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Leek and Potato Soup – Recipe No. 154

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This easy and delicious recipe was taken from the WW2 ‘High Teas and Suppers’ Ministry of Food Leaflet No.7. I’ve just eaten two bowls of this with a slice of bread and butter and thoroughly enjoyed every single mouthful.

Leek and Potato Soup

4 medium sized leeks
1/2 oz of fat or dripping
3 medium sized potatoes sliced
1-2 pints of vegetable stock
4 tablespoons of dried household milk
Chopped parsley
Salt and Pepper.

Method

Cut the leeks in half long ways and after washing chop finely.
Melt the fat in a saucepan and gently fry the leeks without browning, keeping the lid on.
Add the potatoes and 3/4’s of the stock and cook until the potatoes are tender.
Mix the powdered milk to a smooth paste with the remaining stock and add to the soup.
Bring to the boil and sprinkle with chopped parsley just before serving.

Serves 4
Calories per bowl 200 cals.

My modifications: I’ve made this soup several times and usually make it with the following modifications which I feel not only fits in better with my daily diet but also I found by making these modifications the soup turned out even more delicious. Using alternatives to dairy below make the recipe suitable for vegans.

Parsley: I just don’t like parsley. Instead I use a teaspoon of dried mixed herbs when cooking.
Milk: I use wholebean soy milk on a daily basis so used 1/2 vegetable stock and 1/2 soy milk for the liquids used in the recipe.
Fat: Dairy free margarine
Potatoes: I always mash the cooked potatoes up and add them in to the soup. Sometimes the mash is a mixture of potato and carrot. I find this thickens the soup.

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Readers Digest – 10 Thrifty Wartime Dishes

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Thank you to Karen Burns Booth and the Readers Digest for featuring my Lord Woolton Pie.

There are also 9 other great wartime recipes on the link below that you might like to check out!

http://www.readersdigest.co.uk/food-drink/food-lists/retro-recipes-10-thrifty-wartime-dishes

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Summer Breakfast Dish – Recipe No. 153

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My breakfast this morning came from WW2 Ministry of Food Leaflet No. 33.

As always, the recipe is simple, quick and frugal and pretty good for you!

Summer Breakfast Dish
4 oz of rolled oats, barley flakes or kernels
4 tablespoons of milk
1/2 to 3/4 grated apple
Sugar or golden syrup or honey to taste

Method
Soak the rolled oats, barley flakes or kernels overnight with barely enough water to cover.
In the morning beat up well with the other ingredients.

Editors Note: This dish makes enough for two people. I used my normal rolled oats, mixed all the ingredients together and warmed through and then sprinkled a little extra grated apple on the top.

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75 Marathons in 75 Days at 75 Years Old.

Ray Matthews on Saturday July 2, 2016 starts his 75 Marathons in 75 Days Challenge. Did I mention he is 75 years old? This phenomenal Ultra Runner only started running at 60 years old and he strives for a challenge that will take him to the edge. This World Record Challenge is to raise £75,000 for a soft playground for Newman School in Rotherham where some of the students have physical limitations. www.donateplayground.uk Find out more at www.rwrr.co.uk

I’m supporting Ray on this challenge because I think what he’s doing is not only a stand against ageism but incredibly inspiring plus the fact I’ve met him and he’s a really decent bloke!

Please consider sponsoring one of his Marathons for £100 if you are a business or donating a few quid if you are inspired by his efforts. Thank you xxxx

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PS: Once again I’ve been maxxed out with work, commuting and training at the gym during the week and park runs and long distance walking at weekend (plus any volunteer work I do) so do apologize for lack of recipes BUT I’m taking it down a notch today to find sometime to re-create some new wartime recipes and update my blog so please check back over the weekend.

PPS: I would really appreciate it if you could share this post on your Facebook wall or by e-mail, Twitter or any of the social media buttons I have listed below. Getting the word out about Rays challenge and fundraising efforts would be amazing.

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Perseverance, Endurance & Determination.

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It’s taken me about over 20 years to truly understand what it takes to accomplish a lofty goal. These things are perseverance, endurance and determination and you have to have all three of them…

For the past six months I’ve been studying people who achieve great feats in the hope of determining what makes these people stick with something and achieve their goal to succeed! The reason I’ve been doing this is partly in my own personal battle against obesity. I want to get into the minds of these people, understand where there mental stamina comes from, what sort of mindset do they have? I figure that losing a large amount of weight is possibly on a par with the achievements of endurance athletes, explorers, entrepreneurs, those that rehabilitate themselves from serious illness, those who overcome disability.

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Recently, through a friend at work I came to talk to a gentleman called ‘Ray Matthews’. Shauna explained about this incredible, humble gentleman who was going to try and raise £75,000 for the children at Newman School in Rotherham who desperately need a soft playground so they can play safely with their varying physical disabilities. I thought this admirable but when she then told me….. “He’s going to run 75 Marathons in 75 Days and he’s 75 years old…a new world record” I thought she was having a laugh. Could this even be possible? EVER?

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And then I spoke to Ray on the phone and he started to tell me his story. Immediately I went and bought his two books, the KINDLE editions so I could read about how someone gets to achieve great feats on endurance (and believe me he has..). I volunteered to help out a little by doing some updates on social media and just passing the word around because I figured that PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THIS and of course I wanted to see him raise that money for the school.

BTW the fundraising page is at www.donateplayground.uk if you wanted to throw a few pounds his way for the school.

And I’m asking a big favour from all of you. We need to let people know about this, let the press know and the newspapers, let everyone know that there are great world record breaking athletes out there doing these amazing things in a selfless way…

Think about it for a moment, 75 Marathons in 75 Days and he’s 75 Years Old.

And then I met Ray

And he’s lovely, he’s humble, he’s inspiring and he tells a great story.

REMEMBER THIS NAME #raymatthews

HIS WEBSITE IS www.rwrr.co.uk

PLEASE SHARE! LET EVERYONE KNOW!

Thank you so much

C xxxxxx

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Be the tortoise not the hare…

After 20+ years of being obese, there is one lesson I’ve recently learned and accepted the fact that “it is OK to be the tortoise and not the hare…”

The key to long term success is perseverance and endurance and one is more likely to get to the end and finish if challenges are taken at a steady pace. It REALLY is OK to plod along and enjoy the scenery.

The last three weeks I’m kinda stuck in the low 250’s. Normally this would have previously been enough for me to throw my hands up in exasperation and head down to the shop on the corner to buy 2 giant bars of Cadbury’s Milk Chocolate and a large bag of chips. That’s not something I’ve done for 5 or 6 months now.

I’m accepting that the tortoise eventually gets to where it wants as it just keeps going…

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Image from Team Theos Mohican Runner – Check his website out here

And that is how I’m facing my latest challenge, my second Marathon. The Plusnet Yorkshire Marathon takes place on October 9th in the City of York. Two work colleagues and I will be running for my employer http://www.pmsdiecasting.co.uk to raise money for our chosen charity for 2016 which is the ‘Children’s Hospital Charity’. We’ll be running as part of ‘Team Theo’.

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Click here for ‘The Children’s Hospital Charity‘

Last year I walked a marathon for Cancer Research UK. I walked as fast as I could, lost two toenails, got runners trots so had to poop in a bush and came last (in 8 hrs 45 minutes) but was totally happy with that. I did something I never thought was possible for me as several months before the event I could barely walk 100 m without having to sit down because of back pain. Solution was to lose weight and keep walking…

This year, I have 7 hours to complete the Yorkshire Marathon so I have to lose more weight, train harder and even jog at times to make the time. I’m determined to do it (and hopefully not lose anymore toenails this time)

My training started today…

Will I come last again? Probably… but I’ll finish. I won’t give up.

I AM THE TORTOISE!

PS: Did my first in public 5k run last week for Cancer Research as part of the #pinkarmy. I walked and jogged it in just under 42 minutes.

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Here’s my MARATHON training plan if you are interested. Click on it to print.

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Bare Cupboard Cake – Recipe No. 152

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I haven’t baked or consumed much in the way of sweet puddings or cake for ages. Infact I’m just not using any of my sugar ration and hardly any of my margarine or butter either. I’ve therefore got plenty in my cupboard to do some baking and this is what I’ve done on this bank holiday weekend!

As I am preferring to poach my one shell egg a week, my baking normally has to be egg free. When I came across this wartime recipe online it was perfect! No eggs!

This particular recipe is suitable for vegans too if you use a dairy free margarine or oil.

Was VERY pleased with the taste and consistency of this simple cake and greedily enjoyed a couple of generous slices with hot tea, using my pink vintage china of course!

Hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients

200g caster sugar
2 tablespoons margarine or oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
175g raisins, currants or sultanas
350ml water
250g plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

Method

Preheat oven to 180 C / Gas 4. Lightly grease one 7 or 8 inch cake tin.
In a saucepan over medium high heat combine: the sugar, margarine or oil, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground allspice, salt, raisins and water. Bring to the boil and continue to simmer on low for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 30 minutes.
Sift the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda together. Add the flour mixture to the cooled raisin mixture. Stir until just combined. Tip mixture into prepared tin.
Bake at 180 C / Gas 4 for 30-40 minutes until skewer comes away clean from middle.

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The long rambling get-it-off-my-chest post…

SORRY…

Sorry for the absence, the lack of recipes, lack of communication.

I’ve had a few difficult months one would say which culminated in my partner and I parting ways about a month or so ago. We had some great times together over the last couple of years but latterly, both of us had issues that eventually hindered the relationship progressing any further. Inevitably there is transition time after a break up where you spend much time thinking about everything and that’s what I’ve been doing.

With some of the health issues I’ve been working my way through in the past 6 months I’ve decided to dedicate myself, above everything else, to getting happy and healthy again. If this doesn’t leave time for socializing, or writing my blog posts, so be it. I’ve decided that it is OK to sometimes be selfish. I’ve also decided that it is also OK to be celibate. While it’s fun to have a giggle at beardy wonders like ‘The WHIMSICAL WOODSMAN’, I can honestly say that having any sort of ‘friendship’ or ‘relationship’ with the opposite sex in 2016 won’t be happening. I need this time to work on ME, to achieve my goals, to not feel anxious and to banish those self doubts about ‘not being good enough’. I’m me, I like me, even the strange bits….

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Check out the ‘Whimsical Woodman’ HERE https://www.facebook.com/thewhimsicalwoodsman/

Now I’ve stopped talking about boys, lets get down to business. Eating good, unprocessed food and losing weight…

256lbsThe sheer process of being ‘selfish’ and also avoiding stress and anxiety, has had a VERY positive effect on my psyche and my weight-loss these past months. Today I weighed in at 256.6 lbs (about 18 stone 2 lbs). I’ve lost NEARLY 40 lbs since January at a steady rate now of about 2 lbs per week and I’m now down nearly 90 lbs from my heaviest weight ever. My bingeing is under control, I’m no longer turning to food emotionally, to feel comfort or feel full. I’ve been focusing on putting healthy fuel in my body and taking regular exercise since my hospital tests. Like during rationing in the 1940’s, my diet continues to be LOTS of vegetables and wholefoods and very few processed foods and very limited amounts of cheese and egg (4 oz per week and 1 egg). To be honest I’m using very little of my sugar allowance either. Infact I’ve hardly used any but will put it towards some fundraising cupcakes I am making tonight…

Despite the recent upsets, I’m beginning to feel much happier and healthier. I’m liking the fact my body is shrinking (even the odd wobbly bits that aren’t shrinking back like the little fat sacks at the top of my thighs). My tummy has an awful lot of loose skin on it and I can see this being a big problem when I reach my goal weight but I’d rather have that problem than the obesity one….

My next goal, to move out of the ‘morbid obesity’ category to the simply ‘obese’ classification.I’m thinking about another 10 lbs or so should do it!

THANK YOU for all the messages and comments sent and posted on the website, on my Facebook page and on Instagram and Twitter. I’ve been updating these with lots of photos and screenshots from FitBit and weigh-ins

Keep walking, never give up, C xxxx

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Weigh-In – Down to 262lbs – Instagram

I update on a day by day basis on my Instagram page, not necessarily 1940s related but always about the every day stuff one has to do to try and keep losing weight.

I hope to update with more recipes and a full blog post soon. Thank you for all the lovely comments and messages which I read frequently!!! It’s sunny and I’m going for a walk with friends..

C xxx

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267 lbs – Keep Going!

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It’s raining and cold. Its going to get brighter this afternoon for a few hours so am going out with my daughter to walk in the countryside.

Took some progress shots for Instagram this morning…(not afraid to show my lumpy bits anymore!) it reminds me to keep going! https://www.instagram.com/p/BDsSYuLSm5e/

C xxx