Instant Goddess Starts The New Year with Fab Workout Gear, Beauty Fixers & More!

Instant Goddess is a FAT MISSY

The twelfth day of Christmas has well and truly passed. There isn’t a partridge in a pear tree in sight, let alone 5 golden rings. The Christmas decs have been stowed for next year. It’s time to embrace the new. How many resolutions have you broken already?! I’ve only just decided on my two forgetting on NYE as there was far too much drinking of champagne and dancing on tables to be done (I regretted it of course the next morning).

Anyway, my first is “to complete and finish more often than not” and this is at my hubby’s suggestion and mainly involves finishing up all the lotions and potions that have accumulated on our bathroom shelves over the past year and for me it means finishing up all the supplements and vitamins I’ve acquired over the past year… so I’m currently popping at least 10 pills every morning and I’m wondering what’s going to happen to me – I’ll keep you posted, but if they do what they say on the tin then my joints should be less creaky even after dancing on tables, my hair and nails should be stronger, my eczema diminished, my guts friendlier and I should definitely have a spring in my step.

My second resolution is carried over from last year as it’s such a good one and that’s “to be tidier”. Simple but effective I think you’ll find.

Anyway, on to the new… this blog has to be about Instant Goddess short cuts to make us feel less toxic, less fat, less lethargic, more glowing and generally healthier before you can say Instant Goddess has turned into a fat Missy.

Rock the resolution: Get fit

Sports top $199 and $149 both H&M

I find it always helps to look the part, so if you’ve resolved to get fit or fitter in 2013 but your sports gear is looking a little tired then look no further than Cotton On and H&M which have some very affordable active wear currently in store… so Goddesses there really is no excuse to be lazing around in 2013.

Mint green sports top $149, blue sports top $149 and sports trousers $199 all H&M

Running pant $139, Sprint active tank $139, Sprint running Jacket $169 all Cotton On

So, you’ve got your Sports Wardrobe sorted but what next? If you’re in need of a helping hand in the toning department I recently tried a free Power Plate trial at the Power Fit Studio in Causeway Bay and I was really impressed with how I felt like I had had a really good all over body work out in only 30 minutes. The trainers at Power Fit reckon that if you’re committed and do two to three 30 minute power plate sessions a week you would start to see results in as little as three weeks… read the full review here.

And don’t forget Punch Detox! If you want to kick start a healthier lifestyle and fitness plan I would definitely recommend Punch Detox. I lost 3kgs in 3 days on their juice detox and it really made me think about what I was eating after I completed the detox definitely encouraging healthier eating habits. Psst! If you sign up before January 20 you get 15% off. Read more about my experience earlier in the year here.

More bling in 2013?!

Not one of my resolutions (at the moment) but may be it should? After all, diamonds are a girl’s best friend. Just before Christmas I was introduced to “M.C.L jewellery by Matthew Campbell Laurenza, New York” a favourite of celebs and newly arrived in the Kong. I’m sure you’ll agree that the pieces are exquisite and are all carefully handcrafted from only the finest gem stones and materials so unfortunately but understandably the price tags reflect this, but if you watch Sassy Mama very carefully in the next few weeks a piece of M.C.L jewellery will be up for grabs in the Sassy Mama Survey. So keep ‘em peeled Goddesses! In the meantime, check out the M.C.L website to get excited at what might be on offer or pop down to Lane Crawford where M.C.L is currently in store.

 

More dash than cash?

If you like the M.C.L pieces above but haven’t quite got the cash to splash you might like to check out Amrita Singh Jewellery who I recently discovered and thought it would be rude not to share the love. They have a clearance sale on at the moment with 50% off selected styles and ship internationally.

 

Thinner dinners

After all the festive indulgence you just want to eat something that will make you feel thinner instantly so here’s a little compilation of dishes to literally help lighten the load.

Chicken, celery and ginger broth

Serves 2

4cm fresh ginger, about as wide as a thumb, peeled
½ medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
Pinch of dried chilli flakes
6 sticks of celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
500ml of chicken stock
1 skinless chicken breast
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp fish sauce
2 handfuls coriander leaves
½ medium red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

Finely grate half the ginger – you want it to turn into a puree. Cut the remaining ginger into thin discs, then slice these across so they form fine shreds.

Put the ginger in a saucepan with the onion, garlic, dried chilli, carrot and celery. Add the chicken stock plus 250ml of water and bring to a simmer.

Slip the chicken breast into the simmering liquid, cover with a lid and cook very gently for 15 minutes until just cooked through. Remove the chicken and put to one side.

Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer again and skim off any scum. Leave it to bubble gently for another 20 minutes until the celery is soft.

Shred the chicken breast and, when the broth is done, stir the chicken into the soup. Leave it to warm through for a minute, then add lemon juice and fish sauce. Turn off the heat and let things stands for a couple of minutes.

Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with coriander leaves and fresh chilli.

 

Sea bass en papillotte with lemon, capers and dill

Serves 2

6 small sprigs of fresh dill
8 slices of lemon
½ onion sliced into rings
Salt and pepper
2 sea bass fillets, about 175g each (or other white fish fillets)
2 tsp baby capers
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil

Put a baking tray in the oven and heat to 220c/gas mark 7.

Cut two sheets of baking parchment or greaseproof paper, each about 35cm square. Lay two sprigs of dill just off centre on each square and top with a couple of slices of lemon and a couple of onion rings. Season the fish fillets well on both sides and lay them, skin up, on top of the lemon and onion. Add another 2 slices of lemon, and 2 onion rings to each one, along with another sprig of dill and 1 tsp of baby capers.

Divide the lemon juice and olive oil between them.

Fold the paper over the fish and flavourings, then fold the edges firmly over themselves on all sides, so the parcel is totally sealed. You want to end up with a loose packet, leaving space around the fish for the aromatic steam to circulate.

Place the sealed packets in the oven on the hot baking tray and cook for 10 min, or until the fish is just cooked through. You can open one side of the packet and have a quick poke if you want to be sure it’s done, though the packet will deflate, which takes away part of the fun.

Remove from the oven. Put each parcel on a plate and snip a slit in the top. Tear open the parcels and slide the contents onto plates.

 

Piri Piri Chicken

Serves 4

1 red onion, cut into 8 wedges
1 tbsp olive oil
4 skinless chicken breasts
1 each red and yellow pepper, deseeded and cut into thin strips
Large handful fresh coriander or parsley, roughly chopped

For the sauce:
1 red onion, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded and roughly chopped
½ tsp smoked paprika
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven to 200c (180c fan) gas mark 6. Put onion wedges in a medium roasting tin or oven proof dish (just large enough to hold chicken breasts in a single layer) and toss through the oil. Put into the oven to roast for 15min.

While the onion is roasting, make the sauce. Put all the sauce ingredients into a blender with some seasoning and whiz until smooth. Set aside.

Slash the top of each chicken breast to allow the flavour to penetrate. Carefully take the onion tin out of the oven, then add the chicken, sauce and peppers. Carefully toss everything together to mix, then arrange the chicken cut-side up.

Cook for 25-30 min or until the chicken is cooked through.

Garnish with coriander or parsley and serve with a rice or if you’re decarbing (I have it on good authority that even James Bond decarbs 6 months before a movie!) a green salad.

Red Lentil Soup 

Serves 4

1 tsp extra virgin oil
1 onion, chopped
2 celery sticks, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 tsp chilli powder (more/less to taste you decide)
250g washed red lentils
400g tin of chopped tomatoes
1.1  litre of vegetable stock

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and gently cook the onion and celery for 10 min until softened. Stir in the garlic and chilli powder and cook for 1 min. Add the lentils, tomatoes and vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Turn heat down and simmer gently for 15 min, or until the lentils are tender.

Blend the soup until smooth (do this in batches if you prefer) and return to pan. Check the seasoning (if the soup is too thick for your liking, add a little more water).

 

Beauty

In keeping with completing and finishing all my lotions and potions, I am loving these unlikely bathroom cabinet SOS beauty savers.

Spot Zapper – Something, us mamas, are all likely to have in our bathroom cabinets, Sudocrem, the nappy rash cream can also zap spots! If you feel a spot coming, apply sudocrem the night before, and due to its antiseptic properties the spot should be gone by the time you wake up! Sudocrem contains lavender which has great natural antiseptic properties and is known to calm redness; zinc oxide which is great for the skin, known to even skin tone; and benzyl which fights bacteria. For my non mama readers… best applied at night as it visibly sits on your skin unless you really rub it in as it’s a barrier cream so bear this in mind before venturing out the door.

Flaky scalp – Rub tea tree oil onto your scalp and it’s known to soothe irritation and hydrate at the same time. Use the night before a hair wash so it can sink in while you sleep.

Aching joints – Arnica best known for its bruise beating qualities can also fight pain by reducing inflammation, so great for stiff joints or areas that cramp up like toes and fingers and it boosts circulation so they should feel rested immediately.

Vitamin E facial in a bottle – the wonder Vit E keeps wrinkles at bay and is known to minimise age spots.If you haven’t got time for a facial or are on budget then get some Vit E capsules pop them open and smother the contents over your face and voila you have an instant Vit E facial… again best used at night as it’s like a rich oil and you don’t want to look like a chip.Vit E is also good on stretchmarks and scars.

Yogi tea saying of the week: “Love yourself and you will have a lifelong love affair.”

Instant Goddess saying of the week: “It’s no longer time to drink champagne and dance on the table unless you’re called Celia.”

Until next week Goddesses, and remember you are always, always worth it! XX