All Hail The Dukka

Posted on December 16, 2011 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

Marion and Colin’s party last night was lovely.  They are such great hosts and the drinks flowed and yummy nibbles were passed around but best of all, their beautiful house was filled with wonderful people.  So many interesting and lovely people there to chat to, most of whom live very locally.  It was so good to see everyone and I feel very lucky to live nearby so many special people.

I was well behaved and managed to have just 3 or 4 glasses of wine (quite an achievement over the road, I can assure you) and only about 3 tiny squares of cheesy bread.  My strategy of eating a substantial supper before going to a drinks party was successful :-).

I am trying to beat my sugar cravings today so I am going for high protein and low sugar food.  Left over new potatoes, parsley and eggs made …..

a parsley omelette with new potatoes plus I added some ham.  Harvey and I shared this omelette,

which meant I had 2 eggs, 1 slice of ham, 1 and a ½ new potatoes and some parsley.  It was delicious.

Then it started snowing!!!  I was horrified.  Luckily it didn’t settle but it was cold and wet.  That didn’t put me off having a walk in the woods with Veg Grower Up The Road.  It is very easy to not go out for a walk when the weather is inclement but actually, I find it increases my sense of achievement if I do go.  We returned home with rosy cheeks and were glad we had been out.  Plus walking with such good company means you don’t even notice what the weather is like.

For lunch I ate something I have never had before!

Purple Brussel Sprouts!  I had them with some tender stem broccoli and a yellow pepper.

I stir fried the Brussels, pepper and broccoli in Tom Yum sauce and added bacon.  Harvey opted for a bacon sandwich instead and he had an orange afterwards as I make sure he has fresh fruit or vegetables with every meal too.

To be honest, the Tom Yum is better as a soup base and did not work so well as a stir fry paste so I don’t recommend it.  But it was edible and I enjoyed the vegetables and bacon.  As for the purple Brussels?  They taste the same as the green ones and still smell as bad 😦 .

For dinner inspiration I turned to a slightly neglected recently, but still treasured friend – Veg everyday!  I was so inspired by flicking though it I made 3 recipes.  Yes, THREE recipes.  Which combined to make one very delicious dinner.  The recipes were adapted slightly from the book to suit Harvey’s taste and to serve 2.

Two key ingredients were a Crown Prince squash (probably my favourite pumpkin/squash) and an aubergine.  The Crown Prince is grey on the outside and a deep orange inside.

This squash is such an unusual colour and I think it goes perfectly with the colour of apricots.  I will remember that colour combo for a future decorating theme!  I didn’t eat the apricot as I am trying to cut down on sugar today, even healthy sugars such as those found in fruits.

The first recipe I made was:

Aubergine Boats

Ingredients (serves 2)

  • 1 large aubergine
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
  • 1 pinch of dried chili flakes (optional)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • salt and pepper

Method

  • Turn the oven on to 190 º C.
  • Slice the aubergine in half length ways.
  • Make diagonal cuts, about ¾ of the way through the aubergine flesh from the cut side, taking care to not slice through the skin.  Make about 6 – 10 cuts on each half.
  • Put the olive oil in to a small cup and stir the garlic in (and the chili flakes if using).
  • Spread the oil and garlic over the aubergine, squeezing the aubergine gently so you can poke some of the garlic (and chili) in to the diagonal cuts.
  • Lay the aubergine in a baking dish, cut side up.

  • Put in to the oven for about 50 minutes, until the aubergine flesh is cooked and soft.

When it was cooked, I put some slices of goats cheese on top so they could begin to melt slightly from the heat of the aubergine.

Roasted Squash

Ingredients (serves 2)

  • 1 Crown Prince squash (you could use other varieties)
  • 2 fat garlic cloves, cut in half
  • 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • A few sprigs of thyme

Method

  • Turn the oven on to 190 º C.
  • Cut the squash in to quarters and scrape out all the seeds.
  • Cut each quarter in to 2 or 3 slices and place on a baking tray.
  • Cut the garlic cloves in half and rub the garlic on the cut sides of the squash.
  • Brush the oil on to the squash.
  • Tuck the garlic cloves and thyme around the squash.
  • Put in the oven and bake for 40 minutes until soft.

When the squash is cooked, scrape the orange flesh and leave behind the skin.  I mashed it slightly, added salt and pepper, a little bit of butter and then served it with the pistachio Dukka sprinkled on top.

My Dukka recipe is quite different to the one in ‘ Veg everyday! ‘ and I will try and make one more faithful to Hugh’s recipe.  But this one was fantastic and we both ate it by the spoonful.  It was hard to keep some back for dinner!

Pistachio Dukka

Ingredients (serves 2)

  • 60 g pistachios, shelled and unsalted.
  • ½ tbsp ground cumin
  • ½ tbsp ground coriander
  • ½ tsp salt

Method

  • Put the pistachios on a baking tray and put in the oven for 5 minutes.
  • Put the pistachios, spices and salt in to a pestle and mortar and bash until the pistachios are broken up.

Eat!

This Dukka was so simple to make and I can not believe it tasted so good.  We were literally eating it out of the bowl and both really enjoyed it.

I served up our dinner with some lightly roasted cherry tomatoes.

MAKE THIS DINNER!

This is one of the most delicious meals I have had recently.  Every mouthful was full of flavour and every flavour complemented the other.  The squash was smooth and creamy, the aubergine soft, garlicky and spicy, the tomatoes sweet and juicy, the goats cheese chalky and earthy and the Dukka added a good bit of crunch.  Hard to beat a meal like this for flavour and we will definitely have it again.  Thanks Hugh!

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A Substantial Supper

Posted on December 15, 2011 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

I knew it wouldn’t last, my simply decorated tree.  The bauble box came downstairs,

and most of them have been hung on the tree.  I do like them and the two of us had a good time hanging them up.  I enjoy the memories, most of which are of Lara as a young girl, choosing new baubles each year from Woolworths and other such classy bauble providers :-).  And some, like this blue one, are special to Harvey.

The last 2 evenings, after I have posted my blog, I have eaten sugary food.  And too much of it.  I am only prepared to confess I troughed but not to declare how much.  I am cross with myself and will try very hard to not repeat the foolishness.

Going out, as I am tonight, and enjoying food your host has prepared or travelling and sampling the local fayre is, in my mind, acceptable.  The opportunity for that food, that moment, may not happen again so enjoy it.  But to sit at home, eating something you could go and buy again tomorrow, and that is full of sugar with no nutritional benefit, is pointless and stupid.

To cure my sugar hangover I had a decent breakfast of a berry smoothie (raspberries, blueberries, marionberries, soya yogurt, soya milk and water to thin slightly) with one slice of toast, thinly buttered and a boiled egg.  I haven’t had a boiled egg for ages and I really enjoyed it.  The smoothie was good too.

Harvey enjoyed his too!

I had a very sociable morning.  Judy popped in to drop Sebbie off and stayed for tea.  Then Lucy popped in for a coffee and then Lara dropped in via Skype.    So I got no chores done but who cares?

I was not hungry at lunch time so I made a salad to take out:  60 g pasta left over from the boy’s lunch, 1 can tuna, cherry tomatoes, lambs lettuce and 1 level tbsp mayonnaise.

We went swimming and I swam solidly for 35 minutes.  I like swimming and find the rhythm of swimming lengths and the controlled breathing very relaxing.  I must go more often.  I ate my salad and wrote out a Christmas food shopping list while the boys played in the water.

When we came home I began grazing.  I had an apricot and then a handful of dried fruit.  So I decided to make a substantial supper.   I have done this before.  Sometimes, ‘diet’ food doesn’t do it for me so I need a filling and meaty meal.  So I made breaded pork chops with new potatoes and tender stem broccoli.

Breaded Pork Chops

Ingredients (serves 2)

  • 1 slice of wholemeal bread
  • 2 sage leaves, finely chopped
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 small egg
  • 1 tsp mustard with seeds
  • 2 pork chops (I used rump steaks which have no bone in and are delicious)
  • oil

Method

  • Put the bread in to a mini blender and blitz so it makes crumbs.
  • Put the crumbs on a plate and add salt, pepper and sage.
  • Crack egg on to a large plate and whisk.
  • Stir the mustard in to the egg.

  • Dip the chop in to the egg and turn so both sides are coated in egg.

  • Then dip in to the breadcrumbs and turn so both sides end up covered in crumbs.
  • Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the chops and fry gently for approximately 10 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness of the chops.

I served the chops with boiled new potatoes and steamed tender stem broccoli and 1 tsp butter.

This was a delicious supper.  The chop was crispy on the outside and tender inside and was perfectly seasoned.  I should have cooked more vegetables though.  Harvey was very hungry, having played football and swam for hours today so his barely touched the sides.  I could happily have eaten half the chop as they were quite large.  But I am going to a party tonight and wanted to line my stomach to reduce the amount of food and drink I inhale so I ate it all.  And thoroughly enjoyed it.  Sometimes, a substantial supper is just what you need.

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More Than 5 A Day

Posted on December 14, 2011 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

Today’s objective was to eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables.  Oh yes, and to do loads of housework – boring!

I started with a smoothie which I made with:

About 1/3 of a large pot of fat free vanilla yogurt
½ a banana
1 passionfruit
1 nectacot
Blueberries
1 tbsp sunflower butter

I really enjoyed it, although it was a bit sweet which I guess is from the vanilla yogurt.  I should stick with natural yogurt.  It was a tasty breakfast though and it kept me going until lunchtime.  Oh no it didn’t.  I had an apple and a coffee mid morning.

Lunch was a large salad but I did not really like the dressing.  I made up a salad base with lamb’s lettuce, cherry tomatoes and celery.  I added the falafel I had saved from lunch on Monday.

I made a dressing by blitzing about a third of a cucumber with 2 tbsp sunflower seeds in the small blender until pureed.  Plus I added some potted ham.

The potted ham was delicious and I preferred eating it in a salad to on toast because I could enjoy the flavour more.  So good to know I was enjoying a pork product from a happy pig and that didn’t have any rubbish added.

I adapted the dressing from a recipe I had seen in a book but I really didn’t like it much.  I also realised I particularly dislike this brand of falafels and will not eat them again.  I will try and make my own next time.  But apart from the dressing and the falafel, this was a good lunch.

Harvey’s friend Lucas was round for the day and they had a great time together.  We all walked in the woods together but apart from that, they amused each other so I got my chores done.

Supper was a red kidney bean chili with brown basmati rice.

Red Kidney Bean Chili.

Ingredients (serves 4)

  • 2 tbsp groundnut oil
  • 1 onion, peeled and chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  • 1 yellow pepper, cored, desseded and diced
  • 2 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 1 stick of celery, diced
  • ½ a red chili (more or less, according to spice preference)
  • 1 large jar of passata
  • 1 can of red kidney beans
  • 2 ripe apricots
  • 3 sprigs of thyme
  • 1 level tsp sweet smoked paprika
  • Salt and pepper

Method

  • Heat oil in large pan which has a lid.
  • Add onion, garlic, pepper, carrots and celery and fry gently for approximately 10 minutes until the vegetables are beginning to soften.
  • Stir in the chili, passata, red kidney beans, apricots, thyme and paprika.

  • Bring to a simmer and simmer for about 20 – 30 minutes until all the vegetables are soft. Season to taste and serve.  I served this with brown basmati rice and Gruyere.

It was tasty.  Not amazing but good enough and we both ate it.  Harvey had seconds which I could have done but I am trying to eat smaller portions.  I hope you noticed how modest the portion was.  In case you missed it, here’s another photo, of my half empty bowl 🙂

This would have been a brilliant day for healthy eating, if only I hadn’t snacked on dried fruit and pecans while I cooked supper.  Even so, it wasn’t a disaster and I am pleased I ate such a variety of fruits and vegetables.  14 to be precise.  14 different fruits and vegetables.  And that is not including the kidney beans.  Not so hard is it, to eat a minimum of only 5 a day?

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Convenience Food

Posted on December 13, 2011 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

Everything I ate today took 20 minutes or less to prepare and cook.  Breakfast was an old favourite; banana porridge and almond nut butter with dried fruit.

I then had a very active morning.  Harvey was at a friends for the day and I had quite an ambitious schedule.  I played tennis for about an hour.  It was the last drills until January and it was lovely to play in the sunshine although the sun was so low, playing from one end was a real challenge.

From tennis I whizzed home to get the dogs and then went to the forest to meet Alison.  We used to walk a lot together but when I went back to work full-time we rarely saw each other.  We had a good catch up today during a 2 hour walk in the wintry sunshine and it was great to see her.

Lunch was a hurried affair.  Out came the jar of potted ham.

And I spread it on 2 slices of toast.  I was too hungry to add anything else but to be honest, apart from one of my health objectives being to eat fresh fruit and/or veg with every meal, this lunch required nothing else.  The ham was delicious, well seasoned and with junipers and parsley it was full of flavour and the texture was just right.  I am looking forward to more of the same.

I had to whizz to the shops this afternoon to get some Christmas presents and then collected Harvey, who as usual, was starving.  I bought a ‘Nectacot’ which is an apricot crossed with a nectarine so we tried those.  Not as sweet or as full flavoured as I expected but ok.

We had a very quick to cook supper of sweet and sour chicken, broccoli with oyster sauce and noodles.  No, I didn’t get it from a Chinese takeaway, I did make it myself but with the help of a couple of jars.  Sometimes supper has to be convenient and quick.  I like the Seeds of Change range as they contain real food ingredients and have no nasty additives and do not taste artificial.  The oyster sauce has little to commend it except I like the flavour, especially with broccoli.

Sweet and Sour Chicken, Broccoli with Oyster Sauce and Noodles

Ingredients (serves 2)

  • 1 tbsp groundnut oil
  • 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
  • ½ a red pepper, chopped
  • 1 chicken breast
  • Seeds of Change Sweet and Sour Sauce
  • 1 pack of tender stem broccoli
  • 3 tbsp Oyster sauce
  • Quick cook noodles

Method

  • Heat oil in a frying pan.
  • Put water for noodles on to boil.
  • Chop onion and red pepper and fry for a couple of minutes.
  • Chop chicken and add to frying pan and fry until cooked through.

  • While that is frying, pour the sweet and sour sauce in to a saucepan and heat gently.
  • Put the noodles in to the boiling water, stir the noodles, cover and leave off the heat for 5 minutes (or as per packet instructions).
  • Put the fried onions, pepper and chicken in to the sweet and sour sauce and simmer for 4 minutes.
  • Chop the broccoli.

  • Using the same pan as was used for the chicken, add the broccoli, oyster sauce and approx 50 ml water so the broccoli steams.  Cook for approximately 3-4 minutes.
  • Serve by putting the noodles in a large bowl and then top with the sweet and sour chicken and the broccoli.

Very satisfying and yummy.

Final task for the day was to start decorating the tree, which has stood in the hall now since Friday.  With no one home to argue with me (Harvey doesn’t care what colour the lights are), I put up all white lights.  Not one coloured light in sight.  And if it was up to me, I would leave the tree with just the white lights.  No other adornment required.

I like the simplicity of it, and when all around is dark, the white lights and mild pine scent are pretty and delightful to me.  I need nothing else.  But I can guarantee that by tomorrow the tree will be groaning under the weight of 20 years of accumulated ornaments.  And I will enjoy those too, as nearly every one tells a tale.

I miss Lara particularly today, as decorating the tree was always her particular pleasure and I wish she was here to help me.  I will save her the angel to put on the top, something she has done every year.

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A visit to Moons Green Charcuterie

Posted on December 12, 2011 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

Harvey has broken up for Christmas so I had a little companion with me all day :-).  We started with a smoothie.  I made one without a banana as I was conscious that I have eaten a bit too much sugar lately and definitely too many bananas.  So in to the blender went (for 2 of us) 2/3 cup of oats, 250 ml almond milk, 1 tbsp chia seeds and the 250 ml jug filled with three types of berries (blueberries, raspberries and marionberries) from the freezer.

I served mine and added honey to Harvey’s to sweeten it a little.

Check out that awesome colour!  I eat food like this and imagine the vitamins and micronutrients rushing around my body afterwards, healing, repairing, restoring and generally doing good.

For lunch I made an Avocado and Humous Dressing.

Ingredients (to serve 2)

  • 1/2 a can of chickpeas
  • 1 small avocado
  • 1 small clove of garlic
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 3 tbsp tahini
  • freshly squeezed juice from 1/3 lemon
  • 3 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • water to thin to desired consistency

Method

  1. Put all the ingredients, except the water, in the blender and pulse then blitz until smooth.
  2. Add water to get desired consistency.  I like mine quite thick, like humous, but you could easily make it runnier without compromising flavour.

We had the avocado humous dressing on a wholemeal wrap,

with falafel, mixed salad greens, beetroot and carrot.

I was still hungry after one falafel on one wrap and so I served 2 falafels with more salad, carrot and dressing.  However, I only ate about half of it so the rest is in the fridge for another day.

We were so lucky with the timing of our walk today.  We enjoyed a reasonably sunny walk in the woods.  Literally, within 5 minutes of being home, it poured with rain so I am happy we didn’t get caught in that.

In the afternoon we visited Moons Green Charcuterie in Northiam.

I went to pick up some jars of potted ham which are made from ham hocks, cooked with seasonings, spices and then bottled in lovely glass jars, where the ham is sealed with French butter.

They look lovely and would make great gifts.  Harvey and I will be tucking in to one of the little jars tomorrow 🙂

John, who owns the charcuterie, showed us round which I found fascinating as I am really interested in food production.  I have never been in a charcuterie factory before and wasn’t sure what to expect.  I certainly didn’t imagine a place that was so clean and that did not smell of pork products at all.  It was spotless with lots of white walls and shiny stainless steel equipment.  Inside the saucisson curing room, where temperature and humidity is carefully regulated, were rows of saucisson and after trying some (it was delicious) I also bought some of the peppery saucisson with fennel.  It was fabulous and just how I like it; slightly dry and chewy on the outside but still moist inside and as you chew the flavours develop.  It may not last until Christmas!

John doesn’t sell to retail so normally you would have to buy his wonderful products at Borough Market or Brockley market but he does have a few hams left for Christmas.  If you would like a ham, made from a happy rare breed English pig that has lived outside all its life, then please contact me and I will send you John’s number or leave a comment after this post.  Thank you John for showing us round and for the delicious samples.

For supper we had chicken breast, stuffed with chopped up red pepper, olives and goats cheese for me and a vegan cheese for Harvey.  Served with steamed green beans and carrots.

This meal takes about 20 minutes, from taking the food out of the fridge to sitting down and eating:

  1. Put the frying pan on a low heat, and brush the surface with a thin layer of oil.
  2. Put the water in the saucepan on to boil for the vegetables.
  3. Finely chop the red pepper, olives and goats cheese.  I used Chèvre Blanc, which comes in rounds and is quite dry but has a lovely mild flavour.
  4. Cut a pocket in the chicken breast, stuff with the filling and hold shut with wooden (NOT plastic!) cocktail sticks.
  5. Put the chicken in the frying pan and fry gently, turning after 5 – 8 minutes so both sides are well cooked.
  6. Prepare the vegetables and add to the steamer.  I steam for about 5 minutes.
  7. Serve up and mangez.

Told you it was easy.

I weighed in tonight 2 pounds lighter than last week so I was pleased with that.  All in all, a good day 🙂

 

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He’s a Handful

Posted on December 11, 2011 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

I know I say this every time I stay in Ramsgate but I LOVE waking up beside the sea.  Always makes me smile, even when the weather is grey and overcast.  It was not ridiculously cold and was not raining so we agreed to go on a walk towards Pegwell Bay.

First of all though, breakfast.  I had a bowl of fat free vanilla yogurt with blueberries and a cup of tea.  Consumed in the first floor sitting room in the large bay window, overlooking the marina.

I

Blueberries 🙂

We walked along the promenade until we came to the Hands and Molecule statue which someone just had to climb.

I admire children’s effortless athleticism and seeing a fun opportunity to play everywhere they go.

Sense of achievement.

Dramatic License.

It was a blustery walk which is always invigorating.  We went back to the house and had a simple lunch of eggy bread which I had with salad.  If you have never made eggy bread, then do it as it’s very easy.  We had it for lunch but it makes a good breakfast too.

Eggy Bread

Whisk the eggs (I used one for each of us) on a wide plate.

Put the bread in the egg and let it soak up the egg for about a minute and then turn over so both sides of the bread end up eggy.

Genty fry over a low heat until the egg is cooked.

Serve.  I had mine with tomato, mixed salad greens and beetroot.  No salad dressing or other accompaniments except salt and pepper.  Bon appétit!

We then went to Margate as James has never been to the Turner Contemporary or even The Cupcake Cafe, a favourite of mine.

If we take a close look at what we all ordered,

you can see there is only food for 2.  Yes, I managed to resist a cake which is not easy as they are fabulous !!!!   I just had a cup of tea and enjoyed the ambience of this charming and pretty little cafe.

Then on the the Turner Contemporary.  That couple are still kissing.

I don’t remember ever going back to an exhibition before but this one is worth a second visit.  If you live locally and have not been to the exhibition of youth, pop along, it’s definitely worth a look and I noticed things today I had missed before.  And enjoyed some of the things I really enjoyed before again.  I enjoy the space inside and views from the building too.

Back home I made a chicken and goats cheese supper I had been recommended by a friend, Laura.  I didn’t quite have the same ingredients as her recipe but it was lovely.  As I have some chicken and goat’s cheese left over, I will make the recipe exactly as she sent me tomorrow.  But for today, I had a chicken breast, stuffed with goat’s cheese and chopped chives, served with steamed green beans and mashed sweet potato.

It was delicious and I look forward to more tomorrow.

I finished the day with a sliver of the brownie pumpkin pie I made yesterday.  Harvey had a massive slice so it is all finished now and will no longer tempt me.   Until I make it again, which I will as it was lovely.

Today was a very successful diet day as we did a reasonable walk and I ate healthily.  I hope weigh in tomorrow shows a loss.

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Brownie Pumpkin Pie

Posted on December 10, 2011 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

I have felt perkier in the mornings before.  Last night’s red wine consumption was taking its toll.  So I had a Berocca which always helps massively and a pot of tea and felt quite human again.  I seemed to have skipped breakfast and went straight to lunch which was a not very exciting ham and mustard sandwich on granary bread.

We packed an overnight bag and headed to Ramsgate for the weekend.  We had Kath and Matt coming for supper with Henry which I used as an excuse to make a Brownie Pumpkin Pie recipe I had seen on Oh She Glows recently.

This was very easy and it turned out beautifully.

Brownie Pumpkin Pie with Pecans

 

Brownie layer

  • 1 cup canned pumpkin
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil at room temperature
  • 1.5 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup self-raising flour
  • 1 tbsp cornflour
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder

Pumpkin pie layer

  • 1 cup canned pumpkin
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 tbsp almond milk
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp cornflour
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or 1 & 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp nutmeg)

Pecan topping

  • 1/4 cup butter/margarine
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup self-raising flour
  • 3/4 cup pecans

Method

  • 1. Preheat oven to 180 ° C and grease a pie pan.
  • 2. For brownie layer:  mix together the pumpkin, sugar, coconut oil and vanilla until blended well. Sift in the flour, cornflour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder and mix until incorporated. Take the entire mixture and place in pie pan. Wet spatula and spread around evenly so it is smooth.
  • 3. For pumpkin layer: In a large bowl mix together the pumpkin, vanilla, and milk. In a small bowl, mix together the sugar, cornflour and pumpkin pie spice.  Sieve the dry ingredients to the wet and mix well, making sure all clumps are gone. Now add on top of brownie mixture.
  • 4. For Pecan topping: Mix all ingredients until well combined and sprinkle on top of the pie.
  • 5. Bake for 35-40 minutes at 180 ° C. Remove from oven and cool for 20-30 minutes.
  • 6. Serves approx 8-12 slices.

The recipe said to put the pie in the fridge when it was cooked and cooled but I served it at room temperature with ice-cream.

Matt and Kath brought a bottle of fizz which we all shared and then I had a glass of red wine – just the one tonight!

Our main course was chicken cooked with olives, tomatoes and prunes.  The recipe needs adjusting and when I have perfected it I will share it.  I served it with brown basmati rice and a green salad with marmande tomatoes which I tossed in a vinaigrette dressing.

Followed by Brownie Pumpkin Pie with Pecans and ice-cream which we all really enjoyed.  Harvey particularly enjoyed a dessert we could all eat and he could share, instead of having to eat something different.  I can not pretend, just because it contained some pumpkin and nuts, that this was a healthy and diet friendly pudding.  But as an occasional treat, it was worth the points/calories and it did at least provide some nutritional value.

This was not a disastrous day in terms of over-eating but I did not manage my 5 a day today.  The only fresh food was the salad.  Must do better tomorrow!

Weather permitting, we will be doing a coastal walk in the morning which I always enjoy 🙂

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A Carol Concert

Posted on December 9, 2011 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

Smoothie for breakfast today; ½ banana, 140 ml almond milk, 1 small mango, ¼ cup oats,  ¼ bowl of leftover granola oats with raisins (thanks Harvey) and 1 tbsp chia seeds.  Yummy.

I met Judy in a different (to the usual) but still local forest for a walk. It was a bit squelchy in places!

This was not a Gloomy wood.  It was beautiful and sunny.  Who names these places?

The scenery in the low winter sunshine was lovely.  As was the company.

Lunch was a very simple omelette with kale, Gruyere and cherry tomatoes.

It took about 10 minutes from thinking about it to eating it.  Delicious.

In the afternoon I went to the Grade 1 medieval church where Harvey’s school was having their carol concert.   I wanted to take some photos but the school were inside rehearsing so I left them to it.

And just enjoyed the beauty of the building and marvelled at how old it was.

And then there was the church service.  Oh my!  I was so excited about seeing Harvey in his premiere as a choir boy.

Once dressed in their cassocks, the little angels waited ‘patiently’ for the service to begin.

At the beginning of the service, the choir walked as a procession down the centre of the church, singing and holding candles.  My eyes welled and my heart swelled.  I love carol concerts and thoroughly enjoyed the readings and all the carols.  I particularly enjoyed the choral singing.  I was so proud of my son,  who sang beautifully and behaved perfectly throughout the entire service.  A big ask from someone who is very reluctant to perform anything in public.  He was wonderful and I think I was perhaps the proudest Mummy on the planet.

It seemed disrespectful to take photos so I didn’t which is a shame in some ways but it meant I enjoyed and fully appreciated the service.

Afterwards I went to Lucy’s as she lives next door to the church.  We drank too much red wine and I ate crisps and humous.  And then had to ask James to come and collect us.

I will sleep easy tonight, basking in the happy memories of my gorgeous little choir boy.

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An Olympic Interview

Posted on December 9, 2011 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

I had an interview on Thursday to join the volunteers in the Technology team for the Olympics in London next year.  Excited!!!

Porridge with banana and almond butter with mixed dried berries.

London Excel Centre, location of interview.  Not very pretty but functional.

Warehouses converted to pubs, coffee shops etc beside Excel.

View along the Thames to the O2 and Canary Wharf from Excel.

Following the signs.

The interview process was slick, well organised and friendly.  Fingers crossed!  Time for a coffee before heading to the City.

Lovely lunch in The Telegraph, just off Moorgate in The City with Karen, a friend I first met in the 1980’s and we worked together for many years.  So good to see her and thanks for a lovely lunch.  I had a large glass of wine, gin and tonic and a burger and chips.  But I left most of the chips and some of the bun and enjoyed the burger which was huge and garlicky and delicious and the salad it came with.

I then had a coffee with Colin who I worked with last year and it was great to catch up.

As you can see, no photos!  I feel uncomfortable taking photos in restaurants and of people who are working so I don’t.

Back home I only needed a very light supper of stir fried veg with black sesame seeds.

Simple, tasty, healthy.

Drinks with school Mums and Dads in the Bull in Rolvenden which has been refurbished lately and is looking good.  Thank you Sophie and Ronald for organising.  I managed quite a lot of restraint and just had one glass of red wine, one piece of ham and a few olives, one tomato and one artichoke heart.  No bread.  Yes!

Top tip to any parents of would be pyromaniacs.  When your child asks if they can light the advent candle, it’s best to supervise them.  Or they may go and light every candle in the house, including the ones you slid under the TV to make way for their advent calendar on the mantlepiece!!!!  Amazingly the TV still works but the bottom now has a new feature of dripping molten plastic:

We live and learn 🙂

 

 

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Spaghetti With A Difference

Posted on December 7, 2011 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

When I woke up today I felt full of energy and I have charged around at a hundred miles an hour all day, completing a ton of chores.  I am still full of beans and can’t believe it is 9:30pm!  I put this energy surge down to the improved diet I have eaten this week.  Raw food does give you a big nutrient boost and I think it helped me sleep because my body could rest properly, as it wasn’t busy digesting food.  I will make sure I add a lot more raw food to my diet, but I didn’t have much today.

Breakfast was banana porridge.  I had half a banana, 1/3 of a cup of oats and 140ml unsweetened almond milk plus some water as I don’t like it thick and gloopy.  I put it all in the pan, bring to the boil and then simmer for 5 minutes.

I served it with a spoonful of almond butter with dried berries.  So delicious.

First task of the day was to finish painting the hi-fi cabinet I started painting on Sunday.  I have had this cabinet for years and disliked it almost since the day I got it.  I am not sure why it has taken so long to get round to painting it but I am glad I have now.  This is the before shot.

Many coats of paint later it looked like this.

And in situ I was really pleased with it.

I had 2 clementines as a snack.

They are so sweet and juicy and full of flavour at this time of year.  Mmmmm.

While I washed my paint brush I decided the utility room was chaotic so I tidied and cleaned it.  I even sorted out the shelves in the scary spider infested cupboard (I didn’t see any).

Having moved the painted cupboard and large speakers out of the dining room, I was inspired to start re-arranging the dining room, which involved emptying the dresser so I could move it.  I do find it very therapeutic to have a complete sort out and I ended up spring cleaning the inside and outside of every piece of furniture and even washed the walls.  I have one corner left to do so feel rather pleased and I like the new furniture arrangement too.

Lunch turned out to be one of the most delicious meals I have had for ages.  To put that in context, I mean compared to the food I have cooked myself quickly, not some of the amazing meals friends have cooked me recently.

I bought a spaghetti squash recently, which I had never had before.

I cut it in half and scraped out the seeds.  I put one half in the fridge for another day (or so I thought at the time).

To cook the spaghetti squash, I put it cut side down on a baking tray with a small amount of water and cooked it at 180 ° C for 40 minutes.  It was cooked!  How easy was that?  When you drag a fork through it, the solid looking squash splits in to “spaghetti” ribbons.

I served the spaghetti squash with the last piece of corn pudding and the last of the roasted veg which I had cooked with quinoa.  I didn’t serve the quinoa because I didn’t need that many carbs in one meal.  I also had 4 rashers of lean back bacon and some curly kale I cooked in the bacon pan with some maple syrup.

This meal was fabulous.  I really enjoyed the corn pudding and roasted vegetables.  The spaghetti squash is not as dense and heavy as other squashes and has a more delicate flavour.  I had it with lots of freshly ground black pepper.  The maple syrup sweetened kale and salty bacon complemented the meal perfectly.  I absolutely LOVED this meal and could eat it every day.  But I won’t.  Sigh.

Supper was meant to be a spicy stir fried veg and noodles meal but Harvey begged me for spaghetti bolognese.  He is usually happy to eat what I cook but he was quite persistent tonight so we stopped off to buy some mince on the way home.  I fried a large onion with garlic, fried off the meat and added chopped mushrooms, canned tomatoes, and the left over half can of baked beans I had in the fridge.  While I was cooking the bolognese I decided to finish off the spaghetti squash so I had the other half for supper, instead of pasta spaghetti.

I served it with Gruyere.  Not a conventional cheese to serve with spaghetti squash and bolognese meal but it went really well with the flavours.

I feel as if I have eaten a massive amount of food today but I thought I had eaten healthily.  When I review my food diary (i.e. my blog photos), I can see it is full of vegetables which is good.  The only fat I added to my diet was 1 tsp of groundnut oil I used to fry the bacon and the same amount I used to fry the onion and garlic for the bolognese.  But I did have some food that naturally has a high fat content; the lean bacon, corn pudding,  lean steak mince and cheese all contain saturated fat.  I also some added sugar; 2 tbsp maple syrup for lunch and there was sugar in the corn pudding and in the less than ¼ can of beans in my portion of the bolognese.  I should calculate the points but it’s late and I am now feeling tired.  I did pack in a lot of nutrients as well and I enjoyed my first ever spaghetti squash.

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