Sunday 23rd January 2011

Breakfast was a bowel of Cheerios, really need to buy some cereal, Cheerios nice but dull!

We usually eat our Sunday main meal in the evening but DS had a party in Hemel Hempstead at 4:30 pm so ate at lunchtime for a change. Had a very tasty joint of gammon cooked in Cherry coke, a la Nigella, yummy, with baby cubed roast potatoes, sugar snap peas and sweet corn.

Ham in Cherry Cola2kg mild cure gammon
6 cans cherry Coke (never sue diet)

1 onion

Bring to boil and then simmer for 3 hours

Whilst DS was at party I camped out at Café Nero’s and had a can of lemonade and a slice of Chocolate cake… very bad but great!

Because of naughty snack did not feel like planned spinach and cheese omelette so had a toasted cinnamon and raison bagel and a glass of red wine…

Nature Notes

Thought I would add some nature notes to my blog.

So today’s observations, Snow Drops in flower in garden, first glimpse that spring is not that far away, also light appearing in sky more each day and when you have to drive your DS to the school bus in the dark at 7:05 am each day in the dark, the hint of sun is a great sign!

image from http://www.tipperary.com/gallery/g_58.html

Also today I have seen a Black Cap hopping about the garden, have seen before but not since last year, welcome little visitor…

image from http://animal.discovery.com/guides/wild-birds/a-c/black-capped-chickadee.html



Saturday 22nd January, more time to cook!

Breakfast was Cheerios and a cup of coffee before working out at gym, returned to another coffee and half a cinnamon and raisin bagel. Lunch, Prawn and Pea Risotto adapted from Nigel Slater’s Real Fast Food. For diner I made Delia Smith’s Beef Dopiaza, from How to Cook book two, with rice and sugar snap peas. In conclusion, too much rice for one day but DH & DS did not even comment so must have gone down well, only a little beef left now vacuum packed and in freezer!!

Friday 21st January meals - quite dull!

Friday breakfast, coffee and a muesli cookie, eaten at 6:30 am whilst getting dressed. Lunch, at work eaten at speed between classes, seeded roll with Salmon and Shrimp Paste and several little gem lettuce leaves and a banana! Evening meal was a lazy option of oven cooked scampi and chips with sweet corn…not the best food day!!

Today's menu and the oven timer experiment

I have to eat my breakfast at 6:30 am on week days along with my cup of coffee (necessary to get me on my way) , then get dressed and out of the house with my 12 year old son, DS, by 7:05 am for drive to Cockfosters, where DS gets on his school bus.

I have tried various things for breakfast, cereal is bit too much so early and takes too long to eat. Tried those breakfast biscuits advertised on TV but they are a bit dull so I have now cooked my own version which are really nice, if I say so my self, and the rest of the household seem to also enjoy!! Basically they are a sort of chewy flapjack cooky with seeds and dried fruit, will add recipe when refined a bit, too much sugar and fat at present, needs work!

Thursday is an “at home” day ( I work part time) and for lunch I had Leek and Potato Soup (out of freezer, made over xmas hols) with toasted seeded roll topped with melted cheese and a banana.

For diner we are going to have Cottage Pie, I made this afternoon, it sitting in the oven waiting for timer to work! I have to go and fetch DS from Cockfosters, leaving home around 6:10 pm, returning around 6:40pm, on days I am at work need to be able to get meal on so it is ready to eat when we ALL get back, so today’s experiment is to see if oven timer will work and actually turn on and cook diner, at least if I try this now I can step in and override!!

Starting out on my blogging journey

So this is it, my first proper venture into blogging.

The first thing is, you may ask is why? Well mostly as a distraction, this is me avoiding having to write up my research for M.B.A. dissertation, but then again I am hoping that by doing some tittle tattle writing I might get into the "mood" for proper formal educational writing, not working so far….My dissertation has to be printed, bound and at QMU by 29^th April 2011, so reminder me if I am slacking.

The Other reason is to improve my diet and fitness, the theory being if you record and share what you eat you will lose weight…lets see.

Ok now typed up lets see if I can post my ramblings…..