Catch up

Hi all, I've been a little slack on the the blogging front as of late with no real excuses except that not a lot of exciting stuff has been happening lately!

I am back into uni full swing and the time is going by sloooooowly. I am currently in a long distance relationship with my boyfriend who lives in our home town which is over 500kms away from where I am at uni so time is always a factor for me.

This term has been rough for me so far. Its nearly been two weeks since I last saw my BF and we have another two weeks before we see each other again and it is killing me! We Skype and talk on the phone all the time but its just not the same. We are both committed to doing what we have to do this year to work towards our careers (he is in his final year of an apprenticeship and I am in my final year of uni) but it doesn't replace the fact that it is super hard.

So this past week, following my whirlwind trip to Filex, I have been more motivated than ever to get in shape and I have to admit, I am loving the motivation. I worked out six times last week and felt amazing for it!

This was after my first workout back - not too bad since I hadn't been working out in weeks!

While I was at Filex I finally got a heart rate monitor/calorie counting watch that I have been wanting for ages! I used it for the first time for my first workout back last Monday and I am in love. I love knowing how hard I have worked in a work out and try and beat it each time I go back to the gym.

The best I did last week was burn 536 calories in one workout! I was stoked! I tried so hard to beat it yesterday at my workout but for some reason I just couldn't get there with only burning 451 calories. I'll get there eventually!!

I have been trying to stay super motivated and even managed to convince myself NOT to go to the movies on Saturday afternoon because I knew I wouldn't be able to resist the yummy popcorn (its one of my biggest weaknesses!) So I got out of the house and went for a walk! I figure that some exercise is better than none! I was still pleased with the amount of calories burnt on this brisk walk and didn't get any 'after indulging' guilt that I would have felt if I had gone to the movies.

I tracked my walk using the Lorna Jane iPhone app - its probably not 100% accurate but gives me a good idea of how hard I worked.

Its no secret that I am a HUGE fan of instagram and I am constantly finding new accounts to follow for motivation and awesome food inspiration and I attempted my own version of what quite a few foodie peeps are calling the 'parfait'. It was such a yummy breakfast and a nice take on the usual oats that I have been eating every morning for the past week.

Please excuse the blurry iPhone quality!

I made this using whole oats, almond milk, 2 tablespoons of natural yogurt and some frozen blueberries. Super yummy! Try it if you need a refresh on your ordinary morning oats!

That was pretty much my week! Lots of working out but feeling great! I'm determined to continue to work out most days this week with Saturday being the start of my new netball season with a new team! I'm super excited!

What are your goals for this week?

XO

Tried & Tested: Amazing veggo recipe!!

I follow a few blogs that post about food and amazing recipes. I am a bit of a foodie, and when I find the time and inspiration I like to try out new recipes for myself or my family and boyfriend (my guinea pig! lol)

This week I tried out the most amazing vegetarian dish by an awesome blogger called "The Good Plate".

Jackie posts lots of yummy recipes, and this is the second recipe by her that I have tried and have fallen in love with! Soooo yummy!

The recipe is called 'Haloumi and  veg couscous with Za'atar, pistachio and yogurt dressing' and it is amazing!

Here is the recipe link  .

Because of my location (living in the bush of NSW) our local supermarket didn't have all of the ingredients that the recipe called for so I left a few things out, but it still tasted super yummy.

 Yummy!!

Arvo Baking!

I decided to bake some cookies this afternoon, just for something different (and believe it or not I haven't baked anything sweet since I've lived here in the Riverina!!)

Today I made "One cup cookies", the recipe is by a talented blogger and mother of five kids called Retromummy. She has some great recipes on her blog and this one sung out to me because I pretty much had all of the ingredients needed in my pantry (bonus!)

The recipe called for chic-chips and nuts but like Retromummy suggests in the ends notes of the recipe, you can add raisins as an alternative and I am so glad that I did! They are soooo delish in the cookies!!

Now one thing to remember when baking is to not forget the baking paper like me! I had to grease up the pan pretty well with marg, but it still worked.

These cookies only need about 15 - 20 mins in the oven. I made mine a little big, next time I would probably roll a few smaller balls because they do expand quite a bit in the oven.

Of course this isn't a super healthy treat but I figure it is a slightly healthier alternative than a block of chocolate! Plus, they are super yummy!

Thank you Retromummy for an awesome, quick recipe! Yummy

Skinny Smoothie

Boy do I love Pinterest.

Its been an obsession of mine since I signed up early this year. So many awesome ideas, trends and inspiration to be seen and re-pinned!

I was scrolling through some pins yesterday and saw this recipe for a "skinny oatmeal smoothie" via Lauren Conrad's pins. The recipe comes from here originally and is a perfect morning brekkie substitute for your usual cereal or eggs if you're trying to eat a little healthier!

Recipe includes:
1 cup ice
1/2 cup frozen raspberries or strawberries (I used mixed frozen berries)
1/2 cup low fat yoghurt (I used natural greek yoghurt)
1 banana
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup coconut water or another liquid (I used a small splash of almond milk)
1 tbsp of honey

{ Blend all ingredients until smooth }

Yummy! I think this recipe is such a good one because I usually have all of the ingredients at home which make for a quick whip up and its done!!

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Eating clean

This week I am feeling a little under the weather... AGAIN!!

I don't know what it is about this winter but this is the THIRD time I've been sick! Thats totally not normal right??

Anyway, despite feeling a little lousy and getting back into uni study, I am determined to stick to my "eating clean" plan as I mentioned here.

I tried a new recipe from the Clean and Lean book and it was delish!

I adapted the recipe a little according to what I could get at the supermarket and what I like etc (can you believe it that on a tuesday there were no spring onions in Woolies??! I mean I live in a decent sized city, this is something we get used to in the bush, not the city!)

Any-who, the recipe is called the Chicken and cashew stir fry and its a winner in my books.

Before I started cooking a lot I used to whip up quick stir fry's using frozen veg mix, some chicken thighs and chuck on a heap of Master-foods marinade for flavour because it was an easy meal and it was impossible to stuff it up! This recipe has no sauce or marinade as such in it but is so full of flavour it doesn't need it! I'd never go back to my old ways of making stir fry now that I've tried this.

Instead of shallots I just used half a brown onion and I added in green beans and only one chilli because I thought it would be quite spicy but I think it actually could have done with the extra chilli, I couldn't really taste a "hot" sensation, it was a good spice.

I definitely recommend this! Drop me a comment if you want the full recipe!

Clean eating = yum!

On the menu...

Tonight I tried out a new recipe by one of my favourite cooks and authors, Donna Hay! Oh Donna Hay does soooo many amazing recipes, she is a goddess in the kitchen and tonight I attempted to follow one of her yummy recipes to see if I could be the "goddess" of the kitchen for a night!

I love risotto and it was one of the first dishes that Roger and I ever made together. The last time I attempted risotto on my own it turned out a little less than great! I hadn't followed the instructions properly and managed to not put enough liquid in with the rice that the it ended up turning out a lot harder than "al dente"!

Not tonight though! I followed the recipe correctly (I even added a little extra to make the servings larger and it still turned out great!)

Mmmm. This was a winner! It was super quick (only 40 mins in the oven - long enough to have a shower, a glass of red and relax for a bit!) and tasted quite nice. The bacon flavour came through the dish the most, I probably could have added a tad more pepper but this is minor in the grand scheme of things I reckon!!

I would definitely recommend giving this one a try. I found it online on Donna's website.

Bon' Appetit!

Ellie x

Dad's own...

Ever since I was little I've known my Dad to be a "meat and 3 veg" kinda guy and has always been the king of the BBQ. So it doesn't surprise me that I am also a lover of any meat and a HUGE fan of a good BBQ (especially one cooked by Dad!!)

This week I decided to use one of Dad's recipe's and re-live a little bit of my childhood! I remember my sisters and I helping Dad make these when we were little. Gotta love them, so easy and so meaty, great with gravy, or my fav... tomato sauce!

Dad's Rissoles...

Here's what you need to make a batch this big (about 15 big meaty rissoles)

1kg beef mince

1 large onion chopped

A good big splash of Worcestershire sauce

An equally large squirt of tomato sauce

1 - 2 eggs (depending on the amount of mince you may need to use 2 eggs)

Salt & Pepper to taste

(Roger's added extra's - Cumin and dried Basil flakes)

Mix all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Don't be afraid to get your hands dirty and mix well! Sprinkle some plain flour onto a chopping board and start rolling balls of the mixture and roll in the flour to coat. Make the rissoles as large or as small as you like.

Once all of the rissoles are rolled, heat up the pan with some oil and cook the rissoles on a medium-high heat (make sure its not too high so you don't just burn the outside of the rissoles in stead of cooling evenly through) Flatten slightly to cook through.

Then you're done! Yum! I usually just whip up some gravy using Gravox to go with the rissoles. Mash potato goes really well with these too!!

Yummo! Enjoy!

Thanks Dad! :o) xxoo

My creative space - Ooh la la recipes

I'm a bit early this week with "My creative space", but I thought it wouldn't hurt posting a little early for once! *wink*

This week, my creative space has been in the kitchen!! I love to cook and only about 2 and a bit years ago, I could hardly cook a thing! When I first met Rog, I was a terrible cook! He did most of the cooking and I didn't mind it at all!! hehe

After a while I started to enjoy trying out new recipes to make for him and since then I've just kept going and now I love to cook!

This week I've tried out 2 new recipes and they have both been a hit!

Firstly Rog found the web site Gourmet Traveller and we sifted through the recipes for something garlic-y and we came across this one. (Garlic Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic!!!)

(The chicken ready for the oven!)

When I read that the recipe said 40 cloves of garlic, I was like... What the?!!? But after I read on I realized that the cloves were to be cooked unpeeled making the flavour a little more subtle and not as full on. Once the chicken was cooked, the garlic cloves can be squeezed out of their skin and eaten and if you're a garlic lover... they were de-lish!!

(The finished product straight from the oven... MMMMM yummo!)

Teamed with a swag of steamed veggies... this recipe was a winner!!

Now... for dessert! I had a quick flick through Donna Hay's latest magazine for some inspiration and as soon as I made it to her "homemade ice cream" page I was hooked! I am the BIGGEST sucker for ice cream and would eat it all day everyday if it didn't make my clothes too tight for my body! lol

I tried her caramel flavoured ice cream recipe and you know what? Donna Hay... you bloody genius! YUMMMM!!

I'd definitely recommend to check her latest mag edition out, if you do - try the ice cream recipes and tell me how you go! I'm thinking I'm going to go a little further with this basic cream/caramel combo and add some grated up peppermint chocolates, or maybe some honeycomb and other sweets for different flavours!

All this talk about food is making me hungry! I think it's time for dinner!!

Whats on the menu at your place tonight??

Food Frenzy!!

Every Wednesday in our office is morning tea day. We have a roster and each week it's a new person's turn to make morning tea for the staff. This week it's my turn and I thought in stead of making a last minute dash to the supermarket for some pre-made sweets and things I would get organised and whip up some delicious snack for everyone!

Firstly I made good old yummy egg and lettuce sandwiches! But these aren't just any old egg and lettuce sandwiches, they're made from mum and dad's clucky chickens eggs and topped with mine and Roger's homegrown rocket!!

Mmmm, eggy goodness! I only wish that I had borrowed mum's bread maker to make my own loaf of bread for these babies!! Maybe next time...

Next, (by special request!!) I made my mum's SUPER perfect and extra delicious Zucchini Slice recipe! I made this last week as my first attempt at mum's favourite and Roger LOVED it! He pretty much ate the entire batch on his own (except for a piece or two that I ate!!)

This recipe is a hit and sooo quick and easy, if you're interested I may just post the recipe for you to try!!! Thanks for sharing the recipe with me Mum!! xx

And lastly, for something sweet, I tried a new recipe from here for the very sweet and yummy Chocolate Caramel Brownies!! Now these aren't for the faint of heart.... these are great for the heavy sweet tooth! Packed with sugary-ness they are just right for something sweet!

They're still warm in the pan I couldn't even wait for them to cool to show you just how scrumptious they are!

Squished into the mixture are squares of caramello chocolate so when you take a bite there are nice caramello surprises bursting with caramel.... MMMMM!!

I hope the girls down at work enjoy these goodies!!

Fresh from the oven...

Today I was lucky enough to have the day off work to do some much needed uni study so after a longgg session of hitting the books this afternoon I tried out a new recipe.

This time I tried out a dessert with a twist. Its called the Berry Yoghurt Bake from the latest edition of Delicious Magazine in the cool little freebie recipe book that came with this months edition.

Mmmm it smells scrumptious in the oven. When I read the recipe I thought "Yoghurt in the oven... what the?!" but now that I've got the finished product smelling lovely in my kitchen I'm totally digging the idea!!

Some of the ingredients include natural Greek yoghurt, some eggs and a mixtute of berries (strawberries, blueberries etc) so for a dessert I reckon this little Miss is a healthy-ish beauty!

If you happened to buy this months mag, give this one a go and let me know what you think!!

Ellie x

Winter Warmer

Brrr, it has been so cold here at home lately, I'm not sure how bad its been where you are but if it's anything like at my house it's FREEZING!!


When it's cold I love nothing more than staying home in my winter woolies and curling up on the couch, but since I need to work to make a living (damn) I'll settle for other winter warmers and I found just the right recipe that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy when I look at it, it's a yummy Rice Pudding.


This was my first attempt and I'm pretty pleased with how it tuned out. I got the yummy recipe from here.

It was super easy to make, and I whipped the base of it up in about half an hour, it takes about 40 mins in the oven and you're done! The perfect dessert to any winter dinner!!

What are your favourite winter warmer recipes??

Homegrown!

It's veggie patch harvest time (for my rocket seedlings any how!!) How exciting! I cant believe I grew my own veggies from tiny seeds and now I can eat them! lol

The rocket looks sooo good in the veggie patch and looks even better on top of our homemade pizza's that I made Rog and I for dinner tonight. Mmmm yumo!

Here's my recipe for a yummy homemade pizza:

- Tortilla wraps (I used 2 "Mission Wraps" in zesty garlic and herb flavor)
- Tomato paste
- Sundried tomatoes
- Pitted kalmata olives
- Fresh rocket (or baby spinach)

- Crumbed fetta
- Shredded cheese

I combine all on a tortilla wrap and bake in the oven on about 160 degrees. I dont usually time the process and just "gestimate" as to whe to take the pizza out. Usually once the cheese has meted and the tomatoes are starting to crisp or lightly blacken you know its ready!

Yummmm! Roger was very pleased with how these pizza's turned out, and I was too, they were soooo yummy! You can also add whatever you like on the pizza's, and instead of using store bought tortilla wraps you can make your own usins flour and water and frying in the pan.

I hope your dinner tonight was as yummy and filling as ours!

Ellie x