WOW! The weather has been absolutely stunning in my part of the UK today. It’s just rounded off a really fab weekend!! What has it been like where you are?
It’s shame that I have to get back into PhD mode tomorrow as I decided to take a long weekend (Thursday to Sunday) after my trip to sort a few things out around the house and generally just to recharge my batteries and get back into the old routine.
The day after getting back from Florence it was quite obvious that I had to do a major grocery shop because as expected there wasn’t a vegetable insight in my house, bar the frozen edamame beans in the freezer.
Organic pink lady apples, bananas, galia melon, a mango, an avocado, plums, organic pears, organic spinach, reduced rhubarb, grapes, aubergine, courgettes, pompadino tomatoes, tender stemmed broccoli, chestnut mushrooms, red peppers, garlic bulbs, reduced British oyster mushrooms, a red onion, organic white onions, red peppers, a living basil plant, a selection of living lettuce, spouted beans and lentils, mori-nu silken tofu, Alpro caramel puddings, agave nectar, white chocolate chip cookies, white cobs, cooked ham, a gammon shank from the rotisserie counter, beef and chilli pizza, organic passata, scotch eggs, organic cocoa powder, sabra garden herb hummus, xanthan gum, black olives and sun blushed tomatoes from the deli counter, organic peanut butter, organic kidney beans and cannellini beans.
Can you tell what is for me and what is for Alfie? I guess that is kinda obvious to you all by now…
Alfie is an avid meat eater, but scarily isn’t bothered where his meat comes from and would much prefer that I didn’t spend money on expensive cuts of meat for him. I’m slowly going to turn him around to my way of thinking. Although it is more expensive I think organically farmed meat is so much better as the animals have been cared for and have not been injected with awful substances.
I on the other hand whilst away have made the conscious decision to not to eat meat. This came about when a waitress served one of my meals with chicken on it in Italy. I called her back and told her that I didn’t eat meat, so she swapped it for more roasted aubergine. Since Christmas my relationship with meat has totally changed and I was eating it very irregularly or not at all. I can’t actually remember the last time that I actually ate meat and to be honest I don’t enjoy eating it anymore and so would much prefer spending my time eating food that I do enjoy. However, I do still enjoy eating fish every now and then, so if you feel it necessary to give me a label then I guess that I am now a pescatarian.
I’ve also decided to opt for good quality fruit and veg when my food budget allows. I already have an organic veggie box every few weeks delivered to my house, which I find to be well priced. The supermarket organic fresh produce seems to be much more expensive, but I do pick it up if it’s reduced or on some sort of offer. This also extends to my store cupboard ingredients too. 🙂
My iHerb order also arrived the day after I arrived home. I ordered double crunch fudge protein powder, guar gum and white chocolate wonderful. I totally screwed up the order for the PB. I was adamant that I clicked cinnamon raisin swirl- obviously not! DOH! Oh well, I love white chocolate wonderful and my stock is rather low, so may be it was just supposed to be. 🙂
Since my trip I have been craving green smoothies, salads and just fresh produce in general. They just don’t pile it up abroad like they do at home!!! I’ve picked out a couple of favourites to share with you:
Smoothie in a jar: frozen blueberries, spinach, maca powder, mesquite, maple syrup, hemp protein powder, xanthan gum, water, ice cubes, vanilla rice milk all topped off with some vanilla agave and almond flavoured granola and lots of crumbled artisana raw coconut butter…yum! This made for a very simple but delicious smoothie- my first after returning home. 🙂
Smoothie in a bowl: a banana, spinach, strawberries, lucuma powder, mesquite, maca powder, ground flax, water, rice milk, ice cubes, xanthan and guar gum, hemp protein powder, agave nectar. Toppings included a peanut flour sauce, pecan and treacle granola, raw coconut and cacao nibs.
A hummus topped salad: living lettuce, sprouted beans and lentils, pompadino tomatoes, raw carrots basil tofu with some amazing sabra garden herb hummus. I had to get some of this after reading about it on both Emma and Laura’s blogs and it didn’t disappoint. It is probably the best shop bought hummus that I have ever tried. It’s just so thick, creamy and full of flavour.
A Mediterranean inspired salad: living lettuce leaves, pompadino tomatoes, marinated red peppers and courgette slivers, basil tofu, black olives, red onion, basil leaves and a crumbled raw carrot.
This salad was amazing and was the first time that I had actually tried to marinate my veggies. To make the marinade I used canola oil, balsamic vinegar, mixed dried herbs, black pepper and let them sit for 20 minutes before cooking them until tender.
The other night I was craving aubergine, as you do! I had eaten it roasted whilst in Florence and it tasted beautiful and wanted to recreate something similar in my own kitchen:
I simply roasted off the aubergine along with courgettes, red peppers and red onion and roasted them in a sauce using organic passata, black olives, sun blushed tomatoes and garlic. Steamed tender stemmed broccoli with new ingredient roasted edamame beans made the dish. I loved this!!! 🙂
I’ve been enjoying double fudge crunch protein ice creams and I’ve also enjoyed some of the great Lindt chocolate that I picked up whilst away for dessert…
Well this has just been the best weekend. Yesterday I was in Leeds for Alfie’s brother’s wedding which was really nice. Also today the time had come to run my 10K for Race for Life in the beautiful sun. It was a great race and I managed a new PB of 1 hour 1 second. Yep I was 1 second away from my target of 10K in 60 minutes, but I will explain more about the 10K in my race recap tomorrow. I’m still buzzing about my PB!!!
Well I’m off to watch Harry Potter as my reward for today. I’m so sad that it is the last one, but cannot wait to watch it!!! 🙂
How was your weekend? What did you get up too?
Have you made any conscious decisions about your eating habits lately?
What is the best thing that you ate this week?
Don’t forget that my giveaway ends at the end of today!!!
I find sainsburys expensive overal for their shopping. I usually do my shop at tescos and asda but they do have a good range of stuff. I would love to buy everything organic but doesn’t quite fit with my student budget lol. I have been consiously trying to eat more meat free foods and also incorperrate more healthy fats in y diet. Love the green smoothies you’ve made. The best thing I have ate is a goats cheese and jam sandwich sounds strange but tastes really nice.
I love all three of those supermarkets for different reasons. I got bored of Asda and Tesco’s so I’m in sainsbury’s at the moment and loving it. I know organic produce isn’t very budget friendly. I’m a student too and only buy it when its reduced or on offer. 🙂
Congratulations on your 10k time! My ultimate goal time is 1 hour for a 10k but don’t think I’ll be there for a while yet…hope you enjoy the final HP film 🙂 x
Thank you! I can’t believe that I actually managed it!! I know you will rock a 1 hour sub! HP was amazing!! I saw it in £D and absolutely loved it. 🙂
Sounds like you’ve had an awesome weekend!
Major congratulations on the mew PB that’s so cool 😀
I’m so happy you let us have a sneak peek at your grocery shop because i’m so nosy and love things like that, it gives me so much inspiration for my own meal planning & shopping.
I’ve been researching vegetarianism this month because, like you, i find i’m just not attracted to meat any more and don’t miss it at all when i don’t eat it, but i do love fish and like having the freedom of more choice when i go out to eat. I think i will probably also decide to officially go pescatarian but i’m going to wait until the end of this month to properly decide. Congratulations on your decision!
Thank you!!! I love looking at other peoples shopping- it’s really intersting to se what other people buy. I will be posting my grocery shops every now and then. It can be hard when you finally say “I’m not eating meat anymore.” I think this is the best decision for me at this point in time as I realyy don’t enjoy meat or feel drawn to it any more. Good luck with making your decision. 😀
Yay, well done on your PB! I’m trying to get the all-elusive sub-60 10k too. It seems so close but so far away!
Freaking out that I might possibly be able to order the DREAM that is peanut butter in 20,000 flavours through iHerb. How couldn’t I have known this?! & Spirutein too, ahhh. My life is complete! Shame the iHerb site isn’t loading right now 🙁
Thank you!!! I can’t believe I made it!!! iHERB is like heaven too me it has all of the most amazing brands that we cannot get over here. Have fun shopping!!! 😀
Yummy eats as always! The weather has been pretty good in my neck of the woods too but I would love it to be a little hotter! x x
The weather was beautiful yesterday! I hope it means that summer has returned!!! 🙂
Well done on the PB – that’s awesome 🙂
Left to my own devices I don’t really eat meat and I don’t miss it. I eat meat when I’m at home with my parents because they have meat every day. If I’m there for more than a couple of days I have to ask for something vegetarian, because I just can’t handle lots of meat anymore.
Thanks!!!! I’m the same I haven’t had meat in ages. The last time I ate it I hated it and just didn’t see the point. 🙂
Excellent work on the pb 🙂
That is my goal too, but at the moment I have got to 61.28 mins- so getting closer but not quite there yet!
As for the meat decision, well done if it is right for you. I think as long as you are not under any pressure then whatever you choose is fine.
Thanks Maria! I’m still buzzing about it! I was only 1 sec off- so close!!! 🙂 I think it is definitely the right decision for me. I haven’t ate it in ages, but to actually to say that I don’t eat meat aloud just finalised it for me. 🙂
Oh darn- I KNEW I’d forgotten something… I didn’t restock my agave! Also, I’ve never tried the humous brand you use- seen it but never tried! Do you prefer it over supermarket own-brands?
It’s serious ly the best made shop bought hummus I have ever tried. It tastes amazing!!
I made the exact same meat decision a few months ago. It wasn’t really an ethical decision, I just stopped wanting to eat it and haven’t looked back! I find Sainos pretty good overall for the health food products, I’ve never seen that hummus though, will have to keep an eye out. And that aubergine dish looks so good! Congrats on the PB 🙂 also, what were the iherb shipping costs like?
Thank you! I’m loving Sainsbo’s at th moment it makes a nice change to Tesco’s and ASDA. I get bored with shopping in the same supermarkets.
iHerb charge $4 if you parcel weighs 4lbs or less and ship by airmail. Otherwise it is $19 plus import charges shipped by DHL, hence why I have started to only order smaller parcels for the airmail shipping. 🙂
everything looks so yummy…..i must place an iHerb order soon! PB puffins and white choc wonderful are so on the list! 🙂
You have to get the puffins and WCW…you will fall in love with them!!! 😀
Best of luck with continuing your meat-free lifestyle 🙂 there ARE lots of other yummy foods out there. I wish I could afford to only buy organic meats..we are doing more of that though! step in the right direction 🙂
love your blog!!
Thank you!!! Organic meat is expensive and so I can only buy it for Alfie when it’s reduced. But he really isn’t bothered if his meat is organic or not. Ahhh it’s funny how our diets are so diferent. But you are riht, theyre are lots of other yummy foods out there other then meat. 😀
I think you have just got to eat what works for you without labels! I am in a similar meat position. In the past year I have rarely bought meat as I can’t really afford to buy the type of meat I’d like to buy, and now I have lost my taste for it. I ate some chicken on Friday at a social gathering, and I really did not enjoy it, and felt rather guilty. I don’t think that I will give up seafood though as I do enjoy that occasionally.
I got a sachet of spiruten the other day, I am scared to try it incase it induces a scary iHerb order!
Have a lovely Monday!
Haha! I love the Spirutein powders. They do come in some amazing flavours too-very addictive!!! I know what you mean about the meat thing. After not eating it for a long time I just don’t enjoy it anymore. In fact I’m quite bored of to be honest. I’m still loving my seafood though! Have a great day! 🙂
Congrats on the decision to stop eating meat, it sounds like one that your really happy to have made – I wouldn’t worry about labels either, sounds like your following the approach of eating what makes you feel your best which is great. For James I will now only buy Freedom food / organic chicken or turkey when its on offer and then quorn the rest of the time. Unfortunately I can’t get him to reconsider this horrible processed sliced ham though!
Thank you!!!! I’m really happy with my decison. I haven’t ate meat for ages so jut saying it out loud that I don’t eat meat anymore just finalised it for me. Ha!! I know exactly how you feel about James and his choice of meat and how it is sourced. Alfie is just the same. Although congrats on getting James to eat quorn, that’s great! Alfie would eat organic meat, but not for ethical reasons. But, since it is so expensive he would prefer that I did’t buy it. I think I might start sneaking some in when it is on offer as I don’t feel comfortable buying it. 🙂
Woah, lots of yummy food. 🙂
Whitney
I’ve decided to go back to soy milk. I prefer the taste and IMO it’s better for you… I only went back to dairy ’cause it’s cheaper but does price really matter when you’re putting it into your body?
we made matching marinated veggies! =) hehe! I shoved a ton of mushrooms in mine this time around though – was craving them like crazy! though a pepper-pahlooza is in my future =) oh yes!
Your grocery haul makes me smile =) I can totally spot what isn’t for you in there! hehe! though it all looks delish!