Month: March 2012

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Wheatmeal Pastry

In preparation for dinner tonight I’ve made a ball of wheatmeal pastry from one of my favourite modern day wartime cookbooks “Feeding the Nation” and now I have to decide what to actually make with it… I just know I had a craving for pastry and I do have some left over “Lentil & Legume Gravy” so I may well make some potato pasties and fill them with a little of the leftover gravy.

Wheatmeal Pastry

  • 8 oz (225 g) of plain wheatmeal flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 oz- 30z (50-75 g) of cooking fat, margarine or dripping (I used 50/50 vegan margarine and shortening)
  • water

Method

  1. Blend the flour with the salt and the baking powder
  2. Chop up the fat into small pieces and rub into the flour until well distributed
  3. Add enough water to make a rolling consistency although a little softer than you would normally make with white flour
  4. Roll out and use.
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Over 1/2 million views

Over 1/2 million views (508,000 to date) …How the hell did that happen without me noticing!

I guess it proves there is a real interest in food during WWII and rationing…

Thanks to all who show an interest in the “1940s Experiment”…

C xxx

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Death to PLATEAU- Day 3

Yesterday my diet was practically fat free… my body craved it today. It is always a good idea to listen to your body ONCE you have been pretty much MSG/Laboratory food free for several weeks..it normally tells you what you need. So today 3 of my 4 meals have contained organic, chemical free Earth Balance vegan margarine (I use that for my butter and margarine allowance) and I’ve had some oils in my raw sunflower seeds..

Lunch was a bit of a disaster, I was extremely busy in the garden and needed something to grab. I opened a can of peaches and shared them between the girls and I… gulp! That would have been around 24 points during WWII !

Lentils and split peas were commonly used during WWII so I used some red lentils (1/2 cup) and 3 cups of legumes and made a thick gravy to accompany my carrot and potato mash (skins left on of course)

Finally I have supper to look forward to- I am now wanting something sweet so I anticipate having a couple of eggless pancakes slathered with strawberry jam tonight especially as I seem to have burned up a lot of calories in the garden today… woo hoo!

PLATEAU- Death is near!!!

Breakfast (500 cals)

2 slices toast with butter and marmite
1 tablespoon of sunflower seeds

Lunch (300 cals)

1/3 can peaches
2 handfuls of raisins

Dinner (1000 cals)

Carrot & Potato Mash (huge portion)
Thick Lentil & Legume Gravy (huge portion)

Supper (500 cals)

Eggless pancakes with strawberry jam

Drinks (100 cals)

Water
Weak black tea
Almond milk x 2 cups

Exercise (- 1200 cals)

4 hours gardening and clearing

Food:         2400 cals

Exercise: -1200 cals

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Curried potatoes

When I found this old 1940s wartime recipe in a book I punched the air and went YESSSSSS!  I kind of wanted something that was like fast food but without the unhealthy bits and for anyone British, this was like the healthy version of “chips, curry sauce and mushy peas” and this was surprisingly good and there was no added fat in any shape or form! (although the original recipe calls for 1 oz of dripping to be dotted over the top while baking)

Curried Potatoes

  • 2lb washed potatoes in their skins
  • 1 dessertspoon of curry powder
  • 1 dessertspoon of medium oatmeal
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 oz dripping (optional)

Method

  1. Place potatoes in boiling water and parboil for about 10 minutes
  2. Mix curry powder, oatmeal and salt together
  3. Sliced or chunk parboiled potatoes into 1/2 inch pieces
  4. Ensure the surfaces of potato are moist before rolling in the curry powder mixture
  5. Place pieces on baking tray and dot with 1 oz dripping (optional)
  6. Cook in oven at 230 C for about 30 minutes until the outsides start to crisp
  7. Garnish with extra salt and vinegar for that chip shop taste
  8. Serve with fresh peas

 

 

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Death to PLATEAU- Day 2

All I seem to have done all day is eat food! Not that I am complaining because I LOVE my food! Here was todays menu..

Breakfast (350 cals)

  • Organic oatmeal (porridge) 1/2 dry cup cooked in water
  • 1 tablespoon of flax seed mixed in
  • 1 apple

Lunch (700 cals)

  • 1 whole head of romaine lettuce
  • leftover brown rice and asparagus from yesterday
  • small tomatoes
  • 1 cup of black beans

Snack (150 cals)

  • 10 raw sugar snap peas
  • small handful raisins

Dinner (500 cals)

  • Curried potatoes and peas (recipe coming later!)

Drinks (50 cals)

  • 3 weak teas (black)
  • 1 cup of almond milk
  • water

Exercise (-250 cals)

  • 30 minutes walking
  • 15 minutes kick boxing work-out

FOOD 1750 cals
EXERCISE -250 cals

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Hungry for Change

I did a post on my other blog today and if you are passionate about food and becoming healthy and happy you may enjoy watching the documentary Hungry for Change which is now FREE online until March 31

The fog does indeed lift when you eradicate the laboratory food..

CLICK HERE TO READ AND FOR LINK TO MOVIE

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Death to PLATEAU- Day 1

To kick PLATEAU firmly in the “nuggets”  (thanks Marina, you are awesome!) I’ve decided to do a seven day food and exercise diary.

Breakfast  (300 cals)

1/2 cup of dry organic porridge (oatmeal) cooked in water + teaspoon of sugar+ 2 strawberries
1 apple

Lunch (700 cals)

1 large new potato baked with 1/2 teaspoon of vegan margarine
1 whole head of romaine lettuce
1 cup of haricot beans
A few small tomatoes
Small pinch of sea salt

Snack (25 cals)

1 raw carrot

Dinner (525 cals)

1/2 dry cup of brown rice cooked in water with 1 teaspoon marmite and a couple of sliced mushrooms
1/2 bunch of asparagus lightly cooked
small pinch sea salt

Drinks (50 cals)

Several cups of water
3 cups of weak black tea
Cup of almond milk

Exercise (calories burned 500)

60 minutes walking (I walked 3 miles in 60 minutes)
15 minutes kick boxing workout

DAILY CALS:       1600 cals
CALS BURNED:  500

Hmmmmm- that doesn’t seem enough calories to me… what do you think?

Tomorrow morning I’ll be up bright and early to make a 1940s recipe so I have something substantial and yummy to come home to..
C xxxxxx
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PLATEAU

Although I don't look like this in any shape or form when I kick box there is always hope....!!!

I’ve been quiet, I’ve been struggling in my mind coping with that feared word spoken-in-hushed-tones among those of us desperate to lose our extra weight..

For three weeks I’ve PLATEAUED.

How I detest that word, standing there in front of me with a smirk on his face and hands on his hips. I hate the word PLATEAU so much that I’ve started  “kick-boxing” at home using a video on Netflix and every venom filled punch and kick is aimed at PLATEAU’s sizeable scrotum. Oh yes… it has become a battle of wills and I am willing to fight to the death to annihilate my mortal enemy.

PLATEAU has known me for over 20 years and he always visits me, just when everything is going great.  He destroys my self confidence, he taunts me from the fridge, he tries to convince me the journey is too long and too difficult, he tells me I am weak and ugly. BUT you know what PLATEAU, I used to be very, very strong. There was a time when as soon as you appeared I would crush you… and I am learning to do that again.

It’s my lunch break now and guess what?  I’m out for a brisk walk in the sunshine followed by another healthy, vitamin filled lunch. You can keep your negativity, and you’re sabotaging ways and go take your own very long hike..

I CAN and I WILL become who I was again and you are NOT going to stop me.

C xxxxxx
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A floppy belly day..

I felt I had to do a shout out to my Facebook friends who were very supportive when I had a sad moment this afternoon. I also talk a little about having “floppy parts” after being a very big person and losing weight..

I am down almost 100 lbs from my largest weight 5 or 6 years ago and have reduced from 299lbs to 248lbs in the last 5 months. Unfortunately, so far, I seem to have lost little from my lower abdomen which is just quite a freakish floppy mess. It makes me upset and I sooo want to see this disappear eventually…

I’ve posted the post and responses below in the comments section as I think the words spoken are very encouraging for anyone who reads them who is on their very own personal weight loss journey

C xxxxxxx

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Walking my ass off for cancer

“Team Lighthouse” will once again be walking their asses off to raise awareness and raise money for the Canadian Cancer Society at an annual event called “Relay of Life”. Our fearless leader, Laurenda Reeves, has been dedicated to this event for 8 years (I know she’ll hate me putting this but it’s my blog so there..!) and once again she has been recruiting her co-workers and we now have a team..

For me and my children, cancer has hit very close to home in this past year. I won’t be naming the person whose life has been turned upside down by this cruel disease BUT he does not deserve to have it. He is a good person…… Now he is a scared person, someone in pain and someone who has been told he will die and he is too young to die. THAT is the reality and that is so very, very sad…

But there is ALWAYS hope…

Losing weight and now being able to walk again is enabling me to be part of the “Lighthouse Team” for the very first time and I dedicate my participation in the “Relay for Life” to him and his disease. Our team will walk for 12 hours during the night, in a continuous relay, to raise awareness of cancer and to remember those taken by cancer and celebrate the survivors of cancer. In return we will, I’m sure, come away truly inspired by the stories of courage & survival..

Please support me “walking my ass off for cancer” by donating just a dollar (or more)….. CLICK HERE

Thank you  xxxxxxxxx C