That's right, you read it correctly. There is no healthy recipe today because I am sat on the sofa enthralled by Daniel Craig's body..erm...performance...in Casino Royale. If you're absolutely devestated by the lack of a recipe today, go rent a copy of Casino Royale and you'll soon forget all about being annoyed with me. And if that doesn't work there is clearly something wrong with you and you can get over it tomorrow when I post two healthy recipes (I can tell my new career as a psychologist is going to go well already. I have so much wisdom to share with the world.)
G'night all! xxx
Monday 30 August 2010
Saturday 28 August 2010
Weekend Update
Well, now that I have finished scraping scrambled egg and mushed fruit off of my windows, bookcase and husband's blackberry (darling if you're reading this, just kidding), and have stopped taking a cocktail of drugs that Lindsay Lohan would envy, I have time to update all of you wonderful peeps on what has been happening around here.
First off, there is no real update on project downsize ass thanks to my back injury, but thankfully it is mending and I should be able to get back to the gym and running this week, although sadly not enough to burn five family size cadbury's dairy milks, so I shall have to cut back or risk further back damage. Will let you know which one I choose.
The Little Princess has started sleeping through the night (FINALLY) after three not too painful nights of sleep training. Good thing this worked as our plan B was too call her grandpa (an anesthetist) and see if he could slip anything into her mashed banana (before she smears it through her hair and up her nose) that would give us 12 hours of blessed peace and silence.
Right, must go watch the freakshow that is the X Factor and make notes for my audition next year. Since my other half has flatly refused to duet "Total Eclipse of the Heart" with me while wearing matching his and hers outfits, I'm open to suggestions....
First off, there is no real update on project downsize ass thanks to my back injury, but thankfully it is mending and I should be able to get back to the gym and running this week, although sadly not enough to burn five family size cadbury's dairy milks, so I shall have to cut back or risk further back damage. Will let you know which one I choose.
The Little Princess has started sleeping through the night (FINALLY) after three not too painful nights of sleep training. Good thing this worked as our plan B was too call her grandpa (an anesthetist) and see if he could slip anything into her mashed banana (before she smears it through her hair and up her nose) that would give us 12 hours of blessed peace and silence.
Right, must go watch the freakshow that is the X Factor and make notes for my audition next year. Since my other half has flatly refused to duet "Total Eclipse of the Heart" with me while wearing matching his and hers outfits, I'm open to suggestions....
Today's healthy recipe - squash and blue cheese risotto
Okay, I believe the words "blue cheese" and "healthy" go together about as well as the words "Christina Aguilera" and "talent" but this is such a yummy one I couldn't resist sharing it. And this is a great autumn recipe! Not that it's autumn yet, but you'd never know it here in England, where summer normally lasts all of 4 days in a good year.
Ingredients
150g pack blue cheese
1 butternut squash
1 lemon
1 red onion
500g pack of arborio rice
Preheat oven to 200C (gas mark 6)
Peel squash and cut into chunks, place in a baking tray with 1 red onion, peeled and cut into 8 segments and toss 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Roast for 30-40 minutes.
Meanwhile, make 1 litre of vegetable stock using 2 vegetable stock cubes. In a deep frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and add 200g arborio risotto rice. Coat the rice in the oil and cook 2 minutes. Gradually add the stock to the rice, allowing the rice to absorb each ladle of liquid before adding more. It should take around 20 min to absorb the full amount of stock.
Add the roasted squash and red onion to the pan, crumble in the blue cheese and allow it to melt slowly. Mix through the zest and juice of one lemon and season with freshly ground black pepper before serving.
Enjoy! Would love to hear any other good risotto recipes anyone has...
Ingredients
150g pack blue cheese
1 butternut squash
1 lemon
1 red onion
500g pack of arborio rice
Preheat oven to 200C (gas mark 6)
Peel squash and cut into chunks, place in a baking tray with 1 red onion, peeled and cut into 8 segments and toss 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Roast for 30-40 minutes.
Meanwhile, make 1 litre of vegetable stock using 2 vegetable stock cubes. In a deep frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and add 200g arborio risotto rice. Coat the rice in the oil and cook 2 minutes. Gradually add the stock to the rice, allowing the rice to absorb each ladle of liquid before adding more. It should take around 20 min to absorb the full amount of stock.
Add the roasted squash and red onion to the pan, crumble in the blue cheese and allow it to melt slowly. Mix through the zest and juice of one lemon and season with freshly ground black pepper before serving.
Enjoy! Would love to hear any other good risotto recipes anyone has...
Thursday 26 August 2010
where have I been?!
Ah my dear millions of readers (okay...19 of you...but hey a girl can dream), no I have not been on a secluded (adults only of course) island soaking up the sun, nor have I been recovering from full body liposuction. As glamorous as it sounds, I'm recovering from a back injury. And sadly, not of the shagging my brains out fell off the bed kind of back injury, more of the too much lugging around a heavy car seat kind of back injury. I know, you're all jealous of my rock n roll life.
I am now on the mend, thanks to a happy state of mind inducing cocktail of yummy drugs (all legal) and an adorable physiotherapist called David. I shall therefore be posting updates and new recipes very soon, as well as an update on the tissue, dead bug, and battery eating little Princess.
Ta ta for now my adoring fans!
I am now on the mend, thanks to a happy state of mind inducing cocktail of yummy drugs (all legal) and an adorable physiotherapist called David. I shall therefore be posting updates and new recipes very soon, as well as an update on the tissue, dead bug, and battery eating little Princess.
Ta ta for now my adoring fans!
Wednesday 18 August 2010
Only in America....
Now, I know it's wrong that my first thought upon being sent the link to this article from a friend was "WHY didn't I know about krispy kreme cheeseburgers when I was pregnant?!? That would have been even yummier than mango macaroni with extra cheese" but hey, you can't help what you think sometimes. I'm still a bit speechless at this article, and while in jest I have titled this post "Only in America", it's unfortunately becoming more and more common everywhere to see shocking food options in such big portions that our view of normal portion sizes is becoming increasinly distorted. Just recently I have seen one fast food restaurant chain advertising huge "snack" chicken wraps dripping in cheese and all kinds of things. When did a snack stop being a piece of fruit and a glass of milk? Is this how warped our views of acceptable food choices and sizes have become?
A couple of years ago a nutritionist friend told me that a portion size of a food (ie of pasta, rice, meat, vegetables) at meals should only ever be the size of your clenched fist. (Note: luckily yesterday when I had pizza I was able to double fold, pound and squash the slices so they fit into my fist. Phew. Major post pizza guilt avoided there).
On a serious note though, lately I've become more and more interested in childhood obesity (and obesity in general), and I'm not sure if this is prompted by having my own baby or by my return to university and psychology. Some of my (many) hopes for the Little Princess are that she will grow up healthy, unridiculed by her peers, that she will enjoy the kind of happy, easy, outdoorsy, long summer days spent bike riding kind of childhood that I had, and that we can keep her protected from some of the influences of the "outside world" for as long as possible. And that when she is at an age that she is exposed to things like krispy kreme cheeseburgers at public events, that we will have hopefully equipped her with enough common sense, knowledge, and love for herself, that she will make a better choice.
P.S. I am still toying with the idea of organizing a group of mums in London/Surrey to run a 5k for an obesity charity (something along the theme of "Fit Mums for Fit Kids") so if that's something you'd be interested in, please drop me a line.
http://www.thestar.com/living/food/article/848767--a-krispy-kreme-cheeseburger-only-at-the-state-fair
A couple of years ago a nutritionist friend told me that a portion size of a food (ie of pasta, rice, meat, vegetables) at meals should only ever be the size of your clenched fist. (Note: luckily yesterday when I had pizza I was able to double fold, pound and squash the slices so they fit into my fist. Phew. Major post pizza guilt avoided there).
On a serious note though, lately I've become more and more interested in childhood obesity (and obesity in general), and I'm not sure if this is prompted by having my own baby or by my return to university and psychology. Some of my (many) hopes for the Little Princess are that she will grow up healthy, unridiculed by her peers, that she will enjoy the kind of happy, easy, outdoorsy, long summer days spent bike riding kind of childhood that I had, and that we can keep her protected from some of the influences of the "outside world" for as long as possible. And that when she is at an age that she is exposed to things like krispy kreme cheeseburgers at public events, that we will have hopefully equipped her with enough common sense, knowledge, and love for herself, that she will make a better choice.
P.S. I am still toying with the idea of organizing a group of mums in London/Surrey to run a 5k for an obesity charity (something along the theme of "Fit Mums for Fit Kids") so if that's something you'd be interested in, please drop me a line.
http://www.thestar.com/living/food/article/848767--a-krispy-kreme-cheeseburger-only-at-the-state-fair
Tuesday 17 August 2010
Today's healthy recipe - hawaiian pizza
Today's healthy recipe is hawaiin pizza. Easiest recipe ever....
Sit on your ass on comfiest sofa (or chair) possible with remote control in one hand, phone in the other. Call Domino's, which of course you have on speed dial, while saying prayers of gratitude for Two for One Tuesdays. Use hubby's AMEX card, seeing as your cards were all stolen the previous day by a bunch of punk ass ASBO wannabe's. Do not get on the scales. Do not count calories. Do not go upstairs to look at your ass in the full length mirror. Do not bother to order diet coke instead of regular to save a few calories and do not (gasp) attempt to go the gym after said pizza. Trust me. Wayyyyyy too painful. Promise yourself that tomorrow you will embark on Beyonce's liquid honey and cayenne pepper diet for at least two days whilst already imagining how you will fall off THAT wagon by consuming way too many chocolate hobnobs with your sugar filled tea at morning playgroup.
Sit on your ass on comfiest sofa (or chair) possible with remote control in one hand, phone in the other. Call Domino's, which of course you have on speed dial, while saying prayers of gratitude for Two for One Tuesdays. Use hubby's AMEX card, seeing as your cards were all stolen the previous day by a bunch of punk ass ASBO wannabe's. Do not get on the scales. Do not count calories. Do not go upstairs to look at your ass in the full length mirror. Do not bother to order diet coke instead of regular to save a few calories and do not (gasp) attempt to go the gym after said pizza. Trust me. Wayyyyyy too painful. Promise yourself that tomorrow you will embark on Beyonce's liquid honey and cayenne pepper diet for at least two days whilst already imagining how you will fall off THAT wagon by consuming way too many chocolate hobnobs with your sugar filled tea at morning playgroup.
The Price I Paid for Being in a Rush....and Happy Anniversary!
I know you were all missing my daily recipe yesterday, hopefully noone has gone hungry overnight as a result. I was too busy being pissed off after having my wallet stolen by a bunch of kids (from the Little Princess's stroller!) while out picking up the dry cleaning. By the time I got home, my neighbour was arriving at my house with the remnants of my wallet, as he'd seen what had happened from an upstairs window and had managed to photograph the kids and eventually follow them to a nearby address, which he could then give the police. God Bless nosy, interfering, retired neighbours!
The upsetting part was not the better part of an afternoon wasted having to cancel my bank cards (another day I will rant about the fact that when you call banks' lost/stolen cards line, the first thing you hear is "please enter the 16 digit number on the front of your card" AGGHHHH) but the fact the future ASBO holders of Britain took the Little Princess's first passport picture, taken when she was two weeks old.
Anyway, I'm off to cancel my library card before someone does something unthinkable like try to borrow Katie Price's autobiography from the local branch and people will think it was ME reading it. The horror. Then I'm off to join the local Bring Back the Death Penalty and I'm All for Public Stoning campaigns.
Oh yes, and why have I titled this post ...and Happy Anniversary? Because today is my five year anniversary of living in the UK. Five years and THREE police reports...THREE more than 4 years of living in Mexico City, apparently "the most dangerous city in the world."
Healthy recipe, gym and Little Princess updates coming soon.....
The upsetting part was not the better part of an afternoon wasted having to cancel my bank cards (another day I will rant about the fact that when you call banks' lost/stolen cards line, the first thing you hear is "please enter the 16 digit number on the front of your card" AGGHHHH) but the fact the future ASBO holders of Britain took the Little Princess's first passport picture, taken when she was two weeks old.
Anyway, I'm off to cancel my library card before someone does something unthinkable like try to borrow Katie Price's autobiography from the local branch and people will think it was ME reading it. The horror. Then I'm off to join the local Bring Back the Death Penalty and I'm All for Public Stoning campaigns.
Oh yes, and why have I titled this post ...and Happy Anniversary? Because today is my five year anniversary of living in the UK. Five years and THREE police reports...THREE more than 4 years of living in Mexico City, apparently "the most dangerous city in the world."
Healthy recipe, gym and Little Princess updates coming soon.....
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