Stay inside Sunday...

I started this little project today - it's a little Kokeshi Doll stuffy. I found the free pattern at MellyandMe. I bought the oriental fabric for the reverse side of her - I hope she turns out as cute as the pattern pictures.
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I took this picture on our way to Adelaide last time we went. I just had to pull up and take the shot. We were just outside Kingston, SE.
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When KP and I walk each morning, we go past some industrial sheds and this little fellow is always there, just hanging around in the puddles. He is made of tin.
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This is small drain that is filled to the brim at the moment.
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This drain winds it's way through our town and is absolutely brimming. I haven't seen the drain so full in many, many years.
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This is a crop of beans (I think) and it is well and truly water logged.
This is the view from Mayura Homestead, looking out across the flats.
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Another view of the bean crop with water lying in pools in the distance.
There is no chance of a dust storm in our area!
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Having a quiet Sunday after the party last night (I didn't wake up with a sore head). Up at 8am, I watched Nights in Rodanthe (love Richard Gere and Diana Lane). Did some laundry, folding and ironing and I made some scones just as the girls woke up. Made a big glass of orange, apple, strawberry and banana juice (I learnt that you can't juice a banana - it all ends up in the pulp holder. Lol!) Sat stitching with the girls, watching Grease 2 (Michelle Pfeiffer & Maxwell Caulfied -Pffooor!). Angus is doing steaks on the Weber with anchovy butter and lemony potatoes. Bliss!
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Cheers - Joolz

Engagement Party...

My niece, Bianca and her boyfriend Glenn became engaged recently. Today we are going to their place for a party to celebrate. It is also AFL Grand Final day so there will be lots of people there enjoying the TV coverage on a big screen TV.
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This is the gift I gave them - stainless steel gardening tools, a cookbook, champagne and a plant for their garden.
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They have set their wedding date for next September and Kirby will be a bridesmaid. She is very excited!
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Cheers - Joolz

Days 23 & 24 - Not much to say...

Day 23 - Tuesday - These cook books are my source of inspiration for all the yummy meals we have been enjoying. I lost 10 kgs with Weight Watchers back in 1999 so I have quite a few of the recipe books. It is sensible eating with flavour!
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Breakfast - Afer our 5 km walk - Just Right Cereal and banana. Cup of Chai tea with skim milk.
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Lunch - Wholemeal salad roll with turkey.
I must say I have overdosed on fruit and most days I only have 1 banana. I need to buy more fruit to make fruit salad.
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(Photo from Women's Weekly - Good Food Fast - Lose weight, feel great)
Dinner - HONEY MUSTARD CHICKEN WITH POTATO KUMARA MASH
Chicken tenderloins
1/3 cup honey
2 tblspns seeded mustard
1/3 cup white vinegar
2 tblspn soy sauce
3 medium potatoes
1 small kumara (sweet potato)
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup skim milk
2 tspns fresh thyme (I used dried)
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Boil, steam or microwave (I steamed) the potato and kumara and garlic until tender. Drainthen mash potatoes and add milk to make creamy mash. Set aside and keep warm.
Mix all sauce ingredients in a bowl, toss in tenderloins and ideally marinate 2-3 hours (I only did it for 30 minutes, I was in a hurry to get to Mt.G for a meeting at 7pm!). Spray a large baking dish with spray oil, take loins out of marinade and lay in the dish, side by side. Bake in 170C oven for 15 minutes, then turn chicken over and make sure it is coated with sauce. With the remaining marinade, pour into a small saucepan and bring to the boil and thicken.
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Dollop mash onto a plate, arrange chicken on top, drizzle with marinade sauce and serve with green beans and sweetcorn kernels.
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Day 24 - Wednesday - Walked 5 kms
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Breakfast - Tomatoes on 2 slices wholemeal toast, cup of coffee, fresh squeezed orange juice.
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Lunch - wholemeal toasted ham, cheese and mustard sandwich. Tub of yoghurt.
(normally I would put butter inside the sandwich and outside so it toasts nice and golden and crunchy. No butter in this one at all and it really didn't taste any different - it was yummo!)

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Dinner - Lamb steaks coated in flour, parmesan cheese and lemon pepper served with my Curly pasta, cheese and veg quiche and salad.
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There, I am up to date. I must get back to posting daily otherwise it's too hard to remember what I have eaten.
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I braved the weather this morning and left to pick up KP in torrential rain but by the time we drove into town to where we leave the car, it had passed over and we didn't get wet. I think we have had over 25 mls overnight - there is water lying on the ground everywhere. Certainly no fear of a dust storm in this neck of the woods!
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Cheers for now, Joolz

Day 22 - Slow and steady...edited...

Day 22 - Monday - Walked with KP 5 kms as usual.
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Breakfast - 1/2 cup Just Right & 1/2 cup Special K cereal, skim milk & a banana. Glass of fresh orange juice.
Slice of toast with vegemite.
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Cup of coffee at work
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Lunch - plate of salad vegies, small tin of tuna - like last week.
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Snack - 4 cruskits with vegemite.
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After 3 weeks, I have lost 1.5 kgs (3.3 lbs). Slow progress but progress non the less! By the way, my legs are not that shape in real life - that would be scary! However, they are that white and hairy! Lol!
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I bought the October 2009 Weight Watchers magazine and they have some great pasta recipes. We tried this recipe for dinner :

PANCETTA, SPINACH & RICOTTA CANNELLONI
150 gms baby spinach leaves - blanch in boiling water, drain and squeeze out excess water then chop finely
6 slices pancetta, fat trimmed - cooked in frypan until crisp - remove and chop finely
350 gms low fat ricotta cheese
500 mls tomato passata
1 clove garlic
1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped finely
12 cannelloni tubes
50 gms low fat mozzarella or tasty cheese
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In a bowl add spinach, ricotta and pancetta, season with salt and pepper. Stuff the cannelloni tubes with this mixture.
Hint: I put on a disposable rubber glove and hand stuff them, pushing the mixture into one end of the tube until it is full.
Combine the passata, basil and garlic in a bowl and mix together.
Arrange the filled tubes in a (spray-oil) greased baking dish, top with the passata. Place in oven at 160C for about 15 minutes then top with cheese and bake a further 10 minutes until cheese has melted and browned.
Serve with a side salad and small hot bread rolls (my suggestion).
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To bulk up this dish, I did add about 200gms of cooked chicken mince and added this to the filling mix.
If I hadn't told the family that it was low fat, they would never have known. Delicious!
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Cheers - Joolz

Day 20 & 21 - Time for dessert...

Ooh, my dear mother-in-law bought me some rhubarb stalks yesterday so
Apple & Rhubarb Crumble was on the menu for dessert last night.
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APPLE & RHUBARB CRUMBLE
4-5 sticks rhubarb - I stewed it in a saucepan with a little water, about 10 minutes until soft
4-5 Granny Smith apples, peeled and roughly chopped
1 tblspn brown sugar
cinnamon, good shake all over fruit
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Place apples in small baking dish, sprinkle on brown sugar and cinnamon and toss through apples. Add in the cooked rhubarb and mix slightly.
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Crumble: 1 cup Just Right cereal (or muesli of your choice)
1 tblspn flour
1 tblspn butter
1 tblspn brown sugar
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Melt butter then mix through the crumble ingredients. Top the apples/rhubarb with this mix and bake in 160C oven for about 30 minutes until bubbling and golden brown. Serve with cream or icecream...or both!
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After 3 longs weeks of careful LIVEit-ing (not DIEting), I treated myself to a small bowl with a drizzle of 'lite' cream. It. Was. Good.
(the little round one is for Brianna beause she doesn't like rhubarb so it's just Apple Crumble)
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Angus excelled himself and made Pork cutlets with caramelised pears and sauce. I didn't take a photo because I downed mine that quick - this is the pic from the recipe book. It looked exactly like this except he didn't put white flowers on my plate!
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And only moments ago I juiced a carrot, an apple, 2 celery sticks, 1 raw beetroot and a orange. One of these would have to be better than a vitamin tablet! Yowza!
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Barbecued soy and ginger lamb with coriander potatoes for dinner tonight, a la Angus. Bless!
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It's weigh in day tomorrow so I hope I have a good result. Fingers crossed!
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Cheers - Joolz

Happy Anniversary...

Today is our 23rd Wedding Anniversary. We started going out in August 1982. This first pic was taken in 1983 when I was nearly 19 and Angus 20 years old...
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...and this one a year or two later...
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...oh, how I wish I had that tiny waist again...
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Mmmm, yup, the bridesmaids wore ... pink ... all of them! We called in antique rose to tone it down a bit, Lol! Sweetheart necklines, ruched sleeves with bows on the shoulders and at the back, matching panty hose and custom dyed shoes - noice!
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20th September, 1986
Happy Anniversary, Angus
Love you always, Crows

Day 19 - Beanz means fartz ...

Day 19 - Friday - KP and I have walked every morning this week so that's 25 kms! We don't walk together on the weekends but I might take a stroll this afternoon.

Breakfast - Bakes beans on wholemeal toast.
Cup of tea. Fresh squeezed orange juice.

Lunch - Lavash wrap with turkey, cranberry and salad.

Snack - left over fruit salad.

Dinner - Steak, potato salad and green salad.

This is Angus, half was through his barbecued T-bone steak.

I think I've done really well this week - I basically haven't needed to snack between meals, certainly not like I used to. I would usually hit the fridge as soon as I walked in the door and grab some cheese or slices of ham. Cheese - how I have missed it! I could go through half a 250 gm block in a few minutes, slicing it off and downing it like pieces of chocolate. Not any more! Rice crackers and a bit of salsa make a good snack - carrot sticks would be even better. The weight loss will be very gradual because I have not cut out carbs but I think you have to do what your body tells you. I like a big breakfast so there is no point trying to survive on one slice of toast or 1/2 a cup of cereal. I wouldn't make it to 10 o'clock. Likewise at lunch, I wouldn't survive on crackers topped with tomato. I need something substantial. The lavash wraps are filled with salad and a few slices of meat and they are filling. Someone remarked the other day that there is heaps of sugar in the fruit I am eating. I said I'd rather eat a tub of watermelon, rockmelon, kiwifruit and passionfruit which has no preservatives in it than a diet muesli bar which has fake sugar in it plus God knows what else. And if you can't eat fresh fruit and enjoy it, then I think I'd rather be fat!

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I generally am feeling better in myself. I don't feel bloated and lets just say, I am extremely regular! Lol! But I do look forward to each meal. Not sure what will be on the menu tonight and Sunday night - Angus' whim!

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Kirby is home from Uni for 2 weeks so we are a family of 4 again! Bri and Kirby have been counting the sleeps - funny girls! They genuinely miss each others company, which is lovely.

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Okay, the sun is shining here and my washing machine is beeping to tell me another load is ready for hanging out - that's a novelty! I think there is rain on the way though - just hope Angus can get our lawns mown before it arrives.

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I might also get my tomato seeds in some seed raising mix - I bought the Burke's Backyard magazine with Rhonda Jean's first article in it and there were free heritage tomato seeds with the mag.

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Cheers for now - Joolz

Day 18 -

Day 18 - Walked our 5 km route and got drenched, even with umbrellas. I had woken Bri at 6.10am before I left and told her I was off walking. When I got home at 7.15am, there was no noise and the house was in darkness. She was still snoring her head off! We are normally out the door at 7.35 to go down to the bus stop! In 25 minutes she showered, spritzed her hair, did her makeup and got dressed. I packed her lunch and made her a toasted sandwich to eat on the bus. She hopped on the bus at 7.40am like it was any other day. Phew!
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Breakfast - porridge made from wholemeal oats with skim milk, honey and banana. It was really good but I made too much. Will cut pack the portion size next time. It kept me full until lunch time so I didn't need a snack.
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Lunch - left over Tuna Mornay on 2 slices wholemeal toast.
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Snacks - tub of fresh fruit salad at 3pm.
Rice crackers and salsa at 5.30pm.
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Dinner - Chicken Parcels - recipe is here, with baked potato & sour cream, broccoli, carrots & peas.
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I put out our garbage for collection today and I noticed that my recycling bin was only 3/4 full. Normally it is full to the top with packaging from food I buy etc. Because I have 'thrown-down junk food' I am not buying anywhere near the packaged goods that I was. Bananas don't come in a cardboard box, wrapped in plastic. I was quite amazed. Lets see how the next 2 weeks worth of recycling stacks up like.

Just for giggles...

The cat who saw me naked!
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Wishing all my blog friends a lovely day. I love this verse ...

Wishing you always -
walls for the wind
and a roof for the rain
and tea beside the fire.
Laughter to cheer you
and those you love near you
and all that your heart might desire.

(pilfered from Kelli at There's no place like home)

Day 17 - Cackleberries for brekkie...

Day 17 - Breakfast - 2 slices wholemeal toast with 2 free range local boiled eggs, salt and pepper.
Fresh squeezed orange juice. Cup of tea. Lovely!
I like my boiled googies with half runny yolks but firm whites. Eggs are also known as cackleberries, bum-nuts and hen-fruit! *smirk*
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I walked at 6.15 with KP (her eye is getting better, after she poked it and got an infection). We went our usual route which is 5kms. Chilly!
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Lunch - Wholemeal ham salad sandwich. Bowl of fresh fruit salad - watermelon, rock melon, passionfruit, kiwi fruit.
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Dinner - Bri was up for another Spag Bol from the freezer. I felt like Tuna Mornay so that's what I made.
We used to buy vol au vents to serve the mornay in but they are expensive and fattening. Now I make my own bread cases (trim crust off bread, butter and push into muffin tin, butter side down. Bake until toasted). They're much tastier.
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MINI TUNA & CORN MORNAY FOR 1 (or 2)
1 tblspn butter
1 heaped tblspn plain flour
milk to make sauce
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese, salt & pepper
180 gm can Tuna in spring water, drained
cut corn kernels from 1 cob of corn
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Melt butter in a small saucepan, add flour and cook off for 1 minute. Add milk slowly to make a white sauce, a bit at a time, whisking to remove lumps as you go. When you have a nice thick sauce, add cheese and a little more milk. Season with salt and pepper. Add tuna and corn and stir through. Place in small casserole dish, top with a little more cheese and breadcrumbs. Bake 15-20 minutes until bubbling. Serve in a crunch bread case with salad.
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Yum! Can't wait to dig in. This plate is from the first dinnerset I had when I got married. I only have one large plate and a side plate left. I have all white crockery now but blue and white might make a come back soon.
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No other news, just been working each day and chillin' with Bri. Angus is home tomorrow and Kirby comes home for 2 weeks on Friday.
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Oh, can I say - the production of The Taming of The Shrew was good but Bri's teacher got the times wrong. I was told it was a short piece, starting at 8pm and running 70 minutes (an abridged version perhaps?), finished by 9.10pm. We finally left the theatre at 10.50pm! then had a 40 minutes drive home. Aaargh! Oh, well - I got my bit of culture to last me a while!
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Another good day of wholesome food. Tomorrow I am having wholemeal porridge for breakfast...with a bit of honey and banana! I've only ever had porridge from a sachet which is full of sugar and flavoured like honey (I quite often had this for supper at 9.30 before bed!) so it will be a learning curve for me as to how long to cook it and get it right.

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Cheers - Joolz

Day 16 - Breakfast, lunch and dinner...yada yada yada...

Spring is springing in this neck of the woods... pretty violas and violets...
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New growth on the silver birch Angus planted...

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Violas and petunias on our front porch...

* Breakfast - Just Right & Special K cereal, banana, a big spoonful of natural yoghurt on top, fresh squeezed juice of 4 oranges and a cup of Bushells tea.
* Lunch - lavash bread with turkey, lettuce, carrot, cucumber, beetroot, cheese & mayo.

* Oh, yeah!
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Dinner - looks a bit sad...I froze these meals last week knowing that Angus would be away. Bri and I are off to Mt.G tonight so she can attend a performance of Taming of the Shrew with her Drama class. Quick, easy and tasty (and ready to zap!).
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Cheers - Joolz

Visit: www.30daythrowdown.blogspot.com

Day 15 - Uh, oh...& Chicken Nuggets n Fries for dinner...

Day 15 - It would seem things have ground to a halt in the weight loss department. Same weight exactly as last Monday. I need to tweek a few things in my life, I think. Nuff said.
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Breakfast - 1/2 cup Just Right & 1/2 cup Special K cereal with skim milk and banana. Fresh squeezed orange juice. Cup of coffee.
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Lunch - 1 sheet lavash bread with ham, lettuce, cucumber, carrot, cheese & mayo. Banana later.
Delicious!
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Dinner - Organic Chicken Nuggets and Homemade Oven Fries
You might think that this is a naughty dinner but it was basically fat/oil free apart from

about half a tablespoon of olive oil I used on the fries (2 medium spuds). Put them in a bag and give them a shake to cover with oil, season with salt and pepper or your favourite herbs/spice.
The chicken breast was cut into bite sized chunks, dipped in seasoned flour then egg then into dried bread crumbs. Bake on a paper lined tray until tender. Hint: Put the fries in about 10 minutes before the nuggets. Serve with salad.
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A lot healthier than the McGolden Arch version!

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Tomorrow is another day and I wonder what's to eat...for real!
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Visit : www.30daythrowdown.blogspot.com
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Cheers - Joolz

Day 14 - Hungry Sunday...

I woke up this morning feeling a bit seedy. Maybe one too many red wines last night! I watched a little TV then made breakfast - wholemeal toast, 2 scrambled eggs. Cup of coffee.
Missed fresh orange juice!
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Fruit salad for snack. Head pounding.
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Off to Mt.G to take Angus to the airport. Bri had 2 Fasta Pasta vouchers that she had won during netball season so I thought we'd use them as they are 'dine in' only. I chose a Margherita pizza, Bri had Tortellini Pollo and Maddy had Spag Bol. It was a nice light pizza with fresh tomato and herbs and I asked for ham on it too.
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We got home and I had the munchies. I had more fruit salad, an Anzac biscuit, a banana, some slices of ham (bad), water, Cruskits. I just couldn't fill up!
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Dinner - Tacos with chicken, beans, corn, zucchini & onion; lettuce, carrot, cucumber, capsicum & cheese. I had three which was probably one too many but they were really yummy and I think low fat. Fruit salad later for dessert.
I'm officially full and ready for bed.
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Weigh in tomorrow morning at 7.30, after my walk.
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Determined to have cereal and banana for breakfast. Eating too much bread...but oh, I love wholemeal toast!
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Cheers - Joolz
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Visit: www.30daythrowdown.blogspot.com

Day 13 - Off to the Footy...

Day 13 - Breakfast - 2 slices wholemeal toast with vegemite and peanut butter.
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Off to our local Football/Netball Grand Final at our home ground, Hatherleigh. I was rostered on the sell raffle tickets for an hour and a half then decided I'd stay and watch our A Reserve netball team play their GF. They won! I took a packed lunch so I would not be tempted to eat a hotdog, sausage roll or hot chips and gravy. Oh my, they used to taste so good!
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Lunch - wholemeal ham, cheese & mustard sandwich, container of fruit salad, banana.
Nibbles - pistachio nuts, dried apricots. Water.
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After the A Reserve game I helped on one of the food and drink stalls then I got asked to work in the canteen for a while. Thats where the chips & gravy are....
But I was very good and didn't have any! Yay!
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Dinner - Angus cooked some loin lamb chops in the Weber and I did a salad of lettuce leaves, dried cranberries, olives, cucumber and cheese. I roased potato and sweet potato in the oven with some seasoning. Our table is pictured above. We sat and talked a lot about the busy week ahead. Angus is off for a business trip so there was laundry to get ready also.
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After a very warm, windy day (22C) it is now raining (on my towels on the line!).

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Cheers - Joolz

Visit: www.30daythrowdown.blogspot.com Join in and EAT. For REAL!

Day 12 - Pizza for dinner....

Visit : Robynn's 30 Day Throw Down

Day 12 - It was so blustery when I went for my walk this morning that I only lasted about 20 minutes before heading home. Lots of dark, menacing clouds hanging over town that were eventually blown away with no rain eventuating. It was about 14 C this morning but as the day progressed it got to an unseasonal 21C.
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Breakfast - 3 slices Burgen Soy-lin toast with shaved corned beef. These slices are really small otherwise I would only have 2. I do like a hearty breakfast and while cereal is good and nice and sensible, it just isn't my cup of tea (read boring). Fresh squeezed o/juice and cup of coffee.
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Lunch - I boiled 2 eggs after breakfast so I could make a curried egg sandwich for lunch. I also made my own mayonnaise - recipe to follow later. Look how yellow these farm free range eggs are!

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Life is pretty boring when you have to take photos of egg salad sandwiches, isn't it? Joolz needs to get a life! I put curry and mayo, salt & pepper in it then put it on fresh wholemeal bread. Fresh fruit salad for after.
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It was good!

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Snacks - banana, rice crackers dipped in salsa

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Dinner - home made pizzas on pita bread. Normally I would use full fat bacon & lots of salami (pepperoni) but this time I used lean bacon (no fat) only. I bought organic tomato paste, spooned that on then layered on sliced zucchini, bacon, onion, capsicum, kalamata olives, cherry tomatoes and a light sprinkle of low fat cheddar cheese. I always sprinkle ground oregano on top of mine too. Sorry, no photos - they come out of the oven and we were into them!

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Another good day of good, healthy eating. I hope the scales will show my good work on Monday morning!

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Have a nice weekend. We are off to our Football Grand Final which is at our home ground. I hope our netball teams (A Reserve & 13/unders) are successful!

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Cheers - Joolz

Day 11 - Fresh fruit and vegetables...

I walked for about 40 minutes this morning. It is getting lighter all the time and the rain stayed away so that was good.

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Day 11 - Breakfast - 2 slices wholemeal toast with vegemite, scrape of butter

fresh squeezed orange juice and glass of water. I forgot to have a coffee (so I am obviously not an addict!)

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Lunch - off to Mt.G to have my nails done and do some jobs. I packed a wholemeal sandwich with turkey, cranberry sauce, lettuce, carrot, onion and cheese; a tub of yoghurt and a banana.

That way I am not tempted to seek out junk food.

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Dinner - picking Angus up from the airport so we will have Thai.

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I went to She's Apples in Mt.G and bought some lovely fresh produce. This lot totalled $48.75

I resisted temptation and did not go into Baker's Delight which is next to She's Apples!
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Here are the prices, for interest sake:

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3 sweetcorn $2.00

6 small zucchini $5.02 ($5.49/kg)

2 lebanese cucumbers $1.34 ($3.99/kg)

4 granny smith apples $2.35 ($3.99/kg)

1 sweet potato (kumara) $1.27 ($2.99/kg)

1 red capsicum $1.95 ($5.99/kg)

6 bananas $4.44 ($2.99/kg)

2 x 3kg bags navel oranges $7.58

1/4 watermelon $3.72 ($2.39/kg)

1/2 rockmelon $2.37 ($3.49/kg)

punnet of strawberries $2.79

6 mandarins $3.54 ($4.99/kg)

salad lettuce mix $2.08 ($15.99/kg)

bag of hand made fusilli pasta $5.59

1/2 small peeled pineapple $2.69

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How do these prices compare with your fresh produce? I think this place is more expensive but the produce seems so much fresher and vibrant than the 'stupor-markets'. I am only buying for 3 of us and most of the fruit will be consumed by me.
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I have cut up some watermelon, rockmelon, strawberries and pineapple and made fruit salad for our dessert for when we get home tonight. Yummo! A dollop of yoghurt, maybe?
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That's me for another day, not much happening in this neck of the woods, just being and doing...not much.
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Cheers - Joolz

Day 10 - Not much happening here...

(Spaghetti & Meatballs a la Joolz)

Day 10 - I walked at for about 40 minutes this morning. I'm finding it hard without my walking buddy to go as far as we normally do. I have changed routes because I am walking alone and want to feel safe so I stick to our local shopping area where there is lots of traffic passing through. I don't want to walk the secluded back roads like we normally do. Anyhoo, I walked 40 minutes none the less!
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Breakfast - 2 slices wholemeal toast with scrape of butter (thanks Robynn) and topped with baked beans. Mmmm, I love them! Freshly squeezed orange/mandarin juice and a cup of coffee.
(Although I am up early, I try to have my brekky between 8.00 and 8.30am. Then it's not so long until lunch and less chance of needing a snack. No snack in between today). Cup of coffee and 2 glasses of water at work.
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Lunch - having a bit of a 'meh' mood so I had some left over cauliflower au gratin and a few slices of turkey breast. Took a yoghurt and banana back to work with me. More water.
(I always get bored with healthy lunches - what else can I have except wholegrain rolls, sandwiches, salad plates? Any ideas?)
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Kirby text me and said she got a D for one of her assignments... D for DISTINCTION! WooHoo! Well done, girl! Her hard work is paying off.
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Dinner - just me and Bri tonight. So it is Spaghetti Meatballs in Basil sauce (thank you Mr Dolmio). I made meatballs using 'heart-smart' low-fat beef mince, clove of crushed garlic, breadcrumbs, shake of basil, thyme, sage and oregano dried herbs, 1 egg, salt and pepper. Mix together then form small meatballs and drop into the sauce which I poured into a skillet and heated. Usually, I fry and brown the meatballs first then add the sauce to heat through, but I saw on a TV show the other night, an Italian family showing how they make their sauce and they put the raw meatballs into the hot sauce and cook from there. I just tried one and they.are.good!
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I'm about beat so will call it a day.
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Cheers - Joolz

Day 9 of the Throw Down...

I walked for about 1/2 an hour this morning as KP had to start work early. I pounded up and down our main street, stopping to window shop every now and then...nice shoes and bags in there...nice shirt on half price rack there...ooh, I like that lamp in there...and so it went on.
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Day 9 - Breakfast - 2 slices Burgen Soy-lin toast topped with slice of ham and 2 eggs, scrambled with parsley and curry powder. I have farm fresh eggs at the moment and probably shouldn't have them two days running, but they are so good.
Cup of coffee and glass of fresh squeezed orange juice - note to self - try adding a mandarin or two to the mix. Glass of water.
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Lunch - pictured above - 180 gm can tuna in springwater, drained. Small potato, zapped in mocrowave until tender, lettuce, 4 cherry tomatoes, red onion, grated carrot, celery, sprinkle of lowfat cheese, dollop of lowfat sour cream for spud and drizzle of balsalmin oil free dressing.
Pile it all into a plate like I have and enjoy. It is really filling and very satisfying. Banana and a tub of yoghurt to follow later.
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Snacks - 4 cruskits with vegemite, 8 prunes
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STICKY PORK CHOPS
1/3 cup plum sauce (SPC brand, in jar)
2 tspns sweet chilli sauce
1 tblspn soy sauce
2 tblspns honey
1/2 tspn crushed garlic
1/2 tspn crushed ginger
^
1 tblspn olive oil
lean mid loin pork chops
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I mixed the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. Simply cook the pork chops to your liking in a fry pay until cooked and tender. Add the plum sauce mix and let it bubble and thicken slightly, coating the chops.
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CAULIFLOWER AU GRATIN
1/2 a small cauliflower (600 gms)
1.5 cups skim milk
1 tblspn butter
2 tblspn plain flour
1/3 cup reduced fat tasty grated cheese
salt and pepper to taste
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Cut cauliflower into small florets and place in a small baking dish. Cover and microwave for 2
minutes. Melt butter in a small saucepan, add flour and mix together, cook off for one minute. Gradually add in the milk (use a whisk to avoid lumps) until white sauce thickens. Add half of the cheese to the sauce and season to taste. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes to thicken. Pour over steamed cauliflower and top with remaining cheese. Place in 180C oven for approx. 20 minutes until bubbling and top has browned. Serve immediately.
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Dinner - Serve the chops with mashed potato, carrots, peas and corn and cauliflower au gratin. Another low fat but comforting dish for a cold night.
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Cheers - Joolz