Week 8, pt 3

Got hammered Wed with headache after headache. I just can't understand why? I keep putting it down to the weather and the pressure in the air because I can't see where it could be from my eating. I am drinking heaps of water at the moment as well - gallons & gallons (well, 3L at least I'd say). Maybe it is more toxins coming out of my system as I continue to up my raw intake.

And the next kg has disappeared to who-knows-where - 7 in total now but I would be interested to know where its gone. I don't feel that different in my clothes, they prob feel a little bit more comfy than usual and I spose my muscle building may be affecting that as well. I'm a bit underwelmed at the moment I spose as it seems to good to be true that I am enjoying what I am doing and yes, I'm losing weight as well. God is gracious - that is all I can put it down to.

So, still feeling good except for having the headaches and having to rearrange things so I could flake on the couch for the arvo instead of taking all the kids to gymnastics after school. Had made an awesome banana cake for the ladies & kids that came over for morning tea - the recipe for which I'd found in the Aldi catalog - Banana & Coconut Bread.

1 3/4 cup sr flour
1/4 cup plain flour (I used brown rice flour to add a nutty touch)
2/3 cup brown sugar (I used half brown sugar, half coconut palm sugar)
1/2 cup coconut cream
2 lge bananas, mashed
2 eggs, whisked
50g melted butter
100g frozen raspberries

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Sift flours and sugars together in bowl. In a separate bowl, combine bananas, eggs, milk and melted butter. Stir in thawed raspberries. Pour wet mix into dry and stir till combined. Pour into greased loaf tin and cook for 45 mins - checking after 30 to make sure it isn't overbrowning on top. If it is, cover with foil for remainder cooking time.

Was deliciously moist and disappeared by the end of the day. Yes, I had some which was the result of my stoopid headache making me crave anything to snack on, but managed to control how much I took.

For dinner I had made the lamb tagine again (def a fave of mine now, not so much the kids tho) and had sauteed some capsicum, red onion, zuchini, chilli and garlic to mix in with some quinoa simmered in chicken stock. Also roasted off some sweet potato and it was a glorious dinner - however, def lacking in the raw sector! Still been giving the kids their "dessert" 1/2 hr before dinner (fruit or avocado) and also trying to feed them up on fruit first thing in the morning. Man, we are going thru so much fruit it is ridiculous - so off to Wrays again.

Thurs was rather frantic too with no babysitter so speech therapy was rather frustrating with 2 kids. Felt like a reward afterwards but just snacked on some of the hot chips that the kids shared with their sandwiches. Dinner was vegetarian night so I roasted some old tomatoes in the oven along with some onion and garlic and then blended it up to make a really delish sauce for the kids pasta. Luke and I had another lovely omelette with a big salad on the side.

Friday I spent the day organising some amazing desserts. Tried to make a "good" choc tart - no flour, no refined sugar but altho the base was so yummy, the topping didn't set, and I'm not sure why. There was still a lot of cream in it but you could swap that with coconut cream so it was a good healthier idea. In the end I made a wicked, wicked choc mud cake with a choc ganache - but don't worry, it wasn't for us. We had friends come over to have it for supper to celebrate a mates' b'day, and I honestly didn't need a piece, altho I had picked at the mixture a bit while making it. Enjoyed my green tea but even more I enjoyed laughing my head off till very late that night - amazing how a good hysterical evening makes you feel better.

And must put down the recipe for the meatballs and tzatziki I had made for tea.

Feta & Eggplant meatballs

400g eggplant (finely chopped & roasted in 2 tbsp on olive oil till soft & golden)

500g beef mince

1/3 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

1/3 cup chopped mint leaves 2 cloves garlic crushed,

1 tbsp finely grated lemon rind

200g feta crumbled

S & P

Place all ingredients in bowl and mix will. Roll tbspn of mixture into balls. Heat up olive oil in pan and cook until browned. Then place on oven tray and cook through (5/6 mins).

Tzatziki

2 cups greek style nat yoghurt

1 lebanese cucumber grated

2 tbsp chopped mint leaves

1 clove garlic crushed

1 tbsp honey

1/2 tsp ground cumin

S & P

Stir altogether to combine. (I only made 1/2 the recipe and that was heaps!)

So they went great loaded into pita pockets with lettuce & grated carrot, drizzled with the tzatziki. (I didn't have the bread). Kids were a bit fussy about the "bits" in the meatballs but they got over it!

And the weekend was a LOSS! Felt so defeated at the end of it, and sabotaged. Saturday started off OK taking Bella to netball and snacking on apples. Then off to Bunnings and the smell of the sausage sizzle was tooooooo much and we all scoffed them down for an early lunch (minus the bread for me). Some leftover tagine and sweet potato later on and a smoothee for everyone before setting off for friends for dinner. Cheese, salami & quince paste for nibblies; and ate way too much. Thankfully stuck to Appletiser instead of wine (1 small concession) and for dinner there was a lovely prawn & vege stirfry - tried to avoid the rice noodles but was delicious. However, totally caved for the piece of cheesecake and altho it was heavenly was very low when I got home, knowing I could have easily not eaten it but had lost all willpower by then.

Woke up Sun and headed off for Organic Markets and caved a again for some heavenly sour dough croissants - smeared with some Chocolate by the Spoonful (coconut oil, agave and cacao powder). Also bought a lot of fruit and veg and some more raw vegan pizza bases. Lunch was some leftovers and a coffee (*gasp*) and dinner was some crisps - HELLO, IS ANYONE HOME! I had a green tea while doing the ironing but not only is there nothing redeeming about what I ate, I wasn't eating enough either, so was snacking on rubbish. However, I shall not be thwarted and will regain equilibrium this week. Needless to say I have been seesawing between 6 and 7 kgs off and need to definately cement that this week.

I have been dwelling alot on this passage from Titus ch 2:11 - 14:

"For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds."

I don't want to be a slave to sinful pleasures and I want to be cleansed - not just in my body but in my mind as well and I don't need all this junk that tries to cling to me and drag me down. Now, for a green tea and a little relax before planning some more meals (very jealous of those who are already ahead of me in that dept!).