Category Archives: Reviews


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Review: Whitworths Flaxseed Crisps

You guys know I love trying out new healthy snacks by now and the other day during one of my many browses in Holland & Barrett I came across these cracker type things from Whitworths. The first thing I look at before buying a new treat is the ingredients. A package can looks as healthy as you want but you never know whether it’s actually good for you until you’ve read what’s inside. Super important! After that being cleared I decided to give them a go.

I bought the garlic and herb and the cayenne chilli flavours. I was really excited to try them but I have to say I was disappointed. I liked the texture and all of them but I found them both really bland. Neither of the flaavours really tasted of what they said they would and they I couldn’t really differentiate between the two.

It’s a shame. I tried them first as they were and it was a definite no. Then I tried them with hummus but even then it didn’t taste that great. I’d rather stick to dipping vegetables in my hummus then.

It’s a shame but oh well, not everything can be a hit xx


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I’ve found the one

Hi! I can’t believe it’s Friday already. This week has gone by at lightning speed. I’m feeling quite tired so I’m looking forward to taking it a bit more easy this weekend.

As you guys have probably realised by now, I’m a huge nut butter addict. Almond butter and peanut butter are two of my favourite things to eat and snack on whether it’s on porridge, in a smoothie or on some toast or fruit. You just can’t beat it really. I make my own almond butter and have attempted to make my own peanut butter but it just didn’t turn out the way I wanted it to. It didn’t feel like it was worth the effort when it didn’t taste nice.

Buying peanut butter can be a bit of a jungle, there are so many brands who sell really poor quality and add loads of nasty things into their jars (I can’t emphasise enough how important it is to read the labels of what you buy). The only brand I could find in shops really without the additives was Meridian. I haven’t been convinced by their peanut butter to be honest (it’s unsalted so I’ve added a sprinkle on top when I ‘ve used but it’s not quite the same) but it was the best I could get my hands on at the time.

However, I stumbled across Suma’s Organic Peanut Butter in Roots and Fruits on Great Western Road a while back. I was intrigued. It even had added sea salt to it, which seriously makes peanut butter so much better. The jar was quite big, which is great if you eat a lot of it (like I do). I decided to buy it to try it out and WOW. It is delicious. It tastes exactly how peanut butter should do plus with the added bonus of it being organic. I’m usually quite good with portion control but with this, it is tough! I can’t stop and I catch myself eating out of the jar. I know, it’s kind of gross haha.

I’m so happy I found this peanut butter but at the same time maybe it’s not so great considering how much of it I’m eating 😛 Oh well, I have gotten better with limiting myself a little bit, it’s good practice for my willpower.

You guys should definitely try it. or maybe not if you’re like me who becomes slightly obsessed!

 


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Peanut butter

Good morning lovelies! Just got back from the 6am session at G5. Lindsey has been so nice to offer to pick me up on her way to the when I want to go to the morning classes. It was so muggy outside I was dripping with sweat at the end of the session. I finished the WOD first which felt amazing! Not that it matters at the end of the day, I just look to do my best but it’s always a nice little bonus when you finish first 😛

I’m actually starting to really like getting up around 5.15am to get to the gym. Not so much the waking up but more getting my workout out of the way that early. For me early gym sessions used to be around 7.30/8am but now that seems like a lie in haha. The key is to not think and just get up when the alarm goes off an leave your gym clothes out the night before to just jump into.

I was in Holland & Barrett the other day on the way to the gym and saw they got the Peanut Butter Nakd bar in! I’ve been wanting to try it for a while, as I love peanut butter (who doesn’t?). I sometimes find Nakd bars a bit too sweet so was really hoping it would taste more of salty peanut butter than sweet dates.

I couldn’t wait to dig in and oh my god, it was delicious. It tasted like eating peanut butter, the perfect balance of saltiness and with a bit sweetness. It was beautiful. I think it’s a new favourite. A perfect energy booster before a workout, healthy treat or snack (although I’d need something more as this wouldn’t fill me up as a snack).

Go and try it if you’re a peanut butter fan! You’ll love it!

I’ve just devoured my breakfast and now it’s time to shower. I’m a sweaty mess at the moment.

Speak soon my dears xxx


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A Year of Beautiful Eating, Madeleine Shaw



Probably my favourite bit of the book, what’s in season and when!

Weekly meal plans to help you out

Hi lovelies! I don’t think anyone has missed that Madeleine Shaw has released her third cookbook. I can’t believe she’s already released three books, I remember how excited I was for her first one. I love Madeleine’s philosophy when it comes to healthy food. She really opened my eyes to how you can take your usual meals such as a curry and make it healthy and nourishing for your body. She makes recipes which suits all kinds of dietary requirements as well, so anyone can enjoy her take on healthy food.

I’ve been really looking forward to this lady’s third book because it’s all about eating seasonally. This is something I’ve really wanted to get better at (hello eating blueberries in the middle of winter, I know, it’s bad). We’re so spoiled at this day and age to access most food all year round, even when it is not as good quality and packed full of nutrients as when it’s in season. You can feel a bit lost in the grocery aisles when it comes to this so I’m so glad Miss Shaw has taken it upon her to help guide us through it.

In the beginning of the book she has incredibly helpful lists and tips on what to think about when it comes to eating more seasonally. It’s probably one of my favourite parts of the book as it can be used all year round for help. Then it moves on to the different seasons with recipes for breakfast, mains, soups, salads and snacks and finally dessert for each of them. There’s loads of different and varying recipes. The photographs in the book makes you salivate, the food just looks incredible.

I haven’t had the chance yet to make anything from the book yet other than the raw peanut butter bars. They were a hit amongst me and my friends and very easy to make. I think the issue for me is that I usually love to make curries and big meals in a pot for leftovers and a lot of the recipes in the spring section is salads (not surprisingly) and a bit more fidgety things to prep in advance. The curries and stuff is of course under mainly autumn and winter, so there’s my dilemma with eating seasonally with Madeleine’ recipes. This is obviously guidelines and I’m going to try and adapt the recipes more after what’s available right now.

If you’re looking to buy you first book by her I would probably recommend her first two books as I feel I’ve gotten a lot more use out of them. I think this book can be a bit overwhelming and feel a bit limiting at first if you’re just starting out cooking healthier and having to think about the seasonality of things as well. However, I’m so happy to have this in my collection and hopefully the ideas behind this book is something I’ll start to become more aware of.

This book was definitely eye opening for me and made me realise how  much we take for granted that the produce we want is always available to us whenever we require it. It will definitely take me a bit of an effort to try eat more seasonally when there is so much temptation to buy something because it’s there instead taking the time to consider whether it is in season or not. However, for my health, the flavours of the produce and the environment I definitely think it’s the way to go. Hats off to those who religiously eat seasonally. I would love to be better at it.

Do you guys make an effort with eating more seasonally? I’d love to hear!