Hello hello, you lovely lot! How are your weekends coming along? We popped out to a wonderful stay and play cafe yesterday for lunch, a place where you can have a bite to eat and they have an area for your little ones to play full of toys. The salad that I had was lovely and they only use local ingredients, I’m all about supporting small businesses nearby. While we were there I spotted this Random Acts of Kindness board and it’s probably the loveliest thing that I have seen in a long time. Customers have paid for tea, coffee or a play session in advance so that others who can’t afford to can, such a heart-warming moment!
What I’ve Been Eating This Week
First off, let’s start with that salad that I ordered at the play cafe. I ordered the goat’s cheese salad with apples and balsamic glaze. It wasn’t how I imagined, the goats cheese on toast was a lovely touch because I expected it to be crumbled over the top, so good!
When walking back to the car a cracking little independent coffee shop caught my attention. I’m trying out more independent places instead of the high street chains for a change and I think they have a lovely vibe about them. I picked up a chai latte and I couldn’t resist this lemon shortbread too.
This was one of those lunches that was totally random, thrown together but turned out great. There were some tortilla wraps leftover in the bread bin that needed using up so I made a quesadilla by stuffing it with scrambled eggs, avocado and cheese with some spicy salsa on the side.
These Bol healthy ready meals are great for when you don’t have time to cook or feeling too lazy like I was the other night. Sri Lanka Lentil Sambar is something that I’ve never tried before even when we were in Sri Lanka and it’s definitely worth a try, I really enjoyed it!
Kale isn’t something that I normally put in my green smoothies because the stalks don’t seem to blend that well and it ends up being too bitty (is that even a word?!). All hail the Nutribullet as it blended it up like a dream! This one was just kale, banana, cashew nuts, almond milk and vanilla protein powder. I think I will be having this again this morning after all those Halloween sweeties I ate last night.
Check this out! One of my recipes has been featured in the latest edition of Thrive. I’m such a fan of this magazine and feel so honoured to be a part of the autumn issue. It’s always exciting to see your name in print and surreal to see your recipes laid out so professionally.
This here is our Halloween pumpkin, well our second one. I posted a photo of our first on my Instagram feed yesterday. I made the rookie error with the first one thinking that you had to bake the pumpkin to remove the flesh, don’t ask me why because I don’t know either! Luckily 10 minutes into the baking I Googled how to carve a pumpkin and quickly removed it from the oven.
We ended up with a sweaty pumpkin with burnished skin, however despite my mistake it did make it easier to carve and it did look pretty all lit up with the lights turned off. This is the first time we have ever celebrated Halloween and it was really cute seeing all the little trick-or-treaters turn up at the door in their costumes. I’m actually quite jealous as I wasn’t allowed to go trick-or -treating then I was a kid, it does look like fun!
I absolutely love the RAK thing! What a sweet idea! Love your pumpkin, off to follow your instagram to see the half baked one!
Well done on the recipe publication too!
Hahaha! What did you think of the moon and stars design?
Wow congratulations on featuring in Thrive magazine! It’s a great recipe too. I adore the random act of kindness board. We really need more of these around. It’s such a beautiful idea. Mmm your green smoothie sounds delicious too. I got a nurtibullet for my birthday and I am obsessed with it. I love hearing about new tried and tested combinations. xx
I think if there were more of those boards around he world would be a much happier place! 🙂
awww well done on being featured in the magazine, what a great achievement! 🙂
ps- please come bake something for me haha
Thank you Kristina!
Wow! So many of these recipes look so yummy delicious. I cannot wait to try the spinach and cheese egg muffins. I’m really curious how blue berries would taste on top.
I’m not sure how the blueberries would taste on top – that’s for the quinoa salad recipe! 🙂
Wow congrats on the feature! Also love the kindness board . Such a great idea xo
Thank you!
I LOVE the idea of the random acts of kindness board, that is such a sweet idea! And all the food looks so gorgeous, my mouth is watering. Actually I think I might try the egg muffins this morning, I don’t have spinach but will get some for next time!
It’s so sweet! Let me know if you try the egg muffins. I would love to hear how you found them. 🙂
First of all congrats on appearing in Thrive magazine 🙂 the spread looks fantastic.
I also love the idea of that random acts of kidness board. A cafe near me does something simillar. You pay for an extra coffee, cake, sandwich or whatever you fancy, and at the end of the day they take all of the food and drinks gifted down to the local homeless shelter! I always buy something extra and it seems I’m not the only one. Everytime I go in I see someone else adding something extra to their bill for someone less fortunate.
Thanks Emma! I know it’s such a sweet thing to do. I think next time we are there (we will be back because the food is yummy!) I’m going to buy a coffee for someone. I love that your local cafe takes the food to the homeless shelter, so kind!
What lovely idea in the cafe! And congratulations on the magazine feature, how exciting.
Thanks so much Emma!
Love the Random Act of Kindness Board. I was thinking I hadn’t done any random acts of kindness and feeling back, but on further reflection I think it is all in the perception of the receiver and I hope that I do kind things every day.
Love your little egg muffins, I love spinach and put it in everything I possibly can, well done on the magazine article, it’s a new one on me, so I will have to look out for it.
I was thinking the same thing actually and feeling sad, but as you say I hope I’m kind everyday.
Thank you! Spinach is great to add to everything for a nutritional boost.
Some people at work are really into the RAK- that board is lovely and so nice that things are from strangers.
I must say I really do not like Halloween- I think it’s such an American thing and seems to be taking over Guy Fawkes here- our local fireworks were last night when really next weekend is closer to the 5th. Plus I think trick or treating is really a bit like begging, I never did it as a child and am glad that I didn’t! Sounds a bit bah- humbug but I really don’t like it. The pumpkin lanterns look good though!
My mum shares exactly the same feelings as you about Halloween! My brother and I were never allowed to go because she thought it was like begging. How sad about your local bonfire night coinciding with Halloween! I would be really upset by that because I love all the fireworks and what have they got to do with Halloween anyway?
Next weekend would have been a much better idea!
Well done for being featured! Fantastic! All of those photos are making me hungry! They look so yummy x
Thank you, I’m chuffed!
I’ve been reading about these kinds of pay it forward kindness schemes for a few years and think they are a lovely thing. I like how this cafe have taken the idea on too.
It’s such a kind and thoughtful thing to do.
I didn’t get a chance to carve a pumpkin this year, that made me sad. I did get to baby sit my 6 month old cousin and hand out candy though. I think your pumpkin looks cute!
Thank you! Well at least you got the chance to celebrate with your cousin. 🙂
Congrats on being featured in Thrive!
I didn’t carve a pumpkin this year – though saying that I don’t think I’ve ever carved one! I did make pumpkin soup though haha!
Congratulations! That kindness board is amazing – how heart warming! Kaz x
What a lovely post! And congratulations for being featured! That’s great 🙂 x
I love the random acts of kindness board! When I see things like this, I get very surprised. I wish it was more of a mainstream idea. I’ve had the person in front of me pay for a toll for me before and when it was my turn to pay the attendant said I had been paid for, I was in shock! I already had my money out so I paid for the person behind me. I think we should always remember to pay it forward when we can. x
What a lovely idea the random-acts-of-kindness board is!