Wednesday 27 April 2016

Healthy Recipe: Garlic Slaw

I love taking seemingly 'unhealthy' dishes and giving them a healthy makeover. I've already revamped a fruit crumble, French toast and pancakes, so I thought I'd try my hand at a savoury dish. Coleslaw is one of my favourite side dishes, I love having a freshly made sandwich or salad with a dollop of slaw on the side. Delicious! This coleslaw recipe is easy peasy, healthy and only requires five ingredients to make - win win!

If you recreate this or any of my recipes, I'd love it if you tagged me on Twitter or Instagram (@clumsybaby) so I can have a nosy! 

You will need:
1 medium carrot
1 green cabbage
1 medium onion
1 pot of Greek yoghurt
(I used the Fage 0% 170g pot, as I love the thick, creamy flavour)
Garlic salt
Method:
1. Peel the carrot, thinly slice into strips and add to a large mixing bowl.
2. Peel back the large green leaves of the cabbage, and chop the end off. Slice the cabbage in half, shred each half and add to the bowl.
3. Peel the onion and chop both the ends off. Cut in half, slice each half lengthways and cut into chunky strips. *Top tip: If you find that your eyes are watering or stinging when chopping an onion, simply breathe through your mouth, not your nose while chopping and you'll be tear free!
4. Now that your vegetables are all chopped up, you can add the pot of Greek yoghurt and a few shakes of garlic salt to the bowl. (Salt to your taste)
5. Give your slaw mixture a good stir, until all the vegetables are coated in the yoghurt - and that's it, done! Simple to make and full of flavour.
Transfer your slaw to a plastic container and store in the fridge - your coleslaw should keep for four days. My recipe serves about four to five generous portions.
You can have fun with this recipe by adding in paprika for a bit of a kick, or throw in a handful of walnuts for some extra crunch and texture.

I hope you enjoyed this easy peasy 'Garlic Slaw' recipe post, Are you a coleslaw fan? Will you be recreating my recipe?

I'd love to know. leave me a lovely comment below.

Let's be friends!

Love Laurenx

Monday 18 April 2016

Lifestyle: Life Through My Camera Roll #6

It's been far too long since my last 'life through my camera roll' post, I usually try to make them a monthly edition, (catch up here) so I thought it was about time I caught you up on what I've been loving/doing/munching lately! 
I've been feeling so happy lately, as it is finally starting to feel like Spring here in the UK. I've been wearing my new gorgeous lace up flats, I've had my eye on these beauties for a while now and finally picked myself up a pair from Primark. So comfortable, and they look great paired with skinny jeans - I can't wait until the weather really starts to warm up, so I can wear them with bare legs and a midi dress. 

Speaking of fashion, I popped into TK Maxx a few weeks ago for a nosy, and treated myself to some new workout wear. There were so many pieces I fell in love with, but I managed to restrain myself from buying the whole shop and just picked up a matching set. I love the fit and style of these leggings, they have a wide waistband which sucks everything in, and the cutest ruched detailing on the bottom. The vest is also pretty fab, it has a built in bra band which is a great support while working out.

Me and my boyfriend Ian, headed to a local food market on our weekend off a few weeks ago. I love food markets, fairs, festivals - if there's food, I'm there! We spent a sunny afternoon wandering around the delicious stalls, and had a spot of lunch.
There were so many dishes to choose from, the paella looked amazing - but I opted for the falafel and homemade houmous pitta bread, with tabbouleh salad. It was delicious and really hit the spot.
I also treated myself to a churro, I couldn't resist! I went for the Black Forest churro, which comes with cream, berries and chocolate shavings - so decadent, but oh so good!

Speaking of decadent, I've been obsessed with the Rebel Kitchen mylks. I love all of the flavours, my favourites being the chocolate orange, chai and matcha green tea. They are delicious, nutritious and satisfy those sweet cravings. 

I am a huge green tea fan, I guzzle my way through cups and cups of the stuff every day. So when I spotted this beauty while doing my Tesco shop, it went straight into the basket! Strawberry cupcake green tea? I mean, doesn't that just sound amazing! It tastes delicious, it has a very sugary strawberry scent and I will definitely be picking up another box!

I finally bit the bullet and got my hair cut last week. I'd been putting it off for months, as I just feel so uncomfortable in that chair. But I got it out of the way, and it wasn't too bad at all. I love my new do, I went a little shorter than usual as I wanted to take some of the weight out of my hair. It feels so light and bouncy, love!

I popped in to Boots a few months ago as I had run out of my favourite Porefessional primer, and was looking to pick up a new one. I went for a drugstore brand this time, and gave the Collection primed and ready one a whirl. It mattifies my skin like a dream, feels soft and is lovely to apply. It also contains Witch Hazel, with it's anti-blemish properties is a great bonus for keeping those blemishes at bay. I've already repurchased this beauty, I'd highly recommend if you are looking for a great value pore-minimising primer.

Lately I've been struggling to drift off at night - as soon as my head hits the pillow I seem to have too many thoughts and worries whizzing through my brain, which is making nodding off that much harder. I won this 'Sleepwell sleep spray' in a Twitter competition a while back, and I had never gotten around to using it, so I thought I would give it a go. I'm a sleep spray convert - I find a few sprays on my pillow really does the job. I feel calmer and much more zen when settling down in bed. I love the aromatherapy scent, the combination of lavender, petitgrain, grapefruit and rosewood is heavenly. Snooze away.
I hope you enjoyed this 'Life through my camera roll' post, What have you been loving lately? Have you ever tried a sleep spray before?

I'd love to know, leave me a lovely comment below.

Let's be friends!

Love Laurenx

Wednesday 6 April 2016

Health and Fitness: Spark and Gusto Subscription Box*

When the lovely folks at Spark and Gusto* asked me if I would like to review one of their subscription boxes, I of course jumped at the chance. Anything food, fitness or health related and I'm all over it!
I was kindly sent their April box to try and test, and share my thoughts with you lovely lot!

Spark and Gusto are different from other healthy subscription boxes that I have come across. Their boxes are packed with everything from healthy snacks to fitness equipment and accessories. It's a great all rounder box, perfect for health and fitness fans. 
I received 10 items in my April box, which I think is a huge amount of goodies to see you right through the month.
Enough rambling... let's delve in!

The box comes with a handy little 'menu' telling you what items you have received, how they work and some information about how best to use them.

Let's start with all the food...

Creative Nature Blissful Berry Bar
I munched my way through this bar of deliciousness in minutes, I love how it was jam packed with fruit and goji berries too - the perfect snack to stave off those sweet cravings.

Fitbites Superfood Energy Balls
I'm a big fan of energy balls - I love having a couple as a mid-morning snack at work as they give me that much needed energy boost! There were two balls in the little resealable packet - a green ball which is designed to provide the natural fuel you require during exercise. The second ball is red, and includes hemp which is a great source of protein to aid muscle repair and recovery after your workout. The perfect pair for pre and post fitness fuel.

GU Energy Gel
This handy little packet contains an energy gel, which is great for on the go if you're off to the gym.
It's chocolate peanut butter flavoured, unfortunately I'm not a fan of peanut butter as I find it far too salty for my liking (I'm more of an almond butter kind gal) but the concept is great. The purpose of this gel is to give you a quick and easy hit of energy-dense calories to fuel your cardio workout.

CocoPro Ultimate Hydrating Recovery Drink
CocoPro is a great way to stay hydrated before, after or even during your workout.
The creators set out to make a drink that provided hydration and recovery all in one handy bottle, by combining pure coconut water and whey protein isolate.

Real Handful Strawberries and Cream Trail Mix
I am a huge fan of trail mix, I love nuts, seeds, dried fruit and a sneaky handful of chocolate chips... and this mix was a right winner. I loved the combination of strawberries and white chocolate - simply delicious! I had a quick nosy at their website and saw that they had a Banoffee flavour too, I need to get my hands on that beauty!

Resistance Loop
Now that you are well and truly fuelled up and full of beans, from all those healthy snacks - it's workout time! This resistance loop is an excellent method of resistance training, to aid the development of specific muscles and tendons. Spark and Gusto have a link on their blog showing a video of how to use the loop, which is such a handy touch.

SportTape Flex Tape Kinesiology Kit
This handy tape is an easy way to support and assist in protecting any fitness injuries, and it also allows for active recovery. This kit provides four pre-cut strips for your convenience, and also a little step by step guide on how to use it.

Go Hike Boot Laces
I am an avid walker, the village where I live is slap bang in the middle of Exmoor National Park, so we have some wonderful walks. I love these laces, they're a fun way to jazz up your walking boots while taking in the beautiful scenery.

Songbird Naturals Cooling and Soothing Balm
Working out, walking and being generally active on a daily basis can take it's toll on your body - that's where Songbird Naturals come in. This little pot contains a cooling balm that is perfect for soothing any sore areas you may have - it also contains anti-inflammatory properties that when massaged in to your skin, helps to aid your recovery.

Spark and Gusto Beanie
I love hats - I own a few bobble type hats, and they are such a staple for me in the Autumn, Winter and even Spring time (English weather is ridiculously fickle...) Especially for those 'it's been four days since I've washed my hair, and it's pretty much 90% dry shampoo' moments. Simply pop a beanie on and no-one will ever know. This is the perfect 'throw it on and go' hat, it's cosy, stylish, comfortable to wear and keeps my head nice and warm.

All in all I would highly recommend Spark and Gusto boxes, they are jam packed with so many amazing goodies, a must have subscription box for anyone who is a fan of health, fitness, adventures and staying active. (or perhaps if you want to give yourself a kick up the bum to be a bit healthier)
A wonderful company, created and run by such a lovely couple.
For more information about the company and how to get your mitts on a Spark and Gusto box, check out their website here.
Prices start from £28.00 per month for an ongoing monthly subscription, but you can also buy one off boxes directly on their website, through the online shop.

I hope you enjoyed this 'Spark and Gusto Review' What are your thoughts on Spark and Gusto? Are you a fan of healthy subscription boxes?

I'd love to know, leave me a lovely comment below.

Let's be friends!

Love Laurenx

*I was kindly sent a Spark and Gusto box to try and test for the purposes of a review, as always all opinions and thoughts are my own. See my Contact/PR tab for more information.