Recipe: Chocolate Pear Recovery Shake

Hey lovelies :)

I'm still feeling kinda ill today hence the bulk of my food has been in liquid form or cereal (I've had 2 helpings of my Choc-o-nut Cereal today - haven't had it for a while and I'd forgotten how addictive it is!).

The main thing I've been craving though has been my Chocolate Pear recovery shake - this is what I normally drink when I get back in from a run or a workout but today I wanted it purely for being easy, simple and nutritious.

Peel, core and chop a ripe pear and pop into your blender. I like to use Sainsbury's Basics or Tesco Kids pears - they seem to change with the season but are always really reasonable (around 79p for a bag of 5 or 6) and really delicious :)

Measure out 3/4 glass of your favourite milk. I always use soya milk because I can't stand the taste of dairy and I find other milks (oats, rice, almond) etc too expensive. Feel free to use what works for you though :)

To this add 1 tsp hemp powder (I use Naturya Organic Hemp Protein Powder which has a whopping 50g protein per 100g), 1 tsp cocoa powder, 1 tsp peanut butter and 1-2tsp Agave depending on how much of a sweet tooth you have. I just go for a generous squeeze! Pop the lid on and blend on high for 1 or 2 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Guest Blogging!

Hello lovelies!

Yesterday was a super exciting day as I wasn't featured on one other awesome blog but two! So exciting, especially as they're 2 utterly amazingly blogs :)

First I was featured on by the lovely Claire over at Big Beauty Blog sharing a little more of the story of why I went wheat free and how that changed my life - it's a pretty amazing story even if I do say so myself :)

 I'm also this week's featured athlete over at the truly inspiring blog of Emma from Sweet Tooth Runner.

Do pop over and give them a read, leave some comment love and if you're not already, follow these fabulous ladies!

What are your favourite blogs at the moment?


Have you ever been featured on a blog other than your own?

Recipe: Veggie Chilli (and Tacos!)

Hello lovelies!

Hope you're all having a wonderful start to the week. I'm feeling a little ill for some reason so I decided to make one of my favourite comfort foods this evening - chilli and tacos! The best thing about this recipe is that it makes enough for 2 meals for 2 so we always freeze half for later in the week. It's also packed full of protein and vegetables! Yum yum :)

First, chop your veggies! Today I used a small onion, 3 big mushrooms, 1/2 big yellow pepper and 1/2 a massive organic courgette! I'd normall throw in 2 cloves of garlic too but we're all out. Boo!

Heat a little oil and then saute your veg over a medium heat. I generally start with my onion, then garlic. After they're nice and soft I add the mushrooms and once they're slightly browned I add the courgette and peppers.

Next add some soya mince (I used 25g of Granose dry soya mince soaked in 130ml of veg stock for 2 minutes) and your herbs and spices.

As always, I recommend you play around to find a herb and spice combination that works for you. Today I used herbs d'prov, za'tar, cumin seeds, ground coriander, cayenne, ground cumin, dill, lots of paprika, basil, vegan worcester sauce, salt and pepper. I also sneaked in a little squirt of tomato ketchup.

Now add a tin of chopped tomatoes (we use Sainsbury's Organic) and a tin of your favourite beans (I'm in love with Borlotti Beans at the moment!). Simmer for 15-20 minutes to let the flavours infuse. Pop your tacos in the oven for the last 2 or 3 minutes until they're warm and slightly brown and you're good to go!

I served our tacos with soured cream, grated mature cheddar (we always have mature - you need so much less cheese for so much more flavour) and a quick home made guacamole (chopped avocado, chopped super ripe beef tomato, a splash of lemon juice and a dash of cayenne).

To make this vegan, swop the sour cream for a little veganaise or home made faux sour cream and swop the cheese for nutritional yeast flakes of soya cheeze.

Deeelicious! Enjoy!

Achieving the (not so) impossible

Hello lovelies!

I've told you before how much I love my New Balance.... they seriously rock my world and it was with their help that yesterday, I achieved the (not so) impossible.

I ran 4 whole miles without stopping... that's the longest continuous run I've ever done. I never got that far in my 10k training last year, and I'd stopped for a walking break way before that in my 10k race last year too.

I'd been slacking off for ages with my training because I was so stressed about my interviews and yesterday I decided enough was enough!

4 miles has always been an elusive number for me.... it involves just a bit more stamina and a bit more perseverance. It's a scary sounding distance for "proper" runners... well not any more! I conquered it!!

I am by no means a fast runner - I average somewhere between 10.15 and 11.35 per mile most of the time but that's ok. I enjoy and and I know that the more I run, the easier it'll get and the faster I'll become.

I remember the days when running just 1 mile made me feel like I was going to die - now I can finish 4 miles feeling strong and powerful. It's a funny little thing but it's made the Great North Run in September feel a heck of a lot more achievable!

What have you done recently that you previously thought impossible?

Recipe: Curried Quinoa Salad

Hello lovelies!

Normal service on Sparkle and Shade will be slowly resuming over the next few weeks - my interviews for my GTP took place earlier this week and I'll be hearing back on the 20th whether I have a place in a school or not so I'm nowhere near as stressed out as I was. Hopefully that means I'll be able to focus a little more on a blogging and exercising and a little less on a silly cycle of stress!

Today I'm going to be sharing my current favourite lunch - Curried Quinoa Salad! It was Kate from Embrace Nutrition that tipped me off on the yumminess of Quinoa and now I'm a bit addicted to it. It's like a yummier, wheat free version of cous cous but it also has super powers - it's utterly packed with protein! This serves makes around 3 large portions or 4 medium :)

First, chop a small onion and a clove of garlic and saute them over a medium heat in a little olive or rapeseed oil.

Now add 1 cup of quinoa and stir until the quinoa smells slightly toasted and is coated in a little oil.

Next add two cups of water, 1.5 teaspoons of stock powder (I used Marigold Bouillion) and a tin of your favourite beans/pulses (I like to used borlotti or black eye beans but I'm sure chickpeas or green lentils would work well too)

Simmer over a medium heat and add your herbs and spices! I don't really measure but I'd say I use around 1/2-1 tsp of each: cumin seed, cayenne (maybe a little more like 1/4 tsp), tumeric, garam masala, dill, ground coriander, basil, galangal (not pictured - it's a bit like ginger) and za'tar. I also add a good grind of salt and pepper. As always, I recommend you play around with the seasonings and go with what works for you!

Give it a good stir and then add around 1/4 cup each of shredded coconut and flaked almonds.

Next chop your veggies - it's your choice of what you have. I tend to go with a delicious organic beef tomato, 1/4 of a cucumber and a whole grated carrot. If I'm feeling flash, I sometimes add a little organic radish (SO much nicer than normal radishes), avocado or courgette too.

Your quinoa should be cooked after about 15 minutes - make sure you give it regular stirs and add a little extra water if nessecary. You'll know it's finished when it sort of splits open into lovely fluffy grains and all the water is gone - it shouldn't need draining. When it's cooked, turn off the heat and stir in your veggies. I also add a splash of vegan worcester sauce for an extra little lift.

Ta-da!

Utterly delicious - I strongly advise you have a play around and make this! It takes less than 20 minutes from start to finish and is filled with delicious nutritious yumminess! Enjoy :)