My vegan-inspired Acai Berry Smoothie Bowl, aka The Kim

When my best friend went vegan a while back I'm ashamed to admit that my reaction was a teeny tiny bit *rolls eyes* at first. What the actual heck was she going to eat now? Twigs? Some half-decomposed apple from a tree, perhaps?

It goes to show how embarrassingly little I knew about the vegan lifestyle. Over the past couple of months I've had the luxury of hanging out with my best one loads... just dreamy given the fact that we live four ferocious hours apart. All the more dreamy thanks to her insistence on feeding me at every single opportunity.

Ready Steady Glow by Madeleine Shaw Review

Is it just me or does everyone become off-the-richter-scale excited when they get a new cookbook? Because when Madeleine Shaw's Ready, Steady, Glow landed on my desk I may have given the book a little hug. (I definitely did.)

I could pour over new recipes all day long and Madeleine doesn't do just any old recipes... Hers are delicious and healthy. I learned this last year when I reviewed her first fabulous book Get The Glow and it turns out that new kid on the block Ready, Steady, Glow is just as awesome. Behold...

If you're not on the bandwagon yet, Madeleine advocates a nutritious diet packed with lovely gems to get you looking and feeling your best. She shares meal plans, recipes to fit your schedule and her fave yoga moves in Ready, Steady, Glow, as well a food philosophy which I LOVE! It's all about a flexible approach with just a few golden rules, like embracing good fats and not depriving yourself of anything. "Focus on crowding in, not cutting out," she says while wearing a red wrap dress of dreams. 

I'll be chowing my way through the entire book in no time but thought I'd sample of couple of recipes here to coincide with the April release date.

Buckwheat, chia + coconut granola

Thanks to my inability to pass a whole food shop without buying something, our kitchen cupboards are heaving. The other day a packet of raw buckwheat groats fell out on top of me and their message was clear.

Now you've bought buckwheat flour you are leaving us out! We're great too... Sigh. #leftout.

Feeling a bit guilty - and weirded out that the buckwheat was talking to me - I decided to use up some of the half-empty packets.



I've been wanting to try a homemade granola for a while now, so this seemed like the perfect chance. Using the Hemsley's Buckwheat Crunch and My New Roots' Banana Bread Granola for inspo, I came up with this Buckwheat and Coconut Granola.

Ginger & Banana Best Ever Porridge Recipe

Sipping green juice, running off all that festive food, swapping prosecco for an 'invigorating' sparkling water... January can be a total basic b.

We need all the help we can get to make this month brilliant and I* think I've found the perfect way to kickstart the day. *I actually mean my mumsy, from whom I have shamelessly stolen this recipe.

We've been munching warming, nourishing porridge on these chilly winter mornings and ooooosh, does it taste good. Normally I spoon a load of jam on my porridge and have done with it. Ok, jam and milk. Ok, jam and cream. But when Mumma whipped up this incredible breakfast I was converted.

Berry buckwheat porridge: Recipe

Brilliant breakfast alert! This porridge, using buckwheat groats instead of the usual rolled oats, is perfect if you're looking for something a bit more substantial than a smoothie to start your day.

I found a recipe for raspberry ripple porridge on the wonderful My New Roots.  The following recipe has a couple of tweaks, mostly because of what I had in the cupboard, and it's so creamy and delicious!

There's an amazing zing from the raspberry puree topping, a lovely warmth from the vanilla pod and a boost of sweetness from the maple syrup. Basically, YUM.

5 dairy-free super smoothies to drink this week

Juices are all that. Like the new girl who starts in sixth form and suddenly all. the. boys. 

Well move over newbie… The smoothie is back. (At least, it is in my house). I've been rediscovering this breakfast treat thanks to the shiny new blender I got for Christmas, which I love a bit too much. 

I'm currently cutting down on dairy so I've been trying out combinations with coconut water instead of milk, though you can use actual water if you want. I'm also throwing in more veg than fruit because sugar's such a drama queen. 

Turns out smoothies are a quick, easy breakfast and a great way to take on a shit ton of nutrients at the start of the day. You're welcome, body!

Here are my five current favourites.

Celebrity breakfast inspo: Juicing, honey!

I once found myself sitting opposite a rather famous American celebrity in the very polished surroundings of London's May Fair Hotel.

I was interviewing her for a magazine and she was working to a tight schedule, so we agreed to combine our chat with breakfast at her hotel. Two birds, one stone.

The menu looked delicious, but my date didn't need to see it.

Actually, she barely needed to look at the waiter... her fabulousness infused the air with 'I'm ready to order' signals which brought him bustling over telepathically.

"I'll have an egg white omelette," she began, before listing ALL the things which simply could not mar her breakfast. Butter, a calorie, flavour (probably).

My breakfast of old. Nuh-uh honey. 

Breakfast arrived. Mine comprised of a full fat latte resplendent with a slab of chocolate on the side. Hers, a black coffee and a pile of white goo on a plate.

I devoured the chocolate in one go, hoping she wouldn't see. No such luck.

"Honey, that's not a breakfast," she said, eyeing my dirty British eating habits with disdain.

I should point out that this woman had made a name for herself as a dancer. So, a famous American dancer. Therefore, TOTALLY in to eating well.

"Oh. Right," I stumbled. "How should I get myself in to peak condition, then?"

"Honey," I'm assuming this was a term of endearment and not an advocation of the sweet, sticky stuff. "Honey, you gotta eat less and work out more. You gotta eat clean."

What I like to munch now. 

My new Stateside bessie was right. After gabbing about her life for way longer than we were meant to, I left the hotel feeling inspired to super charge my breakfasts.

I'm never hungry first thing, but I am thirsty, and recently the wonders at SaVse sent some juices to try. "Drink your greens" they told me.

SaVse smoothies are jam-packed with goodness. 

Pretty colours, happy breakfast. 

OK! I've been necking one each morning this week and I'm hooked.

I love their strawberry, orange, celery, kale, broccoli and spinach smoothie. Refreshing, filling and full of vitamin C make it a win win.

The broccoli, pear, spinach, kale, kiwi, lemon and banana is another favourite. It tastes delish and is the colour green. My fave model EVER Rosie Huntington-Whiteley likes a green juice and she always looks ridiculous.

Strawberry goodness. Don't mind if I do!

My least favourite is the beetroot, apple, avocado, lime, mango and lemon flavour, which was just a bit too beetrootry (a word?) for my morning tastebuds.

That didn't stop me drinking the whole thing and feeling all kinds of virtuous afterwards, though.

Going...

These beauties are cold pressed which, if you're into science, means none of the flavour and nutrients are lost through heat treatments.

SaVse raw smoothies have no added sugar and count as two of your five a day, so stars like Michelle Keegan and Pixie Lott are big fans.

Plus my American dancer friend would totally approve, honey.