Find your March mojo...

Well as usual March in Melbourne puts on an impressive show and wears us all out!

Just as you think you’re recovering from the summer parties it’s suddenly Grand Prix time again, followed by Fashion Week!

I must admit that I behaved myself this year and declined most of the after party invitations, a girl does need her beauty sleep after all!

The Autumn will see the trend of patterned pants and tights continuing with more casual cuts on the top half. My favourite buy so far this season is a slouch sweater that is just as appropriate for lunch with the girls as it is for cozy mornings at home or throwing on after a gym workout. I’m also still loving slogan beanies that tell the world you just don’t give a f*$k. Because, let’s face it.. when you’re out in the fresh air, under grey skies it gives you a certain energy that makes you feel bolder, it brings out the secret rebel who makes you  stick your tongue out, flip the bird and jump in puddles and find something strong and wonderful amongst all the greyness.

If you have a bit more trouble finding that inner rebel as the days get darker here are a few tips to help give you an energy boost.

Spice it Up- Start the day with a bit of zest and instead of your usual morning coffee hit (which will bring you crashing down eventually) try squeezing some lemon into warm water. I also like to add some cayenne pepper, which helps to boost your metabolism as well as being great for digestion, detoxing and giving your morning a real kick!

Keep it Fresh- On cold days sometimes all we want to do is curl up with some comforting carbs and hot soup.. but carbs can actually make you feel more lethargic. So if it’s extra energy you’re after then try something fresh and crunchy that will perk you up. An apple or some celery might not be as appealing initially but five minutes after you’ve eaten it you will feel more awake and focused.

Buy it- I am aware that this sounds a bit materialistic but having something new that you love it does help to put an extra spring in your step. If the dark mornings are going to make it harder for you to get to your bootcamp or out for that run then why not treat yourself with some new workout gear that you can’t wait to wear? New clothes are a great motivator, even a new bright scarf can give you that little buzz inside that makes being outside seem not so bad after all!

Stretch it out- That afternoon slump in the office is always made worse when there is no sunshine to perk you up- so make a point of getting up from your desk and going outside for a little walk or if you have the space try doing a few yoga poses to get the blood moving. I found this great article from Huffington Post that has some energizing postures to try. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/07/yoga-energy-fatigue_n_3536173.html

Do make sure you have enough privacy, I got caught mid pose by a co worker the other day… it was very awkward and hilarious as I tried to explain what I was doing. Now we’ve started a yoga group haha. 

I've been having a lot of fun lately, trying out some new recipes, exercises and fun stuff  and was lucky enough to collaborate with the PR team from Women's Health & Fitness magazine on a project so will bring you more details soon! 

Sweet Sugar Free Muffins!

Guilt Free Muff!

 

Let's face it- we all love a bit of muff every now and then!

  

I especially like to have a muff for morning tea.. but was tired of feeling guilty when I thought about all the sugar in most of my favourite muffins! (of course I was talking about muffins... what did you think I meant? Sickos...)

Flavours like blueberry and orange and poppyseed actually trick you into thinking they're healthy! We call that cheeky muff marketing! Of course I hate depriving myself of anything so wanted to find a less naughty way to enjoy my morning muff.

I tried a little experiment that turned out surprisingly ok- I took some traditional blueberry and banana muffin recipes (which called for a whopping ¾ cups of sugar in each recipe!) and tweaked them to see if I could create something tasty without using any sugar.

The result was delicious and pretty healthy- so here are the recipes, but remember that mine were made kind of winging it, so feel free to use other ingredients or omit anything you don’t like.

I used almond milk instead of normal milk to sweeten them as well as wholegrain flour to keep them healthier but it will work just as well with the original milk and white flour.

I added dates for sweetness, halved the amount of butter and substituted with coconut oil instead.

For a savory fix I also whipped up some kale, sundried tomato, olive and feta ones. Great as an afternoon snack! And keep in mind that you can put pretty much anything in, once you have the basic recipe down pat you can just go nuts on the muff! Hahaha. Now who's the sicko! Anyway- enjoy guys! 

 

Sugar free blueberry muffins

• 2 1/4 cups wholemeal self-raising flour
• 45g butter, chopped  
• 1 tbs coconut oil
• 1/2 cup almond meal
• 2 Tbs honey
• 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ cup chopped semi dried dates
• 125g fresh blueberries
• 1 cup  almond milk
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten 

1. Step 1

Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Grease a 12-hole, 1/3 cup-capacity muffin pan.

2. Step 2

Sift flour into a bowl. Using fingertips, rub butter into flour until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in almond meal and cinnamon.

3. Step 3

Make a well in centre of flour mixture. Add blueberries, dates,  coconut oil, almond milk, egg and honey. Gently stir until just combined. Spoon mixture into prepared holes. Bake for 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted in centre of 1 muffin comes out clean. Stand in pan for 5 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool. Serve.

Sugar free banana and cinnamon muffins

• 3 cups wholemeal self-raising flour
• 1 1/4 cups almond milk
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 45g butter, melted
• 1 tbs coconut oil
• ¼ cup almond meal
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 tbs honey
• ¼ cup chopped semi dried dates
• 2 small bananas, peeled, mashed

Step 1

Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly grease a 12-hole, 1/3-cup capacity non-stick muffin pan.

1. Step 2

Sift flour into a large bowl. Add almond meal and cinnamon and stir to combine. Make a well in the centre. Combine milk, egg, coconut oil, honey and butter in a jug. Add mashed banana with the milk mixture. Pour mixture into the well. Using a wooden spoon, stir until just combined (don't over-mix).

2. Step 3

Spoon mixture into muffin holes until three-quarters full. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan for 1 minute. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

Kale, sundried tomato, olive and feta wholemeal muffins

• 3 cups wholemeal self-raising flour
• 1 1/4 cups almond milk
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 45g butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 tbs lemon juice
•  1 cup chopped kale
• ¼ cup chopped semi sun dried tomatoes
• ¼ cup pitted kalamata olives, halved.
• 50 g reduced fat feta cheese, cubed
• Pepper to taste

Step 1

Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly grease a 12-hole, 1/3-cup capacity non-stick muffin pan.

3. Step 2

Sift flour into a large bowl. Add almond milk, butter, egg, olive oil, lemon juice and stir to combine. Add kale, tomatoes, olives, and feta and mix through.  I also add some oil from the sundried tomatoes and the olives to add flavour, not too much! (otherwise a tad more olive oil instead) Add several grinds of black pepper. (I like heaps!) You can add salt to taste if you like but I tend to omit it as the olives and sun dried tomatoes are salty anyway.

4. Step 3

Spoon mixture into muffin holes until three-quarters full. Bake for 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan for 1 minute. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

It's Friday! Yeeha!

As you can see I’ve given Jade’s Life a much needed overhaul! I feel like my life is much brighter and it felt right that my posts to you reflect that too!

Don’t forget to check out what else has been happening on my instagram and twitter…  I’ve got some great events coming up that are worth checking out!

This week I’d like to thank Material Girl PR for the invite to Streat Vibes last weekend- what an awesome event for a community to put on! Great music and perfect weather, a girl couldn’t ask for much more on her weekend! Everybody was having an awesome time!

2014 has already seen so many beautiful changes in my life, I’ve altered my fitness goals (more about that later!), met some great new people and lots of career opportunities have opened up as well.

Now it’s Friday arvo and we have the whole long weekend stretched in front of us…. Mine will consist of baking, bike riding, bikram yoga, amazing friends, a few cheeky wines, delicious food and the birthday of my beautiful best friend Cara. Happy Birthday angel!

Every girl will know what I’m talking about when I say how special those besties are- the ones who drop everything to be by your side, who have you crying with laughter and your heart bursting with pride at their achievements. They are the first people you call when you have news, whether its good, bad, funny, sad or you just need a chat.

 

I’m so blessed to have several of these angels in my life and this weekend I get to celebrate the birthday of a very special one. From music gigs and fashion shows to hiking, partying with drag queens and wearing ridiculous hats and sharing our secret fears, hopes and dreams.  I have so much in my life to be grateful for and it’s moments with amazing people that make me feel the luckiest.

Enjoy your weekend everybody!