Self pity can seriously damage your health....

I have Shin Splints, which is a broad term for lower leg tendonitis (where the muscle comes away from the bone) and I am currently incapacitated. I cannot walk, let alone run. I did a 13.5k run on Monday, then a 5k on Weds and that's when it hit. I went to A&E on Thurs, as I was worried about a sprain or tear. The doctor diagnosed Shin Splints, and to rest, with no exersise, until I am completely pain free, which will be 4-6 weeks. Then when I am pain free, to work up my exersise gradually, about 10% per week.

Goodbye Half Marathon on Oct 9th. I have been so down and sad because of this, but also as I was just starting to see minor changes in my calfs and thighs, due to the running sculpting my muscles. I've been resting, limping and self pitying for the last couple of days.

Last night, I was agitated and fidgety, and couldn't settle as I was worrying about my leg and how long it will take to heal. Therefore I didn't get a good sleep. This morning, I woke up with a stye in my left eye and a swollen sore throat. I can only think my current state of mind has not helped with my immunity and I need to buck my ideas up, pick myself up off the floor and get on with it.

So, after a healthy juice of carrot, ginger, lemon and celery, I had a couple of pancakes with lemon and agave, finished off with a cup of Teapigs "popcorn tea" (Green tea with toasted rice in it).

Today I will start to strengthen my muscles by gentle "proper" walking around the house (trying not to limp) and slow ankle rotations and stretches. I have broken the habit of a lifetime, and not replaced the batteries in my scales, so I don't know how much I weigh, or how much I will put on through no exersise, but I don't care!!!

Today, I will turn a new leaf. No self pity or worrying about things I cannot control. Gentle, non-damaging stretching for my leg and looking forward to when I am out training again, rather than being down about being sofa-bound.

My recipe for Raw Carrot Cake

I was ploughing through online recipes for raw carrot cake, and couldn't find anything that sounded easy, tasty, or "right", so I thought I'd just get on and do it!! After all, the beauty of raw food is you can taste it as you go, without the "cooking" process altering the flavour.

For the base...

1kg carrots, juiced. Use the pulp.

150g walnuts

100g sultanas

100g dates

3 Tbsp dessicated coconut

1 Tbsp melted coconut oil

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp all spice
1 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp cinnamon
1...In separate bowls, soak the walnuts, sultanas, and dates in clean water for an hour. Drain and rinse.
2...Put the carrot pulp into a large bowl. Using a mini chopper or a blender, pulse the walnuts until ground. Add to carrots
3...Blend the dates and sultanas, with the coconut oil, to a paste. Add to the carrots and walnuts.
4...Add the coconut and spices and mix well. Use your hands to get it really well mixed.
5...Spread the mixture out in a dish measuring approx 20cm x 20cm x 7cm, pressing down well to compact the base in, levelling as you go.

For the topping

300g raw cashews

2 tsp vanilla extract

juice of 1 lemon

3 Tbsp agave nectar

1 Tbsp melted coconut oil

little water

1...Soak the cashews in clean cold water for 1 hour, drain and rinse.
2...Put all ingredients in a blender and pulse to a "creamy" consistency, adding a little water if needed.

To assemble and serve the cake
1...spoon the topping over the base, level off and refrigerate for 2 hours. I topped mine with a few crushed walnuts and the zest of an orange.
2...Cut into 20 pieces and serve.

My family's verdict, was as follows....
Lucas took a huge bite and promtly spat it out. My husband gingerly nibbled at it and said the flavour is nice, but it's a bit wet for me. Noah had his slice, finished off Lucas', and asked for another one.

Oh well, you can't win 'em all!

Back in the UK with a bump

We had a lovely 10 days in Greece. My husband's family are from Greece and my in-laws live there for part of the year, so we stayed with them. The Greeks are well renouned for their healthy appetites, in particular, their love of meat! I decided to bite the bullet and live, eat and drink like a Greek.........so it was red meat, fish, pasta, cheese, salami, wine, beer, sugar, honey, fried foods etc all holiday for me. The only thing I managed to stick with, was black decaff coffee, as I truely do hate the taste of milk, and fruit for breakfast. Portion sizes were a problem too, as everyone seems to eat 3 HUGE meals a day, but I'm more of a 'grazer', which meant frequent trips to the fridge for me, which made me look like a greedy cow!

First Bootcamp for 2 weeks last night, and BOY! was it tough! it's only week two of the current block, so I should of been able to handle it. Burpees, resistance band exersises, bear crawls, skipping ropes, line jumps, prison get-ups and press ups.

Today, I don't feel great. My whole body's aching and I have headache and a fluffy tongue. I don't know if it's a bug, or aches from the exersising or from suddenly switching to a detox after my holiday. Or all 3!!!??

Anyway, I'm willing myself to stay positive and trying to do fun family activities with the boys, so I don't load my body with the bad toxins that arise from stress and unhappiness. I'm sticking to a juice and plant based diet, and exersising when I can, so hopefully it's just a blip and I'll be back, fighting fit in no time.

Thinking outside the box and appreciating what my mentor has given me

I said I'd do a blog concerning family meals, making them healthier and keeping them low cost. I won't go into recipes and what-nots, just try to give you a little food for thought and encourage you to expand your culinary skills beyond chicken and potatoes.

Since I've got to know Charlie Wall, of Cambridge Bootcamps, she's always been inspiring and supportive. She gives me nutritional advice, mental strength and the confidence to change myself for the better. I now automatically think of my food in terms of vitamins & minerals, how it will benefit my body, the quality of my food and also to use my imagination and not be held back by traditional views and menus.

So, we all know that good quality fruits and vegetables cost a lot of money. Well, yes they do, but if you are putting quality food into your body, you're less likely to feel hunger between meals, thus saving on chocolate/crisps/fizzy drinks etc. Also if you are getting the correct amount of minerals into your diet, you will find you don't have as many cravings for chocolate, or wine etc. I found a quote not so long ago, that says something along the lines of  “So many people spend their health gaining wealth, and then have to spend their wealth to regain their health.” There are many versions of this saying, but it really is true and has inspired me daily to make the right choices for myself.

With regards to specific foods, like legumes, pulses, grains, beans and seeds, the world is your oyster. Just pick a bag of something from the wholefoods section of your supermarket and Google recipes when you get home. Tinned foods are good, like kidney beans for a quick chilli, or cannelini beans for a stew, and tinned chickpeas are great for a quick hummus. Dried beans require a little more planning, as they need a soak overnight and longer cooking time, but are cheaper and keep longer (in their dried form they keep for about a year!!) and lentils are brilliant, especially the yellow or orange ones which can go from bag to table in as little as 20mins.

I make Chilli con Carne with soya mince (dried, then rehydrated at home) and tinned kidney beans. Vegetable and adzuki bean lasagna (I whizz the cooked beans with a hand blender so they resemble meat).
Just think of a good family meal that stretches and that the leftovers can be taken to work the next day, and substitute the meat for something else. Buckwheat Bolognaise, Stuffed Peppers with Lentils, Lentil Soup, Mixed Bean Stew, Quinoa salad, Brown Rice Risotto.

Some of my favourite foods are Chicken Nuggets (made from chicken breast, coated in seasoned polenta then baked), Adzuki Bean and Quinoa Croquettes (whizz beans and quinoa, bind with an egg, roll into croquettes and coat in breadcrumbs, then bake), Home Made Baked Beans (made with tinned haricot beans).......the list goes on!!

The only limits to your family meals, is your imagination and your thoughts on "what makes a meal?" There is more to a meal than meat, as I've found out, and I hope this has encouraged you to blend a little more "wholefood" into your diet.

4 nights in Scotland for my cousin's wedding

I had a fabulous time in Scotland. My cousins are brilliant, my Aunt and Uncle are so hospitable and made us right at home and it was a lovely break for me and John

We arrived late on Weds, went to bed, then went into Stirling to pick up our kilts, which after a little confusion over the sizing, turned out good in the end. We went shopping for a bit and had lunch at McDonalds. (sorry!!!)

Friday was the wedding, it was beautiful. It was in Albert Halls in Stirling. Helen and my other cousins looked amazing, and after the service, the Bride and Groom went up to Stirling Castle for some photos while the guests drank champagne and ate canapes in the sunshine. Then we had the meal, and that was so good!!! Just perfect. Then it was the party, where it was just a good old knees up and let your hair down night. Blow up guitars for the air guitar tunes, like 'Sweet child o' mine' and 'Summer of 69', and glow sticks for dance tracks and upbeat stuff. There was a chocolate fountain with marshmallows and strawberries, a selection of cheeses, and hot stovies, which was yummy. We had such a good time. Saturday was our trip to Stirling Castle, and that was so educational and humbling. Sunday we came home.

It was so nice to see my family and catch up with everybody and I miss my cousins already.

Now, only 10 days til our holiday to Greece to see Johns family.

I recieved an email from my sister asking for dietary help

This morning, my sister (25yr old) emailed me to ask for some dietary help. She asked if I could give her any ideas on "what are some good low calorie/low carb alternatives for potatoes and pasta etc?"

Well, of course this is a simple one for me, as I research nutrition everyday, surround myself with like-minded foodies and I have some of the best Personal Trainers at my fingertips if I ever need help on nutritional needs. But it got me thinking, I am probably in the minority of people who are interested in this way about the food on our plates, and our kids plates.

When I grew up, 'meat and two veg' was a staple diet for us, pasta was a 'foreign' food, rice was something you eat with curry and everything was cooked in lard. What I have learned about nutrients and superfoods, I have had to research and find the information for myself. It's not usually taught from your parents in this way. Therefore, my sister is really at the same disadvantage as I was when I was piling rubbish onto my plate, getting overweight and unhealthy, and going on silly faddy diets that were boring, hard to maintain and just didn't work as a lifestyle change.

So, I wrote her a reply, rather longer than I had originally intended, and probably gave her more than she bargained for, but it really is something I feel passionate about. Why are we brainwashed into thinking of everything in 'calories'. Why on earth is is best for our children to drink milk from a cow? Who thought of the phrase '5 a day', when some recent research suggests you need at least 20 a day to get your daily nutrients? Why are the majority of people on a MAD diet (Meat and Dairy) when it costs so much more to raise livestock for slaughter, than to grow a field of plant based foods? So many questions, and more, I first asked myself when I embarked on my Cambridge Bootcamp Journey, and had to find the answers for myself.

Well, I gave her a long list of foods, including quinoa, pearl barley, buckwheat, corn or rice pasta, brown rice, and buckwheat spaghetti as 'carb replacements'. But I also tried to get over to her that a meal doesn't have to consist of 'carb-meat-veg' to be a satisfying meal. I suggested lentils, beans, pulses, made into salads or spreads. I suggested using sweet potatoes, parsnips, carrots, squash and pumpkin in the same way as potato for a subtle potato replacement. I also told her to Google vegan, vegetarian and specialist diets for ideas on how to change her way of thinking about how her meals are constructed.

I hope I helped and didn't drown her with information. Tonight, I have concluded to myself that at least my children have the benefit of a knowledgable mum who makes them try different foods and ideas. I hope they can pass it on to their friend's mums aswell, when they go for dinner at their houses!!

Realising the effects of external forces and learning how to deal with them

I was doing so well at my challenge to find my abs. Exersising, running, clean eating, until today.
I had an unpleasant experience yesterday that brought back memories / parallels from my childhood / life experiences and it all went wrong for me today.

I planned to go for a run after the school run, but came home to go to bed instead as I was so drained from churning it over in my head, but not before eating a packet of crisps and a few spoonfulls of chocolate spread out of the jar.

When I woke up to colect the kids, I was still feeling rotten but tried to keep on track. Ate an apple and some grapes, but then had a bread roll :o( My gut is NOT going to thank me tonight!
Charlie Wall then talked me into going to bootcamp tonight as I phoned her to tell her I wasn't in the right frame of mind to attend and explained what had happened yesterday to trigger this all off and she talked me into going after all.

I actually really loved it and am so glad I spoke to her. She's always got great advice to give. Got home and I feel back on track again and more positive about yesterday and trying to look at it from a different angle.
I really have to try and focus on not letting external forces that are completely out of my control, affect everything that should be under my control, ie. diet, exersise and my mental health. I really did embark on a long and difficult journey when I signed up to Cambridge Bootcamps, physically, but more importantly, mentally too.

Letting things slip, then I'm inspired with a new enthusiasm

Lately, I've been sliding into old habits with regards to food unfortunately, and it's starting to show in my measurements and my clothes again :o(
It starts with an odd bit of bread as a snack as I "didn't fancy an apple" or eating wheat pasta because I "couldn't be botheres to find to good stuff" or even just not pushing forward with my running as "I've got pleanty of time til the half marathon".

Well, procrastination and lazy habits have seen my jeans become tighter and my waist a bit chubbier. Must get inspiration, and lo and behold, Charlie Wall comes up with a new exciting challenge. It's as if she knew!!

8 weeks until the Cambridge Bootcamps Blow Out Ball, at a posh hotel, and posh dresses are a must!. So here we have the ABs OFF Challenge, where I have taken measurements (?) and pictures of my flabby torso, and in 8 weeks time, I should have a smiling belly button, looser jeans and a bit more longevity in my running, ready for the half marathon in October.

I've already pushed my run to the nearly 7km mark, which was amazing for me, as the furthest I could ever run, at a push, was 5km. Clean food was bought yesterday, measurements and photos loaded onto the support site, and I have really got a new energetic, optimistic and passionate feeling about this challenge.

The great mood debate.....

So I've been in a REALLY great mood for about 2 weeks now, constantly, non stop, silly tummy tingling happy mood. It's such a strange sensation for me. I'm used to the ODD happy day, only to fall down to the ground the next day with a massive bump and then carry on feeling my usual nonchalant self (if I'm lucky) for a couple of weeks waiting for my next happy fix.

I've just this morning learned how to run 5.2km with relative ease. Courtesy of one of the brilliant trainers at Cambridge Bootcamps. "Engage that core and be chest proud". Today was the first time I'd actually done it and running was great!!! I've got the Race For Life on Sunday, which is 5km, and I was a little nervous before this morning, but now I'm not so worried.

All in all, life is good. I'm exercising every day, taking my supplements and prescription tablets properly, attending work when I need to, doing constructive things around the house, walking down the street with a smile, and setting a good example to my children. I still can't get around the mindset that something bad is lurking around the corner, but I'm trying to teach myself that life can be good without consequence.
Can't it?

Famous for 5 minutes...

Here's the link to the Cambridge Evening News article I did yesterday :o)
http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Home/Video-Thousands-of-tiny-toads-killed-on-the-guided-busway-27062011.htm

The Frog Lady!!!

I've spent the weekend over by the lake and the newly laid busway, rescuing baby toads. They apparantly are migrating to the lake from a local pond, but their migration route has been cut off by the (Mis-)Guided Busway. So there are thousands of tiny toads dropping over the kerb to the busway and getting stranded in the middle of it. My friend thought it would be a good idea to contact the local news, so that's what we've been doing. A web-cast video interview and photographs in the local paper to be published tomorrow! Aaaarrgh!!
A parting comment from the photographer suggested that we will be forever known as "The Frog Ladies", and not "Conservation Activists"!!! Oh well, at least the issue has been addressed.

I feel strangely positive today, maybe something to do with sucessfully publicising the toad plight, but I have loved my life today. After my interview, I went for a pub lunch in Horningsea, then had a little nap, then picked the kids up and went to Bootcamp where the workout was hard due to the heat, but strangely invigorating!

For dinner, I had some leftover rice and onion from our veggie burgers yesterday, so I costructed a kind of sushi plate from the rice, onion and home made vegan pesto, wrapped in a nori seaweed sheet and a raw cabbage leaf. It was SO good.

For tomorrow, I have my youngest with me all day, so after dropping Noah off at school, Lucas and I will be doing my favourite thing - Food Shopping. (seriously, I really love food shopping. I live from Tuesday to Tuesday!) Before that though, we'll maybe take a stroll with Bruno to the lake where he can cool off, and we'll check on the baby toads. Hopefull the newspaper will be waiting for me when we get back! Exciting!!

Another busy day off & another cookery fail.

Fridays I have off work as Lucas' preschool isn't open on Fridays. So we took Noah to school, walked the dog, got home and had to go to Histon Post Office to get Noah's passport sent off. (renewal). £55.17 poorer, we went past lovely independant toy store on the way back to the car park, on the high street that I knew nothing about so we took a detour. Well, it was lovely. Real oldie-woldy stuff. Had a good browse and settled on a lovely 'decorate-yourself' jewellery box for Lucas' friend Poppy's 4th birthday present. Came out of the shop and noticed a farmers market on at the church, so detoured into there. Wasn't much in there, a few hand made blankets, veg and loads of jams etc, but it was nice to just wander.

Got in, had a cuppa then walked Lucas off round the corner to Poppy's birthday party. So, I thought - some time to myself........wishfull thinking. I cleaned the kitched top to bottom. John gets in and he's got my Amazon book with him. READING MATERIAL YAY!!! it's my new vegan cookbook.

So, tonight I tried my first recipe, sun-dried tomato gnocchi with basil pesto. Hmmmm. No almonds, brazils or any kind of nuts in the cupboards, so bang goes the pesto. And the gnocchi?....if you can imagine a coagulated mess of reddish gunge floating around a pan of boiling water, well that was my gnocchi. So I made another batch and baked them for half an hour. The result? Not bad, I served them with some raw basil pomodoro sauce and sprinkled them with my 'mockisan'. Quite tasty, although definitely not 'dinner party' food!

And tonight? Well, it's Friday night, so John's working. I usually let the boys stay up late with me on Friday nights, if they're good, and we watch telly and eat popcorn until they give in to sleepyness and I have to carry them up to bed!

Off now to read more of my new cookbook for some inspiration. There might be cake tomorrow.....

Three Bean Chilli

400g tin mixed beans, drained + rinsed (I used cannellini, flageolet & adzuki)
400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large carrot, finely diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 red chilli, sliced
Veg stock cube
salt to taste
2 Tbsp agave syrup
2tsp ground cumin
2tsp ground coriander
1...put all ingredients in a large pan and bring to the boil
2...simmer for 45mins.

Fitting it all in?

Since going back to work, I've had trouble doing everything I used to AND getting to work on time and not spending the time I'm there, worrying about the things I haven't done at home.
Work's going great, I've settled back into the routines, remembered most of the kid's names and I haven't had any anxiety or panic attacks either, which is a massive improvement.

Still running when I can, and still attending Bootcamp, and still eating sensibly, but it's all a struggle juggling it and fitting other stuff in, like housework, washing, kid's playtime and husband time. But, I have been doing a lot of extra shifts, so once my patterns return to normal, I suppose I'll get time to do it all.

I managed a 4.5km run today in between getting home from work and going to pick the kids up, so that's good, although my time was rubbish, as I don't have the time to properly hydrate at work, so this needs to be addressed if I am to continue juggling!!

Fathers Day, keeping busy and Kylie!!

John had to work today, so went out at 5:30am and returned just after 9am. I went for a run with the dog and the kids (on their bikes) and I've now managed to measure exactly 1.5km around the perimeter of my estate, so I can now increase the laps and keep track of distance easier.
When we got back in, John was due home for a break. We'd made him omlette (the boys did the eggs, cutting the ham and sprinkling the cheese), coffee and sliced carrot (Lucas decided that John needed a carrot with his breakfast) He enjoyed it though, opened his cards and went back out. Didn't get back until 4pm!!!!

After a little nap (still really shattered and achey from yesterday's SHRED), we went round my Dads and played with his dog, and then round my other Dads house (really long story, even my shrink has to refer to very long written notes)and had drinks and biscuits. He even gave me money for a haircut (yeah, subtle eh? ;p) as he said I could do with one!!!!

So, back home, ordered a chinese and we all sat around the table eating dinner, then kids bath and bed. Nothing on TV tonight, but stumbled across Kylie's Aphrodite 2011 tour on Sky1. My GOODNESS she's hot!!!
Must get down and dirty with those kettlebells. Must get butt like Kylie!! Lol!!!

Totally SHREDDED!!!!

We were up at 6am today, to get to my Bootcamp Sat. Shred Session. (John's working, so I took the boys with me) There were kettlebells, ropes, chin ups, press ups, running laps and all sorts of other stuff, done into a cross-fit style session, and AMRAP (as many rounds as possible) in 30 mins. I managed 3. Much harder than a usual bootie session, but oh so good! The boys even joined in with some of the workouts. Noah said to me at one point "I like exersising with you mum" which made me grin as that's what I want for my kids - for them to grow up knowing that exersise is a part of everyday life and not a punishment for getting too fat.

I made the kids some "clean" pancakes when we got home, for being so good, and later we're off to Noah's schools Summer Fayer. Hope it doesn't rain TOO much!

The best laid schemes of mice and men......

.......go oft awry.....

I went to see my sister today and my new baby nephew to have another cuddle. What was supposed to be a half hour visit as we (Lucas and I) had lots to be doing, turned into about 2 1/2 hours. He's just so gorgeous, I couldn't put him down!!! I had a lovely chat with her about being a new mum, and how difficult it is, and of how it (the sleepless nights/exhausted feelings/sometimes regret/self doubt) does pass and it becomes just a memory!!! She openly admitted to me that she thought I was exaggerating when I struggled when the boys were young........now she takes her hat off to me as I had a newborn (Lucas) and a 16month old (Noah) to contend with back then. Ha Ha!!! She seems to have it sorted though and I'm sure with support, she'll cope just fine.

So, we got home and I set about getting Lucas busy. I gave him a scouring pad, bowl of soapy water and a t-towel. He then spent an hour scrubbing the dining table, soaking himself halfway through, but it was worth it as he did a great job and I got on with stripping the beds and knackering the dog out!! Managed to hoover the carpets upstairs and do 3 loads of washing........and that was it.......

I'm off to a "shred session" with the Bootcamp trainers tomorrow morning at 7:30am. It's going to be a cross-fit style session. I'm going to die!!!!!! Oh well, at least I'll have a valid excuse why I'm not mopping the floors or cleaning the bathrooms.........

Korma & Rice

Korma & Rice (serves 4-6 depending on how many veg types used)
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 red chilli, sliced
1 Tbsp oil
1 red pepper, diced
some brocolli florets
some cabbage, sliced
1 cup cooked chickpeas
1 cup cooked adzuki beans
2 tins coconut milk
4-6 tsp curry powder
1...saute the onion, garlic and chilli in the oil for 5 mins. Add the rest of the ingredients (veg, beans/peas, coconut milk, spices.
2...bring to the boil and simmer for 20 mins, stirring occasionally.
3...Taste before serving and add salt accordingly. Serve with rice.
Veg and beans can be varied or increased, depending on how many people you want to serve.

Working lots and planned 'millitary style' cleaning schedule

Been back at work this week, doing overtime (I am "bank staff" and only contracted to 4hrs per month). I'm actually enjoying it though and am looking forward to September when I can do even more hours (Lucas will be in full time school). Although a drawback of working more, is the housework building up.
So, today, Friday, it is my day off, but I have many things to do. Mostly cleaning, but some errands that my husband didn't have time to do as he has been looking after the children while I've been at work.
So, in conclusion, WORKING makes more WORK for yourself!!!!

Diet and exersise has been just surviving. I've managed 3 runs this week and been almost on track with my eating. Working in a nursery, we aren't allowed to bring/eat nuts or seeds whilst working, and considering I eat a lot of almonds and mixed seeds, this is leaving me a little hungry when I get in. Bootcamp was GREAT last night, lots of fun stuff, including tug 'o' war, sit up competition countdowns and press-ups. Came away energised and happy!

So, onwards with the cleaning. I'm going to get Lucas to scrub the dining table with a scouring pad and bowl of water, which he will love, (how do kids get so messy?) while I go upstairs to change the beds. Bruno will probably "help" me and this will tire him out, leaving me free to get on with the rest of the house while he sleeps it off.
Might get a lunch break??? (probably not though)

Bean Patties

Bean Patties - makes approx 10-12 patties

1 cup cooked, cooled adzuki beans

2 red onions, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 yellow pepper, chopped

100g sweetcorn (1/2 a small tin)

coconut oil

4 medium potatoes, cooked, mashed and cooled

2 dessertspoons spelt flour
1 tsp paprika
salt to taste
2 dessertspoons oil (rapeseed/olive/vegetable etc)
4 dessertspoons pine nuts
4 dessertspoons nutritional yeast

oil to fry the patties in

1...Heat a little oil in a pan and saute the onions, garlic and pepper until caramelised and golden.

2...Whizz the adzuki beans in a mini chopper and add to the onion mixture, along with the sweetcorn. Set aside.

3...Mix the flour, paprika, salt and 2 dessertspoons oil into the potatoes.

4...Mix the onion/bean mixture into the potato mixture.

5...Whiz the pine nuts, yeast and a little salt in a mini chopper. Spread out on a plate. (This will be the crispy pattie coating)

6...Mould the patties with your hands, using approx 1 1/2 to 2 dessertspoons of the mixture for each one. Coat in the pine nut mixture.

7...Heat about 1/2cm oil in a shallow pan and cook the patties in batches, waiting until the bottom side is dark brown and crisped before turning them over. Drain on kitchen paper.

The patties are crispy on the outside and creamy soft in the middle. Serve in a pitta or bun, with lettuce, tomato and tofu mayonnaise.

An irritating woman, a new love in my life and disaster in the kitchen

Today I wasn't able to go for a run as I started work at 10am, so once I'd done the school run and walked the dog, I had to leave for work. Well, that started me off in a bad mood, topped with the fact that I had to work with a bossy ignorant woman who, for the last couple of shifts has been on my case. Well, today I blew. Bearing in mind, I work in a children's nursery, this was not good.
Lesson learned? Maybe I need my morning run? Maybe the cow deserved it? Maybe I was just snappy through lack of sleep worrying about my sister since friday? Who knows?

After I finished work, I headed off to the hospital to see my sister and my new baby nephew. He arrived at 3:08am this morning, weighing 8lb 8oz, and after a difficult couple of days and a complicated labour, I think my sis was relieved to see me. I tell you, I've not felt anything like it before when I picked him up! (I probably did when I first held mine, but I really can't remember it that well) I instantly fell in love!!! He's absolutely beautiful and perfect in every way. I'm not ashamed to say, I cried.

So, once back at home, I cooked the kid's dinners and got ready for my Bootcamp class. The four of us went. John went for a 25min run and the kids played in the play area behind where I do my workout. Very sweaty. I think I need a headband. Not attractive at all, having beads of sweat dripping off the end of your nose!
So, got in and cooked my dinner. Well.......kind of destroyed my dinner. It was a kind of coconut milk/rice/ peanut butter concoction that burnt and stuck to the pan and split into a consistancy resembling vomit! That's still in the pan, in the kitchen awaiting it's fate as it looks so vile, I think I'll just dump the contents and the pan in the bin. My second attempt was far more sucessful, and the recipe (if you can call throwing stuff in a pan and crossing your fingers, a "recipe") is on my Facebook page if you feel the urge!

So, now to drink my chamomile and valerian tea and off to bed. Night all, I'm shattered.

Beanballs

Beanballs (makes approx 20)
1/2 cup adzuki beans, soaked for 8 hours & rinsed
large red onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, finely choppoed
1" ginger root, chopped
red chilli, sliced thinly
10 dried apricots, chopped
coconut oil
2 dessertspoons gram flour
1 dessertspoon tamari sauce
1 tsp turmeric
1...heat the oil in a pan and add onion, garlic, ginger and chilli. cook slowly until browned lightly. Stir in apricots and leave to cool
2...mash the adzuki beans with a fork and put into a large bowl
3...add to the mashed adzuki beans, the cooled onion mixture and the rest of the ingredients and mix well using your hands.
4...mould and squash the mixture into ping pong sized balls and put onto a baking tray lined with baking paper
5...bake for 30 mins gas 8.
..........................................
Can be served with spaghetti and sauce, or on their own in a finger buffet. Easily transportable so great worktime snacks too.

Rain and the waiting game

Rainy day all day, so decided against taking Bruno out on my run as he goes crazy mad in the wet, dashing about and being generally clumsy. So just me and the boys (on their bikes) up to histon and back. 5.3km in 33mins, which isn't brill, but it's not shabby. Anything to take my mind off the fact that my sister's been in the labour ward since Friday morning.
They've now broken her waters (2 weeks early due to too much fluid and risk of cord prolapse) as a last ditch attept to get her started after pessaries, creams, prods & pokes (nice) and drips. I'm so nervous for her and as there's nothing I can do, I've gone back to the old emotional eating habit (groan). Hopefully some better news in a few hours time, otherwise, it's C-section for her :o(.

I've been in touch with an ex-bootcamper to pair up with for my training for this half marathon I stupidly signed up for. (It's only because of waiting nervously for news, and there being no nibbles in the house, I started to 'surf' and came across this run) The reality's kicked in that I'll be running solid for around 2 1/2 hours #shock!!!

Today was supposed to be my fasting day, but that's gone to pot,
I've had a banana and rice milk smoothie, a pear, 3 handfulls of cashews, a tomato & pickle roll, 3 Haribo, LOADS of chewing gum and 2 handfulls of dried apricots. Hmmmm.......thought I'd finished with the comfort food thing months ago. Still, no point getting disappointed, It's not everyday my sister has a baby!!

Dinner tonight is spaghetti & "meat"balls in tomato sauce. I've not got a proper recipe for the balls, #winging it, so it may end up a mashed adzuki bean bolognaise if it's a disaster!

So, back to entertaining 2 boys on a wet day, ...and, ...just waiting.
xx

Personal best, multitasking and feasting

I started my day with a 3 in 1 task. Have a go at running 5km, walking the dog and giving the kids their long-awaited bike-ride. Pretty darn easy, really. I jogged with the dog down the guided busway up to Histon and back, telling the kids to bike behind me while telling me not to stop. Noah carried my backpack with my phone, tissues, plasters (mum-kit) and my water. Got home and did 10 full press-ups, followed by 10 one-legged press-ups, then mapped my route to find out how far I'd run......6.13km in 36min 30secs. I was jumping for joy!!!! My PERSONAL BEST in time and distance!!

Now the food diary..............
Green juice, followed by green tea with jasmine (mother in law gave me a Whittards box full 'cos father in law doesn't like it. WIN!! Was VERY hungry, so made a banana, oat, rice milk pancake drizzled with agave followed by a pear. And RELAX!!! (as far as you can with 4yr and 5yr old boys and a mad 'doodle!!.
Lunch was ham sandwiches for the kids (yes, my bad, I know) and a stirfry for me. Leftover brown rice, tofu, onion, chilli, yellow pepper and home made sweet chilli sauce, followed by an apple. Couple of hours later doing washing, breaking up fights, dog poo bagging and dishwasher duties and I'm hungry again. (my time of the month, so that might explain the ravenous appetite?) More green juice, pint of water, followed by grapes and mixed seeds. Dinner was stuffed tomatoes (quinoa, onions, chilli, ginger, tamari, dates) with roasted new potatoes sprinkled with my mock parmisan (whizzed up pine nuts, salt and nutritional yeast)....followed by a RAWR choc/goji berry bar. Will probably have a couple more pears and a handful of seeds later, followed by a lovely hot cup of chamomile tea before bed.

All in all, a lovely Saturday spent juggling house keeping, child entertaining, feasting and "me" minding. John's out taxi'ing and kids and I are sat watching Ice Age 2 with a bowl of salted popcorn.

Phew!!! What will tomorrow bring I wonder?
xx

New to blogging - my first post

Oooh so exciting. My first swim in the deep ocean of internet blogging.
I'll probably drivel on about day to day stuff, like the kids being a pain, or the dog wrecking the garden (what we have left) but I hope that I will get some kind of nugget of useful information down on here.
Recipes, weight loss, fitness, nutrition research, parenting, along with some sort of witterings about psychologists, GPs and counsellors trying to put me back together after a long bout of depression and a new revelation that I have OCD. (nice)
Very late on a Friday night and I'm sat on my laptop, on my own, batting away at my keyboard.
So, until tomorrow.....