Gym and healthy lemon drizzle cake.

My kitchen hates when I get the urge to bake! It knows what is coming... Something that looks like this:   

I got a Mary Berry cookery book for Christmas and I've been looking for an excuse to pick out a nice recipe ever since, then I thought feck it I don't need an "excuse"! After about five seconds of page turning, this really caught my eye. http://www.maryberry.co.uk/recipes/baking/lemon-drizzle-traybake I love lemon drizzle but I wanted to healthify it a touch. I got myself a bag of coconut flour, woooza it was expensive, €6.50 for a small bag. I've never used it before so just totally winged it. I defo needs perfecting, but as a first attempt it was really good. - man does coconut flour need moisture! 

Ingredients: 

For the cake mix. 

1 cup of stevia sweetener

220g soft butter

100g coconut flour - next time I'll use less! 

4 medium eggs

75g self raising flour

75g whole wheat flour - next time I'll do all whole wheat

1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda

Milk to make batter consistency 200ml

The rind of two lemons

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

For the drizzle: 

The juice of two lemons stevia/sugar to taste- about a dessertspoon full. 

The best bit is how easy it is, all you have to do is put all of the ingredients into a large bowl and beat until mixed well and at a cake batter consistency. 

Cook at 170 Celsius untill cooked through and golden brown. Wait for a few minutes, gently remove the tin.

When warm - not hot, make up the drizzle and spoon over. 

The result 

Cakey deliciousness! Even the Boyf thought they were good! 

This quantity made 12 small cakes and one large cake, too much for me could have done a half measure. I also made a big mess getting them out of the tin so that also needs adjusting. I have to say though at half the carbs and vertually no sugar they make a pretty tasty treat. 

Now to the gym: 

I've managed to stick to my three day a week target, and mostly I get in four days!  I did an FX cut class on Wednsday- sweet Jesus, I found out first hand how slight my muscles are! I also got my gym programme and I'm signed up for a PT session on Tuesday, so it's all go at the min. 

Next week I'm on for Monday Tuesday and Friday with a possible Wednsday or Thursday. Then I'm off to Amsterdam at the weekend, woohoo. 

High protein satisfying breakfast.

Protien pancakes seem to be fairly common on the healthy living blog circuit these days and I have to say I am partial to one on the weekends. I first started out making them with protien powder, but I've run out and prob won't purchase any more in the near future. So I had to improvise, this recipie was my inspiration for sure! 

Ingredients: 

1 egg

1-2 dessert spoons of musli- I wanted plain oats but didn't have any! 

1 dessert spoon of milled linseeds with goji berries.

Milk- enough make a batter consistency 

Vanilla extract. 

Dump all of the ingredients in a blander untill smooth. Pour onto a hot pan and allow to cook slowly. I put too much milk in so had to finish mine off under the grill, untill golden and cooked through. 

While the pancake is cooking I put some frozen mixed  berries in the microwave and added some stevia for taste. When bubbling a syrupy I poured over the cooked pancake. 

Result: 

Now, this for me was a success, no added sugar, low carb, high protein and very satisfying. That said, I'm not going to lie the pancake still tasted slightly eggy- not overly so, but still more than a regular pancake. 

I reckon if I could adjust this slightly it could be a winner. 

Weekly exercise and lunches!

Today I lashed together a quick, turkey and chunky veg chilli soup- it's delish even if I do say so myself. 

What I do is sauté all of the veg in my fridge in a large soup pot, add turkey and cook through. Then I add tomatoe purée, tinned tomatoes and all of the spices. I usually taste it up with, cumin (seeds and ground), tex mex mix, paprika and chilli powder. Then it's simmer time, for at least an hour. 

Today the veg was aubergine, onion, carrot, pepper, radish, tomatoe and sweet corn. Protien was turkey and kidney beans. The end result made seven meals! I've yet to photograph it but it will make an appearance on what I ate Wednsday! 

This weeks exercise sessions will be a touch difficult to organise/preplan, mainly because I've a seriously busy week in work- yep fifty busy, stressful hours ahead if me! -eeek

So my hopefull (possibly overly so) plan is : 

Monday pilates class in my gym at about 8.30. 

Tuesday swimming lessons at 8 - while my breaststroke is pretty good I've got little else in my swimming repertoire, the glitch is you must sign up for theses clases so I'm hoping it won't be booked tomorrow when I go to pilates. 

Wednesday if the boyfriend is working an early ill skip the gym and spend the evening at home if he'll be in late I might have a quick session. 

Thursday if I'm working early I'll hit the gym if not I'll call it a rest day. 

Friday rest day

Saturday gym session. I might even book in for my personal "evaluation" and programme. 

Sunday maybe rest day maybe swim. 

Either way I've got three sessions defiantly down. Now for the meditation sessions, Wednsday, Thursday and Friday at the least. 

Good stuff.