My First Comment

Thursday 21st December

I got a comment a couple of days ago, I was so excited. It was from my sister and very encouraging it was too!

Mixed feelings about food, work, stress and Christmas. Back on the bread big time.

Today I ate: -

• Quaker Oatso Simple
• Mixed cheese with spring onion and mayo baguette from the patisserie
• Gingerbread biscuits from reception
• Hoummus
• Corned beef and tomato baguette
• Chocolate birthday cake with cream

Work Christmas Do!

Wednesday 20th December

It's our work Christmas Do and we are going out for drinks!

Today I ate: -

• Fruit and fibre
• Gingerbread biscuits in reception
• Corned beef and tomato wholemeal roll
• Milk chocolate
• Sausage 'n' mash

Happy 1 Month Blogging Anniversary!

It's been one month since I started this blog. I've lost 11lbs, so it's been a success so far.

Today I ate: -

• Fruit and fibre
• Half a carton New Covent Garden Toulouse sausage and puy lentil soup
• 1 slice soya and linseed toast, butter, cheese
• Milk chocolate
• Stir-fry chicken and veg, basmati rice, won-ton, sesame prawn toast

Seven Things Monday - Week 3

This week I let go of: -

1. Wine rack - This was a fairly large wine rack that our neighbour left behind when he emigrated. We don't drink much wine and I donated it to the Age Concern charity shop.
   
2. Cat toy - But we've never had a cat! I gave it to Herbie, Eldest's friend's cat.


3. Balamory DVD - I gave it to a cute toddler at church and she was really pleased.


4. Re-gifted some presents for birthdays and Christmas gifts this week but my present stash is still huge!


5. Some beautiful silk off-cuts from my wedding dress - I wistfully sewed them in to wedding favours which I gave to my book group as we had read 'A Wedding in December' by Anita Shreve.
6. Treasure box - Youngest made this when it was pirate-themed book week at school and I put it in the loft. I used it this week as a gift box for Father-in-law's birthday. I told him Youngest made it just for him. Youngest then told all that he actually made it ages ago at school. Beware your sins will find you out!
7. Two bottles of red wine - Also left over from when our neighbour emigrated. I re-gifted these as Christmas gifts this week.

Today I ate: -

• apple
• Buttery cheese sandwich


• Home-made meatballs, pasta, leeks, mushrooms, red pepper, cream sauce


• Rachel's organic bio-live rhubarb yoghurt on to which I poured single cream


• 3 pieces of home-made fudge

The Big Weigh-In Week 4

I lost 1lb. Not bad for an emotionally up and down week with a fair amount of festive nibbling! I'm not really counting on losing too much (any!) weight next week. After all the next weigh-in is on Boxing Day and the following one on New Year's Day! However, it's good to start the festive season 11lbs lighter, even if I put it all back on!

Today I ate: -

• Quaker Oatso Simple
• Half a carton New Covent Garden Toulouse sausage and puy lentil soup
• Humungus buttery cheese sandwich
• Fish pie made with smoked cod, peas

Christmas Do

Saturday 16th December

We all went to a Christmas Do at the Funfriends today. Oh my, there was a lot consumed!

Today I ate: -

• 1 slice soya and linseed toast with poached egg and cherry tomatoes, Maldon salt
• 1 slice soya and linseed toast with hoummus and organic baby plum tomatoes
• Vast quantity of Christmas party food including tortilla crisps, French bread, various cheeses, mince pies, carrot cake, Stollen, chocolate cornflake cake, Japanese rice crackers, biscuits, Terry's chocolate orange segment, potato rosti, mulled wine

10 Days to Christmas!

Friday 15th December

I have been kinda thinking: -

"What's the point, it's Christmas so I might as well eat loads and start again in the new year"

After almost a month of doing this, though, it's becoming somewhat of a habit. So far I have not had a major yuletide binge. I was told the saddest news today and I went home and ate the rest of Beloved's Dulche de Leche Haagen-Daz. I stopped after that as it was really no solution and when you hear truly sad news you just need to mourn not attempt to bury the sadness with food.

Today I ate: -

• Fruit and fibre
• Half of a carton New Covent Garden Festive ham soup
• 1 slice soya and linseed toast, butter, cheese
• Third of carton Haagen-Daz ice cream
• Chicken Korma, basmati rice, garlic and coriander naan, leeks, courgettes

Abdominal Panniculus!

Let's talk about fat! To be more precise the distribution of bodily fat. One thing I'm really grateful for is that I don't carry my fat on my butt. I must thank my ancestors for this piece of DNA advantage. None of my family have vast butts and Beloved has a lovely butt so the kids are alright. Before I get too carried away with this good news let me tell you where I do carry my weight which is in a pendulous apron suspended from my midriff. I have looked this up on Google and it is called an abdominal panniculus. Sounds quite glamourous doesn't it? I am hoping that as I lose weight this apron of fat will shrink, but what if it doesn't? I am thinking of getting some of those Magic Knickers that Trinny and Susannah are always banging on about. Until then I shall keep tucking my belly in my waistband!

Today I ate: -

• Quaker Oatso Simple
• Jerusalem artichoke, carrot and celery soup
• 1 slice soya and linseed toast and butter
• Salad with smoked mackeral
• Rachel's organic bio-live rhubarb yoghurt
• 2 handfuls of delicious Dutch gingerbread biscuits we have in reception at work for the festive season

Down Day

Wednesday 13th December

Not a good day, felt like the bad old, sad old days.

Today I ate: -

• Fruit and Fibre


• Cookie dough and icing (I made cello cookies for Youngest's piano teacher, yes I know they should have been piano cookies but I didn't have the appropriate cutter. I'm going to try ebay for next year)


• Buttery cheese sandwich with soya and linseed bread


• Small round chocolate of unknown provenance that I found at the back of a drawer


• Pork chop, pasta, veg


• Greek yoghurt with demarera sugar
• 5 fruit chew sweets

Christmas Nibbling

Last night was the annual quilt group Christmas nibbles session. My thoughts approaching this evening were to just go with the flow. I did think about taking hoummus and crudites but, in the end, thought this would be a pointless exercise as I knew I would end up eating lots of sticky little treats. Ironically Quiltgrouptreasurer said to us "I did think about bringing crudites, but I ran out of time and they didn't have any pre-made ones in Waitrose". To cut a short story even shorter the food was not nice. It was all out of boxes and packets and I didn't enjoy it at all. And here's the utterly brainless, stupid thing I kept eating it by the handful. Felt really grumpy and thirsty and very hungry when I got home. I wanted to raid the cupboards and start a full-on binge. I weighed myself this morning and I had re-gained 2 lbs. What's that all about, it's not like I ate 2lbs of extra food in volume.

Tis the season of Christmas nibbles, watch this space.

Today I ate: -

• Half a pink grapefruit


• Fruit and fibre
• Half a carton New Covent Garden festive ham and vegetable soup
• 1 slice soya and linseed bread toast and butter
• Stir-fry beef, veg and udon noodles
• 1 tiny mince pie
• Greek yoghurt with demarera sugar

Seven Things Monday - Week 2

Monday 11th December

This project really does provide some focus for my de-cluttering.

This week I let go of: -

1. Fridge-freezer. This died some time ago and has been sitting in the yard at Beloved's office waiting to be taken to the tip. It was a great moment when we finally took it there this week.
2. Broken chest of drawers in Eldest's room. Eldest filled this with a load of old tat and removing it has given him a lot more room. Beloved and I moved the desk down from our bedroom along with a little shelf unit and now he has a work area. eldest was thrilled and youngest was ticked off. I told Youngest we would get him a desk.
3. Small bag of outgrown children's clothes (approx 5 items) to Salvation Army collection bin.
4. A stack of redundant cardboard boxes to recycling.
5. Electrical components from stuff Youngest had taken apart to the rubbish bin!
6. A pair of weird quarter-length socks as a joke birthday present to practice manager.
7. John Lewis magazine to Writingfriend.

Today I ate: -

• Quaker Oatso Simple
• Home-made Jerusalem artichoke, carrot and celery soup
• Beef and shallots braised in red wine, basmati rice, broccolli and carrots
• Garlic bread
• Assorted christmas nibbles including; mince pies, florentine, sausage, cheese straws and palmier

The Big Weigh-In Week 3

Sunday 10th December

I lost 4lbs! I made a loaf in the breadmaker for lunch and Youngest had the excellent idea of dying it blue with food colouring. When I got it out at lunch time it looked like a regular white loaf but when I cut in to it it was a spectacular sky blue! Eldest asked me if it would taste blue! I made the sour cream chocolate cake with sour cream frosting from Nigella Lawson's 'How to be a Domestic Goddess' for my practice manager's birthday tomorrow. I always make everyone at work a cake on their birthday.

Today I ate: -

• Quaker Oatso Simple
• Blue bread sandwich with cheese and pate
• A few Walker's crisps
• 2 fishcakes, salad
• Some cake batter and frosting

In Search of New Habits

Saturday 9th December

I think a lot of my previous over-eating was habit. I wasn't really thinking about what I was putting in my mouth. It's the third weigh-in tomorrow and I think I'm replacing those old mindless habits with some healthier new ones.

Today I ate: -

• 1 slice wholemeal toast with a poached egg, 5 cherry tomatoes and Maldon salt


• Soupe Exotique


• 1 of Eldest's raviolis


• Home-made chicken pie, egg-fried rice with peppers and courgette, carrots and beans


• Half an individual bakewell tart

Cheese Rhapsody

Friday 8th December

Today let us analyse my feelings about cheese. I adore cheese. I have a cheese poster which I got free with The Guardian. One of my favourite poems is Go to Bed with a Cheese and Pickle Sandwich by Mandy Coe. Just look at my Christmas wish list: -

Dear Santa,

This year please could you bring me
a truckle of farmhouse Cheddar
a Parmigiano Reggiano with one of those trendy graters
a Stilton in a lovely ceramic jar
a ripe round of Brie
a pungent Roquefort
a Yarg encased in nettle leaves
a mild and nutty Manchego
a Raclette to melt
a firm and piquant Comte

Love to Mrs Claus and all the reindeer

xxxxx

I can empathise with Wallace when he was forced to leave the beauteous Wendolene at the end of 'A Close Shave' following the astonishing discovery that she did not like cheese.
"Not even Wensleydale?"

Beloved's work Christmas party tonight, I got really jittery about it as it is our responsibility and I couldn't eat lunch. This is a strange and unpredicted turn of events. As an emotional eater I usually turn to the fridge at the least twinge of anxiety but skipping meals is equally destructive and really just another way to use food as a coping strategy. I will have to give this some serious thought.

Anyway, I had coffee with Readingfriend after work today and as usual I had a marvellous time. I always feel really positive about life when I've seen Readingfriend, I should do it more often!

Today I ate: -

• Fruit and Fibre
• Half a pink grapefruit
• Deep-fried Brie with a salad garnish
• Fishcake, salad
• Frites and mayo
• Baileys cheesecake

It's Organic Veggie Box Thursday!

My second veggie box arrived today and I
thought I would share the excitement with you.
It was waiting for me when I got back from the
school run.










Here it is opened up.

Today I ate: -

• Quaker Oatso Simple


• Soupe Exotique (recipe from French Women Don't Get fat)


• 1 slice soya and linseed bread and butter


• Baked potato with hoummus and salad


• 1 of his scampis!

Accountability

I told two of my good friends about my blog. As I know they might be reading it I think it gives me greater accountability. I've had nice e-mails back from both my friends and I'm glad I told them. I am having coffee with Readingfriend on Friday and I occasionally bump into Writingfriend on the school run.

Due to a conflict in all our schedules at home I ended up having a sandwich for dinner :0(

Today I ate: -

• Fruit and fibre
• Half a pink grapefruit
• Brown rice and vegetables (with the last of the mozarella)
• Chicken sandwich with butter and mayo and cherry tomatoes

British Women Do Get Fat

Tuesday 6th December

A beautifully dressed French woman came in to my workplace last week and my first thought was "Wow, you didn't get those clothes in this town". I was correct, I asked her where she bought her clothes and she told me she travels back to France on a regular basis to shop. I remembered that I had bought a copy of 'French Women Don't Get Fat' by Mireille Guiliano some time ago and I resolved to read it. This book was obviously not based on the chic but fairly voluptuous Madame Stevens who taught me French at Junior School. It is, however, in line with my intention of eating delicious, unprocessed food mindfully.

Today I ate: -

• 1 slice wholemeal toast, poached egg, Maldon salt, 3 cherry tomatoes
• Salad with hoummus
• Chillie con carne, basmati rice, carrots, green beans, peas
• 1 piece tear and share garlic bread
• A few bits and pieces of cookie dough and icing (I was making cello cookies for Youngest's cello teacher)

Seven Things Monday

I am naming and shaming myself. Today is the first day of my Seven Things Mondays. I admit it doesn't quite have the jaunty illiterative ring of Seven Things Saturday or even Seven Things Sunday but I think it will be a good start to the week for me. Let us peruse some of the cluttered areas of my home.

Hmmmmmm........... Why is there a jar of onion marmalade next to a Balamory DVD?

The desk in my bedroom

Eldest's room

And finally, the dining room table!

So, this is my starting point. I am going to let go of a minimum of 7 things every week.

This week I let go: -

1. 5 nativity stables from the attic - I gave them to the little girls at church, they were chuffed.
2. 3 OK magazines from the waiting room at work which found their way here - to my sister
3. Scooby Doo hat - to my nephew, he likes Scooby Doo!
4. Scooby Doo hologram - again to my nephew

Today I ate: -

• Fruit and fibre, half a pink grapefruit
• Brown rice and vegetables (with mozarella - dairy so improves the macrobiotic)
• 1 pork and leek sausage, fennel braised in chicken stock, stir-fried cabbage with bacon and onion, carrots and green beans
• Greek yoghurt

The Big Weigh-In Week 2

I lost 2 lbs. In total I have lost 6 lbs and I feel great. One of the best things is not feeling stuffed all the time. I had promised the kids we would make pizza from scratch today, but that was before the ginormous pizzafest of yesterday! So we had to do it as, of course, you cannot break promises to children and it's important to encourage their creativity. Anyway it was scrumptious! Incidentally, Eldest made a pizza sandwich for lunch from some left-over Dominos pizza. He is not a great proponent of the Atkins diet!

Today I ate: -

• Quaker Oatso Simple
• Brown rice and vegetables from Mum (I grated cheese on it, the rice, not my Mum!)
• Small leftover portion of plum crumble with greek yoghurt
• Slice of homemade pizza
• Half a carton of New Covent Garden bacon and clam chowder

The Seven Things Project

Saturday 2nd December

Found a web-ring last night whose members are trying to do exactly what I want to do, reduce their stuff, simplify and bring some order to their homes. Participants in The Seven Things Project commit to getting rid of 7 things a week by recycling, donating, giving, selling or any other creative means. I think I'll give it a go!

Today I ate: -

• 1 slice of wholemeal toast, stir-fried mushrooms and cherry tomatoes with a poached egg
• Half a carton new Covent Garden clam and bacon chowder
• 1 slice white toast with liver pate and cheese
• Greek yoghurt and demerara sugar
• Shed-loads of pizza from Dominos, home-made chips, tiny salad garnish
• 2 mince pies made by Mum

Organic Veggie Box

When I got home yesterday my organic veggie box from Abel and Cole was waiting for me. What joy and rapture! I opened up the account last week after I received one of their leaflets through my door. The vegetables are reassuringly muddy. Wouldn't it be funny if they bought saver vegetables and 'styled' them with a touch of organic filth! There is a Catherine Tate sketch I love where a group of Alphamums are watching their offspring compete in the egg and spoon race at their school sports day when one of the Mum's clocks a value egg box on the ground and screams "THE EGGS ARE NOT ORGANIC!!!!" and all the Mums grab their children and run to their 4x4s.

Today I ate: -

• 1 slice of wholemeal toast with stir-fried mushrooms and cherry tomatoes
• 3 miniature bananas
• Salad with hoummus
• Teriaki beef, udon noodles, stir-fry veg, pak choi