Friday Fare – Cashew Pesto

March 14, 2014

Cashew Pesto

So if you are like me, then you loooove Italian food. And by default you looooove pesto! Pesto is actually quite a healthy creation to begin with, although it is quite high in calories and fat. This cashew pesto is a fun twist on pesto using cashew nuts which are lower in calories and fat, and have more protein. This recipe also uses coconut oil instead of olive oil, and although both are fine, I am always a fan of using coconut oil when I can.

The best thing about this recipe is how easy and absolutely deeeelicious it is! All you need are the following ingredients and a food processor. So that being said, let’s go make it 🙂

1. Get all of your ingredients out and ready.

2. Start by firstly putting your garlic cloves into the food processor and giving it a whizz. Then add your basil, 1 cup at a time until they are chopped up.

3. Next, add your coconut oil, cashew nuts and parmesan cheese (you can omit this if you are vegan or try using a vegan cheese, let me know how that works). Give it another good whizz until the texture starts to become creamy like.

4. Now add the lemon juice and your 1/2 tsp of salt and pepper. Whizz all the ingredients one final time until the texture is thick and creamy. Done! Now it is time to eat it mmmm…

This recipe makes approximately 6 tablespoons worth.

There are a variety of ways to enjoy this delicious cashew pesto. I tried it this way, with shrimp and some whole grain pasta and egg noodles.

Good lord, I am drooling at the memory of this meal .. so .. effing .. good. I baked it with some chicken breast too and that was also very, very good.

Hope you all enjoyed this edition of Friday Fare! As always, if you liked the post please leave a comment or like and share this recipe via Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram or whatever other social media you use. It would mean so much to be, although I am continually thankful for everyone’s support.

Till next week!

Honestly yours,
Alice

Health

10 ‘Bad’ to Healthy Food Substitutions

March 11, 2014

Okay first off, when I say bad I do NOT want to demonize anything. All things in moderation are fine and dandy, so by ‘bad’ I mean foods that have a lot of calories, fat, or are just pretty nasty and chemical laden in general.

I realize that a lot of you are not all health gurus and thought it would be helpful to do a list of some easy ways to swap out ‘bad’ foods for healthier and more nourishing foods to jump start your journey to a healthier and fitter life 🙂

1. Instead of white bread (read lack of nutritional value and simple carbohydrates) for whole grain bread, or breads with low sugar content! My favorite breads are sourdough and Ezekiel brand ‘Sprouted 100% Whole Grain.’

2.No more soda!! Even diet soda please .. and I know it is hard, because even I get these completely random and absurd cravings for diet coke (damn you, Aspartame …). But please try and stick to water and teas (no not Starbuck’s chai tea latte’s, an actual tea bag placed into hot water).Be creative! Slice lemon and strawberries into your water, and buy flavored herbal tea’s 🙂

3. Instead of white rice (refer back to #1), substitute this for brown rice, wholegrain rice, or my favorite, quinoa! Quinoa is actually a seed but is classified as a whole grain.

4. Instead of white or milk chocolate (packed, packed, packed full of sugar) substitute it with dark chocolate (70% cocoa or higher) or carob. If the taste is too bitter, you can always melt the chocolate and add a few drops of stevia to it to sweeten it up 🙂

5. Instead of french fries made from potatoes, use sweet potatoes to make them .. and bake them, don’t deep fry! If you would like a recipe, please let me know and I will do a feature on an upcoming Friday Fare 🙂

6. Instead of butter (on your toast, in your baking and/or cooking) use coconut oil! Another substitute would be olive oil, or avocado (for putting on toast).

7. Instead of a sugary candy bar, substitute it with berries and other fruits such as strawberries, blueberries, and apples!

8. Instead of fast-food pizza, make your own pizza at home with whole wheat flour!

9. Instead of ice-cream, which tends to have a lotttt of sugar in it, substitute it for my healthified ice cream 🙂

10. Finally, substitute your negative attitude into a positive one! I know this obviously is not a food substitute but it is important nevertheless. A healthy and positive mindset on life will do so much more than any food substitutions will, and give you the motivation to strive for a healthier lifestyle.

Hope this helps you find a way to have a healthier version of what you love eating. What is your biggest ‘bad’ vice? Let me know in the comments below 🙂

Honestly yours,
Alice

Blogs I love, Fitness, Health, Sunday Summary

Sunday Summary: Kayla Itsines Week 2

March 9, 2014

Hello lovely readers!

I am feeling much more positive after my last week of being low and negative. I have now completed week 2 of Kayla Itsine’s bikini body guide AND I am so happy to say that I have completed the 6 week intermediate to advanced yoga program from Do Yoga With Me!

So what can I say about this? Well first off, I am not a master advanced yogi at all, but I noticed a significant amount of progress during the past 6 weeks. And for those of you who do yoga regularly (or even those who don’t) you will know that 6 weeks is not a long time at all. Most master yogis have been practicing for years … yeeeeears!! I have been on and off practicing yoga for about 8 years but this is the only time I have ever been regular and consistent with it. And it shows! For those of you who follow me on Instagram will know that very occasionally I will post photo’s of me in certain yoga poses, and the most recent photo I posted has shown how I have become much more flexible in comparison to the one I took a few weeks ago.

Kayla Itsines Week 2

In terms of the bikini body guide I am embarassed to say that I have already screwed up a little .. I did the workout you were supposed to do for weeks 1 and 3, but for week 1 & 2 … oops! Oh well, hehe, I suppose I will just have to do the workouts for weeks 2 & 4, on weeks 3 & 4. It is still too early on to notice anything, although I feel as if my abs have become stronger because I am not flailing about quite as much as I was last week when I would do the sit ups!!

Apart from that, not much else is new to be quite honest! I have been swamped with work, but I have still been doing some cooking and baking to come up with new things I can feature on Friday Fare. I recently made a delicious and slightly tweaked version of Kitchen Treaty’s Vanilla Lime Green Smoothie, and it was absolutely delicious. I subbed the vanilla yogurt for vanilla protein powder and added in some of my homemade toffee sauce instead of honey. I recommend you have a look at Kitchen Treaty, as I am sure it will give you some inspiration for meals, desserts, and more.