Last Minute.com

Posted on December 15, 2012 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

Over here at last minute.com, the shocking realisation that it is nearly Christmas has hit me and I began to panic.  Over recent weeks I have been amused by friend’s entertaining  tales of shopping with irrascible husbands and empathised with people having shopping nightmares.  I read the anecdotes on Face Book, think admiringly how organised they are and continue with what I am doing, thinking I have ages until Christmas.  But now I realise I don’t.

I put breakfast in the oven and thought about where to begin.  I heated up some leftover baked oatmeal with pumpkin and raisins and served it with coconut butter and a banana.

Baked oatmeal with coconut butter

I bought this coconut butter in Florida.  2 of the blogs I read regularly use it and it is lovely.  Different to coconut oil as it includes the coconut flesh rather then just the oil,

Artisana Coconut Butter

so it added some moisture and coconut flavour as it melted over the top.

Baked oatmeal close up

I set about writing Christmas cards.  I did not write them with a very Christmassy background.  Harvey was watching Jaws and I sat with him.  I was expecting to find it a very old fashioned and slightly comical film.  I had such a powerful memory of being so scared by it.  Actually, it was excellent.  The suspense is so well built up and even the bits I remembered well made me jump all over again.

Christmas cards written, James dispatched to Cranbrook to post them, I turned my attention to the tree.  Harvey decorated it beautifully.

Harvey decorating the tree

For lunch I made chicken fajitas.  I bought a new Fajita spice mix by Bart but I have now thrown it away.  It was ridiculously spicy with too much chilli powder in it.  I like fresh chilli and chilli flakes but dislike chlili powder.

Fajita coking

It was a shame as I made chicken Fajitas for Harvey (they are a favourite of his) but he struggled to eat it.

Fajitas and toertillas

I added yogurt to mine but it was still not enjoyable and a very sore throat didn’t make spicy food palatable.

Fajita close up

I mixed a can of tuna with mayonnaise and we had that in a wrap with some lamb’s lettuce which was much nicer.

Tuna tortilla

Followed by an orange.  This one was perfect.  So sweet and juicy.

Orange smiley faces

I considered going shopping as I have only bought a few presents.  I wrote a list of people I need to buy for one day this week and have been in shock ever since.  But not had time to shop.  Unfortunately, my sore throat and very painful chesty cough were getting worse so I went to bed instead of shopping.

The boys decided to have curry tonight but I wanted to make something to help me heal.  I had a mug of hot water with lemon and ginger.

Hot water with lemon and ginger

Then set about chopping up this lot to make a healthy and healing salad.  Yes, I really did have some raw Brussell sprouts and they were fine.  I would even go so far as to say I enjoyed them.

Healing salad vegetables

Healing Salad

Ingredients (serves 1 – 2)

Salad fruits and vegetables

  • 1 red pepper, chopped in to bite sized pieces
  • 1 celery stalk, chopped in to bite sized pieces
  • 1/2 head of broccoli, chopped very fine
  • 2 Brussel sprouts, outer leaves peeled, stem chopped off then sliced very fine
  • 1/2 a lemon
  • 1/2 an avocado, cut in to chunks and drizzled with lemon juice
  • 1 orange
  • 2 tbsp raisins
  • 1 small bag edamame beans
  • 1 apple

Dressing

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • salt

Method

  1. Place all fruits and vegetables except the apple and lemon in to a large bowl.
  2. Squeeze some of the lemon juice in to a shallow bowl with cold water in it (about half a cup is plenty)
  3. Cut the apple in to bite sized chunks and place immediately in to the lemon water until you are ready to eat the salad (this stops it turning brown)
  4. Mix the dressing ingredients together and whisk well
  5. Drain the apple, add to the other fruits and vegetables, pour over the dressing and mix well to combine all ingredients with the dressing.  I added the leftover lemon juice to the dressing too.

Healing supper 1

This tasted really good.

Healing Salad 1

I am so pleased I made a really healthy salad instead of having a curry.  This contains so many different fruits and vegetables and I really need a huge variety of nutrients to tackle this nasty chest and head cold that is developing.  The wonderful contrast of textures and flavours made this a very enjoyable salad indeed.  Definitely one to have again.  Every mouthful was a complete pleasure.

Healing Salad close up

So the cards are done, the tree and sitting room are decorated.  Lots of presents still to buy though and I have a delightfully busy diary ahead of me.  I am sure I will get it all done on time though – I always get there in the end.  After all, I don’t have to work again until after Christmas so how hard can it be?  Erm, well, there is the minor matter of the little holiday I am going on tomorrow with Lara and Harvey.  Plus 2 nights out I have planned, a dinner party I am hosting next Saturday for 10, a beach house requiring a changeover next Saturday.  There’s always Christmas Eve!

Now, what time are our flights in the morning?

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The End Of Term

Posted on December 14, 2012 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

I was awake early and logged on and working by 7:30 am to make sure I could finish up early.  After a couple of hours I was in the mood for making something interesting to eat. Inspired by Kath Eats who makes a Baked Banana Oatmeal, I made:

Baked Pumpkin And Raisin Oatmeal

Ingredients (serves 4)

Dry ingredients:

  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tbsp raisins
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt

Wet ingredients:

  • 1 egg, beat
  • 1/2 can pumpkin
  • 1.5 cups skim milk
  • 1/2 tsp pumpkin spice
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Method

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 180° C
  2. Line an 8″ deep sided pie dish with parchment paper
  3. Mix the dry ingredients together on one bowl and the wet ingredients together in another
  4. Stir the dry in to the wet
  5. Tip in to the pie dish and bake for half an hour

Baked oatmeal raw mixture

This was very quick and easy to make and tasted pretty good.  Not amazing but good.  Kath’s recipe suggested adding sliced bananas to the top and sprinkling with brown sugar to get a sweet and crunchy crust which would be good.  Or I might think about serving it with something like a vanilla yogurt.Baked oatmeal cooked

I had mine with 1 tbsp almond butter, a banana and some coconut chips.  It was good to have something different.Baked oatmeal with toppings

For lunch I made something else.  I sliced half a squash, spread it out on a baking tray and baked it for half an hour until it was tender all the way through.Sliced squash

I also whizzed up a batch of humous.  If you use canned chick peas and have a food processor, it is super easy and very quick.  I sprinkled some paprika on top and drizzled over some olive oil.  There is a humous recipe on my recipes page if you don’t have one.Humous 14-12-12

There was a spare dish popped in the fridge for later.Humous in glass dish

A very simple and tasty lunch.Pumpkin and humous

Not only did I break up today (Woo Hoo 🙂 ) but Harvey did too.  I collected him from school and we went to the local church where he was one of many gorgeous choristers.  My little cherub – such a proud Mummy moment.Harvey choir boy

I feel as if I am coming down with a nasty throat and chest so actually felt exhausted when we returned home.  I didn’t feel up to cooking so we stopped in at the garage and bought crisps.  Yes my dears, for tea, she who is trying to lose weight and be healthy let her child and herself have crisps for tea.  Dipped in to the other pot of humous.  Washed down with a medicinal whisky and ginger ale.Tyrells and HumousWe did have a clementine each too so a modicum of redemption.

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Christmas in Borough

Posted on December 13, 2012 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

Today was my last day in the office before next year.  I have to work tomorrow but from home so I enjoyed a potter around Borough Market as it will be my last for a few weeks.  When I return, I will be eating very healthily and back on the diet so I indulged a little today.

I went out for lunch at Wagamama with some of my colleagues: Guarev, Vineeta, Shahina and Zoe.  Thank you Indranil for taking the photo 🙂

Lunch colleaguesLook at this extraordinary drink.  We speculated about that little goldfish swimming amongst the seaweed.  Actually it is a jasmine “tea” but without the tea.  It is hot water poured over a jasmine flower and very pleasant.  I also drank their new blueberry, apple and ginger juice which was lovely.

Jasmine tea

I had miso soup with pickles.

Miso and pickles

Followed by a chicken in teryaki sauce dish with rice and vegetables.  I forget the name of it but it was number 70 !  I liked the chicken, sauce and vegetables but not all the rice.  I am not a fan of boiled white rice and this bowl was half filled with rice.

Wagamama lunch 13-12-12I wandered round the market looking for some gifts and perhaps some treats to have at home.  I bought some of these lovely clementines.

Turnip ClementinesAdmired the apples but was not in an apple mood today.

 

 

Turnip apple display

Billy – is this what you have in your vegetable box?  Salsify !Turnip salsify

A couple of these made their way in to my bag too.  I confess, I was thinking gin & tonic rather than anything else.Turnip lemons

We always used to have a bowl of nuts at Christmas but haven’t done so in recent years.Turnip nuts

There were several stalls selling mulled wine which gave the market a wonderful aroma.Christmas booze

Hello Monmouth Coffee Shop.  I had to treat myself as one of my New year resolutions will be to cut back on the lattes.  I am going to allow myself one a week only.Inside Monmouth

I have many nemeses and one is honeycomb.  I came across a stall selling honeycomb and honeycomb mixed with chocolate and nuts.  I caved and bought a bag.  Monmouth coffee and honeycomb is a wickedly naughty but heavenly combination.Coffee and honeycombI am busy this evening so I made a quick and easy supper of Red Leicester omelette with kale.

cheese omelette and kale 2

Simple and delicious.Cheese omelette and kale

 

I might have a clementine next.

 

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12:12 12-12-12

Posted on December 12, 2012 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

I was determined to try hard today to eat healthily.  I was working from home which makes it easier.

I am still enjoying the flowers Sally and Lucy R. sent me last week.  The lilies smell divine.

Lily close up

The roses are not very scented but they are a deep red velvet.  Just gorgeous.

red rose close up

I soaked 1/3 of a cup of raw buckwheat groats last night so I could add them in to a smoothie today.  I soaked them in water and rinsed well before using.

buckwheat groats soaked

Oranges are so sweet and juicy at the moment so I peeled one and popped it in.

orange close up

Along with 1 tbsp blue poppy seeds and 4 dates.

blue poppy seeds and dates

Plus some hemp seed milk.  This was really good but not filling enough.

smoothie 12-12-12

So about 2 hours later I had a small bowl of pecans, pistachios, raisins and 4 more dates.

nuts and dried fruit

Today was the last day I will ever experience the seconds, minutes, hours, day, month and year all being the same.  So I photographed the moment.  You will have to trust me on the seconds.

12-12-12 12 past 12

Lunch was super easy – I reheated the salmon, veggies and quinoa I had the other night.  It was OK but a tad dry so I added some mayonnaise which made it delicious again.

Quinoa and salmon

Supper was quite easy too.  Using a large frying pan, I fried some onions and chicken with a satay sauce , broccoli and kale plus some large Udon noodles.  I divide the pan in to separate areas and it works quite well at keeping the ingredients separate.

3 things in pan

Hard to photograph such a steaming bowl of yumminess.  A simple and very enjoyable supper.

chicken, noodles and greens

So, not too bad a day today 🙂

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Rubber Duck

Posted on December 11, 2012 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

Flat White in MonmouthI do lurve that flat white from Monmouth.  To me at least, it is the most perfect coffee.  I also had some porridge from Konditor & Cook which was good.

Sitting in the office a while later, I heard some of my colleagues making reference to a duck outside.  I assumed it was a duck sitting on one of the balconies and took no notice.  Until it was nearly too late.  There was an enormous rubber duck sailing down the Thames!  Then I couldn’t find my camera but I got there in the end.  Just managed to catch the duck sailing under Tower Bridge.  It is 50 feet tall so they had to raise the bridge to let it past.  It seems it is part of a stunt to promote a Bingo company.  It was very bizarre to see.

Large Rubber Duck on Thames

I went in to Borough Market for lunch and chose the falafel.

Nana Fanny's sign

I ate it back in the office as it was too cold outside.

Falafel wrap

I had 3 of these amazing, sweet and juicy clementines during the afternoon.

ClementinesI walked past this cute little window box on the way back to the office.

Christmasy window

These adorable Santas are made from clothes pegs.  So simple and so cute.

Santa pegsSo having been good all day, and managing a half hour walk at lunch time, I arrived home feeling happy about the day and then ate pizza!  Why do I do this?  I ate the whole pizza too, not just the half on the plate 😦

pepperoni pizza and letuce

Oh, rubber duck!

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400th

Posted on December 10, 2012 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

This is my 400th post!  I have had over 55,000 views which means 55,000 posts have been read.  Some of you read regularly, some dip in and out and others stumble across this blogspace by accident.  Whoever you are and however you get here, welcome 🙂

I confess to still feeling a little tired this morning from the weekends fun.  I had a lovely evening at home.  It involved lots of sprawling on the sofa alongside my gorgeous boy and a small dog.  Yes, Beryl was here for the weekend.

H and B under green blanket

This morning I focused on packing in some nutrients.  I had a very ripe mango

Mango hedgehog

and an avocado that just won’t ripen.  So I have given up with it and I popped it in the blender with the mango,

Avocado

plus 1 tbsp of each of these powders and coconut milk.

3 powders

It was thick and creamy.  Had a slightly strange taste (I think I overdid the hemp protein) but was very drinkable.

avocado and mango smoothie

It was sunny and bright outside but cold.  However, 3 little faces told me it was time to go for a walk.

3 dog faces

We went over the road and it was lovely.

3 dogs walking

The streams were all full and flowing

Full streams

and some have popped up where there are usually none.

Another stream

I snacked instead of having lunch which was a mistake.  Toast with marmalade and then  cheese and biscuits.  So not healthy and too many calories.

I tried to make it up at tea time.  I roasted the salmon with cherry tomatoes, red onion and a red pepper, drizzled with some olive oil.

Salmon and mixed veg

Served with Quinoa which I cooked with some vegetable stock.

Quinoa, cherry toms and salmon

Nothing else was added.  No salt or seasonings.

dinner 10-12-12 close up

It was good, tasty and healthy and I have a portion ready to take to work tomorrow.

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Friendship Is…..

Posted on December 9, 2012 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

I was going to call this post “How NOT To Lose Weight And Gain Health” due to the vast amounts of unhealthy food eaten and champagne quaffed but the over-arching theme of this wonderful weekend was friendship

Friendship is being invited round to to a friends for lunch

VGUTRs table

not once but twice in 2 weeks.  Even though I said I couldn’t come as I was working.  I was told to come when it was time to eat and stay as long as I could and to let someone else cook for me.

VGUTR's table with food

We had a home made lettuce and cheese flan, green salad (all from the garden), home made bread and potatoes.  The food was delicious but the best bit was the company.

Lettuce flan

Thank you Vegetable Grower for inviting us to sit beside your fire and for cooking for Sarah, Marion and me and to all of you for really brightening up an otherwise very dull day.

VGUTR's hearth

As soon as work was finished I raced down to Deal to Michelle’s.

Michelle's tree

It was time for my annual Christmas dinner and sleepover with my oldest friends.  Lucy, Gini, Sally and I were at school together and I worked with Michelle a long time ago.    Lucy, Gini and I even lived in the same road when were at school.  So we have known each other most of our lives.

Gini, Michelle and Sally

Thank you Emily for our Christmas message 🙂

Emily's chalk note

We settled in to Michelle’s cottage in Deal, put on our glad rags and headed out to an amazing little restaurant – The Dining Club.  It is in a Georgian house in Deal.  Each room is decorated differently and it is like having a private diner party.  All the food was cooked and served for us and we could take our own champagne and wine.

Inside the dining club

Being busy working women and Mothers, we all agreed one of the wonderful things about this place was not having to make a decision all evening.  It was so much more relaxing that way.  You can check the menu in advance but you do not choose when you arrive like you do normally in a restaurant.  We handed over our wine and they served it as they thought most appropriate for each course.  The food was lovely.  Quail’s egg and bacon pizza,

Quail's egg and bacon pizza

Gorgonzola and seared pear salad,

Pear and rocqufort

chicken with pesto, roasted tomatoes and spinach polenta,

chicken, tomatoes and polenta

some kind of cake in a syrup, sorbet, chocolate and peach.  Things were a little hazy by then so I can’t quite remember the details.

cake, peach and sorbet

Followed by toasted marshmallows, chocolate and coffee.  It was absolutely superb so I highly recommend it.  Go on, give them a ring and get yourself booked in.

Telephone

Back at Michelle’s more champagne corks popped, we sang, danced and exchanged gifts.  We snuggled up on the sofa and caught up on all we had missed out on over recent months in each others lives.  It was the most perfect evening with such very dear and special friends.

3 on sofa

Friendship is being brought a cup of tea in bed and then making a large breakfast for everyone.  Sally and Gini were way up on that friendship pedestal after rustling up this lot to help us get over what we had done to ourselves the evening before.

Cooked breakfast

The teapot was kept busy all morning until we felt sufficiently rehydrated to manage a walk.  We walked along the sea front which was totally therapeutic.

4 go walking

We walked about 4 – 5 miles.

4 on the beach

It was so beautiful walking by the sea and the colours at dusk were delightful

Deal beach near Zetland Arms

We found ourselves in the Black Douglas for tea and cake.

4 in the Black Douglas

I had the chocolate, rose and coconut which was good.  Gini’s Mum treated us – thank you Mutzi xx.

Chcolate, rose and coconut cake

Supper last night was less refined than the night before but hit the spot perfectly; fish and chips in the wonderful chippie in Middle Street.

in Deal

We were blessed with another bright and sunny day today.  After tea and toast and some Stollen ( yes, really), we went for another walk.  A shorter one today which took us along Deal pier.  I really like the architecture of this pier.  I like the simplicity, solidness and symmetry of it.

Deal Pier from restaurant

The view from here isn’t bad either.

Deal from the Pier

The restaurant at the end is a lovely space to sit in and the views from the windows all round are wonderful.    I was craving vegetables so had a Mediterranean vegetable wrap and salad.  The wrap was filled with courgettes, peppers and aubergine and cheese.  It was really good.

Med veg wrap in Jasin's

Then it was time to say good-bye 😦 .  Farewell lovely Lucy friend,

Lucy in Jasin's

thank you Sally and Gini for the bed, the breakfast and your friendship

Sally and Gini in Jasin's

and thank you Michelle for being the hostess with the mostest and a fab friend too.

M with champagne

Until next time lovely ladies – how many sleeps?

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Queenie

Posted on December 6, 2012 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

I enjoyed today, despite being a little tired from the night before!  The eating was dreadful at times.  In Monmouth they have these huge wooden bowls full of pastries which don’t usually tempt me but they did today.

Table of goodies in Monmouth

 

To go with my morning coffee I had an almond croissant.  It was very enjoyable.

Almond Croissant

I did more walking than usual today which was good.  I had to go to a meeting in an office on Gresham Street and enjoyed walking there with 2 colleagues.

Gresham Street

I enjoy being in the square mile.  I have worked here for so many years and always enjoy strolling around these streets which were once so familiar as I walked along them every day.

At Bank

Here’s the Bank of England.

Bank of ENgland

This statue opposite the Bank s of James Greathead who was the engineer who invented the shield which made it possible to do the deep drilling required to create the Underground tunnels.

James Greathead

I used to work a few doors up from Leadenhall Market which I used to visit every day for lunch.

Leadenhall Market

Then you will never guess what happened – I saw the Queen!  Quite by chance.  She was at a function in Fishmonger’s Hall on London Bridge.  I was walking back over the bridge to return to my usual office and there was a large crowd outside the building.  I walked past the crowd but was then stopped by a policewoman.  I was rather irritated as I had to get back for a meeting.  I was told to either wait for literally 2 minutes or cross the bridge and walk over the other side.  I asked why and was told the Queen was leaving the Hall.  Then there she was!  Looking lovely in green.

Crowds at Fishmonger's Hall

I felt rather guilty for standing completely at the front when other people had waited for a while.  Just lucky today I guess 🙂

The Queen in green

This one’s fuzzy but shows how close I was.

Fuzzy Queen

There she is getting in to her car.  Farewell your Majesty.

The Queen's car

By the time I got back to my office it was 3 pm so I had a very late lunch of cauliflower cheese soup from Pret which was delicious.  Eaten with a roll and then a chocolate Brownie.

At home I made a simple supper.

Avocado, tomato and Halloumi

Halloumi with tomatoes and avocado, drizzled with olive oil and some ground pepper.

Supper 6-12-12

So not the best day for eating but lots of walking and an enjoyable day with a little unexpected excitement of seeing the Queen.

Posted in Diet Struggles | 8 Comments

Short And Sweet

Posted on December 4, 2012 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

Flat White + Sour Cherry Granola

Monmouth coffee and K & C

Love these little cakes but didn’t buy one 🙂

Little K&C cakes

Lunch was with an ex-colleague at Del Mercato.  So good to see you Sue.  I had aubergine parmigiano and a green salad.

Aubergine parm and green salad

Had cake this afternoon 😦  Supper was leftover chilli with a huge handful of spinach stirred in while I heated it up.

Chilli and spinach

Now eating yogurt with raisins, nuts and brown sugar.  Feeling very tired, hence a short and sweet blog tonight.

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I Had A Cigarette

Posted on December 3, 2012 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

For some silly reason, when I am very tired I eat too much and the wrong thing.  I slept very badly last night and woke up much too early and felt tired all day.  I had at least 3 coffees this morning.  All lattes or flat whites so too many calories.  I began with a Caffe Nero and yogurt.

Caffe Nero coffee and yogurt

Next was a Starbucks with some toasted fruit bread.  No photo though.

At lunch time I went to the market on the hunt for something very healthy.  I wanted a wheatgrass shot and freshly squeezed juice but the juice bar was shut.  The market is a bit half hearted on a Monday with only a few stalls.  Nothing appealed so I continued to wander round.  Every time I go out I see something new.  Such as WH & H.Le May Hop Factors old building.

May Hop Factors

This building, on Borough High Street is so charming.  Look how beautiful this sculpture is at the top of the building.  I have been looking up what a ‘hop factor’ is.  It is a middleman who liaised between the growers of hops and the buyers who were mainly the breweries.  This area of London was the centre of the hop trade because what is now Borough High Street was the main route in to London from Kent where the hops were grown.  I feel so connected to this part of London.  The George, a pub near this building used to organise transport for hop pickers to travel from London to Kent, and some of the towns they stopped in were Cranbrook, Tenterden and Staplehurst – my local towns!!!!!

Hop Factors close up

I went to TAS cafe, a lovely Turkish cafe on Borough High Street.  There is a restaurant next door which I went to with Julia on Friday – it was excellent.

TAS bag

They have a fantastic salad bar and you get 6 salads for about £6.

TAS salad

The salads taste so fresh and full of flavour.  I had a falafel, homous, tabouleh, chick peas, feta cheese salad and my favourite was apple and spinach.  Awesome!

TAS salad close up

Plus I had a cigarette,  Yes, I really did.  Obviously not that type of cigarette though 🙂  I did smoke many years ago and gave up and have never looked back.  I am not at all tempted.  The cigarette I had was a Cigarette Borek – Feta cheese rolled up with pasty and deep fried.  Very unhealthy, full of squillions of calories but it tasted good.

Supper was a quick and easy bowl of pasta.  Wholemeal fusilli with a tomato based sauce and 3 rashers of crispy bacon.  Plus some Cheddar grated on top.

Fusili tomato sauce and bacon

As if all that wasn’t bad enough I had chocolate too.  It was destined for the advent calendar which is a lovely wooden one we bought last year.  I was supposed to fill it with sweets or chocolate before the 1st of December but forgot so I redeemed myself tonight and it now has a little bit of chocolate in it each day.  But I over bought so I over ate.  I am feeling very fed up with myself.  I am glad I don’t smoke though, even if it is a calorie free appetite suppressant!

Posted in Diet Struggles, Uncategorized | 4 Comments