Tasty Asian Inspired Summer Salad

Healthy eating has always been something that is important to me and as a vegetarian I'm no stranger to fruit and vegetables, but recently I've had to raise the bar in the healthy eating department due to being diagnosed with a gallbladder issue which shortly will be requiring surgery. I've always found salads to be quite boring and try to avoid eating them as a meal on their own, but when I came across this recipe, it really tickled my fancy. I'm a big fan of Asian inspired food and the sound of soybeans, peanut butter and sesame oil pretty much sealed the deal. I've constituted some of the ingredients in this recipe for even healthier products - such as Konjac noodles (Calorie free) instead of egg noodles and I've also added sesame seeds for a protein boost. Admittedly I went a little bit too overboard with the water, but the salad still tasted great and was really easy to make.

Serves 1

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: N/A

Ingredients

For the dressing:
1 tbsp peanut butter
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp Sesame oil
½ tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp rice wine vinegar
Water

For the salad:
Large handful of frozen soybeans
100g fresh egg or udon noodles
1 stick of celery, sliced
4 radishes, sliced into wedges
1 spring onion, sliced
3 slices of Chinese leaf lettuce, finely shredded

What to do:

In a bowl whisk all the dressing ingredients with a splash of water until smooth.
Pour into the bottom of the jar. Defrost the soya beans in boiling water then drain.
Layer the noodles on top of the dressing, then the celery and radish, then soya beans and top with the crunchy spring onions and Chinese leaf lettuce.

To serve, tip everything into a bowl and give a good stir.

The key to jar salads is the order they are put into the jar. Put the dressing in the bottom and then layer firmer vegetables at the bottom, the protein in the middle and the leafy greens at the top so they don't get wet. 

Recipe credit: www.lovethecrunch.co.uk

Have you tried making any Mason jar salads?

Read more

Stylish on The Go Charging: The Mighty Purse

There's nothing worse than heading for a night out and realising that you haven't charged your phone. It is something we all do from time to time and trying to fit a charger in your bag or even trying find a plug in a busy bar can often be troublesome. I really dislike leaving the house without my phone as you never know what can happen. My phone is my safety net, especially on a night out when I'm surrounded by drunk people that don't have a clue what they are doing. I've always wanted something that would allow me to charge my phone on the go, but look a little bit more stylish than some of the portable chargers that you can buy. When I saw this Mighty Purse more than half price on the Achica* website, I knew I had to buy it.

The Mighty Purse is a small, stylish purse with a hidden phone charger and battery concealed in the centre pocket. All those nights of forgetting to charge you phone can be long gone, all you need is to make sure you grab this purse before you leave and then you can discreetly charge your phone throughout the night. The Mighty Purse is spacious - it can easily fit an iPhone 6 and it also comes with card holders and additional space for you to keep the odd bits of makeup if you're in need of a touch up on the go. The purse is just the right size to fit into a medium clutch bag if you are needing more space.

The Mighty Purse comes with two cables - one which is a USB port and another which comes with two adaptors for different types of iPhones. One of the downsides about this product is that if you have an android phone, you will need to purchase separate adapters and at £80 for the purse alone, it can be quite an expensive investment.

When it came to charging my phone, the Mighty Purse did it's job. It charged my phone relatively easily and I was able to go about my day knowing that I had a full phone and could contact my friends or husband whenever I needed. My only issue was that the adapter seemed quite loose so I had to fiddle around with my phone to ensure it was constantly charging. This may be a fault with my particular Mighty Purse and not with the others, but it did become quite annoying. 

Overall if you do have enough money to spend on a Mighty Purse and you're looking for a new purse as well as a charger, I would recommend it. But if you don't quite have £80 to spare on a glorified phone charger, there are plenty of affordable alternatives out there. I do love my Mighty Purse, but probably not £80 worth of love.

Have you tried the Mighty Purse before?

Read more

Radisson Blu Edwardian Manchester Sienna Spa

Image source

Sometimes we all need a day to relax, be pampered and revitalise our bodies and our minds. After a long week of illness, a relaxing weekend away from the stress was something I definitely needed. A few weeks ago I was asked by the Radisson Blu Edwardian Sienna Spa* in central Manchester if I wanted to come down and see their facilities and this weekend I decided to take them up on the offer. With one of my best friends in tow, we set off for a girls luxury pamper day in Manchester not knowing what to expect from the Sienna Spa, but when we left our emotions were both of sadness and joy - sadness that they day had to end at some point and joy that it was one of the most relaxing, beautiful spas both of us had ever visited.

Our day started with spa treatments in the Sienna Spa treatment rooms. I opted for the 30 Minute Back, Neck & Shoulder Massage plus a 30 Minute Express Facial. After being poorly all week, I had aches and pains that needed soothing and my skin had reached the point of dehydration. The spa therapist started with an initial consultation asking questions about my daily skin routine, my lifestyle and the treatments I particularly enjoyed, followed by a sensory test to discover which massage oils and creams would benefit me the most. It was no surprise that I subconsciously picked the 'relaxation' oils and after being left to get undressed, I was led over to the table. I'm often a little bit nervous about getting my kit off during a massage, but the therapist was highly professional and kept me relaxed throughout the entire treatment. I opted for a 'medium' pressure massage which suited my aching muscles to a tee and after the treatment ended, I was left with soft skin and most importantly, I felt ache free for the first time in days. The therapist then proceeded to the express facial. I've had several facials in the past where I felt that the products used had been too heavy for my skin, but the ESPA products this particular salon used felt great. Each product had a distinctive scent and sent me on a sensory journey throughout the facial. I can recall essence of lavender and different types of herbs, followed by sweet scents such as roses. My skin was left glowing after the treatment and several hours later. my skin still feels as soft as baby's bottom.

After a casual swim and visits to the sauna and steam room, Lizi and I headed upstairs to the Opus One Bar and Restaurant where we were served an Afternoon Tea. To start with both us of were presented with a complimentary glass of Champagne to set the mood and were then given the menu to help us decide on our luxury treats. The Opus One Bar and Restaurant has two types of Afternoon Tea - a classic afternoon tea with sandwiches, scones, desserts and tea and a Gentleman's Afternoon Tea which instead has mini Yorkshire pudding, warm pork pie, mini fish and chips, a selection of sandwiches and homemade scones and preserves. Lizi and I both went for the Traditional Afternoon Tea which catered for our specific dietary requests - mine being vegetarian and Lizi's being gluten free. The staff were more than accommodating and went above and beyond to ensure we had a pleasant time.

When we were presented with our Afternoon Tea's I couldn't quite believe my eyes. There was so much choice and everything was beautifully presented. 

My vegetarian option had four types of sandwiches - egg, hummus, cheese and onion and cheese, with the hummus one being my favourite. It was so full of flavour, yet light enough so you could eat more.

These scones were probably the nicest scones I had eaten in a long time. Fluffy on the inside, crisp on the outside. The scones were served warm with sides of jam and butter, which combined melted in your mouth and left you wanting more.

The desserts were every sweet tooth's dream. I was served a Banoffee pie, a lemon cheesecake, a brownie and a Battenberg. There's no way I could eat them all, but I did my best to sample a spoonful of each. The Banoffee pie pictured in front was creamy and indulgent - my only criticism was that it seemed to lack much toffee in the bottom. The brownie was rich, but served in a small enough portion to handle and the Battenberg was perfect in every way. The one dessert I couldn't stop eating had to be the lemon cheesecake. The cheesecake was light and fluffy with a seductive tangy lemon flavour. I'm not usually a fan of desserts, but here I could eat every one of them.

As if the Afternoon Tea and Champagne wasn't enough, we were then presented with the new Opus bar Halle cocktail. The Halle cocktail had been named after one of Britain's most renowned Orchestras, the Halle Orchestra in Manchester. The cocktail was made up of Chambord, Vodka and Raspberries topped with Raspberry foam and fruit. It was a sweet, summery cocktail and was something that I'd often go for on a night out. I can imagine too many of these would rather sickly, but one or two would go down a treat.

Lizi and I had the most perfect day at the Sienna Spa at the Radisson Blu Edwardian in Manchester and I would go back in a heartbeat. All the staff were friendly and accommodating and the atmosphere felt relaxed and inviting. If I had to pick out one criticism it is probably that the women's changing rooms is a little bit on the small side, but that would be nitpicking. The spa is faultless for those looking for relaxation in the big city and with a hotel on site, it's the perfect location for a weekend break. At £79pp for a Luxury Pamper Day with a spa treatment, use of the Health Club, pool, a light lunch and champagne it is one of the most affordable spas I have visited but felt no less luxurious than some of the most expensive spas I have visited also. If you're planning on visiting Manchester soon, I highly recommend this place.

*This visit was complimentary and arranged by the Radisson group. All views are my own, if I didn't like something I would say.

Read more

Living with Chronic illness: One Year On

Firstly I have to say that I'm not writing this post for sympathy, in all honesty the thought of people feeling sorry for me drives me insane, it makes me feel even more abnormal than I usually do. The reason I'm writing this post is for all those out there who suffer daily basis and need someone to relate to, for those who have been newly diagnosed with a chronic illness and feel scared and if anyone catches the train with me, to show them why I sometimes have to beg to sit on a chair even though I look rather normal. 

I admit I have never been the epitome of health, but I do try. In fact three years ago I shed five stone and started going to the gym for up to two hours a day to stay fit. I used to swim 72 lengths without any hesitation and my favourite thing to do was to go on long walks on a bank holiday like today. The only health problem I ever had at that point was asthma which was under control and I never needed to go to hospital and the odd kidney infection, which often felt tortuous but the majority of the time I could still lead a relatively normal life, whatever that may be.

I've always had the odd problem with joints which the doctors often laughed off as growing pains, but nothing like I started to experience just two years ago. These pains came on really suddenly and left me bed bound. I felt hopeless often going to the doctors only to be told it was nothing to worry about. After months of testing, this time last year I was told the news that I was dreading - I had Rheumatoid Arthritis, a chronic inflammatory disease of the joints. Luckily my condition is only mild, but it still affects my daily life and it is something I have to take into consideration in everything I do.

My biggest bugbear about living with a chronic illness is that I look pretty normal on the outside and I often feel guilty about taking time off work or cancelling on friends because I feel like they often don't see what I'm going through. That said, I managed to survive a trip to Thailand recently which has been one of my biggest achievements since my diagnosis. It has given me hope that my body can survive travelling and has made me realise how much I want to see the world.

One year on from my diagnosis I have learnt...

That listening to my body is important

Even if you don't have a chronic illness, listening to your body is important. If your body says that you need rest, you need rest. If you're body is telling you to take it easy, take it easy. Putting further pressure on yourself can make you worse in the long run and keep you further away from reaching your goals.

To take things at my own pace

When I was diagnosed I would often sulk to my husband about how I couldn't run on the treadmill for as long as I used to and that I can barely swim any lengths compared to be. It is frightening and upsetting seeing your ability decreasing, but it doesn't mean you won't get it back. By taking my time and not rushing my body I have allowed myself to build up enough strength to swim 20 lengths when I want to and also walk for a long period of time. Some days this isn't possible, but even without a chronic illness, we all have our good days and bad days and sometimes we need to realise this.

A chronic illness doesn't need to limit you

Having a chronic illness isn't always fun and yes it makes you slightly different to everyone else, but it doesn't need to limit you. If you told me last year that I would be able to walk nearly four hours a day in a country 5,824 miles away from home I would have laughed, but now I realise that anything can be possible if you try. It's so easy to let a chronic illness consume you and to curl up in bed trying to forget the world. You need to be a warrior and show the illness that it's your body and you can do as you please.  Just make sure you take your medication and don't rush yourself into anything. You have the ability to do anything you want to do, you just have a few more obstacles than most, but it is achievable.

Do you know someone living with a chronic illness?

Read more

A Vegetarian in Thailand

Thailand is renowned for its fish and meaty dishes often served with lashings of oyster or fish sauce, so you can imagine that I had reservations about visiting this country being a vegetarian.  My local Thai restaurant has vegetarian meals aplenty, but when you're in the country itself it is often harder, but not impossible to find these dishes. Before I left England, I spent hours researching about vegetarian food in Thailand and was left with mixed impressions. A lot of vegetarians said they struggled to find meals, especially in more local communities. Other vegetarians said that the Thai people had been the most accommodating people they had ever met. They only way for me to truly find out was to visit Thailand myself and thanks to the Tourism Authority of Thailand, a few weeks ago I was given that opportunity.

The first restaurant I had the pleasure of dining at in Thailand was the Blue Spice restaurant situated in the Grande Centre Point Hotel in Bangkok. The restaurant had an 'all you can eat' pan asian and european buffet with everything from Pad Thai to Sushi, Pizza to rice. I was eased gently into the Thai cuisine by being able to sample a few authentic dishes whilst making the most of home comforts like Spinach Lasagne just in case the food wasn't up to par for the rest of the week.

My first truly authentic Thai dishes were from a restaurant in the Nan province, north of Thailand. Food plays a major role in Thai culture as it is seen as a time where families and friends can time with each other and it is very much a sharing experience, similar to the Mediterranean tapas style where several plates are ordered and everyone has a chance to try them. As I was the only vegetarian and to make sure I wasn't missing out, I was given four different dishes to try: An egg tofu soup, a mushroom soup, sweet and sour vegetables, a stir fried mushroom dish and of course the Thai food staple, Jasmine rice.

As far as vegetables go, I thought I had pretty much tried them all in almost every possible way they could be cooked, but there's something about the people of Thailand and their ability to take the most humble ingredients and give them an abundance of flavour. My mushrooms weren't ordinary mushrooms, they were spicy, moorish and delicate on the palate, whilst the egg tofu in the egg tofu soup simply melted in my mouth. The broth added a subtle vegetable flavour to the dish whilst replenishing my taste buds and allowing me to delve into the sweet and sour dish which packed a punch. 

One of the things I had noticed throughout my trip in Thailand was that although the vegetarian dishes were predominantly the same ingredients (tofu, mushrooms and vegetables), each region had their very own take on how to cook them. For example Nan food was richer with a pinch of spice, whilst the food in Phrae another district I visited had a lot more heat. It was all part of their traditions, signature dishes and the recipes that had been passed down through the families.  

In this dish served at a restaurant in Phrae you can pretty much see the chili seeds. This food was fiery hot, but still not enough to ruin the flavour. The use of mouth watering tomatoes in this dish helped tame the heat and my side of steamed vegetables were the perfect accompaniment for adding further texture and little breaks from the other spicy dish. The great thing about food in Thailand is that if you don't really like the taste of one particular dish, there's always a few others to try from and if the food is spicy and you cannot tolerate it as much as other people, there's always other things for you to nibble at before returning for attempt.

If you know someone who has visited or even lived in Thailand, I'm pretty sure you will have heard of sticky rice. Sticky rice is often served as a midday treat or dessert and is amongst the top 10 dishes for tourists visiting the country. The sticky rice is often soaked in coconut and served with Banana leaves giving it the most wonderful taste. Sticky rice is a ball full of gooey, sticky, yummy fun and something I became quite addicted to during my trip. There are so many variations like this one above soaked with thai blue flowers to give it the blue, tropical colour to the one below served with mango, pineapple and apple.

I was lucky enough on my trip to have a translator that made ordering vegetarian food a lot easier, but even then there were times that I did have to fend for myself. If you're a vegetarian in Thailand and you're struggling to order, the word 'Jay' pretty much states that you are vegan and will not eat anything from an animal. I used this word several times and had no problems ordering food. 

My foodie adventure in Thailand has made me appreciate Thai food now more than ever before. From the way the cook the most simple ingredients to give them intense flavour, to the way they serve food for families and friends bringing them closer together. Food is a way of life for the people in Thailand and appreciated far more greatly than us in Western Culture. It was a foodie adventure I will never forget.

*This trip was hosted by the Tourism Authority of Thailand. This review was an honest representation of my time spent in the country.

Read more