Happy Tuesday everyone!
I hope your having a great week so far. Mine has been pretty good so far. Alfie started his new job today! 🙂 Yup! He’s been let loose on real patients. I think if I was in his shoes I would be freaking out and always second guessing my diagnosis’s, but he seems to be coping well in his new role.
On Sunday we spent the day cycling around Rutland Water Nature Reserve near Oakham. We had a great time taking in the sights on what was a beautiful sunny day. I hadn’t rode a bike for years and had forgotten how great it felt. The scenery was simply breathtaking…
Over the past few days I have eaten some pretty tasty eats. I’ve been craving green smoothies again like mad…
Blackberries, black currants, blueberries, a banana, spinach, rice milk, water, lucuma powder, mesquite, maca powder, double fudge crunch powder, xanthan gum, guar gum topped with raw macadamia butter, buck wheaties, dried cranberries and artisana cacao bliss.
Half a mango, a nectarine, a banana, spinach, water, rice milk, lucuma powder, mesquite, hemp protein, xanthan gum and guar gum with shredded coconut, cacao nibs, pecan and treacle granola and white chocolate wonderful.
Butternut squash, a banana, spinach, maple syrup, maca powder, mesquite, xanthan gum, guar gum topped with a raw breakfast biscuit, shredded coconut, dried cranberries and Hershey’s chocolate syrup.
All were delicious as always! 🙂
Yesterday I made some quinoa oats- it had been way too long…
I mixed up quinoa flakes with carob powder, rice milk, water, agave nectar and topped it fresh blueberries and strawberries and some of alpro soya’s caramel pudding. Ok, I may have lied…I poured on the whole pot, but who wouldn’t! This tasted a-meh-zing!!!! It’s definitely one of my favourite flavours out of all of the puddings that I have tried so far.
I ran out of time to make lunch to take to work with me on Saturday so I popped into a lovely sandwich place called Croques that makes an amazing array of fresh food. I enjoyed a falafel wrap outside in their garden.
I think I might start making running out of time to make lunch a regular thing as this was just crazy good!
Of course a salad had to make an appearance of lunch and this one included curly lettuce, red kidney beans, pompadino tomatoes (so sweet!), avocado, olives, alfalfa spouts, red pepper and roasted edamame beans.
On Friday night I was in the mood for take-away food, of the pizza variety. My trusty socca pizza friend came to the rescue. This plate of heaven consisted of a socca basil pizza crust topped with sautéed butternut squash, aubergine, red peppers, red onion, olives and spinach in a passata sauce…yum!
Dinners the past two night have been a variation of the same stir fry. On Monday night I cooked pak choi, red peppers, courgettes, aubergine, smoked tofu, oyster mushrooms and made a yummy PB sauce using peanut butter, soya sauce, water and rice vinegar. Last night I had exactly the same mix of veggies but in a sweet chilli sauce. I love stir fries for quick and easy meals.
I’ve also been eating bucket loads of melon…
…so refreshing!
Last month I pretty much accomplished all of my goals that I had set out to do. Although I didn’t manage to draw the figures for the results section of my thesis or run 11 miles. I totally agree with Laura that although we all try and fit everything in sometimes it’s simply not possible. We are only human after all and no one is going to judge you if you didn’t meet all of your goals. In fact instead of thinking negatively about it I’m going to celebrate the achievements that I have made last month as I have progressed in some areas that I never thought I would. With this in mind I can go ahead an build on what I have achieved to make for a more successful me in the future. I find a great comfort and excitement at looking forward at what is ahead rather than dwelling on the past.
My new goals for August:
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Continue to work on my running and reach 11 miles
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Approach the hardest of tasks as I would the easiest of tasks- impossible is no longer in my vocabulary!
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experiment more with raw foods
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continue to de-clutter my house
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make more time for me and my family and friends– I get so caught up in my busy lifestyle that sometimes I forget to make time for myself and loved ones
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read more books- I adore reading, but never find the time so this goal links perfectly with the one above about trying to find some relaxation time for myself.
Before I love you and leave you I want to welcome Rice Dream as my new blog sponsors for August and thank Pulsin’ for their continuing support! I have an awesome blog sponsor giveaway lined up so keep your eyes peeled for that.
What are your goals for August?
Did you achieve all of your goals for July?
Do you feel guilty/disheartened when you don’t achieve the goals that you set yourself?
Oh, look at all your amazing meals! It all sounds so yummy!
i really like your goals for this month- and your attitude towards them.
I posted my goals yesterday, and mainly they are all about me finding balance and peace with food. I know I wont be there in a month, but it is what I constantly need and want to work on!
Good luck to you, I know youll do great!
Good luck with your goals. It may take you some to reach, but every little bit of progress you make is one step in the right direction. 🙂
Oooh that nature reserve looks so gorgeous! Perfect place to go for a bike ride!
And you certainly have been eating some yummy foods 🙂 That falafel wrap looks particularly amazing!! I’ve been eating loads of stir-frys and melon too!
I completely agree with the approaching hard tasks the same as easier ones goal – easier said than done though haha! I always try to avoid the harder ones, saving them until later which is probably my problem…I’m just working on my goals I made in June and continuing to improve on them at least until I go back to uni for now as they seem reasonable to be more long-term 🙂
Good luck for your goals- you have made so much progress lovely! 🙂
Lovely photos of the nature reserve.
I do get very upset when I set goals and don’t make them, hence why I”m quite reserved and hesitant to join in with the monthly goal setting on blogs. It’s bad enough that I’ve signed up for races that I now won’t be able to run! And I’m already worrying about the rough goals I set at the beginning of the year…
xxx
The nature reserve was beautiful. I’m sure you will achieve your goals Jess. You seem like a very ambitous and determined pereson. Don’t get hung up on not acheiving some goals, just cncentrate on the ones that you have achieved no matter how small. xx
Such gorgeous pictures!
I have been craving green monsters lately too! Yours look AMAZING! I especially love how you put butternut squash in one 🙂
And I love your August goals! I’m definitely with you on the last one 🙂
Have a great rest of the week!
<3
Thanks! I love my green monsters. You should try the butternut squash in a smoothie with maple syrup, ginger and cinnamon…it’s amazing!
Great goals for August! Reading more is definitely one of mine too – I have a Kindle on order and I’m hoping a new toy will encourage me!
Rutland Water is beautiful – I went to a wedding there a couple of years ago and it was just gorgeous 🙂
I had great time cycling around Rutland Water. The scenery must have been perfect for a wedding. 🙂
Those are some good goals (and tasty meals)! I don’t set month-to-month goals that often although it is a good thing to do. I guess this month I’m aiming to improve my running since marathon training official began!
Thanks! Good luck with your marathon training! 🙂
What a beautiful place to cycle!
It was stunning! 🙂
That’s so awesome that you achieved all of the goals that you set for yourself in July. I think your goals for August are awesome, and I hope you have just as much luck achieving those as well 😀 I’m not much of a monthly goal setter… I just always try to do my best and be my happiest/healthiest. This month I’m pretty much going to be focusing on packing up my stuff and prepping for a move. Eee. So exciting 😀
Thanks! You must be so excited about your move! I hope it goes well for you! 😀
One of my goals is to read more this month too! I need to finish as many non-school books as possible before classes start 🙂
I hope you find the time to enjoy reading your books. I’m desperately trying to finish Eat Live Run. I love it!
I hope you find the time to read. I’m tryng to finish eat live run at the moment. I love it!
hey! i always beat myself up if i don’t achieve my goals but i’d achieve much less if i hadn’t set the goals in the first place!
I totally agree! I probably wouldn’t achieve half the stuff that I do without my goal setting. 🙂
I love your meals! And your goals, they sound demanding but approachable at the same time! I don´t set myself any goals, I just try to do what I want and what I need 🙂 But I believe that goals should be a “signs” in our lives that we may or may not reach. There is no need to be hars at ourselves, because we can always achieve them later.
I like your approach to goal setting! 🙂
Cor, all that food looks lush!! The place you cycled looks lovely, I love going for long cycles.
I use Rice Dream loads! It’s great that they’re sponsoring you.
I try not to feel guilty if I don’t achieve my goals so long as I have made a good attempt. Some goals I have tend to carry on over a period of time until I achieve them. Work in progress!
I think your are right. We should cut ouselves some slack every now and then. It’s not a major thing if you don’t achieve your goals. There is always next month! 🙂
The nature reserve looks beautiful! As you say it is tough sometimes but we can’t always fit in everything and I think cutting ourselves some slack sometimes is really important! Food looking really good, especially those GM’s I’ve been on a GM kick again post festival, one everyday. I had some sprouted buckwheat on one of my smoothies too!
I’m just loving GMs at the moment. Perfect for this hot weather hot we have been having. 🙂
I love your smoothies. Great ideas and they look appetising too.
Thanks!!!
yum! your smoothies look so perfect 🙂
Thank you!
Just found your blog and really enjoying it. My mum lives really close to Rutland Water and it’s such a beautiful place! I love the slightly eery thought of the drowned village under the water, too!