All up shit creek without a paddle for me. I have slipped back into junk food and not cooking - this has had dire consequences! 7kgs but I can't just blame this on junk food I stopped breastfeeding and the weight has crept on.
Urgh! Well what to do?
Motiviation boost! Reality check!
I am going to get off my ass and cook! This is ridiculous I have plenty of food, plenty of recipes so what is the problem? Why do I keep heading to junk food? Convenience?
I can't stand the thought of my daughter ever eating it - so why am I happy to eat it myself?
Monkey see, monkey do - time for me to wake up
Monday, August 30, 2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010
PIE PIE PIE
Sorry for the delay in my blog...think it was about time I told you about the homemade pie episode.
First of all, I was shocked at how quick the whole process was! I always assumed that doing ANYTHING that required homemade pastry was an epic journey! But surprisingly it is not.
The recipe I am going to share with you is for a 'Mushroom Beef Pie' there is lots of flexibility for this recipe depending on what meats/spices/veggies etc you have available. The recipe for the meat filling with be under 'Beef Recipes' whereas the recipe for the pastry will be under 'misc recipes', k?
Mushroom Beef Pie Filling
1 onion diced
90g fat (butter/lard/margarine)
350g beef (mince/diced/leftover roast)
30g flour (maybe more)
140mls beef stock
280mls milk
120g mushrooms, sliced
230g peas (approx)
seasonings/flavourings of your choice (I used splash of worchesershire sauce, tomato paste and a bay leaf)
Quantity of short crust pastry
TO GLAZE: with milk or egg
fry onion in a third of the butter in a large frypan, add the meat and cook until browned. Stir in flour (should look gluggy) and cook for several minutes. Gradually blend in the stock and the milk. Bring to the boil and cook until reduced to a smooth sauce.
Meanwhile fry sliced mushrooms in the remaining butter. Stir the mushrooms and peas into the sauce, season and put into pie dish/ramekin. Cover with pastry, brush with a little milk/egg and cook in med oven 180/160 degrees until browned pastry. Enjoy!
First of all, I was shocked at how quick the whole process was! I always assumed that doing ANYTHING that required homemade pastry was an epic journey! But surprisingly it is not.
The recipe I am going to share with you is for a 'Mushroom Beef Pie' there is lots of flexibility for this recipe depending on what meats/spices/veggies etc you have available. The recipe for the meat filling with be under 'Beef Recipes' whereas the recipe for the pastry will be under 'misc recipes', k?
Mushroom Beef Pie Filling
1 onion diced
90g fat (butter/lard/margarine)
350g beef (mince/diced/leftover roast)
30g flour (maybe more)
140mls beef stock
280mls milk
120g mushrooms, sliced
230g peas (approx)
seasonings/flavourings of your choice (I used splash of worchesershire sauce, tomato paste and a bay leaf)
Quantity of short crust pastry
TO GLAZE: with milk or egg
fry onion in a third of the butter in a large frypan, add the meat and cook until browned. Stir in flour (should look gluggy) and cook for several minutes. Gradually blend in the stock and the milk. Bring to the boil and cook until reduced to a smooth sauce.
Meanwhile fry sliced mushrooms in the remaining butter. Stir the mushrooms and peas into the sauce, season and put into pie dish/ramekin. Cover with pastry, brush with a little milk/egg and cook in med oven 180/160 degrees until browned pastry. Enjoy!
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Words of wisdom
"breakfast is the most important meal of the day"
"eat breakfast like a King, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper" (Adelle Davis)
Perhaps these words of wisdom have some scientific basis?
Several studies have found that people who eat breakfast have better weight outcomes and are often of a normal weight, less irritable, more alert and productive, and are less likely to snack on unhealthy foods.
Quite often I have heard friends who do no eat breakfast cite reasons such as time or saying they feel hungry sooner in the morning.
The hunger is your metabolism at work and is most likely an 'overreaction' at first because you have famined for so long! I found that when I re-introduced breakfast, I needed a mid-morning snack but that need soon went away.
As for time, well, come on! I am not talking about a three course meal! Muesli is a great breakfast and super quick.
Other more elaborate options may take some creative strategies to achieve.
Consider preparing the night before. Set the table and pre-cut/layout the items you need for the morning. Put the coffee and sugar in the cup on the side with the spoon...so in your pre-coffee daze you can prepare breakfast 'production line' style!
Some of the better options for breakfast:
Baked Beans on toast
Cheese and tomato grilled on toast
Vegemite and cheese on toast
Ham and tomato on toast
Muesli
Porridge (sorry guys, the real stuff not processed instant!)
Scrambled eggs/poached eggs/boiled eggs
If you feel the need for that mid morning snack - a piece of fruit is super portable and refreshing.
A handful of nuts such as cashews of almonds
Could do a 'trail mix' of nuts fruit
Piece of cheese
Most importantly make it small, make it real. This is not to replace a meal - just bridge it
"eat breakfast like a King, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper" (Adelle Davis)
Perhaps these words of wisdom have some scientific basis?
Several studies have found that people who eat breakfast have better weight outcomes and are often of a normal weight, less irritable, more alert and productive, and are less likely to snack on unhealthy foods.
Quite often I have heard friends who do no eat breakfast cite reasons such as time or saying they feel hungry sooner in the morning.
The hunger is your metabolism at work and is most likely an 'overreaction' at first because you have famined for so long! I found that when I re-introduced breakfast, I needed a mid-morning snack but that need soon went away.
As for time, well, come on! I am not talking about a three course meal! Muesli is a great breakfast and super quick.
Other more elaborate options may take some creative strategies to achieve.
Consider preparing the night before. Set the table and pre-cut/layout the items you need for the morning. Put the coffee and sugar in the cup on the side with the spoon...so in your pre-coffee daze you can prepare breakfast 'production line' style!
Some of the better options for breakfast:
Baked Beans on toast
Cheese and tomato grilled on toast
Vegemite and cheese on toast
Ham and tomato on toast
Muesli
Porridge (sorry guys, the real stuff not processed instant!)
Scrambled eggs/poached eggs/boiled eggs
If you feel the need for that mid morning snack - a piece of fruit is super portable and refreshing.
A handful of nuts such as cashews of almonds
Could do a 'trail mix' of nuts fruit
Piece of cheese
Most importantly make it small, make it real. This is not to replace a meal - just bridge it
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Hearty Tuna Mornay
How about something which is super filling and in one pot?
I have served this at parties and it always ends up empty! ~ now that is saying something.
The adding of the milk to the flour to make the roux is a bit touchy feely. You have to use your best judgement as to what the best consistency is for you. I prefer it to be quite thick like white sauce but you may prefer thinner?
To anyone who has never made the roux mix before (butter, flour, milk) you must ensure that when you add the flour to the butter/onion mix that the flour gets stirred for the minute indicated to 'cook' it. Otherwise the mix will taste 'powdery/floury'.
Enjoy!
Hearty Tuna Mornay
90g butter
1 onion, chopped
6 tablespoons flour
2 – 3 cups milk
1 x 425g tin tuna in springwater
1 cup breadcrumbs (fresh or dry)
Juice of 1 lemon (or equivalent bottled lemon juice) – Optional, works fine without.
4 hardboiled eggs, chopped
½ cup grated cheese
Melt butter in a large saucepan. Add chopped onion and cook in pan until transparent. Stir in flour and cook for 1 min. Remove pan from heat and stir in milk, a splash at a time until all combined into thick cream consistency. Return pan to heat and bring mixture to the boil, stirring until thickened. Add cheese and tuna and stir until broken up. Add breadcrumbs, lemon, eggs, salt and pepper to taste. Stir until combined and heated till hot for serving.
I have served this at parties and it always ends up empty! ~ now that is saying something.
The adding of the milk to the flour to make the roux is a bit touchy feely. You have to use your best judgement as to what the best consistency is for you. I prefer it to be quite thick like white sauce but you may prefer thinner?
To anyone who has never made the roux mix before (butter, flour, milk) you must ensure that when you add the flour to the butter/onion mix that the flour gets stirred for the minute indicated to 'cook' it. Otherwise the mix will taste 'powdery/floury'.
Enjoy!
Hearty Tuna Mornay
90g butter
1 onion, chopped
6 tablespoons flour
2 – 3 cups milk
1 x 425g tin tuna in springwater
1 cup breadcrumbs (fresh or dry)
Juice of 1 lemon (or equivalent bottled lemon juice) – Optional, works fine without.
4 hardboiled eggs, chopped
½ cup grated cheese
Melt butter in a large saucepan. Add chopped onion and cook in pan until transparent. Stir in flour and cook for 1 min. Remove pan from heat and stir in milk, a splash at a time until all combined into thick cream consistency. Return pan to heat and bring mixture to the boil, stirring until thickened. Add cheese and tuna and stir until broken up. Add breadcrumbs, lemon, eggs, salt and pepper to taste. Stir until combined and heated till hot for serving.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Incidental exercise - Creating new habits
I have been thinking about the differences in our physical activity in the past and now. Our parents/grandparents would have been unlikely to have been members of gyms so where did they get their exercise from?
I have heard it mentioned by some that it is because we do less 'manual labor' around the home but ask any mum how often they are sitting on their behinds drinking wine whilst manicuring their nails and you will probably be met with laughter!
I know that in my family and my husband's family our parents were part of sporting clubs at least until their thirties, so this *may* have something to it. But unlikely to explain everyone back then.
Walking is the only exercise I can see that was very normal in past generations. Not everyone had a car (or two!) so were reliant on public transport and walking.
In my house I have made a conscious effort to consider if walking somewhere or catching the bus is a possibility and have found with the food/lifestyle choices I have made, allows me to make quick trips to the supermarket for washing powder or toilet paper. These times I usually walk.
If there is a little bit more to get (but not urgent) I will spread the trips out over 2-3 days.
For some reason I find having a 'purpose' for walking makes it seem less like exercise and *more* like an 'eco-choice' not to use the car. Which makes you feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside.
I am somewhat pleased also that I am teaching my daughter that even though we have a car, it isn't the only choice of transport.
Similarly, I make an incidental exercise choice when I go to the shopping centre. You won't find me circling for 10 mins trying to find the closest parking space....I simply pull in to the first available and walk the extra 90 seconds from my car. All the while saving the time it would take to find that 'close' park.
If you actually critically think about how much longer it would take for you to walk the extra 300 metres, you feel a little bit of a twit for circling.
And now to public transport. Here is where I had a little bit of a problem.
For me...alone...no worries! Catch it to uni everyday. Fantastic! Someone else drives and I read. Perfect arrangement.
Child in a pram...not so good. Sorry.
I struggled with my nephew in the city sooooo much I nearly cried! I was struggling with the nappy bag that kept sliding off my shoulder as I tried to pick up the pram (with no help from the friggen driver!) AND have my nephew on the other hip - urgh!
I guess for me, baby + pram + bus = hassle and all depends on the day and the driver.
I have heard it mentioned by some that it is because we do less 'manual labor' around the home but ask any mum how often they are sitting on their behinds drinking wine whilst manicuring their nails and you will probably be met with laughter!
I know that in my family and my husband's family our parents were part of sporting clubs at least until their thirties, so this *may* have something to it. But unlikely to explain everyone back then.
Walking is the only exercise I can see that was very normal in past generations. Not everyone had a car (or two!) so were reliant on public transport and walking.
In my house I have made a conscious effort to consider if walking somewhere or catching the bus is a possibility and have found with the food/lifestyle choices I have made, allows me to make quick trips to the supermarket for washing powder or toilet paper. These times I usually walk.
If there is a little bit more to get (but not urgent) I will spread the trips out over 2-3 days.
For some reason I find having a 'purpose' for walking makes it seem less like exercise and *more* like an 'eco-choice' not to use the car. Which makes you feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside.
I am somewhat pleased also that I am teaching my daughter that even though we have a car, it isn't the only choice of transport.
Similarly, I make an incidental exercise choice when I go to the shopping centre. You won't find me circling for 10 mins trying to find the closest parking space....I simply pull in to the first available and walk the extra 90 seconds from my car. All the while saving the time it would take to find that 'close' park.
If you actually critically think about how much longer it would take for you to walk the extra 300 metres, you feel a little bit of a twit for circling.
And now to public transport. Here is where I had a little bit of a problem.
For me...alone...no worries! Catch it to uni everyday. Fantastic! Someone else drives and I read. Perfect arrangement.
Child in a pram...not so good. Sorry.
I struggled with my nephew in the city sooooo much I nearly cried! I was struggling with the nappy bag that kept sliding off my shoulder as I tried to pick up the pram (with no help from the friggen driver!) AND have my nephew on the other hip - urgh!
I guess for me, baby + pram + bus = hassle and all depends on the day and the driver.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Reading lables
Over the last few years I have been checking the labels on the food I buy. I realise now I had no 'method' to deciding what was good or bad food.
Now that we have decided to head down the wholefoods path the distinction is a lot clearer about what is real food and what has been fiddled with too much.
Here is a little test for you. Most people have soy sauce in their cupboard, go grab yours. Read the ingredients...quite a few right? Now, I have done this little test myself and have since found an organic soy sauce - 1. water 2. organic soybeans (22%) 3. organic wheat 4. salt
Got any more than that on your label? How many?
While I don't subscribe to thinking that organic = magical health benefits, the restrictions placed on organic foods means there are no unnecessary ingredients or preservatives which results in a more natural, whole food.
But you don't have to just grab organic versions of everything (unless you want to make an easy choice without looking too much) start reading labels and comparing the ingredients of your families foods. Less ingredients is generally better as less has been done to it. Look at labels critically, ask yourself the question, could I make this myself from ingredients in a normal pantry? If the answer is no, I tend to put it back either because it is not 'real food' i.e. fruit roll-ups or there isn't a great option in the selection i.e. pasta.
Start reading the labels and decide for yourself if consuming all those extra ingredients is necessary when another brand can do it with less? Every time you purchase one of these products you send a message to your supermarket that this is the type of food you want them to stock - keep voting this way and more choice WILL come your way.
I have noticed Coles is coming out with their own line of organic Coles brand foods - I don't think they did this without their customers constantly purchasing the organic foods already available and hence they roll out their own to compete.
Now that we have decided to head down the wholefoods path the distinction is a lot clearer about what is real food and what has been fiddled with too much.
Here is a little test for you. Most people have soy sauce in their cupboard, go grab yours. Read the ingredients...quite a few right? Now, I have done this little test myself and have since found an organic soy sauce - 1. water 2. organic soybeans (22%) 3. organic wheat 4. salt
Got any more than that on your label? How many?
While I don't subscribe to thinking that organic = magical health benefits, the restrictions placed on organic foods means there are no unnecessary ingredients or preservatives which results in a more natural, whole food.
But you don't have to just grab organic versions of everything (unless you want to make an easy choice without looking too much) start reading labels and comparing the ingredients of your families foods. Less ingredients is generally better as less has been done to it. Look at labels critically, ask yourself the question, could I make this myself from ingredients in a normal pantry? If the answer is no, I tend to put it back either because it is not 'real food' i.e. fruit roll-ups or there isn't a great option in the selection i.e. pasta.
Start reading the labels and decide for yourself if consuming all those extra ingredients is necessary when another brand can do it with less? Every time you purchase one of these products you send a message to your supermarket that this is the type of food you want them to stock - keep voting this way and more choice WILL come your way.
I have noticed Coles is coming out with their own line of organic Coles brand foods - I don't think they did this without their customers constantly purchasing the organic foods already available and hence they roll out their own to compete.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Remember this from school?
Notice the 'eat most' section? Atkins would have a heart attack! Look at all those 'naughty' carbs!!
Well thinking back to an earlier blog I did about the demonising of many 'real' foods and can probably add carbs to that as well.
I question though whether this is because of the 'Atkins' movement or because manufacturers have added too much sugar, preservatives etc that this has now become a bad food. In the real world I remember we always used to have a slice of bread with dinner (to mop up the gravy, duh!) and potatos were on the menu too. Carbs help fill you up and the lack of them now days probably makes us snack a lot more - generally on sugar for that quick, replacement 'carb hit'.
While I emplore you to buy wholegrain and wholemeal rather than white (that does defeat the purpose) and don't be fooled into buying white carbs trying to masquerade as brown (eg. added fibre, omega 3 etc) it all adds to the processing of the foods away from their natural state.
Perhaps buy from an actual bakery? Consider making your own pasta? Add some pearl barley or beans to your soups of casseroles to increase the good carbs AND make it a more filling meal.
Heaven knows, if we start adding in some good carbs perhaps we will all start eating less of the bad ones. Remember if you start demonising certain foods, you give another a free pass...but at what cost?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)