New York State of Mind.

Long time, no blog.

December is set to be one of the most exciting months, like, ever, though, so something that needs to be documented in detail.

In precisely 18 days (!), I'm off to NYC with J for New Year! Can't. Effing. Wait.

Most of my time recently has been taken up by Christmas shopping and all important NYC research.

I'm obsessed with the Love Taza guides - so well shot and edited, NYC looks a total dream in them. After watching these, basically I plan on swanning around NYC wearing great hats and buying a helluva lot of food.

Any NYC recommendations? 

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Being LUSH

I vividly remember my first jaunts to LUSH as a teen - I was like a kid in a sweet shop, only instead of sweets, the counters were piled high with brightly coloured bath bombs. Nothing much has changed since then, and I still feel that kid whenever I step foot in-store. It's all quite Willy Wonka-meets-cosmetics when you think about it - solid shampoo bars, shower jellies and playdough substances which can be used as a shampoo, soap and everything in between.

I have to say, its probably one of my favourites retailers on the high street - all products is freshly handmade, always ethical and the brand is completely against animal testing to boot. That's the kind of brand I can get on board with.

My local LUSH has recently had a bit on an overhaul, and the lovely team kindly invited me down to check out the new fixtures and fittings. First thing I noticed? Lots of driftwood - a nod to LUSH's coastal home in Poole.

The staff, as ever, were terrifically knowledgable about all products and the brand and it's heritage, and their enthusiasm, something I've always loved, was at an only appropriate 110%.

One of the main things I was interested to learn about was their fragrance collection, Gorilla Perfume. There is such a story behind each scent, and I particularly loved the tale of Breath of God, inspired by Buddhist monks and the inhale and exhale patterns they use in prayer; the 'inhale' and 'exhale' notes of the perfume are both slightly different, making it masculine and feminine both at the same time. Deep.

Some of the guys who hand-produce fresh items were on hand to show us how to make Angels with Bare Skin, a fresh cleanser based on a medieval recipe, crammed full of good things for your skin - almonds, lavender and rose. A LUSH lady then demonstrated how when emulsified in water, the clay-like cleanser breaks down, making it much easier to apply to your skin.

As always, I loved just browsing around the shop and feeling like a kid again - who wouldn't want the psychedelic bath bomb, Granny Takes A Dip, livening up their soak in the tub? Go on, head to LUSH and treat yo'self.

LUSH Newcastle, Unit 1B/Chevy Chase, Eldon Square, Newcastle upon Tyne.

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All Over Autumn

(Source: Country Living)

It's safe to say the last four weeks have been pretty disastrous.

Injury, illness and having to go to hospital at the Great North Run start line rather than run the race (yes, that really happened) have made the past month one I'd like to forget swiftly. 

With this fail of a month in mind, I'm setting some Autumn goals to achieve by the end of October, to ensure I get back to full strength to be able to continue improving my fitness and taking part in some exciting events I have planned. I'll be keeping a track on everything throughout September/October and checking in on my progress here.

WITNESS THE FITNESS
Run 13.1 miles 
As I had to bow out of the GNR on the day due the manifestation of a nasty infection resulting in a day in hospital a.k.a one of the worst days of my life, I'm still aiming to complete a half marathon. I raised such a lot of money for charity for the GNR and am gutted I was unable to run on the day after all of the training I put in. I don't think I'll quite get a PB for my own half-marathon, but I'm adamant to complete the distance I worked for, even if I do have to spread this across two sessions.

#GirlGains
I'm now a member of a strength training gym. This is something I've been wanting to get into properly for a long time now, and having dabbled at a smaller gym, the facilities at The Fitness Rooms really are second to none and I'm so pleased to get stuck in and make some gains. Some lasses who lift who are currently inspiring me? I'm a huge fan of Blonde Health, Wedges and Weights and Carly Rowena.

Complete an obstacle course race
The River Rat Race in August was a great introduction to the world of obstacle races (albeit one I won't be doing again due to the infection I picked up from the River Tees). I am however, signed up for the Newcastle Stampede in six weeks time. A Tough-Mudder-esque course, this takes places at Gosforth Park in the Toon and I fully expect to get very very muddy.


WELLBEING
Stress less
August was without a doubt a stress-filled month on all accounts, and I definitely came off badly from it. Bad skin, bad sleeping patterns, a bad, bad time all round. Coming into September, I've learned to not sweat the small stuff. It's really not worth it.

Invest in health, invest in yourself
When it comes to finance, I'm allocating a bit more money on myself from now on. Totally selfish? Non.  I've just bought a new road bike, signed up for a new gym (for that strength training, yo) and am all about buying more organic, nourishing food to keep my wellbeing at a peak over Autumn and into Winter.

Drink more water
I drink gallons of the stuff (always with lemon and cucumber for an added hydration booster) but I really can't sign the praises enough of drinking more of that clear H20. It does wonders. Believe the hype.

How do you track progress to make sure you can reach your goals?

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Post-workout green smoothie

I ran ten miles this morning. Yep, ten miles. Crazy I know.  It's the furthest I've run since last year's Great North Run, and having been a bit injured recently, I was a little bit cautious setting off to cover such a long distance. The last two weeks, I've wanted to fit in some super long runs as part of my prep for this year's GNR (it's four weeks today, bloody hell), but I've been having real problems with my calves and ankles - the woes of being an overpronator.

The last couple of weeks, I've been taking it easy, only doing short runs and keeping the pace right down just to try and get some miles in. To my absolute shock and surprise, ten miles this morning, was an absolute breeze. Nearly up to normal race pace all the way round, and no mid-run stretching out required. It felt amazing to be back on track and hopefully this stands me in good stead to do another sub-2 hour half marathon.

As with all long training runs, all I could think about was what delicious foodie treat I was going to have when I came back in. Along with a Quest bar (the only bar for getting a high-protein hit post-workout), I whipped up this super easy green smoothie. Smoothies are literally one of the easiest/quickest things to make and it took actual seconds in my new love, the Blend Active. Obviously, you can switch up these ingredients depending on what you prefer, but this is a pretty damn good combination.

Super quick post-workout green smoothie (serves 1)

What you'll need:

• 2 x handfuls spinach
• 1 x kiwi fruit, sliced
• 1 x handful of fresh/frozen blueberries
• 1 x scoop vanilla protein powder (I used Myprotein's Impact Whey Isolate in Natural Vanilla)
• 250ml coconut water (I used Go Coco)
• 3-4 ice cubes

I feel a bit of fraud putting a step-by-step guide here as it's literally just a chuck-it-all-in-a-blender kinda recipe. So go ahead, whizz away.

What's your favourite post-workout protein hit?

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Toon Eats

Something short and sweet this week's Weekend Edition, still with a foodie focus but sans recipe. Never fear though, I'll be back with something great to try out next Sunday.

As for this week, there's an abundance of food-related events happening in Toon, so what better time to big them up?

Firstly, NE1's Restaurant Week kicks off tomorrow. NE1 have teamed up with even more restaurants this time around to offer some damn good deals from 4th-10th August. I'll be hitting up one of my favourite restaurants, Caffe Vivo - £10 for 2 courses is always a winner.

Secondly, something I am hugely excited about. The Grazer a.k.a Anna Hedworth, North East food blogger and supperclub supremo, is opening up her hotly anticipated Cook House in the Ouseburn. Opening on Wednesday 6th August, CH will be open on weekdays from 8:30am-3:30pm serving breakfast and lunches. Anna will still be hosting her popular supperclubs here, along with a food school programme - first up is a demo from Charlotte Harbottle of Charlotte's Butchery on 1st September.

Where are you off to this Restaurant Week?

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Sunday Sounds #1

Obsessed don't even begin to cover my feelings for SBTRKT's new track New Dorp, New York.

SBTRKT and Ezra Koenig is a match made in experimental heaven. Who'da thought it? 

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The New Essentials | Beauty

Ah payday, that wonderful day every month where everything is great with the world. Then you go to shopping. And then you have no money because you've splurged on hair and beauty products. But, you look great for the rest of the month. A weird all round win-win situation.

I purchased a few much-needed staples this payday - some different iterations of favourite products and some brand spanking new things to try.

Here's the lowdown.

Super Clean Brownies

So it's time for another Weekend Edition, and this weekend, I've mostly been getting my bake on.

Something I've wanted to try and make 'clean' without compromising on taste and chocolately satisfaction has been the king of the traybakes; the Chocolate Brownie. Rich and oh-so indulgent, how can you not love the sweet and moorish goodness of this treat. This version is low sugar, grain free and filled with vitamin E supremos, almonds.

Yard Life | Home Style

Our back yard is one of the areas of our flat that we've just never got round to doing much with. Sure we have a (man) shed, a few potted plants and a functional little table and chairs, but it's definitely a work in progress.

This summer, we finally decided to get the yard looking spick and span but we've been struggling in the inspiration department. Enter your old friend and mine, Pinterest.

I've cobbled together a few shots of what we're trying to achieve - hugely looking forward to arranging and building our own suspended lighting canopy (thankfully J is very skilled in the woodwork side of things, how handy?)

Also, I love me some neon accenting, so adoring the idea of the painted breeze block planters below - such a simple and effective idea.

For some other things I'm finding inspiring, head on over to pinning heaven to take a peek at my other boards.

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Stuff I've Learned | Running

Hitting the pavements can be a daunting thing when you haven't had much experience. When I first started out, pro runners used to speed past me like lightning and I thought I'd never be able to run like the them.

I've been properly running for over three years now and am constantly learning new things, whether it's how to improve my technique or getting that playlist bang on so the BPM helps me up my game in the pace stakes.

I don't consider myself a running pro or expert by any stretch of the imagination but I've pulled together a few hints and tips I've picked up along the way to guide you through your time on legs. And in turn, if you have any for me, just comment below.

Get some snazzy gear
Why look boring when you run? There is some seriously colouful kit out there and it makes you feel (and look) the part when running. I'm guilty of investing in boring black vests and shorts when I started out (goth at heart) but I've recently added some brighter things to shake things up. TK Maxx and H&M, particularly, have good quality, interesting and affordable running gear.

Buddy up
Running with a pal is one of the best ways to help you on your way. When I'm on long training runs, I buddy up with my Mum - we have a chat on the way round and it makes those long, hard slogs that bit easier to cope with, knowing you're both in it together. If you want to run in a group, there are loads of brilliant running clubs all over the North East, which you can join whatever your level.

Stop worrying about everybody else
Even now, after running for a few years, I get a bit of running angst - Why can't I run as quickly as that girl in front of me? Go at your own pace and set goals to work towards. Want to get faster? Try some interval training. Working on distance? Sign up for a 5K or 10K. Remember, even the expert was once a beginner so take your time, and do what suits you.

Make an epic playlist
One thing I can't cope without when running is a damn good playlist. I use Spotify and make my lists available offline, so I'm not relying on the (usually) patchy 3G signal down at the seafront. I always have a range of genres in the mix but mostly it's really upbeat tracks to help me with my pace (and obvs some guilty pleasures in there for lols).

Enjoy it
If you don't enjoy it, don't do it. Yes, running takes some getting into when you first start out and if you stick at it, it can feel unreal. At the end of the day though, we're all different. There are loads of other cardio-based exercises you can try instead if you're just not feeling it, whether it's cycling, something like netball, HIITs or Tabata. Personally, I think mixing up your exercise routine does a world of good, and introducing different form of exercise that complement other is a damn fine thing.

What are your running tips?

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Homemade Almond Milk

Today sees the first in the series of The Weekend Edition. I'll be posting under this tag every Sunday morning, with something food-related to get your Sunday kick-started. Sometimes it'll be all about clean-eating, sometimes it'll be something downright dirty - that's just how I roll. First up, homemade almond milk.

Workout Essentials | Wellbeing

I've been an active runner for around three years now, and that is definitely my first love when it comes to keeping fit and feeling the burn. I love chasing a PB and the elation of crossing a finish line (competitive much?).

But last year, I decided that running wasn't quite cutting the mustard - I wanted a new challenge and something to help complement my time spent on legs. To mix things up, I started attending beach bootcamp sessions every week. Man, my muscles were in for a shock - I remember waking up the day after that first bootcamp, and I ached. But in a really good way.

Since then, I've been doing beach bootcamp nearly every weekend, strength training, HIIT workouts, cycling and much more. And I bloody love it.

Life on Instagram #1

Oh, how I love thee Instagram. For some people the first thing they do when they wake up (sadly) is check the socials. Not. Me.

Firstly, I curse the alarm for going off. Then, I check the socials. I just can't help myself. What's been going on in the world of the Gram, overnight? I need to know. Most people tune into Facebook as they open their eyes, however, I'm an Instagram girl all the way.

I've done a few of these posts in the past, but now I'm turning into it into somewhat of a more regular thang. A brief overview of life in pictures. So, here, for your viewing pleasure is what's been going down over at AMB in the past month or so.

1. Only a digital conference would have a hashtag cake / 2. Awesome braiding at the French Connection #canthelpmyselfie event, organised by the lovely Lauren / 3. Getting fancy for a wedding - obsessed with the River Island dress I wore. Pineapples til I die. / 4. Russian treats brought back from Moscow. Fact: Russian Vogue is 100% better when it's actually been bought there / 5. In love with anything nut-butter related at the moment - these goodies are available at Protein Pick & Mix / 6. All over the IQS way of eating? Check out these tasty raw cacao nib cookies I made. Taste a dream and good for you too / 7. Susie and Rob celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary in June. I always love seeing their wedding photos / 8. Well done, The Drum. So, when is Downton back on? / 9. The collectable tin to end all collectable tins. Spiceworld the move on lime green VHS, in a limited edition Baby Spice tin. The holy grail.

1. Coffee from Newcastle's finest, Ouseburn Coffee Company / 2. Lobster-print napkins from Ikea / 3. It was our 10th birthday at work last month. These canny cards were sent out with birthday cakes to our clients / 4. My word. How comfy are Nike Free 5.0s? SLIPPERS / 5. Hitting up Whitby's amusements after a night in North Yorkshire / 6. Seafood treats down at Riley's Fish Shack / 7. Getting my run on in my new Asics. Less than 8 weeks until the Great North Run. In. Sane. / 8. Beautiful light on Seaton Sluice beach / 9. Food of the gods, Cal's Own pizza.

1. Super-green smoothie from Newcastle's latest culinary offering, The Naked Deli / 2. A weekend in the Lakes with Joe - what a view at The Drunken Duck / 3. To celebrate being 10,  DC did ten pin bowling at Lane 7 / 4. One too many Buddy's beers later / 5. York Races on a HOT Saturday / 6. Building my mug collection with this typographical gem from Repeat Repeat / 6. Another IQS-shaped recipe by yours truly - Banana Bread. Give it a whirl, it tastes mighty fine / 7. Surprise flowers / 8. Getting my caffeine fix at OPR's #Ocademy Brands and Bloggers breakfast - so lovely to meet so many local bloggers and finally put some faces to names.

What a busy few weeks!

Got a favourite Instagram account? Hit me up with links to your favourites.

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Recipe: Sugar-free Banana Bread

Who doesn't love a good ol' slice of banana bread, the sweet goodness that goes perfectly with an afternoon cup of tea. If you don't, then, well frankly, you're missing out on something pretty special.

The usual recipe isn't too kind on the waistline, so I've adapted it to create this paleo and sugar-free version of the teatime treat to be enjoyed without any trace of guilt. The sugar-free purists among us will say that this isn't entirely free of the sweet stuff because of those two little bananas, but hey, I'm not one of them. This is still damn good for you.

Ya with me? Here goes.

What you'll need:

• 1 cup ground almonds
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp melted coconut oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 2 very ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/4 cup rice malt syrup

1. Pre-heat the oven to Gas Mark 4/180C/350F

2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together your dry ingredients; ground almonds, coconut flour, cinnamon and sea salt.

3. In a separate bowl mix your wet ingredients; oil, eggs, bananas and rice malt syrup (I got a bit mix-happy here and forgot to take a shot of all wet components together).

4. Add wet ingredients to dry and then mix away using a hand whisk, so you're left with a smooth banana batter.

5. Line a loaf tin with baking paper and pour the batter in, smoothing to even out on the top.

6. Into the oven she goes for 40 minutes until golden brown, or until a skewer comes out cleanly.

7. Once baked to perfection, leave to cool.

Super healthy, super tasty, and gluten-free, sugar-free and paleo to boot! You are welcome.

I'm now going to try and not eat this bad lad all at once.

What other sweet treats have you turned into sugar-free masterpieces? I'd love to hear your recipes. 

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Le Tour

This weekend, we headed over to the Lake District for some glamping, beverage drinking and general relaxation.

When we realised Le Tour de France was calling by a lovely little village around an hour away from where we were staying as part of the first UK leg, we absolutely couldn't miss it. We're off on a cycling holiday around France next summer, so seeing these guys making hill-climbs look like an utter breeze was just the thing I needed to spur on my training.

Here's a few snippets, taken from when the race passed through Hawes.

The town (along with every other calling point throughout the three UK stages) had really embraced Le Tour fever, with decorated shop fronts and some token French goodies.

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July: What's going down

What a bad blogger I've been of late. So, for something to whip my butt back into blogging gear, here's a look at what I've got planned for this fine sunny month.

Chillin'
Slowing things right down and giving myself some much needed R&R is kick-starting this July.

This weekend, I'm escaping to the Lake District to indulge in a bit of glamping and some spa treatments for a much-needed rest. An obligatory Lakes walk is top of the list, along with re-fuelling at pubs off the beaten track. Oh, and I'm extra excited about having a device-free few days. See ya, 3G.

We're staying at the fabulous Sunny Brow Farm, in one of their three woodland yurts.

Image credit: Sunny Brow Farm

We found this secluded spot over at Canopy and Stars, a site which I can highly recommend for cool places and spaces to camp out in the UK, France, Spain and Portugal. There are some seriously brilliant places to stay - you could literally trawl the site for hours planning adventures.

During our time in the Lakes, we'll also be hitting up The Langdale Hotel for some spa treatments, which I am insanely excited about. I'm booked up for a Detoxifying Spirulina Wrap, which I'm mildly terrified at the prospect of but love the idea of toxins being stripped from my skin. I'll report back on how it goes...

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Stretchin'
Having heard loads about the Yogalilies studio in Newcastle, I've signed up for a five-class taster using one of the studio's birthday offers. Easy to hot-foot too after work, I'm heading to Barre and Hot Yoga to bring a new dimension to my training schedule.

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Trainin'
July is the month to take training schedule up a notch. The Great North Run is just around the corner, so I'm upping the miles and to compliment the cardio, I'll be weight training, heading to classes like Metafit and eating super clean. I'm chasing a sub-1.55" for the GNR, so hopefully all of the extra activities I've got planned in will help me achieve this big result.

Have you set any goals for July?

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Recipe: Raw Cacao Nib Cookies

I'm on somewhat of a sugar-free tip at the minute thanks to the quite brilliant Sarah Wilson and her I Quit Sugar programme.

Ever since I first discovered Sarah's philosophy in January, I've been all over her way of sugar-free thinking, and trying out her recipes and ideas has been high on my agenda.

I'm going to full a post on things I've learned on IQS and how it's helped my training and general wellbeing, but in the meantime, here's a killer recipe for sugar and gluten-free cookies.

They are super-sweet (without any of the bad, bad, white stuff in there) and are a great fix when all you can think about is chocolate. Oh, and quick and easy to make to boot.

Cacao Nib Cookies (Makes 16 small cookies, or about 9 big cookies)
(adapted from Love & Lentils recipe)
What you'll need:

• 1 1/4 cups ground almonds
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 3 tbsp rice malt syrup ( I used Clearspring Organic Rice Malt Syrup)
• 1/2 desiccated coconut (I actually used coconut flakes, blitzed in the food processor)
• 1/4 cup raw cacao nibs
• 1/4 tsp vanilla powder
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped almonds
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp baking powder

1. Pre-heat the oven to Gas Mark 4/180C/350F

2. In a small mixing bowl, mix the melted coconut oil and rice malt syrup. In a larger bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients; ground almonds, desiccated coconut, cacao nibs, vanilla powder, chopped almonds, sea salt and baking powder.

3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix, mix, mix until you have a cookie dough consistency.
4. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Form cookie dough balls from the mixture, and spread these out evenly on the tray.

5. Pop 'em in the oven for 10-15 minutes until golden brown.
6. Cool on a wire rack. I highly recommend you try one whilst they're still warm. Dreamy.

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Recipe: Baked Eggs with Chorizo

I can't get enough of baked eggs at the moment. After a bit of a heavy night at a wedding last weekend, gooey, baked eggs were only thing to sort out our hungover heads.

As we both thought they were so damn good, they were top of the request list for Bank Holiday Sunday brunch this weekend. And to boot? They ain't too bad for you.

Just to make them a bit more special this weekend, I added the Spanish flavour powerhouse that is chorizo. So, if they sound like the perfect brunch to fit the Bank Holiday bill...Get. On. This.

Baked Eggs with Chorizo (serves 2, generously)

• 1 medium white onion, chopped finely
• Quarter of a good-quality chorizo ring, diced
• 2 x 400g chopped tomatoes
• 4 large handfuls of baby spinach
• 4 eggs (I used the beautiful Old Cotsworld Legbar by Clarence Court eggs)
• 1 tsp dried chilli flakes / half a fresh chilli
• Salt and pepper
• Handul of strong cheddar cheese
• Salted butter, olive oil

Method:

1. Melt a small amount of salted butter and a teaspoon of olive oil in the pan. Add your chopped onion and sweat for 5 minutes until soft.
2. Add your diced chorizo to the onion and fry until the pieces started to crisp and release their lovely paprika oil.

3. Add the chopped tomatoes to the pan, stir and season. Cover and let simmer for 15-20 minutes until the mixture starts to thicken.

4. Add your spinach to the tomato sauce mix and cover for 2 minutes.

5. Remove the lid and the spinach will have wilted down. Give the mixture a good stir.

6. Crack your 4 eggs into the pan (I also seasoned the eggs further here with a twist of pepper) and cover for 5-7 minutes.

7. After a few minutes, remove the lid and they will have poached/baked in the tomato mixture. 

8. For a final bit of indulgence, top the eggs with a sprinkling of cheese and let this melt down for 2 minutes.

Voila! Perfect Bank Holiday brunch, non?

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Recipe: Coconut & Cinnamon Pancakes

Ah, pancakes. Surely the ultimate breakfast food, non? There's nothing quite like a syrup-glistened stack of those fluffy drops of heaven.

Now, the real deal doesn't do nothing for the ol' waistline, but here's a stack that's just indulgent enough to feel like the real thing whilst being kinder on the summer bikini diet. Oh, and paleo too!

Introducing Coconut & Cinnamon pancakes.

This recipe uses coconut flour, which I've used in pancakes in the past but those guys were a bit of the dry side, so here's a tip - always add a little bit more liquid that the recipe says.

So, wanna make pancakes?

Coconut & Cinnamon Paleo Pancakes (serves 1) 

• 2 medium eggs
• 3 tbsp full fat coconut milk (add 1 tbsp more to make the mixture a bit thinner)
• 1/2 mashed ripe banana (freeze the other half to add to smoothies)
• 1.5 tbsp coconut flour
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• Coconut oil for frying

1. Mash the banana. Add the eggs and coconut milk and whisk until well combined.

2. In a separate bowl, mix together the coconut flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt.

3. Whisk together the wet and dry ingredients to form your batter.

4. Heat your coconut oil in a frying pan and add tablespoons of batter to the pan (I made mine slightly larger, so each pancake was around 2/3 tablespoons)

5. As soon as bubbles form on the surface (about 1.5 mins), flip the pancakes over and cook for around another 30 seconds

6. Serve! I had mine with organic natural yoghurt and frozen blueberries.

Do you know of any great clean pancake recipes? Hook a sister up.