Book Review: Recipes For Happiness by The Happy Pear

*This post is in collaboration with Penguin Books and The Happy Pear*

Now that I’m on my 6-month break from law, I have the freedom to choose exactly how I spend my day.

It can be difficult finding the motivation to get out of bed for the day when you’re self-employed since you could choose to work under your duvet or hit the snooze button repeatedly and have a lie-in.

But I’ve found one thing that’s sure to get me out of bed – 

Food.

My go-to breakfast used to be a slice of toast or a bowl of cereal but now I have the time to organise my mornings exactly how I want to, I’m trying to make the most of them.

I’m a firm believer that your morning routine sets you up for the rest of the day so it’s important to use that time well and not just roll sideways out of your bed five minutes before you need to leave the house. 

I’m trying not to reach for my phone first thing in the morning and instead have a relaxed but productive morning routine so I can just be alone with my thoughts before the day begins.

I’m also pretty lazy though so you won’t find me cooking up a storm in the morning (or any other point in the day to be honest). 

Anyway, the point is, I’m trying not to simply reach for the jar of Nutella in the morning and instead try some other simple and healthy options. 

With numerous summer holidays looming, I’d like to look less like a potato and more like a shapely butternut squash. Or some other more attractive vegetable. (Is there such a thing?) 

Recipes For Happiness Review

This recipe book covers everything someone with a busy lifestyle needs: quick dinners, quick lunches, lunchbox ideas, healthy eating on the road and more.

At the end, there’s even a two-week health reboot plan, which I am yet to try, but David and Stephen Flynn swear by it!

There are few well-rounded cookbooks out there that meet my every need in the kitchen and I’m often flicking over pages of gorgeous imagery for recipes that I simply don’t have the time or effort to make.

But Recipes for Happiness from bestselling authors David and Stephen Flynn has got it all for me so if you’re looking for super simple, meat-free recipes, give this book a go. 

My favourite section is “Fermentastic!”, a whole chapter dedicated to the art of pickling. When my friends are busy removing the gherkins and pickles from their burgers, I’m the one hoovering them all up.

I just know it’s going to be that weird food craving I get when I’m pregnant.

Most cookbooks would glance over this so I was super happy to find a whole chapter on pickling and amazed by just how easy it is to ferment your own at home! 

Recipes Worth Trying

I’ve been trialling the wonderfully simple veggie recipes in Recipes for Happiness by brothers David and Stephen Flynn and below are my top 5 breakfasts worth getting out of bed for from their new recipe book.

The great thing is that a lot of their recipes are available on YouTube so if you want to try a few before committing to the full book (which you should) then here are some options:

Pumpkin Spiced Latte Pancakes

If you thought pumpkin-spiced lattes were only here for the autumn, think again! These pumpkin-spiced latte pancakes from Happy Pear are a great breakfast option all year round.

This is a tastier, healthier and much less expensive way to get your fill of Pumpkin Spice this year so say no to Starbucks and yes to Happy Pear.

Super simple and super tasty, all you need to do here is throw all the ingredients together in a blender and blend until smooth. Ready in just 20 minutes!

Watch the Happy Pear brothers whip these up on YouTube here.

Vegan French Toast

Made with caramelised bananas, this breakfast could double up as a dessert and is perfect for the weekends.

The Recipes for Happiness version is completely vegan so missing the usual eggs and milk but still tastes amazing!

In case you’re wondering – maple syrup is vegan and you are still free to slather your breakfast in it. 

Watch the Happy Pear brothers whip these up on YouTube here.

Healthy Waffles 

If you don’t have a waffle iron then this recipe doubles up as a great pancake recipe (buuut you can also get a waffle iron for less than £30 here!).

I’ve loved trying all sorts of different healthy toppings on my waffles (still staying away from that Nutella jar) and my fave has to be coconut yoghurt and fresh raspberries! 

Watch the Happy Pear brothers whip these up on YouTube here.

Breakfast Burritos

I ate far too many burritos to count during my time at university but I’d never thought of having breakfast burritos until now!

Happy Pear’s veggie burrito option is light enough to be had in the morning and full of lots of good nutrients to power your day. Think avo, spinach, oyster mushrooms mmm … 

Watch the Happy Pear brothers whip these up on YouTube here.

Acai Bowl 

Finally, there’s the acai bowl. Probably the most “basic bitch” item on the menu but also the easiest to make as it doesn’t involve any cooking.

An acai bowl in a London restaurant could cost you anywhere from £8-£15, which is, quite frankly, ridiculous, so try the Recipes for Happiness version in your very own home! 

My favourite part about this is experimenting with different toppings. It may sound silly but it gets the creative part of my brain working early in the morning, which is super useful when a large part of my blogging routine is taking aesthetically pleasing flatlays.

My fave combo is maple syrup granola, one fresh banana and a couple of frozen raspberries and blueberries! 

Watch the Happy Pear brothers whip these up on YouTube here.

I can’t recommend Recipes for Happiness enough as a cookbook for people that just want to keep things super simple.

I am quite honestly one of the laziest cooks out there (I lived off two bowls of spaghetti a day when I lived in Paris!), but there are so many vegetarian and vegan options in here, made as basic as possible, which I just can’t resist! 

If I’ve tempted you with the above 6 breakfasts, grab a copy of Recipes for Happiness here to get the full recipes for yourselves!

Buy Recipes for Happiness
Amazon | Waterstones

To find out more about Happy Pear, you can find them online here:
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Laura

Founder & Editor of What’s Hot?

Laura is an award-winning travel and book blogger based in London, UK. She has always been an avid reader and started her book blog way back in 2011 when she was just 15 years old. She then went on to study French literature at Oxford University where her love for literature, stories and other cultures deepened. She was named UK Book Blogger of the Year in 2019 and loves to combine her passion for books and travel with literary travel. She is also an intellectual property lawyer at one of the top law firms in the world.