D-Day is Approaching … Ready or Not!

Its shitty weather. I’m wearing a jumper and long pants and its in the middle of summer …
Which, usually, makes everyone lazy. Me included.
But today, I have manage to finish packing. Yes that’s right. In three days we’ll get the keys to the new place and from then to the 1st we will start moving all our stuff in. I can’t believe it’s all happening. Where did the past two weeks go? Where did all my “saved” money go!?
Everyone told me it’d go fast, but they never told me how the sheer panic mixed with utter excitement and overflowing happiness would rush through you as D-day fast approaches. Once I leave my house I am truly and utterly alone … Money wise that is. To an 19 year old with an expensive hobby and a boyfriend who is a state away in the Air Force, it’s a scary thing.
I can do it. I have to do it. There’s no turning back now!

Struggling Update

It’s taken me a long time to come to terms about whats happening and its taken equally as long to accept. Normally writing about such things given me some sort of peace, a out let. Isn’t that why we all do it? To see all our thoughts and feelings on a page, and try to make sense of it all.
And sometimes it does. You have those moments, in mid-sentence, where it suddenly all becomes clear. But this time I had to make some sort of sense of whats happening to actually put it in words.

My parents are separating.
To a lot of you, it sounds so simple. Sure, you will understand how messy it can get and how upsetting it can be. But to me, its one thing on top of another. My mother is being left with nothing and my father is someone I don’t even recognize  anymore. My sister cries herself to sleep every night and she is so close to jumping off the deep end. My family is falling apart and I can’t do anything about it.

I was brought up in a Christian household. Separation/ divorce is a sin. I was brought up with strong beliefs and as I’ve gotten older I have adapted and formed my own values and beliefs. But when your parents, who have taught you that love is eternal and marriage is forever, suddenly announce their separation it shakes you and everything you thought you believed in, seems to crumble. It has taken me many months and several heart to hearts with Him to right myself again. My sister on the other hand, is a ball of rage and I’m yet to figure out who or what she’ll take it out on.

Things started off fine and then they got messy. My father started threatening my mum and she is doing everything in her power to keep him happy so she can have my sister 50/50. Including not getting anything, no money, no house nothing. All the money is going to my father and my mum is starting off from scratch. From her first pay check. Luckily she is able to flat with her best friend, but she is still expected to pay for my sister’s private school, her ballet and girl guides. Among supporting herself and my sister as just two people.
I have never been more mad at my father.

Luckily I am able to almost support myself and my horse. And thankfully I am moving out in 8-10 days. Which is the happy part of all things. I will be moving out with my best friend and her boyfriend. And even though their relationships isn’t the best right now, we cannot wait to live together. And I can’t wait to start living this new chapter of my life.

The Boy (Him) is good. Things have been a little rough the past week but we are slowly pushing through. We are starting to prove to each other that we’re both as serious about this as the other. And I am starting to believe him when he says “I’m here to stay”. We still have a very long way to go and we still have a lot of battles we need to overcome, but its nice to have peace in at least once aspect of my life.

I guess that’s it for now. As I settle into my new house I will start back with the recipes and they will flood your feed! I have some good ones up my sleeve.

Pesto Parmesan Pasta

So it’s been awhile since I posted anything, let along a recipe. I’m just incredibly broke right now and I’m living off bread and cheese and water. Seriously? So much for the “losing weight and toning up for summer”.
But I’m trying to get back on track. I have quite a big sum of money sitting in my bank, and granted a large bit that is for my bills …. But whatever.

This is something I stole from my Uni’s cafeteria. It’s pretty much pesto pasta and there’s no real recipe. But damn it’s good and I know its full of carbs but it does fill you up and if you have it with salad … Well you’re doing pretty good.

Pesto Pasta 
With a hint of parmesan, olives and balsamic sauce.

I used:

• A bag of 500gs pasta (spirally because it doesn’t stick together as much as other pastas do)
• I jar of Leggos Pesto (I know you can get this brand in Australia. But any brand will do. And if you’re brave enough you could even make your own pesto!)
• As many olives as you like (i used gourmet ones. They were Thai marinated stuffed with garlic, herbs and spices)
• Parmesan
• Balsamic sauce (I used something a little different, it was sweet rather than bitter. But the bitter ones work better I think)

Method

1. Boil water and chuck the pasta in, throw in some salt as well to reduce the pasta sticking when it gets cooler
2. Once cooked drain the pasta
3. You can either put the jar of pesto in when its hot or room temperature (i let the pasta cool)
4. Either whole or cut put the olives in.
5. And once pasta is cool put as much parmesan you like (i put a fair bit in and then after mixing it I put some on top)
6. Serve with some balsamic sauce

Really this simple recipe is all about YOU. What you want and what you like. There is not such thing as too much or too little and you cannot make a mistake (well unless you don’t cook the pasta!)

Have fun!

Bruschetta!!

Okay okay … So I know this isn’t 100% healthy, but come on …. It’s easy, 90% healthy and it really does fill you up.

Because Bruschetta is made up of very few things and the flavours are simple, it is best if you use the highest quality ingredients possible.
For this recipe I didn’t quite use a whole bunch of basil and I used red onion (best I’m liking that a lot right now).
Honestly, I went mainly on taste. If I wanted more in, I put more of something in. If I wanted less, I took it out. This recipe, while simple, is all about how you like things.
I also added some Parmason stirred through it, added some more flavour.

Bruschetta

Ingredients 

• 2 lbs. fresh tomatoes (roma, heirloom, beefsteak…whatever is in season is best)
• 1/2 fresh onion
• 4 cloves fresh garlic
• 1 bunch fresh basil
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• sea salt and fresh ground pepper
• Italian bread or baguette

Method

Step 1: Using a sharp knife, dice the tomatoes as small as you can.
Step 2: Next, finely chop the onion and throw it into the bowl.

• If you’re opposed to using raw onions, you can also lightly saute the chopped onion in a frying pan with a little bit of olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper.  It adds a sweeter deeper flavor to the bruschetta, and is an excellent variation to this recipe.

Step 3: Next, chop the fresh garlic and add it onto the growing pile of deliciousness.
Step 4: Add in some fresh Basil to taste
Step 5: Add in the extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, and fresh ground pepper and mix the ingredients thoroughly.
Step 6:  1/4″ thick slices of fresh Italian bread or baguette and toast them. Once the bread is good and toasted, remove it from the oven and use a pastry brush to paint each slice of bread with olive oil.  Then, using half a hunk of raw garlic, rub one side of the crusty slices down to impart some delicious garlic flavor directly onto the bread.
Step 7: Finally pile as much of the bruschetta as possible onto the freshly toasted bread and eat until your heart’s content!

Apple Pie Smoothie

Excuse me while I go on a rant about how fantastic this invention is!

So this is amazing. Tastes even better than the last one I put up.
This smoothie filled me up from 9am (breakfast) to about 12ish (around lunch time). And I didn’t have a awful lot. it also fed me for the next three breakfasts, plus you don’t want to keep it in your fridge for weeks because I dare say it will go off and start smelling funky.

When it came to the Apples, I forgot to peel one but it actually turned out okay. It looked a little flaky with little bits of apple skin, but tasted amazing. I peeled the other. Also with the pecans i just chucked them in with out crushing them. I thought about it, but I didn’t know if I crushed them if the blender would actually blend them. I have a pretty high powered blender, but it crushed and blended everything nicely …. No crunchy bits what so ever!
Last but not least, I put in about a tablespoon of honey at the end with the spices as it wasn’t quite as sweet as I wanted it. The honey was a nice touch.
I am very impressed with this. And because I love it so much I am making some more tomorrow morning (6:30 am wake up call …. Just thinking about it makes me want to cry!)

(Healthy) Apple Pie Smoothie 

http://www.greenthickies.com/healthy-apple-pie-smoothie-dessert-thickie/

Serves: 2

Prep time:  5 mins

Total time:  5 mins

Ingredients

• 2 Cups Non Dairy Milk (oat, rice, soya, almond, hemp, coconut drink or raw nut or seed milk)
• 1 Banana
• 2 Apples
• ¼ Cup Pecans
• ½ Cup dates (or any other dried fruit)
• 1 Cup Oats (use raw oat groats if following a raw food diet or oatmeal if you don’t have a powerful blender)
• 1 teaspoon Cinammon
• ½ teaspoon Allspice/Mixed Spice
• Optional: 1 Cup Spinach or other mild greens

 Instructions

1. Blend the ingredients in the order listed.
2. Blend the ingredients a few at a time so that your blender can cope with the work, unless you’ve got a high powered blender, then you might be able to add them all in at once.
3. If it gets too thick, add more water as necessary.
4. If your blender has made the smoothie too warm, you can either cool it down in the fridge or freezer, or add some ice cubes or frozen fruit to it (You may need to add more water as this will thicken it further).

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 16 oz

Calories: 525

Fat: 14g

Saturated fat: 1g

Unsaturated fat: 13g

Carbohydrates: 98g

Sugar: 54g

Fiber: 14g

Protein: 9g

Cholesterol: 0g

 

Another one of those Updates

Every time I think about this my heart gives a little jump.
My ex and I have been talking on and off a little more lately (surprise, surprise), and out of the blue he told me that they were putting in their preferences. He then continued to tell me what bases he wanted to go to. His first preference was a base just 45 minutes away from me.
Home.
I don’t understand why he was telling me all this, I mean I like that he is. Not so I know what is going on with him, but just because its nice to know that he still wants to share things with me. But my heart jumps every time i think about him being here, permanently.
I’m not holding my breath though, I know how the Air Force works … They’ll send him where they need him. Only another few months until he graduates and we find out where he’ll be headed off to!

On another completely different note …. I have a Colour Run in early October! Its 5ks and every K there’s a colour powder that is thrown at you. It looks awesome. I have three of my close friends coming with me as well. Sigh. Everything about that trip is perfect. Its at the coast, in warm weather. So we’re going up the day before, staying at my parents hotel, going to the beach and being girls. Then the next day we’ll be up, running and getting covered in powder. After we’ll be going to the “After Party” …. I can’t wait.
Sorry for the blubbering, I’m just so excited! And it will also be another short term goal for my fitness and healthiness.

&& Just so you guys know, I’m starting up another little section here. If you don’t see it in the next couple of days, it means that my idea sucked and I deleted it … But I’m going to add another “category” for my fitness & health. As you can see, I already have my recipes up so now I’ll put up a fitness one.

I guess that’s all there is for now, in my own little world.
Keep your head up & you’re heart beating!

Banana & Coco Overnight Oats

So this little recipe is for all the Oats lovers out there, the people that love porridge so much that they want it in Summer as well.
This recipe does have its own unique taste & does require some tweaking to your likes. I accidentally put too much coco powder in the first time … Did not even up well!
Once you get the balance to how you like it right they are awesome heated up or just from the fridge. I usually have mine on the go as I’m running out the door in the mornings.

There are many more flavours, but this one is the most loved. If this recipe is a hit I will post some more OOs for all of you

OOs: Banana & Coco

http://www.theyummylife.com/recipes/222/Banana+Cocoa+Refrigerator+Oatmeal

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup uncooked old fashioned rolled oats
• 1/3 cup skim milk
• 1/4 cup low-fat Greek yogurt
• 1-1/2 teaspoons dried chia seeds
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon honey, optional (or substitute any preferred sweetener)
• 1/4 cup diced ripe banana, or enough to fill jar (approx. half of a small banana)

Directions

In a half pint (1 cup) jar, add oats, milk, yogurt, chia seeds, cocoa powder and honey. Put lid on jar and shake until well combined. Remove lid, add bananas and stir until mixed throughout. Return lid to jar and refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days. Eat chilled.

Nutritional Info: 245 calories, 5g fat, 56g carbs, 10g fiber, 13g protein;

Added Extras & the Attempt to Look Organised

I’m finally getting my life organised.
Correction.
I’m finally planning out my week in the diary I brought a few months back.
And when I say I’m getting my life organised I mean, my room looks like a tornado hit it and my bed it currently covered with my Uni timetable, my diary, 10 different coloured highlighters, pens, my laptop and different pieces of paper. This will then be chucked on my desk when I go to bed soon. My desk also looks like a volcano of clothes, cups, books and pens has erupted on it.
This will get cleaned up. I’m determined. I hope. Maybe.

Anyway … The reason I am writing to all of you tonight (or today for some of you) is because of the hit that smoothie recipe was. I had likes and followers and messages pouring in like the world was about to end. So i thought, “why don’t I make it a regular thing?”. Instead of it just being on Wednesdays, it’ll be whenever I find something cool, healthy and yummy that i’ve found on the Internet and made.
I have some fantastic recipes to follow, which I will put up either tomorrow or the next day.
I’m also going to be posting some of my exercises (maybe) and some tips and hints for toning and getting that kick ass body you’ve always wanted.

As some of you may have noticed, i have found out how to use the ‘categories’. Those are going to be where those awesome recipes will be posted, you to be that extra organised (as you all know I am!).

So I’ll leave you with this quote I find pretty inspiring, “Getting fit is all about passion, confidence, loving your body. It’s all about you.”

 

Recipe Wednesday – Strawberry Shortcake Smoothie

So this is a new thing I’m starting up and hopefully I’ll remember to do it every Wednesday.
I’m going to post yummy and healthy things that I have found or discovered around the net.
This one is one that I have recently discovered …

Strawberry Shortcake Smoothie

Okay so this smoothie really takes away those sweet cravings we all get (don’t deny it!). I was really surprised when I found that a nice big glass of this was enough to get me through from Breaky to Lunch. And it really does take away most of those sweet tooth cravings.
Be warned though, if you put it in the fridge too long the oats soak up the juice and it becomes extremely thick. But as I found, if you take it out and mix it around for a little bit, it settles down to a thinner mixture. You can also add more milk if you find that it’s too thick.
Another thing, I added honey to have it a little sweeter as the sultanas I put in didn’t make it as sweet as I wanted.

It really is a genius invention!

http://www.greenthickies.com/easy-strawberry-shortcake-smoothie/

Prep time:  5 mins

Total time:  5 mins

Serves: 2 (well it served me for three Breakfasts meals in a decent sized glass)

Ingredients 

• 2 Cups Non Dairy Milk (oat, rice, soya, almond, hemp, coconut drink or raw nut or seed milk)
• 3 Cups Strawberries
• 1 Cup Oats (rolled oats or use raw oat groats if following a raw food diet or oatmeal if you don’t have a powerful blender)
• ¼ Cup Cashew nuts
• ¼ Cup of Raisins (or other dried fruit or sweetener)
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
• Optional: 1 cup of greens

Instructions

1. Blend the ingredients in the order listed.
2. Blend the ingredients a few at a time so that your blender can cope with the work, unless you’ve got a high powered blender, then you might be able to add them all in at once.
3. If it gets too thick, add more water as necessary.
4. If your blender has made the smoothie too warm, you can either cool it down in the fridge or freezer, or add some ice cubes or frozen fruit to it (You may need to add more water as this will thicken it further).

Nutrition Information

Calories: 411 Fat: 12g Carbohydrates: 70g Sugar: 29g Fiber: 10g Protein: 11g Cholesterol: 0g

Change Up

This morning is a cold one. I don’t mean the type of cold where you shiver and throw on a jumper. No I mean the type of cold where it’s nearly impossible to get out of bed, where no matter what you do, or how long you soak in the shower you’re still cold. That skin biting, teeth chattering, icey floors feeling cold. So typically I stay in bed, when really I should be sitting in a lecture.

And instead of sitting in one of my psychology lecture’s I have been going through my blog. And all blogs are meant to have a theme right? Well we can all guess what mine is, the heartbreak and emotions throughout my break up. But as the heartbreak comes to a close and as the drama dies down, I find that I’ve become rather boring. During my pain I used to write well, but now that I have healed and I am in a better head space, my posts are dull and uninteresting.

So I’m changing it up a little. I’m still here to offer support and there will still be updates about my love life (or lack of one), whether or not my ex and I are going to make a go of “this” or not and life in general. But I’m adding in a healthy segment. Completely with workouts, recipes and my latest fitness disaster. Plus i need a motivation, so I thought if I tell you guys and then wind up sitting here, stuffing chocolate and chips into my mouth a few months later, someone on here will give me a boot up the ass.
RIGHT?

I’m always in need of a kick up the ass!
Until next time, keep your head up and your heart close.