Note: Posting this a few days later than I expected, but hopefully still relevant!
The tell-tale gold wrappers, fake grass and sticky fingerprints may still be around, but most of us are probably glad to see the back of the secular side of Easter. It has been weeks of indulging in hot cross buns, bright yellow Peeps, giant, over-priced choccie eggs and various fat and sugar-laden confections. And that is just the adults.
I used to adore Easter. We were pretty religious so Easter was mainly spent in church from sunrise until almost lunchtime. The passing hours on hard seats, variously genuflecting and standing in 80F + heat, had us kids deliriously day-dreaming about the Easter baskets waiting for us at home. The sermons and lessons might have been enthralling (we had a fantastic priest) but goodness me it was a long stretch for the fidgety amongst us.
Many Brits will be unfamiliar with this ritual but, for American children of my vintage era, the delicious pain of this deferred gratification was all the sweeter when, as soon as you burst through your front door you literally dove into your giant straw basket filled with hay and sweets and didn’t stop eating until you were called for lunch. I shudder to think how many calories we consumed in that one day but somehow, as most of us were skinny 70s kids with energy to spare, we used it up and were seemingly none the worse for it. The next day the basket was empty (with a little help from parents, obviously) and for me it was back to grilled cheese and dill pickles (my fave meal as an 8 year-old). There was none of this 30-day sugar-fest that seems the norm today. Maybe I am seeing this with the proverbial rose-tinted glasses but I really don’t think we had anything approaching the current level of excess that now surrounds us; due to our primitive programming most of us are pretty powerless to escape its sticky, gratuitous grasp.
Although I don’t go in for all the chocolate and hot cross bun stuff, I have been overdoing it on the dining out and wining out. So don’t think this post is aimed at you. This post is aimed squarely at me, and is a public reminder to myself to eat more mindfully and respect my body a bit more. Even just one day of ditching my green things and healthy juices and smoothies and I feel it. So, after a full week (and a bit) of nibbling and sipping with fairly wild abandon I am back on the proverbial wagon. I am making a public vow to cut out the white carbs, the empty calories (goodbye Prosecco, it was great while it lasted), the cheese board and everything else that is making me at this very moment feel like I should never eat again. Which is silly. I just need to eat the way I know feels right for me.
To get me back on track I have had a wee nosey around some delicious and health-oriented blogs to inspire me; I know they will inspire you too. I have also revisited some of my older posts and been surprised at some of the tasty recipes I have forgotten about over the years (a bit of a hazard of recipe development). I’m sharing those too.
Although I will be looking forward to trying many of these recipes, for this week I am doing the fantastic and blooming’ hard challenge, Living Below The Line. For five days this week I will be living on just £1 a day in aid of the Health Poverty Action charity. Other charities are participating but I choose HPA because 96p in every pound they receive goes straight to programmes that help the most marginalised communities in Africa, Asia and Latin America. I will be checking in with you to tell you how I am getting on (probably quite badly as I am very spoiled!), the rationale behind this kind of challenge, and hoping that you will donate and/or participate yourself when the more public challenge begins in May. Here is where you can donate (and up my little fundraiser thermometer!), and here is more information on how you can get involved and maybe challenge yourself. Thanks to all who have donated so far!!
I’m #LivingBelowTheLine for Health Poverty Action. Please donate if you can. Thanks!
I know what to eat, you know what to eat. So let’s just do it, shall we?
Quinoa Bowl with Citrus, Avocado & Edamame – Food to Glow
Pad Thai Crepes (Open-Faced Omelettes) – Food to Glow
Brunch Frittata with Chimichurri – Whole Nourishment
Aubergine “Meatballs” – Deena Kakaya
Spicy Cauliflower-Cashew Bites with Buffalo Sauce – Food to Glow
Loaded Cauliflower Couscous Salad with Roasted Turmeric Chickpeas – Food to Glow
Tunisian Chickpea & Vegetable Tagine – Food to Glow
Pico de Gallo – Veggie Desserts
Super Duper Raw Power Salad – The Spicy RD
Mexican Sweet Potato & Puy Lentil Mole – Tinned Tomatoes
Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes Stuffed with Spiced Chickpeas – Natural Kitchen Adventures
Tempeh Reuben Bowls – The Muffin Myth
and, an image accidentally got left out, but I have to try Dannii’s Guac-Kale-Mole. Don’t you love the name?
Love Your Greens Soup – Food to Glow
Coconut & Lemongrass Tofu Soup – Food to Glow
Green Passion Smoothie – Food to Glow
Peach Matcha Smoothie – Recipes from a Pantry
Happy Tummy Tonic – Food to Glow
Apple, Avocado & Mint Smoothie – Tinned Tomatoes (a bit hidden in the image)
Wild Garlic Soup – Demuth’s (a bit hidden in the image)
Vegetarian Hot & Sour Soup – Smarter Fitter
Lavender and Mint Tea – The Spicy RD
Blood Orange & Berry Smoothie – Food to Glow
(Green &) Black Forest Smoothie – Food to Glow
Kale & Asparagus Asian Broth with Spelt – Amuse Your Bouche
and a little extra that I/you can’t miss Wild Garlic & Farro Soup from Bintu at Recipes From A Pantry
Wild Garlic & Farro Soup from Recipes From A Pantry
This is the first time I’ve done a post like this, with collages and loads of links. It’s not perfect, but I hope you like it and click on a few of my friends’ recipes, and look around their sites for even more inspiration.
HAPPY MONDAY!! Now, I’m off to scoff a bowl of plain, water-only porridge for my £1 a day challenge lunch! I had an egg and some homegrown kale for breakfast, which filled me up to a point. I think I’m hungrier than usual because I know I shouldn’t have anything out of my budget! I’m cheating by going to a wedding later today, and I’ll get my dinner (I can’t very well turn that down, can I?), but I’m back on it tomorrow. I’ll be posting my thoughts and menus over on Facebook and on Instagram if you want to follow me there. Wish me luck. 🙂
Wow that’s amazing that you’re doing the Live below the line challenge! I am too, but in Australia we’re doing it at the beginning of May!
Good luck, you CAN do it! That’s an amazing challenge and powerful message that you are sharing x
Léa
http://www.savourelavie.com
The Health Poverty Action looks like a really great cause
That’s really admirable and a great message as Lea says to participate in this challenge. It also raises an important point that we can eat well on a budget. Natural super foods are in our produce department and whole grain and bean packages. And thanks for sharing my frittata, Kellie. What an honor to be in your lineup. All of these other dishes look amazing!
Thank you, Kellie! Awesome veggie recipes and important cause. I’m very spoiled with an abundance of healthy food, too. Great reminder that not everybody is able to live the same way.
Take care,
Nora @ The Healthy Haus
http://www.thehealthyhaus.com
I didn’t do anything for Easter!, but I’m so excited to try the kale guac!
Thanks for including my spiced potatoes Kellie – and so thrilled to hear you are doing the live below the challenge this year. I’ll be doing it again – but during the official week for Action Against Hunger later this month. Very intrigued to hear what you’ll be doing with that very slim budget. Its blinking tough x
Wow, good luck!!! A lovely post, I love reading about your childhood Easter memories, an amazing collection of recipes, and a great cause x
Great story at the start of this post, Kellie, I loved hearing about your childhood. And what a wonderful collection of recipes! Thank you so much for sharing xo
Girl, I hear you. Paris this past weekend, Easter the weekend before that, I am full to the brim with cheese, wine, chocolate, baguettes, etcetera. We got home late last night and had an easy dinner (soup from the freezer, grilled cheese, and pickles!) and now it’s time for a major reset. Thanks for sharing so many fabulous recipes here, I’ll definitely be digging into them this week!
I’ve just had a weekend away and after far too many meals out, I’m craving a big salad or something. Good luck with Live Below The Line, I did it a few years ago and it was definitely a challenge, but really worthwhile 🙂
Very inspiring collection of recipes
Great post!! This is exactly what I needed! Last week I skipped out on my breakfast smoothies and healthy meals because it always seems so much easier to grab the quicker/cheap option when you’re busy, which is usually unhealthy. Great cause, too. Glad I came across this!
xox Madison
Great post! This is exactly what I needed. Last week I skipped out on my breakfast smoothies and healthier meals because when you’re busy, it seems much easier to grab the quicker/unhealthier option. Glad I came across this post. Great cause, too!!
xoxo Madison
Great to hear from you, Madison. I hope some of these links help sort your breakfast and give you some ideas to make in your own way. And yes, a super cause.
WOW! What a great Round up and wish I could try each and every dish!
One day I’d like to try the living below the line challenge. One day. Good luck though!
So well done on committing to the challenge Kellie, what a worthy cause to raise awareness. I love the Easter over indulgence for the weeks leading up to it, then the day after, I can’t bear it! I have been cutting back since Easter and I’m feeling so much better for it.
Your mum would have loved your Easter reminiscence and the below the line philosophy – great post 🙂
Mr A
I’m very impressed Kellie. It would do my head in trying to work that out. It takes me just to work out our meals for the week and to actually make them never mind having to cook for £1 a day. Thanks for linking to me Kellie xx
So many good recipes, especially in the first half of the round up.
I am a firm believer that nutritious can be delicious! That being said, wonderful post with some great ideas/recipes on how to turn that healthy mean from drab to fab!