Day 29, getting organised and so much chicken

Welcome back lovely readers. It's a beautiful day yet again, especially after so much rain. Though the past few days have been quite dark and ultra steamy and stormy, the rain has been so beautiful and desperately needed. The only downside has been the routine throw-out my bubby has gone through. With it being so dark, she has been sleeping far more of a day, resulting in 'special' night sleeps. So. Very. Tired. Need. More. Caffeine.

My palm trees glow after a good drenching.

My bike has made a lovely garden ornament as I tried to rescue it from a heavy downpour. 

I haven't really been recording my exact consumption lately. The days have been quite full and if I was honest, with a teen having left, I am enjoying not cooking such a huge volume of food. I have instead been grazing a fair bit, though have managed to take a snap of the odd meal, such as yesterdays brunch...

A tuna steak, some fried zucchini slice and some cherry tomatoes made for a yum and filling meal yesterday.

I did manage to get a reasonable grocery shop in as well yesterday, though on the amount of sleep I didn't have, I'm surprised at how coherent and functioning I was, and under budget! Actually, too under budget. Even with a list, I forgot so much.

Chicken tenderloins, cut from large chook breasts, portioned in pairs, and labelled just for me. Easy to grab from the freezer, defrost and cook a perfect portion.

Hubby's portions, a chook breast sliced in half to make 2 chicken steaks. With this chicken, hubby now has several containers of cooked brown rice portioned out  to go with his veg, gravy and protein serve. He is taking this healthy eating seriously too, and I for one am happy to support him in it. 

 After preparing so much chicken, I then boiled 8 eggs to have as morning tea snacks. I also purchased chook bones. You guessed it, my stock supplies need topping up. To refresh your memory, see here.

I am sick of eating emotionally or for exhaustion, a habit that has begun creeping back in lately. You know what that means- getting organised. Here is a simple meal prepared in advance: tinned salmon and carb free pasta stir fry. 1 zucchini, half a red onion and 3 cloves of garlic were lightly sauteed in a pan with some olive oil, before adding 1 drained 420gm tin of tuna, 1 packet of carb free angel hair pasta, then a single serve packet of miso soup for seasoning. 

And here you have it, 3 ready to go, nutritious, low carb meals.

I am barely functional today. This not sleeping well thing isn't fun. To force myself to snap out of being down, I am still choosing to focus on something positive every morning. Today, it was yet again another gorgeous morning.

 A misty, pre-sunrise scene out the back. So beautiful, and surprisingly cool after yesterdays pre-storm intense heat. Love this time of the day, even when bleary eyed and sleep deprived! 

First light- and how stunning! How could I be anything but grateful?

I shall leave you with today's breaky, simple and satisfying...

Cheesy scrambled eggs (2) with some zucchini slice. I portioned out my milk and cheese last night. My 25gms of cheese went into this dish, as did a splash of my 1 cup (250mls) of milk. I feel better already just by making healthy mind and body choices.

That is your lot for now. I may be back this evening. Until next time, have a great day, and thanks for reading.

Day 27, a positive outlook and raw vegan choc almond slice

You may well wonder what on earth happened to make me 5 days late with the next post? Wonder no more. I reached the peak of my coping ability and had a mild implosion.  Nothing quite like weather that makes you sweat the second you step out of a cool shower and keeps the night time temperature a lovely degree of severe humidity. Add to that a very painful reminder of what happens monthly when you aren't pregnant and Yipee! Coincide this with a teen leaving our home (the one on loan from Germany), a party to attend, a hubby manning an exhibition and a final monthly BBQ to organise... what a slightly hectic several days! 

With all of this happening, I chose to focus each day on something positive. Here is the result of that... 

I was awake before the sunrise one morning. Look at the reward I got! Stunning colours.

The sun's nearly up- and how beautiful is the sky! Grateful I witnessed it from my back yard :)

Early mornings rock! The sun is brilliant this time of the day.

An evening walk by the creek- such a relaxing place.

Appreciating my little garden, and how stunning the palm leaves looked with the sunlight hitting them.

A vine flower after the rain.

The same vine with a burst of sunshine making it glow.

A walk one morning a few years ago saw me bring home a discarded (well, dumped actually) clump of bromeliads. They are now taking over an old palm tree in the corner of my garden and make great homes for baby frogs. 

Lastly, taken this morning, is a snapshot of my little outdoor table setting, my respite from life for 5 minutes at a time. Grateful for this space.

Now, during all of this busyness, it's perhaps a tiny bit fair to assume my eating wasn't particularly fabulous. In an attempt to fix this, and acknowledge that I did just need something sweet, I attempted to make a healthy nutella. May I say how spectacularly I failed at making nutella. Out of this failure came a most pleasant surprise however. See below for details...

My no bake, vegan, choc almond slice :) I'm hooked! This is how I made it (of course, it's a variation of a recipe I found online)...

2 cups raw almonds

half a cup shredded coconut

2 tablespoons of coconut oil

1 tablespoon of olive oil

2 tablespoons of cocao

1 vanilla pod, insides scraped out for use

1 tablespoon of rice malt syrup

1/4 cup of water (or coconut water if preferred)

In a food processor, blitz raw almonds and shredded coconut until it makes as pasty a mixture as possible- approx 5-8 minutes. Mine just wouldn't turn into butter and ended up looking like sticky crumbs. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Press into a lightly greased and lined slice tray and place in fridge to set. Cut into slices and store in the fridge.

I am addicted and have found a healthy, nutrient rich way to cope with life :)

Another way I am coping is by planning ahead. I have decided to cut out recipes from magazines and even grocery catalogues that are sugar free and filled with simple, real ingredients. These pages will be stuck into a blank writing book I have spare so that when I am at a loss for ideas, instead of ripping out several cook books, I will have what I need at a glance.

An hour well spent last night collecting recipes from mags and catalogues, ready to be glued into a book for easy access. 

Many good things are happening currently too. Hubby has received incredible feedback from the art community about his work, and been asked to exhibit again. My first ever German teen informed me two nights ago that she is visiting us next year! I am so thrilled. In fact, we all are. My little bubby is starting to sleep better again, and is also now officially enrolled to start swim school next year. And currently, it's several degrees cooler, has just stormed and is raining. Bliss. 

Hubby has a long day and won't be home for ages, so family dinner is simple tonight. Me, my teen and non teen shall enjoy some grilled chicken skewers and a healthy salad. Time to get the positive, fresh, healthy eating back after a slight detour this past week. 

And that is sadly your lot for today. I will aim to bring you far more frequent updates this week- I promise! 

Until then, thanks for reading :)

Day 22, corn, bacon & fetta fritters and a lovely evening stroll

As I am known to do, today I am starting with the last thing I did, go for an evening stroll with my hubby and bubby by the gorgeous creek. Seriously, how stunning is this place! I feel I owe you some pictures after missing yet another night. No cooking ooccurred yesterday- it was a 'help yourself' affair, so I didn't blog. Instead, I went to bed early for some much needed zzzz's. 

My favourite scene is still stunning at dusk. Summer nights, and daylight savings, make post dinner walks pleasant.

Today's focus will be on another recipe I was keen to try. Check out the pics for details...

I loved the look of these, and with bacon a key ingredient, I was lured. 

While shopping for groceries this morning, I purchased a cheap bag of red capsicum. They aren't the best quality, which really made them just perfect to use for roasting.

I say roasting, when in reality, they were placed under a grill until they charred. You can use a hot plate or bbq to achieve a more all over charring.

When done, place them as is in a freezer bag, seal it, then wrap it in a tea towel.

Leave this to cool, which took about an hour. This helps the skin to sweat off.

When cool enough to handle, peel the skin off. It's much, much easier to do if the whole capsicum is charred. Don't stress if some stays attached. Set aside.

Heat a frypan to medium, With no oil, start browning corn. When most  of the corn is browned, turn heat down to low and cover to let them steam. Like the capsicum, wait 'til the corn is cool enough to handle, then cut down the sides with a sharp knife to removed the kernels. Try not to eat as many as me when you do this :)

To the flour ( 200gms SR and 50gms coconut) I added white pepper, a pinch of salt, sweet paprika and 2 eggs whipped with a third of a cup of milk. I mixed it well before adding: 1.5ish cobs of leftover corn, 3/4's a cup of chopped capsicum, 100gms chopped short crust bacon and 150gms fetta. Mix it well, then place in the fridge while preparing the pan with a little olive oil on medium heat.

This sweet bubby girl proved quite a distraction tonight while making dinner. Somebody has just learned to put her arms up for attention. It is very effective!

The resulting fritters. I am quite chuffed with the result, and they are very easy to cook. I turned them into burgers for the family. The only complaint was too much corn. Perhaps I should have eaten far more during preparation time :)

I have 6 of the 12 fritters left, and these two bowls have 2 each inside- my savoury breaky for the next couple of days.

I must add one more fact. I not only found my blue denim jeans today, I tried them on- *Insert scream of delight here* THEY FIT! That hasn't happened since I was 2 months pregnant. Oh, happy days!!! 

Now, just briefly, this is what I ate today...

Breaky (post coffee): protein/ cocao shake with 1/2 cup natural yoghurt. Unsweetened.
Lunch: Giant banana while shopping, followed by a boiled egg when home, and another cuppa.
Afternoon tea: 2 protein balls.
Dinner: corn, roasted capsicum and a boiled egg.
Supper: 2 boiled eggs with a little mayo.

There, I hope that satisfies. Until (hopefully!) tomorrow, thanks for reading :)

Day 20, a sweet weekend, pasta pie, new tastes and a new season

This post covers Saturday, Sunday and Monday, and is being posted on Tuesday :) 

Summer has arrived! The first of December brought with it a stunning start to the day. I know- I got to see it firsthand. My Christmas miracle came early. I woke before my sweet bubby after nearly 8 hours sleep. Eight hours people! Can you believe it?! Look below for shots of the glorious greeting I got just for being up early...

The sun is just peeking over the field...

...before it burst into full blown glory.

How stunning does this vine look with the sun behind it!

It was a privilege on the weekend to celebrate a significant milestone- my mother and father-in-laws 35th wedding anniversary. Quite an achievement in this day and age! I hope that when I'm in my 80's, hubby and I can have achieved the same. We celebrated as a family at Osteria  at Casuarina. Below is a sample of the food I enjoyed...

Smoked salmon with lemon as a side...

...which I added to a greek salad. In all honesty- the salad was very sweet and had a whole 3 pieces of feta. I must admit, I was disappointed with this salad. Nothing at all in the recipe stated sugar, yet it contained so much- even the sticky balsamic glaze. So frustrating. I'm glad I got to sample some other foods too from the share plates.

After all of that, I couldn't resist this- a velvety, flour-less chocolate cake. My sis-in-law is the queen of amazing  cakes and the decoration of :)

And what did it feel like to eat sugar again? It woke me up from my sleep deprivation! How sad, but true.

On the weekend, I wanted to attempt an easy, filling dish for the family. I have mentioned before about some large appetites, so I have been trying to come up with healthy, filling meals on a budget. I saw this recipe in my new mag and thought I'd give it a go. The original was meant to be a vegetarian version. Hubby hates peas, but the reason I didn't use them was simple- we have run out.

The recipe is for a Pea & Capsicum Penne Pie. Look below to see my version...

I boiled the 300gms of penne pasta as directed.

But no peas here. Yep, you guessed it, bacon found it's way into this dish. here, it is being sauteed with red onion.

I did use capsicum, just not the roasted stuff. I was way too tired to be bothered, so it just got added to the bacon and onion.

The bacon, capsicum and onion was added to the drained pasta. To that, i added 2 heaped tablespoons of home made tomato pesto, some dried parsley, some pepper, 3/4 cup shredded cheese, 2 large dollops of sour cream and 3/4 cup of cream. It said bechamel sauce, but no way did I have the patience or energy to make that! Lastly, I added 3 lightly beaten eggs before mixing away.

This mix was put into 2 spring form tins, well greased, topped with another 3/4's a cup of cheese and baked in a 180 degree oven for about an hour.

And here you have it- one large for the fam, and one small for hubby's lunch as he manned the gallery where his exhibition is on Monday. 

The recipe said to let it sit for an hour after cooking. I did not. Hubby may have fainted from hunger if I had- it was a lengthy process to make as it was. It was a little runny in the middle, but still firm enough to stand. Would I make it again? Unsure. It was filling and cheap, but just takes so long to make.

Monday morning, I felt back on track after my cake indulgence.

This was my breaky: yoghurt mixed with protein powder and pepitas, topped with blueberries. 

I even made a special purchase for Monday's family dinner night as I was sure my non teen would approve...

Tempeh, here being marinated in soy sauce, garlic, lemon juice and a little rice malt syrup. 

I even made a large batch of fresh mayo...

...before getting stuck into my most hated job, peeling spuds.

The peeled spuds were sliced (thank you yet again Kylie Mozer for your generous, sanity saving gift!), placed in an oiled baking tray and then covered with the small jar of homemade mayo before it was then covered in foil and placed in a moderate, 180 degree oven for an hour. After the hour, I coated the top in cheese and baked for a further 30 mins, turned the oven off, re-covered the bake and let it sit in the oven while I prepared dinner. this ensures that the spuds all steam if some haven't cooked through.

This is the meal I prepared my teens and hubby. The 'twinkie' looking item is cream cheese filled, crumbed chicken. 

And this is what my non teen and I had. Though I did end up sharing half of my non teens potato bake. Devine, I must say! 

The salad was good- fresh corn, herbs from my garden, a simple dressing. The tempeh- I didn't like. My non teen enjoyed hers however. I wasted mine, sad to say.

You have to try new things. My sweet bubby did- she ate half a fresh avocado today, and her first ever mashed potatoes for dinner. I'm so glad, as her first taste of steamed carrot was hilarious, and not at all successful!

Alas, I must confess, it happened again. I. Ate. Sugar. There, confessed. Honestly, I do regret it. I instantly heated up, which made sleeping unpleasant. I also woke up so thirsty. I don't like how it makes me feel. At all. Lesson learnt. The positive to come out of this was- I no longer crave it, and my non teen and I are going to do a home version of Sarah Wilson's 8 week I Quit Sugar program from December 26th. That gives us time to go through her 2 recipe books- which thankfully has the program included, and find recipes we like and can do together. We may not live together, but having a health buddy makes the journey so much easier, especially at Christmas. I am personally determined to not eat sugar again at all, though i am aware, it may happen, even unintentionally like in the case of a deceptive sugary salad.

Before I conclude, last night, the first of December, we did our family tradition, with it's newest member: putting up the tree and decorations.

A simple star atop our well loved tree.

Not even the stairs are safe from my decorating enthusiasm!

It's a new season. Let new things happen. I for one am personally excited!

Until next post, thanks for reading :)