Eat Fresh!

Yum yum. Those veggie burgers are the best. I made them exactly to the recipe except (there’s always one!) I didn’t have ground cumin (empty jar – I knew there was something I mean to buy!) and couldn’t be bothered with the pestle and mortar so chucked in cumin seeds instead. Loved it. And do you know what? No chips! Decided against them, just bulked the salad out a bit. Pacing myself for the weekend!!

The yogurt and  chutney  relish is simple but effective, I’ve used that combo for other things since originally finding this recipe.

Had a kinda lazy day. Just wasn’t on form for the garden. Completed admin tasks instead – boring but necessary!

My tongue got a good workout though! I didn’t notice the hour of rugby training go by while I chatted with (or was it AT!) Ali – poor woman, had to listen to me for a whole 60 minutes lol!

So, how is my “new start” going to survive the weekend? Well, there are no lie-ins – swimming lessons started at 8.45 am (how cruel, Newtownabbey Council!). So was up and active and burning calories while most respectable people get to recharge their batteries. Sunday is no better – I’ve volunteered to be a marshal at the Newtownabbey Triathalon. Another early start – 9am on a Sunday!

Just saw on Facebook that Karen M enjoyed a banana and peanut butter smoothie last night – I love the combo of banana and peanut butter! At only 303 calories, that’s breakfast sorted. Sunday, that is – I’d no bananas left this morning.

There’s a Teddy Bear’s Picnic in Antrim, which we’re planning to go to (right up Sam’s street, and Polar Bear will love it!) but that means we’ll be out around lunchtime. No doubt Subway Eat Fresh (the kids have to say the whole strapline, they know it winds me up) will be the choice du jour, as it usually is. I’ll let you know tomorrow if I’m right, but here’s what I think will happen … David – BMT and Diet Pespi, Corrado – Big Beef Melt on 9 Grain Honey Oat with all salads except jalapeños and olives and a coating of southwest sauce and an orange Fanta followed by a rainbow cookie, Sam – Tuna, one slice of cucumber, on white bread and a bottle of water and a choc chip cookie for him. They are creatures of habit! In fact, when Corrado couldn’t make a decision on the birthday cake he wanted for 11th celebrations recently, I made this …

He loved it, it was exactly what he didn’t know he wanted! As it was his school cake, the “Fanta” was actually orange jelly. The cookies were proper Subway cookies – I felt I had to buy something when I asked for napkins, paper wrappers and an empty cup for cake props!

As much as I would love to see the back of Subway (from a purely jealous point of view – all those homecooked meals I’ve slaved over and Subway is still their most favourist ever!) I will have mine as a salad in a plastic container. Virtually virtuous!

And dinner? It will be a Hairy Dieter curry of some kind. Just because I have home grown chillis to use – what better excuse?

 

The scores on the doors for Friday – a grand total of 1392 calories – I had 8 spare so I could have pinched 2 of Corrado’s chocolate raisins, darn!

Another pound bites the dust :)

After the week I had, I honestly expected to gain weight but my lovely happy bathroom scales were very kind and decided to reduce the numbers by another 1.4lbs! The M&Ms didn’t do me a pick of harm, nor did the wine the girls made me drink on Friday night (ok, they didn’t MAKE me, but it would have been lonely for Karen M to drink on her own! I’m a compassionate sort of person ;-p). After that shock, I knew I was on the right diet. I have always known – I love food and this plan only allows you to eat lovely food! But this confirmed that I have to go on. Onwards and downwards.

The weekend was a busy one. After the boys’ swimming lessons, we travelled to Omagh for a tree-planting service in memory of my beautiful sister-in-law, who died last May. Her fellow villagers and co-workers in Camphill Community thought long and hard about the right plant for Linda and chose a beautiful pink Camillia, which represented her delicacy and femininity. I was so proud that Corrado and Sam worked together to plant the shrub, they took it in turns with the spade and holding the Camellia upright. They loved their Auntie and they feel so at home in Linda’s old community, as does everyone who visits. Thank you, Gusta, if you’re reading this. For everything. And thank you to the co-worker who made that delicious chocolate cake – it must have been calorie-free, it didn’t damage my diet at all!

It was a happy occasion but unfortunately there was also sad news on Saturday. My cousin, Maura, who was the same age as me, died after a short illness. She and my sister, Christine, were admitted to the same hospital on the same day, but thankfully Christine was discharged today after having her gallbladder removed. Maura’s funeral was today and the sun was shining through a foggy haze which made the occasion even more surreal.

If anything, this past week has reinforced my determination to get fit and healthy again. But life is too short for faddy diets and boring gyms. I enjoy my varied and scrummy meals on the Hairy Biker Diet and I get plenty of exercise with all the decorating and running around after the boys – not to mention side-walking or leading horses with the rider trotting! It’ll do for now 🙂

So, what have I been eating this week? I’ve been sticking ridgidly to the “plan” (except for the suggested avocado on toast this morning, couldn’t face it) and discovered some delicious new recipes. Monday’s dinner was Red Curry. I was supposed to use Quorn but, as you know, I avoid it at all costs (except sausages, sometimes they’re ok). There was a good variety of veggies already included in the recipe but I added a sweet potato as a substitute for the Quorn. The strangest ingredient of all was included – evaporated milk. I’ve used it in the Hairy Bikers curries before but I still find it strange that it can be used as a coconut milk alternative. It normally works out ok but this time it seemed to split. I followed the recipe so I can’t understand what happened. Any suggestions?

Vegetarian Thai Red Curry made with evaporated milk!

Last night it was Cauliflower and Pea soup. Didn’t sound very exciting, but I thought I’d give it a try. It was beautiful. Even Sam wanted some – he normally faints at the sight of a pea! After a bowl of the soup, I told him how many vegetables were in it and he shrugged. Wow! I got Sam to eat leeks, peas, cauliflower, onion, garlic and potato and he shrugged? Guess who’s going to be making that as an after-school snack on a regular basis?

Cauliflower and pea soup. Sam’s version didn’t have chives on top – that’s a step too far!

And tonight I made Butternut and Bean and Feta Salad. The instructions were a bit vague about how to chop the butternut squash/pumpkin (eg chunks, diced, grate) so I went for something between chunks and diced.  Probably smaller would have been better because it took longer to cook and I burnt the onions and mushrooms a bit (perfect for me, I like those two vegetables a bit well done anyway but not so photogenic). I didn’t allow the cooked vegetables to cool down before adding it to the salad and I definitely like it this way – spinach likes to be a bit wilted, in my opinion and the steam from the butternut squash did a lovely job of doing just that. I was stuffed afterwards, definitely a low-cal meal for a hungry day!

A hot and cold salad that will fill you up

I wasn’t at all jealous of my “colleagues” in the Hairy Bikers facebook admin – they spent Monday and Tuesday hobnobbing with Si and Dave at different book signings. Yes I was!!! Hairy Bikers Diet Club Facebook – look at the fun they were having while I was changing beds and cleaning floors 😦  Not fair!!  But I was wearing my limited edition Asian Adventures tour t-shirt, which I received in the post on Saturday, so that kind of helps. While you’re over there on Facebook, have a wee look at my recipes for St Patrick’s Day food ideas – they’re basic, home cooked meals that we were brought up on. I’m going to add a new one every day until 17th March, when I will be “drowning my shamrock”. That reminds me, must dig out something green to wear on Monday – if I still have something that fits!

Normal service will be resumed …

… tomorrow.

Have had quite an overly busy couple of days.

In summary, the exercising went well yesterday – Riding for the Disabled stint proved more active than anticipated. I was not prepared for the trotting. As I was leading the horse (Bob) I had to trot alongside him. And less of the wisecracks about my tail or teeth!

This was followed by a housework workout and then school pickup because the boys were joining a new club to learn to play rugby. Off I went to trot some more around the extensive grounds of the university while they were at the luxurious indoor 3D pitch. I went back for the last 15 minutes and watched through the spectator window as two very rosy cheeked and grinning little boys were throwing themselves into the game. I did worry about Corrado’s little stick like legs against the more sturdy pins of his team mates and opponents but his speed and agility meant nobody got that close to him!

BUT, and there’s always a BUT. I overdid the calories yesterday. Started off well, the menu was followed to the letter (with exception of the wafer biscuit I had with my coffee in the staff room of the riding school). Breakfast was the lovely crumpets and banana, lunch was mixed bean salad. But dinner was a thin based take-away pizza. I never go to pizza takeaways, they are so expensive! I prefer to make my own. I like knowing how the tomato sauce was made and I like to add herbs to the base.  But maybe portion control wasn’t to exact plan, I sort of lost the plot a bit once the dough started rising. Maybe the measurement was around 9 or 10 inches, but it wasn’t the thinnest base I’ve ever seen! And I didn’t eat half, as directed. The whole lot went down.

No 2 son had appointment this morning and I was finally free at 11.15 am. Rushed home, made beds, did breakfast dishes, fed cats, fed husband (who was working from home for boys getting out of school) and myself and straight out for one hour drive to hospital for an appointment with the pain clinic. Got there with zero minutes to spare but ended up late and puffed out because I didn’t know layout of car park.  Anyway, to cut long story short, came out very disappointed and not pain free as my little fantasy inside my head allowed me to be.

Stopped off at Junction One for a bit of outlet retail therapy (bought myself a fleece at Trespass (don’t judge me!) for Thursdays at the freezing horse place) and home again to the most beautiful of welcomes. Like two little puppies, the kids had missed me being at home for their return. But they cleared off to the golfing range anyway with David to give me a chance to make the dinner 😀

I just wasn’t in a recipe-reading mood so made up my own spiced vegetable soup recipe. I added turmeric, which has anti-inflammatory properties, cinnamon, which sorts out muscle spasms and is also known for its ability to lower the effects of high fat meals. Last night’s pizza begone! The rest of the ingredients, ie a carrot, a handful of cabbage, 2 broccoli and 1 cauliflower florets, 3 shallots, one garlic glove and a carton of chopped tomatoes were hanging around the fridge begging to be used.

I think I’ve saved enough calories today to allow myself a little indulgence of a mini bottle of Cava.  So much for my dry January, but needs must …