When I first started writing on this blog I was attending a weekly Weight Watcher meeting. Soon afterwards, I stopped. I knew the plan so well that I never felt I got anything much out of the meetings – and I decided that paying someone to weigh me every week was just not a good use of resources, so, I switched back to being an online user.
And promptly stopped losing weight.
And then gained some.
Well, more than some. A stone, actually. Which in six months is really…not good.
It’s all very well to want to save a bit of money, and no doubt it would all have turned out fine if I was capable of being honest with myself. But, as it turns out, when it comes to food I can’t be. Honest, that is. I’m very good at kidding myself, I’ve had twenty nine years of practice.
So, I’m tucking my tail between my legs, hanging my head in shame and going back to meetings. If I have to pay £20 a month then so be it – it’s money well spent if it means I’m going to be sticking to the plan and losing weight. Obviously the little bit of ritual humiliation that is climbing on weighing scales in public is the kick up the arse I need.
And making the decision has had an immediately positive effect – last night D and I did a freezer inventory and put together a meal plan for next week which is the most organised we’ve been for a while.
Thursday, 30 September 2010
Friday, 24 September 2010
Fish and Trips
It’s a good job we didn’t travel the 340 miles from York to Tobermory for the sole purpose of sampling the local seafood speciality. We had booked a half past seven table at Café Fish but still arrived too late; now Yorkshire is nowhere near as urbane as London but even there half past seven would be regarded as a relatively early table, and yet they had already sold out of not only the squat lobsters that D had been intent on trying, but also langoustines and scallops as well. Obviously the good people of Mull a) are very fond of crustaceans and b) dine at six. Part of the problem might be the lack of pubs. Tobermory is the biggest town on Mull and, aside from two rather scary looking hotel bars, there was only one pub, which doubled up as a pizza restaurant. The media may claim that the Scots are a nation of drinkers, but based on this evidence I would have to dispute that. No deep fried Mars bars to be seen either. Not that I would ever want to eat a deep fried Mars bar, I’m 99% sure. Anyway, the dearth of places to have a pre dinner tipple (or ten) may be what forces the residents to eat so early.
You can’t be too hard on a place which is obviously reliant on an unpredictable third party – in this case, the Sea, to make good their menu. Nothing is frozen at Café Fish, apart from their fishermen, as the waitresses’ T-shirts told us, so what hadn’t been fished that day wasn’t there to eat. And D was slightly consoled when he discovered that one of the main courses was a peat smoked haddock fillet stuffed with squat lobsters, so we did get to have a little taste (my verdict – pretty much the same as a langoustine, but kudos to any seafood that incorporates the word “squat” into its name.)
We never expected our trip to Scotland to be a foodie holiday, so this dinner was to be the only vaguely upmarket meal. And it was very good, relying on the quality of the produce rather than any fancy techniques to produce tasty, hearty food. D’s starter of mussels (he was obviously intent on eating shellfish one way or the other) was absolutely excellent – the mussels themselves fat and sweet.
He also proclaimed the haddock main course to be very good, albeit rich. I thoroughly enjoyed my fish pie, particularly the sharp local Mull Cheddar that crusted the top, but it would have been even better if the scallops promised on the menu had been available for the filling.
We were too full for dessert, although we agreed that had something traditionally Scottish like Cranachan been on the menu we would have stretched a point (and our stomachs). As it was, the choice was rather uninspiring.
The story does not end there however, because, in a last ditch attempt to try some squat lobster, we returned the next day for lunch. Unfortunately, the fishing boat had not yet come in so we were once again thwarted. D consoled himself with another, even larger, bowl of mussels and I had the fish soup of the day. Which turned out to be shellfish bisque and, can I just say, a bowl of absolute deliciousness from start to finish. It was deep and sweet and rich, with a hint of tarragon – not a herb I usually like, but here it was perfect. It was so good that I’ve been scouring the net for bisque recipes since I got back and I intend to attempt to recreate it someday very soon, and am only sorry that I won't be able to go back and do comparison taste tests. Should you ever find yourself on the Isle of Mull be sure to pop in - and if they happen to have any squat lobsters then I'd appreciate it if you could stick one in the mail for us.
Café Fish
The Pier, Torbermory
Isle of Mull, Argyl
PA75 6NU
Tel. 01688 301253
You can’t be too hard on a place which is obviously reliant on an unpredictable third party – in this case, the Sea, to make good their menu. Nothing is frozen at Café Fish, apart from their fishermen, as the waitresses’ T-shirts told us, so what hadn’t been fished that day wasn’t there to eat. And D was slightly consoled when he discovered that one of the main courses was a peat smoked haddock fillet stuffed with squat lobsters, so we did get to have a little taste (my verdict – pretty much the same as a langoustine, but kudos to any seafood that incorporates the word “squat” into its name.)
We never expected our trip to Scotland to be a foodie holiday, so this dinner was to be the only vaguely upmarket meal. And it was very good, relying on the quality of the produce rather than any fancy techniques to produce tasty, hearty food. D’s starter of mussels (he was obviously intent on eating shellfish one way or the other) was absolutely excellent – the mussels themselves fat and sweet.
 |
| Mussels in white wine sauce |
 |
| Peat smoked haddock stuffed with squat lobsters and baked in cream |
 |
| Fish pie |
We were too full for dessert, although we agreed that had something traditionally Scottish like Cranachan been on the menu we would have stretched a point (and our stomachs). As it was, the choice was rather uninspiring.
 |
| Shellfish bisque |
Café Fish
The Pier, Torbermory
Isle of Mull, Argyl
PA75 6NU
Tel. 01688 301253
Wednesday, 22 September 2010
Mull: Notes from a small island
The Isle of Mull will forever be notable to me as being the first place that I camped as an adult. And also, given the uncomfortable, damp night I spent, possibly the last. I just really don’t see the point of tents when man has evolved to such an extent that we can build, you know, houses. With foundations. And double glazing. And central heating.
Picture the scene: it is Saturday morning, eight thirty. Rain. Wind. Me – grumpy, tired (having slept a total of about two hours all night), thirsty, cold, getting wetter by the minute. D – grappling with an oversized tent and a grumpy girlfriend. Smug couple in the tent next door cooking sausages on the camp stove, which smell is making my grump even worse. Sharp words may have been exchanged. Eventually, the tent was packed up and bundled into the car. We headed down the road for Tobermory, the largest town on the island, fantasising about a cosy café, a pot of tea and something warming for breakfast.
Well, turns out that no such place exists in Tobermory at nine o clock on a Saturday morning. In silence we tramped the length of the high street – which, in all fairness, isn’t long. I think I may actually have been near to tears at this point and started asking, in fishwifey tones, what exactly the fun part of the whole camping experience was.
And then we noticed a local deli which was a) open, and b) selling takeaway hot drinks. And, oh glory, when we got inside they were also offering bacon rolls. We took our breakfast back to the car and ate in there. The rain continued to, well, rain, the windows steamed up around us and, I swear, that cup of tea and bacon roll may well have been one of the most delicious meals I have ever consumed.
The thing is, once you’ve had a weight problem and got on the “diet” treadmill, some of the joy can get sucked out of eating. I’ve tried so hard to maintain my love of food – it’s a mission statement that’s right up there in my explanatory blog blurb at the top of the page – but the truth is, sometimes the process of meal planning and counting points and playing tit for tat with food swaps just is not fun. I love eating out, and I never try to “count” a meal in a special restaurant, but I can’t deny that I sometimes get guilt pangs before, during and/or after. Sitting in that steamed up car, eating that simple bacon sandwich, for a brief period I did not wonder: “How many points in this?” or question whether it was “good” or “bad”, “naughty” or “nice”. I just had a moment of pure sensory pleasure – the sheer relief at being warm and dry and not shrouded in canvas, as well as the taste of the salty bacon and the scrunch of the crusty roll all washed down with hot, strong tea.
And later I thought back and wondered whether sometimes I need to consciously try and get back to the basics of what food is, away from points, away from a reward system, away from good and bad, but just basically – sustenance and nourishment. That bacon sandwich made me feel nourished physically and emotionally. It was exactly what I needed at that time and in that place.
I don’t quite know what I plan to do with this bacon-related ephiphany yet, but I just wanted to record it for posterity. Also, I want it well and truly noted that I DO NOT like camping.
Picture the scene: it is Saturday morning, eight thirty. Rain. Wind. Me – grumpy, tired (having slept a total of about two hours all night), thirsty, cold, getting wetter by the minute. D – grappling with an oversized tent and a grumpy girlfriend. Smug couple in the tent next door cooking sausages on the camp stove, which smell is making my grump even worse. Sharp words may have been exchanged. Eventually, the tent was packed up and bundled into the car. We headed down the road for Tobermory, the largest town on the island, fantasising about a cosy café, a pot of tea and something warming for breakfast.
Well, turns out that no such place exists in Tobermory at nine o clock on a Saturday morning. In silence we tramped the length of the high street – which, in all fairness, isn’t long. I think I may actually have been near to tears at this point and started asking, in fishwifey tones, what exactly the fun part of the whole camping experience was.
And then we noticed a local deli which was a) open, and b) selling takeaway hot drinks. And, oh glory, when we got inside they were also offering bacon rolls. We took our breakfast back to the car and ate in there. The rain continued to, well, rain, the windows steamed up around us and, I swear, that cup of tea and bacon roll may well have been one of the most delicious meals I have ever consumed.
The thing is, once you’ve had a weight problem and got on the “diet” treadmill, some of the joy can get sucked out of eating. I’ve tried so hard to maintain my love of food – it’s a mission statement that’s right up there in my explanatory blog blurb at the top of the page – but the truth is, sometimes the process of meal planning and counting points and playing tit for tat with food swaps just is not fun. I love eating out, and I never try to “count” a meal in a special restaurant, but I can’t deny that I sometimes get guilt pangs before, during and/or after. Sitting in that steamed up car, eating that simple bacon sandwich, for a brief period I did not wonder: “How many points in this?” or question whether it was “good” or “bad”, “naughty” or “nice”. I just had a moment of pure sensory pleasure – the sheer relief at being warm and dry and not shrouded in canvas, as well as the taste of the salty bacon and the scrunch of the crusty roll all washed down with hot, strong tea.
And later I thought back and wondered whether sometimes I need to consciously try and get back to the basics of what food is, away from points, away from a reward system, away from good and bad, but just basically – sustenance and nourishment. That bacon sandwich made me feel nourished physically and emotionally. It was exactly what I needed at that time and in that place.
I don’t quite know what I plan to do with this bacon-related ephiphany yet, but I just wanted to record it for posterity. Also, I want it well and truly noted that I DO NOT like camping.
Tuesday, 21 September 2010
And back to reality...
Why are holidays always so short?
Back from a lovely week in Scotland - and a weekend of hiding at home in my pyjamas pretending the outside world didn't exist. Sadly back at work now - but also back to my beloved blog. Seriously, I am surprised at how often I thought about it while away, with ideas for posts popping into my head at all sorts of random moments.
So, once I've caught up with all you lovely people, and uploaded some photos, I will be back!
Back from a lovely week in Scotland - and a weekend of hiding at home in my pyjamas pretending the outside world didn't exist. Sadly back at work now - but also back to my beloved blog. Seriously, I am surprised at how often I thought about it while away, with ideas for posts popping into my head at all sorts of random moments.
So, once I've caught up with all you lovely people, and uploaded some photos, I will be back!
Wednesday, 8 September 2010
Adventures in pizza making
Oh, pizza. How I love it, in all its forms. From the thick, gooey, doughy hunks that make the perfect post-pub takeaway (Domino’s I’m looking at you – and yes, I’ll probably be in touch soon) to the actual “proper” stuff that they eat in Italy, with a crisp crust stretched thin and an elegantly restrained amount of topping.
I’m a regular patron of the Pizza Express chain and I generally order the same thing – the Soho, which is essentially a margherita topped with rocket, Parmesan shavings and a drizzle of olive oil, and at 13 WW points it is workable as a dinner with a little bit of austerity earlier in the day. Pizza Express has recently challenged its diners to come up with a new pizza topping – and while I don’t think I’ll ever be able to improve on my beloved Soho, the prospect of a £5000 prize AND a place on the Pizza Express menu was enough to make me pause for thought.
I wanted to do something that had a recognisable culinary link to Italy and traditional Italian cooking. And, for some reason, my thoughts turned towards a pasta dish that D cooked about a year ago which consisted of ravioli filled with a roasted butternut squash puree, subtly flavoured with amaretti biscuits, and then tossed in a sage butter. Apparently this is a dish most famously found in the Cremona region of Italy, and is traditionally called tortelli di zucca.
I liked the idea of squash roasted with sage on top of a pizza. I thought that adding amaretti biscuits might be a step too weird alongside all the other flavours that I would need, but liked the idea of a bit of crunchy texture, so added a sprinkle of toasted flaked almonds just before serving. I was a bit concerned that the sweet squash would fight with a sweet tomato base, so made this a pizza bianchi, flavouring ricotta with roasted garlic, a touch of lemon zest and a hint of Parmesan cheese before spreading it on the pizza base (shop bought, much to my chagrin – I must try and make my own dough at some point) and topping it with the roasted squash, some roasted red onion (to add another savoury note) and, of course, mozzarella.
Voila!
It looks a bit of a mess but I'm still rather proud - it tasted yummy, although was quite rich. I didn't actually calculate the points but I'm guessing it wouldn't be too terrible if you used half fat mozzarella (which I've found melts just as well as the normal stuff) and didn't roast the squash and onion with much oil.
D had a go too and his was far prettier than mine:
Behold the pizza puttanesca - also based on a classic pasta dish. The sauce was absolutely delicious - baby plum tomatoes, olives, capers, anchovies and a touch of chilli all whizzed together and then topped with mozzarella (of course) and more anchovies and olives. We decided it was a bit of a marmite pizza - if you love those strong, salty flavours then likely you would love this, but if not it would be a bit much.
Whether or not we win the £5000, it was fun to do and I must say I am rather inspired to do some more creating - although I've promised myself that I will actually make my own dough next time!
I’m a regular patron of the Pizza Express chain and I generally order the same thing – the Soho, which is essentially a margherita topped with rocket, Parmesan shavings and a drizzle of olive oil, and at 13 WW points it is workable as a dinner with a little bit of austerity earlier in the day. Pizza Express has recently challenged its diners to come up with a new pizza topping – and while I don’t think I’ll ever be able to improve on my beloved Soho, the prospect of a £5000 prize AND a place on the Pizza Express menu was enough to make me pause for thought.
I wanted to do something that had a recognisable culinary link to Italy and traditional Italian cooking. And, for some reason, my thoughts turned towards a pasta dish that D cooked about a year ago which consisted of ravioli filled with a roasted butternut squash puree, subtly flavoured with amaretti biscuits, and then tossed in a sage butter. Apparently this is a dish most famously found in the Cremona region of Italy, and is traditionally called tortelli di zucca.
I liked the idea of squash roasted with sage on top of a pizza. I thought that adding amaretti biscuits might be a step too weird alongside all the other flavours that I would need, but liked the idea of a bit of crunchy texture, so added a sprinkle of toasted flaked almonds just before serving. I was a bit concerned that the sweet squash would fight with a sweet tomato base, so made this a pizza bianchi, flavouring ricotta with roasted garlic, a touch of lemon zest and a hint of Parmesan cheese before spreading it on the pizza base (shop bought, much to my chagrin – I must try and make my own dough at some point) and topping it with the roasted squash, some roasted red onion (to add another savoury note) and, of course, mozzarella.
Voila!
D had a go too and his was far prettier than mine:
Behold the pizza puttanesca - also based on a classic pasta dish. The sauce was absolutely delicious - baby plum tomatoes, olives, capers, anchovies and a touch of chilli all whizzed together and then topped with mozzarella (of course) and more anchovies and olives. We decided it was a bit of a marmite pizza - if you love those strong, salty flavours then likely you would love this, but if not it would be a bit much.
Whether or not we win the £5000, it was fun to do and I must say I am rather inspired to do some more creating - although I've promised myself that I will actually make my own dough next time!
Tuesday, 7 September 2010
This Time Next Week…
…Where will you be?
I only ask, because I won’t be around – I’ll be in sunny (or otherwise!) Scotland on holidays and I’m getting a little bit over excited.
It’s the first holiday we’ve taken this year – unless you count the two weeks of cat sitting up the road - and it’s a little bit different to the type of trip we generally take. We’re both a little obsessed with food (as you may have noticed) and we have a keen interest in art and culture (although you wouldn’t have guessed it from the pile of Heat magazines that I keep hidden under the bed!) so we tend to opt for city breaks. This autumn we’re eschewing that and are getting back to nature! No Michelin star dinners or posh hotels with complementary towelling robes for us – nope, we going to spend one night in a tent on an island and six in a static caravan by the beach.
I think a week of fresh air, walking and relaxing will be exactly what we need – we’ve both been a bit tired and jaded lately and I think some of that ennui has probably come through in this blog – it’s certainly the reason why my WWing has been so hit and miss. Freshness, simplicity and plenty of exercise (we’ll be taking walking boots and cagoules and hitting the trails regardless of the weather) will hopefully give my 30 for 30 challenge a good boost – even if it just manages to get me into a slightly more self nurturing state of mind.
Of course, it’s not all going to be beans on toast – check out the gorgeous looking Café Fish on the island of Mull where we’ll be dining on Friday night. The area of Scotland we’re sojourning in is famous for its fresh seafood, so we are hoping to persuade a friendly local fisherman to sell us something fresh on the boat to cook in a fire pit. And, naturally, there will be the odd wee dram of whisky!
I only ask, because I won’t be around – I’ll be in sunny (or otherwise!) Scotland on holidays and I’m getting a little bit over excited.
It’s the first holiday we’ve taken this year – unless you count the two weeks of cat sitting up the road - and it’s a little bit different to the type of trip we generally take. We’re both a little obsessed with food (as you may have noticed) and we have a keen interest in art and culture (although you wouldn’t have guessed it from the pile of Heat magazines that I keep hidden under the bed!) so we tend to opt for city breaks. This autumn we’re eschewing that and are getting back to nature! No Michelin star dinners or posh hotels with complementary towelling robes for us – nope, we going to spend one night in a tent on an island and six in a static caravan by the beach.
I think a week of fresh air, walking and relaxing will be exactly what we need – we’ve both been a bit tired and jaded lately and I think some of that ennui has probably come through in this blog – it’s certainly the reason why my WWing has been so hit and miss. Freshness, simplicity and plenty of exercise (we’ll be taking walking boots and cagoules and hitting the trails regardless of the weather) will hopefully give my 30 for 30 challenge a good boost – even if it just manages to get me into a slightly more self nurturing state of mind.
Of course, it’s not all going to be beans on toast – check out the gorgeous looking Café Fish on the island of Mull where we’ll be dining on Friday night. The area of Scotland we’re sojourning in is famous for its fresh seafood, so we are hoping to persuade a friendly local fisherman to sell us something fresh on the boat to cook in a fire pit. And, naturally, there will be the odd wee dram of whisky!
Monday, 6 September 2010
Diet Demons - 1, Foodie – 0
Fortunately, the bright shiny ticker I have installed at the bottom of this blog (for my 30 for 30 challenge) doesn’t move backwards. So, according to that I am still in a neutral position – no loss, no gain. The scales tell a different story. It turns out, that if you spend a long weekend doing nothing more strenuous than sitting in a hot tub while drinking far many bottles of wine with your closest female friends, you’re not going to lose weight. Especially when you compound this drinking with the post-drinking eating (McDonalds breakfast – I’m looking at you).
But, onwards! There’s still plenty of time to make inroads into the excess flabulousness between now and (shhh!) the big-birthday-that-I’m-trying-not-to-think-about.
But, onwards! There’s still plenty of time to make inroads into the excess flabulousness between now and (shhh!) the big-birthday-that-I’m-trying-not-to-think-about.
Wednesday, 1 September 2010
“New Year” Resolutions
The 1st September always seems to represent a second New Year for me. I suppose it is a throwback from school and college days. Anyway, although I’ve written before about the futility of attaching too much importance to start dates, nevertheless, I would be lying if I didn’t say I had a little frisson of…something this morning. The feeling of a page being turned.
So, I’m going to take this opportunity to set out an actual weight loss goal. I started this blog because I love writing and I love food and I love writing about food and I wanted an outlet for that. But it’s becoming more and more apparent that this could also be a wonderful weight loss tool if used properly – an added level of accountability.
In sixteen weeks, Christmas will be nearly upon us – and also my 30th birthday (a milestone I’m doing my best to forget). In sixteen weeks I would like to have lost 30 pounds. Yep, I’m starting a 30 for 30 campaign. I don’t propose to give myself any particular reward for reaching this goal, nor will there be a punishment for not reaching it, but it is a target to work towards.
I have all the tools I need to do this. I know the Weight Watchers plan inside out and back to front. I enjoy cooking (I need to remind myself of this sometimes; I genuinely enjoy it but I do find it easy to get sucked into a routine of takeaways and convenience food if I’m tired and low) and I have access to potentially thousands of recipes through the internet, magazines and cookery books. I am a member of a good gym with a pool and plenty of exercise classes. Yes, I have social commitments to look forward to, but there is no reason that a night out or a weekend away should mean total derailment. I have a blog where I can come to record success or to vent as needs be, and where I can keep a record of the kind of delicious food that I am able to eat and still see the scales drop. What reason is there to fail?
So happy “New Year” to all, and I hope all of us achieve some of our targets in the months ahead.
Edited to add: in a fit on enthusiasm I've created a 30 for 30 challenge ticker which is down at the bottom of the blog page. Now all I have to do is make that pretty butterfly move!
So, I’m going to take this opportunity to set out an actual weight loss goal. I started this blog because I love writing and I love food and I love writing about food and I wanted an outlet for that. But it’s becoming more and more apparent that this could also be a wonderful weight loss tool if used properly – an added level of accountability.
In sixteen weeks, Christmas will be nearly upon us – and also my 30th birthday (a milestone I’m doing my best to forget). In sixteen weeks I would like to have lost 30 pounds. Yep, I’m starting a 30 for 30 campaign. I don’t propose to give myself any particular reward for reaching this goal, nor will there be a punishment for not reaching it, but it is a target to work towards.
I have all the tools I need to do this. I know the Weight Watchers plan inside out and back to front. I enjoy cooking (I need to remind myself of this sometimes; I genuinely enjoy it but I do find it easy to get sucked into a routine of takeaways and convenience food if I’m tired and low) and I have access to potentially thousands of recipes through the internet, magazines and cookery books. I am a member of a good gym with a pool and plenty of exercise classes. Yes, I have social commitments to look forward to, but there is no reason that a night out or a weekend away should mean total derailment. I have a blog where I can come to record success or to vent as needs be, and where I can keep a record of the kind of delicious food that I am able to eat and still see the scales drop. What reason is there to fail?
So happy “New Year” to all, and I hope all of us achieve some of our targets in the months ahead.
Edited to add: in a fit on enthusiasm I've created a 30 for 30 challenge ticker which is down at the bottom of the blog page. Now all I have to do is make that pretty butterfly move!
Thursday, 26 August 2010
Recipe corner – Aubergine and red lentil curry
I haven’t added a recipe in a while, probably because my cooking has been somewhat desultory. But I’ve resolved to turn over a new leaf. Last night, I came home and whipped up not only a batch of the above curry but also of chilli con carne in about an hour. Very Nigella Express.
So this particular recipe is taken, more or less completely, from the Delicious magazine website. I cook it quite a lot because – well, I like it. It is great for a midweek supper and I tend to take the remaining portions for lunch over the following days – curry always tends to improve in flavour with a bit of sitting time and it’s nice and filling with maybe a pitta bread on the side for dunking.
In general, I am a big fan of pounding up spices to make my own paste if I’m making curry, but in this case you’ll notice that it comes out of a jar – a minor cheat but it does make this incredibly quick to do. Last night I had points to spare, so had not only this and a 60g portion of basmati rice (3 points) but also half a naan bread (3.5 points).
Ingredients
1 large aubergine, finely diced
1 green pepper, diced
Tsp (or more if you’re into a bit of heat) chilli powder
Tbsp vegetable oil
Onion, chopped
Tsp black mustard seeds
150g red lentils
2 tbsp curry paste (use your favourite. Or make your own if you’re feeling it)
450ml vegetable stock
Serves 4, 2.5 points per person
Preheat over to 190. Toss the aubergine and the pepper in the oil and the chilli powder, season well and put in the oven for 20-25 minutes until soft and beginning to brown.
Meanwhile, soften the onion in the pan for about five minutes before adding the mustard seeds. Wait for the seeds to start popping before stirring through the curry paste and the lentils.
Pour over the stock, and simmer for 15-20 mins, or until the lentils are soft.
Stir through the roasted vegetables prior to serving. You could also add fresh coriander at this point should you so wish.
So this particular recipe is taken, more or less completely, from the Delicious magazine website. I cook it quite a lot because – well, I like it. It is great for a midweek supper and I tend to take the remaining portions for lunch over the following days – curry always tends to improve in flavour with a bit of sitting time and it’s nice and filling with maybe a pitta bread on the side for dunking.
In general, I am a big fan of pounding up spices to make my own paste if I’m making curry, but in this case you’ll notice that it comes out of a jar – a minor cheat but it does make this incredibly quick to do. Last night I had points to spare, so had not only this and a 60g portion of basmati rice (3 points) but also half a naan bread (3.5 points).
Ingredients
1 large aubergine, finely diced
1 green pepper, diced
Tsp (or more if you’re into a bit of heat) chilli powder
Tbsp vegetable oil
Onion, chopped
Tsp black mustard seeds
150g red lentils
2 tbsp curry paste (use your favourite. Or make your own if you’re feeling it)
450ml vegetable stock
Serves 4, 2.5 points per person
Preheat over to 190. Toss the aubergine and the pepper in the oil and the chilli powder, season well and put in the oven for 20-25 minutes until soft and beginning to brown.
Meanwhile, soften the onion in the pan for about five minutes before adding the mustard seeds. Wait for the seeds to start popping before stirring through the curry paste and the lentils.
Pour over the stock, and simmer for 15-20 mins, or until the lentils are soft.
Stir through the roasted vegetables prior to serving. You could also add fresh coriander at this point should you so wish.
Tuesday, 24 August 2010
A little bit of midweek luxury
Smoked salmon and scrambled eggs has been my go-to birthday breakfast for years. As a young girl, I thought it was the absolute height of sophistication. Obviously nowadays a dish can't be called sophisticated unless it is strewn with dust or covered in foam. But the combination of tastes and textures - oh, it may not be cutting edge but it is still one of my absolute favourite food marriages.
In general I have found that I (and perhaps this is true of dieters in general) count among my favourite foods some pretty non WW friendly stuff. Cheese - yep, that's a no no unless you are one of those weirdos who can actually eat cheese in fingernail sized portions. Butter - spread so thick that you leave teeth marks in it naturally. Real mayonnaise, ghee laden curries...OK, I'll stop now. It's quite rare that a genuine favourite can be served up unless it has been tweaked and skinnified and made just a little bit less unctuous - after all, it is often the fat content that is responsible for that silky mouth feel.Smoked salmon and scrambled eggs is not one of these dishes. In days gone by, I'd add a knob of butter to the pan before throwing in the eggs but I've found a similar creaminess can be achieved by stirring through a spoonful of extra light soft cheese at the end. And because the salmon itself is naturally rich and oily I don't think the dish is any the less.
It's moved from being the exclusive preserve of breakfasts to being a favourite, quick and easy midweek supper nowadays and I have to say, I always look forward to it. Tonight, two large double yoker eggs and a generous (60g) portion of smoked salmon finished in the pan with a tablespoon of Philly piled on top of a slice of wholemeal toast came in at a very reasonable 7.5 points. I feel satiated but I also feel like I've had a real naughty treat, and there are points left in the bank! A very good end to the day.
Monday, 23 August 2010
Feelin’ (not so) Groovy*
*With apologies to Simon and Garfunkle.
The last couple of weeks have been slightly odd. We’ve been cat sitting for my parents, who live twenty miles down the road from us and while it has not been an actual holiday, I’ve sort of fallen into holiday mode which has made my general diet somewhat skewiff. Plus, we’ve been a lot further away from the gym and so our visits have been sporadic.
Oh, I had so many grand plans. I was going to take full advantage of the garden and the barbecue (we live in a two bed roomed flat, so outdoor space is a novelty) and eat a wholesome diet of grilled meat or fish and salad. You know, the kind of meals that celebrities insist they live on. When we couldn’t get to the gym I was going to shuttle run across the lawn, or maybe buy a cheap skipping rope. But grand plans don’t come together unless littler plans are in place – meal plans and cooking plans. The sort of organisation that I deliberately avoided. Yes, I’ve had good days here and there, but more by luck than judgement.
Anyway, we’re back home this evening and one of my first priorities is going to be putting together a proper meal plan for the week. I also intend to huff and puff my way through a Body Combat class. I need to reintroduce the concept of routine to my eating and my tracking and my exercise.
The day did not get off to the best of starts routine wise – I left the house without any breakfast or lunch packed; but instead of using this as an excuse to go entirely off piste I’ve had a grande skinny latte for breakfast from Starbucks (2 points) which ok, is not the most filling choice, but should keep me going for a few hours, and then it is off to Subway at lunchtime for my lucky 5 point sub.
The last couple of weeks have been slightly odd. We’ve been cat sitting for my parents, who live twenty miles down the road from us and while it has not been an actual holiday, I’ve sort of fallen into holiday mode which has made my general diet somewhat skewiff. Plus, we’ve been a lot further away from the gym and so our visits have been sporadic.
Oh, I had so many grand plans. I was going to take full advantage of the garden and the barbecue (we live in a two bed roomed flat, so outdoor space is a novelty) and eat a wholesome diet of grilled meat or fish and salad. You know, the kind of meals that celebrities insist they live on. When we couldn’t get to the gym I was going to shuttle run across the lawn, or maybe buy a cheap skipping rope. But grand plans don’t come together unless littler plans are in place – meal plans and cooking plans. The sort of organisation that I deliberately avoided. Yes, I’ve had good days here and there, but more by luck than judgement.
Anyway, we’re back home this evening and one of my first priorities is going to be putting together a proper meal plan for the week. I also intend to huff and puff my way through a Body Combat class. I need to reintroduce the concept of routine to my eating and my tracking and my exercise.
The day did not get off to the best of starts routine wise – I left the house without any breakfast or lunch packed; but instead of using this as an excuse to go entirely off piste I’ve had a grande skinny latte for breakfast from Starbucks (2 points) which ok, is not the most filling choice, but should keep me going for a few hours, and then it is off to Subway at lunchtime for my lucky 5 point sub.
Wednesday, 18 August 2010
Seven things about me
Ooooh, I’m SO excited today to have been nominated to tell all my tens of thousands of readers (optimistic, moi??) seven things about me. Thanks, Linz!!
I thought this would be quite hard to do initially, but once I started I couldn’t stop, so you nearly ended up with seventy things about me, all of which were slightly more dull than the last. Turns out, I love blathering about myself as much as I love blathering about food. So, with no further ado:
1. I was born and bred an Essex girl. I moved to Yorkshire nearly ten years ago, but have been reliably informed that you don’t get to claim residency until you’re third generation, so I guess that means I’ll be staying an Essex girl. However, I can’t really do an Essex accent – unless very drunk, when the odd twang slips out. If I attempt to do an Essex accent, I sound a bit like Dick Van Dyck in Mary Poppins. I think there might be some serious repression going on there.
2. I have, at various points in my life, wanted to be a pilot, a neurosurgeon and a barrister – so I’m not quite sure how I managed to end up a civil servant. However, I am willing to bet that the fields of aviation, medicine and law are heaving a huge collective sigh of relief as we speak; I’m probably far too absent minded to do any of those things well.
3. I’ve always wanted to write. One of my most treasured possessions when I was younger was an old fashioned typewriter in a bright blue case that my grandfather gave me. I used to write school stories, a la Malory Towers and the Chalet School. I never got past Chapter One. The day I hit Chapter Two will be the day I know I have a keeper.
4. I read English Literature at university, because I realised that it would mean sitting around (one of my favourite things) and reading (one of my other favourite things) for three whole years. Obviously, not being a vocational degree it did not prepare me for any sort of actual career. However, it did leave me with an enduring ability to waffle about nothing at length and sound vaguely intelligent. The faux-posh accent (see point 1) probably helps with this as well.
5. I have spent more hundreds of pounds than I can bear to think about over the last few years on eating out at the type of restaurants where things are served in shot glasses or on pieces of driftwood and it has given me a tremendous amount of pleasure (although the resulting credit card bills have been committed to the shredder without being opened). I have eaten at two of the top three restaurants in the world according to these people (who are supposed to know about such things) and the memories of those meals make me break out in a huge smile even years later.
6. I am getting married next year, even though I am fairly sure that I am not grown up enough to be a wife. But I’m not supposed to talk about the wedding until T – 365 days (so expect a big ole wedding post on 17th September!)
7. I name things. Inanimate things. I never realised that this was weird and assumed everybody did it, but apparently not. The car, of course, has a name – he’s called Ethel, short for Ethelred (as in the Unready). Don’t think that’s too far out? OK, my engagement ring is called Jasmine (well, actually, just the stone, because obviously to name a setting would be weird). My Ipod is called George. My computer is Lizzie Bennett. I once spent a lot of quality time with a scanner named Howard. The communal tea tray in our office is called Colin – and I could go on. Unfortunately, naming things means that I get overly emotionally attached to them. When the stone fell out of my engagement ring earlier this year, I literally cried for a whole day – and that was before I found out that the insurance company weren’t going to pay for it to be replaced. In the end, I had to invent a story for myself in which Jasmine went on a seaside holiday before coming home to York.
And there you have it. Now, I would love to pass this on but being a relatively newbie in the blogging world I don’t think I know of fifteen other blogs to pass this on to who have not already been honoured. Therefore, if anyone who stumbles across this wishes to post seven interesting (or, as per above, quite dull) facts about themselves, please feel free! I’m terrible nosy.
I thought this would be quite hard to do initially, but once I started I couldn’t stop, so you nearly ended up with seventy things about me, all of which were slightly more dull than the last. Turns out, I love blathering about myself as much as I love blathering about food. So, with no further ado:
1. I was born and bred an Essex girl. I moved to Yorkshire nearly ten years ago, but have been reliably informed that you don’t get to claim residency until you’re third generation, so I guess that means I’ll be staying an Essex girl. However, I can’t really do an Essex accent – unless very drunk, when the odd twang slips out. If I attempt to do an Essex accent, I sound a bit like Dick Van Dyck in Mary Poppins. I think there might be some serious repression going on there.
2. I have, at various points in my life, wanted to be a pilot, a neurosurgeon and a barrister – so I’m not quite sure how I managed to end up a civil servant. However, I am willing to bet that the fields of aviation, medicine and law are heaving a huge collective sigh of relief as we speak; I’m probably far too absent minded to do any of those things well.
3. I’ve always wanted to write. One of my most treasured possessions when I was younger was an old fashioned typewriter in a bright blue case that my grandfather gave me. I used to write school stories, a la Malory Towers and the Chalet School. I never got past Chapter One. The day I hit Chapter Two will be the day I know I have a keeper.
4. I read English Literature at university, because I realised that it would mean sitting around (one of my favourite things) and reading (one of my other favourite things) for three whole years. Obviously, not being a vocational degree it did not prepare me for any sort of actual career. However, it did leave me with an enduring ability to waffle about nothing at length and sound vaguely intelligent. The faux-posh accent (see point 1) probably helps with this as well.
5. I have spent more hundreds of pounds than I can bear to think about over the last few years on eating out at the type of restaurants where things are served in shot glasses or on pieces of driftwood and it has given me a tremendous amount of pleasure (although the resulting credit card bills have been committed to the shredder without being opened). I have eaten at two of the top three restaurants in the world according to these people (who are supposed to know about such things) and the memories of those meals make me break out in a huge smile even years later.
6. I am getting married next year, even though I am fairly sure that I am not grown up enough to be a wife. But I’m not supposed to talk about the wedding until T – 365 days (so expect a big ole wedding post on 17th September!)
7. I name things. Inanimate things. I never realised that this was weird and assumed everybody did it, but apparently not. The car, of course, has a name – he’s called Ethel, short for Ethelred (as in the Unready). Don’t think that’s too far out? OK, my engagement ring is called Jasmine (well, actually, just the stone, because obviously to name a setting would be weird). My Ipod is called George. My computer is Lizzie Bennett. I once spent a lot of quality time with a scanner named Howard. The communal tea tray in our office is called Colin – and I could go on. Unfortunately, naming things means that I get overly emotionally attached to them. When the stone fell out of my engagement ring earlier this year, I literally cried for a whole day – and that was before I found out that the insurance company weren’t going to pay for it to be replaced. In the end, I had to invent a story for myself in which Jasmine went on a seaside holiday before coming home to York.
And there you have it. Now, I would love to pass this on but being a relatively newbie in the blogging world I don’t think I know of fifteen other blogs to pass this on to who have not already been honoured. Therefore, if anyone who stumbles across this wishes to post seven interesting (or, as per above, quite dull) facts about themselves, please feel free! I’m terrible nosy.
Tuesday, 17 August 2010
Twix Travesty
I'm all for companies trying to make "lighter" versions of things.
But this is just wrong. A travesty along similar lines to the Mars Delight or the Kinder Bueno. The only acceptable chocolate / wafer combination is the KitKat in my opinion (which is the only one that counts on my blog).
As for the confectionery versus biscuit debate...I used to work for the sweetie company that makes KitKats and they classified the 4 finger as a chocolate bar and the 2 finger as a biscuit. So there.
But this is just wrong. A travesty along similar lines to the Mars Delight or the Kinder Bueno. The only acceptable chocolate / wafer combination is the KitKat in my opinion (which is the only one that counts on my blog).
As for the confectionery versus biscuit debate...I used to work for the sweetie company that makes KitKats and they classified the 4 finger as a chocolate bar and the 2 finger as a biscuit. So there.
Monday, 16 August 2010
Fusion or Confusion?
I’m just going to come out and say it. I love Masterchef.
I mean, I’m not known for my discerning taste in television – just ask poor D who has just spent the whole weekend trying to get away from an Australia’s Next Top Model marathon. And when it comes to food programmes I’ll watch pretty much anything and will often have the Good Food channel on just as background noise (absorbing recipes and techniques by osmosis perhaps).
But Masterchef – that is must see TV. Seriously. I draw the line at the Junior version – precocious children scare me. But standard, Professional and Celebrity – fantastic! It’s comedy gold! If they have such a thing as the gurning world championships, John Torode and Greg Wallace should enter, they’d be absolutely sure to win. The expressions that those two have come up with while wandering between the contestants – who would have thought that the human face was capable of such contortions? And, almost as amusing, some of the food combinations that the entrants come up with, particularly in the early stage invention test. I think my favourite from this current series was Christine Hamilton’s Thai mussels with…blue cheese.
Anyway, during the last series of Masterchef Proper (i.e. the contestants are not “famous” or professional chefs) John Torode coined the phrase that I’ve used as my title to express his uncertainty at a particularly odd amalgamation; someone attempting to marry, for example, sweet and sour sauce with bangers and mash. Now, whenever we see an unlikely combination of ingredients in a recipe or on a menu, we chorus (in a cod Australian accent, of course) “Is it fusion? Or confusion?” Yes, I know…but it makes us laugh.
I was a little bit surprised then, to see in the latest issue of Good Food magazine John Torode has supplied a recipe for a spicy butternut squash…curry, for want of a better word, to be served with spaghetti. He called it fusion – so you can guess what is coming. I cooked it for supper one night last week, with the intention of writing a very amusing blog piece about how it was confused rather than, um, fused. Trouble is, it actually tasted pretty nice - I thought the pasta worked well with the heat of the sauce. So, no amusing confusion jokes for me. It wasn't perfect by any means - both of us found the addition of lime pickle made it a little sour, so that needs to be balanced out, and I’ve got a few ideas that will pimp it up a little bit – I’m convinced that the addition of some fat prawns would work well with the squash – and then I’m going to post it here so you too can bellow quotes by rubber featured Australian chefs at your food. Or not.
I mean, I’m not known for my discerning taste in television – just ask poor D who has just spent the whole weekend trying to get away from an Australia’s Next Top Model marathon. And when it comes to food programmes I’ll watch pretty much anything and will often have the Good Food channel on just as background noise (absorbing recipes and techniques by osmosis perhaps).But Masterchef – that is must see TV. Seriously. I draw the line at the Junior version – precocious children scare me. But standard, Professional and Celebrity – fantastic! It’s comedy gold! If they have such a thing as the gurning world championships, John Torode and Greg Wallace should enter, they’d be absolutely sure to win. The expressions that those two have come up with while wandering between the contestants – who would have thought that the human face was capable of such contortions? And, almost as amusing, some of the food combinations that the entrants come up with, particularly in the early stage invention test. I think my favourite from this current series was Christine Hamilton’s Thai mussels with…blue cheese.
Anyway, during the last series of Masterchef Proper (i.e. the contestants are not “famous” or professional chefs) John Torode coined the phrase that I’ve used as my title to express his uncertainty at a particularly odd amalgamation; someone attempting to marry, for example, sweet and sour sauce with bangers and mash. Now, whenever we see an unlikely combination of ingredients in a recipe or on a menu, we chorus (in a cod Australian accent, of course) “Is it fusion? Or confusion?” Yes, I know…but it makes us laugh.
I was a little bit surprised then, to see in the latest issue of Good Food magazine John Torode has supplied a recipe for a spicy butternut squash…curry, for want of a better word, to be served with spaghetti. He called it fusion – so you can guess what is coming. I cooked it for supper one night last week, with the intention of writing a very amusing blog piece about how it was confused rather than, um, fused. Trouble is, it actually tasted pretty nice - I thought the pasta worked well with the heat of the sauce. So, no amusing confusion jokes for me. It wasn't perfect by any means - both of us found the addition of lime pickle made it a little sour, so that needs to be balanced out, and I’ve got a few ideas that will pimp it up a little bit – I’m convinced that the addition of some fat prawns would work well with the squash – and then I’m going to post it here so you too can bellow quotes by rubber featured Australian chefs at your food. Or not.
Wednesday, 11 August 2010
On a roll...
Does two days count as a roll?
Shhhh! We have to be very quiet...we don't want to scare the mojo!!
Shhhh! We have to be very quiet...we don't want to scare the mojo!!
Monday, 9 August 2010
Pastures (kind of) new
Currently D and I have relocated about 20 miles down the road to cat sit for my parents while they are living it up on a round the world trip. I could insert bitter comments about teachers and their long holidays here, but I won’t because I’ve never met two people more dedicated to their jobs than my parents and they deserve their time away. PLUS I get to spend quality time with my beloved Minerva McGonagall. (Gratuitous cute cat picture will probably follow).
Anyway, we quite fancied a lunch out on Sunday and decided to go and pay a visit to The Drum and Monkey in Harrogate. We had high hopes; not only had it been recommended to us on a couple of occasions, but also the website informed us that Tatler had proclaimed it “The best seafood restaurant in North Yorkshire”.
My verdict – sorry Tatler, but meh (and with language like that you may well ask what is standing between me and my dream of being the new, but far less grumpy, and a bit more female Giles Coren). The interior was dark and a bit old fashioned but not in a quirky, retro kind of way more in a needs-a-lick-of-paint-and-some-decent-lighting type way. And the menu was old fashioned too – and again, quite straight faced about it. The crayfish cocktail was…a crayfish cocktail. Crayfish, Marie rose sauce, lettuce. I think we’ve just got a bit used to the type of restaurants that like to shake up the old classics a bit – playing around with expectations. Being confronted with the real thing, in a room that looked like it belonged in a 1970s period piece was a bit…well, meh. My baked red snapper main course was drastically under seasoned, although the fish itself was cooked beautifully and D’s dressed crab salad was…odd. Tinned orange segments have no place in a salad. The radish rose was quite pretty though.
I suppose, on the plus side, we couldn’t be bothered with pudding, so the whole meal probably was fine with regards to points. But any restaurant which makes me write out the sentence “Couldn’t be bothered with pudding” and mean it, is not a restaurant that is worth going back to.
Anyway, we quite fancied a lunch out on Sunday and decided to go and pay a visit to The Drum and Monkey in Harrogate. We had high hopes; not only had it been recommended to us on a couple of occasions, but also the website informed us that Tatler had proclaimed it “The best seafood restaurant in North Yorkshire”.
My verdict – sorry Tatler, but meh (and with language like that you may well ask what is standing between me and my dream of being the new, but far less grumpy, and a bit more female Giles Coren). The interior was dark and a bit old fashioned but not in a quirky, retro kind of way more in a needs-a-lick-of-paint-and-some-decent-lighting type way. And the menu was old fashioned too – and again, quite straight faced about it. The crayfish cocktail was…a crayfish cocktail. Crayfish, Marie rose sauce, lettuce. I think we’ve just got a bit used to the type of restaurants that like to shake up the old classics a bit – playing around with expectations. Being confronted with the real thing, in a room that looked like it belonged in a 1970s period piece was a bit…well, meh. My baked red snapper main course was drastically under seasoned, although the fish itself was cooked beautifully and D’s dressed crab salad was…odd. Tinned orange segments have no place in a salad. The radish rose was quite pretty though.
I suppose, on the plus side, we couldn’t be bothered with pudding, so the whole meal probably was fine with regards to points. But any restaurant which makes me write out the sentence “Couldn’t be bothered with pudding” and mean it, is not a restaurant that is worth going back to.
Thursday, 5 August 2010
Detox Day 3 – whoopsadaisy!
At about half past seven last night (which is usually teatime in our household) I realised that I couldn’t be bothered to wait another hour for dinner, let alone engage in a vegetable chopathon. So I cooked pasta pesto (a long-term friend) instead. Er, this is not detox food, unless you are trying out some weird detox which involves wheat and cheese (and if you are, and it works then I want details!). I take a bit of comfort from the fact that most of the constituents in the pesto (oil, basil, garlic, pine nuts) are allowed.
So there we have it, sheer bloody laziness runs roughshod over weakling attempt at better health. It’s not all doom and gloom though. The pink Bircher muesli continues to go down well at breakfast (although this morning it didn’t seem to be as satisfying as previously: my arm had tooth marks in it at about quarter to nine) and lunch for today is the remains of a delicious roasted tomato and red pepper soup that we had for tea on Tuesday, plus I have been loading up on some rather gorgeous plums and nectarines. So, if the point of detoxing was to get my levels of fresh fruit and veggies up than it has succeeded on that one count.
Oh, and I have rediscovered my love for oatcakes (although every time I eat one I imagine what it would taste like topped with a wodge of cheese). I think these are going to be featuring in my lunchbox quite heavily in the next few weeks. Soooo good, and the Waitrose ones we have in at the moment are only half a point each.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to get my mouth round another plum (oooh, matron!)
So there we have it, sheer bloody laziness runs roughshod over weakling attempt at better health. It’s not all doom and gloom though. The pink Bircher muesli continues to go down well at breakfast (although this morning it didn’t seem to be as satisfying as previously: my arm had tooth marks in it at about quarter to nine) and lunch for today is the remains of a delicious roasted tomato and red pepper soup that we had for tea on Tuesday, plus I have been loading up on some rather gorgeous plums and nectarines. So, if the point of detoxing was to get my levels of fresh fruit and veggies up than it has succeeded on that one count.
Oh, and I have rediscovered my love for oatcakes (although every time I eat one I imagine what it would taste like topped with a wodge of cheese). I think these are going to be featuring in my lunchbox quite heavily in the next few weeks. Soooo good, and the Waitrose ones we have in at the moment are only half a point each.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to get my mouth round another plum (oooh, matron!)
Tuesday, 3 August 2010
Detox Day 2 - Reboot and Pink Muesli
Well. Day 1 did not go quite according to plan. Maybe the problem was that there was no particular plan to accord to (or something).
Fairly early on yesterday morning I started to get a thumping headache and felt distinctly nauseous – so much so that I couldn’t face the smoked mackerel salad that I had prepared for my lunch. I wondered if this was all the toxins leaving my body, until D pointed out that if I was so toxic that three hours without caffeine and alcohol could leave me feeling that rough I probably needed to be in some sort of drying out clinic. I suspect part of the problem was dehydration – at work, I generally fill my water bottle when I go to make tea or coffee. Anyway, I survived, albeit in a floppy, miserable kind of way.
I’d perked up by the evening (a sneaky can of Diet Coke may have been involved – bad). Our evening meal was lovely last night – griddled tuna steaks with sweet potato and coriander mash. I can never quite make up my mind whether I like sweet potato or not – I keep eating it, so I suppose I must. It is definitely improved by the addition of fresh coriander and a drizzle of sweet chilli sauce – these little tweaks make it far less sickly. Although I must confess that it wasn’t till I had drizzled said sauce over it that I realised that it might not strictly be detox suitable food. Ah well. The aim here is to try and eat cleaner – not necessarily get Carol-Vorderman-swimsuit-ready in five days and it definitely improved the overall taste of the dish.
And this morning I have eaten an incredibly worthy breakfast and so am sitting at my desk feeling ever so slightly smug. Oats, pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries soaked overnight in pomegranate juice and served with a handful of mixed summer fruits – my version of Bircher muesli coming in at 3.5 points a bowl. It was pink, which made me happy, and tart which also made me happy (I have something of a sour tooth). The portion looked a bit weeny when I prepared it last night but it was pretty substantial when I came to it today. Had I more time in the mornings I think the addition of a grated apple would be pretty good as well.
So, feeling far more groovy than this time yesterday, onwards!
Fairly early on yesterday morning I started to get a thumping headache and felt distinctly nauseous – so much so that I couldn’t face the smoked mackerel salad that I had prepared for my lunch. I wondered if this was all the toxins leaving my body, until D pointed out that if I was so toxic that three hours without caffeine and alcohol could leave me feeling that rough I probably needed to be in some sort of drying out clinic. I suspect part of the problem was dehydration – at work, I generally fill my water bottle when I go to make tea or coffee. Anyway, I survived, albeit in a floppy, miserable kind of way.
I’d perked up by the evening (a sneaky can of Diet Coke may have been involved – bad). Our evening meal was lovely last night – griddled tuna steaks with sweet potato and coriander mash. I can never quite make up my mind whether I like sweet potato or not – I keep eating it, so I suppose I must. It is definitely improved by the addition of fresh coriander and a drizzle of sweet chilli sauce – these little tweaks make it far less sickly. Although I must confess that it wasn’t till I had drizzled said sauce over it that I realised that it might not strictly be detox suitable food. Ah well. The aim here is to try and eat cleaner – not necessarily get Carol-Vorderman-swimsuit-ready in five days and it definitely improved the overall taste of the dish.
And this morning I have eaten an incredibly worthy breakfast and so am sitting at my desk feeling ever so slightly smug. Oats, pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries soaked overnight in pomegranate juice and served with a handful of mixed summer fruits – my version of Bircher muesli coming in at 3.5 points a bowl. It was pink, which made me happy, and tart which also made me happy (I have something of a sour tooth). The portion looked a bit weeny when I prepared it last night but it was pretty substantial when I came to it today. Had I more time in the mornings I think the addition of a grated apple would be pretty good as well.
So, feeling far more groovy than this time yesterday, onwards!
Monday, 2 August 2010
Foodie on a detox
A good few years ago the great British public were being besieged with pictures of Countdown’s Carol Vorderman looking rather smug and svelte in a swimming costume. Anyone else remember this? Eventually, curiosity got the better of me and I purchased her “Summer Detox Plan”, not initially intending to follow it just to get an idea of what it involved. Such was her enthusiasm for the plan though, I decided to have a go at following it. And since I did most of the cooking and the meal preparation, D was told that he was going to be following it as well.
We didn’t do too badly – lasted nearly two weeks. It was a curry that broke us in the end I think. Anyway, the point is that after the initial shock to the system, we both felt very well on it, and (although I didn’t weigh myself back in those days so relied on instinct and tight jeans) lost a good few pounds in a relatively short space of time.
Recently, I’ve been a bit lackadaisical with the diet. Stress at work and one thing and another has led to quite a few greasy takeaways and more than a few pints of cider and bottles of wine. Things are improving, but even when I’m pointing, I’ve noticed that I’m not always making the best choices. I need something to give me a kick up the arse – mentally, even if not physically. The idea of a detox period – nothing too long, mind, has been playing on my mind for a little while and I had decided to go for it - if nothing else, to give myself a bit of a challenge.
The plan was to follow it for five days, starting yesterday, adopting the basic Vorderman principles of cutting out wheat, dairy, caffeine and, as far as possible, processed stuff but deviating slightly by including a small amount of white meat and fish alongside plenty of fruit, vegetables, water and peppermint tea. And keeping a tally of points to ensure reasonable portion sizes.
Unfortunately, I did such a good job of toxing on Saturday night (wine was involved) that I felt fairly deathlike yesterday and hot water with lemon juice was just not going to cut it – I think we’ll gloss over the actual contents of yesterday’s food diary, but it won’t take an awful lot of imagination for you to get the gist. So the detox was postponed briefly.
I’m on it today though, albeit with slightly less enthusiasm than when I was planning it last week. Currently, I’m enjoying an extremely juicy white nectarine, and there is a smoked mackerel salad sitting patiently in the fridge. Tea tonight may be a roasted red pepper and tomato soup, or possibly tuna steak with sweet potato and coriander mash. Hopefully, by the end of Thursday I’ll be glowing with health and all ready to start retoxing again.
We didn’t do too badly – lasted nearly two weeks. It was a curry that broke us in the end I think. Anyway, the point is that after the initial shock to the system, we both felt very well on it, and (although I didn’t weigh myself back in those days so relied on instinct and tight jeans) lost a good few pounds in a relatively short space of time.
Recently, I’ve been a bit lackadaisical with the diet. Stress at work and one thing and another has led to quite a few greasy takeaways and more than a few pints of cider and bottles of wine. Things are improving, but even when I’m pointing, I’ve noticed that I’m not always making the best choices. I need something to give me a kick up the arse – mentally, even if not physically. The idea of a detox period – nothing too long, mind, has been playing on my mind for a little while and I had decided to go for it - if nothing else, to give myself a bit of a challenge.
The plan was to follow it for five days, starting yesterday, adopting the basic Vorderman principles of cutting out wheat, dairy, caffeine and, as far as possible, processed stuff but deviating slightly by including a small amount of white meat and fish alongside plenty of fruit, vegetables, water and peppermint tea. And keeping a tally of points to ensure reasonable portion sizes.
Unfortunately, I did such a good job of toxing on Saturday night (wine was involved) that I felt fairly deathlike yesterday and hot water with lemon juice was just not going to cut it – I think we’ll gloss over the actual contents of yesterday’s food diary, but it won’t take an awful lot of imagination for you to get the gist. So the detox was postponed briefly.
I’m on it today though, albeit with slightly less enthusiasm than when I was planning it last week. Currently, I’m enjoying an extremely juicy white nectarine, and there is a smoked mackerel salad sitting patiently in the fridge. Tea tonight may be a roasted red pepper and tomato soup, or possibly tuna steak with sweet potato and coriander mash. Hopefully, by the end of Thursday I’ll be glowing with health and all ready to start retoxing again.
Wednesday, 28 July 2010
Recipe Corner – Mussel Paella
D and I are exceptionally fond of pretty much any foodstuff that comes out of the sea and a pretty large proportion of our meals feature fish or seafood of some kind. Recently, his father gave us a huge bag of frozen mussels which we’ve been eating our way through and the following recipe (adapted from one in an old WW cookbook) entered our meal rotation as a particularly delicious way to use them. I should say that it’s only a paella in the loosest sense of the word (I sense generations of Spaniards looking around for kitchen implements to hurl at me for accosting it). I should also say that it would probably be equally delicious made with one of those frozen seafood mixes that you can pick up in the supermarket, or with fat prawns. Some finely diced chorizo sausage added at the initial stages would be good too, although obviously would up the points.
Ingredients
Tsp olive oil
Onion, chopped
Clove of garlic, crushed
Red pepper, chopped
110g risotto rice
½ tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp dried thyme
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
Pinch of saffron
50ml dry sherry
450ml chicken or vegetable stock
200g frozen unshelled mussels (defrost before using)
60g peas
Serves 2, 8 Smart Points (WW Flex) per portion
Warm the oil and gently soften the onion for a couple of minutes. As it starts to sweat, chuck in the garlic and the pepper and continue to cook, gently. Meanwhile, add the saffron to the sherry to infuse.
Stir through the risotto rice and the spices and thoroughly combine.
Add the sherry (which should now be a lovely golden colour) and allow to bubble off. Then pour over the hot stock, bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
Next in are the peas, which cook for about 5 minutes. Then finally, the defrosted mussles for another minute or so – they require very little cooking so really you’re just warming them through here.
Et voila! (or whatever the Spanish equivalent is).
Ingredients
Tsp olive oil
Onion, chopped
Clove of garlic, crushed
Red pepper, chopped
110g risotto rice
½ tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp dried thyme
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
Pinch of saffron
50ml dry sherry
450ml chicken or vegetable stock
200g frozen unshelled mussels (defrost before using)
60g peas
Serves 2, 8 Smart Points (WW Flex) per portion
Warm the oil and gently soften the onion for a couple of minutes. As it starts to sweat, chuck in the garlic and the pepper and continue to cook, gently. Meanwhile, add the saffron to the sherry to infuse.
Stir through the risotto rice and the spices and thoroughly combine.
Add the sherry (which should now be a lovely golden colour) and allow to bubble off. Then pour over the hot stock, bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
Next in are the peas, which cook for about 5 minutes. Then finally, the defrosted mussles for another minute or so – they require very little cooking so really you’re just warming them through here.
Et voila! (or whatever the Spanish equivalent is).
Monday, 26 July 2010
Recipe corner - Linguine with broad beans, peas and goats' cheese
This is a lovely, summery dish - and it involves two of my favourite things - pasta and cheese! I've tweaked the original to cut down on the portion size slightly while still keeping the proportions roughly the same. I guess it is up to the individual whether they would rather compromise on quantity or quality, and sure, on hungry days when I want my points to go further I'd probably avoid something like this. But in the height of summer, when I naturally eat a bit less, this is exactly the kind of fresh, tasty dish that I want to enjoy. Ingredients
100g fresh or frozen broad beans
100g fresh or frozen peas
250g linguine
1 clove of garlic, crushed
2 tbsp olive oil
80g mild, rindless soft goats' cheese
50g grated Parmesan
small handful of fresh mint leaves
1 lemon
salt and pepper
Serves 4, 8.5 points per person
Boil the beans for a couple of minutes then add the peas and cook for a further three minutes. Drain and refresh under the cold tap.
In another pan, cook the pasta in boiling, salted water. When it's nearly done, put the beans and the peas back in their original saucepan along with the garlic and the olive oil, and gently warm through. Stir in the goats' cheese and half of the Parmesan and remove from the heat.
Drain the pasta keeping back 4-5 tbsp of the cooking water. Stir the water through the cheese to loosen and then add the pasta, the mint, a squeeze of lemon juice and seasoning. Toss together and then serve sprinkled with the remaining Parmsean and plenty of black pepper.
Sunday, 25 July 2010
Lunch with Jeff
Warning - non dieting entry (aka food porn) ahead.
So yesterday, D treated me to lunch at one of our absolute favourite restaurants. I may have mentioned before that we live in York, which is beautiful with many lovely places to visit, but in terms of high end dining it is slightly lacking. J Baker's Bistro Moderne, which opened up about five years ago, is the only place in the city that I would wholeheartedly recommend if you were after a really special meal. And, amazingly when you consider the quality, the price is incredibly low.
We've been back many times both for quick lunches and more lingering dinners and never, ever been disappointed. The food is always tasty and often shows not only the chef's skill with his raw ingredients but also a quirky sense of humour. One of the hallmarks of the menu is the nods to British classics presented in a fresh, modern and sometimes unexpected way.
Yesterday we both opted for the lunchtime grazing menu, which consists of three light courses for £12, plus a complimentary pre-lunch nibble which on this occasion was a spiced aubergine dip with breadsticks and radishes for dunking. I forgot to take a picture - both of this and of our first course, an Inca tomato salad. I'm not quite sure what the Inca part of it was, but it was a good start - tomatoes, olives, lettuce and feta with a glistening scoop of cucumber sorbet that was both sweet and refreshing.
At this point, D remarked that I would never make a food blogger if I kept forgetting to take photos so I sat my camera on the table next to me. Giles Coren, the Times restaurant critic, recently kicked up a bit of a fuss by complaining about food bloggers in restaurants who insist on taking pictures of their food. I say, what's the harm? A delicious dish can be just as valuable a memory as a visit to a beautiful landmark as far as I'm concerned - in fact, when we discuss past holidays, more often than not we find ourselves reminiscing about the food just as much if not more than the culture or the scenery. Anyway, from here on in there are illustrations!
The second course proper was the above pictured piece of salt cod. The picture doesn't really do it justice because it doesn't convey just how crispy that batter was. It shattered as you pressed your fork into it with the most satisfying crackle I've heard on a piece of fish this year. I loved the creamy mayonnaise as well, and the salty pop of the samphire garnish. The only disappointment here was the chips - a little oily tasting and, well, flabby. I like a crisp chip. But smothered in mayo with a sprinkle of sea salt, it was a minor complaint.
Next came this lamb which I thought was absolutely amazing. It had been cooked for twelve whole hours with the result that it was incredibly sweet and tender - you only had to look at if for it to fall apart with a gentle sigh. The aubergine chutney was fab as well - we identified aubergine, courgette, onion, garlic and tomato among the tiny little cubes; there was a slight vinegar kick, enough to set off the sweetness of the meat (which we think was seasoned with cumin and cinnamon) without becoming sour. This is definitely a dish I'm going to try and recreate at home, and actually think it could be made pretty WW friendly.
At this point we were at a good stage of fullness. But there is no way, unfortunately, that I can go to JB and not indulge in a pudding. My sweet tooth has receded a little as I've got older, and I'm more likely to opt for a starter nowadays than a pudding, but here, all bets are off. We both went for chocolatey options - D's sticky chocolate cake was excellent, but the sandwich...oh, my. I'm not sure the picture does it justice; the white, gooey bit in the middle was a dense white chocolate and lavender mousse: sweet, thick and with a slight perfume, but the sharp cherries and the bitter dark chocolate ice cream prevented the whole thing from being overly cloying. I would have licked the plate if I had been at home, as it was, I may well have been guilty of running my finger round to try and scoop up the last vestiges of mousse.
Now, I have no idea how many points were in that lunch, and I'm not even going to hazard a guess. As I said back here eating out is one of my greatest joys, and I have personally decided that, if WW is going to be a feasible plan for me, I don't intend to worry about the odd extravagant meal. And for all that I can't wait for the day when I slip into a pair of size 10 jeans again, lunch with Jeff every now and then is an indulgence I don't plan to give up.
We've been back many times both for quick lunches and more lingering dinners and never, ever been disappointed. The food is always tasty and often shows not only the chef's skill with his raw ingredients but also a quirky sense of humour. One of the hallmarks of the menu is the nods to British classics presented in a fresh, modern and sometimes unexpected way.
Yesterday we both opted for the lunchtime grazing menu, which consists of three light courses for £12, plus a complimentary pre-lunch nibble which on this occasion was a spiced aubergine dip with breadsticks and radishes for dunking. I forgot to take a picture - both of this and of our first course, an Inca tomato salad. I'm not quite sure what the Inca part of it was, but it was a good start - tomatoes, olives, lettuce and feta with a glistening scoop of cucumber sorbet that was both sweet and refreshing.
At this point, D remarked that I would never make a food blogger if I kept forgetting to take photos so I sat my camera on the table next to me. Giles Coren, the Times restaurant critic, recently kicked up a bit of a fuss by complaining about food bloggers in restaurants who insist on taking pictures of their food. I say, what's the harm? A delicious dish can be just as valuable a memory as a visit to a beautiful landmark as far as I'm concerned - in fact, when we discuss past holidays, more often than not we find ourselves reminiscing about the food just as much if not more than the culture or the scenery. Anyway, from here on in there are illustrations!
 |
| Beer battered salt cod with chips and chervil mayonnaise |
The second course proper was the above pictured piece of salt cod. The picture doesn't really do it justice because it doesn't convey just how crispy that batter was. It shattered as you pressed your fork into it with the most satisfying crackle I've heard on a piece of fish this year. I loved the creamy mayonnaise as well, and the salty pop of the samphire garnish. The only disappointment here was the chips - a little oily tasting and, well, flabby. I like a crisp chip. But smothered in mayo with a sprinkle of sea salt, it was a minor complaint.
 |
| Slow cooked lamb with aubergine chutney and saffron oil |
Next came this lamb which I thought was absolutely amazing. It had been cooked for twelve whole hours with the result that it was incredibly sweet and tender - you only had to look at if for it to fall apart with a gentle sigh. The aubergine chutney was fab as well - we identified aubergine, courgette, onion, garlic and tomato among the tiny little cubes; there was a slight vinegar kick, enough to set off the sweetness of the meat (which we think was seasoned with cumin and cinnamon) without becoming sour. This is definitely a dish I'm going to try and recreate at home, and actually think it could be made pretty WW friendly.
 |
| Ivoire Chocolate Sandwich with cherries and lavender |
 |
| Sticky chocolate cake with drunken cherries |
At this point we were at a good stage of fullness. But there is no way, unfortunately, that I can go to JB and not indulge in a pudding. My sweet tooth has receded a little as I've got older, and I'm more likely to opt for a starter nowadays than a pudding, but here, all bets are off. We both went for chocolatey options - D's sticky chocolate cake was excellent, but the sandwich...oh, my. I'm not sure the picture does it justice; the white, gooey bit in the middle was a dense white chocolate and lavender mousse: sweet, thick and with a slight perfume, but the sharp cherries and the bitter dark chocolate ice cream prevented the whole thing from being overly cloying. I would have licked the plate if I had been at home, as it was, I may well have been guilty of running my finger round to try and scoop up the last vestiges of mousse.
Now, I have no idea how many points were in that lunch, and I'm not even going to hazard a guess. As I said back here eating out is one of my greatest joys, and I have personally decided that, if WW is going to be a feasible plan for me, I don't intend to worry about the odd extravagant meal. And for all that I can't wait for the day when I slip into a pair of size 10 jeans again, lunch with Jeff every now and then is an indulgence I don't plan to give up.
Thursday, 22 July 2010
Pasta and me – a long term love affair
About eight years ago I decided to jump on the Atkins bandwagon. It was not during a particularly affluent period of my life, but I somehow persuaded my mother to take me shopping and stocked up on meat, eggs and cheese. And more cheese. And a little bit more.
I think I lasted two days before I admitted defeat and made toast (probably grating up the leftover cheese and piling it on top – I’m nothing if not predictable).
Low carb is just not for me. The Atkins of the early 2000s was, as I understand it, quite a different beast to the current version, and there are plenty of other low-carb plans out there which look doable when I read through the menu plans. But I just don’t think I have it in me to give up my beloved bread and my even more beloved pasta.
Pasta and me, we go way back. It was the first "proper" meal I ever cooked, if you can call combining some extremely undercooked penne (aiming for al dente I hit crunchy) with a jar of Ragu sauce, as cooking. I proudly served my offering up to my mother and my brother and they ate it, bless them. And the thing about cooking is that sometimes the best way to learn is to make a mistake – I don’t think I’ve undercooked pasta since.
Tuna pasta bake is a dish forever associated in my mind with my Dad. He loves it, the stodgier the better, preferably with a thick layer of melted cheese on top. It was in order to make his beloved tuna pasta that I learned at a tender age how to put together a proper white sauce from a roux, carefully adding the milk bit by bit, before flavouring it with Parmesan and herbs.
At university, the kitchen facilities were very limited. To encourage students to eat in hall the residential kitchens were equipped with a two pan hob and, if you were lucky, a microwave. This obviously meant that one was limited as to what one could cook and my go-to meal for that entire three year period was pasta pesto. Not homemade pesto (I’ve never made that, and I really should get around to it one day) but a jar of Sacla’s finest. I avoided it for a while after I graduated, but it has gradually returned to occupy a special place in my heart, although now, being the proud owner of an oven, I like to enjoy it with vegetables roasted with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. In fact, now I come to think of it, one of the first dinners that D cooked for me after we had moved in together in December 2004 was pasta pesto topped with a pan fried salmon fillet – a meal we still enjoy regularly. There are no doubt purists who would be shocked by the combination – I believe it is an edict of Italian Mamas that fish and cheese should never be eaten together – but we like it, and aesthetically the combination of grass green pesto and pale coral fish is gorgeous.
The main issue surrounding pasta and WW to my mind is portion size - or at least it was when I started. WW have deemed that a large portion of pasta is 60g (3 points worth) - believe me, when you first see that weighed out it does not look like a large portion and it is probably at least half the size of the amount I would eat in my student days. It is surprising, though, how quickly one gets used to that sort of amount - I very seldom cook more than 60g per portion of any carb nowadays. A small thing perhaps, but at least one of my bad habits seems to have changed for the better. It’s one of the reasons that I love WW – my affair with pasta is as passionate as ever, but now we’re (mostly) about quality over quantity.
As I write I'm already planning tonight's tea (of course) which is to be linguine with broad beans, peas and goats; cheese - sounds like a lovely summery dish for what is turning out be quite a miserable morning. I'll post the recipe if it turns out well - and spread a bit of pasta love.
I think I lasted two days before I admitted defeat and made toast (probably grating up the leftover cheese and piling it on top – I’m nothing if not predictable).
Low carb is just not for me. The Atkins of the early 2000s was, as I understand it, quite a different beast to the current version, and there are plenty of other low-carb plans out there which look doable when I read through the menu plans. But I just don’t think I have it in me to give up my beloved bread and my even more beloved pasta.
Pasta and me, we go way back. It was the first "proper" meal I ever cooked, if you can call combining some extremely undercooked penne (aiming for al dente I hit crunchy) with a jar of Ragu sauce, as cooking. I proudly served my offering up to my mother and my brother and they ate it, bless them. And the thing about cooking is that sometimes the best way to learn is to make a mistake – I don’t think I’ve undercooked pasta since.
Tuna pasta bake is a dish forever associated in my mind with my Dad. He loves it, the stodgier the better, preferably with a thick layer of melted cheese on top. It was in order to make his beloved tuna pasta that I learned at a tender age how to put together a proper white sauce from a roux, carefully adding the milk bit by bit, before flavouring it with Parmesan and herbs.
At university, the kitchen facilities were very limited. To encourage students to eat in hall the residential kitchens were equipped with a two pan hob and, if you were lucky, a microwave. This obviously meant that one was limited as to what one could cook and my go-to meal for that entire three year period was pasta pesto. Not homemade pesto (I’ve never made that, and I really should get around to it one day) but a jar of Sacla’s finest. I avoided it for a while after I graduated, but it has gradually returned to occupy a special place in my heart, although now, being the proud owner of an oven, I like to enjoy it with vegetables roasted with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. In fact, now I come to think of it, one of the first dinners that D cooked for me after we had moved in together in December 2004 was pasta pesto topped with a pan fried salmon fillet – a meal we still enjoy regularly. There are no doubt purists who would be shocked by the combination – I believe it is an edict of Italian Mamas that fish and cheese should never be eaten together – but we like it, and aesthetically the combination of grass green pesto and pale coral fish is gorgeous.
The main issue surrounding pasta and WW to my mind is portion size - or at least it was when I started. WW have deemed that a large portion of pasta is 60g (3 points worth) - believe me, when you first see that weighed out it does not look like a large portion and it is probably at least half the size of the amount I would eat in my student days. It is surprising, though, how quickly one gets used to that sort of amount - I very seldom cook more than 60g per portion of any carb nowadays. A small thing perhaps, but at least one of my bad habits seems to have changed for the better. It’s one of the reasons that I love WW – my affair with pasta is as passionate as ever, but now we’re (mostly) about quality over quantity.
As I write I'm already planning tonight's tea (of course) which is to be linguine with broad beans, peas and goats; cheese - sounds like a lovely summery dish for what is turning out be quite a miserable morning. I'll post the recipe if it turns out well - and spread a bit of pasta love.
Tuesday, 20 July 2010
Getting some zeds
Apparently, lack of sleep has been linked to obesity. I don’t think that can possibly be true. If it were I would be a size 8 by now.
I am a champion sleeper. Really, if it were an Olympic event I’d be taking home gold. I may be on the verge of turning thirty, but I still have the sleeping habits of a very, very tired sixteen year old. I frequently sleep until past noon at the weekend, and almost as frequently don’t bother to change out of my pyjamas when I get up. Last night I went to bed at half past eight people! Admittedly, my weekday routine generally involves getting up a few minutes before six o clock, but still, half past eight is not just verging on the ridiculous but is slap bang in the middle of it.
I don’t know if the current extreme tiredness is down to the (fairly intense) training course I’m doing at work, but one thing is for sure, it is not doing my eating habits any favours. When I’m tired, I tend to make poor decisions. I’m less organised and get a bit lax in the old planning department. I also feel less and less inclined to exercise – which is counter intuitive as exercise always tends to give you a big shot of energy.
At least things have improved in the last week – more homecooked food for a start. We’ve had some delicious dinners recently; last night D cooked fantastic chicken fajitas which we had with refried beans, salsa and a quickly cobbled together sour cream substitute (low fat soft cheese, low fat mayo, a little finely grated mature cheddar and some coriander puree – don’t laugh, actually it was very good!)
I guess until my routine gets back to normal I have to accept that I might not be losing any weight – but I’d like to be in a holding position. Getting back into a regular gym routine is key to this so, that’s my challenge to myself this week - three visits minimum.
I am a champion sleeper. Really, if it were an Olympic event I’d be taking home gold. I may be on the verge of turning thirty, but I still have the sleeping habits of a very, very tired sixteen year old. I frequently sleep until past noon at the weekend, and almost as frequently don’t bother to change out of my pyjamas when I get up. Last night I went to bed at half past eight people! Admittedly, my weekday routine generally involves getting up a few minutes before six o clock, but still, half past eight is not just verging on the ridiculous but is slap bang in the middle of it.
I don’t know if the current extreme tiredness is down to the (fairly intense) training course I’m doing at work, but one thing is for sure, it is not doing my eating habits any favours. When I’m tired, I tend to make poor decisions. I’m less organised and get a bit lax in the old planning department. I also feel less and less inclined to exercise – which is counter intuitive as exercise always tends to give you a big shot of energy.
At least things have improved in the last week – more homecooked food for a start. We’ve had some delicious dinners recently; last night D cooked fantastic chicken fajitas which we had with refried beans, salsa and a quickly cobbled together sour cream substitute (low fat soft cheese, low fat mayo, a little finely grated mature cheddar and some coriander puree – don’t laugh, actually it was very good!)
I guess until my routine gets back to normal I have to accept that I might not be losing any weight – but I’d like to be in a holding position. Getting back into a regular gym routine is key to this so, that’s my challenge to myself this week - three visits minimum.
Tuesday, 13 July 2010
Comfort Blogging
I feel so much better since writing yesterday’s post, thank you for your kind words. During my recent shrink appointment (and as an aside on that, I was very disappointed to not get to recline on a couch and look at ink blots. But then, I was also quite disappointed that the psychologist didn’t look, or sound, anything like Frasier) we talked a lot about patterns learned in childhood. It takes a lot to unlearn those. I did a lot of secret eating as a child, took a lot of comfort in the mouth feel of chocolate and melted cheese. Those habits are not going to disappear overnight, I just have to try and check myself when I start to revert to them.
Risotto update: absolutely gorgeous! I reduced the amount of lime and ginger in there, so as not to overpower the crab, and the flavours worked beautifully. It was incredibly rich, but all the richness came from the crab meat rather than the usual additions of butter and cheese. According to the nutritional info on the website it worked out at 6.5 points a portion and very well worth it.
Gym update: epic fail. But, I am not going to feel too guilty about it because my swimming kit is in the boot of the car as I speak (well, write) and tonight the plan is to go straight there. However much I whinge on the way.
Risotto update: absolutely gorgeous! I reduced the amount of lime and ginger in there, so as not to overpower the crab, and the flavours worked beautifully. It was incredibly rich, but all the richness came from the crab meat rather than the usual additions of butter and cheese. According to the nutritional info on the website it worked out at 6.5 points a portion and very well worth it.
Gym update: epic fail. But, I am not going to feel too guilty about it because my swimming kit is in the boot of the car as I speak (well, write) and tonight the plan is to go straight there. However much I whinge on the way.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
