My top ten in Brussels

This weekend we visited Brussels for my bro's 30th birthday and our annual kid free trip!

 

 

THE HOME OF THE WAFFLE

- Sufurens little café was the best place for waffles

 

We randomly chose Brussels because flights were cheap and before the news announced Isis was all shacked up there but we're not scared and so on we went!

It was nothing like what i thought it would be but we had the bestest time getting cultured and eating waffles man 🍻

 

My top ten anyway

0. The smell of panos when we got off the train

1. Hard Rock Cafe 

2. Paul's cafe for lunch, coffees or cakes

3. Arc de triumph on a clear day

4. Brussels cinema experience watched hail ceaser

5. The Belgium Beer

6. Suferens - waffles for breakfast

7. Mathilde chocolate shop

8. Beer bike bar 

9. The grasshopper toy shop

10. Grand place square at night 

11. The lady owner of the flower market stall on a Sunday was my fave

 

The Parc at night was full of drug dealers and we thought we was gonna get jumped no lie!! In the daylight it was a different place!

The cinema experience was bizarre really enjoyed the experience! We watched Hail Ceaser, really weird film to make it an even weirder experience haha 


The comic strip tour, looking for street art and comics on the side of the buildings was also nice to do as the weather was grand we had time to stroll and explore properly

The square at night was fabulous all lit up, Everyone was just so nice

 

This was in the finance district near the comic museum, which we hunted down and refused to pay the admission when we got there !

 

We stayed at Motel one which was a very good choice with great location, price and made our stay, breakfast was amazing too

My French came in really handy as that's the language weirdly.

Make sure you go, its a beaut city with plenty to do for everyone.

Go there 

Runners knee - solution

I've had bad knees since I started running and I limp after a run for a couple of days too.

I've been really dreading a marathon because of the pain I'm in and genuinely think I may quit running once I've completed it.

Someone told me about some cartledge tablets I should take to ease the issues so I went online to search for them and they was like £20 which I didn't really want to spend. So when I was in the supermarket I found some in morrisons for £10 which weren't bad but then found asda had their own brand for just £3 so thought I'd give them a try.

Chrondroitin was the tablet I needed it helps maintain healthy joints and contributes to the formation of bones and tissue including cartledge. I've been taking them for two weeks and it feel so much better already. I did the 11 mile run on Sunday so had one Sunday and one Monday and by Tuesday it wasn't has bad at all so think they have definitely helped and will definitely carry on taking them whilst I'm training. 

Joint health multivitamins and minerals food supplement with Glucosamine sulphate, chondroitin and msm. 

Half marathon training

I love the stages i go through on a long run I don't know if everyone goes through the same!!

Yesterday I did my longest run yet 11 miles and I am crippled today! I've been running for over a year now but my longest run to date was 8 miles. 

I'm 6 weeks away from my first half marathon in Sheffield and knew I needed to up my game as training hasn't been going as well I liked. 

I got up yesterday with intention of running 8-9 miles but I smashed that thank fully but can no longer walk and I ache all over!! 

I finished my run and walked up the street home, texted the hubby to get the bath running and entered the house poured a glass of water opened a bag of midget gems and sat on the kitchen floor in pure agony!! I'm not out of shape I'm active 5/6 times per week so I'm not unfit but it was testing if you can call it anything. 

Mile one - Oooh it's cold

Mile two - maybe I'll just do 4 miles 

Mile three - hit a hill and smashed it

Mile 4 - I'm half way there I can so do this

Mile 5 - I'm forest gump I can run forever 

Mile 6 - god could I turn around and run home right now to make it twelve miles 

Mile 7 - my abs hurt shall I stop at that house for a drink and a toilet break

Mile 8 - I'm gonna go the long way home cos I'm feeling good

Mile 9- why did I do this to myself my feet are blistering 

Mile 10 - I'm gonna call home and get picked up 

Mile 11 - u fucking idiot what are you doing 

0.2 miles - The walk home I looked like I'd shit my pants 

The mental thought process of running alone makes me laugh I go through so many stages of how I need to go home or how I feel amazing and could run forever - I'm well proud I did this it's a great achievement for me. The way to do it is be so far away from home the only thing you can do is run home and finish the race! 

Soup da loop

So my blogs turning a bit foody cos I like da food

I'm a shit cooker to be honest cos I like to read a recipe that I like the sound of and then just make my own version with my own ingredients and own measurements. I could never bring a book out cos I'm a chuck it in and see how much lands in pan!! Not helpful to people who are genuinely interested in trying haha

But this is my chat and no cunt reads it so I'll give thee a Yorkshire version of whatever I make and be brave and just use your instinct and go with the flow!!

Soups one of me faves and my homemade soup is 😍😍😍 ask me husband 😁

Courgette and onion soup 

2 courgettes chopped/sliced as fine as possible

2 onions chopped as above 

Stew the onions in some butter on a pan 

Add the courgettes and do same 

Add a pint of chicken stock and a splash of milk salt and pepper

Simmer for an hour and add any stale bread or bread crusts you got in cupboard just rip them up and wack them on for ten mins and walla it's a surprise and I hope you will love it's so good for you!!

Butternut squash soup

Butternut squash

Sweet potatoes x2 

Onion

Garlic clove 

I quartered a squash and shoved it in oven with two sweet potatoes as they are  for about an hour on gas mark 5.

About ten mins before the hour chop the onion and garlic and add to pan with a knob of butter to sweat out then add a pint of chicken stock, bring to the boil then add the Squash and potatoes for another ten mins before blending, seasoning and eating. I also added a sprinkle of paprika for good measure 😀

Homemade granola recipe

Today I had a pop at making some home made granola 

With lent starting I have to give up my annual choice of chocolate and biscuits these things are my worst enemy!! To avoid failing this I make batches of flapjack and energy balls to give me something to munch when I'm craving something. 

I've gotten a little bored of my healthy version of flapjack so decided to try something else to snack on as well as try for breakfast ideas etc

The recipe and method of my choice was adapted from deliciously Ella without the weighing!! 

A handful of pecans (or any nut u desire)

A smaller handful of almonds

Pulse these together in a blender

Then Add 

a handful of seed mix - pumpkin and sunflower I used 

Handful of oats 

A Sprinkle of flaxseed 

Then melt in a pan few teaspoons of honey a good spoon of coconut oil and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon 

The syrup is then poured over the granola mix and mixed together. 

Spread out on a baking tray before walking in the oven on gas mark 4 for 45 mins continually mixing up every 5-10 min to stop any burning 

Once finished and cooled add a hand full of raisins then store in an airtight tin 

Muchos Gracias

It's proper beaut

Guilt free caramel sauce using 2 ingredients

It's took me thirty years to try a date. I don't think I've ever eaten one in my whole life until yesterday.

 Couple of months ago I came across the energy ball recipe so bought some dates to try and was amazed at how nice they were and such a good replacement for sugar and chocolate. I make batches of energy balls every couple of week and the recipe is somewhere on my blog. 

So yesterday I was making my balls 😳 and I just ate a date whole and it was yum!! Where have I been living all this time!!  I started searching other date recipes and came acros the caramel sauce. 

So checking I had the 2 ingredients it required I have it a whirl!! 

16 pitted dates 

Half a cup of almond milk 

That's it!!

So I blended up the dates which just became a sticky mess then added a bit of milk then whizzed it again before adding a bit more milk and so on until I got the consistency that I wanted 

The end result!! It's amazing!! U can also add vanilla or a sprinkle of sea salt which I'll defo try next time but give it a whizz you'll be suprised!! 

Even my daughter ate we had ginger cake and ice cream with this dribbled over it and she never guessed!! 🙌🏽

Losing the Christmas layer

So today is the 1st February and this weekend is the first time since Christmas that I feel like I'm back in shape.

After two weeks of food indulgence and not working out (cos it's Christmas) I felt disgusting and wobbly and like I was going to have to start my journey all over again. 

My fitness journey started in May 2015 it took 3 months to shape my body and see some muscle definition. I continued from there and drove the workout sessions into my daily routines and made sure I was active 5 or 6 times a week. So I've worked pretty hard all year long. 

Then Christmas came and I just wanted to fully relax and enjoy it so I did just that!! 

Around came the 4th January and I was totally ready to get back on it, I was fed up of eating and being lazy and tired and getting fat!! Actually my thing is I can eat eat eat and not see any change until two weeks later it's like boing here I am!! I have a fat delay 😏

Anyway After Christmas I started an evening class at college with my friends which fell on a Wednesday. Well Wednesday's was our boxfit class at fitness garage with combo and this class was the cherry on top for my physique. So Having missed this class for 6 weeks my stomach as lost its shape it's now a roll!! Knowing this I worked extra hard on my days in the gym, upped my running game again and made sure I never missed the Saturday box sesh. 

Well this paid off and today I am feeling good again I'm not as wobbly and my arms and abs are aching (I live for that feeling). 

So all in all its took me four weeks to get back to feeling good and toned again where as two weeks ago I thought this was a never ending journey!! 

I recommend some high intensity boxfit classes as they do wonders for the whole body. The circuits mix the whole thing up and makes you fell hard as fuck after 😂

Glitter roots and grey hair

So I don't know what 2016 as done to me but I'm recapturing a bit of my youth with new hairstyles, dungarees and glitter!! Having seen the trend on Instagram the last few month me and Katie decided to give it a go at the next party we went too and we loved it!!

We bought some cheap ass gel from supermarket and some glitter mixed it up in a glass and then painted it into each other's roots we then sprinkled on some table confetti we found and pressed them slightly to stick to the gel and walla!!!! Hair ready!!! How easy!! We loved it and felt about 14 again we added some 90s rnb playlist to the background and we was off with no diggity hahah

Anyway the camera snob and her iPhone 6 camera which is for some reason a million times better than my iPhone 5 got plenty of pics as ya do and we got some great responses!

Coming home from the party we gave our heads a little brush off whilst outside and it literally just came out!! Which was great cos we was planning on sleeping in balaclavas or somet to save the bedsheets from being ruined!! Another quick knock off before entering the house it was easy peasy to remove. No mess anywhere except my mates driveway haha

I was expecting to be covered in glitter for a week but no issues!! Give it a go it changed my life 🚬

 

Lifestyle Changes in the New Year

New year New you

Not for me

Id like to think I made the lifestyle changes I needed last year so 2016 for me is about maintaining that level of eating healthy and plenty of exercise and enjoying it too.

I'm in the gym, running, boxing or walking at least 5 days a week and I'm happy with that it keeps my weight maintained and I can still eat what I want when I want and I don't feel guilty. I enjoy the social side of it too and having friends doing the same is key to the motivation.

I have started college this term and I've been doing an extra boxing class but not as much weights in the gym and I can tell. My body feels a tad wobblier for missing the gym. However I am in the best shape I have ever been in and I understand now how whatever size you are you can still feel fat and really 'fat' isn't the right word its the toning of your body that makes you feel this way. This is why I love lifting weights so much because my body feels much leaner and I can eat a massive Christmas dinner and desserts and starters and chocolates and champagne and still bust a six pack out over all that food.

Its taken me 6 months to be able to be happy with the lifestyle but it as totally paid off.

I started my fitness journey in May 2015 I did start running before that though. It took about 3 months before I saw an outcome of hitting the gym every day and lifting but it came. You have to persevere and do it only for yourself not anybody else.

I don't use any protein powders or any gimmicky items they sell nowadays because that's all it is a gimmick. There are natural alternatives to it all and I believe there just a placebo to people.

Anyone can do it you just have to put the time in and change your routine for you.

Sheffield Half Marathon 2016

So I have said before that i failed my October run challenge but in a way it was good cos its got me back into enjoying running and i still clocked up plenty of miles which I haven't done since May this year.

I've also signed up to the Sheffield Half Marathon so i've got to keep it up now to be ready to smash that crazy hill I keep hearing about.

I'll track my progress I'm sure and if anyone can offer any advice please do!!

Sport injuries help needed

I love my new lifestyle and i love working out and switching up my routines and that but my god i'm sick of all the little injuries and groans i get with it, it really proper grinds my gears.

I stretch the body well before all my workouts and after and still end up with silly little wrist aching or back aching or my bigger coccyx disability i recently got but has now gone.

I get sick of winging so just having a quick moan.

Anyone got any advice for me to stop getting these little injuries???

Gonna get some wrist wraps for boxfit and what............

Lemon infused water

I feel like i swear by this shit it really does change my physique.

I've been drinking this for a couple of months and the other week i just forgot to make a batch and continued to not have a batch to drink and i felt different so made sure i bought a bag of lemons on my next shop and made a bottle of water up with just a lemon cut into quarters popped in and left in the refrigerate.

This is all i drink at home instead of pop or dilute or juice etc. I have a good drink in a morning and a good guzzle before bed and i feel it helps my stomach loads with bloating. i just keep topping the water up for a few days before changing the lemon.

Its cheaper than all the pop you can go through and tastes nicer than water alone so give it a try what you got to lose.

I'm a BIG green tea drinker too i feel this helps my soul LOL it certainly helps my stomach digest foods better and stops the upset stomach feeling or anxiety tummy i sometimes get.