My must try foods in Okinawa (Japan)

Regular readers of this blog will know that I loooove food! My family loves a good eat and so do my friends, so I find that this is often a "hobby" I am doing!

If you know that I love food, then you will also know that I love travelling, and what better way of combining these two favourite activities then trying new foods when on holiday!

If you have read my blog post on Okinawa then you'll know that I have recently spent a few weeks in the little Japanese island with my mum's side of the family. I have been learning Japanese and this was my chance to throw myself in the deep end and put my learning into practice.

Whilst here I have tried so many new foods, as well as some childhood favourites that my mum used to make, I wanted to share with you my "must eat foods when in Okinawa". The reason I have stated 'Okinawa' rather than Japan, is that here we have our own little sub-culture and foods. Some of the foods listed also originate from Japan but others are local delicacies!!!

Enjoy!

Banana, protein and oat pancakes

Pancakes for me are the epitome of a lazy Sunday. Whipping up a batch of pancakes for a long lazy start to the day. And there has to be maple syrup.

But they aren’t too great for the health conscious eaters and whilst the odd pancake binge isn’t going to do anyone any harm, it’s perhaps not a weekly staple.

Unless that is… they are these...

Made with oats and protein powder, rather than the usual flour and butter based pancakes. They are quite sweet but they work equally well with savoury and sweet toppings – my personal favourite are oodles of berries and natural yoghurt or the classic (lean) bacon, banana and a touch of maple syrup.

"No clog allowed" super self-heating deep pore detox mask

I have used a lot of face masks in my time and this has to be one of the best I have used! It is in the mid range of pricing (about £11.50) and well worth it. 

On a damp face, rub in the facemask and you can feel it heating up - it feels lovely and it might be psychological but this makes it feel like it's really working! 

"Carrot cake" protein balls - raw, vegan and 100% natural

For those of you that follow me on instagram, you might have seen me post a few pictures of my favourite protein ball recipes. This one tastes like carrot cake and is one of my favourites so far!

my new favourite protein balls 

They require no baking and is a simple "bung in a food processor and mix together" recipes so score a "0" on the fuss scale. A tasty blend of protein, nuts, spices and of course, carrots, these protein balls are delicious, moist and fruity. 

naked, before they've been rolled in the coconut 

The "Wine Rooms" wine bar, restaurant and wine shop, Fulham, London

As I prepare to move out of Fulham, I am making the excuse to go back to some of my favourite haunts. I first blogged about Fulham Wine Rooms last October but had to rre-blog about it with an update from my latest trip to say goodbye!

The Boy first took me to the Wine Rooms in Fulham, a gorgeous little restaurant with a wine cellar feel, on Fulham Road, as it had been somewhere I had been wanting to go since I moved to the area in 2013! There is just something about watching patrons sitting there chilling with their wine and enviable food in this cosy setting – I needed to be a part of it!

seating on the pavement - how continental! 

If you go in the warmer months, you'll be treated to the French doors still opening on to the pavement - perfect for people watching and catching the last of the day's breeze. But when they do shut, you’re locked in to this cute, cosy and rustic place with a great ambiance and murmur.

enjoying my South African grape back in October

Staying true to its name, there are 48 options of wine available by the glass, and plenty more by the bottle, so you will not be short of choice! 

"Lean In" by Sherly Sandberg - book review

When her book first came out, I heard a lot of hype around Facebook’s COO Sheryl Sandberg’s “Lean In”. Just opening the front cover exposes all the accolades from the respected, famous and influential, such as Alicia Keys, Sir Richard Branson and Condoleezza Rice. 

I hadn’t managed to get round to reading it until I started it last month, but before I started, I must admit had reservations about it. 

I don’t know much about Sandberg as a person or as a writer(unfortunately I have never met her) so this was purely me basing my belief that hyped up excitements rarely live up to their expectations.

But I am pleased to say though, I am wrong! 

Oh so wrong. 

The hype was right (just for once of course, I am still right that the hype is rarely lived up to). This book is fantastic.

my already battered copy of "Lean In"

Avocado and spinach superfood smoothie (with date, banana and cocoa nibs)

Avocado is one of my favourite veggies (ok ok I know, it is really a fruit, cos of the stone blah blah blah) but I normally reserve the nutritious creamy green thing for salads and guacamole. 

But when I was in Dubai last week, I had a smoothie with avocado as the main ingredient. Admittedly it was a little too much for me, and on top of The Cheesecake Factory monster slice of red velvet cheesecake I had, it was all a bit too sickly.

creamy yet not sickly! 

But since returning, I have searched the web for an avocado smoothie to make! And this one from Mind Body Green is perfect! I have slightly adapted it for my taste.

Safari, Shamwari, South Africa (part 2) - "don't pretend you are an animal in the dark"

As you  know, I have recently  returned from a trip of a lifetime to South Africa which included three amazing nights at safari. It was such an blockbuster of a trip, for just those three nights, 
I  have had to split the blog into two parts. 
Here is part two, but read part one -  "Don't base your expectations on the Lion King" here

….To really get into the thick of it (as if being in a jeep 2 meters away weren’t close enough )we went on a ‘bush walk’… in a nutshell, we stalked some lionesses and cubs on foot. Seeing them without the safety of a huge vehicle is amazing (although he did have two guides and two shotguns).

look closely and you'll see giraffe in the back ground

When on a walk, you really wake up to what’s around you, becoming more alert to sounds and movements in the bushes. You’re pretty safe to be honest as the lions warn you with their gruff roar that you’re getting uncomfortably close into their territory!!! The worse thing that happened to me, was picking up a giant earth worm and it pooing on me (it is ok, I was wearing the Boy's coat, so just wiped my hands on that). 

the greenery of the scenery 

We had three nights on the Shamwari reserve, about an hour or so drive from Port Elizabeth, but to be honest, I don' really know as I was doing my best at being a navigator and was asleep for most of the journey. Anyway, Shamwari is a 25,000 hector area of land which helps protect, preserve, and rehabilitate the endangered safari animals, so as  well as seeing these beasts at their finest, you are also doing your bit to help conserve them!!!

Safari, Shamwari, South Africa (part one) - "don't base your expectations on The Lion King"

The main reason for holidaying in South Africa has to be to come on safari! It was totally the Boy’s choice, and in all honesty, I am not even the biggest animal fan, but the whole trip to South Africa was a travel adventure not to be missed so I was keen to have this as our honeymoon destination.

So, to finish off South Africa, we had three days of safari time, which means 6 game drives.

seriously close to this beautiful beast

blending in with the wildlife! 

How would I sum up the safari….

…totally epic!!!

The Winelands, Stellenbosch, South Africa

No trip to South Africa and Cape Town would be complete without a trip to the famous winelands –miles of glorious mountainous landscape and an obscene amount of vineyards and varieties of wine. We were  told that this is the perfect time to come as it was the ‘winelands secret season’… the summer days are just hanging on whilst we turn into Autumn, but there is a cooler taste in the air.

no trip to Cape Town is complete without a wine tour!!!

We arrived at our hotel in Stellenbosch at 9pm and normally booking on for a wine tour for the next day wouldn’t have been an issue. Except tomorrow in our case was Good Friday so no tours were operating on this bank holiday.

Cape Town part two: Table Mountains, Penguins, Seals, Kirstenbosch Gardens, Cape Point

With only 4 nights in the South African capital, it was a tough game fitting everything in. One of the trips that we decided to do combined the penguins, seals, gardens and cape point. Not normally a fan of tours, this was actually great - small group of 10 and plenty of time to see the attractions plus none of the hassle of navigating our way round!

We went with Ilios who were actually really good at this tour guiding malarkey!

Kirstenbosch gardens

Penguins, seals, Kirstenbosch Gardens and Cape Point

Penguins are one of my favourite animals (along with the slow lorris, ducks and sausage dogs FYI) so no trip to Cape Town was going to be complete without seeing the African penguins at Boulders Bay. We decided to book a tour for this, which turned out to be an all day thing and not just admiring the penguins.

Camps Bay Retreat Hotel, Cape Town, South Africa

For the start of our adventure, we had four nights in Cape Town. When we left the capital for our twelve day road trip along the garden route, one of the things I was sad to leave was our hotel. Less of a hotel actually and more of boutique B&B set in some lush surroundings, this is one of the best hotels I have ever stayed in.

the veranda and gardens overlooking the sea

We stayed at the Camps Bay Retreat, in the laid back beach area of Camps Bay, which we were informed, numerous times, that Camps Bay was the area for the rich and famous! 

one of the lounges  

Lush's lip scrub - buff away chapped lips: review

This weather is not kind to my lips. My lips are not friends with the bitter wind, the freezing cold, the office heating system or the drizzly air. I find that my lips are permanently chapped and dry, and that I grow a disgusting compulsion to pick the dry skin off my lips. (Don’t gimme that – we all do it secretly!)

tasty, handmade and preservative free! 

I had even given up the lipstick for a while as soon as I put it on, it just highlighted the dryness and the cracks. Not pretty.

But my friend Sophie introduced me to my knight in shining armour last week and this little pot of brilliantness has now reformed my lips to soft and kissing worthy once more!

Barry M berry lipstick in #160: review

I have been loving lip colour the last few weeks and have been opting for a look that focuses less on the eyes (just a slick of black liquid eyeliner) and more on the lips. I recently blogged about a new find, using Revlon’s just bitten kissable balm stains for the first time, and it seems I can’t get enough of painting my lips!

I do tend to stick to similar neutral shades and pinks however but as the gloomier weather is drawing in though, I seem to want to steer more towards deeper and richer colours. I am keen to dip my toe in the “berry” tones and am looking for an almost purple velvety colour. I must confess though, I kind of chickened out and instead opted for a warm pinkish red. Although the colour in the stick looks like the kind of colour I want to be brave enough to flaunt...

Barry M in #160

Models Own neon pink nail vanish: review

I love a bright nail and have been searching for a neon pink for a while now. The one I used to use got discontinued as apparently there was an ingredient in it that was against regulations!! Whilst this one isn't as "neon" as hoped, it certainly packs a pop!!!

bubblegum pop