What a wonderful weekend it has been! The weather has been gorgeous and I got to spend some time with my fantastic friends and my cousin. I hadn’t seen them in a couple of weeks and it was just so good to spend a few hours with them chatting and catching up. I also enjoyed a lovely walk around Durham with James enjoying the sunshine:
OOTD: sunglasses: Dorothy Perkins, gold collar necklace: Topshop, denim jacket: New Look, red racer back vest: Miss Selfridge, black floaty wide leg trousers: Topshop, orange bag: Dorothy Perkins, gold sandals: Next, bangles: charity shop and vintage.
Yes that is a Holland and Barrat bag in my hand, gotta love their buy one get one half price sale! I stocked up on my latest addiction – coconut water!
The weekend got off to an awesome start with a super run. I did 9 miles in 1.18 with an average pace of 8.41. I checked my training log on Daily Mile and this my fastest run over the 6 mile distance so far!
A lot of my eats this weekend have featured these:
Giant beets, radishes and carrots from my organic veg box. Those beets were almost the size of my head! They came with a mountain of beet greens attached, which upon a quick Google I discovered were quite edible. I put both the beets and greens to good use in a super post run smoothie:
This was a corker! I blended some spinach, beet greens, raw beet, frozen cherries, chocolate sun warrior protein powder, tbsp of raw cacao, coconut water, mesquite, barley grass, ice and a couple of drops of stevia for sweetness. I topped the smoothie with some almond butter sauce, cacao nibs and flaked almonds. The raw beets worked perfectly in this and gave it a lovely sweetness.
Other beet featuring meals include this delicious herbed socca wrap with sweet chilli hummus, mixed salad leaves, roast beetroot and steamed broccoli and asparagus:
Today I made up a huge jug of super green juice with celery, a whole cucumber, beet greens, radish greens, lemon and ginger:
It was amazing! Green juice sunrise ;-) I felt very hardcore drinking this without any added fruit to sweeten it, but it was actually surprisingly sweet and mild.
I also made a tasty salad with spinach, mixed leaves, more roasted beetroot, radish, avocado, mixed seeds and a quick dressing made with blueberry balsamic, hemp oil and Dijon mustard:
The rest of the avocado featured in this lovely lunch:
Toasted farmers market rye bread with mashed avocado and nutritional yeast, carrots, red pepper and sugar snaps with more avo mash for dipping and two small apples
I’ve also been taking advantage of lots of lovely cheap berries:
Huge fruit salad with strawberries, blueberries, nectarine, clemintine and organic red currants topped with soy yoghurt.
This mornings breakfast was enjoyed al fresco:
Random combo of strawberries, blueberries and red currants mixed with 1/2 cup of oats, 1 cup of freshly made almond milk, ground flax, peanut flour, treacle granola and a chopped dark chocolate Adora calcium disc plus a cup of coffee sweetened with vanilla stevia. We don’t have a garden as such – just a raised grassed communal area, but I decided to sit out at the back door and enjoy the early morning sunshine. It was blissful :-)
This evenings dinner was a quick and easy, but surprisingly good meal:
Moroccan themed chickpea couscous made by combining chickpeas, peas, barley couscous, tomato passata and ground cumin all on top of a big pile of summer lettuce. It took a few minutes to make and tasted fab!
I’ve had a really fun day of pottering about in the kitchen, I’ve experimented and made some Almond Oatmeal Coconut Cookies (some with chocolate chips!) and some beetroot tahini dip / dressing, I’ll be sharing these recipes soon as they are both awesome!
Have you been enjoying the weather where you are? How often do you get to eat outdoors? I think I’ll be trying to make a more regular habit of enjoying the early morning sun at my door whenever we get it! This time next week I’ll be in Brighton and hopefully enjoying even more al fresco dining :-)
Hope you’ve had a great weekend! – don’t forget to enter my giveaway!
{ 21 comments… read them below or add one }
I cant tell you how much I love your blog – Ive been reading for months now but I don’t think Ive ever commented (your blog is often the first thing I check before I switch off my laptop at night, and often the first thing I check when switching on in the morning)….I love your inspirational your entries and eats are – you are so creative with your ideas!
Lucie =] xx
I love your sunglasses! Not many people can carry off that shape and style but you have very defined cheekbones, and consequently they look great.
I have to say that I never knew beet greens were edible. I’m sure it does mention it in Crazy Sexy Diet somewhere now that I think about it. I would really like to try them. Since we went into the wonderful fruit and veggie shop in Durham I’ve been thinking of ditching the supermarkets for good in terms of produce, so I think I’ll need to pick up some beet greens tomorrow if I get the chance to go in there.
Do you buy the flavoured or unflavoured coconut water? I found the unflavoured a little difficult to get used to, so I was wondering what the flavoured versions are like.
You already know how impressed I am with your run, and I’ve been enjoying the weather very much too. I’m so happy it’s finally warm enough that you don’t have to suffer from the cold and your circulation. I can’t imagine how difficult that must be.
I don’t eat outdoors much to be honest but that’s only because I am quite fastidious about bugs getting in my food! And don’t get me started on sand at the beach – literally having a ‘sand’-wich isn’t much fun. Your picnic looks lovely though.
<3
xxx
P.S The new avatar pic is breathtaking. Would you consider doing a ‘how to’ post in terms of make-up for complete novices like me, perhaps featuring vegan/ethical brands?
the weather has been rather beautiful, hapy that you enjoyed the sunshine (:
that green juice sounds utterly perfect to me! Exactly how i like mine!
I’ve been trying to be outside as much as possible this weekend, mainly just in the garden though…reading, eating drinking and daydreaming (:
xxxx
For some reason i hate eating outside unless its a BBQ/party/something at someones house. If i sit outside at a cafe or restaurant i feel like people walking past could watch me eat….weird i know.
Where did you get the blueberry balsamic? It sounds amazing and i’m addicted to balsamic at the moment.
Yay – you updated your profile pic! Loving the new look :D X x
I have been working outdoors lots this weekend so glad for the sunshine…
I wish I had time to have my breakfast al fresco, looks lovely! Also, you look stunning in your new ‘About Me’ picture :)
L x
Sounds like you’ve had a wonderful weekend in this amazing weather!! And you look super stylish as always! Definitely rockin’ the big shades girly! :) Ohh and I must say you look gorgeous in your new avatar!
A huge huge well done on your run too. Seriously, every long run you do impresses me. You have come such a long way and aahh I just know you’re doing to do amazing in the race!!
Your breakfast today sounds delicious – what brand is the treacle granola? Sounds lovely! And lucky you being able to sit outside to eat it, I don’t have anywhere to sit out in the sun so my only chance is when I’m at a cafe.
I eat outdoors all the time when the weather is pleasant! I feel like all the meals taste a lot better when eaten outdoors :)
I love adding beets to smoothies – the taste and the color is perfect!
You look so pretty in your profile picture! I wish I could carry off red lips – you really suit it!
The weather has been amazing but i have been stuck in the shop all weekend booooooooo! x x
Someone’s looking absolutely gorgeous! I love your outfit, and your new profile pic :D And it’s great to hear that you had such an awesome weekend. The weather has been absolutely lovely here, and I’ve been doing my best to get outside as much as possible. There’s just something about being outside that makes meals taste extra good… that’s one of the things I love most about camping and picnics :D
Hope you’re having a beautiful Sunday!
You look stunning in your new pic! I almost didn’t recognise you at first glance. I love eating outside and try to most of the time when I’m at home. You’ve just got to make the most of the sunny weather when it is here.
I’ve been loving the cheap berries lately and ate some outside today in my garden in my bikini top n shorts… trying to catch some rays n get a tan before my holiday!
First, you look so pretty in yor new profil picture- love it!!
And I cant wait for you to post the beetroot tahini dip- thats two of my very favorit foods!
Congrats on you great run- you are amazing :)
so FINALLY the weather has warmed up!! cute outfit!! PLEASE make me a socca wrap! yours always look SO GOOD!
Lucie – thank you so much for that comment, you honestly have no idea how much that means to me, its really made my day :-)
Jess – I get a mix of the plain and sometimes the flavoured ones, they are definitely a lot sweeter, I just can’t get enough of the stuff, especially for after runs I can really feel the difference! Yes I’m glad its warmer now, I still need my gloves though! and thank you so much for such a sweet comment re my pick, and I think you must be physic as tonight’s post is on natural and organic beauty!
Lana – I think if I had a proper garden that would have been me too! My green juice was amazing :-)
Sarah – I got it from a local ‘foodie’ shop, it is out of this world delicious!
SJ – thanks!
L – thank you! Yes, Sunday is probably about the only time I would get to have time to sit outside, I hate rushing my breakfast tho!
Nicky – its Lizzi’s granola and its delicious! I think you would love it :-)
Lenna – yes, some foods certainly taste better eaten outdoors!
Leah – thanks!
Tam – nooo! roll on our hols eh!
Amanda – thanks and I completely agree, eating outdoors makes food taste really good! I can’t wait to be camping at the end of the month :-)
Jemma – thanks! haha, is that cause I usually look such a state ;-0 I agree, we have to make the most of it when the sun shines!
Laura – that sounds lovely!
Ragnhild – thank you, the beet tahini dip is so simple – bearly even a recipe to be honest and it tastes fab!
Carrie – thanks hon, I’d make you a socca wrap anytime petal ;-)
Just found your blog from Moves n munchies and I love it so much!!!
It’s so pretty.
Look forward to reading more! Might have to add you to my blogroll– (-:
Oh my gosh you have so many creative foods!!! That smoothie looks AMAZING and I love chickpeas but I’ve never tried them with couscous! I bet it would be good with quinoa too!
I love your OOTD – the trousers are beautiful and really summery :-)
I’m getting beets in my organic box this week – so any ideas would be gratefully received. I’ve seen a recipe for beetroot hummus that sounds a bit similar to your dip/dressing.
Eating outside is the best – I must do it more!
That’s a gorgeous picture of you, as is the new one on here and on Twitter… and the smoothie’s gorgeous too!
I’m loving the sun and light evenings; it’s all about summer for me :-)