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???????