Apple & Cinnamon Warming Oats

So, it’s Sunday and you’re having your first proper lie-in of the week. You’d go out for breakfast but all the cafés stop serving at 12pm and you definitely aren’t rushing yourself today. On the other hand, you have time to make a delicious breakfast and you need a little inspiration…

I have the biggest sweet tooth and an even bigger love for breakfast foods. There is little that I enjoy more than taking some time to myself in the mornings to make an extra special breakfast that I can enjoy with my morning coffee and forget about the list of things that need to get done! I am always looking for ways to make this morning ritual even more special, and it was around November time that I decided to create what has quickly become my most loved recipe! So if creamy vanilla, cinnamon and apple oats sounds good to you, and you’re pining for a decadent start to your Sunday (or for that mid-week pick-me-up!) then I would highly recommend that you try your hand at these!

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Apple & Cinnamon Muffins

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When I started my current job, I had so much fun (some might say a little too much) scoping out the local cafés and finding my favourite cup of coffee that I would look forward to every morning. I’m a foodie through and through and exploring new places to eat is almost a hobby for me. Since then, I have stumbled across too many great cafés to count on both hands, and with that came some delicious new snack ideas.

I remember as a child literally grabbing hot, fresh muffins off the counter as soon as my mom took them from the oven. Muffins don’t nearly get the love they deserve. They’re portable, suitable for all times of the day, and you can get super creative with them. My favourite muffins are hands down banana and walnut. However, today I decided to branch out and discover what other flavours I could come up with. Behold, these beauties were born.

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Raw Vegan Lemon Squares

Okay, so i’m not vegan and I know that word can be a little daunting. Plus, I doubt many think of raw vegan desserts as being delicious. But trust me, they can be amazing (when made right!). I’ve done some experimenting in my kitchen and come up with these deliciously fresh & zingy lemon squares that are definitely made right. These sort of recipes can be tricky, and I used to think I would never be able to create them. Now, with a lot of trial and error I think I have finally mastered this raw dessert, and I’m so excited to experiment with new flavours now that I’ve perfected the basics! Of course, I want to help out anyone who reads my blog so that we can all enjoy delicious raw desserts, so.. here’s my recipe! (Prior word of warning: these are MESSY!)

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Carrot Cake Protein Oats

One of my favourite ever treats is carrot cake, so I thought, why not spruce up my everyday oats for a change with my favourite flavours? Now, I’m excited to eat oats in the mornings and I no longer find them boring. Porridge is a vehicle for taste and begs to be experimented with. This warm, spicy breakfast idea is packed full of protein, fibre, omega 3 and believe it or not it’s even one of your five-a-day! I have masked the hidden vegetables that go into making this dish, however don’t knock it until you’ve tried it! I promise, you’ll never go back to plain old oats.

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Coconut curry

Have you ever experienced one of those days of miserable weather where all that could make you happy is cosying up in front of the TV with a comforting meal, listening to the drumming of rain outside? Well, that’s how this curry came to be, and little did I know that on this day, I would have a stroke of genius and create the most insanely tasty curry I’ve ever had. This beautiful concoction consists of a list of ingredients that will warm the soul… as well as your tummy. So, if you’re craving something warming or you simply love curry, here is my very own creation, and I know you’ll love it.

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Healthier snacking

I absolutely love food and not-surprisingly I treat myself to something sweet every single day. In the past I would reasearch diets for losing weight in all the wrong places and found them all to be incredibly restrictive and unrealistic in the long-term. It has taken me years to adapt my palate and get away from overly processed foods to what I eat today. My diet is made up of fresh, whole and nutritious foods that help me to perform my best in the gym and every day. However, I’m all about moderation. There is no point in starving yourself of the foods you love because it will leave you unhappy and unsatisfied pretty quickly. My solution is to eat an ’80/20′ diet. That means that I eat well 80% of the time while enjoying chocolate, popcorn, bacon (the list goes on..) about 20% of the time. This type of diet has worked for me so far but I am constantly adapting and changing as I go. By not depriving myself of the foods I love I have been able to make this a complete lifestyle change, and I have compiled a list below of how I did it and what my favourite snacks are.

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Fancy-pants French Toast

I am 100% a breakfast person. There is a certain novelty to being able to have something savoury or sweet depending on how you feel. I have a massive sweet tooth and almost always crave the likes of pancakes and french toast, however I can be very short on time in the mornings so my recipes have got to be quick, simple and delicious.

But Ciara, you can’t be healthy and have french toast?? Of course you can! I definitely believe in moderation and not branding foods you love as “cheating” on your healthy lifestyle. If I want a donut, you better believe I’ll go out and buy a box. However, over the years I have taught myself to cook and bake from scratch at home, which cuts out a lot of the nasty additives found in shop-bought alternatives. Yes, I am naturally one who will pick up a banana rather than a snickers bar, and who craves porridge rather than sugary cereal in the mornings. However, this has been a change that has happened gradually as I experimented with my diet and found the foods that fuel me for the day and noticeably make me feel better. So, when you have this moderation in your diet, there is always room for french toast.

But enough of that, here is the recipe..

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Easy-Peasy Cleantella

I’ve always been a chocolate lover, something about the indulgency and creaminess that I can’t get enough of. I will often eat myself sick with the stuff, but that hasn’t stopped me. However, as I’ve learned more about nutrition and how to best look after myself through my diet, I quickly realised my chocolate habits would have to change. Of course, giving it up wasn’t an option so instead I have switched my milk chocolate for a new love of dark chocolate, and the all famous nutella for a friendlier version after being introduced to the concept of cleantella in a café a few months back.

I promise, i’m not here to say “never eat nutella again!” but honestly, this took minimal time and effort to make and tastes as good as the ‘real’ stuff! So, here’s how I made it..

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