Blast from the Past... Packed Lunches

It's so funny how when you're a uni student, all you do is buy food even though you're dirt poor. Then as soon as you start working and making money, it's back to packed lunches! 

Not only to save money but also because there comes a point in your life where you realise you should probably ditch those packet noodles and start taking care of your body :)

Starting full time work, I'm trying to pack my lunches. There are many pros in doing so.. 

- Helps you save money $$

-Allows you to have better control of what goes into your body

-Improve your cooking skills ;)

and much more

I'll continually post up fresh and healthy lunch ideas to inspire you when creating your own packed lunches!  

Reuben Sandwhiches

Made famous in New York, and also known as Dr. House MD's favourite sandwich, Reuben sandwiches are really easy to make!

Ingredients

Handful of corned beef or pastrami

1/2 cup of sauerkraut (German pickled cabbage) OR/ fried onions

Swiss cheese (I used egmont cheese)

2 Tspn butter 

2 Tspn mayonnaise

3 pieces of Rye bread/or any brown bread

Method

1. Butter slices of bread and also spread mayonnaise on them.

2. Top each slice with swiss cheese and divide corned beef.

3. Using paper towel, squeeze out excess moisture from sauerkraut and divide among sandwiches.  

4. Layer each layer of bread and your done! 

(If your making this for lunch at home you can grill the sandwiches on a griddle pan on medium heat).  

Wraps

Another lunch idea is simple and healthy wraps. I am trying to avoid white bread and wraps so stick to wholewheat and multigrain as it is higher in fibre and nutrients so it will keep you fuller for longer! Great for long days at work! And the great thing about wraps is that you can put whatever you like in them. 

For my lunch I decided to go with...

Shaved ham

Pastrami

egmont cheese

baby spinach leaves

cucumber

alfalfa sprouts

cream cheese and sweet chili sauce

wholewheat tortilla

(But basically you can use any meat and vege combo you like. The more colourful the better and healthier your wrap will be). 

Place everything on the wrap and roll it up. Slice in half on a diagonal so it's easier for you to eat and voila!

Snack ideas

Crackers and cheese/cream cheese

muesli bars

yoghurt to promote healthy digestive system :)

slices of fruit

carrot, cucumber, celery sticks with dips (e.g. hummus, cream cheese, peanut butter)

handful of nuts and dried fruit 

TIP: Make sure you drink plenty of water. Add slices of lemon or cucumber or mint to make it more refreshing!

You could also try coconut water like I have, it is full of potassium so it will help re-hydrate you and keep your electrolytes maintained throughout the day!

If you find it hard to resist buying lunches, make sure to leave your wallet at home so you're not tempted to buy food. 

Love your body xo

Electric Pink Summer Smoothies

My recipe for Electric Pink Summer Smoothies

My first smoothie for this week is an electric pink, superfood containing healthy concoction best served in pre-chilled mason jars! 

Ingredients

1x banana

3x large strawberries

1x cup of baby spinach leaves

1x tbsp pistachio nuts (leave a little for topping)

1/4x cup of chopped beetroot

2x tbsp organic almond meal

1x cup unsweetened almond milk

1/2x cup pure coconut water

1x squeeze of lemon

Directions

Add all ingredients into a blender and blend until you get a smooth consistency. You can top it off with some chopped up pistachios for decoration. 

Mason jars are such a cute way to serve your smoothies. They are sold in homeware stores and most supermarkets. Place them in the fridge for a couple of hours to chill the glass before serving your smoothies in them and they will keep your smoothies cool and fresh. They are also portable so you can take them to picnics, beaches and even for morning tea break at work!  

The secret ingredient to getting the pretty pink colour is beetroot. It has been classed as a superfood and contains large amounts of soluble fibres, flavanoids and betacyanin. Betacyanin is the compound that gives beetroots it purple colour and is also a powerful antioxidant. It helps reduce blood pressure, prevents the formation of plaque in the artery walls and reduces the bad cholesterol levels in the body. Beetroot also helps relieve fatigue by boosting a person's energy levels. It's definitely a great pick-me-up at the end of tiring day or even a great energy booster to start your day with. 

Try making this smoothie for breakfast this week! It's so quick once you cut everything up you can just blend it up into a smoothie. It's cute and colour and full of antioxidants and nutrients that your body will love. Enjoy!

♥

Tonight

- Pack lunch for first day of internship and share recipe with readers.

"PLAY" Runway show

PLAY

"...High-energy runway show of modern and fun collections that play with colour, pattern and texture. Celebrating the joyful and the whimsical in fashion..."

What I love about up and coming designers is that they are open to playing with silhouettes and textures and colors. Because their main objective is to come up with original ideas that will identify them as a designer, you can guarantee that their designs will be of maximum originality. This allows you to be inspired with new ideas which you can incorporate into your own wardrobe. 

All the models were wearing clog-style wooden platform heels with wide faux leather straps. Perfect heels  that would go with any summer outfit. You can wear them with a maxi dress to give you more height, with shorts, or with that summer dress when you are going out for dinner or drinks after a long day of tanning and swimming at the beach. Will definitely be buying a pair, or maybe two!

These heels and a variation of them can be found at any Cotton On store for a really good price: 

http://shop.cottonon.com/shop/product/fresno-heel-tan-smooth/

http://shop.cottonon.com/shop/product/fresno-heel-white-smooth/

Jelly shoes or jellies are a type of sandals made from PVC plastic. They were the "it" shoes to have back in the 80's and 90's. I used to have multiple pairs back when I was in primary school; colourless, colourful, glitter infused they are probably one of the first memories of any type of style back then...along with bindis, chokers and denim. Recently I have seen them making a come back. 

The most surprising pair made an appearance on the runway. A gray pair of jellies with chunky heels! Jellies were cool to begin with but the heels just made them all that. 

You can buy these shoes from any cotton on store:

http://shop.cottonon.com/shop/product/jamaica-jelly-heel-black/

Along with jellies:

http://shop.cottonon.com/shop/product/jessica-jelly-sandal-clear-glitter/

Or if you want branded jellies, Nastygal, asos, topshop, urban outfitters, american apparel and many other online stores stock JuJu Wellies and Jellies: 

http://www.jujushoes.co.uk/styles.aspx?type=jellies

Jelly beans, an Australian brand, specialise in jellies aswell: 

http://jbeans.com.au/

Tomorrow...

- Make a superfood smoothie for breakfast. Share recipe. 

- Make up new simple and tasty recipes for work lunches and share with readers. 

♥

Sweet Sweet Memories Made ♥

 

"Live life to the fullest, be present, and live in the moment..."

The best part is, it's so easy to do.

Do things that make you happy, do them with people you love and enjoy every minute of it.

 

My last week up in Auckland was truly a memorable one.

 Here is what I got up to this week...

 

WICKED the untold story of the witches of Oz - The Broadway Musical

After purchasing the tickets on a whim just minute before the show. (Spontaneity is a wonderful thing). I was not prepared for the amazing production that was WICKED. Jemma Rix who played Elpheba the "Wicked" witch brought tears to my eyes with her beautiful voice in the song "The Wizard and I" along with other well known songs such as "popular" and "defying gravity." WICKED was an amazing production with talented cast and dazzling sets and not to mention a great plot. Felt like we went to Emerald City and back.

 

 

Ever since I was little I've always had a fascination with marine life. This week I certainly got my dose of marine life as my friends and I took a trip to Kelly Tarlton's a sealife aquarium. Nemo and his friends were there too.

 

 

 

 

My most memorable day this week and probably of life was when a herd of dolphins came out of nowhere and swam next to our boat. They are extraordinary animals with such intelligence, definitely my number one favourite non-domesticated animals. I wonder when my next encounter with them will be?  (would probably want to mute before watching the video... my squeals of excitment may make your ears ring).

 

 

 Alongside these wonderful days, my days were filled with friends, food (lots of food), laughter and love. Hope your week was beautiful with sweet sweet memories made xo

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Oh and I also completed 5 years of Pharmacy School - Winning!)

 

This week...

- Make 5 different superfood smoothies for breakfast.

- Restock pantry with organic and superfoods from organic market.

- Research how to plant pansys for summer.

-  Look to pinterest for help with decor and theme for picnic.

 

This month...

- Learn more about superfoods and incorporate them along with organic foods into diet.

- Make a summer herb and flower garden.

- Organise a picnic in the gardens with friendlings.

 

♥