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Watercress is the new Kale & 2 green smoothie recipes

January 17, 2015 by ellied

Why you need watercress in your life.

It seemed Kale was the reigning champ of the health food world in 2014, but move over, there’s a new superfood in the spotlight. It may not be printed on a sweater spread across Beyoncé’s chest (see here and here), but watercress sure is pretty impressive in terms of nutritional value.

Rich in an array of vitamins and minerals, including vitamins K, A, C, B, watercress has more iron than spinach, more calcium than milk and as much vitamin C as an orange. Rich in fibre, with anti-inflammatory properties, it can successfully aid digestive function and is essential for overall blood and liver health. The vitamins A and C help to keep skin soft and smooth, whilst also providing healthy hair and strong nails.

The unique mustard oil found in the plant, gives watercress a slight peppery flavour which makes it great in soups, salads and a lovely accompany for fish/meat/roasted veg. However, adding watercress to smoothies makes an easy way to obtain all of the nutrients in a discrete way.

Below, I’ve posted two green smoothie recipes; one very green smoothie and another creamy green smoothie.

#1 – A Very Green Smoothie

Refreshing, hydrating and easy to digest, this smoothie is an extremely energising as part of your breakfast in the morning or a great snack to keep you going throughout the day.

Yields 1 (or 2 smaller)

1 cup water
1 tsp coconut oil (I like Biona)
A large handful(s) of spinach
A handful of watercress
The juice of 1/2 a lemon
Chunk of fresh ginger, finely chopped
1/4 avocado
1/2 stick of celery
1/4 large cucumber
1 green apple
1/2 frozen mango
Optional – greens powder (spirulina, chlorella, wheatgrass etc)

#2 – The Creamy Green Smoothie

If you’re new to green smoothies, I suggest you try this one. The avocado and frozen banana and hint of mango give an extremely creamy and naturally sweet taste and texture, making it feel like a treat rather than a mysterious, grassy concoction. As an alternative to the mango, you could also try another fruit like nectarine or peach. I’ve use almond milk here, however other nut milks taste gorgeous – particularly cashew or brazil nut milks!

1 cup almond milk (I use homemade)
Large handful(s) spinach
1 very ripe, frozen banana
1/4-1/2 mango, frozen
Juice of 1/2 a lime
1 tsp chia seeds

Bold Stripes

January 11, 2015 by ellied

I don’t know what it is about this dress that makes me feel like I belong in the Sound of Music, but I love the Sound of Music so I can roll with that. I think it has something to do with the bold inset stripes around the collar that mirror the iconic uniforms of the von Trapp children, whilst the flouncy, slightly dipped hem skirt makes me want to spin uncontrollable like Maria von Trapp in the hills. However, I’m not a optimistic as Maria and I’ll spare you my rendition of The Hills are Alive.

Hanging unaccompanied on a rack in H&M, I thought it was best I gave this gorgeous dress a loving home. I had spotted a similar dress earlier on in the year whilst browsing the J Crew website (link above) and so was thrilled when I found this almost identical tunic. The sleek fit of the dress makes the drape comfortable and gives a slightly over-sized look, whilst the cut also fits the figure well. I look forward to wearing this in the summer, when I can finally ditch the Primark tights for a couple of months and take complete advantage of this full and floaty skirt. I have paired it with my beloved leather jacket to toughen this look up a bit and had intended to capture more shots of the jacket but camera issues took over.

H&M dress (similar here)
ASOS jacket
TOPSHOP shoes

I just wanted to briefly mention that I’m going to try to update the blog as regularly as possible, but at the moment school/Saturday job/lack of sunlight life seem to be getting in the way. I have a lot of ideas for recipe posts and other blog content whirling around in my head that I just put my words into action and get into swing of things!

Rouge

January 2, 2015 by ellied

TOPSHOP ribbed crop top
ASOS skirt
NEW BALANCE 410 trainers
GAP coat
TOPSHOP earrings

A bit of quick and impromptu post abusing the back door step. Apologies for the bad quality photos, they were taken on my phone.

Day 2 of January 2015, and as you may have read in my previous post, my efforts to add a little brightness into my wardrobe seem to be going well. It may be a little eager to feature a red outfit immediately following my last red-inspired post, but I was feeling eager wear some rouge. I’m enjoying the red lip and red top combo a lot at the moment – which reinforces why red such a great colour; a matching green lip and jumper wouldn’t quite be the same now would it.

I like this ASOS skirt as the front split is an alternative to the usual side-split skirts, and since I don’t really like wearing tight body-con style skirts, this is a different, cool option for a midi. I wore my New Balance as it was an easy errand-running kind of day, also deciding to brave the weather and not wear tights – I was surprisingly not very cold.

The ribbed crop top is really soft and great for this time of year as it feels like a thin jumper, and easy for layering under coats or blazers. It was a Topshop sale find that I actually borrowed from my younger sister, although I saw it in the shop first *rolls eyes*. After a lot of experience, I think I have established that the best time to ask her to borrow clothes is in the mornings, when she’s half unconscious in bed and will mumble ‘yeah’ just get me out of the room. As we get older we’re both slowly started to accept the fact that it’s better to lend each other clothes. It’s a bit like having a double wardrobe, accept for the fact I have probably invested in double the amount of clothes as her, and so it isn’t much of a fair deal on my half. I have also found that sisters are also incredibly useful for purchasing things that you don’t want to spend the money on yourself. For example, the other day, I saw a black jumpsuit in H&M and as lovely as it was, I couldn’t quite justify getting it as I had bought another black jumpsuit about a week before. The simple solution? Make your sister try it on, persuade her it looks great (which it did) so that she buys it herself, and then just borrow hers when you fancy another black playsuit option. What are sister for ey?

New Year Inspiration

January 1, 2015 by ellied

c4672acb3fabf4294093ce7772025209 Caroline Issa

Since it’s the time for change, I’ve set myself a little resolution that I think I can manage this year. I’m going to take the very, very brave step in adding more colour into my wardrobe. Nothing too scary right? As much as the minimal approach to dressing is simple and classic, I’m having colour withdrawals and seeing as it’s the new year there’s no better time to re-evaluate my wardrobe choices. I don’t think I can quite justify putting on a red lip as the only means of brightening my monochrome outfits any more. I made a vow to myself at the start of December that I wasn’t allowed to purchase any item of clothing in the colour black, however, every piece I had bought since making the statement was in either black or white. So, instead I’m starting now.

I received the Refinery 29 ‘Style Stalking’ book for Christmas this year and on opening the first couple of pages, I was immediately met with a word that has subconsciously faded from my vocabulary – Brights. Don’t get me wrong, I love colour but there seems to be a compete lack of it on my rail. At first glance, I quickly flicked through the images of bold blue two pieces, vibrant winter coats and neon midi skirts spread across the opening pages. Hm, they look great, I thought, but just not very…me? Then I saw the Q&A section with Solange Knowles, the glowing goddess of colourful dressing, who said “sometimes looking like a Crayola box is more fun” and I think it’s time I took the advice of this fabulous lady. Speaking of the which, can I just mention the fact that I have still not quite fully recovered from the photographs from her wedding day. Ultimate goals.

Browsing through bright street style images on Pinterest, I noticed one colour that really stood out for me. I have always loved the colour red, and I don’t know if it’s because of the festive time of year but I think it’s one colour that just looks fantastic and gorgeous on anyone. Move over “All White Everything”, it’s all about those All Red outfits now.

I have featured below a few of red looks that are particularly inspiring. I love the red ensemble worn by Pandora Sykes, which looks great paired with a contrasting leopard print clutch. The eye catching two-piece suits also look great, a versatile addition to the wardrobe for an easy daytime look or a formal evening garment. As always, Leandra gets it right with the split mini, lace and monochrome brogues – which I would definitely work for a laid back, yet stunning, option for a prom or event. I ~~want~~ need those shoes in my life.

Happy 2015, I hope you all had wonderful NYE celebrations and have a healthy, happy (and bright) year ahead.

18a4de87127090a9d37731db9778a588 Leandra Medine – The Man Repeller

360cde95166f03b906d236451c60e38e Image via WhoWhatWear

37587df1d3e5a3678f30243884c028f5 Alexa Chung

Caroline Issa

Pandora Sykes

ba82d9c3ea0f678af58b84c93c80bcad Poppy Delevingne

Gary Pepper Girl

Leandra Medine – Man Repeller

via Vogue

Knee highs

December 28, 2014 by ellied

UNIQLO jumper
ALL SAINTS skirt
H&M socks and bracelet
TOPSHOP boots

Having been absent from my life since about Year Nine, over-the-knee socks have made a very warm welcome back into my life and my chest of draws. I feel like I’m channelling my inner Britney ~ Hit Me Baby One More Time ~ swapping the polyester grey school skirt, for a little chic-er leather All Saints mini. Someone pass the pink fluffy scrunchies.

Deck the halls

December 19, 2014 by ellied

I’ve finally finished sixth form for the Christmas after a very long term, so I thought a slightly festive post to due to mark the start of the holiday. Messing around with the camera, I’ve taken a few photos of some of the decorations up in my house over the Christmas period. Our tree is a mismatch of various decorations collected over the years and I especially love the delicate glass baubles, which seemed to have decreased in number over the year, due to my clumsy self. It wouldn’t be Christmas without a bunch of bright red ilex sitting on the mantle piece and they’re something my mum had bought year upon year for as long as I can remember. Whilst it’s not exactly a Christmas decoration, the gorgeous yellow drinks trolley, recently made by my Dad, is definitely a necessity over the holidays.

Winter whites

December 7, 2014 by ellied

A very cosy Sunday attire for the start of some festivities, wearing winter whites (actually both garments are cream but we can pretend). The Christmas tree was bought and decorated in our usual mismatched fashion, with a ton of Christmas songs on full volume, competing with the rowdy bickering of four siblings; not evening a Christmas tree will prevent arguments. I felt very snuggly thanks to this lovely All Saints knit, a perfect addition to my wardrobe (which is quite limited in the knitwear department) and so this one is definitely a perfect addition and will be great for layering this season. I was kindly invited to the All Saints December look book event on Tuesday evening which was lots of fun and I got to try on lots of lovely pieces from the new collection – the ‘Rox blazer’ being a particular favourite. The sleek black silhouettes and intricate beaded dresses were definitely getting me excited for the Christmas party season, but for now it’s Nikes and knits only.

ALL SAINTS jumper
TOPSHOP jumpsuit (similar)
MALENE BIRGER Jacket (from this really unknown little shop called my mum’s wardrobe)
NIKE air max Thea

Black and blue

November 30, 2014 by ellied

BACKROOM jacket
UNIQLO jumper
H&M trousers (similar)
ASOS shoes (similar)

A very navy and black themed outfit today, styling this great sleeveless jacket from lovely people at Backroom. Certain I’d miss coat sleeves, paired with this thick wool Uniqlo turtleneck, I was actually pretty cosy on this chilly last Sunday of November (where has the year gone?!). I love how easy and versatile this sleeveless coat is – which would also be ideal thrown over an easy dress for an evening out, or paired with some skinny jeans and a pair of chunky boots for an very effortless look. I don’t know if I went a teeny bit overboard with the co-ordination but I liked the matching of the jacket’s navy panels and the trousers, and of course, went for a faux pony skin bag and pointy loafer combo too. My love for pointy shoes is continuously growing and I was super excited waiting for these beauties to arrive – probably the last purchase I’ll be making on myself for the rest of the year as Christmas shopping and saving for next summer is key right now. Attempting to fight the urge to make a purchase with Asos’ 20% off promotion…who’s with me?

Spiced butternut squash, carrot + cauliflower soup

November 18, 2014 by ellied

DSC_6636-2 Winter means one thing – soup season. There is nothing more satisfying than a big bowl of soup for tackling those cold, dark nights, but put away those tin openers (sorry Heinz) and get chopping some fresh produce for a nutrient rich, hearty version. Making your own soup is soup-er easy [hangs head in shame] and can be whipped up quickly in the evenings or even be left to cook slowly for a few hours on a low, low heat. Butternut squash is packed with vitamins, which along with the carrots and fresh ginger (and basically every ingredient in the soup) can boost your immune system to help prevents colds over the chilly winter months.

DSC_6629-2

Spiced Butternut squash, carrot and cauliflower soup
Makes 3.5 Litres / Serves about 6 or more

Ingredients
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 onion
3 garlic gloves
2 celery sticks
4 carrots
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp turmeric
1.2 tsp sweet paprika
1/2-1 tsp cinnamon
Pinch nutmeg
Asmall chunk of fresh ginger
1 large butternut squash, chopped into small cubes
1/2 a large cauliflower, cut into small pieces
1 cup red split lentils, rinsed
2 litres of organic vegetable stock/boullion
Sea salt + pepper
Fresh rosemary

Finely chop the onions, ginger, celery and carrots, and prepare the rest of the veg. In a large pot, fry the onion and garlic in coconut oil until brown, add the carrots and celery and fry for a couple of minutes. Combine the spices to the pot, rinse and add the lentils, cubed butternut squash, cauliflower and stock, and then cook for about an hour on a low-medium heat. As I said before, you can also keep this cooking for longer on a low heat, until you’re ready to blend. Turn off the heat and pour the soup mixture in batches into a blender, and blitz until soup-y. If you like, you can also keep a small portion of the original mixture and then add it to the blended soup to leave some lumps. Transfer the soup back into the original pot and season with more sea salt/pepper and fresh rosemary. I love to top my soup with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of cayenne pepper, black pepper and black sesame seeds.

When I made this soup, I hadn’t intended to make quite as much as I did and so this recipe yields a massive pot. Feel free to adjust the ingredients to suit your quantities, or alternatively, you could make a big batch and freeze in portions to use throughout the month for a quick lunch/dinner fix.

love, Ellie.

Hold on to your hats

November 8, 2014 by ellied

MANGO coat, H&M hat, jeans and necklace, TOPSHOP boots, WHISTLES bag

I’ve never been much of a hat person, I just don’t seem to have the right face shape – I’d like to thank the chipmunk cheeks I was blessed with as a baby that have not seemed to disappear with age. Nevertheless, I was very much drawn to this wool hat in H&M and was pleasantly surprised with the fit (and the price tag). I quite like the very interesting, structured style of the hat’s crown and how it differs from the typical fedora styles. When trying to shoot this outfit, however, the forceful winds today seemed to be attempting to blow it off my head. A sign that hats are definitely not for me? Perhaps so, but a gal can experiment.

On the topic of unexpected buys, I picked up this Whistles clutch in the sale for a ridiculous £25 (!!!) thank you sale prices plus ELLE’s £20 off voucher the other week. Pink’s not a colour I would have ordinarily opted for – black or white would of course be my go-to colour – however, this shade of pink is so gorgeous I couldn’t resist. I have become partial to carry clutch bags recently rather than an actual handbag when I don’t have to; phone, keys, cherry Carmex, money – done. I think I’m so sick of being a crazy bag lady at school, with my school bags, canvas tote for sketchbooks, as well as various other carrier bags, that I try and stick to an easy clutch on weekends.