Ladies Who Lunch

At school my mum would make a pack lunch for me everyday. And everyday it would consist of a cheese sandwich, bag of ready salted walkers crisps, a yogurt, piece of fruit and a kitkat. I loved it.

Recently though I've been test-running a few ideas to keep my lunch interesting when I have 9-5 days in university. Now obviously these need to be on a budget, hence why I don't buy lunch out. So these are a few lunches I've come up with to try and save me money and time, whilst keeping things interesting!

1. Cous Cous/Rice Salad
Bags of cous cous and rice are so cheap, but I only ever think of eating them cold in the summer with a BBQ. So recently I've been introducing cold cous cous with chopped tomatoes, peppers and onions to give a Mediterranean feel but with a bit more sustenance than a traditional leafy salad. I also find this is good with quinoa if you're looking for a bit more protein.

2. Burritos
Similar to above, I cook rice and  throw in beans. Once cooled I add onions, peppers, grated cheese (whatever you like in a burrito), and wrap them up in foil. Then I'll take in a small pot of salsa/guacamole/crème fraîche, or all three if I'm feeling spendy. This is a great and filling lunch! Bound to keep you full all day, and if you have access to a microwave, swap the foil for a lightly moist kitchen towel (I would have previously cooked the onions and peppers) and heat for 3 minutes. Delicious!

3. Quinoa and Broccoli Bites
This one takes a little bit longer to prep but is well worth it! Cook your quinoa and broccoli and allow to cool slightly. Then combine with chopped spring onions, bread crumbs, grated cheese, egg and any seasoning of your choice! My personal favourites are paprika or oregano. These go great with rocket and some fresh cherry tomatoes.

The best thing about all three of these options is how customisable they are. Hope this has inspired you to change up your lunch a bit. Let me know if you have any suggestions for me!

Wish List - Make up

As a student I can't afford to go and buy all of the make up I lust after. That doesn't stop me looking though!
These are a few things I've been dying to get my hands on recently!

1. Too Faced - Born This Way Foundation
I'm slowly running out of my previous foundation and had my heart set on purchasing this as a replacement, so I was heartbroken to learn that boots have stopped selling it and it's only available at Debenhams online. How am I supposed to know what shade to get?! At £29 I can't take that risk. Currently trying to find something with reviews as good as Born This Way is a struggle! (Also Lady Gaga is stuck in my head after writing this)

 

Standing Proud

My main New Years Resolution this year is to no longer eat meat. This decision has been a long time coming, after giving up meat for lent last year I have not eaten red meat since, and never bought meat for myself. However when I'm at home or visiting peoples houses, I've always found myself apologising for being awkward and so eating poultry and occasionally pork.

If you were to ask those who know me, they would say I'm never one to shy away from confrontation, or standing up for what I believe in. So it was surprising to me when I realised I had started to apologise and conform for something I do feel very strongly about, and the only thing I can put it down to is that eating meat is just so commonplace. In most occasions I am the odd one out - but that has never stopped me before.

So this year I have fully committed to no longer eating meat, and now I'm not embarrassed to put people out or feel awkward, I'm embarrassed it took me so long to get to this point.
The main reason for this post is not to discuss confidence and resolve (which are also important), but share what helped me finalise this decision; finding communities and support. Just seeing people post about going meat-free online made me realise I wasn't alone in this decision (obviously there are many others... but you know what I mean). I heard a statistic the other day that 1 in 8 Britons are now vegetarian, and whether true or not, it gave me hope.

Hope for change.

So, whether your belief is the same as mine or different, I hope that is the message anyone reading this takes away.