Month In Review: FEBRUARY 2018

Word/quote of the month: "Happy birthday"

This is because February is my birthday month (surprise, surprise) - so I've heard these words quite a lot. But I've also really embraced having a birthday MONTH (or a couple of weeks, which in February essentially means most of the month). I've been thoroughly spoiled, and enjoyed some quality time with my friends and family. I've never been a massive fan of my own birthdays - something about the passing of time, and how quickly it seems to go - and had embraced the song, "It's my party and I'll cry if I want to" a little too enthusiastically. But the last couple of years I've really loved my birthdays - surrounded myself with as many of my favourite people as I can, celebrated getting older, marked the passing of a year and enjoyed myself. It's also the time I post my One Second Everyday video on my private Facebook - which is always such a joyful, uplifting and reflective moment.

Healthy/meal food of the month: Roast dinner

While this may not be the most healthy meal in the world, it is one of the best and the most comforting. London has been experiencing a cold snap the last few days with snow and bleak winds, and there is nothing better than firing up your oven to cook a proper roast to counteract any Winter blues. My friends and I have started 'hosting a roast' this past month; we have taken it in turns to cook a big meal for each other. I love cooking for others and a good roast chicken is a crowd-pleaser.

Lesson of the month: I am still surprising myself

A few things happened this month that surprised me - in a good way. When we achieve something that we didn't expect, or had counted ourselves out for we devalue ourselves. This can often harm us, and take some of the glow away from the achievement. While I would never like to go too far towards the other end of the spectrum (and be arrogant and entitled), I do feel I could do with reflecting on why I am always convinced I won't be successful. This is true of not only work life, but also things that happen in our personal lives. When friends and family aren't surprised and believe more in you than you do, then maybe it's time to listen to them! This isn't a new problem of mine - I've talked about self-doubt a lot - including here (at about 2 mins 20 seconds in). But this month has been a reminder that there's always improvements to be made.

Healthy thing(s) to do: Going to the gym

Not everyone's favourite place - and certainly not mine. But the benefits are far too numerous to recount here, and outweigh any number of struggles in getting to the gym. I have talked about gym workouts, how to progress gym sessions, and also how to get back on your feet after being bedbound - so I won't bore you all again with my musings. Except to say that, exercise is a key component of living a healthy and happy lifestyle - and however you get yours - just do it! This month I have been to yoga, been to the gym and gone bouldering. Variety is the spice of life!

Goal for the next month: Focus on my university work and hit the gym more..!

How has February gone for you? What are your goals for March?

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Month In Review: JANUARY 2018

Word/quote of the month: "Just do it"

So, I may have stolen this off a well-known sports brand, but it definitely feels an appropriate misappropriation for this month.

There are lots of occasions in life where you feel hesitant or reticent - but sometimes (read: all the time) it can be life-enhancing to ignore the natural fear - and just do it.

This month I have embraced this motto in many parts of my life - both personally and in my work/study life - and it has been working for me. Not every occasion where I have 'just done it' has worked out the way I thought, or been successful - but I would much rather have tried and 'just done it', than not.

So, if I could make a prescription to you - try saying "just do it" to yourself a bit more than, "what if...". It's highly recommended.

Healthy/meal food of the month: Homemade smoothies/juices.

I have been getting back into the habit of making a quick smoothie in the morning. I pack mine with goodies like spinach, oats, bananas, a green powder and then whizz up with some orange juice and a splash of dairy-free milk. This makes sure that I never miss breakfast on days where I am up too early to eat or am rushing from place to place. I'm not one of those people who can go without food, but I struggle to eat a lot really early in the morning before leaving for uni/work. I am also hopeless without a full stomach, so I always have something mid-morning if I've only had a smoothie to start.

I may do a blog-post on my favourite smoothie recipes, so if that's something you want to read - let me know.

Lesson of the month: It's never good to avoid or suppress things.

Fairly obvious lesson really. And while it has been a fantastic month, it's also been a very emotional one. I've cried three times today (very unlike me) - and I think that's not going to remain just three by the end of today. But that's okay. When sadness or upset bubbles up, it's good to feel that emotion. The same goes for if you feel angry or happy. It can often happen when someone asks you how you are or says "you don't seem yourself", and suddenly you realise you've been feeling upset, or bottling up emotions and then 'boom' - you're getting a bit teary in the middle of a meeting, or by a coffee machine, or in a stairwell, or on Waterloo Bridge and having to be shown photos of puppies and kittens to cheer you up because you are hosting a lunch in less than fifteen minutes...or some other entirely fictional scenario...
It's sometimes only when people who know you ask "how are you?" and want to know the true answer that you realise you haven't asked yourself that, or been making sure you are okay.

There have been highs and lows this month - my last ever hospital appointment being an example of both. What I think is important is that, especially when you are going through a period of significant life change or dealing with difficulties (like I currently am) - it's important to allow yourself to process all of that. It doesn't help you or anyone to just keep going and pretending nothing is happening. Or distracting yourself with other people's problems, and ignoring your own.

Confronting an issue, or an obstacle is really healthy and means that you can hopefully reach a resolution and some inner peace. Self-compassion is key - and learning to allow yourself to grieve, get angry, cry, shout, stomp your feet, laugh hysterically or all the above is vital. I also think it can send a really positive message to yourself if you recognise that your emotions matter just as much as other peoples. If you are feeling upset, it isn't silly - as I found myself saying to a couple of friends today. It's important to care for yourself and not devalue your reactions to things.

Healthy thing(s) to do: Being honest, congruent and bold.

This would be one of the points, if I had been filming the Month In Review as I used to, when I would rabbit on for a solid ten minutes. Instead - I want to leave the healthy things to do simple:

Being honest (to the best of your ability) with yourself and others is one of life's essentials - for me anyway. Telling the truth, and confronting the reality of life can feel scary, and sometimes you have to be brave and just be honest (see a parallel above with my quote of the month...). There's nothing worse than being lied to or lying to yourself.

Being congruent creates peace and harmony, not only within yourself, but in your relationships with others.

Being bold feels freeing and empowering - feelings that are pretty magical in combination.

Goal for the next month: Feel more centred, do some more exercise and keep on being bold.

How has January gone for you? What are your goals for February?

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Comfort Food: Lamb Tagine recipe

In my September In Review video I mentioned that I have been loving making (and eating) lamb tagines. I have written up my recipe - please see below. My apologies for the lack of photos - the many times I have made the tagine, the ravenous hordes have descended before I have had the chance to take nice photos...

This recipe serves four or five hungry people.

Ingredients:

1kg lamb neck fillet
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp hot chilli powder

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

a few strands of saffron

2 small cinnamon sticks

1 lemon, unwaxed

500g of passata

150g dried apricots

125g dried pitted dates and/or sultanas

1 pint of lamb stock, or the water the lemon was boiled in

50g shelled pistachios

50g flaked almonds

Method:

1.     Pre-heat the oven to 150C (for fan-assisted ovens)

2.     Boil the lemon in a saucepan of water for 20 minutes, remove carefully and dice up the whole lemon while removing the seeds. Put the diced up lemon in a dish to use later. You will also want to retain the water it was boiled in for later...

3.     Dice the lamb neck and fry in a large oven-proof (and lidded) casserole dish over a very hot heat. Once the meat has browned, remove it from the casserole dish and set aside.

4.     In the same casserole dish you browned the lamb in, add the onion and garlic with some oil and start to sweat this down.

5.     Once the onion and garlic have started to soften, add all the spices (except the cinnamon stick and saffron) and stir over the heat to release the flavour.

6.     Add the lamb back in after a few minutes and stir the meat into the onion and spice mix, so that everything is thoroughly coated.

7.     You will now want to add your chosen liquid and also the passata. If your chosen liquid is lamb stock, then add the few strands of saffron to the stock before you pour over the meat. If you prefer, you can simply use the leftover lemon-y water from Step 2 and add the saffron to this. Stir!

8.     Add in the cinnamon stick, all the fruit (including the lemon) and the nuts and turn up the heat until the liquid is at a simmer, and let it bubble for a few minutes on the hob.

9.     Once the mix has bubbled away nicely for a few minutes, put the lid on the casserole dish and pop it in the oven for between 2 and 2.5 hours.

10.  Serve with a scattering of fresh coriander, rice, couscous or a green salad and watch the tagine magically disappear.

Let me know if you make this recipe - did you change anything? Are there any other recipes you make that are great comfort food meals?

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Simply Cook: Thai Red Prawn Curry - REVIEW

I was recently emailed to ask if I wanted to try out a Simply Cook recipe box*. Having never heard of them - I checked out their website and was quickly intrigued with the nifty concept; a box of spices and flavours featuring four recipes, posted through your letterbox to make quick, tasty and healthy meals.

So, a couple of weeks ago came the familiar sound of the letterbox going, and among the usual bills and leaflets was a slim box carrying the precious ingredients for my next week's dinners.

In each box you get four recipe cards, and four containers of the spices you need to make each one. All you have to do is buy the fresh ingredients, follow the simple step-by-step guide whilst cooking and then voila - eat!

Four spice boxes: Malay Laksa, BBQ Tandoori, Bokkeumbap, Thai Red Prawn Curry

The recipe card and shopping list

I decided to cook the Thai Red Prawn Curry - I followed the steps exactly, although I added a load of extra vegetables and cooked rice noodles, instead of plain rice (my small act of rebellion). I think this just shows that the recipe is very versatile and allows you to tweak it. I love a lot of vegetables, and the only drawback, or negative thing I have to say about the recipe is that I felt the recipe lacked vegetables. But this was easily rectified, by adding some tenderstem broccoli and green beans to the dish.

Three spice pots

Overall, the dish turned out to be delicious. A tangy, flavoursome and more-ish meal - that had a good hit of heat. It was also even more yummy the next day, reheated. I found it to be the perfect balance of creaminess with a punch of chilli - the ideal feast on a cool night while curled up in front of the TV, or shared with friends over a few drinks. It's comfort food at its best!

If you want a quick, tasty and crowd-pleasing meal (they really do only take 15-20 minutes to make from scratch) then Simply Cook have provided me with a discounted trial box for only £3 to offer to you - click here to get this awesome deal - your taste-buds will thank you!

Have you ever tried a recipe kit box? What were your experiences like? 


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*DISCLAIMER:
Simply Cook kindly sent me a box to try, free of charge, and they have provided an affiliate link for you to use for your first box, at a discounted rate. However, the opinions above are all my own, nor was the box sent with any proviso that I would write a review (favourable or otherwise). 

Veg patch: How does your garden grow?

Pottering about in a garden can help both your health and happiness.

Not only are you doing a little exercise (all that digging and weeding), but you're outside in the fresh air and creating something beautiful that you and others can enjoy, and in the case of this post, also creating something delicious. 

I live in London, and am therefore a little limited for outside space, but I manage to get my hands dirty and exercise that green thumb of mine by using raised beds and free-standing pots. I'd also recommend grow-bags for an easy, (relatively) mess-free option for growing veg.

I love to grow fruit and veg every year, on a tiny scale, because there is nothing more satisfying than cooking and eating freshly-picked food. There's something incredibly fulfilling about planting, tending and harvesting your own crop of something. Even if it's just a few sprigs of mint!

This year I'm trying to grow some of my own produce again.

I've ditched last year's salad selection, after a disaster involving some of the city's fox population.

I'm hoping for a bumper crop of tomatoes, edible flowers and sweetcorn. The verdict isn't yet in on the tomato and sweetcorn front, but I have had some wild success with my edible flower garden.

From seed to plate in less than two months (see the video below) - the flowers make a delicious, exciting and colourful addition to salads, hot dishes, baking and drinks.

Many people find solace in the garden; a way to unwind, create something beautiful and escape from the day-to-day. I would highly recommend investing some of your time in your outside space, even if it's only a window-sill. Herb boxes, lavender, strawberries, pansies: all manner of attractive, delicious, body/mind-boosting and low-maintenance plants can grow in confined spaces.
So, what are you waiting for? Grab a trowel (or in my case an old spoon), a bag of soil, a handful of seeds and get growing (in more ways than one)!

What treats does your garden hold? Are you a beginner gardener or a pro?

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Recipe: Anzac Biscuits

As today, Monday 25th April, marks ANZAC Day I thought I'd show you how to make some delicious (and very easy to bake) biscuits. And a New Zealander friend of mine sent me the cutest gift of these fridge magnets, and now seemed like the perfect time to try out the biscuit recipe!

 Anzac Day commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders killed in war and honours returned servicemen and women. The date itself marks the anniversary of the landing of New Zealand and Australian soldiers on the Gallipoli Peninsula in 1915. ANZAC stands for Australia and New Zealand Army Corps.

The history of these lovely oaty bisciuts is a little hazy; some people say they were sent to the soldiers overseas, some say they were sold back in New Zealand and Australia to raise money for the war effort. However they ended up coming into existence, Anzac biscuits are a delicious morsel to enjoy with a cup of tea and a way to commemorate Anzac Day.


Ingredients:

100g plain flour
100g caster sugar
85g porridge oats
85g desiccated coconut
100g butter
1tbsp golden syrup
2tbsp boiling water
1tsp bicarbonate of soda


Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 180C or 170C for fan ovens and line two baking trays with greaseproof/baking paper.

2. Mix the oats, flour, sugar and coconut together in a big bowl; creating a well at the centre.

3. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a low heat and add the golden syrup.

4. In a separate bowl, mix the bicarbonate of soda with the boiling water and stir.

5. Add this watery mix to the saucepan of melted butter and syrup. Combine and watch an amazing reaction happen (spoiler alert: be prepared for froth)!

6. Pour the frothy mixture into the well of your oaty mix and stir thoroughly to coat the dry ingredients.

7. Now time to get a little messy! Roll a spoonful of the mix in your hands and place on the baking trays. Keep going until all the mix is used. Be careful to leave a little room between each, to allow them to flatten once heated.

8. Pop the trays in the oven for 10 minutes until golden. Once they are done remove and place the biscuits on a wire rack to cool.

Do not be alarmed if they are very fluffy and squidgy when they come out of the oven - they crisp up nicely once they've cooled. There's no need, like I did, to panic and text your Kiwi baker pal and sound like the child from Despicable Me - "IT'S SO FLUFFY". What can I say, I take cooking seriously...

Share, enjoy and savour their oaty, coconuty deliciousness (in moderation, if you can resist).

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