Need you now..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eB7T3lJ3dZ4


CONCERT TONIGHT.OMG SO EXCITED!!!

No soup for you!

I took a sick day from my fitness today. Still not feeling 100%.

I was in a cooking mood so red lentil soup it is! This is probably the second time I've made soup in my entire existance.

Herbs, carrots, onions, garlic, and vegetable broth cooking in the background. Unpictured red lentils added later.

Rooooolling the lemon to get the juices flowing. Added some of its zest too.

Simmered for 30 minutes and VIOLA!

Some crumbled light goat cheese on top with an unpictured buttered wholewheat roll. I was pretty happy with the outcome. I liked breaking away from the traditional chicken noodle soup while sick routine. Delish!

Breakfast this morning:

Hot oatmeal with maple syrup and a Nut & Raisin mix from Healthy Bites. Lots and lots of tea this morning too.

Song of the day: Katy Perry "Circle the drain"

Light at the end of the tunnel..

I think I might be getting over my cold..  Yippee!! Either that or I'm in a food induced coma.

Dinner tonight was amaaazzing. Compliments to Thomas Cubitt restaurant.

These might have helped:

Pinot for her, bubbly for him. I got the red for the antioxidants :)

Shared appetizer: The scallops were seared perfectly. Nice and warm on the inside. Whoever decided to marry peas and scallops together is a genius! Both have a buttery texture and go well together. Don't forget to squeeze the lime for some citrus action!

Seared Loch Crinan scallops, garden peas, fresh lime, mint

 

 

Mine: check out those grill marks. oh yeah. Everything was great except I wasn't digging the chewiness of the barley. Prawns were a nice addition though.

Rare seared tuna, basil & prawn pearl barley, cherry tomato dressing

His:

Red Mullet with sauteed spinach, beet root and white bean puree

Dessert: The best part of the meal and it was free! I'm usually not a huge fan of brulee but this one in particular was so delicate and delicious. The white chocolate was not overly sweet so it paired nicely with the strawberry ice cream and fresh berries/mint. Breaking into the top crunchy layer was my favorite part! Mmm.. can I have another puhlease?!

White chocolate brulée, strawberry & mint salad, strawberry ice cream

Belly full=Sleepy time.

When you're sick..

Indulge with some chocolate:

Forget low cal or low fat. Go big or go home baby:

Because fudge brownies are never enough- CHOCO CHIPS!

YUM...

Yep.. Still sick :(

Fancy a snog?

My little treat last night for being (a lil) sick- green tea yogurt with mochi on top. I haven't had one of these in a while and that made it all the more delicious. Funnily enough, I never actually liked the tartness of these yogurts in the states but something about the catchy name made me decide to like it when I moved here. It was definitely an acquired taste for me though.

I woke up today with a sore throat :( BUT I managed to squeeze in a 2.5 mile run AND go to my zumba class. Zumba is a great aerobics/dance class. You determine how hard you want to work by bending your knees, squatting a bit lower, or jumping higher. I definitely exaggerate each movement so I can burn the most calories. And don't forget to "Shake the booty!!!" as my instructor would say.

Green tea with some honey in the morning:

And something new I had never tried before:

Yes.. I stir things with a chopstick. When I told my friend I was sick, he recommended I try this product Berocca- I imagine its similar to Emergen-C in the states. This came in tablet form that I mixed with water. The taste was pleasantly orange. I am doing everything under the sun to prevent this cold from getting any worse. Please send healthy thoughts my way!!

Song of the day: Pixie Lott "The way the world works"

Pasta time

Afternoon snack:

OJ=Vit C=healthy Hanna

You can't really tell what that blob *I almost typed blog!* is but it's hummus. I was also craving something salty so pretzels fit the bill. Speaking of hummus, I miss this brand:

I can't find it here in the UK and it's a shame because it is the best packaged hummus I've tried.


Dinner:

Welcome back Linda! Tonight was vegemince- siimilar to mince beef but vegetarian style. It's a bit chewier than the real deal but still pretty tasty.

Oh Mr Organic pasta sauce with the smiley face..how you disappoint!! I could barely taste the basil and it lacked flavor. I added some minced garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, and red chilli flakes to make it taste better.


No more broccoli please!! I put some laughing cow cheese on top this time but it didn't make it taste any better.  I ate broccoli so much in the past that I think I'm just sick of eating it.

The rest of my meal: Half a semi-toasted wholemeal bun, whole wheat pasta with fresh parmigiano reggiano grated on top (Giada DeLaurentis would be so proud!), and a glass of skim milk to make my bones nice and strong :)


Off to watch the season premiere of Real Housewives of Washington D.C.! How many more cities can this show conquer?!

Berry good

Breakfast:

Egg whites sprinkled w. salt, pepper,  and cayenne pepper. Toast w. almond butter (all natural of course). Huge mug of coffee!

I bought these at Holland and Barrett today because I had run out:

I tried them plain for the first time and I'm not sure if I like the taste. They taste similar to raisins but are a bit more tart. I don't really like raisins plain so I guess I'm not surprised I didn't warm up to these. I do like these lil munchkins in my smoothies and plain yogurts since both those ingredients mask the taste. Goji berries are considered a SUPERFOOD in the health food world.

They good for you because:
1.) lots of antioxidants
2.) known to boost energy levels
3.) high in omegas
4.) contains amino acids
5.) source of carotenoids

The list goes on... I think I'm going to start putting them in a snack baggie and carry it around in my purse so I can munch on them during the day. Adding some almonds and granola would probably help with the taste as well. Others suggest putting the berries in water so they can soften up and not only flavor your water but also make the berries taste less tart. You can also put them in your hot tea in the morning, sprinkle them in cereals, pancakes, oatmeal, ETC...

Lunch today:

Romaine lettuce, spinach, strawberries, tomatoes, peppers, and chicken slices with some ranch dressing and hot sauce on top.

I woke up this morning not feeling so hot so I skipped my workout and took Sonoma to the park. While there, I regretted not going and decided to go to a 1 p.m. body conditioning class. Although I was feeling lethargic on the whole bus ride there, I became more energized when the class started.

My recommendation is if you don't feel like working out in the morning, listen to your body and don't do it. Don't rule out not doing anything though and try a few hours later. You never know when you might get that extra boost of energy like I did!

Song of the day: Jack Johnson "Banana pancakes"