Welcome

***I now mainly write at www.theschoolofbalance.com and would love for you to come and join me over there***

Welcome to Sarah's Kitchen Diary

I love everything about food and use this blog as a place where I talk about recipes, places I've been and products I've tried.

To help you find your way around I've tried to gather posts under six main headings.  

Healthy Eating 

Here you will find all my recipes for everyday eating healthily. I've always been interested in cooking, baking and creating but in recent years have become increasingly interested in eating for health. For me this means avoiding processed food and chemicals, buying organic where possible and choosing lean protein, vegetables first, with some fruit, nuts and grains. 

Treat Days 

Here you will find all my recipes for Treat Days.

Whilst I try to eat healthy 'clean' food most of the time I still do enjoy an occasional treat. For me this involves eating well for the majority of the week with 1-2 treat meals a week. On these I prefer to make my own treats or eat a quality restaurants so that I know what has gone into the meals. 

 Travel and Out & About 

Here you will find all my posts about restaurants and recipes I have found on my travels some further away and some closer to home. I also have a few posts about cooking classes I have attended.

Product Reviews 

 

Here you will find posts with reviews of various products.

I often get offers of products to try in return for a review on this site. I only say yes when I believe in the product and sometimes also will post reviews of products I've bought and love. 

  

 Tips and My Free Recipe Book 

 This page is used to collect all of my too hints and tips and will shortly be home to my very first recipe book. Best of all it will be free! 

 Contact Me 

 If you do want to contact me then you can find all of my details on this page. I love to here from you and questions, comments, suggestions are all welcome.

Along the side of this screen you can also see shortcuts to recipes using key words, a search functionality, popular posts and much more.

Finally a little request from me. If you like what you read on my blog please do leave a comment and also let me know how you get on if you try any of my recipes.

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A Rather Interesting Tomato Salad

When I'm on holiday I love to go to the supermarket and buy a random selection of tomatoes, the uglier the better! I learnt this tip from a family friend when we were on holiday in Spain as children. The ugly ones really did taste the best! When the ingredients are great you don't need to do much with them, the simpler the better really. 

Now it's a bit early in the season for really good tomatoes, but I had been given some Red Wine Vinegar with Cassis and had some tomatoes that were pretty tasty so I left them out in the sun to warm up (I always think they're better that way) and decided to make a tomato salad. I'd heard that blackcurrants went well with mint and tomatoes. I couldn't get any of the actual fruits but the vinegar certainly made me want to try that combo! Very refreshing and summery. Perfect for a sunny bank holiday weekend. 

Recipe

1/2 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil 

1/2 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar au Cassis Dijon

A spring of mint

100g tomatoes (preferable a mixture of varieties) 

Seasoning

1. Start with the dressing. Mix together the oil, vinegar and mint. If the leaves are small enough you can leave them whole. Mix well. 

2. Slice the tomatoes into chunks and add to the dressing

3. Season to taste and toss the tomatoes in the dressing. 

Enjoy! 

 

Lime and coconut macaroons...great treat and healthy to boot!

Wow, wow, wow. I'm going to keep this short and sweet (excuse the pun) I've only just made these but they were so great I had to post straight away. In the search for gf and dairy free treats I remembered the old fashioned coconut macaroons that my nan used to love and decided to give them a go with the updated twist of lime. They taste great, very pleased with the chewy but crisp texture and the lime zing lifts them perfectly. The best surprise though was that I checked the nutritional value and they're perfect for a healthy treat too! 80 cals, low in carb and high in protein and fibre with moderate healthy fat from the coconut. They'd make a great gift for a friend on a diet. Pile 5-6 up and tie with a pretty bow. 

So here goes:

Ingredients:

Makes 9

100g unsweetened shredded/desiccated dried coconut 

2 large egg whites 

1 tbsp coconut sugar or soft dark brown sugar or your choice of sweetener (the state are based on sugar) 

1 lime (or two if they aren't very juicy!) 

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 180C

1. Place the egg whites in a bowl and add the sugar. Beat well until incorporated. 

2. Add the coconut, zest and juice of the lime and stir until fully combined

3. Form the mixture into 9 rough balls and flatten onto a greased baking sheet 

4. Bake for 15-20 mins until golden brown

Enjoy! 

Budget Friendly Healthy Eggs in a Tomato Sauce

As part of the The Trussell Trust's Three Pound Challenge I was asked if I could create a meal for two for less than £3. This is the sort of challenge I love and as my goal is to eat clean, healthy food I jumped at the chance to prove this could be achieved on a relatively modest budget. Eggs are the cheapest source of good protein so seemed the obvious choice! 

This meal is ideal for a healthy, budget friendly supper when you're in a hurry, as it's quick and easy to make. 

Recipe 

2tsp oil
1 onion, finely diced
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 tin supermarket economy chopped tomatoes
1 stock cube (I like beef best with tomatoes but chicken or vegetable work well too)
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 
1/2 bag spinach, shredded
6 free range eggs 
Salt and pepper to taste 
1/2 iceberg lettuce shredded 
One head of broccoli, cut into florets and boiled 

1. Start by gently sautéing the onion in a non stick frying pan in 1 tsp of oil. Once it starts to soften add the garlic. 
2. Add the tin of tomatoes, salt, pepper and stock cube and stir well. 
3. After a few minutes add the spinach and balsamic vinegar. Stir and allow the spinach to wilt. 
4. Once the spinach has wilted use the back of a spoon to make 6 wells in the sauce and gently break an egg into each well. Cover the frying pan with a lid or large plate until the egg white is cooked but the yolk is still runny (cook the yolk all the way through for anyone old, young, pregnant or sick). 
5. Serve with shredded iceberg lettuce coated with a little more oil and the cooked broccoli. 

Enjoy! 

Costing 

Tinned tomatoes 31p
Onion 13p
Garlic 5p
Oil 3p
Balsamic vinegar 3p
Stock cube 12.5p
Spinach 50p
Eggs 92p
Salt 1p 
Pepper 2p
Lettuce 25p
Broccoli 60p

Total: £2.96 

Prices correct as of 27th November based on actual amounts used

The Trussell Trust, a UK based food bank charity that is currently doing some incredible work in the community to help families who are on the bread line.  You can find a little bit more information about what they do here:http://www.trusselltrust.org/

Spiced Warming Beef Wraps

As mentioned in my precious post I've suddenly developed some pretty severe food intolerances. All kinds of ingredients are now off the menu and it's meant adjusting my normal diet quite dramatically. As it gets colder I crave winter warmers - stews, soups and spice. Anything large, rustic and warming. I've recently found that Knorr Stock Pots are pretty much what you'd put in stock you would make yourself. No MSG which is a change as most have this nasty chemical in. They do contain maltodextrin which I don't know much about so I need to check that out. I also added a Bovril for additional depth of flavour. 

This is my healthier, allergy friendly take on spiced beef wraps wraps. I love using iceberg lettuce leaves instead of bread wraps or flat breads. I also made a mint yoghurt for the other people eating. 

Recipe 

500g of lean beef mince

1 onion, finely diced 

1 garlic clove, crushed 

Oil

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander seeds

1/4 tsp chilli powder

1/2 tin of tomatoes

1/2 tbsp tomato purée 

1 tsp Bovril
1 Stock Pot 

1/2 tin lentils 

Iceberg lettuce, leaves whole. 

1/2 cucumber, diced

100ml natural yoghurt (if you can have dairy)

A sprig of mint

A squeeze of lemon

Salt and pepper

Serves 4

1. In a little oil sauté the lamb until browned and sealed, add the onion and continue to cook

2. Once the onions are golden add the garlic and spices and cook for a few minutes

3. Add the tomatoes, purée, Bovril, Stock Pot, lentils and seasoning and cook for about 30 minutes until the flavours have all melded together and the sauce has thickened 

4. Whilst it cooks select the best, large iceberg leaves and make a mint yoghurt (I just had the mint as dairy is off the menu for me) mix the yoghurt with fine,y chopped mint, a squeeze of lemon and seasoning. 

Too Tip: You can add a little crushed garlic if you wish but I find raw garlic a bit overpowering. A drizzle of garlic oil would be a good compromise. 

5. Allow people to make their own wraps up. Adding a spoonful of the beef mixture and a few cubes of cucumber to a lettuce leave and top with a little mint yoghurt. 

Enjoy! 

Cookie Christmas Tree Decorations

I've been pretty unwell for a while now and it seems to have triggered a miriad of severe food intolerances. As a result I've a new found respect for anyone dealing with limitations to their diet. I try to always find the positive in a situation so rather than focusing on what I can't have I've been focusing on what I can.

To start with this was more about creating enough meals from the very limited ingredients I could have to get by. Now I'm getting more used to it and given that Christmas is around the corner I decided it was time to get back baking in the kitchen. My scales were getting lonely! 

I love all things winter and spice I wanted to try and make some Christmas tree decorations that I could eat if I wished, intolerances and all! Sometimes 'free from' recipes look to unusual ingredients and substitutions which lead to a frankly odd result. Many standard recipes can be amended with a few of my favourite ingredients so relying on my favourite margarine, Stork (which is dairy free) and favourite gluten free flour, Doves Farm I set about creating a gluten free, dairy free biscuit that would be firm enough to hold up when hung from ribbon on the tree. I then added a touch of the warming spices of winter. The evocative smell of the biscuits whilst they were baking was just divine. They filled the kitchen with the smell of Christmas and warmed my soul. 

They look wonderful on the tree and would make a lovely present placed lovingly in a beautiful gift box!

Recipe 

400g gluten free flour
150g light soft brown sugar 
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp mixed spice or all-spice. 
1.5tsp gluten free baking powder 
150g Stork margarine 
2 eggs

1. Start by thoroughly mixing together the flour, sugar, spices and baking powder. 

Top tip, if your soft brown sugar goes hard and lumpy either pop a slice of apple in to help it soften or warm in the microwave for a few seconds. 

2. Using your finger tips rub the Stork margarine into the dry ingredients to create a bread crumb texture. Alternatively the pulse function of your food processor will achieve the same result. 

3.  Mix in one egg at a time. If the mixture is a little dry add a splash of water. 

4. Roll out the dough until it is about 1/2cm deep and use your favourite cookie cutter cut out your shapes. I used this intricate snowflake cutter I picked up in a 20% off event at Marks and Spencer.  

5. Using a chopstick or small round object make a hole in each cookie so that once cooked you can thread ribbon through. 

6. Bake at 150C for about 20-22minutes until golden brown and crisp on both sides. Remove from the oven and carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool. 

7. Once cool you can decorate them by piping Royal icing and using your choice of sprinkles however as my tree is fairly rustic and the cutter is already quite intricate I wanted to leave them plain. 

8. Using some fine ribbon carefully thread it through to make a loop to hang the decoration on the tree. Just make sure there high enough so that small children and pets aren't tempted! Unfortunately there isn't much you can do about the big people ;) 

Enjoy! 

Ayurveda and Kerala, India

I've recently got back from an Ayurvedic and yoga retreat in Kerala, South India. For anyone who doesn't know what Ayurveda is there is more information here, but basically it is an ancient form of wellbeing and health which focuses on prevention rather than cure and if medicine is necessary using natural herbal options. The doctors train for longer than Western doctors and there seems to be growing research based evidence supporting this and similar approaches (unsurprisingly as much research is funded by drug companies there is tends to be more focus on chemical medicine). A large element of this is the way you eat with a focus on certain food suiting different types of people. The food is mainly vegetarian.

Whilst I was away I had a cooking course into how to make an Ayurvedic meal. The course was taken by the chefs from the hotels kitchen.





Apologies in advance for the quality of the photos but I didn't take my proper camera with me as I was packing light and it was pretty dark in the room we were in.

Dhal Maharajah

We started by making a Dhal Maharajah, which was a yellow lentil dish.

Pre-cook 100g of yellow lentils according to the instructions on the packet.

Then you need to add 1/2 tsp of cumin seeds to a little oil, add three cloves of crushed garlic, an equal quantity of grated gingered one large onion very finely diced. Sauté until golden brown and soft. Add 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp cumin powder, 1/2 tsp chilli powder and one tomato chopped finely. Cook the spices in for a few minutes.


Add the pre-cooked lentils along with a little of their cooking water. Put the lid on the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are thick.


Stir though some chopped coriander and serve.



Vegetable Thoram

Next we made a Vegetable Thoram. A Thoram means a dry dish which often has coconut in it.

Start by heating a little coconut oil in a pan and add to it 1tsp mustard seeds, 5-10 curry leaves. Cook until the mustard seeds start to pop and add 1/2 tsp grated ginger, 1 crushed garlic clove, a very finely chopped onion, 1/2tsp salt, 1/2tsp chilli powder and 1/2 tsp turmeric. Cook until the onion is soft.



Very chop finely chopping your vegetables, we used carrots, green beans, cauliflower and cabbage and add to the pan with a little water. Cook, stirring occasionally to ensure they don't burn until the vegetables are cooked through and soft. Stir in 2 tbsps of grated dried coconut (unsweetened desiccated coconut) and serve.




Lemon Rice

Finally we made a lemon rice. Pre-cook 100g of basmati rice.

Start by adding 1/2 tbsp if cashew nuts and 1/2 tbsp of raisins to a little oil. Add 5-10 curry leaves and 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and cook the spices in.





Stir in the pre-cooked basmati rice, along with the juice of a lime and 1/2 tsp salt and serve.




Here are some of the pictures of the buffet that the chefs prepared each day

One day I also went on a trip out to a local food market. I think my taxi driver thought I was mad, but as I've probably mentioned before I think going to a food market really gives you a feel of a places food and culture. It was only small but there were still many fascinating things. As I didn't have anywhere to cook I couldn't buy much but I did buy some mango for me and the driver. 

One Week in Sarah's Diary: Sunday

I started the day with 20 mins of circuits before breakfast and also went for a nice, but bracing, walk. I was visiting my parents and they wanted roast lamb for dinner so I volunteered to cook it so I could make it as clean as possible.

Food and Drinks:
Breakfast: first thing I had lemon, ginger and hot water. I then had a variation on this Baker Boys recipe. I didn't have any bread so I layered up 2 rashers of lean dry cure bacon with a luscious tomato mixture (made from tinned tomatoes, tomato purée, balsamic vinegar black pepper, oatmeal and a tiny piece of beef stick cube), topped with a poached egg. Here is my version. It really was delicious. .




Lunch: I was out again but managed to eat relatively well. I had a ham ploughmans with no bread and extra salad and a few olives

Afternoon snack: a latte made with skimmed milk

Dinner: as mentioned my parents wanted a roast dinner. I'm glad I decided to cook so that the meal was cleaner than a full on traditional roast. We had a leg of lamb which they had bought from a local farm. The lambs graze on the salt marshes, eating samphire, which makes the lamb very tasty. They would normally want roast potatoes so I substituted these for roasted veg (onions, carrots and celeriac) and also cooked some shredded cabbage.




For pudding I made a pseudo fruit crumble based on my granola. The base was blackberry and apple with a fruit prunes chopped very finely and stirred through for sweetness topped with a mixture of oats, egg, flaked almond and cinnamon. We had it with 0% Greek Total yoghurt rather than custard or ice cream. You could also serve it with plain frozen yoghurt. Considering there was no added sugar it was very tasty.








Water: 1.5 litres
Other drinks: 5 mugs of decaf tea with skimmed milk, 1 latte
Organised for tomorrow: nothing for tomorrow but I have booked a massage later in the week to help with relaxation

Exercise and Walking

Walking: 45 mins
Exercise: 20 mins circuits (ten each of elevated rear leg lungs, jump squats, push ups and burpees repeated for 20 mins)

Relaxation and Sleep

Relaxation: spending time with family, going for a walk, early night
Meditation: 10 mins
Bed time: 9.30pm
Estimated hours of sleep: 7.5 hours

Before bed I always eat a few walnuts and take a magnesium supplement. I also sleep with a black out blind and sleep mask and use a pulse aromatherapy oil made of relaxing oils.

One Week in Sarah's Kitchen: Saturday

It was so lovely to wake up from a good nights sleep after a long week. I started the morning with some yoghurt and nuts before going to the gym as I was doing a weights class and struggle if I don't have anything to eat beforehand.

As I've mentioned I try and eat cleanly all week with the exception of 1 treat meal a week. Some people call this a cheat meal, but psychologically I prefer the idea of treating myself for eating well rather than seeing it as cheating. I also plan this meal as part of my weekly food planning and chose something I really want so I have something to look forwards to. I tend to have this at the weekend and typically cook something. I try and still keep it as natural and unprocessed as possible but don't worry about sugar, refined carbs or fat. This week I'd decided to have it on Saturday lunch time as I had my friend and her girls coming to visit and she wanted to go to a nice bakery for lunch.
I find this meal important for three main reasons:

1. I love cooking and baking so the idea of never being able to eat some things and try some recipes is not one I'm willing to consider.
2. By having a treat meal I have something help me resist temptation during the week. If I fancy a bar of chocolate I ask myself if I'd rather have that or the treat meal I've planned and am looking forwards to.
3. From what I've read this shakes up your body and helps prevent your metabolism from becoming too sluggish.

Food and Drinks:

Breakfast: first thing I had lemon, ginger and hot water. I then had a small amount of 0% Total Greek yoghurt with a few lightly roasted nuts

Morning snack: this was more breakfast than a snack as I had it when. Got back from the gym but I went for scrambled eggs with mushrooms and spinach and added some thyme and a splash of balsamic vinegar to the mushrooms for flavour before adding 1 egg and 2 egg whites.




Lunch: at the bakery I had a croissant filled with gruyere cheese and ham with grainy mustard and a side salad followed by a raspberry tart with a pot of tea and a small bar of dark chocolate with pink peppercorns (very unusual but quite tasty!).

Afternoon snack: as I had a big, late lunch I didn't have any snack.

Dinner: As I was home I wanted to cook something tasty but clean. I had some Tenderstem broccoli which needed using up so I decided to make a Thai green curry served with Tenderstem broccoli and asparagus dressed in a soy, chilli and lime dressing. The Thai curry was a recipe I picked up when I was on holiday in Kao Tao, Thailand. They used a bought curry paste so I did the same but do sometimes made my own and freeze it in small portions. You can find good recipes on google.








For pudding I had a foil baked orange



Water: 2 litres
Other drinks: 2 mugs of decaf tea with skimmed milk, 1 black decaf coffee, 1 regular tea
Organised for tomorrow: I am visiting my parents so packed my gym kit

Exercise and Walking

Walking: 30 mins
Exercise: 1 hr weights class - Body Pump

Relaxation and Sleep

Relaxation: I then listened to some music whilst cooking and watched a TV programme I'd missed in the week and then went to bed early
Meditation: none
Bed time: 9.15pm
Estimated hours of sleep: 8 hours

Before bed I always eat a few walnuts and take a magnesium supplement. I also sleep with a black out blind and sleep mask and use a pulse aromatherapy oil made of relaxing oils.

One Week in Sarah's Kitchen: Friday

Last day in the office of the week. I always forget how long these exercises are! As I travel most weeks for work it was lovely to sleep in my own bed every night for a week but 12-14 hours in the office each day in a high stress situation has taken it's toll. I'm very glad it's the weekend!

Food and Drinks:

Breakfast: first thing I had lemon, ginger and hot water. Followed a little later by Protein Pancakes. However unlike the recipe I had them plain with a little cinnamon sprinkled on top.




Morning snack: a healthy Eton Mess. Made my mixing 0% Total Greek Yoghurt with raspberries, blueberries, chopped dates, grated apple and vanilla. I normally top with a few flaked almonds or mixed seeds but I forgot. Yum!

Lunch: tomato and lentil soup


Afternoon snack: roasted nuts and a pear

Dinner: As I was home at a reasonable time I wanted to cook something but as I was feeling pretty tired it needed to be quick I went with this recipe. It is basically a tomato sauce with eggs cracked on top and allowed to cook. I added onion and plenty of spinach to the tomato sauce to increase the vegetables and served it with a green salad.




For pudding I followed this with a healthy version of chocolate mousse and I don't mean those awful low fat and low calorie pots you buy which I full of sweeteners and very little nutritional value.

Water: 1.5 litres
Other drinks: 2 mugs of decaf tea with skimmed milk
Organised for tomorrow: my gym kit

Exercise and Walking

Walking: 15 mins
Exercise: Rest day - I had wanted to do a weights session but after a long week I was too tired.

Relaxation and Sleep

Relaxation: turned off my phone all evening for Quiet Night Friday. I try and do this every Friday to have a break from everything. I then listened to some music whilst cooking and chose a nice classical album. I then had a bath soaking in Epsom salts. I then read a chapter of my book in bed. Both still listening to music.
Meditation: 10 mins
Bed time: 9pm
Estimated hours of sleep: 8.5 hours

Before bed I always eat a few walnuts and take a magnesium supplement. I also sleep with a black out blind and sleep mask and use a pulse aromatherapy oil made of relaxing oils.

One Week in Sarah's Kitchen: Thursday

It was a real struggle to get up and motivated to exercise. I had originally planned to do a weights class at 6.45am but the gym is a 30 min walk away and as I got to bed later than planned I changed my plans so that I could get up at 7am rather than 5.45am. Instead I went to the local park and did some fasted sprints. I also went out for dinner in the evening and after a long stressful week it was very difficult not to sucumb to temptation. I'd eaten well throughtout the day though so I didn't arrive hungry and made sensible choices.

Food and Drinks:

Breakfast: first thing I had lemon, ginger and hot water. After exercise I had an almond protein shake for my breakfast


Morning snack: Minted tuna and lettuce wraps. To make these I mixed some tuna with 1/2 teaspoon of mint, added a sqeeze of lemon juice and a tablespoon of 0% Total Greek Yoghurt and then used iceberg lettuce leaves instead of wraps to wrap them up.

Lunch: Roasted Cauliflower and Cumin Soup followed by a plum and an apple

Afternoon snack: Two oat cakes with hazelnut butter

Dinner: as the week had been long and stressful and it was another late finish in the office I was taking my team out for dinner. I eat out regularly, so I have become used to making good choices when on the move. As a rule I don't have alcohol or too much starch unless it's treat night. This time I had aubergine topped with chopped tomatoes to start followed by chicken with mushrooms and asparagus served with veg and I swapped the sauté potatoes it was supposed to be served with for salad. I didn't had a pudding but to prevent 'pudding envy' whilst the others were eating theirs I had a decaf latte.

Water: 3 litres (this included the sparking water I had in the restaurant)
Other drinks: 1 black decaf coffee, 2 mugs of decaf tea with skimmed milk.
Organised for tomorrow: in very late so nothing

Exercise and Walking

Walking: 15 mins
Exercise: 20 mins sprints - sprinting for 20 secs followed by rest and repeat

Relaxation and Sleep

Relaxation: none! Another seriously stressful day.
Meditation: none
Bed time: 11.15pm
Estimated hours of sleep: 6.5

Before bed I always eat a few walnuts and take a magnesium supplement. I also sleep with a black out blind and sleep mask and use a pulse aromatherapy oil made of relaxing oils.

One Week in Sarah's Kitchen: Wednesday

Again it was an early start in the office. I had breakfast before I left home and took my gym kit with me as I had planned to do a spin class after work. As it turned out, I didn't leave the office until almost 10pm so that unfortunately didn't happen.

Food and Drinks:

Breakfast: first thing I had lemon, ginger and hot water. Followed a little later by two poached eggs one one slice of rye with half an avacado

Morning snack: a green smoothie with a teaspoon of spiruluna powder added and sweetened with dates rather than agave syrup

Lunch: tomato and lentil soup followed by an orange cut up with a little lemon jucie squeezed on it



Afternoon snack: four protein ball 'truffles' made from dried fruit, nuts, cocoa powder and cinnamon.

As it was a late night in the office I also had a cocoa made with oat milk and a few nuts to keep me going

Dinner: As I finished in the ofice even later that Tuesday night I didn't even make it to the freezer for my dinner. Instead I had some left over Moroccan spiced houmous with some celery, carrot and cucumber sticks and some mange tout. Followed by mackerel in tomato sauce on wilted spinach topped with a little cheese.

Water: 2 litres
Other drinks: 4 mugs of decaf tea with skimmed milk
Organised for tomorrow: only snacks, it was too late for anything else

Exercise and Walking

Walking: 20 mins
Exercise: Rest day - enforced by a very long day in the office

Relaxation and Sleep

Relaxation: none
Meditation: none
Bed time: 10.40pm
Estimated hours of sleep: 6.5 hours

Before bed I always eat a few walnuts and take a magnesium supplement. I also sleep with a black out blind and sleep mask and use a pulse aromatherapy oil made of relaxing oils.

One Week in Sarah's Kitchen: Tuesday

The second day started well with 30 mins of circuits followed by an early start in the office. Again I'd prepared most of my food the night before so pretty much stuck to plan.

Food and Drinks:

Breakfast: first thing I had lemon, ginger and hot water. After exercise I had an almond protein shake for my breakfast


Morning snack: Thai Chicken and Lettuce Wraps. To make these I mixed some left over roast chicken with 1/2 teaspoon of green Thai curry paste, added a sqeeze of lemon juice and a tablespoon of 0% Total Greek Yoghurt and then used iceberg lettuce leaves instead of wraps to wrap them up. Unfortunately I forgot to take a photo

Lunch: Roasted Cauliflower and Cumin Soup followed by a plum and a pear

Afternoon snack: Low Fat Moroccan Spiced Hummus with cherry tomatoes and sticks of carrots, celery and cucumber

As it was a late night in the office I also had a cocoa made with oat milk about 6pm

Dinner: due to a very late finish in the office I raided the freezer for a 'ready' meal I'd frozen when I'd made extra dinner one time.I had a chicken and veg stew with some steamed broccoli, cabbage and spinach

Evening snack: an orange
Water: 2 litres
Other drinks: 2 mugs of decaf tea with skimmed milk
Organised for tomorrow: gym kit, soup for lunch and snacks

Exercise and Walking

Walking: 50 mins
Exercise: 30 mins circuits - elevated rear leg lunges x 10 (on each side), squat jumps x 10, burpees x10, tricep dips x 10, pushups x 10, bicycle crunches x10 (on each side), plank (30 secs), side plank (30 secs each side) - all repeated 3 times

Relaxation and Sleep

Relaxation: Reading a chapter of a book in bed before sleep
Meditation: ~10 mins
Bed time: 9.45pm
Estimated hours of sleep: 7.5 hours

Before bed I always eat a few walnuts and take a magnesium supplement. I also sleep with a black out blind and sleep mask and use a pulse aromatherapy oil made of relaxing oils.

One Week in Sarah's Kitchen: Monday

So it's the first day of posting what I eat. After a busy weekend, today is rest day (exercise wise) so no gym for me and just some walking.

I was in work early but started the day as I had intended, largely due to the fact I had everything I could ready the night before.

Food and Drinks:

Breakfast: first thing I had lemon, ginger and hot water followed a little later by scrambled eggs with mushrooms and spinach (2 eggs, 2 eggs whites, large handful of spinach and plenty of mushrooms).

Morning snack: a green smoothie with a teaspoon of spirulina powder added

Lunch: tomato and lentil soup and an apple



Afternoon snack: lightly roasted nuts and kale crisps



Dinner: bolognese made with a mixture lean beef and turkey mince and bulked with mushrooms and onion with some steamed cauliflower, broccoli and spinach. The Bolognese was similar to the one I used for my savoury pancake stack

Evening snack: frozen grapes - these are a fab as taste a bit like sorbet. I sometimes even blend them so they form a sorbet.



Water: 2 litres
Other drinks: 2 mugs of decaf tea with skimmed milk and 2 mugs of herbal tea
Organised for tomorrow: gym kit, soup for lunch and snacks

Exercise and Walking

Walking: 30 mins
Exercise: None, rest day

Relaxation and Sleep

Relaxation: 30 mins soaking in the bath
Meditation: none
Bed time: 10.15pm
Estimated hours of sleep: 7 hours

Before bed I always eat a few walnuts and take a magnesium supplement. I also sleep with a black out blind and sleep mask and use a pulse aromatherapy oil made of relaxing oils.

Overall I was quite pleased with the day. I would have preferred to have got to bed earlier and also made time for some meditation

Tomato and lentil soup

As you can see from the soup recipes on my blog I eat soup quite often. ,out weeks I'll make a couple of different soups at the beginning of the week to last me for lunches or light dinners.

This week I made a tomato and lentil soup.

I always start by sautéing the vegetables in a little oil before adding the liquid and lentils. You could jump this step to reduce the fat but I think it improves the flavour and is good fat so worth it for me.

I also add a little Parmesan which again could be omitted but as its a hard strong cheese you don't need much.





Tasty!

Here is the recipe

Check out How to Make Tomato and Lentil Soup #Healthyeating by Sarah's Kitchen Diary on Snapguide.

Chicken Broth

This is a great tasty and healthy lunch or light dinner.

If you don't have these veg add what you do. I like broad beans and a handful of kale.





Start by making a sofritto by gently sautéing finely chopped onion, carrot and celery. Add crushed garlic, chicken stock, black pepper and beans and cook for 30-45 mins. Once everything is soft add leftover roast chicken, parsley and a splash of white wine vinegar. Check for seasoning and serve.

Here is my guide.
Check out How to Make Chicken Broth #Healthyeating by Sarah's Kitchen Diary on Snapguide.

How to avoid temptation and eat healthy snacks

When I'm out and about it can be hard to make healthy choices. I also find that if I'm really hungry I will just eat whatever is available and in many places it is hard to find healthy snacks. Even the so called health options at work are covered in sugar and fat masquerading at yoghurt.

So I try to make sure I always have snacks with me in the office and also snacks in my handbag for throughout the day.

Starting at home I have ready cut crudités in the fridge at eye height so when I open the door looking for something to eat there is an easy healthy option. You could do the same with fruit.





I also bag up the same mixture to take to work





I like to take oatcakes or Dr Karg's to work with me so I have something as a starting point for a healthy lunch or to have as a snack







These are good spread with nut butters





Nut butters are also good with slices of apple. Try different ones as you might like some more than others. I love hazelnut butter. Think a healthy Nutella! It's also great with a little unsweetened cocoa power and vanilla or (and you're going to have to trust me on this one) hazelnut butter with prunes or dates is perfect to help with a chocolate craving.

I also love Total 0% Greek yoghurt for work. It's higher in protein than standard yoghurt, and so creaming considering it's fat free. Apparently many people find it easier to digest as well. It's lovely on its own or with a few berries.





In my handbag I always have roasted nuts and seeds







And an apple as its such a portable fruit




Finally, I always have herbal tea bags so I know I can enjoy a caffeine free hot drink when people or places don't have any options





My snapguide can be found here

Check out How to Avoid Temptation With Snacks #Healthyeating by Sarah's Kitchen Diary on Snapguide.