Chickpea Chocolate Cookies

Ok wait for a second, I know what you guys are thinking- chickpeas are not meant to be in chocolate chip cookies. But have you actually ever tasted a chickpea cookie? If the answer is no then you have got to taste these!

Super tasty and super good for you- I'm pretty sure that is the ultimate combination. A tasty treat which doesn't leave you feeling after.

This recipe is courtesy of Begin With Nutrition, check her out and this recipe and let me know what you think :) 

Lou <3

Ingredients

1 can of chickpeas (400g)

1/2 cup of peanut butter

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup of maple syrup

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp bicarbonate soda

1/2 cup of chocolate chips

1/4 cup of flakseed

1/4 cup of porridge oats

Quantity - 18 cookies

Method-

Prepare 2 baking trays, lining them with grease  proof paper. Preheat the oven to 175⁰C.

Add all the ingredients except for the chocolate chips to the blender. Blend for a few minutes until well combined.

Once the mixture is of a smooth and creamy consistency add the chocolate chips and mix until fully combined.

Spoon the mixture in little balls onto the greased baking trays ensuring they are evenly spaced.

Bake for 20-25minutes.

Nutritional Information

Each cookie:

Kcal- 95 

Total fat - 4.8

Saturated fat - 1.03

Protein - 2.6

Sugar - 6.8 

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water

I’m sure most of you have heard of the iconic Bioderma micellar cleansing water, which has become so many beauty bloggers cult product. As of yet I still haven’t managed to get my hands on it, but of course we all knew it wouldn’t be long before the drugstore brands jumped on board the micellar water bandwagon and started producing their own versions. So on a recent trip to Boots (UK drugstore) I happened to notice an unfamiliar item in the Garnier section (I’m already a big fan of their products so anything new stands out a mile) which was their own micellar water and of course it was in my basket in seconds.

This product doubles as a make up remover and cleanser which doesn’t need to be rinsed off the skin. I have to admit I am always a bit dubious of ‘easy cleanse’ products and those which have more than one purpose so I have still been using my normal cleanser after. We are recommended to cleanse twice anyway – once to remove make up and once to actually cleanse the skin.

It is a long awaited replacement for my previous lazy day make up remover and the best thing is I need not feel guilty about using it! On first impressions, this cleanser removes my make up easily (including eye make up!) with just a smooth glide across the skin - gentle and hydrating with no rubbing needed leaving my skin feeling fresh and clean. Because it is micellar water it isn’t oily and leaves no residue on the skin, my previous make up removers worked a treat but I always felt I was doing my skin more harm than good.

I’m still on a quest to purchase Bioderma but in the meantime I’m loving this alternative!

If you have tried any micellar water cleansers please do let me know how you got on! :)

Lydia x

Tabata Sandwich Workout

Hey guys!

Its Monday morning again, and for most it is the worst day of the week. Think I may be the only person who really enjoys Mondays. Don't get me wrong I love everything about the weekend, going out, meeting friends and generally just being really chilled. But for me there is something really nice about getting back into my weekly routine. And one of the most important parts to my routine is working out. I didn't realise how much I relied on it until a while back when I had to take time off with uni work and being ill, and from it my week felt messed up and I didn't feel normal or content. It gives me so much more energy and I feel more confident about myself after I have worked out. So this is exactly why I love Mondays and my wee weekly routine, (pretty sure you would think I was and pensioner loving having a routine, I'm such a loser!) for me it is one of the best feelings ever!

Anyways, so I have decided to share with you my current favourite workout. I do this in my house when I have an hour to spare in the afternoon after work and I can go at it hard and feel amazing/exhausted after. Again this workout is based on the High intensity Interval Training principal (HIIT), where doing short bursts of intense exercise are thought to be more efficient and effective than prolonged steady exercise. So I have made a Tabata Sandwich which includes 30mins of cardio and a 15minute abs and legs Tabata in the middle. For anyone who doesn't know what Tabata is, it involves high intensity exercise for 20-30 seconds with a 10 second rest in between, so you heart rate is high and the exercise is quick paced.

The perfect wham-bam-thank-you-mam work out for the girl who has all the time but forgets to manage it well....

I have included a brief description of the exercise and what I do below, hope you guys like it and feel pumped and super good about yourselves after :)

Lou <3

 P.S.

Online there are good Tabata timers which tell you when to workout and when to rest I would definitely recommend googling one of them, they are so so handy and always keep me right when I'm working out.

Cardio

For the cardio I normally do it on my cross trainer as I am fortunate enough to have one in my house, but you can run using the same principal or do it in the gym either works just as well. When I am  doing the 15 minutes of cardio I normally do 30 seconds of all out effort and then 1 minute of active recovery - so I keep a steady speed but keep my work level to about 50%. This is repeated for the whole 15minutes.

Tabata

For this Tabata my chosen exercises where predominantly leg and abs based because this is what I wanted to work on, but you can chose different exercises for the body parts you want to work on. And make sure you chose a work out time which suits you, so if you are trying to get fit and active again you could chose a short length of time to do your Tabata for, it's all about personalising your work out to you.

Wide leg and close leg squat- jump forward into a wide leg squat, jump back into a normal standing position and then jump forward into a close leg squat- repeat for 30 seconds

Plank- standard plank position and hold for 30 seconds.

Shoulder taps- In the press up position lift one arm at a time and touch the opposite shoulder ensuring your body engaged and your bum doesn't lift too high or drop down low, repeat continuously for 30seconds.

Side plank- balance on your right arm with your body facing out to the left, raise your left arm to the sky and hold for 15 seconds, then swap over to the other side.

Sumo squat- normal squat, except after you squat bring one leg up like you are a sumo wrestler and then squat again. Repeat alternating legs on the sumo lifts.

Walk the dog- Starting standing up, place your hands on the floor directly in front of you, walk forward with your hands until you are in the press up position, do a press up and walk your hands back until you are standing up again. Repeat continuously.

Ab cycling- in the sit up position, lift your legs off the floor slightly, bring one leg up towards your tummy and at the same time raise your shoulders to meet it, lower both simultaneously and repeat with the other leg.

Summer Skin

The weeks are rolling in quickly and I don’t know about you but I am so excited for Summer 2014! It won’t be long before (hopefully) the sun will be shining and we’ll be getting our milky white pins (just me?) out for the first time this year. I thought it would be appropriate to write a post on getting your skin Summer ready from both the inside and out.

*As I was in the middle of writing this I realised it was getting wayyy too long (I definitely like to talk), so have decided to split it into a three part series. First on the agenda is prepping your skin for summer from the outside: skincare.

1. Exfoliate exfoliate exfoliate

If you aren’t a regular exfoliator I highly recommend you invest in a good liquid exfoliant. I love Clarins Gentle Exfoliator, Brightening Toner and Alpha H Liquid Gold. They definitely aren’t cheap but from the results I received, these two beauties are totally worth every penny. As important as exfoliating is all year round,  it’s even more vital in the Summer months. Between sweat, suncream etc. your skin has extra to put up with so give it a little helping hand by sloughing away all the dead skin cells and grime of the day, your skin will thank you!

We’re usually quite good at taking care of the skin on our face, after all it’s what’s staring at us in the mirror every day, but I know I for one am quite bold for neglecting the rest of my body during the year when it’s all hidden away under layers of clothing. Not this time of year!  To get your skin in top condition for Summer you need to think about a body exfoliator and a moisturiser too, or if you’re like me, after-sun (that smell just gives me the summery holiday feeling). You might also want to consider a gradual tan moisturiser, I know I don’t fancy showing off my translucent milk bottles until they have reached a normal colour! Body brushes are also good to get some circulation going and getting rid of the dead and dry skin cells to make way for new, glowing bright skin.

2. Clay cleansers

Our skin can become more oily in the summer months. Help combat this by using a good clay cleanser for a deep cleanse. I’m a big fan of REN Clearcalm 3 Clarifying Cleanser which I use with my Clarisonic Mia. This cleanser helps mattify the skin and clear the pores for an all day shine free face (my fav!).

 3. Hydration

You might be saying you have normal or oily skin; definitely not dry. This doesn’t mean your skin isn’t dehydrated. Having dry and dehydrated skin are two different things: dry skin produces little to no oil and is prone to being flak whereas dehydrated skin is likely to have fine lines and occur commonly (but not exclusively) in those with oily skin. Dry skin can be treated with a good moisturiser specific to dry skin. To combat dehydrated skin you need to give it a dose of hyaluronic acid, hydrating it from the bottom layer up. Try and avoid any foaming cleansers, stick to balms or milks - try Emma Hardie, Amazing Face Moringa Cleansing Balm. Also don't be afraid of oils if you have oily skin. I swear by Clarins Lotus Face Treatment Oil which is specifically for balancing oily to combination skin. 

I also find hydrating mists are lovely to keep in your bag and spritz on your face throughout the day if your skin is feeling a little tight or you’re just in need of freshening up! I love Balance Me – Skin Bright Hydrating Mist.

I'm keen to hear your summer skin tips and products you love, nothing is more gorgeous in the summer than bright and healthy skin. I'll get the second post up very soon :)

Love,

Lydia x

OOTD

Cardigan- Fenn Wright Mason (TK Maxx)
Shirt- Primark
Jeans - Topshop
Shoes - Superga
Necklace- Urban Outfitters