Healthy Banana Muffins

Now don't get me wrong, there are not many things that compare to that Friday feeling at the end of a working week, however as we all know the 9-5 life has its many struggles... 

If you, like me live that #tupperwarelife during the week where you tend to spend your evenings meal prepping for the next day (who am i kidding, most probably in the morning in a mad rush to get out the door), you may find that as the weeks roll by, each time you open your tupperware lid at breakfast or lunch you begin to get sick of the sight of your three or four go to meals. 

Recently I have been feeling a little uninspired by good foods to get me through the week which I think has caused a loss of motivation. This has resulted in a few too many shop bought breakfasts and lunches for my liking so I decided to try and switch things up. 

I thought it would be nice to ditch my usual porridge/eggs for breakfast this week so I tried my hand at some banana muffins. To my great surprise they actually turned out half decent so I thought it might be nice to share the recipe for anyone needing a little breakfast inspo.

Ingredients 

3 Bananas 

2 Eggs

75 grams Porridge Oats

120ml Almond Milk 

250 grams Gluten Free Self Raising Flour 

60ml Honey 

1 tsp Bicarbonate Soda

1 to 2 tsp Cinnamon (depending on preference) 

1 tbsp Peanut Butter

Sunflower seeds/berries for topping (optional) 

Now the recipe is pretty simple - some real Becki type baking going on here once again.

 Mash up the bananas and mix well with the wet ingredients (eggs, milk, honey and peanut butter) 

Then add the mixture to your dry ingredients (flour, bicarb, cinnamon, oats) and mix well again. 

Divide between 12 muffin cases and top with you berries and sunflower seeds or whatever topping your heart desires! 

Pop in the oven for around 20 minutes, checking them half way through

Just a note to say, you don't need to use gluten free flour by any means, however, I have been trying out the gluten free hype recently to see if its any kinder on my tum. Perhaps I could do a future blog post with my findings but so far so good! 

I decided to drizzle a little more honey over the top and had with Greek Yoghurt and some Blueberries and let me tell ya, it certainly made my Monday morning a little more bearable! 

Thank you for reading, I would love to hear your weekday breakfast/lunch ideas! 

Winter Skin Saviours

Winter can be a tough old time for the skin so I thought I would share a few key (low maintenance) products my skin has really been thanking me for over the colder months. 

In my first skincare post, I go into quite a lot of detail about what I look for, the most important thing being that the product has to be suitable for extremely sensitive skin. With this in mind I don't tend to try new skincare all that much as more often than not it will make me break out or cause irritation.

With this being said,  I am going to share my key items for surviving the winter which are mostly old favourites with a few new finds thrown in. 

Lets get started.

Origins Gin Zing Refreshing Scrub Cleanser is one of my first favourites - this face wash/cleanser is as refreshing as it claims, provides a thorough cleanse and the little beads within the product acts as a gentle exfoliator without being harsh on the skin which is perfect for me as most exfoliators leave me with little red cheeks. 

Aveeno Cream is an absolute winner for repairing your skin when it's having a bad day. Great for soothing irritation and providing moisture if the skin is particularly dry. This stuff isn't cheap however, so I tend to steal my boyfriend's (ssshhh don't tell!) 

Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask - This is one of the most delicious skin products I have ever smelt! It smells like a mixture of watermelon and orange and feels so fresh and soothing on the skin. I use this product about twice a week, liberally applied before going to bed which results in soft, hydrated skin in the morning.  

Origins Ging Zing Energy Boosting Moisturiser - Probably my ultimate favourite at the moment. For a gal who loves citrus scents this moisturiser is my perfect product. It's gentle, light, smells of oranges and keeps my dry skin hydrated all throughout the day - what more could you want? I am on my second pot and plan to purchase many many more. 

Vichy Once Step Cleanser - This is one of my new finds. I find it very difficult to find a cleanser that I really like other than the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish,  however I think I have found one that suits my skin. The creamy consistency is great for leaving my skin feeling moisturised after a cleanse rather than drying which I tend to find if I use a foam based cleanser. It is also very gentle on the eyes which is another important factor for me as I have gone in hard with harsh eye makeup removers in the past which have left me in severe pain! 

Origins No Puffery - Can you see a pattern here? I love Origins, I think it's a great brand. This little baby has been great for giving my sleepy eyes a little kick in the mornings. It helps keep redness and irritation at bay and is great for dryness from the cold weather. 

Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream Lip Balm - This has been another new find for me. I was a bit hesitant at the price tag as I don't tend to get much out of balms normally, however after having quite a hard time with my lips over the winter and receiving a recommendation from my friend, I decided to give it a go. I found the scent of the balm something to get used to which I have heard is the case for others too, however I think it has been a life saver for my poor chapped, dry lips. They are in no way perfect, but having this balm on my desk at work/in my handbag along with my daily mission to drink 2/3 litres of water has definitely shown some improvement, much to my relief as I was really starting to miss wearing a matte lip (ain't nobody want to be walking around wearing Mac Ruby Woo with hella chapped lips am I right ladies????) 

I would love to hear your winter skin saviours as I am always on the look out for new tips and tricks for keeping my skin healthy and looking its best. 

As always, thank you for reading! 

Becki xx 

The Weekly Eats

So weekends are made for doing and eating fun things in my book and I'm not about to give that up! However I do try and live by the rule 'everything in moderation'. Last weekend wasn't too crazy as I am still trying to focus on being extra good after christmas but naturally, a little over indulgence occurred in the form of a few glasses of wine and some of the best tacos I have ever eaten at a really cool place called El Cartel in Edinburgh. 

But all good things must come to and end and all too quickly,  we found ourselves back at Monday morning, wondering where the heck the weekend went but (hopefully) ready for a new week of clean eating. 

MONDAY

A light dinner needed to try and reverse the naughtiness that occurred over the weekend. Courgetti with bacon and pesto and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. This dish was really tasty but I'm not going to lie, it did not fill me up! Perhaps due to the fact that I forgot to add pine nuts (oops).  I think it's important to listen to your body both when you are full but also if its telling you that you are still hungry so I had two brown rice cakes with peanut butter along with it. 

TUESDAY

Now I have to admit something, the chicken in this salad was from a packet (I know, I know!) but I needed something quick and easy after I finally stopped being a baby and plucked up the courage to return to the gym after Christmas and New Year. Peri peri chicken salad with basically any veggie I could find in my fridge (lettuce, spinach, red cabbage, radish, cucumber, yellow pepper, avocado & spring onion) with a splash of balsamic vinegar. 

The Weekly Eats

So along with all its positivity and possibility, like a slap in the face, the new year has brought with it the crushing reality that it's time to put down the glass of Prossecco and step away from the box of miniature heroes before it really is too late. 

I am the type of person (along with the majority of the population it seems) that uses the new year as an excuse for the typical "new year, new me" behaviour, which includes: dusting off the old gym membership, buying a new diet cook book and making dramatic statements such as "I'm never eating pizza again" (sure...). The most drastic of these was the time that I ordered a cross trainer on New Years Day, possibly still under the influence of alcohol, which is currently in my spare room serving its useful job as a clothes horse... 

I'm hoping that this year might be a little different. Yes, I have the new cook book and I miiiiight have bought some nice (perhaps a tad expensive) new gym kit for a bit of motivation... but I have decided to try and take a different approach for 2016 - there is no point in setting yourself unrealistic goals just to feel let down and disappointed if you don't reach them. 

As I stated in my previous post, this year I am going to focus on eating home cooked, nourishing food rather than attempting a stupid diet or cutting out every yummy food under the sun just to be totally miserable. To help me stay motivated and inspired - and possibly even inspire others - I thought it might be a fun idea to keep a food diary of sorts each week to show the types of things that I (well, mainly my boyfriend) cook to try and maintain a healthy lifestyle (most of the time!) 

So without further a due, lets get cracking with the first weeks eats! 

TUESDAY

Starting the week strong with a dish from Jamie Oliver's Superfood, adapted to include sweet potato mash for a much needed energy boost after the first day back at work. Really filling and lots of flavour from the feta cheese and homemade pesto.

WEDNESDAY

A really delicious and comforting dinner of homemade tomato and pepper soup with feta and coriander sprinkled on top. We had leftover pesto from the night before so we couldn't resist to have it with some crusty bread! You could make this dish even healthier by choosing wholewheat bread or ditching it altogether if you were feeling really good. We had tonnes of soup left, perfect to have for lunches or freeze for a later date.
Side note - how cute is the little soup bowl my mum got me for Christmas?

THURSDAY

Now Thursday evening is basically the start of the weekend, and that calls for something extra tasty for dinner.  This burger is perfect as you still feel like you are being a bit naughty without the added refined carbs. The recipe was taken from Paleo Monday to Friday  and although the added Mozarella cheese does not make the dish Paleo, it offers a healthier option and solves the problem of the dreaded bread bloat.

FRIDAY

Homemade pork meatballs with spinach pasta was the perfect dish for the end of a long week. Not the healthiest, but definitely better than ordering a takeaway which used to be a must on a Friday night in our house. The dish is a great treat with the added bonus that you know exactly what ingredients have gone in it.

Looking back, it has been quite a meat heavy week so my focus for the next week is to cut back and up the veggie intake!

I hope you enjoyed reading this post as much as I enjoyed writing it.
I would love to know your meal ideas as I am always looking for new inspiration!

Becki xx 

For the love of Coffee

This is a basically just a coffee appreciation post which I am thinking about making a regular thing. I know that other coffee lovers out there will agree that nothing compares to a well made cup of joe (do people actually call it that??) so a review of different coffee places each week might be helpful to others or at least will just give me an excuse to drink more of the good stuff.

I love nothing more than heading out on a Saturday morning (who am I kidding, usually afternoon) to go and feed my coffee habit. So this Saturday off we went on a 'long' walk with the promise of a coffee and perhaps a sweet treat at the end of it. Before we set off we had researched a few places as I wanted to try somewhere I hadn't been before. Our intentions were good, however once again the british weather had other ideas and we found ourselves ducking for shelter in the nearest Cafe Nero, soaked to bone and I'll admit quite hangry on my part... 

So although the coffee snob in me didn't get to try out the latest beans at a small hipster, no doubt over priced cafe, I have to say that Cafe Nero does a damn fine Cappuccino and much to my boyfriends relief, a selection of pastries that caught my eye - because what's to complain about when you are demolishing a croissant?  

Start the year as you mean to go on...

I have decided that for me, 2016 is going to be all about staying active, eating nourishing, home cooked food and spending time with friends and family. 

I could think of no better way to start the new year than a big dog walk to build an appetite for a delicious steak pie (and my dad's legendary mash potato) with my family. 

Now the beverage isn't exactly healthy but who could say no to a glass of champagne??? 

What do you have planned for 2016? 

xx

NYE

Daisy Street boots, River Island top, Accessorize bag, New Look necklace, Laura Mercier lipstick

One of my new years resolutions is to make more time for my blog and what better way to start 2016 than with my first (questionable) attempt at an outfit post. 

NYE is all about getting super glam to bring in the new year (start as your mean to go on!). My plans for the evening consisted of a lovely dinner with my boyfriend and then off to the pub to drink (too much) fizz with friends, so I needed an outfit that was going to be versatile. I actually ended up changing into black jeans along with ankle boots for the pub as the typical Edinburgh winter weather defeated me, however I loved that the top could be both dressed up and slightly dressed down. 

I definitely wear black more than I should but I think the classy all black along with the pop of colour in the necklace and lipstick really makes this outfit something a bit special for the occasion. 

I love the combination of the knee high boots, tassels and big curly hair which I think gives the look a slight sixties feel. 

Happy New Year. I hope 2016 will be the best year yet!