Women Of The Weald

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

I had an old favourite for breakfast with a new twist.

I made porridge with coconut water and it was delicious.  30 g oats, 1 tsp chia seeds 200ml coconut water, 50 ml water served with 15 g coconut nut butter and blueberries.  I brought the porridge to a rapid boil and then simmered gently for 5 minutes which made it the perfect consistency.

Washed down with a lovely cup of tea. My immediate neighbour returned from a trip to Sri Lanka recently and brought me some lovely tea from a tea plantation she visited and actually picked tea at.  I opened this packet today and it was very good.

I then spent 2 and a half hours walking in the forest with Lucy.  We walked through to the cycle track and then walked the entire loop and back to the car.  It was great to do a long walk and have a really good catch up with Lucy.  I will miss our dog walks and was pleased to have ended with such an excellent one.

The walk is an easy one because it is along paths but it is up and down hills and by the end of it I could feel it in my legs.  I was also very hungry and looking forward to my lunch at Sarah’s, who lives conveniently over the road 🙂

Sarah served a wonderful lunch which was a combination of very healthy and diet friendly food with less diet friendly extras.  If only I had managed to stick to what I first put on my plate I could have gone home feeling proud of myself.  One slice of mushroom and cheese pizza, lots of salad with no dressing, a chicken breast and a delicious potato gratin which was from a Slimming World cook book.  Healthy, nutritious and diet friendly.

Unfortunately, I am me and when other food is there, I have to have it.  I started munching on these irresistible cheesy bread squares Sarah always makes which are totally yummy.

I also added some sun dried tomatoes and Feta cheese to my plate.  Still not a major disaster.  I picked at some Foccaccia.  I could still have returned home, head held high.

And then, out came the naughties.  Admittedly, Sarah provided blueberries and grapes and if I had any willpower I could have eaten those, been happy and realised I was full.  It was not to be.  No such sensibilities today.  Because she also produced some little millionaire shortbreads, chocolate flap jacks and Goupie which is a local delicacy described as “a devilishly moreish chewy chocolate confection with a hint of crunch”.  I hate their dreary packaging and stupid name but the product is wonderful.  So I ate loads of it.  And then some more.

Meals like this are the hardest for me to behave at because all this lovely food is laid out in front of me to pick at.  I am the one on a diet lifestyle change but I ate way more than anyone else because once I have one, I have to keep going.  I definitely need to find a solution to that.  I did try.  I drank coffee and several glasses of water.  But I still couldn’t resist the sugary treats.

I don’t want to sound like I am moaning.  I had a fantastic morning and lunch time.  But the walking made me very hungry and the food at lunch time was just too tasty!

Well,  you wonderful Women of the Weald, I will miss you all very much.  I will miss your kindness, encouragement and support of my healthy eating endeavours.  I will miss our interesting and stimulating conversations.  I will miss giggling and laughing and laughing and laughing with you all.  I will even miss our filthy and at times, quite depraved conversations.  Big mwahs and hugs all round and thanks for a wonderful lunch Sarah.

The rest of my day was very dull compared to my walk and lunch.  Unbelievably I was hungry for supper.  I had 2 really small potatoes, baked with sour cream, tuna and cherry tomatoes.

I then had some Alpen with yogurt.  I am now taking my extended stomach to bed so it can not eat any more.

I am not going to be sad about not seeing as much of my dear friends over the coming months as I have done recently.  Instead I am feeling lucky.  Lucky that I know so many wonderful Women of the Weald and lucky that I have had the opportunity to have so much free time to spend with them all.

Daily points total

Squillions – I do not have enough fingers to count that high.

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Pancake Tuesday

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

Shrove or Pancake Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent.  Eating pancakes on this day came about because families needed to eat up the eggs, milk and sugar before a fast for Lent.  ‘Shrove’ is the past tense of the word ‘shrive’ which means to hear a confession or assign a penance and absolve from sin.  In our house, it is an excuse to eat pancakes because we like them.  I was not organised enough to have them for breakfast though.

I did have something new for breakfast.

I really like buckwheat.  It is a recent discovery for me and I have enjoyed finding different ways to eat it.  I have so far baked and sprouted it and today I had some soaked and raw.  Inspired by a recipe from the very splendid Oh She Glows for raw buckwheat porridge I made a smoothie.

Buckwheat Smoothie

Ingredients (serves 1)

  • 50 g raw buckwheat groats (not toasted ones, they must be raw)
  • 300 ml coconut water
  • 1/2 a banana
  • Loads of blueberries (or other fruit of your choice)

Method

  • Soak the buckwheat in plenty of water for at least 1 hour or overnight.
  • Rinse well.  The water is a bit slimy which I am guessing is the starch from the buckwheat.

  • Put the buckwheat, coconut water and fruit in a blender and blitz until smooth.

This was delicious and kept me feeling full until I ate lunch 6 hours later at 2pm.  7 WW points.

I played tennis with my  regular Tuesday morning group.  The sun was really warm on our faces and by the time we were warmed up and playing a match, several of us were in our shirt sleeves.  It was so good to be running round outside and feeling warm rather then freezing.  I am sad I can not play tennis with my friends again for a long time so we will have to met up for dinner instead :-).  I will miss the tennis and the chatting and laughing.  Enjoy the tennis ladies, I will miss you all.

Kath and Lizzie came for lunch.  I actually made yesterday’s black bean soup to have for lunch today and also some in the freezer for simple suppers when I am working.  Lizzie brought dessert with her.  If you know Lizzie, invite her for lunch and suggest she brings dessert.  She is one of the finest dessert cooks I know.  If you don’t know Lizzie – unlucky!

Unfortunately, Lizzie received that phone call every Mother dreads just as we were about to eat.  A call from the school to say your child has had an accident so could you please get there as soon as possible.  Kath and I waited to see if Lizzie was able to return to us with her little boy but she couldn’t and actually had to take him to A&E.  We were really sorry for both Sebbie and Lizzie and hope he feels better soon.

To make lunch a bit more special than last nights simple supper, I made a guacamole by mashing an avocado in to the juice of a lime and some salt.  I also grated some mature cheddar and provided some sour cream.

The soup was much better today than yesterday.  The flavours were softer and well melded together.  The cheese, guacamole and sour cream went really well with it.  I am not sure if I have calculated incorrectly as this meal seems high in points when it is all very healthy but this is how I think it scores:

Soup – 11
2 tbsp sour cream – 2
1/2 an avocado – 4
30 g Cheddar – 3

Lizzie’s dessert was as amazing as always.  We had home made meringues with a blackcurrant coulis and red berries stirred in to whipped cream.  Oh my gosh, it was fabulous.  We were so very sorry that Lizzie wasn’t with us to enjoy it though.

2 little meringues – 3
4 tbsp cream – 7
1 tsp sugar – 1

Being the amazing Mother that I am ( 🙂 ) I made my little boy pancakes, even though I did not have enough points left to have any myself. I made our family favourite American pancakes and he ate them with sausages and about a gallon of maple syrup.

I did succumb to 3 and a half sausages (they are the skinny ones) which I ate with some cherry tomatoes, orange pepper and cucumber.  8 WW points.

I ate quite a lot of points today but I did earn 7 activity points by playing tennis.  My lunch was all so delicious, it was worth every calorie/point.  Much as I would have loved a pancake, I am pleased with myself for resisting.

Daily WW Points

Breakfast – 7
Lunch – 31
Supper – 8
Extras (milk in tea) – 2

Total = 48

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Dive In

Posted on February 20, 2012 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

I made my breakfast last night because I was having overnight oats so I put the oats, chia seeds and almond milk in to a bowl and left to soak overnight.  In the morning I added cinnamon and strawberries.

1/3 cup oats
1 tsp chia seeds
200 ml almond milk
1/2 tsp cinnamon
strawberries

6 WW points.

After breakfast, I made dinner!  I was going out for the day so I adapted a recipe from The Edible Perspective called Southwestern Soup.  I used less chilli than Ashley’s recipe and I cooked it in the slow cooker.

Black Bean Soup

Ingredients (Serves 8 – 10)

  • 500g black turtle beans, soaked overnight in plenty of water, rinsed and drained
  • 12 cups stock (6 chicken, 6 veg)
  • 2 cans tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp jalapeños
  • 3 cups frozen corn
  • 2 peppers (1 orange and 1 yellow), chopped
  • 1/2 head garlic, peeled and minced
  • 1 large and 1 medium onion, chopped
  • About 8 small/medium sized potatoes, cut in to 1/2 inch cubes (skin left on)
  • 1/2 cup fine cornmeal
  • 6 tsp cumin
  • handful of fresh oregano, chopped
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Coriander

Method

I put all the ingredients (except the coriander) in the slow cooker and turned it on to low for 8 hours.

I used pickled jalapeños and they were a bit over powering.  I used 2 and 1/2 tbsp so I have adjusted the recipe above to 1 tbsp.

Having set dinner to cook, I went to collect Kath and we headed off to Stratford and the London Olympics Aquatic Centre 🙂

We were going to one of the London Olympics test events: the FINA World Diving Championships.  I was so excited to be inside the Aquatic Centre which has been designed to look like a giant wave.

When we arrived, all the diving boards were in use for a training session.

There was so much going on, it was very exciting to watch it and we had great seats.

I had taken lunch with me: 1 chicken breast, leftover roasted peppers, grapes and cherries.

6 WW points.

Then it was time for the competition to start.  During this competition, 220 divers from 40 countries are taking part.  Our session was the womens individual 10m board competition which is one of my favourite diving events.  We were given a free programme when we arrived which explained the event, the judging and scoring so we could understand what was going on.

The female divers paraded beside the pool before the competition started.

Then they were off.

We saw Chen Ruolin, who is a double Olympic champion and she was incredible.  She won todays preliminary heat by an astonishing 65 points more than the Russian who came second.

The preliminary round consisted of 5 dives each and there were 40 competitors.

I have no idea how they have the courage to dive off that high board.   I think just getting in to the handstand is awesome!

What a fun way to spend an afternoon and with an excellent companion.

Back home I went to Weight Watchers and saw the damage wreaked by eating what I have liked for the last week plus 2 chocolate binges – a gain of 4 pounds.  Not a surprise but still a disappointment as I had wanted to get to my 4 stone loss.  However, overall, I have still lost 3 stone and 9 and a half pounds so I will move forward from there.  I saw a beautiful coral coloured linen blouse in Monsoon which I am going to treat myself to when I have lost 4 stone.  Well, we had to walk through the massive Westfield shopping centre on the way to the Olympic Park so it was only natural to check out a few shops 🙂 .

It was lovely to get home at 7pm, having been out since the morning and to find supper cooked and ready.

11 WW points.

I had a bowlful of the black bean soup with 2 tbsp natural yogurt as it was quite spicy and fresh coriander.  The sauce was richly flavoured and the soup had the right balance of liquid to solids.  I made this soup with half vegetable stock and half chicken stock as I had made some chicken stock yesterday.  I also picked the bones clean after making the stock so the soup had chunks of chicken in it.

The portion above has made enough soup for at least 8 – 10 portions so I hope it freezes well!

Daily Points Total = 32

Breakfast 6
Lunch 6
Supper 11
Snack (2 Toblerone minis) 7
Milk for tea  2

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The Morning After The Night Before

Posted on February 19, 2012 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

However late I go to bed, I always wake up early!   Today I could not go back to sleep so I was up early and enjoyed the sunshine.

I had a lot of clearing up to do but I put on my music and pottered about, washing up, putting away and putting the furniture back.

While I tidied I munched on left over cherries, strawberries and grapes.  I do not mind this type of clearing up at all.  Working at my own slow pace, I enjoyed reminiscing over the many fun conversations I had last night.

When everything was tidy I had 50g sugar free Alpen (muesli) with almond milk, 3 tbsp probiotic natural yogurt and more strawberries.

I briefly thought about taking the dogs on a long walk but then reconsidered and instead relaxed in a bubble bath, listening to music.  I felt very tired but not hungover as during the entire evening I only had 4 drinks.

We had a late lunch of a chicken I roasted with lemon and tarragon, roast potatoes, roasted peppers and carrots (using up last nights left over crudités) and steamed tender stem broccoli.  With gravy and a glass of white wine.

 On the side we had some redcurrant and port jelly which Gini bought me when I stayed with her last week.  It was lovely and a happy way to remember a fun 24 hours – happy birthday Gini friend.

I had intended to order my seeds for this years vegetable garden this afternoon but felt too tired to concentrate properly.  We were all tired and flopped about and watched a film.   And ate chocolate – champagne truffles and mini Toblerones!  If they are in the house I eat them, so from now on, I am not having any in the house.

I then watched an episode of Obese A year To Save My Life which I find quite fascinating.  The people on the programme are much larger than I was but potentially I could have been that big.  Anyone with an overeating problem could be.  So I find it a good warning if you like, of how big I could be one day if I do not get my over eating under control.

I confess the show’s mentor, Jessie Pavelka is a huge attraction.  Literally.   Not only does he look gorgeous, but he is very kind to people who have terrible body image and self esteem issues and he hugs the people he is helping.  I like the programme because it does not sensationalise the individuals or treat them like fools.  Rather I get the impression they try to genuinely help them.

I need to be very focused next week.  It is my last week at home and then I am back to work, commuting to London 5 days a week.   I have lots of fun things to look forward to and it would be very easy for me to spend all week eating.  But I am going to plan ahead, eat carefully and exercise daily.  And get plenty of sleep so i do not feel as tired as I have all day today.

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Street Party

Posted on February 19, 2012 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

I have read a few blogs recently where people have enthused about an orange smoothie.  The idea of citrus fruit with dairy has never appealed to me but in our hotel last week I had an orange yogurt and it was delicious so for breakfast I made an orange smoothie.

1/3 cup of oats
1 tbsp chia seeds
200 ml unsweetened almond milk
3 tbsp Probiotic natural yogurt
2 oranges

I soaked the oats and chia seeds in the milk for about an hour before blitzing everything in the blender.  It was very refreshing.

I had a very busy day cleaning my house in preparation for tonights party.  I took a long hard look at it in the morning and was quite horrified at how untidy and dirty it had become.  I can blame the dogs, my son or husband for the mess.  They definitely contribute to it (those hairy hounds significantly) but the truth is that I am not a Domestic Goddess when it comes to cleaning.  There is always something else I would rather do.  However, needs must and I actually enjoyed restoring my house to how it occasionally can look.

Lunch was a cheese, lettuce and salad cream bagel.  Actually I had 2.

I made some bolognese sauce in the slow cooker which worked well and we ate that with spaghetti at about 6pm.  After washing up I added the finishing touches to the party.

We were having a street party.  I had been inspired by a very enjoyable drinks party at Christmas that Marion and Colin hosted. There were so many lovely people there and most of the people I chatted to that night live on my road.  I do live on a very long road so the chances are good that there will be some lovely people on it.  But I do declare I am incredibly lucky with my neighbours and I doubt there is a better group of people who live within easy walking distance of each other anywhere.  Having a Street Party theme also meant I could invite some of the neighbours I have met only rarely but would love to get to know better and I was delighted when they accepted too.

I had to keep the food simple as I had been away and spent the previous day in Ramsgate.  I enjoy making little canapés but just did not have time on this occasion.   I provided a whole Brie with grapes.

A healthy platter of raw peppers, carrots and cucumber with a dip and some delicious tortilla chips made with linseed, sunflower and sesame seeds, quinoa, soya and brown rice.  They were really good and I will buy those again.

A plate of gravadlax which is smoked salmon with dill which I adore.

A platter of strawberries and cherries.  I bought most of the party food in Costco on the way home from seeing Lara.  These strawberries are sweet, juicy and full of flavour.  And massive, which the photo does not show.  Very tasty.

This dish is so quick and easy to prepare and very delicious.  You need one tub of Philadelphia cream cheese, a bottle of sweet chill sauce and some chopped up coriander.  Serve with crisps or tortillas.  Delicious and so very easy to put together.  I served this with some crinkle cut ready salted crisps.  You need a sturdy crisp to scoop up the cheese and you then have a delightful mouthful of smooth cool cheese, sweet chilli and crunchy salty crisps.  Yum.

A large bowl of chocolate mini eggs which are one of my favourite chocolatey things ever. You bite through the crisp sweet shell to find milk chocolate inside.  Mmmmmm.

I set out the above with some French bread and during the party I served some warm food; Swedish meatballs with a caramelised onion dip, sweet potato and chickpea pakoras and chicken satay.  So there was something for everyone, whether they were gluten or dairy free, vegan or vegetarian, dieting or detoxing, everyone had something they could nibble on.  And luckily many of my guests were able to enjoy plenty of everything.

We set the bar up.  On offer as people arrived was white wine, red wine, gin and tonic, beer and margaritas.  Let’s get this party started!

I’ll have a margarita – cheers 🙂

Everyone who had accepted came along except for 2 who were poorly.  I hope Lucy and David feel better soon.

Dear lovely party people,

thank you so much for coming to our party,

for bringing so many lovely bottles of wine, cava and Prossecco,

for bringing food with you,

for bringing personal gifts,

and for bringing 3 party invitations between you all.  This street will be rocking this summer!!!!!

Most of all, thank you for being such wonderful neighbours and such very dear friends.

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A Day In The Doldrums

Posted on February 17, 2012 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

After dropping Lara back at her flat yesterday we were faced with a long drive home.  I hate saying good-bye.

We stopped off to grab a late lunch at a service station.  The boys wanted KFC (yuck) and I opted for some California Rolls and a bottle of water.

We did a Costco shop as we are having a party for our neighbours tomorrow and I wanted some food and drink so we stocked up.  By the time I got home I was sad about not seeing Lara for ages again.  Plus I was tired so I ate some garbage which did not make me feel better – au contraire!

I had a large bowl of porridge for breakfast, with chia seeds, banana and blueberries.  That set me up nicely for the day ahead.

I had to go to Ramsgate to clear up after our latest visitors.  It was a very grey and overcast day there today.  A bit like my mood.  I feel in the doldrums today and having to clear up after other people was not helping.

I had taken a healthy salad of tomatoes, red pepper, cucumber and carrots, with a dressing of olive oil, white wine vinegar and lemon juice.

It was supposed to have avocado with it but when I cut the avocado open it had gone rotten so it was a very plain lunch.  I enjoyed the salad but it was not enough.

So I went to the shops and bought a cheese and celery sandwich to go with it.

For some reason, I binged on chocolatey things this afternoon.  I started in Ramsgate with some chocolate biscuits the visitors had left and kept going at home with some chocolate mini eggs.  Actually, quite a lot of mini eggs.

I had supper too; salmon, tender stem broccoli and new potatoes.  So that was healthy at least and tasty.

I have not had a binge like that for ages and I am really cross with myself for it.  I had been doing so well recently but I think I still have to be very careful with any sweet and sugary food.  I allowed myself to relax my diet during our trip away this week and that seems to bring all my bad habits rushing back.  I also need to prepare better for those times when I know I am going to feel low about things and make sure I have healthy food and snacks to eat and something fun to do to cheer myself up.

The good news is that I am feeling excited about my drinks party tomorrow and am planning to eat healthily all day.  My Doldrums are lifting.

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A Good Yarm

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

We managed to arrive too late for our hotel breakfast today so had to make do with toast and cereal.  We then drove back to the excellent visitor centre at Sutton Bank to do another walk.  This visitor centre was excellent.  The staff were so friendly and knowledgeable about the walks and they sold guide books and the all important Kendal Mint Cake.

I was feeling a little stiff after yesterdays exertion so we chose an easier walk today; 3 miles along paths to see the white horse.  It was sunnier today so the view over the Vale of York was clearer.

The descent was much easier today.

The scenery along the way was lovely.

Love the green moss on the rocks and trees.

We walked though some woods and came to the White Horse .

We walked up some very steep steps to get level with the top of the horse.

Unfortunately, like many such things, you can not see the horse very well from so close.  Oh well, time to break open the Romney’s Kendal Mint Cake.  I like the brown. If you have never had it, it is basically sugar and glucose shaped in to little bars.  It has been carried up Everest and while our walk by no means compares to that, it is a little treat when out hiking.

We walked back to the visitor centre, along the top of the escarpment, which was an easy walk with amazing views.

We timed our walk better today so the cafe was open and we popped in for lunch.

I had a toasted cheese and red onion marmalade sandwich, which was served with a salad,

followed by chocolate cake and a pot of tea.  I know, this is not diet or healthy lifestyle food but I am on holiday and we have done a lot of walking.

In the afternoon we headed back to Yarm to potter about in the shops and choose a restaurant for dinner.  Having done that, we returned to the hotel and relaxed in our family room for a couple of hours which was lovely.

We went to Chai Wallah, an Indian Bistro which served Indian food with a modern twist.

We had a lovely view from the window over the market building.

The food was delicious.

Although my lamb curry was too oily.  The aubergine dish I chose was lovely, as was the sag paneer.  Lara chose an amazing chicken dish in a spinach sauce which I would have if we returned.

I have had millions of points/calories today but I enjoyed my time off the diet, which I will focus on again tomorrow.  We have walked a lot so that will help offset the eating.

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Happy Valentines

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

Valentines Day started with a hearty breakfast of muesli, yogurt, prunes, melon and orange,

followed by scrambled egg, toast, bacon, tomatoes and pineapple, followed by more toast and jam.

We then headed off to the beautiful North York Moors National park for a hike.


We chose a 5 mile walk which took us down to Lake Gormire and through Garbutt,  an ancient woodland.  This was a challenging walk, in part due to the ice still on the paths at the start of the walk,

and then the slippery mud on the steep descent from the top of the escarpment down to the lake.  This photo does not show quite how steep this section of the walk was – it was a difficult descent but great for a lower body work out!

We had seen the lake from the top of the ridge and were curious about the stripes on it.

When we got down close, it was the ice, that had frozen in ripples across the lake.  Quite beautiful.

Having got down to the lake, we walked in a loop over the undulating countryside.  James managed to add a little detour so our 5 mile walk became at least 6 miles.

Baaaa.

We walked through a farm (I HATE, HATE, HATE walking through fields of cows or horses),

and began our ascent back to the top of the escarpment.

Love these gnarly trees.

Up at the top we rejoined the Cleveland Way which was still covered in snow.  I was very glad of my new down filled coat which is light for walking in and kept me very warm.

Someone deserved a load of snowballs.  Why? Just because he did  :-).

We were glad to see the lake again as it meant we were nearly back at the visitor centre.

Stunning scenery along this walk – shame the weather wasn’t brighter as we could see for miles.

That was a great walk.  Beautiful scenery, challenging terrain and great company.  We got back too late to eat in the cafe which had closed 😦 .  But it was time to collect Lara from her University 🙂 .  Here she is in her kitchen.

After a quick change in the hotel we went to Yarm for dinner.  All the restaurants were doing special Valentines Day dinners so we were lucky to be given a table in The Brasserie .

We sat amongst the red balloons and young romantics and I enjoyed a supper of Halloumi with honeyed figs and salad,

followed by steak, enormous chips and salad.

In our excitement I didn’t manage a photo of dessert which was a sharing plate of fruit dipped in chocolate, champagne sorbet, creme brûlée and sticky toffee pudding.  Yum.   We all deserved a decadent dinner after a long walk, especially since we had missed lunch which was stupid.

That may not have been everyones idea of a perfect Valentines Day but it was good for me.  I loved the walk and having supper with all my family was the perfect ending to a lovely day.  I hope you enjoyed some time with your loved ones.

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Derby Day

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

I have just had a wonderful 24 hours in Derby with my dear friend Gini, who I have known since I was 11 years old as we were at school together.

Yesterday morning, Harvey and I enjoyed breakfast with our fab friend who had pooped in the night before, bringing some delicious cheese and cured pork.

That manky looking stick thing may look disgusting and I failed to even guess what it was!  It was cured pork which tasted fantastic, as did the cheese, which was a Comte style.

I then drove up to Derby with Harvey and we stayed overnight with Gini.  When we arrived, we were treated to a delicious roast chicken dinner with so many vegetables.  We had steamed veg, roasted veg and veg in white sauce.  There was broccoli, carrots, sweet potato, butternut squash and celeriac plus others.  But unfortunately my camera was not working so no photos :-(.

Dessert was utterly charming.  My sweet and cute little God-daughter, Maddi, had made us all a crumble.  We could choose whether we wanted rhubarb or raspberry or apple (or a mixture) and then Maddi made it for us in an individual dish.  It was wonderful and we ate it in front of the fire.  This is the only photo my camera managed.

In the morning Gini cooked us all a delicious breakfast.  I had 2 slices of wholemeal toast with scrambled eggs and bacon.  Then we walked in to Derby to the camera shop.  My lens had broken so I had to buy a new one which was an unexpected expense but a necessary one.

The Cathedral Quarter of Derby is very charming and has lots of unique little shops.

There are lovely buildings,

and interesting details.

I liked this amusing advertising board.

We then went in to an amazing coffee shop/grocers/delicatessan opposite this beautiful cathedral.

It is called Jack Rabbits and has so many wonderful things for sale such as different cheeses, preserves, breads,

pretty shaped chopping/serving boards,

amazing cakes, tantalisingly sitting there in front of you.  I managed to resist as I was so full from breakfast but I am impressed with myself as it all looked so very edible.

The coffee tasted great although I was not such a fan of the enamel beaker it was served in.  Love the look but I don’t want to drink my cappachino from a camping mug.

I love this little pepper dish though.

Next time I visit we are going to treat ourselves to lunch in Jack Rabbits.

Armed with my new lens, kitted out in our new coats and with our feet in some much needed wellies, we set off with the children and dog for a lovely long walk through the park and round the pretty cottages and old mill of Darley.

The weather is much milder here than at home and the snow has mainly melted which made the going quite soft and squelchy – good for the thighs!  This was a varied and pretty walk.

Past a weir,

along the river and to a cafe where we had a cup of tea.

The children had a bite to eat but we were not hungry so we skipped lunch.  It was mild enough to sit outside.

We walked around in a big loop and eventually were back where we started.  I really enjoyed our walk.  Now I have lost so much weight, I enjoy walking anyway and I particularly enjoy it with such lovely company to chat to.  Walking is a great way to be able to chat with children too as they are not distracted by the tv or laptop or mobile, as they are at home.  It really was a lovely afternoon.

Finally it was time to say farewell and Harvey and I continued on our journey North to our hotel in Yarm.  This is near Lara who we will be seeing tomorrow 🙂 .  We opted for room service as I was feeling tired and Harvey was keen to get in to his PJs and to watch TV in bed, which is something he can not do at home.

I am not sure why but I chose a burger with fries (which I did not eat) and a salad.  I should have gone for something healthier but I was hungry, having skipped lunch, and wanted something quick.  It was acceptable but not amazing.

Now we are relaxing, waiting for James to arrive on the train from London and planning on an early night.  I am hoping the weather will be good enough to allow us to do another long walk tomorrow.  Have a good evening.

Posted in Healthy Lifestyle | Tagged , | 4 Comments

An Ode To Porridge

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

Oh porridge, how I have missed thee.

I was so excited to be up today and cooking porridge.  I really missed a morning bowlful of something nourishing and warm.  I had a papaya that needed eating so I used some of that.

1/3 cup of porridge oats made up with water, one banana, half a papaya and some buckwheat sprouts for protein.  Delicious.

For lunch I shared a jacket potato with Harvey.  I am trying to maintain a decent level of raw food intake, following my detox, and to ease my way back in to normal food eating slowly.

I made a salad of lettuce, orange pepper and tomatoes which I dressed with 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tsp apple cider vinegar.  I also heated up some left over roasted vegetables (parsnip, sweet potato, red onions, carrots and peppers).  I added some butter and pepper to my half of potato.  Job done.

I spent a very enjoyable afternoon sorting through my entire wardrobe.  I have gone down a size ( 🙂 ) so I found some favourites I can now wear again, and discovered I have gone off other things or they are now too big.  So I now have a selection of clothes I can wear which I have not worn for years and a large pile to take to the charity shop.  This lot will be available soon, at an Oxfam in Cranbrook.

Look who has arrived from Meribel.  We are so pleased to have our fab friend here.

The hat was a hit.

The boys went to get a curry but for the woman and child, supper was a healthier option of chicken with rice and/or vegetables.  Adapted from a recipe on  Skinny Taste for Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken, I used the slow cooker and made a delicious chicken and vegetable dinner.

Santa Fe Chicken

Ingredients (serves 8)

  • 1 chicken, skinned and chopped in to 8 pieces (on the bone)
  • 1 can chopped tomatoes
  • 1 can black beans
  • 1 can frozen corn (when the tomato or black bean can is empty, rinse and fill with frozen sweetcorn)
  • Handful of chopped coriander
  • 350 ml chicken stock
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tbsp green jalapeños
  • salt and pepper

Method

  • Place the tomatoes, black beans, corn, coriander, stock, garlic, cumin and jalapeños in the slow cooker.
  • Turn the slow cooker on to high.
  • Season the chicken pieces and lay on top of the sauce.
  • Cook for 4 hours.
  • Shred the chicken.
  • Mix the chicken back in with the sauce and serve with rice and /or vegetables.

The chicken just fell off the bone and I was amazed at how much chicken came off that one bird.

I served mine with spinach.

I really liked it but the sauce was a bit watery.  It may have been better to have reduced the sauce before serving.

I am pleased I did my detox, but I am really enjoying eating real food again and it all tastes so good.

Posted in Recipe | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments