Wednesday 28 November 2012

dietdevil: We all need a bit of comfort

dietdevil: We all need a bit of comfort: So the diet is still not happening.  I am too cold to eat salad. I want comfort food and therefore tonight's dinner is toad in the hole w...

We all need a bit of comfort

So the diet is still not happening.
 I am too cold to eat salad. I want comfort food and therefore tonight's dinner is toad in the hole with mashed potatoes and onion gravy. Proper homemade toad in the hole with posh pork sausages with apple and sage.
 As they say in St Ives - ansum!
 
As they say in Alnwick - barrey!
 
 
 
Everybody loved it - well when I say everybody I mean myself, hubby and Martha. The spaniels liked the look of it too and I'm sure if the cat wasn't sleeping in the bottom of the airing cupboard in the bathroom then I am sure he would have twitched his nose appreciatively as well.
 
Tomorrow it's quiz night and our team is playing against the most disliked team in the whole league. Their 'captain' is referred to as many things - one of the kinder comparisons is Lord Voldermort. He has been known to cheat, he never buys a drink ( and tuts when we make one of our frequesnt trips to the bar) and at the end of the evening he scoops whatever food is left into his manbag, claiming it's for 'his cats'.
 
I would like to say I am joking but I'm not.
 
I hope tomorrow night's buffet consists of something soggy and it makes it harder for him to scoop.The venue we are playing at is not renowned for its' culinary fayre and last time I recall we had deep fried polenta and chips with curry sauce.
 
Not an egg sandwich in sight - maybe tomorrow would be a good day to resume my diet?

Tuesday 27 November 2012

dietdevil: Paws for thought

dietdevil: Paws for thought: So November officially sucks. You wake up and it's dark and it never really gets light all day. In exactly 4 weeks time it was be 'C' and I...

Paws for thought

So November officially sucks. You wake up and it's dark and it never really gets light all day. In exactly 4 weeks time it was be 'C' and I still haven't bought a single present. I nearly bought one last night but managed to restrain myself. Plus, if the world is going to end on December 21st I really don't want to spend any money on anything until the day after...............if there is a day after, obviously. I also wont be putting my tree up before then either and the thought of Freddy the shredder and a tree in the same room is slightly worrying.
 
 Speaking of the spaniels, Mutley was having his morning play and started limping again this morning. He was apparently fine on his walkies this afternoon but is now looking very sorry for himself.
 
He can barely put his saw paw to the ground so it looks like another trip to Gemma the vet tomorrow.
 
Even Freddy knows that his partner in crime isn't up to his customary wrestle and romp so is sitting quietly. It's a sad day for the four legged members of our house today.I hate it when the animals are ill - they cant tell you how much pain they are in and those big brown  eyes are tugging on my heart strings.
 
 
All the brownies are now gone but my fruit bowl remains full. I know I know I know that I need to get a grip and start eating healthily, but I just feel so uninspired at the moment.
 
Fat club is a dim and distant memory  - I just need to find my mojo. The problem is, with the weather as it is all we wear is thick leggings and baggy jumpers so waistbands don't come into the equation.
 
I miss my massive SW breakfasts. I even miss my swiss roll and couscous cake.My only social engagement in the next week is the book group 'C' do a week from now so I could really try and have a virtuous few days until then.
 
Or........I could ask Martha to make some more brownies.
 
Hmmm.
 
 
 
 
 

Monday 26 November 2012

dietdevil: Brownies. storms, cardies and twitter!

dietdevil: Brownies. storms, cardies and twitter!: So I haven't blogged for a few days. It's wet , it's miserable and I have been eating brownies so I haven't had the time or the inclination...

Brownies. storms, cardies and twitter!

So I haven't blogged for a few days. It's wet , it's miserable and I have been eating brownies so I haven't had the time or the inclination to put finger to keyboard.
 
Oh I also had to have a bloodtest today and whilst in the doctors I glanced at the stall that the old ladies run.
 
 It has EVERYTHING!
 
 Books, bric a brac, and hand knits a plenty!
 
 
It reminds me of the 1970's but in a good way. The 3 old dears were having a blast - sitiing in their special chairs, having a good old yarn and selling the odd plate or scarf. It's my friend and fellow blogger Leanne's dream job and I thought of her when I was snapping this pic of the handknitted cardies for today's blog. The old ladies were very suspicious and I think if there had been a security guard there then he would have been called. I obviously would have shown him my cotton wool and plaster dressing and pleaded insanity.
 
Most of Cornwall seems to have flooded apart from St Ives. On saturday night there were dozens of photos on Facebook of towns and villages under gallons of water but barely a sprinkle in our town.
 
I was indoors warm and cosy anyway with a gigantic brownie to keep me company. Martha made them and I have to say they were DEEELISH. There was a  lot of butter and sugar involved so I have avoided my scales for a few days now.
 
Now on to Twitter! I have fallen in love with it. Today alone for example, I have interracted with several friends and have declared war on Christopher Maloney's supporters ( well one of them, and she started it ) and it's fab! If anyone wants to follow MEEEEEEE! then please do .
 
I love writing and I love chatting so it combines both of them perfectly.
 
And incase you were all wondering about my 'diet'?
 
I too have been wondering where my mojo has gone.............I have been suffering from stress and anxiety recently ( dont be fooled by the chirpy exterior ) and any food to hand has been going in my mouth. I know I feel worse for it but am not in the right place at the moment.
 
I can still see my toes so that's good.
 
I can also still see some of that naughty brownie in the kitchen - god help me.

Sunday 18 November 2012

dietdevil: Thank goodness for the pudding!

dietdevil: Thank goodness for the pudding!: So I like beef and I like olives. I do not like beef olives.  Mine were a complete and utter flop. The beef unwrapped itself from aroun...

Thank goodness for the pudding!

So I like beef and I like olives.
I do not like beef olives.
 Mine were a complete and utter flop. The beef unwrapped itself from around the sausages and ended up in crispy swirls nestled in between the carrots. Oh and I had forgotten how much I dislike beef sausages too so maybe logically it was a non starter from the outset :(
 

Luckily Martha had gone to her grandmother's house and made a blackforest bread and butter pudding which softened the blow of the horrible main course.
 
I am now having a glass of wine and waiting for X factor to start.
 
I have been given some helpful advice from a friend today and have a few positive plans for the future.
 
It's the second leg of the mini quiz league tomorrow night that will determine whether my team ( I can't remember the name we gave ourselves but think it may have been 'the no hopers'  ) get to go to the star studded final. Seeing as we came second bottom last week, this is not very likely.
 
I think it's more likely that I will attempt to cook beef olives again.

Saturday 17 November 2012

dietdevil: Och aye the nooooooooooo

dietdevil: Och aye the nooooooooooo: So my Mammy is from Scotland and I have very clear memories of some of the meals she cooked for us when I was a wean . Stovies, mince and...

Och aye the nooooooooooo

So my Mammy is from Scotland and I have very clear memories of some of the meals she cooked for us when I was a wean.
Stovies, mince and totties and gallons of proper broth and as I recall everything came with bread and proper butter - of course if there was jam or ham on the bread it would have been called a piece.
 I would like to point out right here that looking back on my childhood menu may give me some indication of why I have a weight problem, hmmmm!
 
My friend Rosina is also from North of the border and I love talking to her about the meals she cooks too. The other week she told me about 'beef olives' and I had never heard of them before but I haven't lived with my mother since 1987 so I may have forgotten.
 
According to wee Rosina it's basically beef sausages wrapped in beef ( I can feel a meat sweat coming on ) but I have just looked for the recipe online and there's all sorts of high falluting other ingredients. I will cook it Rosina style. Tescos were doing beef sausages on special offer so I have loads in my fridge and I am looking forward to how it turns out. Rosina is alwso having some of them.
 
Other things my mother did that were very Scottish were - putting salt on her porridge, make a lot of scones almost every day ( pronounced to rhyme with 'gone' and not 'stone' ) and there was always a steamed pudding on the go.
 
I often wonder what Hattie and Martha will tell their kids about meals I have cooked. Martha is notriously fussy about what she eats and will often whip something up herself rather than eat what I am having. In all fairness, frylited healthy chips or lasagne with a cottage cheese topping instead of creamy white sauce may be appealing to someone that goes to fat club but not so appealing   to someone that doesn't have to.
 
I like food and I find it interesting. I genuinely enjoy hearing about people's favourite dishes from their youth and however much we try to recreate them, it never quite tastes the same.
 
My Mum's stovies were to die for and I have only attempted them once and they just weren't as good.
 
 She also did a mean bread and butter pudding the 'scottish' way, filling the dish of bread, butter , sugar and sutanas with custard and baked until it set. It always had a thick skin on it and that, to me was the best part.
Oh and it was never served with cream or anything that fancy - it was always milk, which incidentally was what we always poured onto warm apple pie.
 
Of course, back in the day, we all had full cream milk didn't we? I remember my Granny being horrified when she tried skimmed milk - I think she only tried it once and thought it was water with some white powder stirred in.
 
I will give you all the verdict on my beef olives tomorrow. I may have  a back up meal just incase it all goes horribly wrong!



Friday 16 November 2012

dietdevil: Where the hell is the cress?

dietdevil: Where the hell is the cress?: So last night our quiz team faced its weekly humiliation and got beaten by even more points than ever. I so wish I paid more attention to c...

Where the hell is the cress?

So last night our quiz team faced its weekly humiliation and got beaten by even more points than ever. I so wish I paid more attention to current affairs, history, geography, sport etc etc and all the things that  true quizzer should know.
 
But I don't.
 
I did however get my 'individual' question right. The subject was the 90's and as I was having babies in the 90's I watched a lot more telly and read the newspapers I was fairly confident.
The question was - who was Kurt Cobain's wife?
 
There was a 6 pointer on football - we got NIL points. There was a ten pointer on Oscar winning films - we got 7 and there was a 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 question where we actually got a respectable 4 points - the answer to that was Bradley Walsh.
 
I only really go for the grub and the banter. I even missed dinner last night in anticipation of some lovely egg sarnies and I was gutted to see that they weren't your bog standard egg and cress ones but fancy egg and coleslaw. There are some things that shouldn't messed with and egg sarnies are one of them.
 
Today has clarified how much I hate my job. I would like to say that I only hate it sometimes but I genuinely do hate it at least 80% of the time. I basically spend a LOT of time correcting other people's mistakes and I resent doing this as I have shizzle of my own to do. By 11 am this morning I had had quite enough and just wanted to run down Back Road West screaming and frothing at the mouth.
 
I am making another proper homemade meal tonight - roast pork. I have even made yorkshire puddings and I also made the mistake of weighing myself too.
 It wasn't good.
 
I blame the fancy sarnies - coleslaw weighs much more than cress.
 
And it was Courtney Love, incase you didn't know.

Wednesday 14 November 2012

dietdevil: Hej Sverige! and pies.

dietdevil: Hej Sverige! and pies.: So it's interesting to see who reads my blog. It would appear that the Brits and the Americans like me and it always gives me a thrill to s...

Hej Sverige! and pies.

So it's interesting to see who reads my blog. It would appear that the Brits and the Americans like me and it always gives me a thrill to see a new country appear on my list of who has read it. My blog buddy Leanne always seems to attract the more obscure foreigners whereas I seem to be a magnet to basically the western world and occasionally the odd Japanese person .
 
I was thrilled to see that Sweden are reading it! I like Sweden because I like the Eurovision song contest and Abba and Roxette and I used to love it when Hale and Pace did the sketch about frisky Swedes in the sauna. I don't want to change what I blog about but it would be nice to keep my Scandinavian readers so I shall just do as I have always done and basically write a lot of nonsense about diets, books groups and naughty dogs.
 
I promised my hubby that I would make a pie today and by dinnertime I really couldn't be bothered. It's a lot of fussing around for something that I can buy from Tescos at half the price - and if I get a Tesco 'finest' one it will probably taste nicer. BUT - I still did it. It has chicken, bacon, sweetcorn and mushrooms in it and it is looking mighty fine. The pastry bit was touch and go and it kept splitting and I had flour EVERYWHERE so I hope he appreciates it.
 
He took Maddie to the vets today for her booster jabs and the vet has said she 'would like' Maddie to lose a kilo. I have noticed that she is getting a bit broad recently and she is infamous for nicking the cat food at every given opportunity but I am not sure how we are going to do this. Dogs are stupid - and will eat and eat until they are sick so I think a smaller cup of dried dog food in her dinner and a longer walk each day may be in order.
 
Martha has gone to Truro to see the Christmas lights being switched on - oh god, I have mentioned the 'C' word. I now need some wine........................and a slice of that pie,

Tuesday 13 November 2012

dietdevil: Happiness is.............a dog called Mutley

dietdevil: Happiness is.............a dog called Mutley: So life is a bit hard for me at the moment. My diet has gone to pot, my belly is getting bigger and I have all sorts of things that I need ...

Happiness is.............a dog called Mutley

So life is a bit hard for me at the moment. My diet has gone to pot, my belly is getting bigger and I have all sorts of things that I need to sort out but am playing a waiting game. I go to bed, I sleep, I wake up far too early, I worry and then I fall back to sleep for an hour before I have to get up and face all the problems again.
A phrase I often use to friends going through a bad patch is 'nothing lasts for ever' and this is true. Things will get better and I have lots to be thankful for so I will no longer dwell on the negative as from now - well for today anyway!
 
My 18 month year old springer Mutley came along 2 months before the dear Daisy died last year. Maybe it was a premonition by myself and my hubby but he has been a blessing in disguise.
 
 
I love my doggies and out of all 3 of them Mutley is definitely the happiest. Maddie is a little bit 'special' and Freddy is a puppy and is too busy  often eating lightbulbs and shoes to settle down for long but Mutley is a big cuddly lump.
 
Just look at the photo and tell me that a dog can't look happy?
 
You can see it in their eyes - the devotion and the ? , well the LOVE - I don't care what anybody  says.......it is 100% true!
 
I adore the energy that they have for each new day - nothing bad from the day before is carried over - each new morning heralds the start of another canine adventure .
 
This is why they are man's best friend and no matter how low I feel I know there will always be a wet nose to nuzzle into me and nudge me out of my gloom.
 
Tomorrow is another day and I shall approach it 'springer' style.
 
Woof.
 

Monday 12 November 2012

dietdevil: back to 3

dietdevil: back to 3: So today we waved Hattie off................   She's not back til Christmas and I am feeling very low. I am glad that she is happy and...

back to 3

So today we waved Hattie off................
 
She's not back til Christmas and I am feeling very low. I am glad that she is happy and loved being at uni but a few days is never enough to say all the things I want to say to her. Yes, I cried and to be honest, an hour after she has gone and I am still crying.
 
 
On a slightly jollier note I am playing in a quiz tonight at The Western Hotel. The ultimate prize tonight is £2000 and a star studded final and free pasties beckons. I went along to watch the final last year up in the wooky wilds of St Austell and I seem to recall there was a LOT of people in anoraks and some relatively famous people there.
 
Bearing in mind it is teams of 4 and we only have 3 mambers and none of us know anything whatsoever about sport then I am not holding my breath............

Sunday 11 November 2012

dietdevil: Jane Harris - I salute you!

dietdevil: Jane Harris - I salute you!: So today was another quiet Sunday and we had a lovely family roast at The Sheaf. I am stuffed as full as a bandit's rifle and can't move. Th...

Jane Harris - I salute you!

So today was another quiet Sunday and we had a lovely family roast at The Sheaf. I am stuffed as full as a bandit's rifle and can't move. This is just as well because I was up til the early hours finishing this book......
 
Now as you all know I LOVE books but I have to say that this is one of the best I have ever read. I wish I could keep it quiet until it's my turn to choose again at book group but I can't..... I want everybody to read it and talk about it NOW!
 
It is rare that a book leaves me this hungry for more but this one has done it good and proper.
 
Jane Harris manipulated me and my thoughts on the central character from the start and left me unsure as to what to think at the end. If I say anymore it will give the plot away, but pleeeeease any bookworms reading this blog - read it and get in touch.
 
On another note, Hattie goes back to Cardiff tomorrow and I am sad to see her go. I will not miss the noise she makes or the fact that she brought home a traffic cone last night from her drunken shennanigans in Falmouth.
 
I am a geek so I have calculated it will be 40 days until she is back for Christmas. I will be counting those days and will be finding somewhere to dispose of the offensive cone which is currently in her bedroom.
 
 

Saturday 10 November 2012

dietdevil: I love Kahuna burgers!

dietdevil: I love Kahuna burgers!: So today we had a little bit of mother and daughter bonding time. I love having Hattie home!   We went to the Hub Bar on the harbour an...

I love Kahuna burgers!

So today we had a little bit of mother and daughter bonding time. I love having Hattie home!
 
We went to the Hub Bar on the harbour and on the recommendation of my friend Celeste I had a kahuna burger.
 
Oh my goodness it was DELICIOUS.
 
So was the sundae that I had at Moomaid of Zennor afterwards.
 
I will not be having any dinner tonight and I will not be going near my bathroom scales either.
 
I have however done a Tesco shop and have bought lots of fruit and yogurts so I have every intention of behaving myself tomorrow.......actually, not tomorrow as I am off for a cheeky carvery at lunchtime but Monday is another day.
 
Sometimes life gets on the way of all our best laid plans and I don't intend spending precious time with family by eating lettuce leaves.
 
When Hattie goes back to Cardiff on Monday and I am bereft then I will open the salad drawer in the fridge.
 
The weather is miserable and the town is empty and it is 3pm on a Saturday afternoon . I am too full to move so I shall politely excuse myself from the room and sneak off and resume reading my book.
 
When that's all I have to do then I feel happy.

Thursday 8 November 2012

dietdevil: Reunited and it feels soooooo go-ooood!

dietdevil: Reunited and it feels soooooo go-ooood!: So today Hattie came back! I had a surge of motherly pleasure when the train approached..........   and hugged her as much as she wou...

Reunited and it feels soooooo go-ooood!

So today Hattie came back! I had a surge of motherly pleasure when the train approached..........

 
and hugged her as much as she would allow.
 
It is 50 days since I last saw her and as she pointed out - she was a teenager then but now she is the ripe old age of 20!
 
She is here until Monday. I had forgotten how noisy she is and she had forgotten how exciteable the spaniels are. She is currently lying on the floor and Mutley and Freddy are climbing all over her.
 
Today Freddy chewed up  a picture that I had taken ,enlarged and printed and had planned on framing for my Mum for Christmas. My friend Simon suggested that I could send her it and say it is a jigsaw.
 
Hattie has got to do lots of uni work tomorrow and is staying in the house. I am relieved about this because no matter what obstacles I remove from the lounge, Freddy always manages to find something to vandalise.
 
It is wonderful to have her back even if it is only for a few days.

Wednesday 7 November 2012

dietdevil: Life's a beach!

dietdevil: Life's a beach!: So I haven't blogged for ages.......well it's actually about a week and the reason??? Well I've had nothing much to blog about and have bee...

Life's a beach!

So I haven't blogged for ages.......well it's actually about a week and the reason??? Well I've had nothing much to blog about and have been having a few 'personal issues'.
 
I am making it sound all very mysterious - I am not getting divorced, I have no life threatening illness ( I hope ) and the world still turns so all is not lost.
 
 
I have many positives .
 
 I live in a beautiful place and hope to always live here, I have healthy and happy children and I am made from a combination of sturdy Northumbrian / Scottish stock so it's onwards and upwards for the future. I have said many a time to friends when life has kicked them in the teeth ''nothing lasts forever'' and I will take heed of my own advice and try and remain chipper throughout a tense and stressful period of my life.
 
Enough of this already - I'll tell you what I've been up to for the last few days.
 
Well........Martha went to Cardiff to stay with her sister and had a 'Wale' of a time, she did lots of shopping, ate Hattie out of student house and home and then came back and made the house not so quiet again.
Hattie is back for a long weekend tomorrow and it's 7 weeks since I have seen her and I can't wait!
 
We played the quiz against a team where the captain is a Harold Shipman lookalike and LOST as usual - but never before have I wnated to win so much. That man is VILE - I reckon Dr Shipman was probably a better laugh on a night out  and I so wish we all hadn't had that extra round of drinks because then surely we would have won???
 
It was book group last night which is my favourite night of the month! I was being all healthy and ate grapes instead of -
 
Chocolate cake
Lemon cake
Dips
Crispy type things
Chocolate dipped strawberries
Meringues
Egg sandwiches
Nachos
Quiche
Olives
Sausage rolls
 
Wasn't I good? Oh I also drank grapes as well - in the form of a cheeky little merlot which was very nice.
 
The book we read 'The Forgotten Garden' by Kate Moreton provoked quite a reaction, Most of them liked it but Leanne, Jan and I didn't. Jan found a cracking blog about it today and I agree with everything that this blogger wrote. I am still chortling at the fairy tales in the book being likened to 'lumps in mashed potato' - I wish I had penned that phrase!
 You see that's something else I have to aim for and look forward to - getting my blog quoted and linked by other bloggers.

When that happens, I know that my life  will be on the up and in the meantime  some positive vibes would be good.
 
 
Thank you.