Tone It Up Tuesdays: Bikini Series

A few months ago I posted about discovering the Tone It Up girls Karena & Katrina, and in this time, have become a bit of a Tone It Up devotee.

They have kicked off the new Bikini Series 2014 and I have to say I LOVE IT!

I was all over the Love Your Body series and actually got to a point that I was finding it almost easy, but this new Bikini Series seriously kicks my butt (or should I say "booty"). 

Back in the day when I was actually kind of fit during Uni I had a few friends and I who used to love going and doing park workouts together.

I would love coming up with a circuit routine which would be lots of strength training mixed with high intensity cardio in short bursts. It was so much fun!

Apple + Peanut Butter + Cinnamon + Walnuts + Honey + Coconut

I just couldn't think of a name for this snack

other than "this is definitely not a donut" 

and so alas, here you have it.... 

an apple, 

topped with peanut butter, 

sprinkled with walnuts that have been dusted with cinnamon, 

all drizzled with honey and scattered with coconut (is that enough verbs for you?).  

Zucchini, Sweet Potato & Polenta Slice (Gluten Free)

This recipe is an adaptation of a Zucchini Slice recipe that I used to love growing up. 

I have reduced the amount of butter and cheese (both by half!), and substituted creamed corn for regular corn and polenta for flour, and yet to me, it tastes every bit as good as the original! 

I played around with this recipe a few times, but have finally settled with one that I love. 

It has the right texture and right balance of flavours. 

I used to use gluten free four but then thought I would give polenta a go and I love it! It gives it a great spongy texture and is more wholesome than flour so you get a few extra slow burning calories. 

Homemade Chickpea Falafel Wraps (GF)

I made my first chickpea falafel years ago when we were living in Melbourne and they've been on regular rotation ever since.

My funniest memory of them though was two years ago just after my daughter was born. I had a doula for the few weeks who was very healthy, a little alternative and VERY surprised that "I" had made falafel (not even "she" made them herself!).

I was as much insulted as I was pleased for surprising her!

My Favourite 5 Fast Diet Recipes

Homemade Nakd Bars (Larabars)

I've been thinking about making my own Homemade Nakd Bars for some time, and finally got around to it this weekend.

And they were SO simple!

I have made another batch since and played with the flavours a bit too.

Ever since becoming gluten intolerant a year or so ago I have loved Nak'd bars!

They are based on blended dates and sultanas mixed with a variety of different nuts and flavours.

The Fast Diet Recipe Files - Thai Pumpkin Soup (with carrot and sweet potato)

Happy Tuesday!!! I hope your week is off to a great start! The sun is shining in London, so everything is automatically much brighter, without even trying!!!

I have been trying out lots of new recipe ideas for the Fast Diet lately and some have been rather bland but others just bursting with flavour. This soup is of course the latter, I'm not going to share the rubbish ones that will make you want to feast instead!!! Whilst things are starting to warm up in London, I am still sneaking some soups in before the salad season really begins. 

Pumpkin soup was always my go-to meal when I was sick, it was like a hug from the inside. I still love it so much, but pumpkin is not as readily available in the UK as Australia so I don't tend to make it so often. 

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This Thai Pumpkin soup is perfect for the Fast Diet because it is low calorie but intensely flavourful! I was expecting red curry paste to be high in calories, but when you are only adding 1 tablespoon, the mere 17 calories are exceptionally effective. Stay tuned for a world of curries coming to the Fast Diet Recipe Files!!

Fast Diet Recipe Files Fast Diet Recipe Files Fast Diet Recipe Files Fast Diet Recipe Files Fast Diet Recipe Files 

With only 195 calories per serve, it is chocked full with vegetables and being nice and thick it is perfectly filling. I made this for lunch and then had it for dinner I loved it so much!!! 

Psst!! If you are looking for a little more meg-made, I'd LOVE for you to follow along!

Favourite Baked Apples: Its All Good Recipe

Happy Tuesday! 

So my Tuesdays are a little new these days, its no longer primarily a #LoseDayTuesday in the sense of the Fast Diet, but is now unofficially #TrimTuesday. This is where I post about healthy recipes, fun workouts and the Fast Diet. I feel so much freerer (that's not a word!) with this format, and am excited to share more of the healthy food that I do actually cook! 

I often wonder if you are reading my blog and seeing indulgent desserts, lots of baking and lots of cheese and then read my LoseDayTuesday post and wonder how these kind of fit together! Its kind of true (a lot true) that I do the Fast Diet so that I can eat mostly what I want on the other 5 days, but what also is true is that I don't blog about the regular meals I make 80% of the time that ARE in good health, because, well they just aren't as much fun to write about!

In the spirit of #TrimTuesday and sharing some more simple and healthy delights, I wanted to share a recipe for Favourite Baked Apples from the It's All Good cookbook. It is a healthy and tasty dessert that is so simple it fits into the midweek dessert category!! (because all desserts need subcategorisation right?!). 

Favourite Baked Apples It's All Good Favourite Baked Apples Its All Good

I've made this one twice now, and used walnuts the first time, per the recipe, and pecans the second time. I have to say, I prefer the pecans! I just think that pecans and maple are soul mates. That's all.

Ingredients (for 6)

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 up chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)

1 tsp ground cinnamon

A pinch of fine sea salt

3 tablespoons maple syrup 

6 apples, cored

Method:

1. Combine the raisins, nuts, cinnamon, salt and maple syrup and mix well.

2. Place the apples in a baking dish and stuff each with equal amounts of the raisin/nut mixture. 

3. Bake in a moderate oven (180C/350F) for 35-45 minutes, depending on the size of apple you are using. 

4. Spoon any of the juice in the baking dish over the apples and serve warm. 

I had mine alongside a spoon of ricotta, and served my Husband's with some forbidden ice-cream. Both looked good, and i'm sure not in Gwyneth's philosophy, but the apples did need a little dairy on the side if you ask me! 

PMI

Plus: Healthy, the maple/pecan/raisin/cinnamon mixture is so good you can eat it by the spoonful

Minus: Very apple-y (in that I would prefer the apple to nut ratio to be about 2:1 rather than 5:1

Interesting: I keep wanting to add things (like custard) that make it less healthy!!

Psst!! If you are looking for a little more meg-made, I'd LOVE for you to follow along!