dubious when my scrambles had a snotty texture (if I ever gave you a reason not to try this, it was the previous comment.) 

Almost ready to retrieve the yolk from the heap of egg shells in the bin, I gave the whites one last chance to redeem their selves. One minute later and situations were looking, well... less snotty. I had fluffy light egg whites.

I blanched chopped broccoli and sprinkled with crushed almonds .

Chopped apple on the side.

Check out the apple cutting tool. Knives, say no more.

Calories: 127

The spinach smoothie

A juice filled with spinach sounds too healthy. Illusive images of green slop were filtered into a quick Google search and I agreed it would be a crime to drink greens in your juices.

That is until I saw this purple chocolate spinach smoothie recipe. Purple is an averagely decent colour, everyone loves chocolate and spinach is my preferred leaf in a salad. What is there to lose?

Everything when you blend the ingredients and it looks like this! But to my shock and horror, something that looks surprisingly like dog doo tasted rather nice. I'm just a little curious as to why mine didn't turn out purple but I didn't question it too much as it was liquidized spinach after all.

Add 2 handfuls of spinach, 3 chopped dates, 1 frozen banana and water to a blender and blitz.

Add blueberries, ice cubes and 1/2 tsp of coco powder and blitz.

I sprinkled mine with goji berries, more blueberries and added a few springs of spinach. 

To say it was a smoothie, the idea of drinking it wasn't working in my favour so I served it in a bowl with a spoon and was easily won over by the green juice that was in my case, very brown (still not over the fact it wasn't purple.)

I ate every last bit and I'm officially a spinach smoothie convert. It was refreshing, healthy and didn't actually taste of spinach.

Proofs in the bowl.

Calories: 186

Detox day

I woke up this morning feeling like a shadow of my former self but probably twice the size. Lack of fruit and veggies has made me feel under the weather. Detox sprung to mind. Three days of cheatings and food binges has had a disastrous impact on the old gut.

My porridge infatuation flourished through this strawberry and peanut butter jelly combination.  

I took full advantage of the strawberry stocked fridge, a rare but necessary occurrence. Halved and mixed in with the oats whilst cooking, it added a natural sweetness to wean me off the sugars.

It was like a hot summer pudding on a cold and miserable nearly summer morning.

Calories: 364

Lunch was a simple fruit salad from Cafe Nero. Getting my fruits in by the bucket loads I forgot how much I enjoy a munching of pineapple and mango.

Slurped on a SKINNY latte with SUGAR FREE vanilla syrup and I was like a dog on heat shopping in Leeds.

Calories: 193

Ok, so this isn't actually detox material but giving a girl celery and carrot sticks after so many naughty treats is just cruel. Slow and steady wins the race and this prawn masala definitely won my appetite round.

Compliments to Kate for dishing up this curry packed full of veggies and spices.

Ate with naan bread and onion bajis because every curry deserves it.

 

Calories: 460

Newcastle dining

Oh wow. These past couple of days I traveled to Newcastle and morphed into a piglet in the process. You would have thought I was a calorie collector. From pizza to cake to alcohol fueled with skittles, I have had it all and more. Much more.

This included a whole 18 inches of subway. One could say that it was for medical purposes to cure my sickness, in other words hangover from hell. I went for beef with all the salad (extra jalapenos and gherkins of course) smothered in south west sauce.  

Lunching at Nancy's Bordello I feasted on chilli con carne with chips and rice.

Being the healthier of meals on this little mini break, I went the extra mile and ordered a side salad. So proud but my taste buds were less than impressed when a small bowl of grass arrived at the table. Nevertheless, I ate it all.

Got back and nibbled on sweeties, whilst eagerly awaiting the night out that followed. By now I can see my thighs getting thunderous.

Lots of sambuca shots later...

I am home in bed recovering with ice-cream and cake. Uh oh.

Calories: TOO MANY TO COUNT

S'mores salads

No I am not having déjà vu of meal times I am just over dosing on salads.

Late luncheon of leaves, pea shoots, cucumber and red pepper.












Drizzled with French dressing LIGHT style. The secrets s'all in the dressing.

Calories: 48

This salad by far trumped the previous salad. It is the don of all salads. I want it by the bucket full.

It destroys all conceptions that salads are boring with one swift mouthful. I for one am not a salad lover and more about the burgers and cheesy fries (such a lady) so this is very high praise indeed. The sweetness of the potato in comparison with the mustard and balsamic dressing is just the right balance and the nutty brown rice and spinach leaves work wonders. Now I'm getting emotional over salads and must move on.

I mixed left over brown rice and peas with spinach and spring onion.

Mixed 1 tsp of whole grain mustard, 1tsp of honey, 2tsp of balsamic vinegar and 3tsp of virgin olive oil. You now have the honey mustard vinaigrette dressing.

Roast your sweet potatoes in chunks with crushed garlic and drizzles of olive oil for 20minutes.

Whilst they roasted I took it upon myself to enjoy a Vodka Russchian and olives. Only to pass the time of course...

Top the leaves and rice with the potato and dressing and there you have it. The don of all salads.

Calories: 398