Hummus Happiness

Posted on May 8, 2012 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

I took very few photos in London today.  Breakfast was a smoked salmon sandwich and skinny latte.

I had taken an egg salad to work to have for lunch and decided I wanted something else with it so I popped round the corner and bought a pot of Tuscan vegetable soup.

It came with some bread which I ate.  The soup was a little bland for me but full of vegetables so it was a healthy lunch, apart from the bread.

I left work on time and wanted to pack in a few extra vitamins while my supper cooked.  I picked 1 leaf each of chard, spinach and beetroot.  I cut the bad bits off 2 pears and blitzed the lot with some water and ice cubes.

This was not for the faint hearted!  With no sweetener in the form of banana or dates it was not that pleasant.  But so full of goodness I managed to get it down.  It did keep me going while I prepared the rest of my supper.

I began cooking supper on Sunday morning !

I wanted to make hummus with dried chick peas as they taste so much better then canned.  I found this article in The Guardian called ‘How To Make The Perfect Hummus’ and followed the recipe except I didn’t use Bicarbonate of soda.

Hummus

Ingredients:

  • 200 g dried chickpeas
  • 6 tbsp tahini
  • Juice of 1 lemon, or more to taste
  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed, or according to taste
  • Pinch of cumin
  • Salt, to taste
  • Olive oil, to top
  • Paprika or za’tar, to top (optional)

Method

  • Wash the chickpeas, place in a large bowl and cover with cold water for 24 – 36 hours.  Change the water approximately every 8 – 12 hours.
  • Drain the chickpeas, place in a saucepan, cover with water and boil for 1 – 2 hours until soft.  Check the water and top up if necessary.
  • Drain and reserve the cooking liquid.
  • Place about 1/4 of the cooking liquid in the blender with the Tahini, lemon juice, garlic, cumin and 1 tsp salt.
  • Add about half the chickpeas and pulse gently until combined.
  • Add the remaining chickpeas with sufficient reserved water to get the desired consistency.
  • Taste and season according to taste.

To serve you can add olive oil (not necessary) and paprika or za’tar.  I added neither and ate mine with celery and carrots.  It was delicious.

Home made Hummus is in a league of its own compared to supermarket pap.  And this one has no oil in it, except the oil in the Tahini.  It was sensational and I literally had to fight off the men in my house who were after my crudités or I would have starved! Make your own hummus and you will be amazed at the difference.

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Sun and Flowers and Seeds

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

I had something new today – Matcha.

I have been reading about the amazing antioxidant properties of this product and treated myself to a small packet.  It came in a cute tin and when I took the top off (it had a ring pull), some of the fine powder escaped and looked like smoke twisting out of the tin.  This all added to the mystique of this super food.

I had my 1/4 teaspoon and mini whisk all ready.

I mixed 1/4 tsp in to 60ml of water.  Well – I hope it does me some good.  It was expensive and tastes revolting!

Next on the menu today was a banana and pineapple smoothie which Harvey helped me prepare.

Between us we shared 1 pineapple, 1 banana, 1 small cup of water, 1 tsp cashew nut butter and 1 tsp apricot kernel butter.   They were all put in the blender and blitzed until really smooth.  It was lovely but probably a bit sweet for me as it was a very sweet pineapple.

The sun kept peeking out from the clouds which was so exciting.  For those of you who don’t live in the UK, we have just endured the wettest April in over 100 years so it seems like it has rained for about 4 weeks.  So to see the sun was a treat.

We went outside to do some gardening.  These beans in the greenhouse are ready to go outside so we planted them out, the climbers around the base of a bamboo wigwams and the dwarf varieties in the new vegetable bed plus some tucked in to a small flower bed.  I have planted out 4 varieties of bean this year.

The broad beans I planted in the Autumn are growing well and have plenty of flowers on them

but no beans in sight yet which there should be.  I think everything in the garden is behind where it should be, due to the terrible weather we have had recently.

I also planted out some more lettuces, 2 more types of kale, carrots, spring onions and bok choy.  The veggie garden is beginning to look good.

So are these tulips.

They are the colour of peaches.  I bought them in Costco last year and planted them late last summer.  I am really pleased with them.

Looking forward to getting my new macro lens so I can take better pictures of the detail in the beautiful world I live in.

We went out for a pub lunch.  It was a spontaneous decision and we went to The Hare in Langton Green.  I enjoyed a chilled pint of lager while I read the menu.

I had a bacon and liver casserole with carrots, red cabbage and mash.  Not excellent but it was fine.  James’ haddock and chips was excellent.  I didn’t try Harvey’s sausage and mash but he enjoyed it.

We went for a walk in Birchen Woods near Groombridge.

The bluebells are beginning to come out.  If only it was a bit sunnier and they could come out properly it would be really spectacular.

We walked round to Harrison Rock which is a large sandstone outcrop which is quite stunning.

Since I was sober today, I decided to make the  Norwegian Fish Cakes I failed to make yesterday.  I found the recipe on a blog I read regularly called Alternative Eating.  I had less fish than the original recipe so I adjusted my other ingredients accordingly.

Norwegian Fish Cakes

Ingredients (served 3)

  • 250 g cod (or other white fish)
  • 1 tbsp cornflour
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 – 1/2 tsp salt
  • Pepper
  • 1/3 chopped leek
  • oil for frying

Method

  • Chop fish in to pieces, place in blender and pulse
 
  • Add other ingredients and blend until well mixed

  • Heat oil in pan
  • Using 2 large spoons, dipped in to a cup of water, shape the fishcakes, place in pan and fry until golden on both sides.

I served these with mayonnaise and a mixed salad; lettuce, carrot, cherry tomatoes, sweetcorn and sunflower sprouts.  I made another one to take for work tomorrow and boiled an egg to take with it for extra protein.

My quantity made 8 fishcakes.

The boys did not like the texture of the fishcakes.  I think that was due to my fish rather then the recipe.  I used frozen cod fillets rather than fresh.  I was horrified by how much water came out of them when I defrosted them and I suspect they were still watery.  I liked the fish cakes and this was a very pleasant light supper.

I excelled myself this evening and made a pudding too!

Mango and Hazlenut Parfait

Ingredients (serves 2)

  • 2 tbsp hazlenuts, soaked in water for 8 hours
  • 3 medjool dates, soaked in water for 1 hour
  • 1 Mango
  • 1/2 a lime, peeled
  • 1 banana, frozen

Method

  • Place the hazelnuts in a bowl and cover with cold water in the morning
  • About an hour before serving, place the dates in a small dish and cover with water
  • Peel the mango and lime and place in the blender
  • Drain the hazelnuts and dry on kitchen paper
  • Add half the hazelnuts to the blender
  • Chop the remaining hazelnuts and set aside
  • Add the dates to the blender but reserve the liquid
  • Blend the ingredients together, adding some of the date soak water if necessary
  • When the ingredients are well blended, continue to blend on high for another minute so you achieve a consistency similar to a mousse.
  • Serve in a small glass with a layer of chopped nuts in the middle and the rest sprinkled on top.
If you don’t like nuts I think this would work very well without them too.

This was delicious.  Quite sweet but it is all natural and healthy ingredients so nothing to feel guilty about.  Soaking the nuts makes them softer but they are still crunchy.  And soaking the dates makes them much easier to blend.  This would make a tasty breakfast too.  Harvey loved it and declared it to be one of his favourite puddings ever 🙂

Apart from the chocolate I ate mid-afternoon ( 😦 ) that was a healthy days eating.   I hope you had a good day too.

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Mother’s Ruin

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

I failed today’s first objective – I didn’t even manage to set an objective!

Breakfast was delicious and easy as I had made it the night before.

Bircher Muesli:
1/3 cup oats
1/3 cup almond milk
1/3 cup natural yogurt
1 tbsp chia seeds
½ tsp cinnamon
1 grated apple

I really enjoy this for breakfast as it is fresh and full of flavor, satisfying but not too heavy.  Just right. 

I had a very busy morning moving Harvey’s bedroom from the small room he has inhabited since he was born in to the room previously known as “the playroom”.  He is really pleased with his new room but we now have the TV issue.  I have never allowed a TV in the bedroom for plenty of reasons, with which I will not bore you.  James and I don’t have one either by the way.  But there was a TV with PS3 in the playroom.  Which is now a bedroom.  So Harvey has a TV in his bedroom but no one else does.    2 of us are not too bothered by this.  But someone will be.  Oops 😦

After all that shifting things around we were all hungry so needed something quick. I bought a lovely crisp and flavoursome lettuce in Turnip in Borough Market on Friday

and had some of the wonderful gammon ham leftover from last Saturday’s local farmer’s market.

Ham + about 50 g cheddar + 2 eggs = omelette.

I made a simple dressing for the lettuce (1 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tbsp white wine vinegar, 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard, salt and pepper) and topped it with sprouted sunflower seeds.

I do make a good omelette, even if I do say so myself and that lettuce was really good.

It didn’t rain this afternoon so I managed to get outside, weeded the raised beds and I planted some parsnips, French breakfast radishes and 3 types of kale.  I then came in and decided to decant some of the sloe gin.

Those jars I use to ferment the sloes and gin in are very misleading.  It looks nearly empty doesn’t it?  Seemed a shame to put that tiny bit back in the cupboard so I thought I’d drink it.    That was when the afternoon began to get a bit squiffy.

I had hazy recollections of making a gin based cocktail one evening with Michelle and Lucy, with cherry brandy and fresh grapefruit.  It is a VERY hazy memory as we made a lot of cocktails but that memory inspired one of the most delicious drinks I have ever made.  All you need is some sloe gin, a pink grapefruit and ice.

I peeled the grapefruit, removing as much pith as possible and put it in the blender with some ice and blitzed it until it was very smooth.  I then added it to the very generous portion of sloe gin in the glass.

I-N-C-R-E-D-I-B-L-E !!!!!

The bitterness and freshness of the grapefruit cut through the sweetness of the sloe gin and my mouth was alive with a phenomenal flavour.  It had the consistency of a Slush Puppie but none of that nasty chemical flavour and artificial colours.  This was practically a health shake by comparison.  It was so delicious I got an ice-cream headache I drank the first one so fast.

I had some of the grapefruit slush leftover.  It’s the middle of the afternoon.  Shall I have another one?  I don’t mind if I do.

You really should make one of these if you have a blender powerful enough to blitz a grapefruit to a pulp and crush ice-cubes.  It was amazing.

Apology to my dogs for not going on that long walk I promised you this morning.  But I was busy all afternoon, working out and devising strategies to help the world’s poor snoring on the sofa.

When I woke up, the Norwegian fish cakes I had planned for supper seemed less appealing than they did when I bought the cod.  James and Harvey got over the disappointment very quickly and rustled up a Chinese take-away.  In my favour I did only eat half a portion of special fried rice

and sweet and sour chicken.

Death by MSG!

There is one more pink grapefruit left in the bowl and a large bottle of freshly decanted sloe gin in the cupboard ………

 

 

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Ped

Posted on May 5, 2012 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

-ped or -pede
[from Latin pēs, ped-  foot]

Objectives of the day:  eat a mainly plant based diet, go for a walk, have a pedicure and buy shoes.

Green smoothie for breakfast, starting with chard and spinach from the garden,

plus an apple and a banana

and some hemp seed milk.  It’s frothy man!

That fortified me for an hour long walk across the road with Harvey and the dogs.  It was wonderful to be out walking in the fresh air after a week in the office and the rain was quite kind to us i.e. it just drizzled occasionally and did not pour down on us.

I spent a very happy morning at the hairdressers being re-tinted and having a pedicure, one of the few but regular ways in which I pamper myself.  I think these feet have to work very hard so they deserve some TLC.  Love the bright pink piggies.

More green leaves for lunch.  A pile of baby salad leaves from Borough Market lined the bowl.

They were followed by cherry tomatoes and baby button mushrooms.

Topped up with sweetcorn and sprouted sunflower seeds.

I made a simple dressing (1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp white wine vinegar, salt and pepper) which was mixed and poured on top.

This was quite a light lunch but very healthy and tasty as the ingredients were all good.

Harvey and I spent the afternoon shoe shopping.  He needed new school shoes and I needed new shoes for work.  People seem surprised when I tell them I have lost weight on my feet but it is true.  When you put on weight it goes on everywhere and now most of my shoes are too loose.  I did well and came home with new work shoes, home shoes and new slippers.  Harvey did equally well.  Hard work all that shopping – a revivatory cuppa was required

made from Teapigs’ fantastic chai tea bags and almond milk.  A lovely cuppa!

Lots more veggies for supper – rainbow chard, spinach and skinny green beans

which I stir fried in a wok

and served with a sirloin steak.

I bought some mushroom pate in Borough Market yesterday

which we spread on the steak

It had cream cheese in it and just melted slightly and oozed over the steak.  Absolutley delicious.  The veggies were good too.  Crispier than I like but healthier that way and today was about health.

And feet.  And new shoes.  And 1o bright pink piggies.

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Pearly Kings and Queens

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

I succumbed again today to the luxury fruit bread.  I had a Monmouth flat white as a little treat and headed to Starbucks.  I hate their coffee but really like their fruit bread!  If you go in to a Starbucks, it is the bread with dried fruit in it that looks stale, curled at the edges and unappetising.  But toasted it is fantastic.

And with butter on it it is awesome !

As I walked in to the market at lunch time today, there was music outside the office and a crowd of people.  The pearly kings and queens were raising money.

Love this Bulldog!

For those of you who are not familiar with the pearly Kings and Queens, they are a very old London tradition.  The originated from the ‘costermongers’ who were street traders.  Each area of London had a group of costermongers and the leader acted on behalf of the local street traders.  They were like the first union leaders.  The costers developed their own style of speaking, which pre-dated cockney rhyming slang so they could speak to each other without their customers or the police understanding them.

In the early 19th Century, it was popular for those in wealthy West End Society to wear pearls.  The costers began to sew pearl buttons on their clothes and this developed in to the costumes they wear today.

They spend a lot of time raising money for charity and that is what they were doing today.  They were promoting a new museum:  The Cockney Museum.  If you are interested in knowing more about the pearly kings and queens, this is a good site.

Is it me or does this little guy look like Norman Wisdom?

They were all having fun and it was quite infectious.

I took some time today to wander round the market instead of rushing through it.  I felt incredibly lucky to work in such an amazing city and near to this wonderful market so I took the time to enjoy and appreciate it.

I bought Harvey some different types of liquorice.

I never knew liquorice came from sticks!

Turnips had a new stall of mixed salad leaves so I picked a large selection.  I intend to have a lot of salads this weekend, something my diet has been lacking lately.

I did not make very healthy diet choices for lunch today.  I chose an olive bread stick,

a ‘Tweet Tweet Chocolate Cookie’

and macaroni cheese, which was wonderful.

I had a great day at work today.  I finished a document I have put a lot of effort in to this week and I am really pleased with it.  I enjoy my job most of the time anyway and when you work really hard on something and are pleased with it, you get a tremendous sense of satisfaction from it.  So I left work late again but happy.

Now we have a 3 day weekend to look forward to as it is a bank holiday weekend.   I have neglected my lovely son recently so I am really looking forward to spending 3 days with him.  Happy days.  I hope you all have a great weekend.

 

 

 

Posted in Diet Struggles, History | 2 Comments

Healthy Hemp

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

I had some fruit bread and a coffee for breakfast but it was raining, again, so no photo.  I didn’t get out to lunch until 2:30 by which time I was really hungry.

I felt really tired too so I went to get some wheatgrass for a boost.

I mixed it with a smoothie so it was more palatable.  It was really good actually.

I went in to the market to go to Arabica, my new favourite but it wasn’t there!!!!!  So I went to an old favourite.  Toasted cheese.  Mmmmmm.  The advantage to going so late is that there wasn’t such a crowd do I had time to queue.

I chose the toasted sandwich rather than the raclette.  Yum.

My friend Eula recommended a hemp seed milk, mango and banana smoothie the other day so I tried it tonight.

Mango and Hemp Seed Smoothie

Ingredients (serves 2)

  • 1 large banana
  • 1 large mango
  • 300 ml hemp seed milk
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds
  • Blitz until smooth

It went the texture of custard which I love.  I could easily have drunk it all but I had to share with my little man.

I like the hemp seed milk and it made a change from almond milk.  Harvey really liked it too.  Thank you Eula.

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2 lunches

Posted on May 2, 2012 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

This week so far has been pretty brutal at work.  I worked about 12 1/2 hours today and the same yesterday plus a long commute.  I am knackered, hence no blog yesterday and todays will be brief.

Breakfasts were samey – muesli + fruit + yogurt.

Lunch yesterday was lovely.

My new favourite lunch shop is Konditor & Cook.  This sesame crusted salmon with oriental noodle salad was lovely.

This was extraordinarily good.  Spinach and parmesan muffin with a dollop of cream cheese in the middle.

FAB-U-LOUS!!!!!!!

Supper was something quick and easy (high carbs, high sugar) from M&S eaten on the train, both nights :-(.

Lunch today was another yummy trip to K&C.  They completely change their menu every day which is fantastic.

Today I had a courgette, green bean and pine nut salad which was completely delicious.

Followed by another green muffin.

So naughty but oh so good.

I hope your day was easier than mine.  The large gin and tonic I am drinking is helping.  But the gun shots I can hear are not!

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London Bridge

Posted on April 30, 2012 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

is falling down, falling down, falling down ….. Not really 🙂 .  It is still standing and I stood on it today in warm spring sunshine.

A bridge has stood here for hundreds of years and is now synonymous with commuters walking over it in the mornings on their way to work in the City.  When you see film footage of hundreds of people walking over a bridge, it is most likely London Bridge.

I had to pop out at lunch time to post my lovely namesake niece’s birthday card and I enjoyed a little stroll along the bridge so I could enjoy the sunshine and the view.  Looking West S.Paul’s looked as magnificent as ever

and to the East you see Tower Bridge and HMS Belfast.

On the way back to the office I went in to Konditor & Cook’s.  Fear not dear readers, not for cake but one of their salads.  I have not had one before but they look lovely.  I chose the Falafel salad.  It was fantastic.  The vegetables were fresh and the falafels were probably the best I have ever had 🙂

Supper was quick and easy.

Green smoothie made of rainbow chard, spinach, coconut, frozen banana, almond milk and yogurt.

Quite sweet and creamy.

Followed by a slice of wholemeal bread with peanut butter.  One half had blackcurrant jam on it too.

Simple but tasty enough.

I went to Weight Watchers on the way home for the first time in 4 weeks.  I weighed exactly the same.  Not a half pound more or a half pound less, but the same.  Which is OK.  It means I survived Easter and many days of over eating.  I am now back in healthy eating mode and working towards a loss for next week.

 

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Sorry Bambi

Posted on April 29, 2012 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

I felt really tired when I woke up – I am too old to go to bed at 2 am and then feel human the next day!  I wanted a green smoothie for breakfast to help revive me but it was raining too hard so I ate what was in the fridge instead: strawberries, banana, hazelnuts and almond milk.

It was a milk shake consistency smoothie which was refreshing and tasty.  Coupled with a cup of tea it did help revive me.

I had bought some lovely smoked haddock at Cranbrook’s Farmers Market yesterday and I used it to make a kedgeree.

I blogged about making a kedgeree before here .  I only had risotto rice so I used that and it worked very well.

We all love kedgeree so this was a very popular lunch choice.

After lunch the rain actually stopped and the sun shone brightly so I was able to snap a few pics of these beautiful tulips in my garden.

I got all excited about a walk with the dogs and then it rained again!

Another purchase in the market was some venison.  I actually went in search of lamb shanks.  I enjoy listening to Chris Evans’ breakfast show and he has raved about his wife’s lamb shanks several times.  I couldn’t find any though so I bought 2 venison shanks instead.

Slow Cooked Venison Shanks

Ingredients (serves 6)

  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
  • 4 carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 2 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
  • 1 can tomatoes
  • Red wine, pour wine to the top of  the empty tomato can
  • 2 tbsp tomato puree
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 venison shanks

Method

  • Heat 1/2 the oil in a frying pan
  • Add the onions and carrots and fry gently for 5 minutes
  • Add the garlic and fry for another 5 minutes
  • Add the tomatoes, wine, tomato puree, thyme and salt and pepper and bring to simmering point
  • Pour in to the slow cooker and turn on to low

  • Add the other 1 tbsp oil to the pan and heat
  • Brown the venison shanks on all sides
  • Place the venison shanks in to the sauce in the slow cooker
  • Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours, occasionally turning the meat so all sides braise in the sauce.

I didn’t have any tomato puree so I blitzed a small jar of sundried tomatoes and used that instead which worked very well.

To serve with the venison I stir fried some broccoli and rainbow chard from the garden

and, as requested by Harvey, mashed potato.

It was good.  Lovely tender and falling apart meat with a rich sauce.

 

As an accompaniment I served some redcurrant and port jelly

and a large glass or red wine.

I hope you had a relaxing Sunday too.

 

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Hanging Out

Posted on April 29, 2012 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

Feeling fruity first thing.

Alphonso Mango Smoothie

Ingredients (serves 2 – I could easily have had it all but I had to share!)

  • 1 Alphonso mango
  • 2 medium sized bananas
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 1 tbsp nut butter
  • Milk of choice added to make consistency of choice.  I used approx 300 ml almond milk.

Add to blender and blitz until really smooth.

These little Alphonso mangoes are intensely flavoured and a lovely deep orange colour.  They are also softer then the usual mangoes you can buy and easy to scrape out of the skin with a sturdy spoon.

I am loving sesame seeds at the moment.

Plus I added the remaining tbsp of coconut nut butter I made a few months ago – see how here.

Perfect.  The consistency of custard, thick and creamy with subtle undertones of sesame seeds and the mango rising above the other flavours.

I had a very busy morning which ended with us in Ramsgate as we had some chores to do at the beach house.  We then headed to Deal where Michelle has rented a cottage for herself and Ted to enjoy over the summer.  The weather was far worse at the coast.  The waves were churning so furiously they were brown as they carried so much sand.  I would have taken a photo but the wind was so strong I would have struggled to hold the camera steady and the rain was horizontal so it was pointless.  The hour I had spent in the hairdressers very soon seemed pointless too!

I wrote a blog about Deal here in January before I knew Michelle was soon to rent a cottage here.  In my photos is The Black Douglas Coffee House where today we whiled away the hours.  There are also pictures of many of the charming houses along Middle Street and Michelle’s cottage is just off this delightful street.

We did not get to the coffee house until about 3pm, by which time I was really hungry.  I started with a lovely latte.

Followed by a goat’s cheese and rainbow chard tart.

The tart was lovely – I can’t seem to get enough of rainbow chard at the moment.

I then “helped” Harvey finish his chocolate coconut and rose cake.  Actually I ate it because he did not like it.  He needed helping with the lemon polenta cake too.  Oops.

We were then joined by Michelle’s lovely niece Emily, Julian and Ted.

Ted was not in the mood for posing today.

The of us who know and love Michelle will not be at all surprised to see that she has bought Ted a rain coat :-).  Ted was concerned in case it was a bit girly!

We braved the howling winds and driving rain and walked to Michelle’s pretty little cottage.

Where we had a splendid afternoon, just hanging out.

In fact we were so relaxed we were late home and thus late for our dinner date at Sarah and Kevin’s.  Kevin makes the legendary ‘Manhunter’ cocktails which are incredibly moreish.  Luckily I was saved from myself because I offered to drive so I just had one.

A little note to those of us who say we are too busy to exercise.  Sarah worked all day until 4 pm, came home, fitted in a 6 mile walk with Kevin and then they both provided dinner for 8 people!  So no excuses folks, get out there and exercise.  Maybe not in the rain though :-).

Platters of Italian meats to nibble on while everyone was arriving and having the first drinks,

followed by chili with rice, salad and garlic bread,

delicious cheese platter

and home made fairy cakes.

After supper, the gentlemen adjourned to the smoking lounge

and the ladies chatted at the table.  More hanging out.  Marvellous.

Thank you Kevin and Sarah for such a wonderful evening and sorry I didn’t manage to get photos of everyone who was there.

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