Howdy! I hope you have all had a restful weekend. Thank you all for entering my giveaway the response has been amazing. If you haven’t entered yet do it NOW or well after reading this post at least ok?
I’ve been taking it easy since Friday evening and feel more relaxed to tackle the week ahead, even if it only is a four day week because of the holiday. The last couple of days have been full of some great tasting eats that have made my weekend even more special.
Breakfasts
This was ama-zing! Since they were so good I just had to jot down the recipe.
Ingredients
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1/2 cup of oat bran
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2 tbsps of wheat germ
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1 tbsp of chia seeds
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2 tsps of maple syrup
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1 mashed banana
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1 tsp of ground flax
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1 tsp of mesquite
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1 1/2 cups of chocolate rice milk
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1 scoop of vegan chocolate protein powder
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1 tbsp of cocoa powder (I used Green and Black’s)
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hand full of dried cranberries
I topped mine with more dried cranberries, omega mixed seeds and almond butter…heaven!
Lunches and Dinners
This made for both a lovely light lunch and dinner. My socca mix contained 1/2 cup of gram flour to 1/2 cup of water, mixed herbs and black pepper.
I topped it with some Sweet Chilli Hummus, steamed asparagus, red pepper, olives, sundried tomatoes. I’m a huge fan of socca. I usually bake mine in the oven. but this time I made it on the hob. It’s much quicker this way, which was great as I couldn’t wait to get stuck in- I was starving!
My workouts have been pretty good too. Friday was a gym day, but since I was really tired and ready for the weekend I decided to take it easy. I did 40 minute of cardio in the form of interval training on the cross trainer and step machine followed by some ab work. I’ve completely avoided the treadmill this week, not intentionally I’ve just not been feeling it recently. The cross trainer is currently my best friend, but I’m sure me and the treadmill will make up soon. In the spirit of today’s London Marathon this morning saw me attempt a 7 miler. The first two miles were pretty tough, but as I found my stride I began to feel really comfortable and kept on going. I kept running and running until I realised that at some point I will have to turn around and run all the way back home, so at 3.8 miles I doubled back. I managed 7.26 miles in 1 hour 14 minutes. You never know at this rate I will be running the London Marathon in just over 2 hours too…ermmm may be not! Ha! 😀
A totally dumbass question coming your way. I’m notorious for dumbass questions we call them Jemma-isms in my family. Today’s Jemma-ism: How are you supposed to breathe whilst running? I mean is there a particular technique you are supposed to adopt? I noticed from today’s run that I have picked up a mouth-wide-open-flies-catching method that seems to work fine. Then I tried a breathing in through my nose and out through my mouth approach, which required some concentration may I add. This method was good too once I had adapted to the change. I was just wondering that was all.
So this weekend I thought I would make some time for myself indulge with a little shopping and relax. I went to one of my favourite shops Zara and picked up some bright red super skinny jeans and a cute baggy butterfly vest.
I’m loving all of the block colouring and candy colours that are around at the moment! I also went to Lush to buy some goodies. Since getting some of their bath bombs as part of a birthday gift I’ve been hooked on their handmade products…
I picked up a lovely vanilla body scrub block, an oat face mask and some coco lotion…
The face mask is awesome as I have to keep the face mask in the fridge because it contains real oats. honey, bananas and vanilla- it sounds like breakfast! I’ve already used the body scrub which is amazing by the way. My feet have been in a foot spa, exfoliated and my toe nail and finger nails have been painted, trashy magazines have been read and now I’m off to try out my new face mask and a bath bomb.
I wish every weekend could be like this!
What did you get up to this weekend? Are you all set for the week ahead?
I LOVE LUSH!! OMG YOUR OATS LOOK SO SO GOOD!! hmmm how to breathe? i honestly dont know.. i just… do it– i guess growing up running all the time i never noticed a differnce! great RUN!!!
Great run girl! And sounds like a fab weekend… I’m really jealous, i’ve worked 20 hours between yesterday and today! Unfortunately weekends for me are spent working more than weekdays.
I think i always subconsciously settle into a rhythm of breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth. But when i get to the point of tiredness where i just want to lie down on the pavement, i realise i’m eating flies and it takes alot of concentration to get back in my rhythm. I often wonder what i look like to a by-stander at that point!
I’m sure I look like an idiot wih m mouth wide open breathing, but hey ho! I guess the fact that I am breathing is most important! 😀
Ha – too true! :p
your weekend sounds great! and your food….gorgeous as always!
Thank you! 😀
I love that butterfly top! And the run sounds great; congratulations. I think I’d have to do a loop because I’d be too lazy to turn round and come back 🙂
Hahaha! I found that I just keep on going and going on my runs until I realise that at some point I will have to turn back. Happens all the time! 😀
Wow those oats are incredible! I need to make some socca pizza 😀
Thanks! Socca pizza is amazing!
That is a lot of chocy in that oat bran yum! Love the top, I was trying on a few very similar ones over the weekend but resisted! When I run I try to breathe through my nose and out through the mouth but most of the time I’m just panting to keep breathing and son’t really think about it!
I wish I you had spread some of your ability to resist purchasing clothes around. I love the top too. I think it would look nice with skinny denims and neutral tones.
I try to breathe in through the nose to avoid the flies! I think I normally do that (and out through the mouth) but as long as you get into a rhythm I dont think it really matters.
Oh good. I guess the main thing is to breathe at all costs 😀
Congrats on the 7+ miles! I breath through my mouth, I find it more relaxing, but some people do recommend in through the nose out through the mouth — apparently oxygen gets into your bloodstream faster through the nose. I think the most important thing first of all though is to keep it rhythmic. I tend to breath in and out to footfalls..
I’ve been breathing through my mouth for all this time, buit tried in through my nose and out through my mouth at itr wasn’t bad at all. I’m going to try your footfall technique on my next run.
Umm I don’t think your photos could get any more gorgeous! That breakfast… I must make asap! And I love socca pizzas with hummus. Hummus + olives is one of my fave combos! Awesome jeans too 🙂
Thanks! I love hummus and olives together too…yum!
I used the same face mask yesterday, it smells almost good enough to eat ha!
It was amazing and you so could eat it I’m sure! 😛 Actually on second thoughts…
I was going to comment about how much I love your gravitar image but now I’m going to comment about how much I love the clothes you picked out. I’m going to skip class and go to Zara (seriously) so I can copy you completely! I love that combo!!!!
It’s always a die and gone to heaven scenario when I go to Zara. The clothes in there are just so good right now. I WANT EVERYTHING!!! 😀
AWESOME RUN.
I want your triple chocolate oats. oh my god so chocolaty 😀
Thanks! The oatbran was heaven. I highly recommend it! 😀
Hello, I think this is by far the most delicious post I have ever seen. I want to eat each of these meals right now! Especially the oatmeal, I have never seen such a photogenic oatmeal:) Great to see you like Lush, it is my favourite brand (actually the only brand in my country which makes vegan cosmetics).
Thank you! Lush is amazing- I was like a kid in a candy store. There is just too much choice in that stiore.
It sounds like you had a good weekend. I really like you’re new top – I seriously need to get some new clothes!
I tried the Rachel’s coconut yoghurt over the weekend (and ate the whole pot – ahem), it was so good 🙂 I love Lush products as well – I’m such a sucker for them and always exit the shop with way too much stuff!
I adore that youghurt. i’ve almos finished my pot too! Oooops!
I’ve not put much thought into my breathing: my only concern at the moment is to keep breathing! and it takes all of my concentration just to keep going! ha!
I am so jealous of your Lush buys. I don’t have one near by, but I would love to buy all of my beauty products from there!
Just a quick question about your Socca recipe… its just flour and water, no oil?