Day 17, garden fresh, his & her protein balls and good news

This meal was the perfect ending to my day. It was followed an hour and a half later by a fresh banana as a treat I must confess- I haven't had fruit for days.

Bubby slept better, thanks to being utterly worn out at her daddy's exhibition opening last night. It's hard work being so adorable people just want to goo and talk to you all night :)

A visit to the doctors today produced some wonderful news- I DON'T NEED SURGERY! Yelling that one with gladness!!! I do need physio, which is a far better alternative. Physio should (hopefully) alleviate the problem so that needles and other tests aren't needed. Bring on the physio I say!

I also sold a birdcage without any haggling on price. It must have been a great bargain, as another lady pleaded with me to sell it to her after I had said yes to this guy. I of course said I couldn't. So glad too- the guy was thrilled to bits with his purchase, as am I- more $'s for Christmas :)

And speaking of Christmas, hubby and I managed to squeeze in some Christmas shopping today- so much closer to having it all done!

Last night went well for my hubby. I'm so proud of his effort, and grateful for all the help his Dad and sister put in too. In fact, every artist's family members were very supportive. That made the huge load much lighter, from getting artworks down Byron and set up, to providing delish nibblies. Job well done guys!

Remember my boring cutting of cheese and veggie sticks? Well, it kind of looked ok on the night! 

Except for my supper, I have been keeping my meals fairly low carb, but high in fats and dairy, like cheese. Lunch today was a large omelette- see below... 

I Lightly oiled a pan and put whipped eggs (4 eggs and 1/3 cup milk blitzed with a stick blender), added 6 slices of shredded ham, several cherry tomatoes and fresh basil leaves (from my garden). Then I sprinkled it with freshly grated cheddar and cooked it on medium heat until the edges firmed.

Then it was put under a hot grill until golden, and seasoned with cracked black pepper. Really light, fluffy and yumm.

I have felt a little left out in the protein ball department, so I tweaked the recipe slightly and also rolled mine in a different coating...

Hubby's coconut ones you may recognise...

But I prefer sesame seeds thanks :)

I am really trying to keep up my sugar free, good eating. Getting weighed at the doctors today was a little unnerving, especially as I was 1kg more on her scales, 63 instead of my assumed 62kg. In all fairness- I had just had lunch, some water and a coffee, so I'm not getting to upset about it.

My dinner tonight was simple, fresh and honestly so good. See below... 

Onto a few handfuls of mixed salad leaves, I added a lightly fried tuna steak, topped it with tomato pesto, tossed a few cherry tomatoes around and added fresh parsley from my garden. I had miso soup accompanying my meal. Just perfect!

Then I got stuck into tomorrow mornings breaky, a non dairy beetroot smoothy with cocao powder. I have a few hours paid cleaning again tomorrow, so want to make sure I get in a nutrient filled hit before I get into it. 

Simple and healthy: beetroot, cocao, cinnamon and a hint of granulated stevia smoothy, ready for a breaky hit tomorrow.

Before I lapse into a much needed coma, I shall fill you in on today's eating. I know you are keen to find out :)

Breaky: Coffee, followed by a zucchini slice wrapped in 3 pieces of thin ham.

Morning tea: Milky coffee.

Lunch: Zucchini slice followed by the above omelette. 

Afternoon tea: 2.5 protein balls.

Dinner: above tuna salad.

Supper: large banana.

There you have it. Hope it feels good to be all caught up now? As it's the weekend tomorrow, you know what that means- Yep, I shall catch up in a couple of days. Until then, thanks for reading :)

Day 15, weigh in, some mini gardening and an exhibition

A bit late getting this blog up. My second cup of coffee is kicking in thankfully. Today is hubby's exhibition set up and opening day/night. Leading up to today has been rather busy. That's an understatement right there. To help, bubby has decided only her mumma can offer her comfort to sleep, and wakes up frequently during the night, just to make sure I am there to cuddle her. Oh so cute, but oh tiring. Just when hubby has needed so much support, his wife has been functioning on 45% capacity. However, with that, it is quite amazing at what actually gets done. 

As a stress relief, I have added some more plants to my mini vertical garden. I replaced the coriander that had seen better days, potted up some nasturtiums -for colour, and I'm dying to try them in a salad! 

 

Photo from wikiHow. How divine does this salad look!

I pruned my basil and re-potted the strongest jalapenos, did some fertilising and watered it all in. Satisfying to have a green space to nurture. In this small space, I have a lot going on :)

My mini tomato plants are growing incredibly well. Can't wait to see the first fruits :)

I see my doctor tomorrow in regards to my knee. I'm very interested in what she has to say, as trying to bend down yesterday to garden was very challenging. It was enough to prompt me to put my knee brace back on today despite the heat and humidity. On a positive, yes, it hurt, but I was still able to garden by working around it. Limitations shouldn't stop us, rather teach us how to be more creative in order to still achieve things. Using wisdom, of course!

The constant activity has been extreme leading up to today. I am so glad hubby only wanted simple food prepared for his share of tonight's nibblies. Mind you, I was so overly tired, even the below felt like I was preparing a gourmet meal for 1000 guests!

One kilo of tasty cheese evenly sliced...

...and chopped up into 60+ cubes. Tomato pesto/dip  beside it.

Carrots and celery sticks ready for the night as well. Sleep deprivation and a sharp knife is a challenge- believe me, as is cutting evenly! 

After all of that, lets talk about weighty issues. I am 62 kilo's! 4 to go and I'm where I want to be- the exact middle of my 'ideal weight for height and frame', and where I was at the start of my little bubby's beginnings. The turtle was wise- slowly, slowly does win the race. In the process of going slowly, my tastes have even changed. I no longer crave what I used to. In fact, the thought of eating certain foods now turns my stomach. Oh, what a feeling! 

There you have it- my current weight as of this morning :) So glad to see I'm getting there- the goal is clearly visible!!! 

No exact food consumed tables today. With this busyness, I am eating every 2-4 hourly, and keeping it simple, and high in fats and protein. 

That is your lot for today. With an exhibition opening tonight, that may be your lot for two days. Until the next post, thanks for reading :)

Day 14, a beautiful day and new ideas.

This is by far my favourite tree, the poinciana. It's fern like spreading canopy that not only provides shade (and perfect swing attaching limbs when mature) but bursts into brilliant red blooms in spring. What's not to like? It was worth crossing the road in the heat to get a photo when walking home today. And why did I post this pic, you may well ask? Being healthy isn't just what you shove into your mouth. Gratitude plays a huge role in health and well being. Taking 5 minutes to appreciate my local surrounds goes a long way to developing a healthy mind and body.  

Gorgeous allamanda vine growing on my back fence.

I love the view over my back fence, and I love these yellow allamanda flowers. This is how I chose to start my day- seeing the beauty in the ordinary. That is of course after being woken most of the night by an adorable, non sleeping bubby. In fact, that is the reason I chose to see the beauty in the ordinary- I can't let 5 hours sleep bring my soul down. It's already affecting my body. Choosing the right focus first thing in the morning can go a long way in setting the tone of a day. Another point to ponder with this vine: I have brutally pruned it over and over the years; cutting off was wasn't very productive, branches that had died, and even healthy shoots in order to make them grow more vigorously. There's a lesson in itself- our seasons in life, especially the tough ones, can be 'pruning' us to help us produce our best and be an opportunity to get rid of unhealthy emotional responses, habits etc. I like that analogy, especially with the season my hubby and I are currently in. I think I will stop resisting and let myself be shaped into a healthier growing me :)

Another positive focus- my vertical herb wall. Who remembers where it began? Let me refresh your memory by clicking here. I have cut these herbs again and again for many dishes, yet they flourish, with the exception of the coriander- one has died back and the other is attempting to regrow. I have basil and tomato and chilli's growing in pots below, mostly doing well. I am grateful that I can not only access fresh herbs, but have an outlet for my green thumb. I will certainly be sharing this love with my sweet bubby.

I have nothing exciting to share in the food preparation department today, though I did grab a supermarket recipe magazine, recipes +. Yes, it has a lot of sugary desserts. It also has really great ideas for family dinners that contain no sugar at all, like one I'm keen to try: Corn, Bacon and Fetta Fritters. Getting new ideas is always a bonus, and they are budget friendly which makes life even better :) Be prepared for new recipes people!

I also surrendered to the hype and purchased Organic Cocao Powder today. What tempted me was the nutrient content, especially magnesium and iron. I love ordinary coca and I know that it has health benefits, so hopefully, the raw version is even better. I will let you know how I feel after a week or two using it.

I have been eating mainly protein again today, at no set times as it was a hectic day again. Lack of sleep, lots of running around, an appointment, errands all sap energy and at times, appetite. I did eat well, but I can't remember times or exacts, so I won't be recording that today. 

Let's see how this goes in my morning shakes :)

Lastly, let me finish with an evening view over my back fence.I'm so grateful to have this. 

Hope this leaves you all feeling a little encouraged as I share my journey with you. Hopefully tomorrow will produce some culinary triumphs to share :) Until then, thanks for reading. 

Day 13, Monday cook up

The day has been rather epic, and hot. Looking at the above vine makes me wish I was currently sitting under it's cool shade, daydreaming away. Read on, and you will see that the day has provided little time for rest and lush green ponderings.

I shall start with the bread from the weekend. It had plenty of time to ferment in the heat, and below, this is what it looked like by mid morning...

Well risen dough, ready to knead.

The soft dough was put onto a well dusted board (I used coconut flour). The kneading took all of 5 minutes. Too easy.

The dough was then put in a well greased loaf tin that I had also dusted with polenta. I covered it until the oven heated to 220 degrees celsius.

After baking for approximately 40 mins-turning it down after 30, this is the result. Honestly, the easiest, chemical free bread you will ever make. I have several slices in the freezer individually wrapped.

Now, back to today. Hubby and I had words over his power tool using mess that trashes my tiny courtyard. We negotiated a solution eventually, and I will soon have a green screen separating the 'work side' and my 'sanity' side out back. I am also looking around for an outdoor vac, as hosing, and sweeping away sawdust, especially while living in a middle unit, is  basically impossible.I am very happy with the outcome. I get to garden some more with another vertical wall :) The hardest part of the negotiating was working out which plant to use for growth and cost. We both realised a green wall with several plants attached would work best for the budget and instant greenery. I have plenty of pants I can transfer from my garden that will reduce the expense significantly too.  I am looking forward to being enclosed by a pretty green space :)

Today was a clean, garden and cook ahead kind of day. I pruned palm leaves, and lopped a small palm tree down. I did a few loads of washing, countless dishes (ok, 3 sink loads) and made lunches- for my teen on loan from Germany, hubby and myself. And bubby of course!

Hubby's lunch prep- tuna bake. Simply boil pasta until just soft. Drain. Add to a drained 425gm tin of tuna in spring water. Stir in some mayo (I used my homemade stuff), a quarter cup of cheese and top with breadcrumbs, olive oil and a little salt. Grill until golden.

This made 3 generous portions for a hard working hubby who has a very big week with an exhibition at Byron Bay on Thursday.

I got right into making a zucchini slice after the pasta bake. Look below for the simple ingredients...

These ingredients made 20 portions of zucchini slice. I personally like to use iodised table salt as unless you are eating lots of iodine rich foods, you likely aren't getting enough for healthy thyroid function. It's questionable if the modern processing of dairy food allows for sufficient iodine. Also, many plants are hydroponically grown (soil free) or grown in soils depleted in iodine. So, unless you are eating a lot of seafood, you probably aren't getting enough. 

I started with grating the zucchini with the cheese and quarter of an onion. The olives were a salty addition, just because :) The eggs were whisked with half a cup of olive oil, and then the almond meal was added, with a hint of coconut flour to bind. I baked it in a hot- 200 degree oven- for approximately 40mins.

I needed to show this. Oh, what I would do for a non human dishwasher. This is sink full number 3, all before 11am! Why I wanted to show this is simple: getting healthy requires effort. Simple as that. If I want to tone up and increase my physical strength, I need to exercise. If I want to eat healthy, whole food without added nasties and sugar, I need to prepare it myself. Honestly, I had a baby to feed, change, put to sleep, get again when she woke, yet I managed a huge volume of work before noon today. I also did a supermarket run for a forgotten item. It is possible to set time aside to prepare healthy meals or snacks in advance. Now, I have saved myself a lot of extra effort, and temptation, this week.

This is the zucchini slice, fresh from the oven, and grill. I browned the top under the grill when mostly cooked. I may have inhaled 2 pieces when I was cutting and wrapping it too :) So worth the messy kitchen for this.

The rest of the day was almost break free. I was busy. Hubby was too. So much going on this week. Stress levels are high, just like the temperature. Gotta love living in a place that has 6-7 month long summers. I'm not sure when this happened, but somewhere along the years, I went from being like a frog- someone who would only come out when the temperature hit 27 degrees and above, to the complete opposite. I won't go out now, unless I must.  Maybe it's knowing that skin cancer is real and we live in the best place for it? Or maybe, my aging bod just doesn't enjoy the heat anymore? For a gal who loves actual season's, this climate is a challenge.  Maybe that's it- I miss real seasons. I'm not sure what it is, but give me a real spring and fresh winters day any day. 

I tackled the growing number of palm tree leaves that had fallen these past weeks and were cluttering my little garden. The golden cane palms are easy to chop up, but the large, overgrown, scraggly palm in the corner is a total pain- shedding gigantic leaves that I discovered are near impossible to cut up. It has to go. I lopped it's smaller offshoot in half- too easy. But somehow, tackling a gigantic, several metre high palm on my own seems unwise, especially as it's close to homes. As I think you gather by now how much I dislike summer, having a garden to focus on is a positive thing- I can grow plants in the palm tree gap that I can then water. Water is cool. Summer heat feels better when wet. Problem solved :)

Now, onto dinner. My non teen is back from Japan- I picked her up from the airport yesterday morning. She not only came over for lunch, but also family dinner. Despite the cooking I had already done, and the heat, I made a roast chook.

The chicken and spuds ready to go. I oiled the dish, and coated the spuds and chook in a little olive oil, salt, pepper and smoked paprika. Then I covered it in foil to steam cook for an hour or so.  

After that, I cooked it uncovered. As usually happens with my oven, the spuds weren't cooked, and ended up in a fry pan with butter, and the chook was cooked separately. 

I honestly didn't have time for greens- too busy this afternoon. This is what the family ate. I had a tired bubby to bath and feed. I managed to enjoy some chicken while I was preparing, and some carcass picking after though :)

I ate well today, but I am choosing to stick to mainly protein for a few days. Carbs heat me up and bloat me. I know this well from Saturday-  my cheat day- no sugar, but plenty of carbs. I will try to remember all I ate. I am a bit vague today- nearly but not quite a good night's sleep yet again. But here goes...

Breaky: steamed chicken thighs (2) and a strong coffee with limited milk at 7am.

Morning tea number 1: protein shake with chia at 9am.

Morning tea number 2: boiled egg and a generous lump of cheese left over from grating at 10am. 

Lunch: 2 pieces of zucchini slice, 1 with pesto, at 12:30.

Afternoon tea:steamed chicken.

Dinner: chicken, fat, skin and all. Not sure how much, but a satisfying amount.

Supper: a milky decaff.

There you have it, my big Monday. Until tomorrow, thanks for reading :)

Day 10, banana chia muffins, the easiest bread ever and more

A productive day has left me feeling a bit chuffed with myself :) This morning, I caught up with another precious lady for a long overdue chat at a cafe in town. Now, do you recall my lament on the piles of outgrown baby clothes a few days ago? Well, those piles are no more. I made them impossible to ignore by throwing the offending mounds of unsorted mini cuteness onto my walk in robe floor, making access near impossible. While bubby slept this arvo, I sorted. What a relief, and what a huge amount of clothes I don't need to scour through to find suitable garments now- the correct sizes for this season are easily accessible at long last. Procrastination really makes life unbearably hard. Thirty minutes of sorting took away so much stress and clutter. 

Today is my amazing hubby's last day visiting Tafe at Murwillumbah. He has mixed feelings about it. After all, that is where we met, and where he has spent the last 3 years studying, all the while developing into an amazing, and respected colleague and artist. I am incredibly proud of all he has achieved. Big things from here :)

I must say I was rather peckish all day. I really tried to fill every meal with protein, with the exception of dinner. I went all out veggo for that :) Since my body has returned to post baby/ pregnancy normal, my hormones are functioning like they used to. Great- megga mood swings and monthly cravings, here we come. Groan. Poor hubby is a bit scared again. I am working on eating right, and keeping my attitude in check. I'm trying to sleep better, though I think I may to have words with the cute little human sharing our room about that one.

 Take a look below at my day, in random order, of course!

Nothing is as nice as a big juicy pork steak. I hate to say that I did trim off the delish fat and not eat it, but oh, was I tempted! It's nice to have a cooked lunch with hubby :)

My breaky: layers of beetroot, blackberries, an egg, some soaked chia seeds, a tablespoon of yoghurt, water and cinnamon...

blitzed to perfection in a nutritious smoothy.

I also made this one, and a twin, for the next 2 days of breakies: blackberry, yoghurt, chia seeds, oats, more yoghurt and cinnamon parfait.

The girls are out of banana muffins. As they haven't been as cheap lately, I only had 1 medium banana to add to this recipe: into a mixing bowl, add one defrosted, overripe banana, vanilla extract, 1/4 cup coconut flour, 1 cup of non-bleached SR flour, 2 tablespoons of soaked chia seeds, 1/4 cup of honey and enough milk to make a smooth batter. Note: coconut flour is super absorbent so keep checking after mixing. 

Heat oven to 200C and spray a 12 cup muffin tray with olive oil. Place equal amounts of muffin mix into each cup.

Bake for approximately 35 minutes, or the muffins spring back when touched.

They turned out flat, and were more golden than this photo shows, but were apparently very good, according to my hubby and teen :)

I was in a very veggie mood for dinner. Really, I just wanted to eat mushrooms and couldn't stand another egg or omelette, and I was avoiding the bacon hubby defrosted. I chopped up 2.5 large mushrooms, a small zucchini and 1/4 of a brown onion.

I heated a pan to medium heat with a low tablespoon of coconut oil, then fried the above veg, adding 2 cloves of chopped garlic and lastly some soy sauce and 6 cherry tomatoes. 

I placed some rocket and spinach leaves onto a plate, placed the stir fried veg on top, then dressed it with a little avocado. Veggie tastic :)

I started on the easiest bread ever this afternoon...

This is how it started, but with the heat and humidity, it has risen considerably already. 

Lastly, what did I eat today? Look and see...

Breaky: coffee at 6:30am (with milk from my 250ml allowance), smoothy at 7. 

Morning tea: 2 boiled eggs, mashed with a little mayo, and some milk from allowance at 9am. Black coffee with a side of milk at 10:30am.

Lunch: Pork chop and salad at 12:30pm.

Afternoon tea: Paleo bread and cheese at 3pm. Half a cuppa. 

Dinner: Veggies at 5pm.

There you have it, another day down. As it's the weekend tomorrow, I will be having a blog free day or two, though I shall keep you posted at a later date on the happenings people, so stay tuned :) 

Day 9, chicken and veg lasagne

I slept til 4:30am today- getting closer to getting my 8 hours in. Bubby slept very well, I just can't seem to get myself to bed at 6pm like her :) 

Do you remember my cry on Monday- and how that motivated me to be a friend? I caught up with a precious lady today who is going through the most heartbreaking situation. I really needed this for so many reasons. One reason being, to never forget where I came from. Why I say this is simple- I never want to not feel for others. To forget where I came from doesn't mean to live in the past, it means to come from a place of compassion, understanding and support. I have touched on my past as gently as I could in my post titled Buried Treasure from my other blog, Hank & Petal. When I see someone broken and hurting, I want to display the same support, love and kindness that has been shown me, and helped me make it this far. Today especially opened my eyes and my heart again. It's easy to get caught up in shallow relationships. Real caring is often messy and time consuming, but so worth it.

As for the rest of the day. Well, I'm sitting here typing feeling a bit sorry for myself. I actually chipped my tooth on the chicken lasange I made tonight. I had already eaten, and wasn't particularly hungry, yet decided to sneak a bit of pasta while I was putting the remaining serves in the fridge. And that's when it happened. I crunched a dry bit and instantly realised a large part of my tooth wasn't attached anymore. My first proper, very visible chipped tooth :( That will learn me- don't be greedy! And don't be scared of making my lasagne people. It's good, I promise!

I am trying not to be down due to the money this will cost. Circumstances beyond our control mean that hubby and I are short a significant amount of dollars pre-Christmas, and now some of what's left is going on my tooth.  It's easy to let this upset me, but really- I challenge myself, and others; Christmas can be done on a low budget. The memories made will last longer than any overpriced, obligatory gift anyway. So I am choosing to make this a brilliant Christmas with what we have left. And I will blog it too :)

After my coffee catch up with my precious friend, hubby and I went in Kingscliff to run some more errands. By that time, I was starving, so hubby brought me sushi for lunch. It was so good.

My smiley sushi face :) I admit to having already eaten 2 more 'eyes' just prior this photo being taken. I know sushi rice has sugar in it, but with all this omega 3 raw fish goodness, I figure it was worth it.

I will now get onto this lasagne, the one about to cost me some $'s at my least favourite place, the dentist. Again, like last night, I am constantly trying to make filling food on a budget, and keep the family full of healthy fats, lots of veg and good protein. 

After cooking a little over 400gms of lean chicken mince (yep- sometimes I buy lean if on special) in olive oil, I added 4 grated carrots, several small sticks of celery, also grated, and a finely sliced half an onion to the same pan with a little butter and cooked over medium/ low heat until softened.

I returned the chicken mince once the veggies were cooked. You can see the meat to veg ratio clearly. Lots of healthy fibre right there.

Then I added a jar of Italian Passata, some pepper, a teaspoon of veggie stock powder and some salt. 

I use Passata as the ingredients are simple: Tomato, salt and food acid. No sugar in sight.

Mix all the ingredients together and gently simmer for 15 minutes.

 Begin layering: Sauce first, then lasagne sheets (I used 2 packs), followed by more sauce and a dribble of cream. Repeat the last layer until the top layer, which just has a cream base covered in tasty grated cheese- lot's of it.

Cover with foil and bake in a hot oven (200C) for 45 minutes. Uncover and cook for a further 15, or until cheese turns golden.

This is the result- a huge, rustic but delish lasgane that will easily feed 8 polite or 6 hungry people :)

This lasagne was a little dry around the edges (my poor tooth!). I initially was going to make a bechamel sauce but simply ran out of time. There are 3 serves left in the fridge for an easy Friday night meal with salad. 

Now, onto what I ate today...

Breaky number 1: 1/2 a sweet potato slice at 4:30am

Breaky number 2: the other half of the slice with a smear of mayo and a cuppa at 6:30am.

Morning tea: 1 boiled egg at 9am followed by a small cappuccino at 10:45am.

Lunch: Seafood sushi pack at 1:45.

Early dinner: banana and a large wholemeal bread roll at 4:30.

I didn't eat more than a mouthfull of lasagne, so I'm not counting that!

There you have it, another day done and dusted. Until tomorrow :)

Day 8, results, home made mayonnaise and yes, more bacon

A little milestone was reached today: bubby sat up for the first time in the shopping trolley like a big girl :) This makes grocery shopping oh so much easier. And yes, day 3 in a row of me at the supermarket, for those who are keeping check. 

My relaxed bubby, enjoying her big girl view of the world while shopping with  her mumma at our local Woolworths.

This morning, weigh in produced encouraging results. I am a little over 4 kilo's heavier than my wedding weight, which was also my conception of bubby weight :) So very happy about this. In a much earlier post, I took my measurements. I am astounded with how much I am shrinking with minimal exercise and full fat food. Check out the stats below...

Yes! 62.5 kg at last! Only 4.5 to go and I will be my pre-baby weight :)

Now, to measurements...

Waist: 76.5 cm (was 81.5) 5 cm difference!

Hips: 99.5 cm (was 103) 3.5 cm difference.

Upper thigh: 55cm (was 63) 8 cm difference-wow!

Bust: 90cm (was 93) 3 cm difference.

This is just the motivation I need to keep going. Slowly and surely, I am reclaiming my health, even with injuries and limited mobility in some areas. The proof in cutting sugar and processed foods is clear- it gets results! Imagine if I was able to exercise!

Today was a mixed bag sort of day. I couldn't get back to sleep after bubby woke me at 3, so after tossing and turning for ages, I got up and had breaky at 4:30am. That gave me heartburn. Then bubby woke again and I had to let her snuggle in bed, but with my head propped up. Guess whose neck feels special today. It was wet, a bit cold, then steamy and hot. I shouldn't complain- when summer really hits, there won't be the word cold in that last sentence. I ran errands, attempted housework, then ended up cooking after a brief post lunchtime nap. I had a productive day- though I didn't tackle my bedroom-it needs urgent attention. Bubby is fast outgrowing many adorable little outfits and the piles are growing at a rapid rate. Sadly, there just isn't room for that many things. I was given so so many gorgeous clothes- and still keep getting more! It is hard to part with these I must admit- I may never have another baby of my own to nurture again, I'm a bit sentimental about them at present. I may just store them for now.

I ate well, just an interesting mix of things. I am hungry as I type this, but I know I have had enough nutrients for today. 

Morning tea wasn't attractive, but it was delish: Paleo bread, lightly fried and topped with a 20gm piece of extra tasty cheese. 

Before I get onto today's food consumed, I made a mayo at long last. It is so frustrating that even a no sugar brand I was buying now has sugar in it. It's also a challenge when my teen hates my usual tangy mayo. I usually just use lemon juice and Dijon mustard but she really dislikes it.  So I did some looking, and came up with a simple variation that I am sure will please...

My homemade mayo: 

Place 3 egg yolks (save egg whites) in a food processor with 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar, 2 generous teaspoons of dijon mustard, some salt and 1 tablespoon of rice malt syrup and blitz until mixed. Then slowly drizzle in 200mls of olive oil, while blitzing, until it fluffs and thickens. The above is what I ended up with- and believe me- it tastes divine!This should last for 2-3 weeks in the fridge- if not eaten first. 

We have a couple of big eaters in the house, so coming up with satisfying meals that don't break the bank is always a challenge. Tonight, I wanted to use the rest of the bacon (it was tempting me) and also a bag of sweet potatoes I purchased last week. So I came up with a simple dish...

Sweet potato and bacon slice:

Grate 3-4 cups of sweet potato and half an onion. Chop 5 rashers of bacon. Saute in olive oil and butter until sweet potato softens.

When cooked, allow to cool slightly before transferring to a large bowl. Add 3 egg whites (leftover from mayonnaise) and 3 whole eggs, 1 cup of grated cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup of sunflower seeds, 1/2 cup of cream and 1/4 cup unbleached plain flour. Mix. Season with a little salt and pepper.

Place in a greased baking dish and bake at 200 degrees celcius for approximately 40 minutes, or until firm and lightly golden. See below.

The finished slice- enough for 6 generous serves. There are 3 slices left for tomorrows lunch for hubby and maybe a meal for me:)

Though not an appealing looking dinner, the slice was a winner. The salad- lettuce, grated carrot and cucumber, was dressed with a little mayo that was thinned out with some apple cider vinegar. My teen approved of the dressing and requested it again. Finally- a win!

However, my dinner was this: left over tuna steak on kale, spinach and chard leaves. I had been dying to try kale but was a bit nervous due to unfavourable reports on its taste. I am pleased to say, what is everyone complaining about?- it tastes fine! Especially with a splash of sesame oil and lemon juice on top. I like strong flavours- maybe that's why I like it?

I feel satisfied with today. Tomorrow, though, I am calling my Dr and cleaning the mini mountains of adorable little human clothes. My knee is driving me somewhat crazy, a little more than the piles of clothes are. 

Now, to the food I enjoyed today...

Breaky: the last oat/ chia parfait at 4:30am. 

Morning tea: large cuppa followed by paleo bread and cheese at 8:30am.

Lunch: large granny smith apple, then 1 protein ball, followed by a hand-full of grated cheese. Another coffee at 12:30.

Afternoon tea: several un-grated bits of sweet potato- steamed with a generous amount of home made mayo at 3pm.

Dinner: above tuna and salad at 4:30pm plus miso soup at 5:30pm.

There, I hope that inspires someone. Please feel free to comment :) Until tomorrow, thanks for reading.