Happy Sunday! I’m sure that the week’s are coming around more quickly at the moment, or is it just me? Butternut squash soup with avocado on toast has been my obsession for lunch choices for the majority of this week. I’m not sure about where you are but there has been some stormy weather in these parts and the sky has been grey for most of this week. With a chill in the air and the central heating on this has been the perfect healthy comfort food.
Yesterday I made my Date and Cashew Smoothie for breakfast and it was the perfect start to my weekend. If you haven’t tried it already then do check out the recipe! Smoothie weather hasn’t gone just yet and this with a touch of cinnamon gives it a more autumnal vibe.
Don’t you just think that figs look so pretty? I’ve enjoyed mine with lots of full-fat Greek yoghurt, honey and mixed nuts for breakfast or a smaller version for a quick snack.
Talking of snacks, this snickerdoodle almond butter by Buff and Bake is to die for! It’s full of cinnamon, coconut oil, flax seeds, chia seed and lots of other delicious goodness. I’ve put it on my porridge and having it with a chopped banana or apple for dipping.
I can be a bit funny about kale if the stalks are too thick on the leaves it can be a bit like you’re chewing a hedge, but this particular kale that I picked up last week was just right – more on kale in a bit later. I steamed some in the microwave and topped it with half an avocado and 3 fried free range eggs complete with drippy yolks for a super speedy lunch.
Another speedy lunch this week came in the form of a baked sweet potato topped with cream cheese leftover roasted chicken, vegetables with rocket, yum!
Chilli bowls are the perfect Friday night comfort food and I love them! I made a big batch of chilli so there was plenty left over. This was literally topped with all the toppings that I could find that included refried beans, jalapenos, salsa and full-fat Greek yoghurt. The tortilla wrap was an essential side so I could stuff it full with all that gorgeousness!
It was Alfie’s birthday earlier in the week and I made him a ginger cake with cream cheese icing, so I’ve face-planted myself into extra portions of that all week too. Red velvet is actually his favourite cake, but I had already made one of those for AJ’s birthday at the beginning of the month. Besides, I thought a ginger cake would be something a bit different and it came out great!
I know kale seems to be one of those buzz-foods that everyone is talking about at the moment, I loved it before it became so hot in the media. It’s a weird one because although I’m more than ecstatic that the media are promoting key superfoods in such a positive way I do feel slightly saddened that some people are eating these foods because it’s fashionable rather than because they enjoy them. To me, you should be eating food that you love to nourish your body from the inside out not because someone has told you to do it.
Chilli bowls are definitely the perfect Friday night comfort food and I love them too! I like kale, byt I am a bit over it now. I like your cashew and date shake – looks tasty.
They so are aren’t they, perfect for a cosy Friday movie night!
I’m loving that chilli bowl as I also find I am completely hooked on rocket at the moment, kale is fab but no in the same taste league as rocket:-)
I love rocket too and always put a bag in my weekly grocery shop. You just can’t beat that peppery flavour.
Oh Jemma I am so inspired by your eating routine. everything there is so healthy. I wish I could snack on bananas and nuts but cheese and biscuits is my vice! One thing we have in common though is the kale. Love kale. Am trying to grow it again this year after doing so well last year. Cavolo nero variety. Delicious in almost everything. Including lemon cake actually
Oh, I do love a good cheese board Urvashi, so don’t you worry I have my vices too and personally I think it’s a far healthier way to live rather than restricting everything. Cavolo nero is beautiful I love how deep green the leaves are. You surprise me with the lemon cake, do you have a recipe?
Oh wow this has made me hungry. I’m not a fan of kale but avocado on toast and squash soup? Yes please!
Ha! It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but I’m happy to hear that you like avocado on toast – I’m obsessed at the moment.
That chilli bowl looks delicious. I am not a huge fan of make, I like baby make but the normal is too bitter and I would choose spinach or rocket. But I think its good to be aware of other foods as variety is the key. Ginger cake sounds perfect for this time of year too.
I think that you would really like the ginger cake, it turned out really spicy and was great with a cup of tea yesterday as an afternoon treat. Variety is definitely the key rather than focusing on one food just because it’s fashionable.
That lunch choice sounds delicious, I’m loving soups at the moment!
They’re so comforting on a cold grey day!
I never had kale before. I know it’s really popular these days but I’m
not sure how to prepare it.
Oh it’s really easy to prepare and you just treat it like spinach or any other green. 🙂
This looks yummy and healthy. Great job.
Thanks Stella!
Mmmmmm that chilli bowl looks amazing. That is totally my idea of a good night in meal. Yummo. 🙂
Absolutely! It tastes fab too! 🙂
Snickerdoodle almond butter? yum! I really like kale but I have to admit I hadn’t had it before it became a ‘hot’ item. I think seeing it in recipes and on blogs made me want to try it so there can be a plus side to the hype? I can say, I’m never one to eat something I don’t like so I have also tried things that I never go back to!
I definitely agree that there is a plus side to the hype as a way of introducing new healthy foods to people’s diet, but I’m not keen on people eating it because they think they should. They should be eating it because they really enjoy it. 🙂
I’m loving soup season and so excited to use some new recipes. All of this food sounds so good and have definitely taken inspiration from it!
Thanks Alice, I’m happy to hear that you have found some inspiration from this post. It means I’m doing my job properly. 🙂
Oh Jemma that smoothie is something else! I’ll be snug with my soups now that winter is coming in. Love all the healthy food campaigns everywhere now. I always feel better when I eat good!
Thanks, Kellie! I always feel better after a day of good eating too.
That snickerdoodle almond butter looks epic! Oh my word, I need to get my hands on that! Also, the white balance on those images is epic – I love how the images blend into the background so it’s like a floating bowl of food in the middle! I know what you mean about fashionable foods. Whilst I am so happy that healthy living is very much ‘in’, I sort of hate that it’s a fashion statement at the same time as I’m all for health and nutrition education. Green smoothie’s and avocado toast does look pretty and makes your Instagram look fab, but the lack of knowledge there is about all of these ‘cool’ foods bugs me. I don’t want to waste space in your comments section as I could go on, but it does irk me how healthy lifestyle still seems very much image based, especially when it comes to encouraging people to take care of their health! It’s a difficult one.
She’s So Lucy
That almond butter is insane and I love it, almost finished the jar though so quite sad about that. Ha, the bowls do look like they are floating don’t they, I’ve never picked u on that before. 🙂
Although I think it’ great that healthy living is fashionable at the moment it infuriates me that it’s become being promoted as a ‘sexy’ thing to do rather than it being about informed lifestyle choices. Definitely got to write a post on this topic soon I think.
Yep, Jemma, I think it can be frustrating the way the media spotlight a particular food. People then become obsessed with eating one or two things instead of eating a variety of whole, fresh foods which should be more important.
I actually prefer spinach to kale and use it a lot in cooking and smoothies and they have similar nutritional benefits (as I’m sure you know!)
Love the look of that pumpkin soup too. We’ve just come out of Winter and it was one of my fave staples 🙂
I agree Wendy, a variety is far more exciting than eating just a couple of foods because they are ‘hot’ anyway. Spinach blends far easier than kale in smoothies I think, or perhaps it’s my blender not being so great that is the cause of the problem. I’m looking forward to all of the winter produce that has become available now we have just come out of summer. 🙂
I am all about kale, literally obsessed with it. But, I was before it became trendy. I don’t agree with people doing things just because it is fashionable, but anything that gets people eating healthier has to be a good thing.
So true Dannii, I do think it’s a positive step, but hate the whole media spin on it.
oh wow you have made me seriously hungry – you make healthy food look incredible! x
Aww thank you lovely!
The kale, egg and avocado dish looks so good! I prefer baby kale to normal kale as I find the regular sort a bit bitter – it is funny how certain foods suddenly become “cool”! x
I can never find baby kale in the shops just the regular one, but I love that one anyway…just as well really! 🙂
There seems to be a new superfood every week at the moment so I take it all with a pinch of salt to be honest.
I think that’s the best way Ali! 🙂
I love this. I absolutely love this. Kale is so great for us, we need to incorporate it in more of our meals. You’ve given us so many options! I am going on a health kick, and you’ve inspired me. Thank you 🙂
Tee, x
http://www.thedalmatinka.com/
I’m so happy that you felt inspired by this post Tiana.
Mmmmmmmmm ginger cake sounds amazing. I haven’t had one of those in ages!
I’m strange in that I love the stalks of kale! I fish them out! If they’re too big I chop them up. I agree that it’s funny now the whole population seem to know about kale now despite it being around for ages before. But it is good people are becoming more aware and eating more healthy food. And because of the higher demand, the increased availability of it in normal shops.
I think it’s a great move that people are now more aware and healthy living is trending at the moment. The higher demand thing isn’t something that I had thought about before, great point!
Wow, everything looks amazing!!! Green is my thing..I love Kale, turnips, collards, mustards, spinach !!!
Lovely to hear that your obsessed with all things green too Monroe, Fab name by te way!