Tasty Little Salad

This tasty little salad was made up of baby spinach leaves, smoked salmon, parmesan shavings, crushed walnuts and sliced apple with a dressing of extra virgin olive oil, balsamic and a drizzle of maple syrup. 

The apple was a bit of an after thought, but it finished it off nicely. There was a bit of crispy and a bit of crunch and lots of juicy and delicious in this meal.

Total spend was around $4.00. The smoked salmon portion being $2.50 and the spinach around a third of a pack - so $1.00. The parmesan was an inexpensive addition - we got around about a kilo size block for $4.00 at the cheese factory (so I used a generous 10 cents worth). The remaining ingredients were only a few cents each - a gourmet lunch for a very reasonable price. 

Auburn for Autumn

Here's the result of my home hair dye job. I expect that it will fade after a few washes, so I will need to reapply another colour in a couple of weeks.  Until then it is nice to have grey coverage and some auburn tones to brighten up the dreary Autumn weather.

Mexican Inspired Salad

Yesterday I had a Mexican inspired salad for lunch, with tomato, corn, iceberg lettuce, red cabbage, beetroot and cheese topped of with sweet chilli sauce and mayo. I usually have a meat portion with my veges, but I couldn't find an option I was happy with, so went with all veges.  

Today I had fish, pan fried with leek and mushroom and finished with a garlic cream sauce. It was delicious, but the fish which was a piece of discounted orange roughy I scored for $3.70 was so soft if broke up in the pan. Not that I cared, but I thought it was a little unworthy of a pic, so I just scoffed it down ;-)

Tomorrow I have some shaved smoked salmon to work with, so I will have a bit of a think on what I'd like to do with that. I am so looking forward to it!

Rewards of a Good Routine

The past few weeks I have been forming new rules and a practical routine that works for our family.

It has been a progressive shift, it really is too much to implement too many changes in one go.  We started with limiting TV and iPad usage. This was a major change, so we didn't make any other changes while this concept was sinking in. During the week, technology is only permitted before breakfast (usually 30-60 minutes) for the children and is then turned off at breakfast time and not allowed again until after school, from around 3:30pm. At dinner time the technology is switched off and doesn't come back on again until the kid's bedtime. This applies for the whole family. It means we spend time with the kids during the evening. Adults have the gadgets back once the kids are in bed and get to enjoy quiet 'kid free' time.

The weekend is more flexible, we tend to stick to the rules in the morning and then we might allow movie time after lunch if the weather stops us going outside. If the weather is fine, we kick the kids outdoors.  3 hours maximum is our guideline. That's still 21 hours a week, probably half what it was - ridiculous!

The kids moaned like crazy the first week, but they now happily turn off the gadgets in favour of playing with their blocks, cars or barbies or playing hide and seek with us. The kids are all learning to play cards too and they are going to bed by 7pm and getting to sleep soon after.  Their minds and bodies are being exercised without being over stimulated.

The next part of my plan has involved making the kids more independent and taking responsibility for tasks like: dressing, personal hygiene, putting dirty laundry in the laundry basket, taking their dirty dishes to the kitchen bench, tidying their toys away and making their beds.  There isn't a chore chart, but you see the results when their rooms are tidy, the bathrooms are neat and clean and they are dressed with brushed hair and a fresh smile.   There is a lot of reminding that is going on, but they are improving and enjoying being able to accomplish things for themselves.  

The final piece of the puzzle has been to set particular days of the week for certain tasks and activities. For example we have Sunday as our day to strip the beds and change our bedding for the entire family. It doesn't necessarily get washed that day -  I have a spare set of bedding, so we can do a changeover without needing to do laundry.  Sunday is also our day for preping for the week ahead: planning meals, planning outfits, planning for the week's events and activities. Being organised in advance makes a big difference to stress levels later in the week.

This is as far as I've gone with setting the routine. I am progressively adding to it as I go and so far so good.  

 

Mussel Chowder

Today's lunch was a monster bowl of mussel chowder (I mean monster - I served it in a salad bowl).

The ingredients are 13 medium sized mussels, 1 carrot, 1 celery stalk including the leaves, half an onion, two garlic cloves, a good sprig of parsley, 1 and a half cups of boiling water, half a cup of cream, a tablespoon of Manuka honey liqueur (but white wine or white rum would work) half a teaspoon of curry powder, a sprinkle of smoked paprika and black pepper - oh and a tablespoon of butter and a teaspoon of coconut oil for sautéing the veges.

First I steamed open the mussels in the boiling water.  They take about 5 minutes to open, so while they were doing that, I chopped up the garlic, onion, carrot and  celery and sautéed them in the spices,  butter and oil until just soft. 

When the mussels were done, I  chopped them in half and set them and the mussel stock (water) aside separately.

Then I added the alcohol to the veges, followed shortly by the mussel stock, boiling the veges until tender.  Lastly I added the cream and steamed mussels, allowing the chowder to come to the boil and heat through.

I served the chowder with some fresh chopped parsley - total prep and cook time 15 minutes. The mussels cost $2.39 and the cost of the other ingredients came to around $1.50. A warm and filling lunch for about $3.90.

88 Kg Selfie

Well I made it to 88kgs and a little sooner than anticipated. Size 14 is feeling pretty comfy!

Next target is 85kgs, but I am very close to 87.4kgs which is a special milestone as I will total 15kgs of weight loss at that point.

I'm still aiming for 76 kgs - 12 kgs to go.  These will be tough. Up to now I have been losing my kilo a week with a careful nutrition plan and some yoga practice.  I have a feeling that I am going to have to step it up if I want to continue at this pace...

The Zen Den

A bit of clever furniture juggling has freed up enough space in our Master bedroom for a new yoga practice 'zen den'.

This means I'm no longer using a shared space and trying to do yoga when others want to look at TV, or trying to practice in front of a roaring fire (although sweating is probably not a bad thing, it does get uncomfortable).

My new space is private, quiet and calming.  All I have to do is roll out the yoga mat and I'm good to go.

The space can also double as a massage  zone. I can set up my portable massage table (which takes up about the same floor space as a yoga mat) and there is ample room to move around. The calm atmosphere is also well suited for massage therapy.

I had my first yoga practice there last night and it was fab. I don't miss the sofa being in our master at all. It was rarely used other than a dumping ground for clothes and it is far better appreciated in my little boy's room where it is regularly used for play and story time.

14 kgs and counting...

I have managed to take my weight loss total to 14kgs! 88.4 kgs and a very pleasing BMI of 28.2

I have neglected my nightly yoga the past week, it has been replaced with daily garden duties, but I will get back into it soon. I feel better for it and miss the meditation.

So close to my next target of 88kgs now, hopefully in the next 3-5 days I will get there :-)

Steak'n'Slaw

Tender steak, crisp coleslaw and creamy best foods mayo, topped off with a crunchy combo of pumpkin, seasame and sunflower seeds - best lunch ever!

Slow Cooker Feasting

The past week has been one continuous slow cooker feast. Since the slow cooker was delivered 10 days ago, I have slow cooked soups and stews, curries, nachos and roast meals. Tonight is the first night that I am giving it a rest and will be frying steak and preping a side salad.

I guess I'm addicted to the slow cooker - the convenience, the flavour and tenderness of the food and having less dishes to wash up.  There are no downsides. My particular model allows me to brown / sear meat in the removable insert and then place it back into the exterior piece (which houses the element) ready to slow cook. No extra frypans to wash and all the flavour stays in the pot - genius!

So while I will be taking a break tonight, odds are that there will be a meal slow cooking on the kitchen bench tomorrow and a delicious aroma wafting through the house. 

Size 14 Here I Come

89 kgs and just squeezing in to my size 14 skinny jeans :-) 

A Weight that Starts with an Eight

At 89.6 kgs, I have now squeaked into the 'overweight' BMI category. I am no longer technically 'obese' - how's that for good news?  Okay, neither category sounds particularly flattering, but from a health standpoint it is a positive achievement. It's kind of like saying I have gone from 'very unhealthy' to just 'unhealthy'. I am still just over 13 Kgs from my goal of 76 kgs - but I'm nearly halfway there now. My total weight loss to date is 12.6 Kgs!

Old Habits...

One of the hardest parts of changing my diet, has been to adjust to eating in social situations. The food (particularly for children's parties) is always high carb, high sugar, energy dense and has a low nutritional value.

It is what is expected and the kids do enjoy their parties treats. The thing is, they race around all day like crazy minions - they can cope with a certain amount of energy dense food!

The issue for me is that I am tempted to eat this food, even though I don't actually enjoy it and I know it offers very little nutritional benefit other than energy - energy I don't need because I am overweight and have plenty of fat stores.

It has to do with tradition and the habits of a lifetime. I hate having to fight the urge to fill up on party food. It is supposed to be a treat, but I have to say that I enjoy a well made salad more than a mince savoury or a piece of cake thick with icing. My mindset towards food is definitely changing, but my old habits are still haunting me. 

I think it's time to think about tweaking our traditions a bit to reflect the need for change - healthier options and less, much much less processed and refined foods.  There has to be a better way and I'm going to find it!

90 Kg Selfie

Love my 'Heart Your Selfie' singlet top (in tartan too!)

90 Kg Goal Achieved!

My next goal of 90kgs is a reality. 90.0 on the button.

I'm excited I've made it to this point. I have lost a total of 12.4 kgs since I started my weigh ins and have only 14 kgs to lose to reach my goal weight.

My next target is 88 kgs. I can't wait to have a weight that starts with an eight!

The Great Car Clean Out

To say that my car needed a good clean out is an understatement. Living out in the countryside is lovely, but the cow poo, gravel and dust make keeping a car clean a real challenge!

Here are some more pics of the inside before the great clean:

Here are the contents of the car emptied out:

My champions of grossness for this cleaning blitz were:

The dehydrated pie top from down the side of the chair.

A takeaway cup from a hot chocolate, but that's not the best part...

That goes to the rancid milk that had seeped through the cup into the cup holder! When I took the cup out, the smell escaped and nearly knocked me out.

I found quite an assortment of food items, crumbs mostly but there was a lollipop which was throughly stuck to the floor, a peppermint and a very soft gingernut biscuit.

I spent most of the day on the car, an hour clearing out the car, removing the car seat covers, disposing of rubbish, and putting the car seat covers on to wash, an hour vacuuming the inside, the boot space and the carpet car mats, an hour scrubbing the rubber mats, carpet shampooing the upholstery and booster seats and finally an hour disinfecting the car seats and putting the car seat covers back on. 

I also gave the exterior a wash down later in the afternoon which took a further hour and a quarter! I am so over cleaning that car, but it is satisfying to jump into a clean fresh smelling car. I really hope we can keep it like that for a while. 

Here are the after pics:

While it's far from perfect, it is heaps cleaner and I can continue to work on the tricky spots that I had to abandon in order to get the job completed today. 

Toning Up

Here's the latest selfie, 91.4 kgs this morning. I am definitely feeling a change in my shape and tone. My arms especially are feeling more toned and I can see it in the pic. Thank you 'warrior pose' - the yoga is working. Now that is something to smile about!

Tapping into My Inner OCD

I have been doing some Autumn Spring cleaning this past week.  Seems like a strange time to be doing a major deep clean, but it makes sense to me. The weather has cooled off and the flys are finally receding.  That means I have an awful lot of fly poop to clean in the house!

Along with wiping down everywhere the flies have been using for a toilet, I have been tackling jobs like spot cleaning the carpets,  cleaning out the fridges (we have two), washing windows and dusting and decluttering just about the whole house.

I have been cleaning for 4 days straight and I'm exhausted, but the house is looking better!  There is only really one room in the house I have left untouched for now and that is my eldest daughter's bedroom.

I have my Mum coming to stay with us later next week and she will be using that room (as we don't have a spare bedroom). I'm reluctant to do a whole lot of tidying and organising, when I'm going to have to clear the space and make it guest ready in another 5 days. It can wait!

I'd really like to use the weekend to work on the car, get it looking shiny and clean and I'd also like to re-pot some of my outdoor pot plants that are looking a bit sad now that the summer perennials I had in them dying back.  It's always nice to have a pretty pair of pots on the front porch to welcome visitors.

I only hope I can keep the house tidy until Mum arrives :-) I need to dig deep and tap into my inner OCD to stay on top of the cleaning!