Two things; first of all, how is it basically the second month of the year?? Not sure how that happened, I know for many it feels like the 74th day of January, but for me definitely not! Second of all, it’s almost the month of love! What a time, am I right!?

I think this is my first ever recipe that i’ve posted to the blog, 2019 is making things happen!

This recipe is my take on Niomi Smart’s “Healthier Ginger Bread Man Recipe“, I absolutely love her recipes and for those who are vegan – her recipe is the recipe for you! Now I know they’re not the healthiest but the base of the cookie actually isn’t too bad – it’s the icing that has all the naughty but nice stuff in it. If you are wanting a healthier icing alternative, head over to Niomi Smarts recipe and she had a vegan/healthier version of my icing! 

These delicious oven baked goods are the perfect sentiment to give to your friends, family, significant other – it’s so cheesy, I know but to be honest with you, I freaking love it! So here I am, taking full advantage of Valentine’s Day / Month of love to bring you a delicious recipe for healthy (kind of) ginger cookies, heart shaped at that. CUTE!

Ps. If you eat them all in one sitting, don’t be alarmed – I did too!

Some recipe hacks I’ve figured out whilst making these gems;

1. When you take the dough out of the fridge, be sure to roll it out on a flour-based wooden board and throw some flour over your rolling pin. I find that it sticks less when doing so and is easier to cut with the cookie cutter this way! 
2. I like to outline my cookies with icing before filling them, this way it dries a little and creates a sort of ‘barrier’ so the icing doesn’t leak out. 
3. To outline my cookies I used a medium sized zip lock bag, got a tall-ish glass, put the corner of the bag into the glass and folded the rest over – this makes it easier to pour the icing in. Then cut the tiniest little hole, when I say tiny I mean tiny then you have a DIY piping bag! 
4. You know when you go to fairs or sports day, they always have tomato sauce and mustard in those plastic bottles that you can squeeze out? I went to the plastic store and got two clear ones (only R8.00 each, bargain!) and used one for each colour then used it to fill the centre of my hearts. 

Without further adieu, here is the recipe:

If you try them out, please do tag me on instagram, my facebook page or twitter so I can see how they turned out!

Disclaimer: The ginger cookie recipe was not made up by me, it was created by Niomi Smart – I just took the base and changed a few things to my preference. I am not trying to take ownership of her recipe, I have used it many times and love it so much, I wanted to share it with you all! 

Hey guys, It’s been a hot minute since i’ve last done a post.

My parents and I have been moving house for the past three weeks so things have been a bit chaotic leading up to the move and thereafter. I lived in the house we just moved out of for just over 19 years so needless to say packing up almost 20 years of memories and belongings takes up one’s time.

I must admit, it’s been a difficult time for me. That house has been home for all my life, every single birthday, occasion and christmas was in that home. It was a very special place for me and I think I will take a piece of that home with me wherever I go in life.

I knew I had to trust the magic in new beginnings and with that said I absolutely adore my new home – surrounded by parks and greenery, it has such a good vibe in it. I can’t wait to create new memories with old friends in this one! I mean, the day I walked into this house it felt like home so I haven’t had any issue settling in and trying to make it feel right because it already felt right! Onto better things they say!

Happiness doesn’t just have one address.

Not sure if it has been the weather, the moon or if I have just been overly dramatic but I’ve been having a difficult time within myself lately. Each day I take the time to reflect and assess myself, my surroundings, what i’m doing for me and what i’m doing for others and I struggled to find fault (I know, doesn’t make sense??) until I realised that I constantly compared my life to those I know and those I follow on social media and I immediately knew I had to change my way of viewing myself and how I think so last week, around Tuesday I was in such a rut with myself, mentally and physically I thought no, I need change and splurged on this incredible 8 week fitness program AND I HAVE NOT BEEN THIS MOTIVATED AND EXCITED TO TRAIN AND GET BACK ON TRACK IN SUCH A LONG TIME and I want you to join me!

Now this isn’t something that needs to be in the eye of the public unless you want it to be, it can be a personal challenge for yourself but I thought I should come here and tell you that if you are looking for a sign, this is it!

If I can motivate and inspire just one of you to join this 8 week journey to a better you than my job here is done!

So let’s get to the basics:

Aim: The aim of this, for me personally is to get motivated and stay motivated. By the end of these 8 weeks not only do I want to be more confident in myself, I want to feel refreshed and on track again. These 8 weeks are about getting fit, staying fit and being healthy. Doing things that you love and that make you feel good whether that be going for a walk on the beach or going to your local cafe every morning and having a mocha.

The best part about this is that there are no rules, you make them to suit you!

P.s My timing is so good that 8 weeks from now winter should supposedly be over and our summer bodies will be ripe and ready for those beaches. YEY!

Goals: I’ve come to realise that I often make unrealistic goals for myself thinking they’re realistic and then falling off the wagon because they weren’t realistic. I have always said create measurable goals for yourself, goals that work for YOU!

Cutting out chocolate from my diet permanently for 8 weeks isn’t realistic for me so on weekends I might have some, I will have less than usual but that works for me.

I do want to be happy with what I see in the mirror every time I walk past it and to be comfortable going to the beach so my goals for the next few weeks is to just be happy with me and get results while doing so!

Some extra advice: The most difficult thing in almost anything in life is starting but it is important to remember that once you start, you will love it so much that you won’t stop. Eating better and living a healthier lifestyle does become a lot easier when it is practised often. On Sundays I make sure I have all the healthy foods in my fridge and pantry that I need for the week ahead so I know I am sorted for meals and smoothies and don’t end up binge eating all the ginger biscuits that are left over because i’m too lazy to drive to the shops and get what I need (I’m way too guilty for this, tbh)

Planning is key; I am not the sort of person who can get up, go to gym and make a workout up on the spot so I enjoy typing my workouts into my notepad beforehand so I don’t get cold feet at the gym and end up having half a workout.

Don’t obsess over the numbers on the scale; I know it’s difficult and I understand that it’s always tempting to see if you’ve lost weight but the thing is, you can’t always believe what’s on the scale. When someone starts exercising more and eating better they will lose weight but gain muscle mass and what some people don’t understand is that, you can’t see the breakdown of your weight on the scale unless you have a scale that does that for you so it might discourage you instead of motivate you. What I would suggest is taking before and after pictures, one tomorrow, one four weeks from now and one eight weeks from now and let your clothes help you determine whether you’ve lost weight or not.

Always remember that slow progress is better than no progress! YOU GOT THIS!

Photography / Ashley Tapsell

So, in conclusion I am starting an eight week journey to a better me and I want you to join me!

It’s not about beating yourself up if you have a not-so-great meal or skip a workout, it’s about creating a better understanding of a healthy active lifestyle and I would love to help you achieve that.

In two weeks, you’ll feel it. In four weeks, you’ll see it. In eight weeks, you’ll hear it.

If you do decide to join me on this journey, please do comment below or dm me on Instagram, I would love to hear your goals and plan for the next few weeks!

Lots of love, Jeanna x