Tag Archives: vegan

Raw Food Love

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Well hello there :-) I hope you’re all having a good week and are looking forward to some fun weekend plans. I’m glad I’ve found myself sitting down to write a post today- I’ve been struggling with bloggers block. Plenty to say but no way to say it!

I’ll start what will hopefully be the first of many posts, with a little peek into my quirky kitchen. As you may know from my previous posts/blog, I originally started blogging so I could share my raw vegan creations with you, along with their role in my ED recovery.
Not only has raw food helped me immensely on my recovery journey but it has helped me to feel inspired again by food in general. One of the most exciting things about visiting NYC with Nicky was having the chance to sample the city’s raw delights. We toasted to my grandma in the Caravan of Dreams, had dessert in Pure Food and Wine and got takeaway treats from One Lucky Duck….happy times with a special friend :-)

Nowadays raw food has found it’s rightful place in my diet. Most of the fruit and veg I eat is raw (unless I’m having a good old roast, of course) and one of my favourite pastimes is creating new raw treats in the kitchen.

This week has been a biscotti and chocolate week :-)

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Cherry-pistachio Biscotti
-1/3 cup dried cherries
-1/3 cup crushed pistachios
-100g ground almonds
-pinch cinnamon
-pinch nutmeg
-juice of half a lemon
Mix all the ingredients together into a paste and then press onto your dehydrator tray in your chosen shape. Dehydrate for 6hours or until the biscotti is to your desired crunchiness :-)

These go well with a big mug of green tea in the afternoon or a good old mug o’ joe :-)

Emm xxx

Alpro #Deskfest – Almond & Blueberry Quinoa Porridge

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Morning lovelies! With all the Alpro Deskfest action flying around Twitterverse, I’ve been really enjoying my new morning role of “Breakfast Spy”, checking out all the wonderful brekkas that people have been enjoying around the country. After seeing all the lovely creations out there, I felt inspired to jump on the bandwagon myself……and so was born a steaming bowl of quinoa porridge.Image

I used Alpro’s Almond Milk to make my quinoa all creamy and to give it a delicate almond taste. A handful of blueberries thrown into the pan a minute before serving gives added va-va-voom, not to mention a healthy dose of antioxidants. Yum!Image

Almond & Blueberry Porridge

 - 1/3rd cup quinoa

 - 2/3rds cup water

 -  1/3rd cup Alpro Almond Milk (+ extra to pour on at the end)

 - Handful fresh blueberries

Remove bitterness from the quinoa by rinsing with cold water before placing into a pan with the water. Boil for 15mins and then add the almond milk and heat for a further 5 minutes, stirring as you go. Add the blueberries and stir til they start to pop :-) Serve piping hot and add more milk if you wish. A dusting of cinnamon is also a lovely addition :-)

Why use quinoa instead of oats? Well, quinoa contains essential amino acids and has a high protein content. It is rich in calcium and therefore great for those who are lactose intolerant or choose to follow a vegan diet. It is also gluten free and considered easy to digest – great for delicate tummies :-)

I find that quinoa is a perfect pre-run/workout breakfast as it doesn’t feel heavy in the tum. It’s iron and magnesium content also make it a great staple for athletes.

Off to bust some Two Minute Moves!

xoxo

Multitasking and my weekly roundup

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Soooo…..Leo turned 1 month old on Wednesday. I can’t believe how time flies! That means  it’s been a month since…….A) I’ve slept for more than 3 hours, B) I’ve been out of my PJs before 11am, C) I enjoyed a quiet shower without a baby crying in the background, D) my brain has thought about anything other than Leo for ten consecutive seconds, E) my boobs were my own and comfortable!……

……It has also been a month since this little face came into my life :-)

<3

This week I officially became a certified pro in multitasking :-) With Leo being a tiny preemie (the cute term for a premature baby), he feeds A LOT in order to catch up with his growth. Breastfeeding a preemie = no time to do anything else unless you do more than one thing at a time! For example, before typing this post I perfected the art of blog reading, lunch eating and feeding Leo!Leo guzzling away, toasted homemade bread and blog reading :-) That would be one of my fave blogs on the screen :-)

This was the week I also started getting my kitchen mojo back! Throughout my pregnancy, I lost my usual interest in trying new vegan health products and whipping up inventive recipes in the kitchen. However, since I’ve been on maternity leave, I’ve been able to catch up on my fave blogs and this has stirred my interest once again. On Thursday, when Leo looked like this….…..I dashed into the kitchen and made some of Lori and Michelle’s yummy pumpkin pie fudge. This recipe is simple, delicious, healthy and uses the ever popular pumpkin as it’s main ingredient. I can’t wait to try the twins’ plank workouts as soon as I’m given the all clear by my doctor! 

 

In the meantime, I bought a great book on caesarian recovery, to ease me back into a exercise in the next few weeks. It contains an exercise programme that can be done from day 1 post surgery and advances into the months beyond. Although you’re not allowed to do anything but lift your baby in the first six weeks, the book details some simple exercises that can be also done within this period, to aid mobility and get all the muscles affected by pregnancy, back into their groove. It made such a difference to me mentally to be able to say, “I’ve done my exercises today!”.I have a couple of upcoming posts on my experience with a c-section so I’ll spare you the details for now. What I will say, however, is that I had no idea how hard the recovery process was going to be and I’m dying to feel like myself again!

On Thursday morning, I was excited to receive a wonderful parcel from the lovely Susan, as part of this month’s VEGAN FOOD SWAP, courtesy of To Happy Vegans. 

I can’t wait to try all of these products as I haven’t had any of them before! I’m particularly excited to try the worcester sauce (I <3 worcester sauce!) and the truffles…..like Susan said in her little note, “You can’t have enough chocolate!”

I loved taking part in this months swap and can’t wait to get swapping again next month! :-)

One of the most exciting events of the week was taking Leo to my beloved Newcastle for the first time :-) Here he is in his car seat, telling me that he was A-ok! He also got to see his Auntie Nicky and drink coffee in Pret with us :-)  

 

All in all, it’s been a great week. :-) Thank you to all my favourite health bloggers for continually inspiring me on life’s journey :-)

xoxo

 

 

 

 

 

Looking Forward

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Hi Ladies!

I think this had got to be one of my favourite photos ever! A baby hedgehog :-) I had it saved in one of my photo files and couldn’t resist showing it to you again. Look at his feet…aw and that face! :-) I think I really am getting in to mummy mode this week!

Baby Hedgehog

Boy I’m glad it’s Saturday. I’ve just entered the 31st week of my pregnancy and I’m celebrating by drinking a huge mug of tea in bed after lazing with Mr Rox for a while :-) Happy times. Random fact: Now that I’m married I have a new surname – Roxby. One of my besties at uni used to write “Emm ROX!” on my notes in tiny little letters, every time we sat by each other..maybe she was psychic! So, yeah, I’m a Mrs Rox now ;-)

The last week has been full of ups and downs, complete with more trips to the hospital and lots of baby talk. After a huge scare that our little man had stopped growing properly, we breathed a sigh of relief after finding out that he’s ok. It turns out that he’s going to be my little little man and is just a naturally small baby like his mummy was :-)

On the down side, it looks as though I’ve got many more hospital visits to look forward to, due to a problem detected with my blood. I’m managing to keep myself positive by reminding myself that this is what the specialists are here for and that I’m in the best possible hands. I’m telling you girlies, the worry you go through in a typical pregnancy is enough but when there are problems, man, it really shows you that you become a mother as soon as you conceive. Your protective mechanisms go into overdrive!

Anyway….on a lighter topic! After reading a post on Christina’s blog, I became sold on a product called The Vegg – a vegan egg yolk replacer that can be used to make lots of things that vegans miss out on….like custard and vegan dippy eggs! So I headed across to the Vx online store and popped some in my shopping basket :-) I’m really looking forward to trying it out in my transition to a more vegan based diet again, after our little laddie is born :-)

The Vegg

I’d definitely check out the Secret Society of Vegans at the Vx site as you can pick up some pretty cool products that are 100% vegan. Another thing that impressed me (apart from the cool image of the place) is that the actual shop is run by volunteers. How great is that?! :-) I hope to drop by when I’m next in London and take my little man for his first vegan cupcake :-)

Highlights of the Week

 - Being told that little man is still growing in there

 - Family time on Friday night

 - Letter writing to my friends

 - Getting all those really annoying jobs done!

 - Making vegan pizza

What plans do you have for the weekend? We’re off to meet some friends soon at the local nature reserve. Hopefully there will be tea, scones and seal spotting involved :-)

xoxo

Spicy Peanut Kale Chips and DOH!!! (again!)

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Hi Everyone :-) I hope you are all feeling well and are gearing towards the weekend with a smile on your face. Once again, I begin to write this post after spending a considerable part of the evening laughing at my own stupidity…..yes, I have graduated to “Double DOH!”  status after throwing my house keys into the huge metal bin, along with the by-products of my cleaning spree earlier in the day. Yep…I had to tip the bin (and the trash from my whole block of flats) over and crawl into the disgusting-ness to retrieve my keyring. Awwwww man…..it was not pretty! Not only that but I was plunged into darkness mid search, as the light is on a stupid timer. Oh yeah….and I couldn’t stand the bin back up again once I was done – the size of a caravan and waaay too heavy. YUK!!!

Anyway….less of the garbage talk and on to some random snippets from my day. First of all, my new favourite tea. Pukka cleanse tea – organic nettle, fennel and peppermint. I recommend it to all you herbal tea slurpers. It apparently helps to give you a glowing complexion too – score!

My supper :-)

As I cleaned my flat, ready for a viewing on Sunday, I made sure that my dehydrator was whirring in the background. I thought I’d use the bargain bag of kale I bought, to make some dehydrated kale chips. I put my thinking cap on as to what flavours to make and then I spotted these….

My peanut flour and the free Baobab samples I received from a cool health store assistant.

I added water to both powders to make 2 separate pastes. To the peanut flour paste, I added nutritional yeast and some chilli powder. I left the baobab paste untouched.

Both pastes were then massaged into two batches of soaked and de-stemmed kale, ensuring that the leaves were well coated. Then into the dehydrator they went!

I set my dehydrator to 50degrees and left the chips for 4 hrs 30. The result? Very tasty and strangely addicting :-) I love the cheesy flavour of the nutritional yeast, combined with the earthy goodness of the kale.

Breakfast for Dinner

My post-cleaning dinner looked a bit like this. I have never had cereal for dinner but tonight it hit the spot and was a mighty fine bowl of goodness :-)

What are you looking forward to this weekend? Have you ever had to climb around in a bin/trash can?

BIG HUGS!!!!!!!!! :-) Love to you all xoxo

Mini “Donut” Cupcakes

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Hi guys! Day 1 of my challenge didn’t happen because I fell asleep before I even got chance to blog or write in my gratitude journal. Ooops! :-) You really gotta laugh at yourself sometimes!

Anyway….gonna start this 21 day thing properly tomorrow, when I’ve done my weekly grocery shopping. I need to stock up on those veggies!

Today has been such a lazy day. Reading, drinking tea, reading a bit more and attempting the “Plain Donut” recipe (take 2- I messed up the first batch!) from the latest Babycakes book. After trying some of the delights of this fabulous bakery in NYC, I urge you to do what I did and pick up one of their books….there are some seriously tasty treats in there!

Yeah…so I whipped up some of the donut batter and decided to turn it into mini cupcakes instead (purely because I reeeeally wanted to practice my icing skills :-)

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There is something so unique and seriously special about the real deal Babycakes donuts….gosh, if I ever went to NYC again, that is the place I’d head to first. My little cupcakes are delicious but that something special just isn’t there…I think I need to get hold of some Bob’s Mill flour, as advised in the book. It’s not something that is sold readily here in the UK but the Babycakes bakery swear by it….darn I should’ve picked some up in New York!

They look pretty anyway ;-)

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Phil and I have just returned from our favourite art gallery, followed by a walk along the quayside. Newcastle is such a great city to live in :-)

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Sigh……I can’t believe it’s Monday tomorrow again! I’ve definitely got the Sunday blues now that Christmas and holiday season is over :-(

Do you feel a little blue on a Sunday night? What do you do to perk yourself up?

Night night! :-) xoxo

Babies, Beaches, squash and soup (and some praline truffles too!)

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Good evening ladies! How has your weekend been? I’ve had a lovely one, that started with a morning cuppa with one of my besties- Michelle I love ya girl!!

Then I shimmied it out in zumba and made my way back home to prepare a ploughmans veggie platter for some friends, who brought with them their beautiful daughter. I love that little girl! 20111030-210058.jpg
Lunch went down well- I love it when everyone can just dig in and have a bit of what they want. Little Gaia enjoyed grapes and tomatoes, avocado and spinach…super veggie baby! :-)

After a mug of Colombian coffee, we took the kites to the beach and one of them made it 100 foot out to sea! It was incredible…..well, until it plummeted into the water!! Oops!! I couldn’t stop laughing!! 20111030-210954.jpg20111030-210947.jpg
After saying goodbye to our friends, I whipped up a batch of raw vegan truffles to give to my friends before I leave for south Africa on Thursday.

Pecan truffle hearts
- 50g cocoa butter
- 2 tbsp yacon syrup
- 2 tbsp raw cacao powder
- 75g pecans
- 1 tbsp raw carob powder
- pinch Himalayan salt
Process the pecans into a smooth paste and melt the cacao butter over a pan of hot water. Add the melted butter to the pecans and gradually add the remaining ingredients.
When blended into a yummy chocolate paste, shape the chocolates using your chosen moulds and cool to harden. Enjoy!

Today was equally as nice as yesterday. I caught up with my super friend Neens, in true Starbucksian fashion ;-) A caramel waffle may or may not have been consumed…but don’t report me to the vegan police!!

I also busted out 8.3miles on the treadmill, plus a few random toning exercises. It felt great to just run out the legs and let my mind drift a little…..20111030-221458.jpg
On returning home, I decided to attack the very first crown prince squash to have graced my kitchen. Yup…I finally found a new squash to try! Woop woop!! It was a monster! It took me blummin ages to cut through it!

After a 40min roasting in a little olive oil, the result was a nutty tasting squash with a nice, kinda rubbery texture. I actually prefer it to trustee old butternut!

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After seeing avocado soup on this gorgeous girlie’s blog, I just had to try some of the delightfully creamy creation. Result- yum! Creamy, subtle and densely nutritious. Phil loved it too!

As I settled on the sofa to dig into my new trashy mag, I sipped on chai tea and enjoyed the autumn fashions. I love to laugh about dodgy dress sense and who’s going out with who…but only once in a while. I much prefer health mags like Zest, Running for Women and Yoga Journal. Anyhow…..today was a day for trash and I was mortified by one particular article…

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Mischa Barton saying that she’d rather be skeletal than curvy, eating only 400cals a day to achieve the look she desires. WTF??!!! This is ALL wrong. Not only does it send out a message that curves are undesirable but it tells readers about the unhealthy methods that mischa uses to slim down….This article made me even more upset as I’d just read the following….

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Nikki Graeme from Big Brother admits to anorexia relapse. This poor girl has put herself out there to try to help herself and others who are suffering and then a few pages ahead you have another celeb saying that “Skeletal is sexy”. The normal brain would be like I am now, thinking that saying such things puts out the wrong message….but the anorexic brain would not be aided by the “diet coke and cigarette diet”……media really can have a huge impact on the development of young minds….grrr!!! I really think I need to punch a punchbag this week!!
:-)

Do you ever have weeks when every little thing annoys you? This week I’ve really found it difficult to hold back!! Grrrrr!!! Incredible hulk here I come!!

WIAW and Kidney Bean Brownies!

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Hi ladies! How are y’all? :-) Hold on……..what’s that I can hear? (laughter and music comes drifting down the corridor)…..mmmm! And what’s that wonderful smell? It’s like a heady mix of oatmeal, pumpkin, PB, cinammon, veggies, pancakes, muffins…..it can only mean one thing……(opens door)….it’s time to PAAAR-TAY!!! And there’s Jenn, our host, right on cue :-) Now….we all know that some parties can get a tad confusing and we might sometimes do something to embarrass ourselves. Well, tonight, I’m the clown who did everything back to front. So yeah. Here’s my backwards WIAW!

Dinner

cucumber, pitta, iceberg, mixed bean salad, tomatoes

Lunch 

pitta, apple, Vanilla alpro soya pud, mixed sprouts, cannelini bean and basil hummus, tomato, iceberg lettuce

Breakkie

Oats, PB, Alpro Soya Chocolate Pudding, nakd cherry raisins and coconut flakes. Perfect!

A great day of eats was coupled with a fab 4 mile run and a really fun zumba class. I <3 zumba and love my friends!

Every guest at a foodie party needs to bring something delicious right? Well, tonight I’ve brought these Kidney Bean Brownies to the table. Last night I got a random urge to make something and decided to experiment. I’m so glad I did because these high protein brownies are seriously yummy! Soft, squidgy and, can you believe it, packed with healthy ingredients! Score!

kidney bean brownie with soyatoo whipped cream

Kidney Bean Brownies- Ingredients

- 1/2 cup canned kidney beans, rinsed

- 1/2 cup raw cocoa powder

- 1/2 cup coconut flour

- 1/3rd cup mixed raisins (I used a berry-cherry mix)

- 1 TBSP amaretto syrup or maple syrup

- 1/2tsp vanilla or chocolate essence

- pinch salt

- TBSP vegan choc chips (optional)

- 1/2 cup soya milk/rice milk

Blend all the ingredients together, starting with the kidney beans, that should be processed into a smooth paste before adding the others. Pour mixture onto a greased tray or a glass dish. Cook at 160deg C for 15-18mins. Remove from the oven when springy to touch.  Eaten hot or cold, these are delicious :-)

Happy WIAW people! Big hugs to you all…..cheers!! :-)

xxooxxooxx

 

 

 

 

Vegan Amaretto-Chocolate Muffin Tops

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Happy Saturday beautifuls!!! Are you having a good weekend? I’m feeling relaxed after a hot stone massage and a facial with the girls- it’s one of my friends’ hen party today (bachelorette party) and I write this post whilst simultaneously picking my outfit for tonight’s meal and running back and forth to the bathroom to ensure my bath doesn’t flood the place.

Party aside, I’m gonna share with you what has got to be my best kitchen experiment to date. They’re seriously yummy and if you are ever gonna make any of my recipes then let it be this one :-)

Amaretto-Chocolate Muffin Tops Ingredients

- 1/4 cup amaretto syrup (I picked this up in a local health store. It’s great in coffee)

- 1/3rd cup coconut flour

- 1/3rd cup wholewheat flour

- 1 tsp baking powder

- heaped Tbsp vegan choc chips

- heaped Tbsp mixed raisins

- Tbsp coconut oil

- splash of soya milk

- 2 Tbsp raw cocoa powder

Combine all the ingredients, adding the milk at the end as to add just enough to smooth a smooth cake batter. I used a moonie pie tin but use whatever you fancy! This mixture will do for muffins, muffin tops, cookies or just to eat straight from the bowl!

Place in the oven for 15mins at 160degC. Remove when they are springy to the touch. Serve immediately with a cuppa and kick back and relax :-)

Nom, nom, nom....

I’m looking forward to making a few different flavours of this recipe, using some of the different coffee syrups I have in the kitchen. Caramel, pumpkin spice, vanilla……..Mmmmmm!! Right….gotta go and wash my hair! Have a great night guys!

Love and hugs xoxo

The wheels on the bus

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Evening ladies! How are doing? I’m feeling like my jaw will dislocate at any second for I have spent the last few hours yawning my face off! There is something slightly sedate about being on a bus. The rumble of the engine, the lull of the exhaust, people chatting in their own little bubbles….

….and it is from a bus that I begin this post, yawning once again as my day of too-ing and fro-ing comes to an end. Yes, I’ve spent hours on public transport today but I wouldn’t change it for the world because too-ing and fro-ing often brings with it a destination and a purpose. And in today’s case, it involved some of the people who I care about immensely.

The first trip of the day lead me to my little grandma. She’s my role model and I love her sooooooooo much.

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I upload this photo with a lump in my throat as some people are just so special to you that you can’t imagine life without them.

I also managed to catch up with my dad :-) We timed our visits to the care home to coincide and then headed across the street to a great little coffee shop. This little tyke kept us amused and ate half of my lunch bagel!

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From one special little lady to another. Nicky and I have just got back from the hospital- I really hope the doctors can help her poorly tummy once and for all.

As always, Nicky can rock any outfit! She even looks gorgeous in this couture hospital gown and is clearly the perfect pioneer for the “Bin Bag” trend ;-)

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Such a trooper! Love you girlie!

In true Kabochafashionista style, I now have a butternut squash roasting in the oven. I think I’ll add nut butter and cinnamon for a change :-)

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Ooh….and before I go…..here is the flatbread pizza I made on Saturday night. I heated a tortilla in the oven, added tomato paste, spinach, sweetcorn, onion, cherry tomatoes, chilli and garlic. Simple, quick and yummy! It takes 5 mins tops!

Have you ever been to hospital yourself? Or just visiting?

Happy Monday beautiful readers! Love to you all. Remember that you are all amazing!

xoxo