Getting in early because I already have a couple of recipes I have tried and would like to share. I started the morning with a lamb tagine simmering on the stove - TO DIE FOR!
Lamb Tagine with Prunes (adapted from "Lunch in Paris" by Elizabeth Bard")
800g - 1 kg lamb chunks (I used lamb leg steaks chopped up, but any stewing type would be fine)
5 tbsp olive oil
S & P
2 medium onions
1/4 cup freshly grated ginger (slightly less if you are not going to let this sit for a few hours/overnight)
3 whole cinnamon sticks
1 1/2 cups white wine (I used OJ which I reckon was soooooo much better)
1 cup water
300g dried prunes
Brown off the meat (seasoned generously) in batches using half the olive oil and put aside. Put in remainder of oil and add in onions, ginger, and cinnamon sticks. Saute till the onions are soft and golden, about 10 mins. Return the meat, add wine/juice & water, and bring to a boil. Cover tightly and either simmer very gently on low heat on stove or cook in 160 degree oven for an hour. Give a stir, add the prunes, and cook for 1 - 1 1/2 hrs till meat and prunes are falling apart. Leave in the fridge for a few hours so the sweetness of the prunes has time to mellow the ginger in the sauce. Serve with roasted sweet potatoes and green beans.
I was a bit turned off by the idea of the prunes, and was going to use dates, but thought "nah, will give it a go" and was so glad I did because it just works perfectly and by the time it's cooked you wouldn't know what it was! I told the kids it was plums (which of course they are).
And now for ........... SOUP OF THE WEEK! This is the Hearty Tomato Soup with Lemon and Rosemary by Giada de Laurentiis.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-di-laurentiis/hearty-tomato-soup-with-lemon-and-rosemary-recipe/index.html
This was another nice soup and I dolloped a blob of sundried tom pesto in the middle rather than the sour cream. So good to freeze too. I had this for dinner on "Soup & Pasta" night while the rest of the family had pasta with the sundried tomato pesto and chicken.
That night I had a killer of a headache. It had been an oppressively hot and humid day and I'd been in and out of the air con so I assume it was because of this. I had had a picky day - but mainly at the pestos I had and a bit of the sugar-free choc cake I'd made for the kids. I only had a small piece so cannot imagine that would have made a huge difference. The drugs I took, however hit me really hard - 7 hrs later and I am still feeling the after affects!
Sugar-free Choc Cake
400 grams deseeded dates (very finely chopped or blended in processor)
1 1/2 cups of boiling water
1 tsp bicarb soda
1/2 cup vege oil
1/2 apple juice concentrate
1 tbsp vanilla
2 cups plain flour (I used 1 cup plain, 1 cup brown rice flour)
1 cup carob powder/ cacao powder
2 tsp mixed spice
1 cup milk (or soy/rice milk)
Pre-heat oven to 170 celcius. Cover dates in bigger bowl with boiling water and mix in bicarb. Leave to cool. Add in oil, and juice concentrate and vanilla and it will start to froth as you mix. Sift together the dry ingredients and then take turns adding the dry and milk to the date mixture as you fold it all together. It is a very wet mix! Pour into prepared cake tin or loaf tin (greased or lined with paper) and bake for 55 mins, using a wooden skewer to check if it is cooked thru.
I pulled mine out a little early and the middle of the cake was still a bit gooey. I sliced it and then put it on a plate covered in alfoil to cook thru properly - still super, super moist and sweet. It really tastes like a rich mud cake! My older kids liked it, the younger ones thought it too sweet - 1/2 a piece (from a loaf tin) is quite enough.
And tonight is Fish/vegetarian night. Being one of my busiest days, I got dinner ready last night - Salmon & Veges cooked in Parcels! I lay out 6 sheets of alfoil (fairly long - maybe 60cm each) and then a piece of baking paper about half the size, centred on the alfoil. I julienned 1 carrot and zuchini and lay a little bed of them in the middle of the paper, along with a few sugar snap peas. I then placed a piece of salmon on top of them and seasoned the fish with salt, pepper and dried thyme. To create a sauce I pour on a splash of olive oil, and a generous squeeze of orange juice and lemon juice. A slice of lemon on top and then you wrap the fish up very tightly but still leaving a little room for the steam that will puff it up. This is such an easy way to cook, and the fish and veges are steamed perfectly and the most delectable sauce is created which keeps it all so moist. Yum, but will let you know how the kids take it - whatever happens I will be grateful for leftovers!
I'm loving being back at gym but will only be going twice this week, and will get back into the 3 times a wk routine next week. Hence, my weight loss will stall no doubt. I did enjoy a nice fresh salad for lunch today - slices of orange, very finely sliced fennel bulb, some slivers of red onion, some avo and a dressing of a little mustard, lemon juice, olive oil and salt. Garnish with chopped walnuts - extremely healthy and a good dose of Vit C, raw food and good fats.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Week 5 End
Surprised myself near the end of the week that I had passed the 5kg mark! Truly thrilling but am not counting that last kg till I'm thru the weekend home free. It's been a tough week cause my PT has been away and I've had to put my excecise together myself. But made it thru - I did a big session Wed evening in the yard and really killed my arms & legs. Got back into my pushups and was easily doing 15! Did another lot on Fri arvo while piano lessons were on and I had to keep the little ones occupied. Surprised at how fascinating they found it, because of their distraction I prob didn't get as much acheived but the hubby gave me a good boxing workout on Sat arvo before hitting it with the older girls for a mini game of netball. Overall, I shouldn't embarass myself heading back to the gym next Tues. It was a good test for me, but I know I couldn't keep it up for long on my own.
Gosh, it would be nice if I could have the next 5 kgs off by Easter (5 wks away) but would also be happy with 3?!?!? Not too worried about Easter as I'm not too big an Easter Egg fan (other than those delish red tulip mini solid eggs.........uh oh.....) however I've warned the kids there will not be so many choccies round this year but they will still get some money to spend on something non-chocolate. That excited them!
I redid the Symptoms Chart (from "The Candida Directory" by Gustafson & O'Shea) this week as well, the last time I did it was 3 weeks ago. The symptoms I found that had got better were - the dizziness, the thrush, burping, diarrhoea & stomach aches, and weight loss of course. The ones that seem worse are - fatigue, feelings of rage, irritability, I've had 2 headaches, and food cravings (thanks to dabbling in sweets lately). And the things that hadn't seemed to change were the depression & anxiety (not so much), forgetfulness, acne & dandruff (still an issue), swollen glands (still on & off) and joint & muscle pain (doesn't seem much better or worse).
The anger has been a really big issue lately and I don't know whether its the diet thing or if its something I have to look deeper into. I just seem to have such trouble being patient and not letting the little things really needle me. The kids just seem to get on top of me so much lately and I am not handling it at all. I would like to think it still may smooth out but I am sick of being the grump of the family and constantly lending a sour taste to the air round here. I just gotta keep praying to be more loving, to be more patient and hope that something will change.....
Well, I tried quite a few new recipes this week:
Chicken Patties -
500g chicken mince
1 onion finely diced
1 garlic clove crushed
1 med carrot grated
1 med zuchini grated
1/2 red caps finely diced
1 egg
1/2 sachet of leggo's pizza sauce (or some bbq/sweet chilli sauce)
small handful of fresh herbs or 1 tsp of dried herbs
S & P
Chuck it all together and mush it all together, form patties and fry in some s'flower oil or bake in the oven. (I did double the recipe and it was really sloppy so may be best to just use one egg overall, however, they still turned out nice.) The rest of the family had theirs on turkish buns but I enjoyed mine on baby cos lettuce leaves!
Gosh, it would be nice if I could have the next 5 kgs off by Easter (5 wks away) but would also be happy with 3?!?!? Not too worried about Easter as I'm not too big an Easter Egg fan (other than those delish red tulip mini solid eggs.........uh oh.....) however I've warned the kids there will not be so many choccies round this year but they will still get some money to spend on something non-chocolate. That excited them!
I redid the Symptoms Chart (from "The Candida Directory" by Gustafson & O'Shea) this week as well, the last time I did it was 3 weeks ago. The symptoms I found that had got better were - the dizziness, the thrush, burping, diarrhoea & stomach aches, and weight loss of course. The ones that seem worse are - fatigue, feelings of rage, irritability, I've had 2 headaches, and food cravings (thanks to dabbling in sweets lately). And the things that hadn't seemed to change were the depression & anxiety (not so much), forgetfulness, acne & dandruff (still an issue), swollen glands (still on & off) and joint & muscle pain (doesn't seem much better or worse).
The anger has been a really big issue lately and I don't know whether its the diet thing or if its something I have to look deeper into. I just seem to have such trouble being patient and not letting the little things really needle me. The kids just seem to get on top of me so much lately and I am not handling it at all. I would like to think it still may smooth out but I am sick of being the grump of the family and constantly lending a sour taste to the air round here. I just gotta keep praying to be more loving, to be more patient and hope that something will change.....
Well, I tried quite a few new recipes this week:
Chicken Patties -
500g chicken mince
1 onion finely diced
1 garlic clove crushed
1 med carrot grated
1 med zuchini grated
1/2 red caps finely diced
1 egg
1/2 sachet of leggo's pizza sauce (or some bbq/sweet chilli sauce)
small handful of fresh herbs or 1 tsp of dried herbs
S & P
Chuck it all together and mush it all together, form patties and fry in some s'flower oil or bake in the oven. (I did double the recipe and it was really sloppy so may be best to just use one egg overall, however, they still turned out nice.) The rest of the family had theirs on turkish buns but I enjoyed mine on baby cos lettuce leaves!
The soup of the week was Carrot, Cardomon & Orange (thanks to Gordon Ramsay):
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/recipes/article6105033.ece
It was beautiful and smooth and almooooooooooooost identical to the one I had at Cafe Vie. I had some for dinner one night when I sent Luke out with the kids to give me a breather - soooo frustrating sometimes. And it made 2 lovely lunches at different times too. Loving the soups at the moment.
I had a delightful feast one night at the in-laws place - she is the queen of roasts and I enjoyed every mouthful (altho I passed on the gravy and a few potatoes). Her dessert was a revelation and I truly thought I would not be able to partake in it - normally it would be lemon meringue pie but this time it was a mango mousse, and I thought "it must have a buckets of sugar in it"...... but not so - only 1 tbsp! So I imbibed and will steal the recipe to share because it truly was a delight and a marvel - included a couple of egg whites & some cream but mainly the mango and she made heaps. I am salivating just thinking of it. Oh, and gelatin - is that acceptable???
I'm trying to designate different days for different kind of meals to try and make the organising of meals a bit easier. It follows a good post-baby book I was reading. Monday - slow cooking meal (make in morn) and make a lot so there is stuff to freeze for another meal next week. Tues, Wed, Thurs - (not sure which day for what) stir fry meat & vege meal, soup & pasta (for kids) meal, and maybe a vegetarian/fish meal (?). Friday I try to have a special treat made for everyone and this week it was another frittata with eggplant, grated zuchini, leftover peas & corn, onion, and some basil pesto mixed in with the 6 eggs & milk & bit of grated cheese. If for kids, I don't so much recommend the eggplant but I was soooooo at the end of my fresh veges and just using leftovers. On the weekend I find I tend to use any freezer meals or try for shortcuts or a meal out.
So I did do a stirfry this week too which I had seen thrown together on Chinese Food made Easy on Lifestyle Food. I just sliced some beef eye fillet very thinly, and then marinaded it in a splash of tamari, oyster & dry sherry, & a bit of garlic & salt. Later I stirfried it in some s'flower oil in my wok (took all of 3 mins) and then heated the wok again with a little more oil, sauteed some garlic, ginger and chilli, added a packet of baby spinach and pulled it off the heat as soon as it had started to wilt. The beef on the spinach was just heavenly for me (peas & corn on the side) while the others enjoyed it on brown rice.
And there were 2 sweets I baked for the kids - sugar free! Peanut Butter & Maple Syrup Cookies - the recipe can be found on my Fb profile under Notes. And the other recipe was Banana bread:
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup vege oil
1/4 cup applesauce, unsweetened (I use the goulburn valley twin packs)
2 lge eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbs water
1 1/3 cup banana mashed
1 1/2 cup brown rice flour
3/4 cup quinoa flour (I just ground up some quinoa grain in my blender)
1/4 cup arrowroot
1 tb baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup walnuts chopped (optional)
Cream the agave and oil until well mixed, add in applesauce and mix till blended. Add in eggs, vanilla and water and mix well after each addition. Add in bananas and set aside. In a sep bowl stir together the flours, arrowroot, baking powder, and salt. Add this to the banana mixture and stir to combine. Add in nuts, and pour into greased loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour in a mod oven but check it after 50 mins. Cool on wire rack.
I made mine in a mini loaf tray so that it cooked in 15 mins and I had 8 individual portions. The kids happily ate a whole one for breaky but only 1/2 as a snack. It is definately best when served straight out of the oven with butter and drizzle of honey on top. Yes, I tried one (or two) and they were filling (all that good grain) but prob a bit grainy tasting to be a kids' favourite. The day after they need to be reheated (pref with the butter spread on it to help keep it moist) to eat.
And the last thing I 'll finish with was how I discovered to check the ingredients when eating out (yeah, I know - der!). Thought I was safe with pumpkin soup, but turns out that most restaurants add sugar, who knows why????? So was a bit jacked off with having to revert to a garden salad with some shredded chicken on top (no dressing) - Boring!
Monday, February 15, 2010
Week 5
Thanks girls for the encouragement and lovely thoughts! I am back, and it was such a massive week last week that I just did not have the time or energy to get on and blog. Sorry!
Well, I started this week without weighing myself but chances are nothing much has changed. I did lose that kg from last weekend in the next couple of days but am still seesawing so will just have to stick with that 3 kg for now. However, I am def seeing more of a change in my body thanks to my PT's awesome brutality! I even got some comments at church yest that I was looking heaps better. Those ab workouts are def working and I am noticing my arms and legs are slowly gettting a bit more definition. And do you know what - I AM VERY HAPPY WITH THAT! ....... (for now anyway) It was a tough week with so many celebrations and I know I will not be able remember to own up to everything but I am feeling quite pleased with myself that I did not just do a huge blow-out and give up. And if I knew I had a big meal coming up, I did really cut back the rest of the day in anticipation.
With our wedding anniversary breakfast, I did not have to eat the whole rest of the day - it was that filling (the omelette) - I do not want to know how many eggs was in that thing! And dinner at night was just amazing (albeit expensive but well worth it) - was relieved to find an entree and main to eat. (Had to have the heavenly bread roll tho - just smelt too delicious). For entree I had the carrot, cardamon & orange soup (with ginger creme fraiche) - I cannot begin to tell you how divine this was, I am still desperate to try and find a coordinating recipe. For mains I had crispy skinned salmon on garlic roasted potato & beetroot with a microherb salad on top and horseradish cream sauce. I was very satisfied with that and a mouthful of L's choc truffle tart - mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. And no wine, just juice and water!
Was hard baking no 2's b'day cupcakes on Tues, choc ganache is too tempting not to taste test! THis was the day that my BF rang up to tell me about a new vegan cupcake cookbook that was out and included quite a few recipes that were sugar and wheat free. Did buy the book on Thurs ("Babycakes" by Erin McKenna) based on a bakery in NYC and now need to find fava and garbanzo bean flour to try some!?!? There's even frosting that tastes like frosting (based on soy milk powder, soy flour and coconut oil?).
On b'day I made pancakes for the family but honestly didn't want any - was happy with the fruit salad I'd made as well. Dinner was sizzlers and once again had to have a piece of the cheese bread (bread is more my weakness than sugary desserts!) but only had one plate from the salad bar - some potato bake, lots of salad (none of the premade already dressed ones - so bad) with a dollop of sour cream on the side. The soups looked feral and runny so was a bit bummed with that. But felt full enough that I knew missing dessert would not worry me. (And just on the side - when I saw how my son went beserk after having the icecream and toppings, it made me more keen to keep these sugar overloads away from my kids.)
I did make a beautiful frittata one night. I sauteed one potato, onion, garlic, red capsicum, chilli and then whisked up 5 eggs, some milk and basil and poured over veges in fry pan. Let it cook on the stove top for a while and then put it under the grill after sprinkling on a bit of feta and greated cheese. Was delish with a nice green salad on the side - unfortunately I could not stop at just one piece......
And Friday night (another b'day celebration) was Indian night. I spent all day simmering an amazing Beef Vindaloo - I can't really put the recipe down as it has a hundred spices in it but its from Jane Kennedys cookbook - "fabulous food without the boombah" - has no sugar and is alot lower in fat than the normal takeaway. I also made a spiced eggplant dish which is just a whole heap of indian spices, diced eggplant & a tin of tomato - very yummy. So with rice (for everyone else) steamed green beans (for me instead of rice) and pappadums, it was an amazing feast! For dessert I'd made a sugar-free honey sponge cake as I knew I wanted a slice - the recipe is just 2 eggs whipped for 5 mins, 1/2 cup of honey added in a thin stream (while mixing) and then another 5 mins of whipping. Add 1 cup of sifted SR Flour and gently fold in. Put in a lined, greased cake tin. I actually made 2 and spread some sugar-free strawberry jam in between and then topped it with whipped cream and piles of fresh berries - s/berries, blueberries & raspberries. It was delish but just kept to my one slice so that I didn't overdo it.
However, during the week I did feel the beginnings of a minor sugar craving. Found myself in the next few days digging round looking for sweet stuff during the day - hadn't done that for awhile. Surprising how quickly it can be reactivated - just like a drug! So yes, I did find myself scoffing the last leftover bit of choc ganache icing from the fridge - and no I didn't feel sick afterwards! The important question is WHY DID I KEEP IT???? It was a temptation waiting to happen.
And on Saturday it was off for an early lunch/late brunch at Ferry Road Markets. Another omelette but this was not very nice with potato and chorizo in it. Happily left 1/3 of it behind. But easily made up that bit by snacking on the heavenly fries instead. :-( Did stock up on some chicken stock and fruit. For dinner the hubby was at the Reds game so it was leftover Indian. And Sunday was Valentines and i made the kids some gorgeous raspberry and choc chip muffins for breaky - I had 1/2 of one and coffee and that was it. Looking back, all these taste tests, 1/2s, bits here and there - why doesn't it surprise me that my aches and pains are back alot worse this week?? The kids managed to stub or knock my fingers & toes twice that weekend too and it was excruciating. sigh.
Oh, and that's right, I went to the Miami Organic Markets before church and found some raw vegan pizza bases - cannot remember all that they were made out of but they dehydrate them and they are soooo tasty and very filling. THey are made by Roar Food and I have had some of their raw vegan choc tart as well - just divine and very surprising made from avocado, cacoa powder, agave etc. Will get some of that next week for a treat! So for lunch I had the pizza base spread with basil pesto (another purchase - raw vegan too) and topped with a little ham, lettuce, grated carrot, tomato, sliced beetroot & red onion. Sprinkle of grated cheese on top and then gently heated in the snadwich press - was so satisfying and as exciting as eating a bad pizza or a hamburger. Had them for lunch the next day too and now I need more......
And so, I shall finish more of this week a bit later. Hopefully won't take so long next time...
Well, I started this week without weighing myself but chances are nothing much has changed. I did lose that kg from last weekend in the next couple of days but am still seesawing so will just have to stick with that 3 kg for now. However, I am def seeing more of a change in my body thanks to my PT's awesome brutality! I even got some comments at church yest that I was looking heaps better. Those ab workouts are def working and I am noticing my arms and legs are slowly gettting a bit more definition. And do you know what - I AM VERY HAPPY WITH THAT! ....... (for now anyway) It was a tough week with so many celebrations and I know I will not be able remember to own up to everything but I am feeling quite pleased with myself that I did not just do a huge blow-out and give up. And if I knew I had a big meal coming up, I did really cut back the rest of the day in anticipation.
With our wedding anniversary breakfast, I did not have to eat the whole rest of the day - it was that filling (the omelette) - I do not want to know how many eggs was in that thing! And dinner at night was just amazing (albeit expensive but well worth it) - was relieved to find an entree and main to eat. (Had to have the heavenly bread roll tho - just smelt too delicious). For entree I had the carrot, cardamon & orange soup (with ginger creme fraiche) - I cannot begin to tell you how divine this was, I am still desperate to try and find a coordinating recipe. For mains I had crispy skinned salmon on garlic roasted potato & beetroot with a microherb salad on top and horseradish cream sauce. I was very satisfied with that and a mouthful of L's choc truffle tart - mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. And no wine, just juice and water!
Was hard baking no 2's b'day cupcakes on Tues, choc ganache is too tempting not to taste test! THis was the day that my BF rang up to tell me about a new vegan cupcake cookbook that was out and included quite a few recipes that were sugar and wheat free. Did buy the book on Thurs ("Babycakes" by Erin McKenna) based on a bakery in NYC and now need to find fava and garbanzo bean flour to try some!?!? There's even frosting that tastes like frosting (based on soy milk powder, soy flour and coconut oil?).
On b'day I made pancakes for the family but honestly didn't want any - was happy with the fruit salad I'd made as well. Dinner was sizzlers and once again had to have a piece of the cheese bread (bread is more my weakness than sugary desserts!) but only had one plate from the salad bar - some potato bake, lots of salad (none of the premade already dressed ones - so bad) with a dollop of sour cream on the side. The soups looked feral and runny so was a bit bummed with that. But felt full enough that I knew missing dessert would not worry me. (And just on the side - when I saw how my son went beserk after having the icecream and toppings, it made me more keen to keep these sugar overloads away from my kids.)
I did make a beautiful frittata one night. I sauteed one potato, onion, garlic, red capsicum, chilli and then whisked up 5 eggs, some milk and basil and poured over veges in fry pan. Let it cook on the stove top for a while and then put it under the grill after sprinkling on a bit of feta and greated cheese. Was delish with a nice green salad on the side - unfortunately I could not stop at just one piece......
And Friday night (another b'day celebration) was Indian night. I spent all day simmering an amazing Beef Vindaloo - I can't really put the recipe down as it has a hundred spices in it but its from Jane Kennedys cookbook - "fabulous food without the boombah" - has no sugar and is alot lower in fat than the normal takeaway. I also made a spiced eggplant dish which is just a whole heap of indian spices, diced eggplant & a tin of tomato - very yummy. So with rice (for everyone else) steamed green beans (for me instead of rice) and pappadums, it was an amazing feast! For dessert I'd made a sugar-free honey sponge cake as I knew I wanted a slice - the recipe is just 2 eggs whipped for 5 mins, 1/2 cup of honey added in a thin stream (while mixing) and then another 5 mins of whipping. Add 1 cup of sifted SR Flour and gently fold in. Put in a lined, greased cake tin. I actually made 2 and spread some sugar-free strawberry jam in between and then topped it with whipped cream and piles of fresh berries - s/berries, blueberries & raspberries. It was delish but just kept to my one slice so that I didn't overdo it.
However, during the week I did feel the beginnings of a minor sugar craving. Found myself in the next few days digging round looking for sweet stuff during the day - hadn't done that for awhile. Surprising how quickly it can be reactivated - just like a drug! So yes, I did find myself scoffing the last leftover bit of choc ganache icing from the fridge - and no I didn't feel sick afterwards! The important question is WHY DID I KEEP IT???? It was a temptation waiting to happen.
And on Saturday it was off for an early lunch/late brunch at Ferry Road Markets. Another omelette but this was not very nice with potato and chorizo in it. Happily left 1/3 of it behind. But easily made up that bit by snacking on the heavenly fries instead. :-( Did stock up on some chicken stock and fruit. For dinner the hubby was at the Reds game so it was leftover Indian. And Sunday was Valentines and i made the kids some gorgeous raspberry and choc chip muffins for breaky - I had 1/2 of one and coffee and that was it. Looking back, all these taste tests, 1/2s, bits here and there - why doesn't it surprise me that my aches and pains are back alot worse this week?? The kids managed to stub or knock my fingers & toes twice that weekend too and it was excruciating. sigh.
Oh, and that's right, I went to the Miami Organic Markets before church and found some raw vegan pizza bases - cannot remember all that they were made out of but they dehydrate them and they are soooo tasty and very filling. THey are made by Roar Food and I have had some of their raw vegan choc tart as well - just divine and very surprising made from avocado, cacoa powder, agave etc. Will get some of that next week for a treat! So for lunch I had the pizza base spread with basil pesto (another purchase - raw vegan too) and topped with a little ham, lettuce, grated carrot, tomato, sliced beetroot & red onion. Sprinkle of grated cheese on top and then gently heated in the snadwich press - was so satisfying and as exciting as eating a bad pizza or a hamburger. Had them for lunch the next day too and now I need more......
And so, I shall finish more of this week a bit later. Hopefully won't take so long next time...
Monday, February 8, 2010
Week 4
Was hoping to start the week on a good note but totally bummed at putting a kilo back on over the weekend. How did it happen? Why am bothering if it just jumps back on when i'm not looking? Feel like just forgetting about it, but I know I can't afford to. Had a lovely breaky out this morning for our wedding anniversary and I know that will probably lead to another kilo on tomorrow. The beginning of the end????
Maybe it was the few pieces of pizza Sat night? However, it was extremely thin & crispy and didn't eat the thick edge pieces. I know, it wouldn't have helped. And then there was the bacon & eggs that morning, sigh. Took a little salad to eat for lunch out at Whitewater World & snacked on pineapple pieces and some corn chips in the arvo. Yest I enjoyed a breaky of sliced bananas, with a sprinkle of cacao powder, coconut & almonds. Lunch was the yummy soup i'd made on friday and dinner was a nice salad of lettuce, chicken, avo, cucumber and red caps. Also shredded 2 roast chooks and I'm sure I managed to consume bits of leftovers. Sooooooooo depressed. Feeling tired again and tried to enjoy gym (only cause I was looking forward to weighing myself again - boy, was that a letdown).
And this morning I couldn't really enjoy being out but it didn't stop me consuming all of a pea, fetta & mint omelette with bacon on the side. At least I'll be full all day but if we go out for dinner tonight, how much will I weigh in the morning, even if I'm careful?????????
Well, will stop the depressing whinge and hope that next time I write there will be better news.
Maybe it was the few pieces of pizza Sat night? However, it was extremely thin & crispy and didn't eat the thick edge pieces. I know, it wouldn't have helped. And then there was the bacon & eggs that morning, sigh. Took a little salad to eat for lunch out at Whitewater World & snacked on pineapple pieces and some corn chips in the arvo. Yest I enjoyed a breaky of sliced bananas, with a sprinkle of cacao powder, coconut & almonds. Lunch was the yummy soup i'd made on friday and dinner was a nice salad of lettuce, chicken, avo, cucumber and red caps. Also shredded 2 roast chooks and I'm sure I managed to consume bits of leftovers. Sooooooooo depressed. Feeling tired again and tried to enjoy gym (only cause I was looking forward to weighing myself again - boy, was that a letdown).
And this morning I couldn't really enjoy being out but it didn't stop me consuming all of a pea, fetta & mint omelette with bacon on the side. At least I'll be full all day but if we go out for dinner tonight, how much will I weigh in the morning, even if I'm careful?????????
Well, will stop the depressing whinge and hope that next time I write there will be better news.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Week 3, Part 2
Well, just getting ready for the weekend - just made up another batch of roasted red capsicum hommous which I will enjoy with lots of raw veges tomorrow. Will also make up another soup this arvo (my daughter keeps begging me to make some) and I think it will be sweet potato, vege and lentil soup (with a curry undertone) - yummy. I quite enjoy doing the liquid thing during the day - had another awesome smoothee this morning with the kids - bananas, blueberries, frozen raspberries, milk, cacao, flaxseed oil, little agave, water. It was my breaky and I didn't have it till after dropping the kids at school because I'm finding I can't focus on making the effort until they are off. Besides the littlies are ready for a snack themselves by that stage.
For dinner last night I made an awesome pesto (must be on the same wavelength Vik) but from sundried tomatoes, oil, rocket, parmesan and pine nuts. I then mixed in some leftover roasted chook (from the freezer) and put aside a little for me before mixing it up with some cooked pasta for the kids' dinner. They looooooooooved it. I don't think they realise they are benefitting from all this yet - they have been on very minimal sugar this week and I reckon they are suffering more withdrawal than what I did. They have been fighting all week - nitpicking, sooking, yelling and are tired and grumpy. Well, I hope its the withdrawal and not a whole character degeneration! Their sweet snacks for school have been my choc fudge balls or honey bikkies I made (only tiny bit of sugar in them) and they have had prob 5 serves of fruit a day. Dessert is either fruit or sugar-free yoghurt and we've had some smoothees in the arvo sometimes. Am going to try some sugar-free muffins maybe this arvo so they have something this wkend too.
Back 2 nights ago and I cooked a delicious chicken dish in the oven which is well worth listing below:
Basil, lemon & garlic roasted Chicken - Cut thin slices of 2 zuchini lengthways and lay on greased oven tray. Slice 2 chicken breast fillets in half (lengthways) and lay on top of zuchini. Mix up a marinade of 1/4 cup chopped basil leaves, 2 tbsp lemon zest, 2 cloves garlic crushed, 1/4 cup olive oil and then pour all over chook and zuchini. Roast in preheated 220 degree oven for 15 mins or till chook is cooked thru. You can add some cherry tomatoes for the last 5 mins.
(with apologies to Donna Hay)
Served it with a big green salad and it was delightful. The kids all ate it (eventually) altho the elder ones tried to pick off the bits of basil.......While I think of it Vikki - I'd love to know yr lasagna recipe you cooked the other day with ricotta cheese sauce. Also tried to make a brownie but ended up with a fudge. Processed dates, walnuts, a bit of coconut oil, a bit of agave for ages and squished it into a lamington tray & into the fridge. Decorated the top with almonds and shredded coconut. It stayed soft and is nothing like a brownie. Bit harder to do without cooking it I spose. Anyway, will prob keep it in the freezer as I'm not that inclined to feast on it as its nothing new really. Just there for emergencies!
Glad my period is finished for this month - because it made me feel quite low at times - even for gym (noooooooooooo.....)! Also noticed the more liquid stuff I did, the tireder I felt - I spose it's yr body trying to adjust itself to the digestion process again. However, I'm still waking between 4 and 4:30 most mornings - so wierd...... If I don't have gym I try to go back to sleep for a bit.
Also, don't know if I should up my exercise a bit more. The 3 training sessions with the PT are great but some days I wonder if I should put a bit of effort into doing some at home on the wkend - maybe some boxing with Luke or a bit of energetic wiiing? I suppose it wouldn't hurt but I know I'm due for a depressing weight plateau (usually at the 5 kg mark).
And now I have my sweet potato and lentil soup simmering - I sauteed off 2 small red onions, 2 small brown onions, 2 chopped garlic cloves, 1/2 red caps, 2 chopped carrots & 1 chopped big sweet potato in a couple of tbspns of oil. Waited till it started to brown, added a couple of tsps of curry powder, salt and black pepper before adding 5 cups of liquid - some (homemade) vege stock & rest water. Added 2 tins of drained lentils and will simmer for 20 mins or so.
And just so you know, I made my vege stock the other night - as I was making dinner, I cleaned out my vege drawers and just chucked in anything that I wanted to use up or that was looking a little limp. I think the ingredient list ended up looking like this:
# purp, white cabbage; carrots, asparagus, shallots, 1/2 bag of spinach, cauliflower, brocolli stem, onion, bunch of parsley, black peppercorns, bay leaves, salt. It simmered for about 1/2 hr and then I drained the veges away and froze it for use later on.
So, we'll see what this weekend holds and then next week is a week of celebrations - 13th wedding anniversary and no2s 7th b'day....... just one slice of cake???????
For dinner last night I made an awesome pesto (must be on the same wavelength Vik) but from sundried tomatoes, oil, rocket, parmesan and pine nuts. I then mixed in some leftover roasted chook (from the freezer) and put aside a little for me before mixing it up with some cooked pasta for the kids' dinner. They looooooooooved it. I don't think they realise they are benefitting from all this yet - they have been on very minimal sugar this week and I reckon they are suffering more withdrawal than what I did. They have been fighting all week - nitpicking, sooking, yelling and are tired and grumpy. Well, I hope its the withdrawal and not a whole character degeneration! Their sweet snacks for school have been my choc fudge balls or honey bikkies I made (only tiny bit of sugar in them) and they have had prob 5 serves of fruit a day. Dessert is either fruit or sugar-free yoghurt and we've had some smoothees in the arvo sometimes. Am going to try some sugar-free muffins maybe this arvo so they have something this wkend too.
Back 2 nights ago and I cooked a delicious chicken dish in the oven which is well worth listing below:
Basil, lemon & garlic roasted Chicken - Cut thin slices of 2 zuchini lengthways and lay on greased oven tray. Slice 2 chicken breast fillets in half (lengthways) and lay on top of zuchini. Mix up a marinade of 1/4 cup chopped basil leaves, 2 tbsp lemon zest, 2 cloves garlic crushed, 1/4 cup olive oil and then pour all over chook and zuchini. Roast in preheated 220 degree oven for 15 mins or till chook is cooked thru. You can add some cherry tomatoes for the last 5 mins.
(with apologies to Donna Hay)
Served it with a big green salad and it was delightful. The kids all ate it (eventually) altho the elder ones tried to pick off the bits of basil.......While I think of it Vikki - I'd love to know yr lasagna recipe you cooked the other day with ricotta cheese sauce. Also tried to make a brownie but ended up with a fudge. Processed dates, walnuts, a bit of coconut oil, a bit of agave for ages and squished it into a lamington tray & into the fridge. Decorated the top with almonds and shredded coconut. It stayed soft and is nothing like a brownie. Bit harder to do without cooking it I spose. Anyway, will prob keep it in the freezer as I'm not that inclined to feast on it as its nothing new really. Just there for emergencies!
Glad my period is finished for this month - because it made me feel quite low at times - even for gym (noooooooooooo.....)! Also noticed the more liquid stuff I did, the tireder I felt - I spose it's yr body trying to adjust itself to the digestion process again. However, I'm still waking between 4 and 4:30 most mornings - so wierd...... If I don't have gym I try to go back to sleep for a bit.
Also, don't know if I should up my exercise a bit more. The 3 training sessions with the PT are great but some days I wonder if I should put a bit of effort into doing some at home on the wkend - maybe some boxing with Luke or a bit of energetic wiiing? I suppose it wouldn't hurt but I know I'm due for a depressing weight plateau (usually at the 5 kg mark).
And now I have my sweet potato and lentil soup simmering - I sauteed off 2 small red onions, 2 small brown onions, 2 chopped garlic cloves, 1/2 red caps, 2 chopped carrots & 1 chopped big sweet potato in a couple of tbspns of oil. Waited till it started to brown, added a couple of tsps of curry powder, salt and black pepper before adding 5 cups of liquid - some (homemade) vege stock & rest water. Added 2 tins of drained lentils and will simmer for 20 mins or so.
And just so you know, I made my vege stock the other night - as I was making dinner, I cleaned out my vege drawers and just chucked in anything that I wanted to use up or that was looking a little limp. I think the ingredient list ended up looking like this:
# purp, white cabbage; carrots, asparagus, shallots, 1/2 bag of spinach, cauliflower, brocolli stem, onion, bunch of parsley, black peppercorns, bay leaves, salt. It simmered for about 1/2 hr and then I drained the veges away and froze it for use later on.
So, we'll see what this weekend holds and then next week is a week of celebrations - 13th wedding anniversary and no2s 7th b'day....... just one slice of cake???????
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Week 3 - Part 1
List of recipes to look up today:
* sugar-free tomato sauce (I miss it, but can't find it anywhere where it doesn't have grape juice?)
*buckwheat pancakes (don't like my chances that these will be palatable without mixing in any other type of flour)
* sugarless fruitcake (experiment with buckwheat flour or almond meal)
* raw vegan brownies (non-cook)
Well, as of this morning I had lost 3kgs but I think that is fluctuating a bit. Our church is doing 24/7 prayer this week and so I've been trying to do a liquid fast during the day - which is not as restsrictive as you might think. I am having smoothees and soups and still partaking in coffees and an evening meal with the rest of the family. It does make me focus more on drinking water to fill up. Yesterday I made a great soup at lunch time - I am taking advantage of this breezier and overcast weather to make some comfort food. The soup was Parsnip and Onion soup and recipe is below:
4 peeled parsnips & 2 brown onions diced and sweated off in olive oil until beginning to brown. Add 3/4 tsp curry powder, garam masala, black pepper and 2tsp sea salt and cook for mins more. Add 6 cups of stock and cook for 20 mins till veges soft. Process and serve with chopped walnuts on top.
It was very tasty but discovered too late that the organic vege stock powder I was using had rice flour in it and Yeast extract! Poop. Need to check EVERYTHING. Did end up using 2/3rds stock and 1/3 water for the liquid. Smells divine while cooking, was super quick and very creamy in texture. Made me keen to try some more soups - maybe with lentils and my own homemade vege stock!
For dinner I made burgers again - the rest of the family on bread rolls, mine between little lettuce leaves - delicious but did miss the tomato sauce!
Got a bit down on Sunday (2 days ago) when my husband returned to the house with KFC for lunch - I love KFC but knew I could just not eat it without the skin, and it would still be very fatty - ick! So I walked out and went to do my groceries. However, was starving so scouted round and ended up having a Kebab plate - heaps of salad (lettuce, tomato and taboulih), little bit of chicken and tahini over top. Didn't eat it all but enjoyed it none-the-less. Topped up on alot of fruit and veges and got to taste my first organic fig - very rich but tasty. Unfortunately couldn't justify the $2 each cost. Thanks for the freebie Georgina! Could justify the organic blueberries tho....
That night I wasn't terribly hungry but found I wanted to eat for the enjoyment of having the kids in bed already. Was going to make some scrambled eggs (but had had bacon & eggs that morning) so ended up having more corn wraps (ham & salad inside) toasted. Wasn't very happy with it but satisfied that craving. Also craving something sweet later on last night - was cruising the pantry staring longingly at the choc chips, marshmallows and couveture chocolate and could not convince myself to settle for a cup of tea. Ended up having sliced banana with some cacoa powder and granola on top. Didn't enjoy it that much but filled the spot. Wish I could control those urges. Funny that I didn't cheat on my diet but still wasn't proud of not settling for less. I know my body doesn't need it but it's such a comfort thing I spose - tied up more in the emotional rather than the physical. Maybe I should expect a tougher trot during this prayer week too - I know how Satan loves to bring us down when we're trying to focus on God. I must BEWARE.......
I must give an honourary mention to my PT who is recognizing my need to up the ante. She is hammering me at the gym, and as much as I whinge at the time I sooooo appreciate that she is on my wavelength and can really see my desire to conquer. I love the challenge and I know this is what keeps me coming back.....
Symptoms - had a shocker on Saturday (3 days ago) with PMT! Was out-of-my-head grumpy all day with the husband. He could not say anything or do anything right (in my books) and kudos to him for handling it well up until the afternoon when we all stressed in getting to the b'day party on time. Oh, I asked some big things of him that day and he was pretty cool, considering what a wench I was! Got home and relaxed enough to apologize (he already knew why I was so mental) but still out of sorts the next morning and chose to stay at home with the bubba (very tired) instead of go to church. I know, I know, not the best decision but the thought of talking to other people and pretending to be in a good mood made me feel physically sick. Enjoyed the time with my littlest tho and I know L enjoyed sitting thru church without the kids (all others at S School) and being able to concentrate.
Looking forward to getting glandular sprays from homeopath to see if they start to make a difference with my joint pain. Ankles still baaaaaaaaaaaaaaad, fingers not so noticeable once I'm up and at 'em. Headache last night and this morning (def think that's a period thing) but all else well down below. Coping better thru the day with the fatigue - and am managing really well considering the added jobs with school going back. I am feeling very hopeful that I am really benefitting from the excercise and eating and the fatigue is gradually dissipating. Oh, I hope so...... Right now, off for some research!
* sugar-free tomato sauce (I miss it, but can't find it anywhere where it doesn't have grape juice?)
*buckwheat pancakes (don't like my chances that these will be palatable without mixing in any other type of flour)
* sugarless fruitcake (experiment with buckwheat flour or almond meal)
* raw vegan brownies (non-cook)
Well, as of this morning I had lost 3kgs but I think that is fluctuating a bit. Our church is doing 24/7 prayer this week and so I've been trying to do a liquid fast during the day - which is not as restsrictive as you might think. I am having smoothees and soups and still partaking in coffees and an evening meal with the rest of the family. It does make me focus more on drinking water to fill up. Yesterday I made a great soup at lunch time - I am taking advantage of this breezier and overcast weather to make some comfort food. The soup was Parsnip and Onion soup and recipe is below:
4 peeled parsnips & 2 brown onions diced and sweated off in olive oil until beginning to brown. Add 3/4 tsp curry powder, garam masala, black pepper and 2tsp sea salt and cook for mins more. Add 6 cups of stock and cook for 20 mins till veges soft. Process and serve with chopped walnuts on top.
It was very tasty but discovered too late that the organic vege stock powder I was using had rice flour in it and Yeast extract! Poop. Need to check EVERYTHING. Did end up using 2/3rds stock and 1/3 water for the liquid. Smells divine while cooking, was super quick and very creamy in texture. Made me keen to try some more soups - maybe with lentils and my own homemade vege stock!
For dinner I made burgers again - the rest of the family on bread rolls, mine between little lettuce leaves - delicious but did miss the tomato sauce!
Got a bit down on Sunday (2 days ago) when my husband returned to the house with KFC for lunch - I love KFC but knew I could just not eat it without the skin, and it would still be very fatty - ick! So I walked out and went to do my groceries. However, was starving so scouted round and ended up having a Kebab plate - heaps of salad (lettuce, tomato and taboulih), little bit of chicken and tahini over top. Didn't eat it all but enjoyed it none-the-less. Topped up on alot of fruit and veges and got to taste my first organic fig - very rich but tasty. Unfortunately couldn't justify the $2 each cost. Thanks for the freebie Georgina! Could justify the organic blueberries tho....
That night I wasn't terribly hungry but found I wanted to eat for the enjoyment of having the kids in bed already. Was going to make some scrambled eggs (but had had bacon & eggs that morning) so ended up having more corn wraps (ham & salad inside) toasted. Wasn't very happy with it but satisfied that craving. Also craving something sweet later on last night - was cruising the pantry staring longingly at the choc chips, marshmallows and couveture chocolate and could not convince myself to settle for a cup of tea. Ended up having sliced banana with some cacoa powder and granola on top. Didn't enjoy it that much but filled the spot. Wish I could control those urges. Funny that I didn't cheat on my diet but still wasn't proud of not settling for less. I know my body doesn't need it but it's such a comfort thing I spose - tied up more in the emotional rather than the physical. Maybe I should expect a tougher trot during this prayer week too - I know how Satan loves to bring us down when we're trying to focus on God. I must BEWARE.......
I must give an honourary mention to my PT who is recognizing my need to up the ante. She is hammering me at the gym, and as much as I whinge at the time I sooooo appreciate that she is on my wavelength and can really see my desire to conquer. I love the challenge and I know this is what keeps me coming back.....
Symptoms - had a shocker on Saturday (3 days ago) with PMT! Was out-of-my-head grumpy all day with the husband. He could not say anything or do anything right (in my books) and kudos to him for handling it well up until the afternoon when we all stressed in getting to the b'day party on time. Oh, I asked some big things of him that day and he was pretty cool, considering what a wench I was! Got home and relaxed enough to apologize (he already knew why I was so mental) but still out of sorts the next morning and chose to stay at home with the bubba (very tired) instead of go to church. I know, I know, not the best decision but the thought of talking to other people and pretending to be in a good mood made me feel physically sick. Enjoyed the time with my littlest tho and I know L enjoyed sitting thru church without the kids (all others at S School) and being able to concentrate.
Looking forward to getting glandular sprays from homeopath to see if they start to make a difference with my joint pain. Ankles still baaaaaaaaaaaaaaad, fingers not so noticeable once I'm up and at 'em. Headache last night and this morning (def think that's a period thing) but all else well down below. Coping better thru the day with the fatigue - and am managing really well considering the added jobs with school going back. I am feeling very hopeful that I am really benefitting from the excercise and eating and the fatigue is gradually dissipating. Oh, I hope so...... Right now, off for some research!
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