Thursday 11 January 2018

Low-carb January - 11 days in

Recipe of the week...
...Breakfast Muffins

Ingredients: 200g spinach leaves (from fresh or frozen), 6 large eggs, 100-150g cheddar cheese, a pack of Quorn Spinach and Red Pepper Slices, and butter/marg for greasing

Time taken: 25 mins prep and 25 mins in the oven

Serves: Approx. 10 muffins


Hi readers,

How are you all today? Are you well, and getting on okay back at work? Surviving the January Blues, if you’ve come down with them? And whatever cold / flu you probably have, on top?

Hang in there, readers! That’s my main message in this post today. If you’re ill, if you’re dieting, if you’re sick of it being cold and dark, if you’re going through a break up or divorce (as it would seem most people are), if you’re eleven days into the new year and already fed up of your job / house / prospects… FEAR NOT.

Chill the F out, readers. There’s plenty of time for things to turn around. Just think – 354 days of 2018 to go! Who knows what could happen in that time! For sure, it won’t stay cold and dark for the entirety (though, maybe the majority). It’s unlikely you’ll feel ill on all of those days. The diet will break / work before you know it. And so on.

Plus, I have some GLORIOUS tips for those of you in the break up / divorce team, for how to engineer human contact. What do I mean? What does she mean??

Well. You know when you become single, readers, have you noticed how you stop making contact with other humans? You see humans, probably every day. Same as before. But you just never touch them. And nobody touches you. Like – all those humans could actually be holograms and you wouldn’t know.

It’s saddening. SO I’ve been brainstorming the rare instances in which I do actually make contact with other humans (please see below) and I’m thinking, if you’re feeling down about things, maybe it might cheer you up to sort of engineer one of these to happen? Human contact! Works wonders for the single soul, I hear.  

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Here we have it...

Ten instances of human contact for the single person (read: me) 

  • If I accidentally bump into someone or someone accidentally bumps into me 

  • If someone is handing me something and our hands brush

  • The occasional handshake in a work meeting

  • If I'm holding a baby or holding a child's hand near a road 

  • If I'm sat very close to someone (e.g. theatre, public transport, footy game) and our sides are touching

  • If I'm stepping up or down, or crossing a river? And a friend lends me a hand for safety

  • If my yoga teacher is helping me correct a pose

  • If I fall over in the street or in a nightclub and someone hoists me back up again

  • If we line up for a night out pic at pre-drinks and my friends put their arms round me

  • If a friend or relative gets drunk or emotional and hugs me (or vice versa, if I'm drunk/emotional and hug them)

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See! I bet there were a few in there you hadn’t thought of. I hope this comes in handy, readers, and you’re feeling better soon. Just think – this summer you’re going to be spending the money you would have spent on their birthday present, on fruity cocktails instead. To sip by the sea somewhere exotic. You’re winning, right? YES YOU ARE… you’re winning!

And it will feel like it very soon, I promise.

Also – in the spirit of cheering you up, if needed – I have a recipe of the week for you, readers! This one came recommended to me by one of the besties, who has been following my progress with low-carb eating in January and recommended me a recipe that she herself has been using for a spot of healthy January eating, as you do.



This recipe, readers, is for Breakfast Muffins. And really – there’s not much of a recipe to it! As you’ll see shortly, these muffins are very easy to prepare, in just a few simple steps. And you can chuck anything in them that you like really – there’s no need to stick with the ingredients I’ve used in my muffins. Free style to your heart’s desire!

I was only using Quorn Spinach and Red Pepper Slices because I found them on offer in the shop. Although they're very tasty - so I do recommend! Here’s a vague idea of the recipe in just ten simple steps…

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Recipe: Breakfast Muffins

Ingredients: 200g spinach leaves (from fresh or frozen), 6 large eggs, 100-150g cheddar cheese, a pack of Quorn Spinach and Red Pepper Slices, and butter/marg for greasing

1.     To start off, you need to prep your ingredients. I did this the night before to maximise my time in bed in the morning, but you could sprint out of bed and sort this in the morning no problem.

2.     First off, begin by finding a pan with a lid and heating it over a low temperature. Fill the pan with spinach leaves (just leaves - no water required), then keep checking back every few minutes to stir the leaves around and add more to the pan, as the leaves begin to wilt and reduce in size.

3.     While your spinach is wilting, grate your cheddar cheese and dice your slices of Quorn into small pieces.

4.     Once all your spinach has wilted, drain in a colander and then press between squares of kitchen roll, to remove moisture from the spinach – so you don’t end up with soggy muffins!

ChefBeHere Top Tip: If you’ve begun prepping the night before, you can leave it here. Store your cheese, Quorn and spinach in the fridge overnight, and pick this up in the morning.

5.     Next, heat your oven to 200C and get out a large mixing bowl.

6.     Crack six large eggs into the bowl and season with salt and pepper.

7.     Add your cheese, wilted spinach and Quorn to the bowl, and give everything a good stir together.

8.     Grease the holes of a muffin tray with butter or marg, and then spoon your eggy mix into the holes, filling them almost to the top.

ChefBeHere Top Tip: I filled ten muffins holes, but your mix might make more or less depending on how much you’ve made. Don’t fret! Just keep filling almost to the top.

9.     Carefully transport your tray into the oven, and leave the muffins to bake for around 25 minutes.

10.  Once your muffins are golden brown on top and firm to touch, you can safely remove them from the oven and switch this off. Your muffins should easily come out of their holes in the tray – leave to cool for a few minutes and then you can tuck in!

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What do you think, readers? Are you tempted by this recipe? Have you made similar breakfast muffins before? I must say – I have never tried anything of the kind, didn’t know this was a thing! And I’ve always been on the fence about whether or not I like egg and cheese paired together.

But, readers, these muffins came out well and they taste so good! I’m over the moon with them! Honestly, it’s been a good thing I’ve not been working from home today or I fear I would have snacked my way through the lot. I can confirm they can be eaten warm or cold, tasting just as good cold as warm, as there has been SOME snacking since I got home.



I originally made these muffins for breakfast this morning, before setting off to work, and they put me in such a good mood today! A warm, filling, tasty, low-carb breakfast – the dream! And a break from the monotony of yoghurt, seeds and berries, which has been my staple low-carb breakfast for ten or more days now. Far too long.

I shall be saying a BIG thank you to my friend when I see her this weekend, for recommending the recipe, and I’ll definitely be making these breakfast muffins again soon! How about you, readers? Do you think you might give these a go? Let me know what you think – I’m interested to see whether everyone raves about them as much as me! I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Until next time, readers. Take care.

And wilt safely,


Hayley





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