My mission today was to go and buy a new pair of walking boots.  When I moved to Hastings I threw away my old walking boots (Brashers) because after 12-15 years faithful service, they had become cracked and so were no longer waterproof.   I had some money to spend and decided to spend it on new boots, to aid walking during the winter months as part of the quest to lose weight.  I have a generous group of girlfriends I have known for most of my life; we always buy each other a lovely birthday present and they were happy to buy me the boots.  I just needed to go and get them.

I started the day with a cup of tea and a green smoothie: 1 frozen banana, about 10 cherries, 3 leaves of cavolo nero, 1 tbsp sunflower seeds (1/2 HE B), 200 ml Vita Coco coconut milk (1/2 HE A), dulse seaweed and 1 tbsp super greens powder (2 syns).Before shopping I swam 50 lengths, had a sauna and a relax in the outside jacuzzi at Bannatyne’s gym.  It was good to be back in the water.

I went to Tunbridge Wells to buy my shoes and as it was Midday by the time I got there I had a coffee first.  I had a coconut milk (1/2 HE A) latte in a cafe.I had been recommended Cotswold Outdoor because they have well trained salespeople who spend a lot of time assessing your foot shape and size, what you need the boots for etc.  I was really impressed and left with a well fitting pair of shoes and new socks (thank you Gini, Lucy, Sally and Michelle xxx) and also some walking poles.  One happy customer.

I was close to Hastings when I remembered a fabby farm shop on the A21.  I needed some fresh vegetables for supper and also a snack as it was 2pm and I was hungry.  Eggs to Apples is on the A21 at Hurst Green and is great.  They sell loads of local produce and an extensive range of fruits and veggies (for a small shop) with no plastic in sight.  Yippee to no plastic on the fresh produce.

I ate a pear on the way home and then had another 2 when I got there as it was too late to make lunch and I was hungry.  Pears are in season now and they are delicious when freshly picked as they haven’t gone dry and floury as they can do when they have been in storage for a long time.

When I was choosing my groceries I noticed I had bought a lot of purple veggies and so planned to make a purple dinner.Purple cauliflower, purple kale, red cabbage, purple potatoes and purple sprouting broccoli.Before dinner I wanted to try out my new boots.  I picked Harvey up from school and we went for a walk at Bulverhythe.It was so beautiful there this afternoon.Mild weather, plenty to look atand photograph.Peaceful.It was going to be an amazing sunset but I forgot to go outside and watch it.I really enjoyed the beginning of it though.It was such a pleasant afternoon and my new boots are so comfortable I could have walked for ages but we had things to do so we headed home.

Back at home I cooked supper.  I boiled the purple potatoes, steamed the cauliflower and purple sprouting broccoli and stir fried red onion, garlic, red cabbage and kale then added red kidney and aduki beans.

I used 1 tbsp oil (6 syns in total meal, which was shared between 2) to fry the garlic and onion, then added the cabbage, then the kale.  When it began to stick in the pan, I added a few splashes of boiling water, so the vegetables steamed rather than adding more oil.  I added a star anise, 1 tsp fennel seeds, 1/2 tsp smoked salt and pepper.  When the vegetables were nearly cooked I added half a can each of red kidney beans and aduki beans.  It was really tasty and we will both eat that again.We also had some “squaffles” which needed eating up.  Squaffles are slices of butternut squash cut in to a waffle pattern.  I bought them in Sainsbury’s last week and it was beyond sell by so had to be used.  I added 1 tsp oil (2 syns shared between 2) for cooking, which is brushed on the squaffles before roasting them in the oven.So here it is, a nearly purple dinner.  We also had some gravy made with Knorr gravy powder.  I can’t find the exact type I had but I estimate 3 syns for 1 tbsp powder.

HE A – 450 ml coconut milk

HE B – 1 tbsp sunflower seeds and 1 tsp fennel seeds

Syns

• 1 tbsp super greens powder = 2
• oil used in cooking = 4
• 1 tbsp gravy powder = 3

Exercise

Swimming – 1 km in an indoor pool

Walking – 9,000 steps

I am happy with that.