Exploring Under the Sea

The Easter holidays are here and now is the time when a lot of us are either taking our first holiday of the year or start to plan what we can do over the year. As the children are getting older I find that we can do a lot more together as a family. In fact we have just made a purchase, which we see as an investment in our family, of a tent. This is going to mean so many more, new adventures for us. It is going to bring us closer to nature and the children will be making some amazing memories.

Picture courtesy of Pixabay

This has led us to thinking what we can do and where we can go. With this new found holiday freedom the possibilities are endless. I love to be by the sea and really want to explore more coastal locations. Our favourite coastal location has to be Northumberland. The northern county boast some of the most picturesque, idyllic coastal lines in the country. The crystal clear sea is somewhere that I am curious to explore more. Thankfully J shares my love of the water and as he matures I can see this being an activity that we can do together and have some one to one, mother and son time. Scuba diving has to be the best way to explore the sea!

Weekly Meal Plan - #MealPlanningMonday Week 15 2017

Hooray for school holidays! I may not be saying that in two weeks, but for now it is lovely to know that we can have a bit of time out. I have a feeling that this week is going to go by quickly as we only have four days until we have the hubby at home for just over a week.

This weeks meals are going to be easy meals that I can either make quickly in the evening or one that I can put in the Pressure King Pro and just leave it. Last weeks meal plan was a huge success, the best meal had to be the butternut squash pearl barley risotto, it was so good! Unfortunately I did not get a single picture as it was eaten before I got a chance. Needless to say it will be made again and I will be blogging about it!

My last weigh in at Slimming World has certainly given me the motivation to keep on. I only lost 1.5lbs but I now have the urge to carry on and I will get to my target weight!

This is what we will be enjoying this week...

Super Boost Green Matcha Smoothie

Since starting Slimming World 25 weeks ago I have noticed my body and tastes change a great deal. Now that I have stepped up my weight loss plan to include more activity what I eat and drink has changed even more. On the days that I exercise my appetite is bigger but for good foods. Before I exercise I have an oat based breakfast and try to include banana for energy and a natural peanut butter to help the long term release of energy. My favourite way to start a gym day is with a lovely big bowl of my Full of Energy Porridge.

Whether you are exercising or not what you drink is also an important part of your diet. When I drink alcohol my whole body feels it and it effects the way I eat. So I am trying to make a conscious effort to not drink as much, limiting it to the odd drink. I have started to add super green matcha to my drinks again and on a gym day the matcha really does give me an added boost! In the past I have written about matcha and what a great drink and ingredient it is. I have used it in porridge, cakes and drinks. When I have matcha in my diet I find that my energy levels are higher, my moods are better and I generally feel better in myself. Over the last few weeks I have been starting the day with a delicious, green smoothie. It has become a loved part of my daily routine hence why I am sharing it with you today!

Dairy Free, Free From Refined Sugar Easter Fruit Oaty Snack - An Alternative #FreeFromEaster with Aldi

Recently I have been experimenting more and more with free from baking so when Aldi challenged me to create an alternative Easter bake I jumped at the chance. At the end of the week the children break up for the Easter holidays and we all know how important it is to keep them busy. This weeks Aldi recipe is perfect to make with the children and I even had a little helper when I made these.

These lovely little fruit oaty snacks are a bit like a soft flapjack that can be cut into a range of shapes and decorated as you wish. They are dairy free and free from refined sugar. We added fruit and honey to give them a natural sweetness. Aldi have got lots of delicious Easter recipes, including some free from treats, in their Easter section. But for now let me and my little helper show and tell you what we did...

#CookBlogShare 2017 Week 14 - Plus 4 Yummy Bakes

Hello and welcome to week 14 of #CookBlogShare.

Where have the weeks gone? We are now in April and this is my last #CookBlogShare for the next 3 weeks. Next week the linky will be hosted by Eb at Easy Peasy Foodie then the following two weeks will be guest hosted by Jacqui at Recipes Made Easy and Monika at Everyday Healthy Recipes. We have got a week away which overlaps the linky so instead of trying to cram everything together I am going to have a couple of weeks off, go away and have a bit of time off with my family. I am confident that Jacqui and Monika will keep everything ticking over while I am away.

Back to this weeks CookBlogShare, last week there were so many delicious recipes shared, but again the Easter, spring inspired bakes won. Here are my 4 favourite recipes from week 13 of CookBlogShare...

Weekly Meal Plan - #MealPlanningMonday Week 14 2017

Welcome to the first meal plan for April! We have one more week of school before the children break up for the Easter holidays. 

Last week I had a bit of a Slimming World wobble but after a great image therapy session I am back on it and have my mojo back. I was amazed that I maintained my weight when I stepped on the scales and this has certainly encouraged me to carry on. I have only 11lbs to go until I reach my target. I CAN do this! I even kept to my meal plan 100% and we loved all of the meals.

Sausage and Beetroot Traybake