What I Ate Wednesday: Pancake Day!

I have always loved being a nosy parker and finding out what people munch on throughout the day.

Is that odd?

It's just fun and interesting to learn how people support their lifestyles with their diets - it gives me ideas and examples... So here's mine!

Just a quick note - this is not what I eat everyday; I mostly consume porridge with a shed loads of toppings on, I'm not always a salad person as i crave hot stuff so soup and avo on toast is a favourite, and dinner is always different. Snacks vary and somedays I get it wrong and just have tiny meals and too many snacks. Everyday is different: everyday is a new opportunity to learn and re-shape.

I woke up around 9, and did some little side stretches before I got up out of bed. However odd this sounds, I'm finding that having a little smile and looking at something that makes me happy in my room makes my day feel so positive which is fantastic because it means that no matter how much stress I've had to deal with the previous day, the morning feels great. I'm trying out this whole mindful, meditating, yoga-y kind of lifestyle to fit in with GCSE's, high intensity workouts, pilates and doing other things that I love in my day (not that I love GCSE'S, but they're necessary... apparently... ;) ) which can be tricky but I've already noticed a calmer feeling inside. ANYWAY, food!

 For breakfast, I devoured this delish green smoothie from Deliciously Ella's blog.. naturally ;) Spinach, hemp, blubes, raspberries, banana, spirulina, almond milk, oats and chia seeds! Actually so tasty, sweet and nutritious! And filled me up a heap! But, 11 o'clock striked and although I wasn't hungry at ALL, I like to keep my energy up with regular snacks. I prefer being the more snacky person than I do big meals and no snacks kind of gal... Even if I have big meals too whhoooops.

My morning was packed with a calm relaxed-y feeling and a spot of yoga. Happy days.

 Mid morning post mini yoga session snack = brazil nuts (3 count as your full selenium intake for the day apparently! Roll on that disease preventing beauty of a nut!), almonds, hazelnuts and sultanas with a soya cappucino topped with nutmeg. After I went on a doggy walk with mum - it was the most beautiful Winter into Spring transition day! Absolutely stunning!

A bit of a use up lunch but it was super yummy!

To make 2 delicious and nutritious salad bowls:

- 1 cup of quinoa (Although after cooking it was a little much so maybe 1/2 cup or 3/4 cup would be better? Honestly it depends on you and whomever you're making it for/your future self's appetite :) ) cooked for 15-20 minutes in double the amount of boiling water, covered, with a bit of tamari.

- 1 apple cut into little thin slices and as many cherry tomatoes as you want cooked in the oven for around 10-15 minutes at 180C.

-An avocado, chopped

- Butternut squash cubes, peeled and roasted with salt, pepper, 1tsp paprika, cumin, coriander - and any other spices you would like! Roast them in 180C oven for around 40 minutes or so (I like to roast a huge butternut squash chopped up and just keep some in the fridge for salads and general picky snacky times!)

- A shed load of spinach

- Dressing: 1tsp tamari, 1tbsp tahini, 1tbsp apple cidar vinegar, 1tbsp olive oil

- Chopped celery

- A few quickly stir fried mushrooms and optional kale!

After lunch I did some doodling and went to town with mum. After some wandering and a quick little Specsavers trip, I grabbed a cashew cookie nakd bar from Holland & Barrett for my pre workout snack! I'm not a massive fan of a raw fruit and nut bar for my pre workout snack, I prefer hot cacao and carrots with humous but ho hum it was quick simple and tasty nevertheless.

I'm really sorry  as well, dinner was boring and I forgot to picture it because i was starving! I had lots of gf oatcakes with homemade humous and carrots as my post pilates and aerobox session, which I know was a little dinner but it was okay because PANCAKE DAY FILLED ME UP REAL GOOD!

Homemade buckwheat crepes with sugar free blueberry compote and honey drizzle! SO TASTEEHHH!

My 2nd pancake: chocshot with almond butter!

 And then, right at the end of the day whilst enjoying 'Last Tango in Halifax' with mum and dad, I had a hot cacao and a bit of reading of my new book!
I hope everyone is having a lovely week, please comment and tell me how you are and what you've been munching recently. Ooh, and if you like this type of post!

Lots of love,

Esh
xx

Almond Butter and Bird Food.

Hello everyone! How was your January? I thought I'd compile just a small selection (a huge plethora actually...) of pictures to sum up life recently... it's mostly food. Yep.

My instagram is constantly updated with food pics and selfies and so on, so if you, like myself, are a bit of a nosy parker check out that @eshbean, but I thought I would only include the pictures taken on my camera as it's nicer quality :) I also think maybe like one or two of these piccy's were taken yonks ago in January, but most in the last week or two.

LET'S GO!

 Favourite big snack at the moment, as I'm trying to get some #girlgains - these wimpy biceps won't grow without some fuel! Two slices of Biona buckwheat bread (UPDATE: Just tried the sunflower and rice gluten free bread toasted and it's SO MUCH NICER! So tastyyyy *munch munch*) with almond butter - my crack - and somer raw honey. 

This was my lunch which I gobbled up about half an hour ago! Best post run lunch! Roasted paprika sweet potato cubes (oh my gosh, I found sweet potato in this gorgeous hippie shop in the town near me which comes from SPAIN and not the USA! YESSSS FOR LITTLE FOOD MILES!), garlic sauteed spinach, red quinoa with brown rice, chilli humous and avocado! So, so, SO darn good.

 Close-up, because it was so delicious.

I made these energy bites from Deliciously Ella, my new favourite person. They are gorgeous and encrusted with all my favourite bird foods. I feel like I have become a squirrel, bird, girl hybrid since becoming vegan and I am ecstatic about that.

Another day, another tasty pre workout snack. Two brown rice cakes with almond butter and honey and energy bites. Can you tell what my favourite foods have been?

THROWBACK... SATURDAY! Early January, before Ella released her book I made this turmeric carrot soup from her app and it was gorgeous with mum's homemade bread and some potato wedges with dips for a pick 'n' mix din dins.

FLASHBACK AGAIN! My tummy has been really weird for the whole month of January. I was extremely ill one day and after that I just noticed how my stomach felt and I've realised I really was feeling puffy and bloating and I think it was after consuming too much gluten and/or yeast, so since I've bought Deliciously Ella's book I've eaten hardly any of those wheat-y yeast-y foods and I feel so much better! Mum and I kind of think I may have IBS, and stress bloats my stomach so it could be I've been feeling less stressed now i'm done with mock exams or... i don't know! But anyway, a gorgeous breakfast for a happy tummy is brown rice pops with homemade granola and oat milk... so good! And a lovely change from almond buttery porridge... although I think I will never get tired from that ;)

 Lovely quick snack - a huge organic apple with cinnamon sprinkled... just needs some almond butter.

Frothy coffee = happy Eshy!

 A Deliciously Ella recipe AGAIN! Warming winter stew with some rye bread (this was pre- me avoiding too much gluten in products) and humous.

Buckwheat and potato homemade gnocchi with vegan pesto and rosemary mushrooms! SUU GUUUUUD!

 Off to the gym to pUMP UP THE JAM!

SNOWWW

Hope you've had a lovely day!

Esh
xxxx