Orange Cream Oats!

So, remember how I've been sick? Of course you remember, I couldn't stop winging about it!

Well, as un-fun a time that it was, there was something excellent that resulted from the whole ordeal. Something my ordinary self probably wouldn't have tried. Something that was prompted through my mission to eat all the vitamin C (and other cold remedy foods)

 Filled with orange. Creamy, sweet and tangy. Utterly drool-worthy. Healthy enough for breakfast!

 You're welcome.

That, my friends is a bowl of the most delicious, creamy, lip-smacking, belly loving oats ever to cross my lips. And it was oh-so-easy too!

Ingredients:

1/2-3/4 cup rolled oats

1 teaspoon chia seeds

1 banana, thinly sliced

1/2 zest orange

2 teaspoons fresh orange juice

1 cup almond milk 

2 tablespoons greek yoghurt (optional)

Method:

Place everything into a saucepan, stir to combine and then stir over medium heat until bubbling. Continue to stir until liquid is absorbed and oats are cooked.

Cool slightly and then stir in some greek yoghurt (optional), transfer to a bowl and top with anything you like (almond butter is divine!!)

 And you know that I had some almond butter on the bottom of my bowl, in the middle of my oats and on top for equal distribution and deliciousness factor.

 There are seriously no words to describe how awesome this bowl of oats tastes, so do yourself a favour and whip up one for yourself, then send me all your love after you swallow that very first blissful bite!

 I mentioned here how I had a new favourite bowl of oats, but I think this one even takes my new lemon blueberry oats for a run for their money!
Maybe I am just developing a new obsession with adding citrus to my oats? Who knows, but it is mighty good!

 The addition of greek yoghurt simply adds to that creamy vibe of the oats, adding a subtle cheese-cakey flavour too, so I would recommend adding it (even dairy free yoghurt if you're vegan).

 Now, excuse me as I wipe my eyes from the happy tears rolling down my cheeks at the site of this goddess.

Nom.

Your turn:
Have you ever/ Are you a fan of adding citrus flavours to your oats?
Ever tried orange oats?
Ever add greek yoghurt for a cheese-cakey flavour? A favourite of mine- particularly chocolate cheesecake oats!

That's it from me today folks, I hope you all have a great day, smile lots (you'll automatically feel better!) and do something you love! Bye for now friends!! :D

Linking up the love!

Hi friendly friends! I hope everyone's having a super fun weekend (and if not, run around in a circle really fast and I promise you you'll end up laughing- even if it is purely the fact that you stacked it...)

Now, with that little piece of wisdom, and a mug of warm delicious apple + cinnamon steel cut oats...

Let's get onto some awesome links from the past week:

Food:

Healthy 1 Minute Blueberry Muffin (Paleo, vegan, gluten free)

Chocolate Fudge Banana Skillet Cake (Vegan and Paleo)

Healthy Spicy Cauliflower Dip

Homemade vegan white chocolate

Blueberry & Lemon Fudge with creamed coconut (4 ingredients)

Fitness:

Experts: Surprisingly Little Running Extends Lifespan

25 Badass Tanks That Will Actually Inspire You To Exercise

3 Min Muffintop Melting Oblique Workout!

Should I Run with a Cold?

When to Eat Before and After a Workout For Best Results

24 Reasons Why You Should Exercise Today

Health/ Good reads:

10 Rules I Broke While Running 53 Marathons In 53 Days

Funny:

24 Problems Literally Only The Queen Would Truly Understand

I hope you found some good reads in there and I'll catch you guys later! Again, have an awesome rest of your weekend (you know what to do ;) Bye for now!! :D

Thinking Out Loud- On being sick

It all happened so suddenly.

One minute I was fine, the next I had a fever, headache, monstrous cough and runny nose.

I had no time to think, no time to act.

The desire to go on was slowly but surely dwindling away.

Ok, I'll snap out of it! But really, if you didn't guess by the title (or the thrilling intro) I'm sick and not happy in the slightest! Since it is Thursday, and on Thursday's we Think Out Loud, I thought I would think out loud about the drastic change in personality I experience when I'm sick.

Thanks as always to Spoons for hosting this link-up each week!

1. My first symptoms of a cold is either a fever or a sore throat. This one started off with a fever and that's when I knew it was going to be brutal.

2. After a day of slightly warmer cheeks and forehead, the cough started to develop. DuUN-DUN-DUN.

3. As soon as I have even the slightest inkling of a cold I will load up on all the vitamin C tablets and Lemsips.

4. I also get a lot more irritable and have a much shorter fuse (both anger wise and emotional wise).

5. The tablets and Lemsips didn't make a dent in anything.

6. Then overnight- BAM- I'm gone. High temp, bad cough, dizzy- the lot!

And that's the story of my cold (Riveting right?)

Anywho, here's a typical look at some of the things I try to get better quicker!

Firstly, I make sure I'm only eating ALL the good stuff. Not skimping on fruit/ veg/ good fats etc. Even though I may be feeling sick/ not wanting to eat ANYTHING, I know my body needs it- it is fighting a mighty battle and needs its fuel!

I also make sure I move the amount that makes me feel good. That generally means some light stretching in the morning and maybe a bit of walking around (in a nutshell- not much!) because once again, the body needs to rest!

Water intake sky rockets.

But really it's just rest, rest, rest that is the most important thing and its taken me a while to come to terms with this (boy do I have some hideous memories of trying to push through a run with a hearty cough and pounding head)

And finally, here's a meal I enjoyed on my first day of feeling like death:

 2 wholemeal crumpets with a creamy orange smoothie (all that good vitamin C!)

 I didn't feel hungry at all, but here's an example of fueling my body for a fight!

 This smoothie was soo good, too! Like a creamy orange-y banana-y slushie thing! In the mix was 1 frozen banana, 1 chopped frozen orange, 2 big handfuls spinach, 3 big scoops greek yoghurt, and some water to get it going!

Smoothies are such an easy and delicious way to consume all the good stuff!!

So that's me on a sick day (/week)!

What about you:
What's your initial response to the first sign of a cold?
Best natural remedies (i.e. favourite cold food :)?
Ever put frozen orange in a smoothie?

Want to know what everyone else is thinking about this lovely Thursday? Head on over to Spoons! That's it from me today guys, have yourself an awesome day!! Bye! :D

WIAW #73 Eats when I'm sick

Hello, hello lovely people!

Even the un-lovely people- hello! (I'm just kidding, you're all lovelies....hopefully ;)

Anywho, it's Wednesday and on Wednesday we drool over other people's eats because we are all foodies.

Yep, it's WIAW thanks to Peas and Crayons for creating this awesome weekly link-up! Now enough babbling, onto the FOOOOD! (This day of eats is from Monday)

Breakfast: 7:25am
Woke up Monday morning, still pretty unwell, but determined to go to school as I hate being sick and missing out and stopping life and... yeh.
So I did some light yoga (thank you Fightmaster) and then sauntered into the kitchen to whip up some grub!

Grub was good.

In my almost empty jar of smooth peanut butter went some choc banana oats (rolled oats + banana + raw cacao powder + chia seeds + cinnamon + almond milk- heated on the stove until liquid absorbed and then stirred together with some greek yoghurt= choc cheesecake!)

Perfect bowl for warm, gooey oats!

However sick I am, I still seem to find the appetite to eat!

Snack:11:00am
I'd feel bad if I showed you yet another picture of peas in a pot. :)

But there were peas in a pot.


Lunch: 1:15pm
Still dying through school (but still determined to stick to normalcy!) lunch couldn't have come soon enough!

Prepped the night before was a delicious tupperware container of roasted brussels, broc and eggplant (roasted in olive oil) with some spinach and tri-coloured quinoa.

Look- here's a blurry picture of a brussel sprout for you!

You're welcome ;) (but seriously if you haven't tried brusells sprouts, eggplant or broccoli roasted in olive oil- you are missing out!!!)

Snack: 4:00pm
Finally the school day was over and I dove into some fruit and soy milk:

A cut up (hard!) pear with super crisp, delicious red grapes.

Dinner: 6:45
I was over life the day, so I simply cut up some veg, popped it on a tray, little bit of oil and roasted. Done.

Served with some lentils and spinach. Too easy and too delicious!!

After dinner, for dessert I had... a lemsip. Yum. Though the other night I had a piece of 85% dark choc and fell in love. T'was very good indeed!

What about you:
What's your favourite form of movement when sick? I simply can't sit still! I think it makes it obvious how gross I feel.
Best 'when sick' breakfast?
Do you lose your appetite when you're sick?

That's it from me today folks, make sure to check out what everyone else is nom-ing on, and also have yourself a wonderful day! Bye for now friendly friends!! :D

My new favourite bowl of oats?

If you've been reading Steph2 chef for a while now, you may remember this post, where I profess my love of vanilla steel cut oats with nut butter, claiming it to be my favourite bowl of oats. Ever.

And, I mean, that's a pretty big claim. Those oats must taste pretty dang good! (and they do, btw.)

Then one morning I made some other oats...

Into a saucepan went 1 sliced banana + 1/2-3/4 cup rolled oats+ handful frozen blueberries + chia seeds + 1/2 teaspoon lemon rind + 1 teaspoon lemon juice + 1 cup almond milk + 1/4 cup water.

I let that sit over medium heat for a few minutes, stirring regularly until all the liquid was absorbed (around 7-10 minutes)
After that, I let it sit for a few minutes, stirred again and then stirred in 2 tablespoons greek yoghurt (optional) and poured it into my bowl (stopping halfway to put some coconut butter in the middle and then topping off with the rest of oats and a bit more coconut butter :)

What you see before you, my friends, is exquisitiveness in a bowl!! (yep, new word).
The combination of the creaminess from the oats and banana, the pops of sweetness from the blueberries, the tang of the lemon and then the fudgy goodness of the coconut butter is almost too good to be true.

Almost.

I think if I were to pick the secret ingredient that truly makes this dish, it would be this guy:

Nope not the oats. That little lemon hiding behind the oats!!

Lemon + coconut + blueberry oats. My new perfect bowl of oats!!

Your turn:
What is your perfect bowl of oats?
Are you a fan of using lemon rind in baking (love, love, love it!)
Favourite topping for oats? (Mine depends on how I'm feeling, but more often then not it's nut butter and then coconut butter :)

That's it from me today friendly friends, let me know if you try out these oats if you love them as much as me and have a wonderful day! Bye!! :D

Steph the Yogi

Hi my name is Steph and I'm a lover of all heart racing, sweat inducing, blood pumping, activities. Which is why I'm a runner. And also a fan of chaotic dancing around the house.
 :)

However I'm also a fan of the deep, relaxing, meditating forms of movement.

Which brings me to yoga.

Now, if you read my WIAW from last week (not pre-requisite reading... unlike completing chemistry for a university nutrition course :( I love school. So much.) you may have noticed me mentioning doing some morning yoga (before I raced to the kitchen for FOOD!).

I've done yoga in the past, both a regular class and a teens yoga class, and enjoyed it so, s much! I mean, I'm a skeptic. It's true. So when my first ever yoga instructor told me yoga does so much more than give you a good stretch (for example tapping into your emotions by opening your hips, or helping with sleep and anxiety) I was a bit unsure.

And then I was converted.

Yoga offered me so many benefits, not only the physical improvement in flexibility and strength, but also an outlet for my frustrations an stress and a way to centre myself and just. Stop.

So when I was reading Paleo Running Momma's blog and came across her speaking only good things about a YouTube yoga channel called Fightmaster yoga, I became intrigued.

As year 11 has seemed to take ALL my free time, ever, I have found that easy to access at home activities are where it's at for me in this stage of life. So, one morning, I woke up bright and early, drank some water, popped up a YouTube tab on my iPad and did an incredible 30 minute yoga session focusing on stretching out my back, hips and legs.

There was that awesome yoga sensation that I've never gotten from anything else in life. Not even running. I was instantly calmed, relaxed and centered into myself and haven't looked back! Now I log onto Fightmaster yoga at least 3 mornings a week and get my yogi on focusing on whatever it is I'm feeling like that day (strength, flexibility, relaxation etc.). Then I alternate the rest of my mornings with either weight training or running (currently middle distance interval training for school. Blah.) or rest days. Boy has it been awesome!

I don't know why I keep forgetting about yoga when it gives me so many benefits, but now that I've found  ways I can do downward dog in my comfy PJ's I don't think I'll be stopping any time soon! ;)

What about you?
Are you a yoga fan? 
What was your first experience like? 
Any funny/inspirational yoga stories? 

If you've never done yoga before, definitely give Lesley Fightmaster a go and who knows, you might just fall in love with it! Bye for now friendly friends!! :D

Sunday Love! And cereal ;)

Happy Sunday friendly friends!!

First-things-first: BREAKFAST (Because breakfast always comes first!!)

I was kind of unsure about what to have this morning as Sunday morning pancakes just didn't sound appealing (no judgement- it happens sometimes!) so I took a quiz and it told me...

 Cereal:

Yep, cereal. At first I was like, I don't really own any cereal. And then I was like, well I'll make a Steph version.

Enter breakfast:

 Started off with the thick, purple, creamy milk:

1 frozen banana + 1 handful frozen blackberries + 3 spoons greek yoghurt (optional)- whazzed up in a food processor until smooth- Then placed in the freezer for around 20-30mins to harden up a bit)

Next came the chunky, fugdy, nut-buttery cereal:

A mix of almond butter and peanut butter granola (note the darker granola on the right= almond butter)

And therefore, my breakfast of cereal and milk:

;)
Also, on an awesome note, look what's back:

ALL THE SUN! I love it!!

So, yes, my day started off with 'cereal' and 'milk' Steph-style. Seriously better than the original!

Nom.

Now, who's ready for some links I've been loving from the week?

Food:

Easy, Quick & Healthy Breakfast Ideas!

The Ultimate Guide to Nuts 

Cookies n’ Cream Stuffed Brookie {Gluten Free&Vegan}

Baked Vegan Green Chili & Jalapeno Creamy Nacho Mac & Cheese

Vegan Hazelnut & Chocolate “Nutella” Pudding

The Ultimate 1 Minute Protein Brownie (Paleo, Vegan, gluten free)

Sweet potato pie smoothie

Fitness:

Pro Tips to Help You Stick to Your Health and Fitness Goals

Why Are Morning Runners So Happy?

10 minute kettlebell butt, leg and core workout

 

Health:

9 Popular Food Cravings And What They Say About Your Emotions

Funny:

 

The 25 Most Spectacular Fast Food Fails Of All Time

16 Reasons People Who Shower At Night Are Doing It Right

24 Pictures That Perfectly Sum Up Real Life

I hope you found some interesting reads in that lot and I also hope you have a fantastic rest of your day gearing up for the week to come! Bye for now friends!! :D