Fitness Fridays: Protein Balls

Morning lovelies!

It's a horrible dreary grey and rainy day as I type this and I don't know about you but it always makes me want to eat.
I'm really having to curb the snacking on my week off as being at home means I can eat whenever which is different to working in a lab where no food and drink is allowed!

I've been wanting to try some recipes for a while and took the opportunity to try this one, which i think was from Pinterest. It's not really a recipe as such as there weren't any amounts, but it was fun to do all the same.

You need 2 bananas and a whole pile of oats for this. I underestimated the amount of oats needed so basically just bring the bag/container that you keep them in!

You will need to peel and then mash up the bananas in a bowl first, this looks a lot like baby food and I felt like I'd fast forwarded my life by 5/10 years, lets not go there yet eh?!

After this you add the oats until the mixture can be formed into balls. I've no idea how much I needed in the end as I kept needing to add more, the bananas are quite moist fruits aren't they!

At this point, because I knew i wanted to try multiple flavours I separated the mixture into another bowl so I could add some chocolate protein powder to one half.

This resulted in the above photo. Having added chocolate protein powder to one bowl (about 1.5 scoops) and a few spoons of peanut butter to the other half, I then added oats until the mixture would stay when I scooped some into a ball.

These need to go into the oven at 350 degrees for 10/15 mins, so they need to be firm enough to stay in a shape but not too firm so that they dry out. This was my big mistake with the chocolate ones!

I kept adding oats until I thought the consistency was correct but must have added too many, they formed perfect ball shapes to go into the oven but took 5 minutes to go hard and now a day later taste very powdery and you need a large quantity of water to rehydrate yourself! They still taste nice though...

I was quite proud that even I managed to conquer the '2 spoon' technique in getting them to be as round as possible. Some are quite squashed and weird looking but let's just let that go.

The chocolate ones came out looking as above and whilst still warm they were chocolate, gooey and warming, which is a far cry from what they're like now but there we go. Notes for next time; oats slowly increase in size and therefore you don't actually need as many. Don't rush!

The peanut ones are on the right below, they took a lot longer in the over (~20mins) and taste considerably better. I think this is highly likely to do with me not adding as many oats and the butter being a different consistency to the powder. They're definitely the tasty brothers of this particular batch and as a result have been eaten already (most of them whilst warm...who am I to miss out on warm peanutty goodness!)

These were super quick and a lot of fun to make. I feel like I've actually baked cakes and yet all I did was mash fruit and roll it into a ball shape.

There's so many flavours you can try with this, as well as nut butters and the gorgeous chocolate spread, you could add any flavour protein for a hit after the gym, dessicated coconut and fruit and nut or chocolate chips for a treat. I would definitely make these again, I'd be interested to see how long the shelf life is and they lasted 2 days in my house before they were all eaten.

It would be handy if I could make them on weekends for the week and save myself buying bars but I've no idea if this will happen as on Sunday's I'm normally hungover in bed or slogging it out running round a park! Extreme!

What do you think of this super easy recipe? Will you be trying them out?

There's so many flavour options...what would you choose?

If you ran out of original Valentines ideas and your other half is a gym addict, you can always whip these up last minute for a surprise, I'm sure it will make them smile. I mean what gym addict wouldn't want protein filled chocolate balls on their Friday night?!

L xxx

 

Healthy Girls Nights In

Good afternoon!

As I've previously mentioned I'm trying to get in some extra posts over the next few weeks about my general lifestyle changes, recipes, fitness routines and tips for weight loss and healthier ways of life. I'm planning on doing this on Fridays so will be calling it Fitness Friday....though I doubt it will always be on a Friday!

With Valentine's Day being tomorrow I thought maybe a few suggestions for the single ladies to have a girls night in...the healthy way.
Stuffing chocolate and necking wine probably isn't going to help you in the long run....let's face it you're very likely to end up texting an ex or current love interest if you attack the vino too hard or single handedly scoff your weeks calories in one go making you feel worse about yourself and your relationship status.

As my friend's 'token single friend' I am permanently single and Valentine's is never a big day for me, in fact I've always thought it was a bit rubbish and an excuse for the card and gift companies to cash in.
To be honest I've no idea what my plans are as I don't have many single friends now that they're all getting hitched one by one BUT if i did I would definitely throw a party like this. And I just might...on my own ;)



First things first the food and drink are number one priority.

Are you a salty snack fan? Try Kale Chips. Super easy to make, salty as you like but none of the ridiculous carbs and bad fats you can get when attacking the Kettle Chips family size bag (the plain salt ones are my fave!). The link shows how to make some Asian ones with soy sauce and sesame seeds but you can make any flavour you like!

Sweet Tooth? Try having a huge bowl of different fruits cut up ready to grab and dip in yogurt and honey. Yes honey is probably not good when consumed in huge quantities but its unlikely you'll eat as much of this as you would if you were dipping chocolate, plus its one of the most natural sweeteners. I cannot get enough of the yogurt/honey combo!

You could even pre-dip the fruit in yogurt and freeze them for your guests if you're an organised lady and fancy a few extra cold snacks.

Looking for something more substantial? You can always try the old houmous and veggie sticks, they are always a hit everywhere I've been and with flavoured pots of houmous available now its a no brainer for ease too! You can get caramelised onion, sweet chilli, beetroot and moroccan with peppers.

As for drinks I recommend smoothies and juices. There are the biggest lists on the internet so I won't even bother to attempt a recipe list as it totally depends on what you like and have available.

Juices would be great as you can always sneak a little bit of vodka or rum in if you're that way inclined....and I definitely am. Particularly if its more like 50% alcohol. (Just don't drive home afterwards!).

I recommend getting lots of berries, citrus fruits and some apple and cranberry juices in to help you along your way.


Now that the important things are out of the way, what on earth are you going to do with your time?

I'd recommend raiding anyones DVD collection and selecting yourself whichever types of films are your faves. Chick flicks are the easy options but I am personally a huge fan of action and superhero films so a night with Ironman, Thor, Batman and Channing Tatum in White House Down is just FINE with me.

Get your favourite face masks on the go, sit back and relax with a friends nail varnish collection and create your own little pamper parlour. I always find nights like this the time absolutely flies, you end up nattering about your latest beauty purchases, the latest guy to wander into your life and the current work gossip and I love them! There's nothing better than a catch up with friends.

Obviously....if you really do feel like pigging out just grab the ice cream bucket, family size bags of minstrel and a few pots of pringles and live it up with Bridget Jones. You can always try and be healthy tomorrow right?

What's your girls night in suggestions? Do you go healthy or gluttonous? Will you be taking any tips from this post for your next one?


L xxx

Review: Maybelline Color Tattoo 24Hr

Good morning!

I have had these in my possession for quite some time, and although they were bought on a whim I have found myself liking them quite a lot and they're so easy to use.

The Maybelline Color Tattoo 24Hr Creams have been quite a big hit with the blogging world so I was intrigued to see why!

I picked up On and On Bronze and Pink Gold as they were on offer at the time and the other colours that were left weren't my first choices. On and On Bronze was my first choice as I'd heard and seen so much about it I couldn't leave it behind, Pink Gold wouldn't have been one that i would have picked up but because of the availability and the offer I chose it too.

I'm sure there are multiple ways of applying the eye creams, with brushes, sponge applicators or fingers. for these pots I've been using my fingers initially as it was much easier to put it onto my eye lids and then blend outwards.

I would think that as the pot gets lower I would have to change this tactic as otherwise I'm going to get my nails full of product!

You can see the eye shadows in the photos above without and with flash and they're both really subtle but with enough shimmer to show up. The On and On Bronze is definitely my favourite and its wearable for work and play, the Pink Gold is such a pretty colour but I don't think it suits me as much.

I absolutely love the colour of the bronze eye shadow, it was so easy to apply and looks great for every occasion.

The pink is shown below:

I just don't think this looks as good on my skin tone and colouring as the bronze, but I'm hoping to use it as a blush/highlighter as its a gorgeous pink colour that hopefully can be use in multiple ways!

If I could pick up some more of these I'd definitely try Everlasting Navy and Eternal Gold. I think they'd be great colours for summer and Turquoise Forever looks gorgeous for summer nights!

Have you tried the Maybelline Color Tattoo? Which colour is your favourite?

L xxx

What's In My Bag Valentines/Night Out Edition

Morning All

My cough is still trying to defeat me so the post I had planned to do will have to wait! As Valentine's day is here on Friday I thought I'd share what I'd take out on a date with me. It's pretty much the same as I'd take out on a night out.

This year I'm technically single. I'm seeing someone but it's complicated (that's a whole other blog post ;)!) so my Valentines is likely to be a girly night in with my housemates. Not that I mind, it's easier! 

I do still like Valentine's day I think if you are in a relationship it is nice to celebrate that and if you aren't it's a good excuse for a girly night. 

For me whether it's for a date or a night out the smaller the bag the better (this only applies if I can actually walk in the shoe of choice otherwise the bag has to have space for flats!). I like to be able to just forget I have it which is why this Ollie & Nic one appeals to me. A purse and bag in one with space for the essentials that I can put over my wrist! It really ticks all the boxes. The gorgeous bright pink and the floral inside print just make it even better. The purse is also only £15!

In the main pocket there is space for cards and cash which make it easy to find and I like that it's not just floating in the bottom.

In the front pocket I keep a powder. A shiny face is never a good look! I love the vintage powder holder I have. My mum picked it up from eBay. I just pop the middle out of the powder I'm using at the time. Some are easier than others!

I usually carry a hairbrush .Not only does it double for a mirror (the one in my powder compact is usually so dirty I can't see my face) but it's handy for this horrible whether. Windswept and fabulous is not something my hair does! 

Mints are a must for me. Extra strong are the preferred. No one wants smelly breath and I always seem to order a massively garlic dish and forget when I'm on a date.

Nars concealer is something I can't be without at the moment. It's amazing. Creamy, great coverage and perfect for any touch ups that may be needed. Or in my case lately to cover up a pesky spot that's decided to appear.

I always like to carry a perfume on me to make sure I'm smelling pretty. The Ted Baker one is one I recently got sent to test and I'm loving. Perfect handbag size, lasts well, reasonable price and smells pretty! They can be purchased from Boots for £15

Lastly lip product of choice! A night out would probably be a lipstick but if I was going out on Valentine's I'd be picking this lip gloss because of the name! Beso which means kiss in Spanish. I was lucky enough to be given it after an Urban Decay event and have been wearing it non stop since the weekend. Non Sticky (perfect for kissing, no guys wants sticky lip gloss), subtle colour that just makes me lips look better and moisturising! The perfect valentine's lip choice! They are available now for £14

What essentials would you take on a date or night out?

Love M

xxx

   this post contains PR samples but opinions are always honest!