Carb-free brekkie muffin!

I usually end my day with one last scroll through my newsfeed -yes, it's depressing and needs addressing sometime soon, however unhealthy social media habits is not what I've come to write about. Anyway! Someone had shared this amazing recipe which I tried this morning and altered a bit, so here is my version of a yummy on-the-go, carb free breakfast muffin!

Ingredients: 

Spring Onions(chopped)

Tomatoes (chopped)

Bacon (cooked and chopped)

4 - 6 Eggs (amount changes depending on how big your tray is) 

2tbls Milk

Organic Salt and Black pepper to taste. 

(optional extras) 

Onions, cheese, coriander, spinach, etc, -or whatever else your little taste buds might fancy. 

--- Here's how: 

Pre heat your oven to 200C, 

Grease your muffin tin with coconut oil, 

Place all your chopped ingredients in to the tin.

Whisk your eggs together with the milk and pour over the ingredients in the tray. 

Cook for 15 - 20 min. Your muffins should rise slightly and start to go golden brown on top.

That easy. Boom. 

Enjoy your brekkie everyone! 

Sweet Potato and Cabbage soup. Best. Ever.

Today my little town, Falmouth, had it's first light snow fall of the season. It was rather spectacular. I had just finished a very busy shift at the cafe and started to walk home when I noticed the snowdrops. I wasn't convinced at first, icey rain was my initial diagnosis but by the time I got to my front door the drops turned to flakes and I enjoyed watching them fall through the crispy air. It didn't last long and it all melted soon after it touched the ground. However, it still inspired me to cook healthy hearty homemade dinner. 

I tried the Sweet Potato and Cabbage soup from my new recipe book, Eat Yourself Calm.

Did you know? 

Sweet Potatoes. 

Here are few fun facts about this starchy veggie! 

It reduces inflammation, regulates blood sugar levels, encourages healthy digestion, encourages relaxation and lifts a mood! 

Sweet potatoes are a great source of fiber, their bright colour indicates a wealth of antioxidants vitamins, and other key chemicals that can help reduce the impact of stress on your body and mind, and prevent inflammatory conditions often associated with stress. 

They are rich in Vitamin B6, supporting the nervous system, encouraging relaxation and preventing heart disease. Vitamin C, helping reduce the stress hormones cortisol in the body, boost immunity and ease digestion. Vitamin D, encouraging the health of your heart and nerves, easting fatigue and balancing moods. Magnesium, promoting restful sleep and aid relaxation. 

Anyway, now that you have the facts, here is how! 

Prep time: 20min. Cook time: 24min. Serves 4. 

2 Onions, chopped

2 Garlic Cloves, sliced

4 bacon strips, chopped

3 Sweet Potatoes, chopped

2 Parsnips, chopped

1 teaspoon thyme

4 cups veggie stock

1 baby savoy cabbage, shredded

sea salt and black pepper. 

Put the onions, garlic and bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes, parsnips, thyme, and stock, bring it to a boil and simmer for 15 or unti the veg are tender.  {To test if the veggies are tender or not, stick a fork in to them, if they stick to the fork/knife when pulled out, keep cooking. When they slide off the fork or knife easily, they are ready.}

-----

Remove from heat, let cool slightly, then transfer two-thirds of the soup to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

Return to the pan, add the cabbage and continue to simmer 5-7min, until the cabbage is just cooked. Season to taste. {Before serving, warm up the bowls and add optional bread.} ENJOY!!xx 

January, came and went.

Would you look at that! The first month of the year has already come and gone!
It's the last day of the month and I'm reflecting on the challenges I set myself 31 days ago.
What have I learnt so far this year?

Life is what you make it. 
If you save your money and buy a plane ticket... you will go somewhere new.
If you stop eating crap and do your exercises... you will get fit and healthy.
Sometimes going for your deepest desires will make life uncomfortable. It might make you feel out of place, unsure or even stressed out. Trust your heart and it's desires, put a little faith in to time and know that in the long run, it will be worth it.

Stick with your decisions. 
You make up your mind about something, hopefully you're proud of the choices? Now stick with them. Be confident in yourself, the choice you made. Don't let doubt flood your mind because of the influence other people might have on you. Appreciate feedback, take it all in, decide according to your own values and morals what's important from their opinion and then chuck the rest out. Unhealthy thoughts or unsettling vibes aren't useful here, get rid of them.

and thirdly, a personal one, (which is irrelevant if you're not 20-something.)

I'm only flipping 20 years old! It's the year of my 21st. (Yes I'm milking this occasion, have you heard of a thing called Birthday Year? Well. It's happening in my 2015.) Anyway, IM A KID! I still get to be reckless, selfish and have fun on Mondays! So long as I don't cause too much of an aftershock or am the cause for someone elses hurt, I'll be doing just fine! Most of the stuff I find myself worrying about aren't going to be important next week, so why bother worrying in the first place! Time to throw caution to the wind darlings! Be inspired! Go for a run! Eat a whole cake! Whatever lifts your spirits, do that! (This applies to the 30,40,50-somethings too!)

Hope you're all feeling good after reading my ramblings, I hope you have the best February! Keep the vibes kick-ass and full of goodness. xx



{Footnotes}

My goal at the start of 2015 were:

-love deeply
-be intentional in all things
-travel and explore as far and wide as possible.

It's been a challenge but I'm keeping with it. So far I've successfully built new friendships, made strangers smile and booked three plane tickets. Thank you, January!

Mindful thoughts.

"Balance is the key. In everything you do. Dance all night long and practice yoga the next day. Drink wine but don't forget about your green juice. Eat chocolate when your heart wants it and kale salad when your body needs it. Wear high heels on a Saturday and walk barefoot on a Sunday. Live high and low. Move and stay still. Embrace all sides of who you are. Be brave, bold, spontaneous and loud and let that complement your abilities to find silence, patience, modesty and peace. Aim for balance. Make your own path and don't let anyone tell you how to live according to theirs."

Don't worry. Be happy. (My 48hrs of grumpy.)

Hi, my name is Ashleigh and I'm grumpy. I have been in a shocking mood for a few days now.

I'm putting it down to the fact that winter has actually arrived now and I'm not prepared for it! 

Not my mindset, not my wardrobe,  nada! 

I'm the kind person that tends to make a bad mood worse purely because I hate it when I'm not on top of my emotions. I desperately need to be effortlessly happy -always. Which I know is completely unrealistic. However it isn't the worst thing to strive for in life. Most days of the week I get the whole "happiness" thing right. (Or so I like to think.)

In an attempt to leave grumpy behind and move in to a better space I'm doing a few intentional activities that usually help. And I'm sharing them with the world, because who knows, you might need it more than I do. 

So leave grumpy behind! Embrace winter and her chill! 

----

1) Put a good song on.  

2) Learn the words to it and sing along. 

(If you're running short on ideas, try this)

3) Leave your phone at home and go for a walk. 

4) Leave uni/the office and do your work in a cafe instead. (Nothing like a good cup of coffee and a cheeky brownie to speed up the work flow!) 

5) Then go to gym. or for a run. or dance around your room. Break a sweat! 

Let endorphins attack you from the inside! 

6) Tell someone you love them. Make them smile.

7) Do something creative. Draw? Read? Cook? Play guitar? 

8) Watch any SoulPancake video. 

I'd recommend; 

- Kid President.

-The Science of Happiness. 

-The View From 3 Feet. 

(But really all the videos on this channel are AH-MAAAZING!)

9) Do something fun!

Go for a swim in the sea. Go to a gig. Dress up and go dancing! 

10)  Don't be so hard on yourself. It's ok to be grumpy. 

(Just don't let it last longer than 48hrs. )

(and if none of them worked, try calling your mom, or a best friend, they should know how to cheer you up. If they don't, go find a new best friend.)

Don't worry, be happy!

Bean Hunting, London, Prufrock Coffee.

A few nights ago I was out with some friends. Their friends, Londoners, recommended visiting Prufrock the next time I was in the big city.... Well, here I sit, sipping on a flat white pleasantly impressed. (and not just with the coffee, this place has got it going aaaaan.)

The first thing I noticed was there logo plastered on the front window, slick design that would draw any creative soul in. After that, shelving. Woaaah buddy! Who knew shelves could be such a great feature? Well, I guess when they are overflowing in coffee equipment, it's a no brainer. And personally, if I didn't already have the desire to own a hand grinder and aeropress filter, I definitely do now!! #StudentBudget.

Back to what's important. Their coffee. Delish! House blends, Guest blends and multiple filters to choose from! (Beans: Kenya, Ethiopia. WIN!) And obviously, the baristas at a place like this know exactly what to do when pouring milk, my latte art hearts don't even compare!

(Side note, when I arrived, there was a peace in the air, a few people on laptops, ploughing through work and eating morning pastries.. But my my, 12 o'clock struck and the buzz started! Midday coffee? A little kick for all them hard working city kids to make it through another fast paced day in London!)

Overall, this place is a winner! Great atmosphere, a coffee machine covered in illustrations and arty coffee spoons on the wall! This gem is without a doubt, on trend with Britain's rising coffee culture!

See their website if you're not convinced by my words, here. Or just go visit them, they are not toooo far from Camden Town, and if you're one for riding the tube, only about a 3 minute walk from Chancery Lane station. (Obviously they have a facebook page and twitter account.)

Cool beans lovely readers, (see what just happened?), that's it from me on Prufrock Coffee! Enjoy these terrible iphone quality pictures I took!

Ps. The lady next to me just ordered food, OH MY GRACIOUS! I think I'm hungry? Looks wonderful! Might have to stick around to nom down on one of their quirky health lunches!

Love and Stuff, Georgia-Lenora Garson.

{ Part || }

Everybody, meet Miss. Georgia-Lenora Garson, an absolute gem that I went to high school with.

Georgie and I both left small town Durban to start our own 'adult' lives in classy mud-island, also known as England. Georgie went straight for the big guns and settled herself in to the big city everyone knows as London.  

One of my favourite things about my friendship with this beautiful soul is that when either of us are feeling homesick for Ouma's Rusks or the smell of African air, having a chat or sending each other silly snapchats will without a doubt put an end to any sort of aching heart. 

Now in order to keep this post short and sweet, here's a short version of why Georgie's amazing spirit and love for life is part || of 'love and stuff'.

Let's go back 10 or so days. Georgie sent me a snapchat saying she was out of a job. (STRESS!) But no. This curve ball that life hurdled at her was handled with such a positive attitude that today she sits as not only a happier person but also as a fashion journalist for a new magazine, KOLUM. (If you're a keen bean for fashion I'd highly recommend reading her recent articles, here.)

So when most people would sit in bed and sulk about how crap life is, my darling friend chose to do things different. She chose to keep her positive attitude! It's always about attitude kids, KEEP IT POSITIVE! Such a big game changer.

Anyways, short and sweet, so to wrap things up here's a little Q&A with the golden woman herself. 

I hope if you're reading this and are feeling discouraged about anything in your own life, that you find a spark to give you the courage to throw caution to the wind in order to step a little closer to your big dream. 

1. Your most favourite thing about life? 

My most favourite thing about life has to be life itself. There's so much beauty in so many things and I think it's so important to take a moment to take it all in. Society has made it far too easy for us to forget appreciation for the small things in life. There's something so refreshing about taking a step back and being in the moment.

2. Tell me more about this new fashion venture you're on?

I got my fashion journalism internship about 2 weeks ago. I had absolutely no idea it was coming. I was working at a bar doing the social media/sales and events and my job role was no longer required so they gave me a bottle of wine, said thank you and sent me on my way. At that moment I was a bit unsure of my emotions. I had no idea what I was going to do. I had been wishing that I was involved in the fashion world for so long so I used this bump in the road to get myself a bit closer to my dream career. (Fashion stylist & magazine editor.) I applied for numerous jobs and internships and I put my faith in God to show me the way because I really had no idea. Because it's an internship, I don't get paid so I still need to find my source of income. Normally the fact that I don't have a job would give me enough anxiety to shoot me to the moon but I am my happiest I have been for a very long time. I'm finally doing something I am so passionate about and strangely enough, staying up till 3am writing articles doesn't phase me. It's my dream.

3. Where do you find 'life' inspiration?

My life inspiration comes from so many things. Like I said before, learning to appreciate the small things in life is a huge part of it. My family and friends inspire me everyday. Without them I wouldn't be where I am. Sometimes being away from home and in such a big city is very hard and working to pay the bills can be incredibly daunting too. But with the constant love, support and encouragement makes it that much easier.

4. If you were to give a complete stranger advice, what would it be?

I think if I were to give anyone advice, it would be to not take yourself too seriously. Society sucks people in and drains the life out of one so easily. If you aren't happy, change something. Why should we spend the one life we have, miserable? The best way to be happy is to "do you." Find out what it is that makes you tick, and chase that dream. The day you start taking the baby steps to achieving your goals, your life changes forever. Don't be afraid to throw yourself out there. It's the only way to make things happen. have no idea how I'm going to pay my rent next month but I am so rich with happiness that I'm not even worried. I'm living in the moment and the rest will fall into place. This is all part of my journey and I am so excited.

And that is part || of 'Love and stuff'. Thank you so much to Georgie for answering this questions and for just being flipping awesome! I'm so incredibly proud of you and this adventure you're on! Keep shining and sharing your beautiful soul with people. A small town, everyday kind of girl, influencing and inspiring people in a big city, crazy kind of world..