Oh porridge, how I have missed thee.

I was so excited to be up today and cooking porridge.  I really missed a morning bowlful of something nourishing and warm.  I had a papaya that needed eating so I used some of that.

1/3 cup of porridge oats made up with water, one banana, half a papaya and some buckwheat sprouts for protein.  Delicious.

For lunch I shared a jacket potato with Harvey.  I am trying to maintain a decent level of raw food intake, following my detox, and to ease my way back in to normal food eating slowly.

I made a salad of lettuce, orange pepper and tomatoes which I dressed with 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tsp apple cider vinegar.  I also heated up some left over roasted vegetables (parsnip, sweet potato, red onions, carrots and peppers).  I added some butter and pepper to my half of potato.  Job done.

I spent a very enjoyable afternoon sorting through my entire wardrobe.  I have gone down a size ( 🙂 ) so I found some favourites I can now wear again, and discovered I have gone off other things or they are now too big.  So I now have a selection of clothes I can wear which I have not worn for years and a large pile to take to the charity shop.  This lot will be available soon, at an Oxfam in Cranbrook.

Look who has arrived from Meribel.  We are so pleased to have our fab friend here.

The hat was a hit.

The boys went to get a curry but for the woman and child, supper was a healthier option of chicken with rice and/or vegetables.  Adapted from a recipe on  Skinny Taste for Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken, I used the slow cooker and made a delicious chicken and vegetable dinner.

Santa Fe Chicken

Ingredients (serves 8)

• 1 chicken, skinned and chopped in to 8 pieces (on the bone)
• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• 1 can black beans
• 1 can frozen corn (when the tomato or black bean can is empty, rinse and fill with frozen sweetcorn)
• Handful of chopped coriander
• 350 ml chicken stock
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tbsp green jalapeños
• salt and pepper

Method

• Place the tomatoes, black beans, corn, coriander, stock, garlic, cumin and jalapeños in the slow cooker.
• Turn the slow cooker on to high.
• Season the chicken pieces and lay on top of the sauce.
• Cook for 4 hours.
• Shred the chicken.
• Mix the chicken back in with the sauce and serve with rice and /or vegetables.

The chicken just fell off the bone and I was amazed at how much chicken came off that one bird.

I served mine with spinach.

I really liked it but the sauce was a bit watery.  It may have been better to have reduced the sauce before serving.

I am pleased I did my detox, but I am really enjoying eating real food again and it all tastes so good.