Tuesday 18 March 2014

dietdevil: Sniff Sniff Sniff

dietdevil: Sniff Sniff Sniff: So in case any of you have missed this - I LOVE springer spaniels. I have 3 of them and I adore them and the Mummy of the youngest one has ...

Sniff Sniff Sniff

So in case any of you have missed this - I LOVE springer spaniels. I have 3 of them and I adore them and the Mummy of the youngest one has just had more puppies so I went to visit.
 
They were squishy and they were cute and they made little 'ooh ooh ' noises and I basically wanted to sniff them for hours and nibble their ears. I obviously didn't do this as I do occasionally manage to control myself in puppy type situations but they were adorable!
 


 
And as cute as they all are - they will grow into these .........
 
 
So there will be no new additions to the Noall Spaniel gang - definitely not!
 
But isn't there something totally delicious about the smell of anything baby? Whether it is a dog or a cat, or even an actual human, it makes my ovaries throb and my head go a little fuzzy. I love them and that is that.
 
And moving on from our canine chums, my life has been a little up and down recently.
I am very proud of myself for handling it quite well though and despite being stressed and upset over things I cant really do anything about, I haven't sunk into the awful depression that I had last year. My pecker has been well and truly up and as awful as my annus horribilus 2013 was, in a way it did me a favour as the events of this year are nowhere near as bad as the things that caused me to crumble last year.
 
And I appear to be still at target weight wise!
 
I have thrown in a few treats on a Thursday and Friday ( not sausage rolls or doughnuts I hasten to add ) and I eat my normal healthy stuff for the remainder of the week. I am never going to be 100% happy with myself but then again who is? and I am enjoying the moment and may try and tackle another half stone at some point in the future but not just yet.
 
And spring has sprung!
 
St Ives was shrouded in a weird fog last week and I am ecstatic to announce there has been no rain for what seems like ages now. The farm where the beautiful puppies live was bathed in golden sunshine and driving back through the winding lanes there was birds chirping and it was all very lovely.
 
I also have been overtaken by quiz type things. I am resuming doing the weekly quiz for the local pub on a Monday and am doing a couple of charity ones soon and then before I know it I am back up the campsite every Tuesday. I enjoy them and love having a microphone
''look at me and listen to me''
 so it's all good.
 
And of course - 3 huge events to look forward to
 
1. Dolly in Cardiff
 
2. Robbie at the O2
 
3. Hattie graduating.
 
Diamante and tassels for the first, Gig chic for the second and posh frock for the third so I best start saving and then get myself off doing the sort of shopping that I actually like now - clothes!
 

Sunday 9 March 2014

dietdevil: My heart strings were tugged today and I wore shor...

dietdevil: My heart strings were tugged today and I wore shor...: So I went shopping and I saw something in Tescos that made me feel very sad. It's too personal to put on here in case the 2 people in q...

My heart strings were tugged today and I wore shorts.

So I went shopping and I saw something in Tescos that made me feel very sad. It's too personal to put on here in case the 2 people in question should read it but it made me fill up a bit. I am saying no more. Life can be a total bitch and it definitely has been for these people.
 
I am moving swiftly on.
 I did an austerity shop. I hate shopping at the best of times and I have now been lured by the cheap meats of Camborne so anything that was thrown into my trolley was thrown in with a roll of my eyes and a loud 'TUT'! I excelled myself with some of the bargains I found though and not  a single one had a value sticker on so I was doubly pleased.  I think the depressing thing about food shopping though is the fact that no matter what you buy, you will have to go and do the same thing again the following week. Shopping day is groundhog day as far as I'm concerned.
 
And the weather is gorgeous! The predicted heatwave did arrive.
 
Too good to be shopping for long and so I took advantage and I did some weeding. I am not one of life's natural gardeners by any stretch of the imagination. Armed with my new hoe and wearing a pair of shorts that kept falling down I tackled it. I then realised that I had no idea where my gloves were so I went in bareback. There was a couple of whopping worms and I touched one and managed not to vomit and carried on until the front garden was weed free and the bulbs that Leanne gave me were planted. She even walked past my house and I am sure she was doing it to check that I was doing it right too. I could tell she was impressed.
 
And the good news is that I appear to be back at my target weight after the pastry shenanigans. I was good yesterday and have been good today and thankfully feel a lot better. Roast turkey for dinner with some of my beloved sprouts and a large glass of merlot should finish off the day nicely. I have nearly finished the quiz for the quiz final on Thursday with just a bit of nipping and tweaking required. Some of the questions are easy and some are real stinkers but it should sort the wheat from the proverbial chaff. I like both the teams that are partaking in the final and I really wouldn't like to say who I think would win but it will be a good night.
 
As long as I avoid the buffet obviously.
 
I also was going to attempt one of my infamous recipes using things that you can eat on Slimming World. It was pancakes and there was smash potato in them. I didn't have any smash in my cupboard and I fancied bacon and eggs instead so I didn't bother. I am thinking that tomorrow I will instead. My friend Jenna assured me that they were quite nice but I think they may be a no no from the word go as I don't really like pancakes that much anyway. These things need to be tried though - if only for the comedy factor.
 
And finally, this month I am determined to finish reading the book group book as I have been quite naughty recently. This month's choice is 'The Book Thief' and by all accounts it is a cracker. The trouble is that I am reading yet another Jenny Éclair and she is very funny whereas the book group choice is set in Nazi Germany so I am guessing the laughs will be few and far between.
 
We all need a bit of humour in our lives but we all need to read allocated books too so I am going to finish this blog right now and crack on.
 
 

Saturday 8 March 2014

dietdevil: I am Gillian McKeith.............but I don't look ...

dietdevil: I am Gillian McKeith.............but I don't look ...: So here was my idea for Thursday.....have no dinner and enjoy the buffet at the quiz. Great in principle but not so great when you are on y...

I am Gillian McKeith.............but I don't look at people's poo.

So here was my idea for Thursday.....have no dinner and enjoy the buffet at the quiz. Great in principle but not so great when you are on your third drink by the time the buffet arrives.
 
When it got there it was fine and I may have even salivated a little. There were big fat sandwiches, onion rings , chips and rather a lot of scampi. I was on my fifth piece when I said 'I don't know what the hell is inside these breadcrumbs but I like it' and Geordie Andy reliably informed me it was scampi, the great culinary masterpiece of the 1980's. Anyway, I had 4 doubles and was fine and came home full of scampi, bread and booze - three of my now  favourite things.
 
Yesterday I was hanging. Not since Polish Christmas have I been so hungover and that rendered me incapable of speaking for at least 2 days. I started off okay in the morning but as soon as 3pm hit I went down quicker than a whore's drawers. It was not good and in a moment of stupidity I convinced myself that I needed some stodge so I trotted off to Warrens and bought -
 
2 x sausage rolls ( jumbo ones )
 
2 x doughnuts ( one jam and one had something sweet and sticky inside  it )
 
I ate them and at the risk of sounding like Gillian Mckeith or Gwyneth Paltrow they made me feel even worse. I had palpitations and I was giddy and not with pleasure and this leads me to the belief that it wasn't what I drank but what I ate!
 
To some of you this may sound lame, but I think it's true. For the past 6 months I have been virtually virtuous and I think the overload of fried stuff and bread stuff pushed my now healthy insides over the edge. The sausage rolls ( jumbo ) and the doughnuts added to this. It taught me a couple of lessons.
 
1. I should have had my dinner before the quiz and then just had a couple of bits as a treat.
 
2. Pastry and cakes are no longer my friends.
 
3. In future when people tell me to have a cake I can say 'oh no I have an allergy' and look like a bit of a knobhead.
 
And so today I got back on it. This was after weighing on my newly reclaimed scales and seeing that I am a pound up.
 
Was it worth it?  - not really.
 
Will I do it again? - probably but perhaps not as much.
 
And it is true what dear old Gillian says - you are what you eat and generally if you eat crap you feel crap. I realise I am possibly being a bit of a smug dieter here, but at the moment this is how I feel.
 
Today I have cleansed myself and feel a lot better. Lots of fruit and veg and meat. I am hoping that I will get rid of the surplus by fat club on Wednesday and if I don't then I will take it on the chins.
 
And on a jolly note - I saw an old friend today who groped me , presumably to do a flubber check and was amazed at how much  weight I had lost. It's times like this it's worth it and I am thankful that the aroma of sausage roll and doughnut had been replaced by porridge and banana.

Wednesday 5 March 2014

dietdevil: Being a huffy madam and the return of my beautifu...

dietdevil: Being a huffy madam and the return of my beautifu...: So it was first weigh in today after being at target and I maintained. I should technically be happy with this but there is a little bit of...

Being a huffy madam and the return of my beautiful scales and where the hell is Larry?

So it was first weigh in today after being at target and I maintained. I should technically be happy with this but there is a little bit of the huffy in me today and it's hard to get used to not  losing. I need to get over myself and chill out.
 
I had a cheeseburger and chips a week ago and 2 extra slices of bread on Saturday and apart from that I have been as angelic as I will ever be.  The whole point of setting a target weight is to be at a weight you want to be at and are able to maintain yet I have still got a face like a bulldog licking piss off a thistle. It is also my time of the month so that is why I want to growl, froth and cry all at the same time. I should maybe make a list of nice things and count my blessings but at this precise moment I want to sit in a dark room and listen to Dido and maybe eat a pie or two. Tomorrow I will be better.
 
I heard from one of my oldest friends last night. She emigrated to Canada 15 years ago and we last saw each other when we were both pregnant - me with my youngest and her with her oldest. Time flies and we yapped and laughed for over an hour and promised that we wouldn't leave it so long until next time. Maybe this is why I am a bit glum today? Everyone is getting older. Even me.
 
On a positive note -  I have now got the nice scales back in their rightful place. These are the ones that show my correct weight and don't tease me. Angela from fat club gave me them back this morning and I nearly kissed them and her. I haven't hopped on yet but I know they are there - almost like a comfort blanket really and to put my fragile ego at rest for the days I get a bit wobbly. Every so often I will do my 'I do not need  scales' rant, but if the truth be known, I totally do.
 
And today is the start of Lent. I was going to give up bread, then it was meat , then it was wine and then it was chocolate and then I thought oh stop already. I gave up booze for all of January, I don't eat bread much, I bloody love meat and I have gone off chocolate so there is nothing really to give up that will have that much of an impact on me or my lifestyle so I am giving up giving up. Obviously giving up meat would have an impact but I am sure you can all remember my one day of vegetarianism last year and how I was practically eyeing up my spaniels by lunchtime.
 
And it is book group tonight and I am hoping for a Viagra of a book to help revive my severely flagging reading mojo. I am a book geek, a reader, a devourer of fiction , and nothing seems to be floating my boat at the moment.............apart from Jenny Éclair and that's probably only because she has the same name as a cake! I want to have a book that I don't want to put down, a book that I think about when I am not reading it and a book that makes me sad to finish. Am I being demanding? Yes.
 
So before you all feel the need to slit your wrists after reading this, I am going to cheer myself up. I am going to eat some curry for lunch and to make some lists and to just basically snap out of the doldrums. I will be back tomorrow, happy as the proverbial Larry, whoever he may be.
 

Monday 3 March 2014

dietdevil: Scales, Soup and Spring is trying to spring. And s...

dietdevil: Scales, Soup and Spring is trying to spring. And s...: So I got my scales back from Beccy. I am weak. I need them and I had almost forgotten that in a rash moment a couple of years ago I gave th...

Scales, Soup and Spring is trying to spring. And some serious stuff too.

So I got my scales back from Beccy. I am weak. I need them and I had almost forgotten that in a rash moment a couple of years ago I gave them away with strict instructions not to return until I got to target! I obviously bought another set which I then gave away a few weeks back to Angela from Camborne. I got the ones back off Beccy on Saturday. This excited me.
 
My excitement soon wore off though once I got on them and my weight fluctuated by half a stone in the space of me having a bath. This morning I appear to have lost 3 stone but I have gained 2 throughout the day. They are playing games with my fragile ego so I have asked Angela to bring back my other set when she comes to fat club on Wednesday. I need them . I try and kid myself I don't but I do and I wont be happy until they are back in their rightful place.
 
I had one of my soup moments this morning. I get them every so often and I am crap at making soup and if I'm honest I don't really like it that much either. I dry fried off loads of left over veg from last night's roast and then brought it to the boil, threw in an Oxo and put it on to simmer. It smelt ansum it really did.
And then I forgot that it was simmering and it had to be chiselled off the bottom of the pan and all I am saying is that it's a good job it was a good quality Jamie Oliver pan and it has lived to tell the tale. I hate him but his cookware is divine.
Leanne has said to leave the soup shenanigans to her and I can deal with the fish. She made a fish pie yesterday which by all accounts made her 'gip'. The whole lot was binned and I know there are lots of starving people in the world but from what she was saying I don't think they would have wanted it either.
 
And it's sunny!
 
And sort of dry!
 
There are baby birdies singing and definite little buds appearing and it is mellow and not so cold. I got my sunglasses out. I went for a walk and didn't wear them but I know where they are for future reference. This is good. I always find spring a promising month and I know that there is that old saying 'cast ne'er a clowt til May is out' but the first sniff of any remotely warm weather will prompt me into getting flip flopped and t shirted. It has to be done .
 
A serious bit now......................I rarely watch the news and I never read a newspaper but this whole Ukraine thing is worrying me now. I don't like the phrase 'world war three' being bandied about. When I was a lassie up in Northumberland in the 80's there was always that dark undercurrent of a threat that Russia was going to nuke America and because we had their missiles deployed at Greenham Common then we would get a slap on the way  past too. There was then Gadaffi and Libya in the mid 80's and then Saddam in the late 80's and into the 90's and then it wasn't nukes they were talking but chemical warfare. It is frightening and I don't really understand any of it.
 
All I know is that despite the monstrous weather the last few weeks I am glad I live where I do. We completely take for granted our health and our lives and my moaning about scales and burnt soup is zilch in comparison to the fear that the people over there must be going through. Life is cheap in some parts of the world, totally meaningless and this makes me sad.
 
And on that thoroughly depressing note, I am about to give Jamie's pan another chance. This time with some chilli.
 
.
 
 

Saturday 1 March 2014

dietdevil: Apparently they taste like hob nobs.

dietdevil: Apparently they taste like hob nobs.: So - day 4 of being at target and I had lunch out. I had soup and my friend had a burger. And chips. There was a drizzle of cream on top of...

Apparently they taste like hob nobs.

So - day 4 of being at target and I had lunch out. I had soup and my friend had a burger. And chips. There was a drizzle of cream on top of my soup and 2 chunks of bread. I ate it all. I am maybe pushing my luck or chancing my arm or both but it was the friendliest thing on the menu for me today.
 
And lunch was at The Hub. Honestly, the more I go there, the more I like it. Their banquettes are comfy and the place is always very lively. Oh and the view is great too. One woman on the way in fell and head butted the door and one woman on the way out nearly lost her fingers in a jamming incident so there was plenty to look at. When I say jamming, I mean she jammed them in the door and she wasn't playing the guitar with Jimmy Hendrix.
 
Tonight I am doing stuff in the kitchen again. I am making my infamous cauliflower bread  and I am also making something, which according to my friend Jenna 'tastes just like hob nobs'. Now in the grand scheme of things I don't really care for Hob Nobs but I am always up for a culinary adventure. Sometimes it's a hit and sometimes it's a miss. For example -
 
Quinoa Carrot Cake - surprisingly edible
Swiss Roll - nomch
Chickpea Hummus - Don't even go there
Magic Pancakes - Hurl - I'm still nervous around lots of eggs
Smash Pizzas - Meh
 
So I am not sure where these Hob Nobs will be on my list. They will be baked tonight and dunked into my black coffee in the morning. I am not going to reveal the ingredients but I may throw in a few sultanas just for the heck of it.

  I have just made them and I even threw in a sliced banana. I need to calm it down a bit. For those of you reading this that are true fans of a chunkier biscuit, you may want to look away..........
 
 
They smell nice, they look rough and in the words of Peter Kay, Hob Nobs are the royal marines of the biscuit world and  they can survive some hard core dunking.
 
Bring on the dunking tomorrow!