Viks Picks : June 2016

June. It's meant to be summer, but we've been yo-yoing between storms and blazing sunshine. I'm not totally giving up on stodgy food yet but I'm embracing fresher flavours, bright colours and forest running. I think my choices this month reflect that.

1. I've not dipped into any cook books this month but I have been playing around with some frugal, healthy meals including this cauliflower cous cous. Blitzed, sautéed cauliflower with some "yellow stickered" red pepper, spring onions, apricots, sultanas and sundried tomatoes... made a huge batch which was a great portable meal for the week.
2. It's summer race season again which means midges, mosquitoes and other biting insects. I've been experimenting with using citronella oil as a natural insect repellent, rather than the usual bug sprays which smell awful and often irritate me as much as the insects. A couple of drops on hems (not directly onto skin) is all that's needed to keep them at bay. It smells strong though so don't overdo it!
3. My snack of choice this month have been Tribe bars. There are three flavours, all of which I really like. An emergency breakfast or a snack between classes, they feel as though they're doing me good, not just filling a gap.
4. I was lucky enough to get to try some Hoka shoes recently and also swiped myself a visor. It's got a sweat absorbing lining on the front and is just firm enough with the elastic to stay in place. It's seen me through sun and rain on races and will be replacing my trusty cotton cap that I usually wear in the rain. Unfortunately these don't appear to be for sale, which is a real shame as I'd highly recommend it. However I know that Crew Room do similar and they have been highly rated too.
5. Lastly, this month, I'm bigging up the latest Brooks Glycerins. I was a Ghost girl through and through for the longest time then took a chance on some bright blue Glycerins, which I adored. I had to bin them earlier this year so when I saw these bright little beauties and realised I could get 50% off the price with my Vitality policy, it was a no brainer. They are super bouncy, light and GOR-geous!

Have you treated yourself to any new trainers lately? Any sale bargains? What's your tried and tested mozzy repellent?