2015 = Fresh, Fit and Fabulous...

Ok, so I know everyone's aim right now is to get to the gym and kick off the year as a new improved versions of themselves, however we really do mean it!! US London Mice HAVE to mean business with just eight weeks until a Dubai trip to shift those indulgent Christmas pounds! With our break booked, we have the inspiration in place - now we just need to keep motivation up, calories down and gym training constant...no mean feat eh!?!

With the mornings and evenings still freezing cold and pitch black, the only way through is to make it every bit as enjoyable as we can and here's how we propose to do it...!

1. Dress to impress...

Admittedly unless you look like this...

...it's always going to be pretty difficult to look good with a day's make-up melting down your face and sweat patches growing by the second, however if we're going to kill ourselves by treadmill, we will look good doing it!! 

The go to place to kit yourself out? Net-a-Sporter. They have the very best Sport section which pretty much covers anything you desire from gym wear to Yoga, Sailing to Tennis...you name it they have it covered!! 

However for now I think we'll stick to gym wear only, see below for our current lust list...

Bodyism Printed Sports Bra, £50...

 

Adidas Originals and Mary Katrantzou Sweatshirt, £145...

 

 

Nike Vintage Cotton Joggers, £35...

 

 

Printed Reflective Nike Jersey Leggings, £90...

 

 

Bodyism Daisy Contour Sport Bra, £55...

 

 

Adidas Originals and Mary Katrantzou Track Jacket, £160...

 

Nike Zoom Fit Agility Mesh Sneakers, £100...

2. Spinning is out, Spiralizing is IN!

HK mouse posted about this craze last year and it's been top of my shopping list ever since. However, what with all the Christmas bustle, acquiring the kit somehow totally slipped my mind, until we ripped open our very own Spiralizer on Christmas Day!

With our tummies constantly rumbling after getting far too used to snacks every 15 minutes over the festive period, all we're craving at London Towers is comforting roast potatoes, cheese and pasta! So here's hoping our new spiralizer will quickly trick us into thinking courgettes are big steaming bowls of spaghetti!!! 

They look convincing enough to me...

I'm planning to get experimental this week so watch this space for some inspiralization my friends, however if you need help before then The Londoner has a beauty for you right here... 

*WARNING* if you're watching the calories DO NOT look!!

3. Be a Sunday sinner!

In the hope of transforming my body into a temple of health, I'm not going to kid myself into thinking I can cut everything enjoyable out! Therefore I've decided to follow all the rules Monday to Saturday (as much as humanly possible) and have Sunday as my cheat day! 

I'm not planning anything crazy but if I've been craving chocolate all week this is when I will allow it, but no binging! 

Other than that I will be busy sipping hot water and lemon, green juices, bathing in epsom salts, body brushing, munching on kale and drowning myself with all the water I'm drinking! WOW the fun I have ahead...!!

This Week The Mice Have Mostly Been...

OMG it's only the....

And we're freaking EXCITED!! In a mere matter of hours you can click 'shut down', exhale, grab a cocktail and bask in the blissful feeling of 48 hours of pure relaxation and FUN!! 

This weekend we're heading home to Daddy Mouse's for a couple of days filled with delicious food, an endless supply of wine (parents never seem to run out?!) and a few peaceful nights sleep in our childhood bedrooms...there seriously is nothing like it!

When we haven't been counting down the days, hours and minutes until the weekend...The Mice Have Mostly Been...

Battling on with our clean eating approach...the getting lean is still to be seen...I'm such a poet! Believe it or not our daily green juices are flowing, gym sessions and morning runs are being squeezed in and our brains are continually whirring coming up with healthy yet tasty dinners! 

It's no easy feat but we seem to be hating the early morning alarms a little less, resisting the slabs of banana loaf in Whole Foods and are teaching our tummies to love a juice breakfast and not rumble from 10am onwards! These days the hardest part is constantly trying to think of new and inventive dinner options...ones we can still look forward to all day but aren't so calorific that they negate all your other good work! 

So I think it's only fair to share those good ones we do find to give you all some inspiration! This one is very easy, open to lots of adaption of whatever is left in the fridge and bursting full of delicious flavour. It's not the most photogenic one for a post but I enjoyed it so much I thought what the hell!! 

Brown Rice Noodle Soup with Spicy Pork and Greens

Below makes 2 large servings - if you're going to eat soup for dinner I believe it should be a large serving!!

You need...

250g pork mince
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes / fresh chili
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon sesame oil
950ml chicken stock
1-2 handfuls of kale, center ribs removed and leaves roughly chopped
4 spring onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon fish sauce
Sea saly
Fresh ground pepper
120g noodles (wholemeal if you're being healthy!)

How to...

1. Place the pork, garlic, ginger, crushed chilies and cumin in a bowl. Use your hands to mix the ingredients.

2. Heat the sesame oil in a saucepan over a medium heat, when hot add the pork mixture. Cook for 8-10 minutes until lightly browned, stir gently so not to break up too much.

3. Add the chicken stock, bring it to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer for 10 mins.

4. Add the kale, spring onions, soy sauce and fish sauce, and cook for 6-8 mins until the greens are wilted. Season with salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.

5. Meanwhile cook the noodles...

6. Serve the noodles directly into your bowls and ladle the warm soup over them...ENJOY!!

Flying like billyo over to Selfridges to get our mitts on some much desired cinema tickets! Yup you heard it right...Selfridges have opened the first ever department store cinema and they've only gone and paired up with the fabulous Everyman group! 

We're loving that the opening bill of films have been picked by iconic fashion designers...what could be better after a stressful day in the office than settling down in chic surroundings to Marc Jacob's and Oscar De La Renta's favourite movies?!

As it's not just a pop up, the listing will be updated with a mix of all time favourites, new releases and even a preview screening of the new woody Allen film later this month!

Rumour has it you can also order nibbles and a sneaky tipple...PERFECTION!!!

 

Chilling to the amazing new album from Banks, Goddess. Now I know we've sung her praises numerous times before, but she really is something pretty special. With her hauntingly beautiful vocals, raw emotion and distinctive edge, she's the perfect mix of cool.

Listen to a couple of our new obsessions...

Right I think it's about time that you...

3BM Kitchen : Scrum Summer Supper...

Another weekend and another BBQ, officially now my favourite eating style! The smokey aroma, the laid back atmosphere with the background bustle often being laughter and the popping of champagne corks - heaven! 

We attended an extra special one a couple of weekends ago for our good friend Gemma to celebrate her 30th. Her husband banished her from the house and put together the most amazing party with a little help from family - beautiful flowers, blankets strewn across the lawn, pale pink and white paper poms poms, candle lit lanterns hidden in the flower beds and of course one hell of a feast! This is where we stole the inspiration for a recipe we cooked up this week - a summer pearl barley salad. 

Not something I have ever cooked before but has seriously opened my eyes as it is so deliciously moreish and surprisingly fresh - I vow to start using pearl barley and quinoa more often - keep your eyes peeled for evidence right here!!

With a poorly Middle Mouse on my hands I decided I would cook up a super summer supper to build her strength back up and make her fighting fit in no time at all...well that was my hope! 

I opted for Madeline Shaw's salmon and courgette skewers with a side of squash pearl barley salad, and i'm pretty sure Middle Mouse was a smidgen brighter after clearing her plate! 

Here's how...

Salmon and Courgette Skewers

You Need...

2 salmon fillets
1 courgette
1 tbsp of coriander seeds
1 tbsp of cumin seeds
2 tbsp of coconut oil
A large pinch of sea salt
To Do...

1. Cut the salmon fillets into bite-size cubes

2. Slice the courgette length way in half and then into bite-size chunks

3. Grind the cumin, coriander and salt up with a mortar and pestle (or a mug and the end of a rolling pin if like me you have never got round to getting a mortar and pestle!!)

4. Add the salmon and spices to a bowl and mix around so that the spices are rubbed into the fillets, then add into the courgette and mix.

5. Melt the coconut oil on a low heat and poor this on top of the salmon and courgette, mix the oil around with your hands

6. Thread the salmon and courgette on the skewers

7. You can cook on the BBQ, in a pan or on the grill like we did. They will only take around 6-9 mins to cook.

Squash and Barley Salad

You Need...

1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into pieces
1 tbsp olive oil
250g pearl barley
300g Tenderstem broccoli, cut into medium-size pieces
100g SunBlush tomatoes, sliced
1 small red onion, diced
2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
1 tbsp small capers, rinsed
15 black olives, pitted
20g pack basil, chopped

For the dressing

5 tbsp balsamic vinegar
6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, finely chopped

How To...

1. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. 

2. Place the squash on a baking tray and toss with olive oil. Roast for 20 mins or until cooked and crispy around the edges. (I was feeling lazy and got ready peeled and cubed M&S squash - these took a little less to cook so it will depend on the size)

3. Boil the barley for approx 25 mins in salted water until tender, but al dente. 

4. Whisk the dressing ingredients in a small bowl, then season with salt and pepper. 

5. Once done drain the barley, tip it into a bowl and pour over the dressing. Mix well and let it cool. (The recipe says to add raw garlic which I am not a fan off so left this out)

6. Boil the broccoli in salted water until just tender, then drain and rinse in cold water. Drain and pat dry. 

7. Add the broccoli and remaining ingredients to the barley and mix well. This will keep for 3 days in the fridge and is delicious warm or cold. (again the recipe says to add raw onion which I am not keen on - so instead i cooked the onion and garlic off in a little olive oil before adding and it was still delicious and flavoursome!)

ENJOYYYYY!!!

3BM Kitchen : Summer Frittata

Summer calls for light dinners loaded with tonnes of goodness and lots of colour. Look no further than my latest obsession ... this colour-popping vegetable frittata! I stumbled upon the Eat Yourself Skinny recipe a few weeks back and have been hooked ever since. It's takes minutes to cook and is seriously tasty!

Prepare to drool...

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp olive oil 
• 2 cloves garlic
• Minced 1 small onion
• Chopped 1/2 red pepper
• Chopped 1/2 green pepper
• Grated 1/2 courgette
• Shredded 1/2 cup broccoli florets 
• 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
• Chopped 2 eggs 5 egg whites 
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese 
• 1 tsp. dried oregano 
• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes 
• 1/2 tsp. pepper 
• Pinch of sea salt

Cooking Steps:

1. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees. Grab a large pan and whack the hob up to a medium heat, drizzle olive oil and saute onion and garlic for about 4 minutes until soft and lightly golden. 

2. Add in the peppers, courgette, broccoli and sun-dried tomatoes and cook for a couple of minutes and then set aside.

 

3. Take a large bowl, whisk together eggs, Parmesan cheese, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Continue whisking until light and foamy.

4. Place sauteed veg in a deep dish lightly brushed with oil and pour egg mixture over top, making sure to evenly coat all the veg. Cover loosely with foil and bake in the oven for about 10 minutes.

 

5. Reduce heat slightly and continue baking for 25 minutes. Check it's ready by inserting a knife into the centre and pulling it out - if it's clean then you're good to go, if it's not then pop it back in to cook for a bit longer...

 

6. Enjoy!

This Week The Mice Have Mostly Been...

All I can say is thank GOD...

Another week zooms by and I have to admit it's been pretty uneventful. Packed full of juices, health and gym visits to try and make right of all the weekend wrongs in our food and drink world!

We're now one week closer to not only our next holiday but most importantly The World Cup! Patriotic loyalty at the ready...you never know?! A post is winging it's way next week on 3BM's fav haunts to watch all the fun pan out, so keep your eyes peeled!

When we haven't been polishing our health halo or warming up our vocal chords with 'God Save the Queen'...The Mice Have Mostly Been...

Juicing like it's going out of fashion...like good little gym bunnies we continued our health kick this week in a bid to look in tip top shape for our Portugal holiday coming up!

I posted a few weeks back about our first juice experience - however I must admit I wasn't the biggest fan of the bitter beetroot and grapefruit combo! However since then we've trialed a few more options and found a couple we actually look forward to in the morning!

See our favourite recipe below...

You Need (serves 2)...

1 apple
1 pear
3 sticks celery - chopped
1 handful of kale
Zest and juice of 1 lime
1 handful of mint (optional)

To Do...

1. Chop everything up (making sure you core the apple and pear)

2. Add 1 small glass of water (add as much as you need to get a drinkable consistency)

3. Blitz and serve over ice!

Scouting out new additions for our little black book after posting our top London sun traps last week. 

To celebrate the end of a hellish week and that we officially made it to Friday (even with a two day Chiltern Firehouse induced hangover - a post coming next week!) we thought it would be criminal to miss the opportunity of some Friday evening sunshine drinks.

Where to go though? It had been a scorcher of a day so no doubt every rooftop would be ram packed without a reservation and we weren't up for queuing, we just needed a small space for a cheeky few en route home.

In the end we decided to check out the brand new Ham Yard Hotel. With a large outdoor courtyard and central location it ticked all boxes and being a newbie I was intrigued to see what was on offer! 

After my iPhone took me on a wild goose chase around Piccadilly Circus I eventually located my goal and found my friend patiently sitting at a sweet pistachio green wrought iron table. The courtyard was large but not too packed, had a buzzy atmosphere and attentive service. As a part of the Firmdale Hotel Group I knew it wouldn't disappoint, and evidently has a great team of people behind it who know exactly what they're doing.

I haven't written a whole review as we only stopped by for a bottle of wine and a quick chatter to catch up on the weeks events; however I couldn't resist popping my head inside and caught a glimpse of the slick interior. High ceilings, mismatched prints, feature wall paper and over sized chandeliers, plus I also heard rumors of a private rooftop and bowling alley - I reckon we may just be back! 

It doesn't hurt that the cocktail list looks pretty killer as well...! 

Fondly eyeing up Middle Mouse's brand new Miu Miu purchase. Preparation for holiday is underway and day by day parcels are appearing ram packed with summer holiday 'essentials'!

As she almost certainly doesn't have enough sunglasses (her current collection could only cover a different pair a day with a few midday costume changes!!!) a brand spanking new pair were in desperate need! 

They're not just any standard pair either...cushioned in a pastel pink velvet case, these tortoise shell beauties have a classic cat slant shape but with gem and stud encrusted arms...simply dazzling!!! 

I wonder when she will deem it acceptable to find them propped upon my nose!!!! 

So finally I thought I'd leave you with my feel good song of the day - Clean Bandit's amazing Live Lounge cover of Lorde's hit Royals.

Now get those party pants on it's time for the weekendddddd!



All that's left to say is...