autumn Archives - Megan Taylor

AUTUMN/WINTER ACTIVEWEAR I AM LOVING RIGHT NOW

Activewear is totally acceptable to be be seen in right now and I kinda love it. More and more brands are making stunning luxury designer activewear and I have been wearing two different brands lately which has changed my whole outlook. I spend a lot of time at bootcamp, which is another word for rolling yourself about in the mud. I love bootcamping but I tend to buy my clothes for bootcamp in cheap sports shops like Sports Direct. I have been feeling super daggy in my sports kit lately, everything is mud and grass stained, ripped at the cuffs and tinged with a dank smell…sexy huh? Well, things are slowly changing and I am adding more lush items to my kit, which in turn makes me feel a whole lot better about myself.

UNDER ARMOUR X MISTY COPELAND

This collection is part of the Misty Copeland (ballerina) and Under Armour collaboration so style and flexibility are key aspects of the garments. Iam not one to wear a teeny crop top and leggings but this outfit is the perfect alternative. You can have you midriff on show but the leggings are high waisted and the top isn’t actually that short so you feel quite covered up and only showing the slimmest part of your tummy. I won’t be wearing the top half as much as the leggings but even after only them for a month I have worn them non stop. The fabric is elasticated and sucks your legs in the perfect amount. The fabric is quite thick so perfect for the imminent wintery weather.

MONREAL

Monreal, as seen recently on Kate Middleton is new to me and I am already in love. The fabric is the right amount elasticated and super soft to touch I love the waist band, which is really elegant, check them out here as I didn’t photograph that part. The biggest draw to me with these leggings is the incredible reflective patches dotted around in a aesthetically pleasing way. I am a keen runner and after work I will have to run at dusk. I tried the kit out at dusk last week and the reflective patches worked incredibly well making me feel a lot safer running along the street.

What do you think? Would you spend a little bit more on your activewear to feel better about yourself?

Spiced Halloween Biscuits

Any chance to celebrate something and I am in the kitchen baking or making cocktails.
Here is a rather picture heavy blog post of me making Halloween cookies with a cocktail in toe to help me decorate them.
Those who know me will know that I am not the biggest fan of Halloween because I don’t really care for the scary stuff. That being said, I love the excuse to munch on all the sugary treats.

I had a lot of fun in the kitchen creating these Spiced Halloween Biscuits. They are a little gruesome looking but super cute and very yummy.

I hope you enjoy my Spiced Halloween Biscuits. Let me know if you make them and make sure you send me pictures or tag me on Instagram @itsmegantaylor

{Make sure you are subscribed to my You Tube channel for tomorrows Halloween Cat Hair and Make Up Tutorial video}

INGREDIENTS
6 tablespoons soft unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
Zest of 1 orange

METHOD
1.Preheat the oven to 160°c
2.In a mixer, cream the butter and sugar
3.Beat in the egg and vanilla
4.Add the flour and baking powder
5.Slowly add the butter and eggs
6.If the mixture is too wet, add more flour
7.Refrigerate the dough for approximately 45 minutes
8.Cut into shapes 1/4in thick
9.Place on a baking sheet and cook for 7-10 minutes checking reguarly
(It should be soft in the middle but golden on the outsides)
10.Leave to cool before decorating

My 5 Autumn Loves

When I was younger I didn’t much care for autumn. I found it depressing that the summer was over. This was mostly because it meant the end of the school holidays. As an adult I have discovered all the excitement of autumn and must admit I now find it one of my favourite times of the year.

Below I have listed my 5 autumn loves, explaining why this time of the year is so wonderful.

1. Candlelight and fires
I adore those evenings when it is super chilly outside but you have nowhere to be. I love sitting on the sofa in front of the fire with candles all around the house…and Strictly Come Dancing on the TV.

2. Anticipation
There is so much to look forward to. There’s Halloween, fireworks night, Christmas parties, Christmas shopping, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve to plan for.
Eeeek…very very very excited for all of the above.

3. The food
Hot soups and warm baked cookies are my comfort foods of choice at this time of year. A big bowl of soup and a crusty loaf on the side is a perfect lunch when out and about. My favourite place to get soup when I’m in town is Pret. Their vegetarian soups are always yummy. I keep an eye on this page each day to see if they are selling a soup that I fancy.
I also feel this time of the year is a key baking time. A freshly baked biscuit is wonderful with a big mug of tea. Why not try out my Chocolate Dipped Orange Zest Biscuits for that festive flavour.

4. Bright and crisp mornings
How incredibly gorgeous are those bright mornings to wake up to! I love it when the sun is shining bright, there are no clouds in the sky but the air is super chilly. These mornings are actually my favourite to work out in. I love going for a run or going to Bootcamp in this weather. The mix of sunshine and endorphins is always a winner to me.

5. The fashion
A gorgeous coat, jeans, Chelsea boots, thin layered jumpers and BIG sunglasses are my favourite go-to outfit of the season.
My main aim is to prevent being cold so I can run around in the leaves like a big child whilst keeping warm.
(Keep an eye out for my next blog post on my ‘Autumn Fashion Picks To Keep You Warm’).

What do you love about autumn?

Hot Courgetti Spaghetti {Low Carb}

After a whole weekend of cheat meals and drinks I start off my Monday’s with every intention to be super healthy. I find it to be much harder to be healthy when the weather is chilly because I just want big bowls of pasta and platefuls of biscuilts.
Most spiralized courgette and carrot recipes I know are cold so I came up with this recipe on one drizzly autumnal day. It is now one of my most favourite recipes. It is warm, filling and scrumptious… oh and incredibly healthy!
Here’s the recipe for my low carb hot courgetti spaghetti.

What You Need
Courgettes x2
Butternut Squash (half of a large one)
Soft Goats Cheese
Olive Oil

Method
1. Roast chopped up chunks of butternut squash in a roasting tray at 160° for half an hour. Cover them in olive oil and ground pepper.
2. Peel the skins off the butternut squash
3. Use a hand blender to blend the butternut squash into a sauce like consistency
4. Spiralize your courgettes and mix up in the butternut squash sauce. Cooking for a further 10 minutes.
I use this spiralizer and it is currently on sale.
5. Dollop lumps of goats cheese all over the dish a mix in.
6. Serve with a handful of rocket and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

Autumnal Granola Recipe

The nights are getting darker, the wind so much chillier and the autumn leaves are falling at a rapid speed. I personally love this time of year. We can layer up our clothes, put the fire on and have an excuse to hibernate at home with a great movie, hot water bottle and a cup of hot chocolate. That’s not to mention the great anticipation of the festive Christmas period.
The only downside to the chillier season is pushing myself out of the door in the morning. I have to eat breakfast before going to work otherwise my tummy rumbles like a mini earthquake. When I am cold I tend to crave a warm croissant or a fried egg sandwich sssh. I have come up with this granola recipe which is low in GI, super healthy and can be eaten warm or cold. Shop bought cereals, granola’s and muesli’s are full of unnatural sugars and ingredients that you would never find in your kitchen cupboards. My granola recipe is full of seeds and nuts and the only sugars are date syrup and honey…very natural and wonderfully sweet for that yummy sugar hit in the healthiest way possible. The great thing about this recipe is you can just use anything you have in your cupboard you don’t have to follow the recipe meticulously. You don’t need to go out shopping for any expensive ingredients…have fun experimenting.

Don’t forget to tag me in photos of your granola if you make it. @itsmegantaylor
Here is how to make my autumnal granola recipe.

Time

Prep: 5 minutes

Cooking: 10 minutes

What you will need

Syrup:

1 tablespoon Coconut oil

1.5 tablespoon Date syrup

1 tablespoon Honey

Granola bulk:

1/4 cup Mixed seeds

{I used: flaxseeds, sesame seeds, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds}

3/4 cup Mixed nuts

{I used: haselnuts, Brazil nuts, walnuts. If you want a mix of nuts but don’t fancy spending a fortune on bags of nuts, Waitrose do a great mixed nuts bag so you can get a good variety in your granola}

1 cup Jumbo oats

1 cup Coconut flakes

1 cup Quinoa pops

3/4 cup Raisins

2 teaspoons Ground cinnamon

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 160°

2. Blend your mixed nuts in a blender until lightly mixed. Do not let them go to dust…unless you are aiming for more of a muesli texture.

3. Throw all dry ingredients into a baking tray (nuts, seeds, coconut flakes, quinoa pops, oats, raisins).

4. Melt the coconut oil, date syrup, honey and cinnamon in a pan on a low heat until mixed together.

5. Pour the syrup over the dry ingredients and mix together.

6. Place in the oven for ten minutes, mixing up the ingredients every few minutes.

7. Leave to stand until cool before storing to prevent the ingredients going soggy.
Enjoy with yoghurt, milk or even by itself as a healthy snack.

End of summer [outfit of the day]

Another fabulous summer is coming to a close. Rather than being sad lets concentrate on how amazing autumn fashion is. I love the feeling of being warm enough to wear a simple tee with a mac and booties. Come winter you will find me hiding under a Liam Gallagher inspired coat, hiding from the blistering cold and looking far from fetch, so let us dress to impress whilst the weather permits.
This is my favourite transitional outfit that I have compiled.

Check out my latest YouTube Look Book video of this look at the bottom of this blog post.

{watch: Olivia Burton} {hair band: Popband}

{teeshirt: Brandy Melvile} {teddy bear ear beanie: Zara}

{Bag: Mulberry Lily}

{mac: Topshop}