Sandy Hits South Beach

Posted on October 26, 2012 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

Today started very well as I woke up and Lara was here :-).  She arrived late last night so we are now complete.  I also started the day eating well – oranges and watermelon followed by a small bowl of granola for breakfast.

I struggle to use the crockery here though as it is made of the same nerve jangling scrapey  stuff as the brown bowls that blighted my childhood breakfasts and desserts.   There is something about these bowls (the plates are not so bad) that make a noise when scraped by a spoon that is on a par with nails down a blackboard!  My sisters will understand what I mean.

My 3 sisters will all be amused and not at all surprised to hear that I have come to Florida, a place almost guaranteed to provide sunshine year round, and am experiencing rain.  I am unlucky with the weather whenever I go to Devon.  So unlucky in fact that they plan their holidays around me i.e. if I head West they run in the opposite direction.  Today we experienced, from a great distance luckily, Hurricane Sandy.  The normally blue skies of South Beach have been replaced by the grey skies we are all used to at home, along with high winds and torrential rain.

Palm fronds are very large when found lying on the ground.

The wind and rain are playing havoc with my usually immaculately coiffed hair 🙂

So what do we do when it rains in South Beach?  Shop of course.  South Beach is full of these tacky/kitsch shops selling all manner of tasteless clothes and holiday souvenirs.  There are also lots of quality shops too.

Between the tacky and the more interesting/tasteful shops, plus lunch, we happily amused ourselves for 8 hours!  My family are so good at amusing themselves.

Oh what fun we had.

Lara wanted to try a Starbucks to see if the USA ones were the same as at home (they are) and we allowed Harvey to have his first ever coffee.  He’s the man!

At lunch time Lara spotted a great cafe called Nexxt Cafe.  It was a great choice for lunch as it was busy with a lively and friendly ambience.  We all ordered a burger as they had some really interesting combinations and they looked fantastic.  Harvey’s had macaroni cheese on it – truly!

I chose a BBQ flavoured one which came with onion rings.  At home I despise onion rings and never eat them.  So I was confident I would eat my BBQ spicy Southern burger with green chili and cheese and pass the onion rings on.  However, these were excellent as they tasted of real onions and were in a very crispy batter.  So I am slightly ashamed to say I ate the lot.  It was brilliant.

We arrived back at our apartment very wet but safe.  It was very frightening walking back as the wind was so high and the rain extremely heavy.  We were all soaked through to our undies – literally everything was dripping wet and could be wrung out.  Even new clothes which were still in bags were wet.  Relax – no photos of our wet under garments :-).

The bonus of eating so much at lunch time is that we didn’t need dinner.  Just a little something.  Lara made a fantastic guacamole, using half the huge avocado, half a fresh  lime and a large plum tomato, mashed with lime juice.  We ate this with Doritos.

The wind and rain are worse so we are not going out again tonight.  We have a jug of margaritas, the cards are out and we are all happy here.  Hope you are too.

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Welcome To The Sunshine State

Posted on October 25, 2012 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

These Florida oranges are so sweet and juicy – a perfect way to start the day.

Followed by some granola

which I had with Oiko’s, a 0% fat yogurt a blog I regularly read raves about.  I am not a fan of the Oiko’s but the granola was good.

We planned to spend today at the beach but it was so windy we had to abandon the beach.  The lifeguards were flying the red warning flag meaning we couldn’t swim as the waves were too rough (plus there was high risk of rip currents). After about 10 minutes paddling we tried to relax on the sun loungers.  But it was so windy, the sand was whipped at you with such speed it was actually painful.  So we left the beach and walked about and admired the wonderful architecture instead.

We wandered past the Versace mansion, which isn’t called that but you know where I mean.

There were vintage cars

and cop cars, so something for everyone to admire.

For lunch we returned to our apartment at the Ocean Reef Suites.

This apartment is very basic but it is superbly located in the heart of the Art Deco district in South Beach.

We had a simple lunch of bread with red pepper hummus, tomatoes and broccoli sprouts.

I also had a Swiss cheese, rocket, tomato and broccoli sprouts sandwich and another slice with peanut butter on.  That sounds like a lot but the loaf is small and the tomato has been sliced from a plum tomato which perhaps makes it look as if the bread is a standard sized loaf, which it wasn’t.

I enjoyed my lunch with a Margarita and we then wandered around a little more.  We found an ice-cream parlour

and all had an ice-cream.  A very large ice-cream!

Look how deserted this beach is?  Normally South Beach is packed full of people but by late afternoon the only person on this beach was the lifeguard.

During the afternoon the weather became progressively worse.  We were so thankful we hadn’t gone to Cuba, which was my first choice of destination for this holiday and we didn’t go there because of concern about a hurricane.  Our thoughts are with all the people in Jamaica, Haiti and Cuba who are contending with Hurricane Sandy.  In Florida we feel the outlying winds which became stronger as the day turned to night but still seemingly nothing to worry about here.

Everyone continued shopping, eating, drinking and partying.

We had dinner in Jerry’s Deli which was just a few blocks up our street.

Although it was called a “Deli”, it was like a New York diner, even down to the faux red leather seats and the booths.

I had a strawberry Daquiri which was served with whipped cream on top which was unusual!

Remembering the huge ice-cream I had in the afternoon I stuck to a salad for supper; Chicken Caesar.  It was good.  I also had a few of Harvey’s fries but no starter or dessert or anything else to drink even apart from water.

I might have a Margarita night cap though :-).  Here’s hoping Hurricane Sandy moves away from the Islands and causes no more damage.  I particularly hope the flights all land safely as I am waiting, anxiously, for the most precious of cargo to arrive here at about 1 am :-).

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Moving On

Posted on October 24, 2012 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

What did we do today?

We woke up to another gloriously sunny morning and decided today to treat ourselves to lunch at the Biltmore instead of breakfast.  We really couldn’t justify their huge breakfast and a lunch so we walked in to the shopping centre of Coral Gables to buy a cheaper and smaller breakfast.  This is City Hall and the statue is of George Merrick who boght the land the city is now on and developed the Biltmore and encouraged the building of all the amazing houses.  He deserves a statue outside City Hall.

Unfortunately, when viewed from certain angles, the scroll he is holding seems to be something altogether different!

One of the things on James’ to do list this holiday was have a bagel so we were pleased to see a bagel bar.  We each had a bagel with cream cheese – mine was pumpkin and walnut and was delicious as it had sugared walnuts and lots of cinnamon.  Not a healthy option but one so delicious every calorie was worthwhile.  Washed down with a small Starbucks latte.

Instead of taking one of the hotel’s courtesy cars, we walked there and back which is probably around 3 miles.  It is warm but the streets are so shady it is very comfortable for walking in.  Plus, it is an area we all felt very safe walking around in.  The locals were friendly and helpful – they stopped and volunteered help when they saw us standing there with our map.

Coconut anyone?

We walked back passed the Merrick House, where it all began for Coral Gables.

Home sweet home, back at the amazing Biltmore Hotel.

Inside the cavernous lobby they have 2 of these striking aviaries with pretty little birds inside.

Some of the lobby looks as if it belongs in the Arabian nights and then other parts have this extraordinary panelled and painted ceiling.  It is such a stunning building.

Outside, the swimming pool is one of the many jewels in the Biltmore’s crown.  It is the largest hotel swimming pool in the Continental USA.

From this view you are looking towards one of the outside eating areas and the waterfalls, from which Jonny Weissmuller dived during spectacular shows the Biltmore put on.

Along the right hand side of this view of the pool, are private gardens with luxurious recliners to sit on plus an open sided sitting room area, all secluded from the rest of the guests.  Well, unless they are nosey like I am 🙂

It was never very busy by the pool so whatever time we arrived we had a choice of chairs.  The charming young men who tended the poolside area brought you iced water.

Or maybe a Mojito?  This one had a strip of sugar cane in it – nice touch.

Plus anything else you fancied from the menu.  American service really is exemplary.  They make you feel as if nothing is any trouble and they are genuinely pleased to be able to help you.  We ate poolside.  A blue cheese burger and fries.  It was fabulous, everything a burger should be and cooked how I like it.  I did eat every morsel of the burger but only about half the fries.

I was really sad to leave the Biltmore.  That has to be one of the very best hotels I have stayed in, anywhere in the world.  It was all old world charm and grace and a place where quality and service were excellent.  I felt pampered and spoilt and cocooned from the real world.  I can not fault the Biltmore and highly recommend it.  Unless that is, you crave excitement and lots going on around you, in which case it is not the place for you.

Where did we go next?  The next place was James’ choice.  I m not sure if he has forgotten he is no longer a twenty something but he has chosen South Beach.  Well, actually he chose South Beach but that was full so we are very slightly North in Miami Beach.

The beach itself is stunning.  Very wide and very long.  Hurricane Sandy is just offshore so it was rough out there and very windy but nevertheless, this is a superb sandy beach.  The iconic lifeguard huts are fabulous.

The architecture here is gorgeous, as I expected it to be.

We are going for a little bit more self catering than full hotel service, so we have hired a small apartment 1 block back from the beach,  which is fine with me.

I actually enjoyed shopping for and preparing my simple supper of rocket, broccoli sprouts, tomatoes, ham, a peach and a nectarine.  I would have been ok if I had stopped there but I didn’t :-(.  An Oreo brownie and some crisps crossed the threshold of my lips.

I enjoyed making and drinking a tequila cocktail or two.  But I disliked the scarey walk through this neighbourhood in search of a supermarket.  In fact we, were all scared so we hopped in a cab back to our apartment.

I most disliked feeling so out of place.  We wanted to sit and have a beer but all the bars along the beach were full of young trendy people, out to have a very long and debauched night.  I am sure there is somewhere here for middle aged people and 10 year old boys but I haven’t found it yet.  I just felt geriatric and bariatric.  The peace and quiet of Coral Gables seem like a long way from here.  I hope my ear plugs are effective!

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Beautiful Biltmore 2

Posted on October 23, 2012 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

I brought a small chopping board and a very sharp knife with me, so I would have no excuses for not preparing fresh fruit.

We began the day with slices of orange and red grapefruit, both of which were so juicy they were impossible to eat without slurping noisily.

We glugged some water and set off for an early morning stroll around the neighbourhood.  This area has lots of Banyan trees which are incredible structures.

They do not have a central trunk like the trees I am used to seeing.  Instead trunk like structures grow in all directions and new trunks grow over the existing.  Or under.  Or between.

They grow in all directions and create dramatic tree tunnels over the roads.

Their buttress roots are extensive and these trees are huge.

Coral Way was busy but beautiful; the moss covered trees created a tree tunnel.

The beautiful houses here are beginning to put out their Halloween decorations.

This road has ghosts hanging from the trees.

It seems strange to not be doing a pumpkin this year.

This is such a beautiful neighbourhood.  The City of Coral Gables was built in the 1920’s and you quite often come across these charming old walls.

I really enjoyed the tropical foliage

and plants.

Harvey enjoyed seeing the children going to school, knowing he was on holiday.  I think the school bus is a fantastic idea and one we should import.

Back at the hotel,

we headed to breakfast.

Yesterday we sat inside but today we had a table in the fountain courtyard.

This is a stunning 2 storey structure, where, as with the rest of the hotel, the attention to detail and decoration is very good quality.  We are seeing it in its prime as it has just been redecorated and we are very appreciative.

I started as I did yesterday with a plate of fresh fruit, some cheese and ham.

I then succumbed to bread and had 2 small rolls with some more cheese and grapes.  The cheese was amazing so I couldn’t resist.

I also had more of the delicious granola with yogurt.  We all ate heartily as it is a buffet so you can help yourself and we are only eating twice a day, in an attempt to eat well but save money.  This place is fabulous but not cheap.

The service here is faultless.  The staff are all polite but friendly.  Not in your face but there when you need them.  Glasses of water or juice and coffee are constantly refilled and no request seems too much.  I could get used to this!  Everything is such lovely quality with attention to detail.

Having walked and gorged eaten, we headed to the pool to relax.  Would I like a chair cover Ma’am?  How many towels would I like?  Could they get me a glass of iced water?  Oh, yes please :-).  This was the view from my sun lounger.  Bliss.

I swam quite a bit.  Easy to do as this is the largest hotel pool in Continental USA.  After swimming and relaxing and being waited on, we retreated to our suite to relax even more.  Did I say suite?  I seem to have clicked on the Junior Suite button rather than large bedroom when I booked it.  Oops :-).

The small but perfectly formed sitting room is a welcome addition to the generously sized bedroom.  Plenty of space to add an extra bed.   The central console which divides the bedroom area from the sitting area has a tv on both sides which is fab so you can watch tv from the sofa or bed or both at the same time.

Harvey thinks this is his bed as it has his initials on it.

Early evening they provide a complimentary chocolate chip cookie – I confess I couldn’t resist and ate it.

For dinner we went to Ortanique,

a Jamaican restaurant on Miracle Mile.  I was amazed at how busy the restaurants and bars were for a Monday night.  The menus had little lights on them which I have never seen on a menu before.  Similar to the one on a Kindle.

I started with a cherry, orange and rum cocktail and complimentary garlic bread.  For appetizer I had corn and conch fritters served with black beans and a roasted pepper sauce.

For a main I had a steak with “broccolini” (tender stem) and yukka fries.  The portions at Ortanique were quite modest but sufficient.  I prefer to eat like this as I eat what I am given.  Eating small portions makes me realise I should do that more often.

Dessert was a mango milk cake which I was not too keen on.  This was a great restaurant in the heart of the shopping and restaurant district on Miracle Mile.  Unfortunately the youngest member of our group was too tired to want to walk about so we called a car from the hotel.  I would have liked to stroll back to the hotel but he was just too tired tonight.

So we are back in our lovely room at this amazing hotel, relaxing and enjoying the peace and quiet.  We are leaving tomorrow for a hotel and area of Miami James has chosen.  Those of you who know him will guess correctly that it is somewhere much cheaper!  I put my foot down at the budget motels he initially proposed and while I am reluctant to EVER leave this little bit of paradise on earth, we have to as it is beyond our budget.  It has been an amazing treat and much needed.  Thank you Biltmore hotel and all the wonderful staff, for healing and restoring me so I feel like a human being again.

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Beautiful Biltmore

Posted on October 22, 2012 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

Greetings from the beautiful Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, Miami.  It’s beautiful here :-).  We all slept quite well and didn’t wake up until nearly 6am which was good.  We waited an hour and then got up and dashed down to breakfast as we were starving as we’d had no dinner the night before.

What a vision this buffet breakfast was.

My strategy was to have a little of the cheese and ham, no carbs and stacks of fruit.

This was all delicious.

I avoided all the breads and pastries but did succumb to some granola which I had with some thick Greek yogurt and seeds.

It was amazing.  I suspect the granola was full of oil and sugar but I only had a small amount.

I was still peckish after all that so I had a side plate with some ham, melon, grapes and tiny piece of Edam.  We were hoping to just have a brunch and then an early supper, hence the second plate with some additional protein on it to keep me going for longer.

All washed down with gallons of freshly squeezed Florida orange juice and coffee.  Thus fortified, we strolled along the beautiful streets to the destination of the day.  It wasn’t far but we saw so many beautiful sights we kept stopping to take photos or just stand and admire.  In the 5 or 6 blocks we walked, we saw:

a flock of Ibis’ just outside the hotel

this beautiful church which is opposite the hotel

lots of lizards

Spanish Moss, growing on the trees which to me is one of the images of the South

I like these street signs which are placed on the grass verges

This fountain was spectacular.

It is the De Soto Fountain

it was old, beautiful and utterly charming, situated on a roundabout.

Our destination for the day was the Venetian Pool which was built in 1923.

When the city of Coral Gables was built, a lot of the grand houses were made from Coral which is the bed rock of this part of Miami.  When it had been quarried, it left a big ugly hole which was made in to this stunning pool.  The pool is fed from a spring water so it is a lovely place to swim.

The design is inspired by Venice.  They did a good job.

It seemed more real with a varied mix of people and we all had a lovely day here.

There were waterfalls to swim under, caves to swim in and it was large enough and not too busy so we could actually swim too.  It was so good to stretch out after a day on planes yesterday.

Someone small certainly enjoyed himself!

Sorry folks back home but it is sunny, warm and bright here.  I am loving the brightness after all the grey we have experienced at home lately.

After about 4 hours swimming, reading and snoozing we wandered back to the Biltmore to join a tour.  The hotel has a fascinating history.  It was built in the 1920’s and has been a successful hotel, a military hospital, abandoned and left to ruin but is now a restored and beautiful hotel again.  It has 2 ballrooms, one of which was being set up for a wedding that evening.

The ceiling is made up of a series of painted wooden panels.

The Biltmore was one of the most fashionable resorts in the entire country in its heyday, hosting royalty of both the European and Hollywood variety. The Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Ginger Rogers, Judy Garland and Bing Crosby were frequent guests. In fact, everyone who was anyone – from politicians like President Franklin D. Roosevelt to notorious gangsters like Al Capone – stayed at The Biltmore.  Jonny Weissmuller (who played Tarzan) was a swimming instructor here.  You get a sense of the grandeur and glamour and we are all loving being here.

The hotel provides a car service to drive you around the local area.  By mid – late afternoon we were very hungry so we took a car to Miracle Mile, the main shopping and restaurant area.  We chose Seasons 52 because according to my Lonely Planet guide, the restaurant changes its specials weekly, depending on what is in season and favours local produce.  I had a rum and coke and a couple of beers.

We had a booth which to me gave the place a 1970’s feel.  That and the block design of the seat fabric and the dark brown walls.  It was a good choice of restaurant  – very comfortable and superb service.

 

For starters we had flatbreads and mine was topped with “shrimps”, pineapple and spicy chipotle sauce.  It was good.  It came on a very long platter but the flatbread was extremely thin so I don’t think it was too disastrous.

I tried Harvey’s which had lamb and Feta cheese and James’ mushroom with spinach, crab and shrimp under a panko crust!

For a main I went for a BBQ chicken salad with roasted peppers and corn with blue cheese.  I was keeping things light so I could have a dessert.

The desserts were fun.  They were tiny portions of classics such as key lime pie.  At only $2.50 each and being so tiny, I confess I had 2:  a pecan pie and a pumpkin pie.  They were both delicious.

Well, how tempting was it, being brought all of them and asked to choose.  I couldn’t decide so I had both the ones I wanted:-).

We decided to walk home rather than call for a car and we popped in to a supermarket.  I enjoy food shopping in other countries.  They had some things I had never seen or heard of before,

some commonly found things at home but that are different here, such as the red and blue corn,

and some things of quite a different scale.  These are avocados which are the size of pineapples!

We stocked up on some snacks, fruit and wine and headed back to the Biltmore.  Where we are now relaxing in our room, watching Hunger Games and sipping wine.  I could get used to this luxury lifestyle.

Posted in History | 2 Comments

Jet Fuel and Jet Lag

Posted on October 21, 2012 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

Today was one very long day.  We started at 4am from our hotel at Heathrow airport.  Our flight to the States left early so we checked in to the Crowne Plaza and we can park there for 2 weeks at rates comparable to the car parks.

Before boarding, guess where we went?  The heavily branded wrappers are a bit of a clue! I had a small skinny latte and toasted fruit bread. I am not really a Starbucks fan as their coffee is so insipid but I really like their fruit bread.

We flew with American Airlines and they were perfectly adequate.  Our first flight was 8.5 hours to Chicago and they served a brunch of omelette with potato hash, fruit bowl,  croissant with jam, crackers and cheese spread, cheese snax and a mini Toblerone.  With as much juice, tea and coffee as you required.

The omelette and potato hash was ok.

This fruit bowl was sweet, juicy and refreshing.

I dislike flying but compared to work recently, which has been so hectic and involved many long hours, it was actually rather enjoyable being able to sit and watch some films, read my Kindle and play backgammon.  I was impressed by American Airlines’ entertainment facilities on the back of the seat in front of you.

Later on in the flight they served a simple but stodgy meal of pizza, pasta salad and a cookie.  It was ok but too many carbs.

At Chicago we changed on to a smaller plane for a 3 hour flight to Miami which we only just caught.  We went through immigration at Chicago which took ages.  The queues did not seem too long initially, certainly not compared to Heathrow!  But the customs process is so slow.  They ask questions, you have to provide fingerprints and a photo.   To make matters worse, the customs officer we were queueing for marched off the person in front of us and was gone for ages which was really stressful.  We only just made our Miami flight and were scolded by the AA staff at the gate for being so late.  They were rewarded with one of my most displeased and unimpressed glares I have managed to pull off in a long time!

Finally we made it to Miami 🙂  We are starting off in a luxury hotel of my choice.  The lobby was impressive.  I am really looking forward to being in this hotel which has a very interesting history which I intend to share over the next couple of days, but not tonight.

Our room faces out from the front of the hotel which looks how I expected manicured Florida to look.  I have never been to Florida before but so far it is as I expected, visually.

Once we had checked in we sat down and enjoyed an ice cold beer and some nuts in the hotel bar.

Having relaxed with a couple of beers we enjoyed an early evening swim in the hotel pool.  It was heavenly to cool down and begin to relax.  We swam around this lovely pool (apparently the largest of any hotel in USA) until it was dark.  We strolled around a little and enjoyed watching the lizards racing off the path as we walked towards them and in to the bushes plus we watched the beginning of a wedding.  The bride wore white but the guests were all dressed up in black tie.  I wonder if that is common in USA.

We were going to order room service and watch a movie but actually none of us are hungry.  So we are watching tv for simpletons and struggling to stay awake.  I have now been awake nearly 22 hours and am knackered.  But glad to be here and excited about the next 2 weeks.

Posted in Uncategorized | 11 Comments

Gone Potty

Posted on October 16, 2012 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

Thanks to a bout of insomnia last night I was up in the very early hours so I made breakfast and lunch.

In the breakfast pot went 1/4 cup oats, 1/4 cup oat bran, 1 tbsp chia seeds, hazlenut milk and frozen raspberries (which were not frozen by the time I ate them).  It looks unappetising but it tasted OK.

In the lunch box went tomatoes, celery, red pepper, goats cheese and 2 dates.  All chopped and mixed together with some herby oil my sister gave me for my birthday.   There were a lot of vegetables in my lunch box, despite the photo making it look like a tub full of cheese.

I returned from the office at lunch time today to work from home.  I was hungry mid-afternoon so I had a smoothie.  I found a frozen apricot in the freezer and blended that with an apple, blue poppy seeds, 1 tbsp Udo’s oil and Almond milk.

It was not amazing but it filled a hole and gave me some decent nutrients.  I was feeling tired and stressed so I was pleased I went for a smoothie rather than being tempted by stodgy carbs.

I took the dogs for a walk in the woods in an attempt to keep the weight down and relax.  It did help me relax a bit.  Supper was another pot full of food – vegetables left over from last Sunday’s dinner i.e. about 9 days ago.  I hate throwing food away!

I cooked some brown Basmati rice and stir fried it with the previously cooked veg, 2 eggs and soy sauce.  Unremarkable and unimaginative but comforting and nourishing.

I am settling back to watch the Great British Bake off final.  Recorded because I only stopped working at 10:15 pm!  Can’t wait to go away 🙂

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Mid-Surrey Came to Camber

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

I was so happy it was sunny when I woke up as we had a day at the beach planned :-).  I made a delicious smoothie to start off with.  I am going to share the recipe as it is one to make again.

Pear and Passionfruit Smoothie

Ingredients (serves 1)

  • 1/4 cup of oats
  • 2 cups Hazlenut milk (or milk of your choice)
  • 1 tbsp Udo’s oil (or oil of your choice such as flax)
  • 1 tbsp Chia seeds
  • 1/2 frozen banana
  • 1 pear, quartered and cored
  • 1 passionfruit

Put in the blender and blitz.

This smoothie had a lovely consistency and texture and an interesting flavour.  I really enjoyed it and will definitely make it again.

I had a lovely brunch date to look forward to this morning at The Apothecary in Rye.

Sally and I met for a coffee and then we had the Welsh Rarebit with salad and homemade coleslaw.

Welsh Rarebit is a thick creamy cheese sauce served over toasted bread.  Sally treated me which made it even tastier 🙂 Thank you Sally.

We had window seats so could enjoy watching the comings and goings of Rye High Street.

Then we had a wander around this charming town.  The buildings here are so old and varied.  Love this one.

From this cute little castle you have a wonderful view out to the sea beyond.

Look at this curious structure.  It’s a water tower!  It was built in 1735.

We know this thanks to this handy sign.

This is the pump where the townsfolk of Rye would have come to fetch their water.

But we weren’t really here to admire Rye.  We dumped Troy’s car in a field carefully parked the car near the beach and helped the girls and ponies off the truck.

Hi Holly and Mac 🙂

Some very excited girls.

Mid-Surrey Pony Club had brought lots of ponies and horse down to Camber to have a ride along the beach.  For some of these ponies and their young riders it was their first time on the beach so it was very exciting.

None of them seemed to have any trouble at all with the shingle or the beach and they were off!

Lovely quiet beach at Camber today.

These 2 definitely enjoyed their gallop to Rye and back.

Back home we tucked in to roast pork which I had with half a sweet potato and half a corn cob.  I was too tired to do much more.  We had put the meat on to roast in a low oven this morning so most of the fat had dripped out leaving a very succulent meat that just falls apart when you cut it.

This pork came from the farm at Harvey’s school so we know it came from a happy and local pig.  It was delicious which I am pleased about as I have a freezer full of it!

I had a wonderful Sunday.  I hope you did too.

Posted in Beach, History, Keep It Local, Recipe | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Wok A Block Full

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

I lurve the weekend!  We started with an easy breakfast of a tomato omelette.  We each had 1 large tomato chopped and lightly fried in butter then 2 eggs made in to an omelette.

I spent the morning visiting my Dad and Jilly.  Technically I spent my morning stuck in a traffic jam near Tunbridge Wells and I eventually got to Dad’s just after Midday and we had a vegetable and pesto pizza for lunch.  I had 2 and a half slices so not too disasterous.  It was so good to see them and they both seemed very well.

Harvey ❤ Beryl.

I decided we needed to pile on the veggies tonight.  Left to their own devices, the boys had KFC for lunch so they needed rescuing. This should help.

I chopped up all the veggies and sliced the chicken in to thin slices to help it defrost.  I sprinkled a Caribbean spice mix on to the chicken and left it to marinate for about an hour

and cooked the veg with some plum sauce to give them a hint of sweetness.

It worked out very well.

We are having a quiet and fun night in – thanks Lara, the Logo board game is really good 🙂

 

I had some wine this evening but no sweets, snacks or naughtys all day 🙂

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It’s a Wrap

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

I don’t know what is going on this week but I am struggling to sleep beyond 4am!!!  Well I do actually – it is caused by stressing about work.  Yesterday I gave in and got up at 5 am and went to the office.  I tried to take a photo of the sun rise but the flash against the glass created a rather interesting picture instead.I worked non stop until the evening when I toddled over to Hays Galleria to meet my dear friend Karen, who I worked with for years.

We always have a good time and last night was no exception.  Balls Brothers actually does a happy hour which gives you half price on selected wines.  I do like a bargain 🙂  It made this £40 bottle of wine rather affordable and very enjoyable.   I did have a fun evening and can’t wait to see Karen again soon.

Today I was determined to eat better than I have recently, so I did.  It is much easier when you work from home.

I made this amazing smoothie from frozen berries, banana, avocado, almond milk and 1 tbsp Tahini.

I blitzed it for ages and it came out thick and smooth.  Avocado contributes to smoothies having a wonderful texture plus providing vitamins and essential oils.  You should add one to yours next time.

I was too busy to eat that until nearly midday so that became breakfast and lunch.  For supper I started out with some tomatoes and wholemeal wraps.

I fried an onion with some mushrooms and set that aside.  I placed one wrap in the frying pan and grated cheese on top.  I placed the onions and mushrooms on the cheese, then some chopped up cherry tomatoes and another grating of cheese.

I placed another wrap on top and cooked over a low heat for about 10 minutes so the cheese melted and the tomatoes warmed through.

I served this with some jalapenos and beans left over from last week.  Very easy and it tasted lovely.

Harvey realised yet again today that he really does have the best sister in the world.  She posted him a game and huge bar of chocolate ( I did have a row) just because she loves him.  He was thrilled to bits.  Thank you Lara, it was incredibly thoughtful and very generous.

This week has been particularly tiring because it has been stressful.  The project I have been working on for the last 7 months is being implemented tonight.  So while I can sit here and relax as everything is now in the capable hands of the implementation team, I am glued to my phone and enjoying the regular texts updating me of progress.  So far, so good.  Let’s hope it’s a wrap!

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