I have just realised I haven't blogged in a week. Lots has happened this past week. We have a new child minder, Jenny. Grace starts with her this coming Monday. Unfortunately Maria just wasn't able to accommodate my shift pattern. Mum and I met with Jenny last Monday and she seems very nice. We also went to work to borrow some screens for a charity fashion show one of mum's friends is putting on. While walking across the car park, Grace waved at two of our regular golfers and said "hello" That stopped me and mum dead in our tracks - she's always said "hiya" before.
On Tuesday I went for lunch with Leigh and Joshua in Pizza Hut. We had a nice lunch - all you can eat buffet is always good!! and the babies had a ball playing together. Sadly got a phone call mid-way thought lunch to say that Grace wouldn't be able to go to Maria's for her last week because maria's mum had just died. Poor Maria was so upset, we took round some flowers and a card.
Wednesday I finally bit the bullet and went to my first gym membership meeting. I have been ducking them since I started the job because I really don't feel they apply to me much, but it wasn't as bad as I expected and I got a lot of support on various issues that have been causing me some worries. Grace learned to say "peeeeessss" (That's please for those of you who don't speak toddler!)
Thursday was an extra day off because Maria couldn't look after Grace. Went to Belfast with mum to take her to see the company doctor about her knee, then to Maloney's for lunch. Had a really nice lunch, and it was not too expensive either. 2 main courses (both definitely home made to a high standard and delicious) 2 soft drinks, 2 puddings (same high standard as the mains) 1 tea and 1 coffee came to £28 in total. I have paid more for a hell of a lot less, I would not hesitate to recommend it. And it was a very frugal lunch for me - mum paid because I drove her to the docs :)
On Friday we bought hot sausage rolls and a fresh cherry cake from the local bakery and took them up to Nana's for lunch. Grace had a great time feeding most of hers to the birds in the garden and generally entertaining papa. Clever girl also said "cake" and remembered the makaton sign for it that she saw on "Something Special" Worked the late shift, had a long and very interesting chat with David about my position here and what was worrying me. He has given me some very interesting food for thought. Grace was staying at mums, when I rang to say goodnight the clever girl sad "nee neeeeee" back to me :) So proud of her, she's getting new words every single day now. In the morning she had spilled a cup of cold tea over the sky+ box. She told me the TV was "bro-un" and when I asked who broke it she pointed to herself and said "meeeee" - let's hope she's always so honest LoL. Got home from work at 10pm, went straight up to spare room to hang curtains because Aaron and Nicola are coming to stay. Fell into bed knackered at 11.10.
That just about brings me to today - another Saturday in work. Next Saturday is my first one on my new shift pattern so I will be off - Yay!! Had a really terrible nose bleed earlier. So glad I am a mummy now - I had plenty of tissues and baby wipes in my bag, but still needed to get specialist cleaner to fix the carpet. Grace has been in to visit and get her weekly treat of jelly beans out of the machine in reception. She was all hugs and kisses - so nice in the middle of a dull day!! Aaron and Nicola are coming down later to babysit. We are taking mum and dad to Sozo for a meal to thank mum for helping out with Grace so much over the past month or so. I am looking forward to it - not been for dinner in Sozo since I was pregnant!!
Saturday, 28 February 2009
Saturday, 21 February 2009
But I don't LIKE salads!!
I was very disappointed when I weighed myself after the gym on Wednesday - I have not lost a single pound. Ok I have only been REALLY trying for a week, but 1 pound - is that so much to ask?? Apparently yes, it is, even though I had been to the gym every other day for that week.
I have had to conclude that I need to do more on the food front. Evidently cutting out snacks and smaller portions is only serving to stabilise my weight.
At first I was quite down. I don't like "diets", and I definitely don't like diet food. In case anyone hadn't noticed, I'm a bit obsessed with food. I love food. I love simple food, home cooked food, fancy food, foreign food, even junk food sometimes. I love cooking and creating, making something tasty from scratch is so satisfying on so many levels - especially if it's frugal as well as tasty. I love talking about food, every day in work we talk about what we've made for dinner, what we have brought for lunch, interesting recipes we have come across....well, you get the picture. Food is very important to me.
The more I thought about this, the more I got determined to make this work for me. I decided I was taking salad to work for my tea. I don't like salads. I had a think, why don't I like them?? And what can I do about it??
Well, I don't like that floppy lettuce you get, or all the fancy ones. I like a nice, fresh, crisp iceberg. And having big leaves on my plate puts me off too - don't know why. So let's shred that. I don't like salad cream or mayo or vinaigrette or any of those dressing-type things, they need to go. Instead I used a generous drizzle of good quality Greek olive oil - the best in the world. Next I threw in some cherry tomatoes. I cut them into quarters so they would spread some colour - you eat with your eyes long before anything goes in your mouth. I sprinkled over some grated Wenslydale I found in the back of the fridge. It had gone hard, but I threw it in anyways. last in was a grated carrot. I stuck the lid on my trusty tupperware and gave it a good shake. I was worried that it wouldn't feel like a proper meal so I grabbed a small tin of red salmon that had been lurking in the cupboard for months - a present from Nana (don't ask LoL) - and headed off to work. A small tin of sweetcorn from the garage down the road was also duly purchased.
Come 6pm I was somewhat apprehensive. I added my salmon and half the sweetcorn, gave it a good shake and tipped it into a nice bowl.
And the result.....well it was lovely!! The tomato juice, olive oil and cheese had combined to make a really nice dressing and I was well impressed with the tinned salmon - another first for me. I am even happier to think that the whole thing cost me the price of a small tin of sweetcorn - everything else was already in the house! I will definitely be experimenting more with salads over the coming weeks. And I was not very hungry when I got home at 10pm, although I did treat myself to a couple of pumpkin seed ryvita with home made humus on with my pre-bed cuppa.
This morning I put grated apple and cinnamon into my porridge before I microwaved it - another attempt at sneaking more fruit into my diet!! It was very nice, went well with the sultanas that were already in the porridge. I think next time I'll put less cinnamon in though - might have been a bit heavy handed this morning!!
I have had to conclude that I need to do more on the food front. Evidently cutting out snacks and smaller portions is only serving to stabilise my weight.
At first I was quite down. I don't like "diets", and I definitely don't like diet food. In case anyone hadn't noticed, I'm a bit obsessed with food. I love food. I love simple food, home cooked food, fancy food, foreign food, even junk food sometimes. I love cooking and creating, making something tasty from scratch is so satisfying on so many levels - especially if it's frugal as well as tasty. I love talking about food, every day in work we talk about what we've made for dinner, what we have brought for lunch, interesting recipes we have come across....well, you get the picture. Food is very important to me.
The more I thought about this, the more I got determined to make this work for me. I decided I was taking salad to work for my tea. I don't like salads. I had a think, why don't I like them?? And what can I do about it??
Well, I don't like that floppy lettuce you get, or all the fancy ones. I like a nice, fresh, crisp iceberg. And having big leaves on my plate puts me off too - don't know why. So let's shred that. I don't like salad cream or mayo or vinaigrette or any of those dressing-type things, they need to go. Instead I used a generous drizzle of good quality Greek olive oil - the best in the world. Next I threw in some cherry tomatoes. I cut them into quarters so they would spread some colour - you eat with your eyes long before anything goes in your mouth. I sprinkled over some grated Wenslydale I found in the back of the fridge. It had gone hard, but I threw it in anyways. last in was a grated carrot. I stuck the lid on my trusty tupperware and gave it a good shake. I was worried that it wouldn't feel like a proper meal so I grabbed a small tin of red salmon that had been lurking in the cupboard for months - a present from Nana (don't ask LoL) - and headed off to work. A small tin of sweetcorn from the garage down the road was also duly purchased.
Come 6pm I was somewhat apprehensive. I added my salmon and half the sweetcorn, gave it a good shake and tipped it into a nice bowl.
And the result.....well it was lovely!! The tomato juice, olive oil and cheese had combined to make a really nice dressing and I was well impressed with the tinned salmon - another first for me. I am even happier to think that the whole thing cost me the price of a small tin of sweetcorn - everything else was already in the house! I will definitely be experimenting more with salads over the coming weeks. And I was not very hungry when I got home at 10pm, although I did treat myself to a couple of pumpkin seed ryvita with home made humus on with my pre-bed cuppa.
This morning I put grated apple and cinnamon into my porridge before I microwaved it - another attempt at sneaking more fruit into my diet!! It was very nice, went well with the sultanas that were already in the porridge. I think next time I'll put less cinnamon in though - might have been a bit heavy handed this morning!!
Monday, 16 February 2009
The Joys of Charity Shopping
This has been a hobby of mine for quite some time now. I LOVE charity shopping. I can;t walk past a charity shop without going in for a nosey. I know a lot more people are doing it now because of the "credit crunch " (whatever THAT particular soundbite is supposed to mean) but for many it's still something they just won't consider. Well, maybe they could consider some of the following.
It's CHARITY shopping. Whatever you spend is going to help a good cause. Action Cancer, African Children's Missions, Age Concern, Northern Ireland Hospice and Barnardos all benefit regularly from my shopping trips. Where would you rather your hard-earned cash went - to them or to line the pockets of another faceless multi-national??
But what if you like the clothes those faceless multi-nationals sell?? No problem - you'll find them in charity shops at a fraction of the price. My daughter wears Gap, Next, Pumpkin Patch, Rocha Little Rocha, Reebok and a whole load of other "brands" - all from charity shops. And I never see other children wearing the same as her because the clothes she's wearing are no longer in those shops - I like her being an individual.
This leads nicely into my next point. You find all sorts of little treasures that you just can't get anywhere else. I have a huge library of audio books that has mostly come from charity shops - a few came from car boot sales and eBay too. They are really cheap because they are on tape - I never pay more than £3 for a 2-tape story or over £5 for 4 or more. I also have some beautiful oven ware from the charity shops - I just can't find those lovely, deep casserole dishes anywhere else (You can see one in my previous post about dumplings!!) And you will never find the same thing twice, so every visit is just as interesting as the last.
Next, it's cheap. When times are hard (and that's a lot of the time these days!) you can cheer yourself up with a new pair of shoes for under £5, add on the extra feel-good factor of giving to a worthy cause AND it's guilt free!! It's great if you have a hobby. I have seen or bought wool, books, fabric, paints, beads and jewellery...no matter what your hobby you can do it on the cheap at the charity shops. Plus, you'll probably find books relating to your hobby too. There is even a charity shop near me which sells food. Anyone who can do 3 packs of chocolate digestives for £1 is alright in my book!! They also sell lots of tinned goods, and I get really nice spreadable butter there for just 80p per 500g tub!!
It's ethically sound, and green too. Send your old clothes, shoes, toys, household stuff etc to the charity shops and stop them from going into landfill! You can help the environment, a charity and your own pocket all in one go - how many chain stores can claim that??
Finally, it's a very social hobby to have. Charity shops tend to be staffed by volunteers who are very friendly and always ready for a chat.
I hope, if you have read this far, you will consider looking into your local charity shop next time you pass. Go on, you might just enjoy yourself!!
It's CHARITY shopping. Whatever you spend is going to help a good cause. Action Cancer, African Children's Missions, Age Concern, Northern Ireland Hospice and Barnardos all benefit regularly from my shopping trips. Where would you rather your hard-earned cash went - to them or to line the pockets of another faceless multi-national??
But what if you like the clothes those faceless multi-nationals sell?? No problem - you'll find them in charity shops at a fraction of the price. My daughter wears Gap, Next, Pumpkin Patch, Rocha Little Rocha, Reebok and a whole load of other "brands" - all from charity shops. And I never see other children wearing the same as her because the clothes she's wearing are no longer in those shops - I like her being an individual.
This leads nicely into my next point. You find all sorts of little treasures that you just can't get anywhere else. I have a huge library of audio books that has mostly come from charity shops - a few came from car boot sales and eBay too. They are really cheap because they are on tape - I never pay more than £3 for a 2-tape story or over £5 for 4 or more. I also have some beautiful oven ware from the charity shops - I just can't find those lovely, deep casserole dishes anywhere else (You can see one in my previous post about dumplings!!) And you will never find the same thing twice, so every visit is just as interesting as the last.
Next, it's cheap. When times are hard (and that's a lot of the time these days!) you can cheer yourself up with a new pair of shoes for under £5, add on the extra feel-good factor of giving to a worthy cause AND it's guilt free!! It's great if you have a hobby. I have seen or bought wool, books, fabric, paints, beads and jewellery...no matter what your hobby you can do it on the cheap at the charity shops. Plus, you'll probably find books relating to your hobby too. There is even a charity shop near me which sells food. Anyone who can do 3 packs of chocolate digestives for £1 is alright in my book!! They also sell lots of tinned goods, and I get really nice spreadable butter there for just 80p per 500g tub!!
It's ethically sound, and green too. Send your old clothes, shoes, toys, household stuff etc to the charity shops and stop them from going into landfill! You can help the environment, a charity and your own pocket all in one go - how many chain stores can claim that??
Finally, it's a very social hobby to have. Charity shops tend to be staffed by volunteers who are very friendly and always ready for a chat.
I hope, if you have read this far, you will consider looking into your local charity shop next time you pass. Go on, you might just enjoy yourself!!
Saturday, 14 February 2009
Feeling good today
Friday the 13th, however, lived up to it's reputation. Poor Owen had toothache, and after spending the whole day in agony ringing round dentists, we had to got to the emergency dental service at the City Hospital in Belfast. Humph. Emergency tell you off for not seeing the dentist then give you some pills that don't work service would be a more accurate description. Not only that, it turns out he has an abscess, poor thing, and he'll just have to take the anti-biotics and painkillers until a dentist can see him.
The day did improve considerably when I went to bed. No, not like that, get your mind out of the gutter!! I took my laptop up with me, and a nice cup of tea. My best friend JD was online and we had a good old natter for the first time in ages. It was so good to catch up with him properly, between me not having access to instant messaging for a few months, and work, and babies, and being several thousand miles away... it had been too long since we got a chat.
So I am in a good mood today. I have been missing JD a lot recently, it's been 3 years since we last saw each other. I used to be able to jump on a train to Dublin and go and visit him for a day or a weekend, and I've missed that - I can hardly have a weekend break in Los Angeles!! But our long chat last night reminded me that with t'interweb, LA isn't that far away. We can still stay close, just not geographically for a while.
Also I have my new shoes on. New shoes always lift my mood. These are black work shoes, but they have a little heel - I have not worn heels since I found out I was pregnant over 2 years ago - and a nice round buckle and they make me feel...well, more like me, I feel nice today. Nice shoes, nice hair, makeup on...I'm feeling good today!!
The day did improve considerably when I went to bed. No, not like that, get your mind out of the gutter!! I took my laptop up with me, and a nice cup of tea. My best friend JD was online and we had a good old natter for the first time in ages. It was so good to catch up with him properly, between me not having access to instant messaging for a few months, and work, and babies, and being several thousand miles away... it had been too long since we got a chat.
So I am in a good mood today. I have been missing JD a lot recently, it's been 3 years since we last saw each other. I used to be able to jump on a train to Dublin and go and visit him for a day or a weekend, and I've missed that - I can hardly have a weekend break in Los Angeles!! But our long chat last night reminded me that with t'interweb, LA isn't that far away. We can still stay close, just not geographically for a while.
Also I have my new shoes on. New shoes always lift my mood. These are black work shoes, but they have a little heel - I have not worn heels since I found out I was pregnant over 2 years ago - and a nice round buckle and they make me feel...well, more like me, I feel nice today. Nice shoes, nice hair, makeup on...I'm feeling good today!!
Thursday, 12 February 2009
I went to the gym!
WooHoo!!!!
I finally made it into the gym yesterday after work - and I am not dying this morning!! It was a bit nerve racking as there were a few of our "regulars"up there, but I smiled and said hello, then put my headphones in so I didn't have to talk to anyone for a while!!
I did 5km cycle, then 5 mins on treadmill for a brisk walk - I intended to do 15 mins but I dropped my iPod and it flew off the back, so I scarpered red-faced into the other room. I had a chat with a colleage for a couple of mins then got on the cross trainer for 10 minutes. By the time I'd done that it was comeing close to home time, so I did a 5-min cooldown on the bike again then went for a much-appreciated hot shower. I talked to Andrea the fitness instructor this morning and she said I did well for my first time and to keep it up. I'm hoping to go again tomorrow afternoon after work.
I weighed myself today on the scary talking machine in work. Starting weight is 14st8lb - here's hopping it starts coming down soon!!
I finally made it into the gym yesterday after work - and I am not dying this morning!! It was a bit nerve racking as there were a few of our "regulars"up there, but I smiled and said hello, then put my headphones in so I didn't have to talk to anyone for a while!!
I did 5km cycle, then 5 mins on treadmill for a brisk walk - I intended to do 15 mins but I dropped my iPod and it flew off the back, so I scarpered red-faced into the other room. I had a chat with a colleage for a couple of mins then got on the cross trainer for 10 minutes. By the time I'd done that it was comeing close to home time, so I did a 5-min cooldown on the bike again then went for a much-appreciated hot shower. I talked to Andrea the fitness instructor this morning and she said I did well for my first time and to keep it up. I'm hoping to go again tomorrow afternoon after work.
I weighed myself today on the scary talking machine in work. Starting weight is 14st8lb - here's hopping it starts coming down soon!!
Sunday, 8 February 2009
Making Humous
Just a quicky while I have 5 mins peace and quiet. I made my own humous recently. I whizzed a can of chickpeas in the hand blender's bowl attachment with some lemon juice, some garlic and little olive oil. I use Greek olive oil - preferably from Crete if I can get it, it's the best I have ever tasted. I have a special bottle of Cretian oil I brought from Greece last September and NO-ONE is allowed to touch it, and it's NOT for ordinary cooking - it only gets used "raw" so the flavour doesn't get hidden.
Anyways, I digress. Whizz up your ingredients. Taste them, add a little more garlic or lemon if you need to. If you need to add a tiny bit more olive oil, then do so. But be careful, it can overpower the chickpeas. I add a little ordinary vegetable oil if the humous is too thick - it doesn't have any flavour, it just helps with the consistency.
For variety you could try stirring through a little pesto, or some smoked paprika. Humous is lovely on seedy ryvita or oatcakes. It's also a great healthy snack for little people. Grace loves her "dipdip". You can buy baby crackers that have vegetables in them and are salt free etc. so she can munch away to her hearts content - much better for her than dipping salt-coated ritz crackers!!
Saturday, 7 February 2009
Dumplings
As promised, here are pictures of my dumplings. First I softened a chopped onion in a little bit of oil, then chucked in the mince and browned it. Next I put in some Worcestershire sauce and a bit of dried parsley, and some stock (made from a stock cube and boiling water!!) When it had all simmered for a while I added some carrots and frozen peas, and thickened the gravy with some cornflour. I put the mince into a casserole dish. I made the dumplings according to the recipe on the side of the Atora suet box, rolled the mixture into balls and popped them on top of the mince. The whole lot went in the oven at 200 until the dumplings looked ready.
See?? They look done to me LoL I served them with some boiled potatoes. Grace enjoyed her share - and then came and sat on my knee and ate my share too!!
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