Breakfast – A 5-minute plum cake topped with peanut sauce (peanut butter + peanut flour + water)

I prepped and packed my lunch as the husb fixed my bike. I made a Quinoa Tuna Salad with cherry tomatoes and chopped almonds. I think salads make great easy packed lunch. Just need some greens, some legumes (carb), some meat or eggs (protein) and some nuts or avocado (healthy fats). I’m already thinking about my next lunch which involves lentils :)

[1/2 cup cooked quinoa, 1 can tuna, lettuce, cherry tomatoes, red onion, apple cider vinegar, salt, pepper, hidden almonds]

So I cycled to work today.  It took me 30 minutes (at moderate speed).

After I came back home from work, I did ChaLean Burn Intervals followed by plank abs. Made myself a quick warm (yikes — no ice) smoothie as post-workout before heading out again to a park for a Lantern Festival. It has actually been a long day (came back home at 9 pm) and I’m gonna call it a night. Tata.

I made myself a on-the-go breakfast today — a quick protein bread using sun warrior and peanut flour.

For the bread: 1 scoop sun warrior + 1 egg white + baking powder + cinnamon powder + water. Then microwave on high for about 2 minutes.

For the peanut topping: 1 tbsp peanut butter + 1 tbsp peanut flour +  water

Anyway, remember yesterday’s Mango prawn avocado bacon green salad? Here’s the recipe.

The dressing

This recipe is also shared on Slightly Indulgent Tuesday

A note on avocados (source)

• Seventy-five percent of the calories in an avocado come from fat, whereas most fruits derive their calories from sugars.
• The monounsaturated fat found in avocados is mostly oleic acid, which  may help lower cholesterol.
• Avocados have 60 percent more potassium than bananas, making them a great post-workout recovery food. They’re also rich in vitamin E and other antioxidants.
• You’ll also find a large amount of omega-3s and omega-6s in avocados, excellent news for vegetarians and vegans who want to incorporate these beneficial fatty acids into their diet without consuming fish oil, poultry, or eggs.
• Avocados are also rich in vitamins C and E and folic acid. They also help your body absorb beta-carotene from other foods. Half an avocado is only 150 calories, and makes a perfect topping on a salad or some of your favorite whole-grain toast. 

Tip: Eat a spinach and carrot salad with a little avocado, and you’ll not only get a dose of good fat, but you’ll also absorb more phytonutrients like lutein and beta-carotene. Scientists at Ohio State University in Columbus found that more antioxidants were absorbed when people ate a salad containing avocados than when they ate a salad without this tasty fruit.

Buckwheat flour, buckwheat groats, sun warrior etc.

It turned out nice!

Recipe adapted from Edible Perspective

This recipe is also being shared in Wellness Weekends.

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Today’s to-do list (mainly household chores which have been neglected)

• ChaLean Extreme Push Circuit 2 workout (right after hitting the publish button!)
• Vacuum the house
• Mop the house
• Scrub toilets and floors
• Scrub the balcony floor (very dusty!)
• Throw away unnecessary stuffs (old papers etc)
• Dust furniture
• Iron and re-arrange clothes
• Buy fresh veggies for tonight
• Bake something if I have time (we have 4 friends coming over this evening)

***

I also had a bowl of Plum Salad topped with toasted almonds

Lettuce, shredded carrots, 1 ripe plum, vinegar, salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil and toasted almonds

We lunched at The Soup Spoon (Chicken Stew, Garden Greens, Muffin) @ Paragon

Followed by shopping for a scrap booking project for our dad

Then I met this man aka the husband. We went to look for a blazer for him. We only had about an hour or so to spare. So we stepped into G2000, tried about 3 blazers and eventually chose this one.  If it was me, an hour wouldn’t have been enough! Not even a day would.

[It's really rare to see him in a coat or blazer ... the last time was in 2008 on our wedding day!]

By the time I was back home (6 plus), it was time to prep dinner. I managed to snap this before the sun went down!

A yummy Red Lentil Soup (lentil from mum, I have a kg of them I think), just the way mum makes it (added extra green veggies though hehe). I actually made dinner for one person (me) as the husb had a company function to attend (reason for getting a blazer in such a short time).

I bought some quinoa seeds. Stay tune for quinoa recipes ..

***

I have recently been concerned about toxic in our cosmetics and personal-care products such as shampoos. Particularly shampoos and moisturizer creams — something that I use on a daily basis (well shampoo = every other day or after a very sweaty workout). I’ve never used organic shampoos / organic creams / organic cosmetics (have you?) but I am starting to think that maybe I should switch (hormone-disrupting chemicals scare me). Organic products ain’t cheap though :( — however, they are cheaper than Clarins!

Anyway, most off-the-shelf  products are a huge source of endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Here are some of the potentially harmful ones that I read that you need to avoid:

Formaldehyde: This preservative may be found in moisturizers, facial cleansers, shampoos, conditioners, body washes, eye shadows, mascaras, and many other products. It’s harmful to the immune system and is a known human carcinogen.

Parabens: Found in shampoos, conditioners, body washes, tooth whiteners, toothpastes, facial cleansers, sunscreens, moisturizers, and astringents, these preservatives have estrogenic effects on the body and have been linked to breast and prostate cancer.

Placenta: Used in some hair relaxers, moisturizers, and toners, placenta is also estrogenic and may increase the risk for breast cancer.

Triclosan: This antibacterial agent is found in a variety of products, including moisturizers, hand creams, shampoos, conditioners, antiperspirants, and toothpastes. It may interfere with the metabolism of thyroid hormone and contribute to antibiotic resistance.

Our plan was to go to the night market (Pasamalam) at Geylang Serai but we didn’t have much luck finding a parking lot. So we just drove around and stopped for a two bowls of katong laksa.

And durian. I had zero bite. I can stand the smell of durian but can’t eat one. He devoured the fruit within 5 minutes.

[Image Source]

***

Remember the colourful salad that I made last Tuesday?  The purple cabbage is totally optional. In fact, I will skip it next time.

The veggies / fruits

• Half a purple cabbage
• 1 cup cooked garbanzo beans
• 1 bell pepper (red or yellow)
• 1 small pineapple
• 1 cucumber, deseeded
• 2 – 3 tomatoes, deseeded

The vinaigrette

• Freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 and a 1/2 lemons)
• Apple cider vinegar
• Salt
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 shallot or red onion
• Honey
• Mustard (optional)

I made these green pancakes after a sweaty ChaLean Extreme workout (Burn Interval). Speaking of which, I am in my last week of Phase 1. Next week I will be pretty busy with the Singapore Open Track & Field Championships, however I will make sure to stick to her programme. Probably gonna have to re-adjust my timing and wake up as early as 5 am.

***

Yesterday I went for my acupuncture.

[Image source]

I had this voracious appetite afterwards. I ate an early dinner at 4 pm (!). Ate another meal (fish soup + curry fish head) four hours later and another meal three hours later. I ended going to bed at 3 am!

I woke up this morning and fed Mikey.

Little did I know that while I was working out, Mikey was doing this …

He threw out all his (just eaten) food … Looks like poo but it’s not. It happens sometimes. He probably ate too fast …

Recipe from The Vegetarian Times magazine

This was taken on Saturday

In the mix

Yesterday’s salad bowl: 1 can tuna, handful of cherry tomatoes, handful of grapes, some crunchy biscuits, tablespoon dried raisins, almonds, peanuts and lettuce. YUM. I’m sticking with my big salad bowls until I get sick of them :)

On another note …. I bought this Pacific brand almond milk for the first time yesterday.

I tried it this morning in my oatmeal and I think I prefer the creamy  SILK brand :)  Pacific almond milk is too watery for my liking. But that doesn’t mean I won’t be buying it again.

It’s pouring cats and dogs over here … such a good time to sleep!! XOXO.

All shiny now

Then it was time for lunch. I used this Sharkfin melon to make spaghetti squash.

Oh yeah, sharkfin melon = spaghetti squash. You can find sharkfin squash at any supermarket.

Cook the sharfkin melon in preheated 375 F oven approximately 45 minutes or until flesh is tender.

Top with spaghetti sauce. Yum.

Me after last Friday’s visit to the hairdresser. Shorter hair, shorter bangs and more layers at the back. I like messy and non-straight hair.

***

Yesterday lunch was kept very light as I wasn’t feeling too well. I only grabbed a smoked chicken salad from a nearby cafe. Thank goodness my flu-like symptoms went away later that day!

Very light lunch = growling stomach by mid-afternoon. I had some homemade baked banana oatmeal cakes.

These banana oatmeal cakes were made using only 5 ingredients (excluding baking powder and baking soda). I enjoy very simple and easy-to-make food.

Ingredients

• 1 cup rolled oat
• 1/2 cup cornmeal (for crunchiness) – or 1/4 cup cornmeal + 1/4 cup dried quinoa
• 3 medium ripe bananas
• 3 tbsp peanut butter
• 2 tbsp raisins or cranberries
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda.

Method: Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Shape into balls and place onto a baking tray. Flatten lightly. Bake until brown and crispy on the outside.

Ate my last bowl of hot & spicy lentil soup yesterday. I was too lazy to prepare it a la Mauritian style. So mine was basically Lentils + Hunt’s Diced tomatoes + Chicken stock + Lots of chilli powder …  Yeah that’s all. Simple yet so delicious. Gotta make more this week.

Tonight: Dinner for two

• Salmon
• Curried mashed caulifower chicken
• Steamed veggies (carrots, broccoli, mushrooms) drizzled with homemade peanut sauce

To make the peanut sauce, I combined 2 tbsp peanut butter with 4 tbsp almond milk (or milk of choice). Then I microwaved until I got a thick and creamy sauce.

I recently bought this 1.87-Litre Almond Milk (first time) and I am already in love with it! So creamy and nutty! <3 Unfortunately, almond milk is hard to find in regular stores. Bahhhhh.

Plain Baked Norwegian Salmon <3

Curried mashed cauliflower chicken

Gonna hit the hay now. Bye!

Tonight I made something light and simple. Baked honey ginger tofu it was.

I should have bought firm tofu instead of silken tofu

The marinate: Honey + Olive Oil + Ground ginger.

Bake for a couple of minutes.

Light, simple and healthy

I finally got a new digital camera after two  months of waiting! I hope my new Canon Powershot S95 will last for years (my previous PowerShot S2 IS lasted for a good 4+ years).

My Sunday started at 11 am. After 10 solid hours of undisturbed sleep, I was ready to hit the road for a run. I couldn’t resist the nice weather!

I had two of these ‘licious nutty-fruity cocoa coated balls (recipe at the bottom) and drank a glass of warm water before hitting the road!

I ran gadget-free. I always do. No watch, no music player. Brought along 10 bucks  though, in case I needed to buy drinks — which I did after I finished my 15 km run. Running is addictive. Oh yes it is.

Rice Cracker Sandwich as post-workout fuel.

The filling: Egg white, Tomato  sauce and crunchy faux bacon bits

I  also had one or two more of those nutty-fruity cocoa coated balls.

Nutty-fruity cocoa coated balls

Ingredients

• 15 dried apricots
• 7 dried prunes
• 5 dates
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/3 cup peanut butter of your choice
• 1-2 tbsp water
• 1-2 tbsp honey
• 3/4 cup roasted silvered almonds
• 2 tbsp raw cacao nibs
• 2-3 tbsp unsweetened Hershey cocoa powder

Method: Place the first 7 ingredients into a food processor and process until they stick together. Place the sticky mixture  into a bowl and add the silvered almonds and raw cacao nibs. Mix well. Shape into balls. Coat each ball with cocoa powder. Pop the Nutty-fruity cocoa coated balls into the freezer. Best eaten frozen!

First things first … I got more bangs! Fringes that is :)

I like my fringes this time because there’s no layering (unlike last time). I also covered up the dark hair root. It’s been 3 months since my last haircut. I don’t have a regular hairdresser but I think I’ve finally found one now.

Now on to the Muffins!

The wet ingredients: 2 very ripe bananas, 4 tbsp of Greek yogurt, 3 tbsp of creamy peanut butter, 4 tbsp of honey, 4 tbsp of sunflower or vegetable oil, vanilla extract. They are actually pretty healthy muffins.

Stirring until smooth

I mixed  in the dry ingredients. Then filled the muffin liners.

Twenty Five minutes later. The house smelled sooooo good!

An hour later. When time is on my side and I am in the mood I enjoy having guests at home, cook and bake for them. Not pictured was my hot chocolate drink =)

Can you spot the ‘Biscuit Champagne‘? hehehe

An hour and half later

With our guest, director of Ugandan youth Track & Field Association, whom the husband met (along with others including the Mauritian team) at the Youth Olympic Games.

I will post my niece’s Birthday pictures another day.

***

Banana, PB, Greek Yogurt, Raisin Muffins

Recipe via here

Ingredients

• 2 very ripe bananas, roughly mashed
• 4 tbsp of Greek yogurt
• 3 tbsp of chunky or smooth peanut butter
• 4 tbsp of honey
• 4 tbsp of sunflower or vegetable oil
• 1 ad 1/4 C flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 C of raisins

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven at 180 deg C and line  a cupcake tray
2. Beat together the bananas, honey, Greek yogurt, peanut butter and oil till smooth.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and soda. Mix in the raisins.
4. Fold in the flour mixture to the banana mixture, a couple of tablespoons at a time, till everything is just moistened. The mixture will be quite thick.
5. Spoon the mixture into the muffin liners, till about 3/4 full.
6. Place the tray in the centre of the pre heated oven and bake for about 22-24 minutes or till the top is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted through the centre of the muffins come out clean.
7. Cool the muffins in the tray for a minute, and then transfer to a rack to cool completely before storing in airtight containers.

Back in Singapore, my breakfast is often taken in a rush. So, one of the things that I am really enjoying at the moment is my nice long breakfast, tea and baguette.

We had “pain maison” this morning…

Mum also made  fluffy banana pancakes

Some days we have bread + jambon fumé

We are heading to La Pirogue after lunch for the weekend. Soooo looking forward to the breakfast and dinner buffet :)   I am also planning to hit the gym so that I can digest all the food that I will be consuming!!! I gotta maintain some workout schedule for my mental well-being  hehe.

I hope the water will not be too cold because I wanna swim and do some water sports :) Most importantly,  I hope it will be very sunny!!!

Will update when I’m there :) Cya later!