Catching up...

Chicken and veggies for Chicken Cacciatore - very nice.
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Chicken Cacciatore and vegetables Monday night dinner.
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Steak, salad and Annette's Potato salad (minus the boiled eggs) for dinner Thursday night.
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Brianna made cupcakes for her boyfriend, Michael (aka Porpy). She presented him with all 6 of these as school on Tuesday.
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I made Annette's Rich Chocolate Squares (Book 4) - can you believe they have apple sauce and nutella in them. Delicious!
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Dinner last night was Lamb Souvlaki wraps - not a diet dish but healthy none the less. Garlicy yumminess!
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I made mine on a pita bread, spread with a little tatziki sauce and salad veggies. I only had one. Good girl! Can't say the same for the red wine...
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Wednesday night we had Annette's Homestead Chicken Pies (I made individual ones). These were really delicious - flavoured and thickened with Cream of Mushroom and Cream of Chicken Cup-o-Soups. She is so clever with her flavourings. The pastry topping was really good too!
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The pies before having the pastry tops put on.
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These few pictures show my kitchen the way I like it - tidy!
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Tonight I am going on a bus trip for my neice, Bianca's Hens Night. We are heading to a seaside town for dinner at the local pub then onto another pub in another town before heading back home. I hope I have the strength - I'm not really a party animal! I think it will be fun observing the younger ones as the night goes on...
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The weather in the past week or so has really dampened my enthusiasm for the Masterclass - it is just so hard to want to eat really healthy foods when it is so cold. We have had a few days straight where it was only 8 or 10C. and it just will not stop raining! I have walked once this week because it rains between 6am - 6.30am and is usually raining betwen 5 and 6pm! I haven't cracked and eaten anything bad (oh, to have a lovely meat pie or pasty!) but I find I just can't drink 8 glasses of water a day when you are not thirsty and salad after salad starts to get to you after a while and fruit just isn't comforting. I must admit those Rich Chocolate Squares are really good - even my girls like them - so I am rationing myself to a square a day while they last. I do have day-dreams of crumbed lamb chops, cheesy, creamy mashed potatoes and lashings of rich brown gravy.... but NO, I must not! I can do this and I really want to do this but I don't think I'll have much of a weigh loss this week. If I stay the same, that's okay too.
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Enjoy your weekend in your part of the world,
Cheers - Joolz

Day 13 - Reality bites...

Good morning, how are you today?
This is the sunrise that greeted me at 6.50am today when I ventured out to get the Sunday paper. It gets delivered each morning at the bottom of our driveway.
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This is how my kitchen looked on Friday night after I had cooked Chicken & Corn Mornay for Brianna and Annette's Beef Chow Sym for me.
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Our kitchen is the hub of our home and I spend a lot of time in it. The cupboards are jarrah wood. I can talk to family or watch TV while I am cooking. I love it because it is spacious and there is lots of bench and sink space.
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It tends to gather a lot of excess items over the day until I clean it and put things away again.
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I won't bore you with my Masterclass stuff over the weekend. I may bake a chocolate cheesecake this afternoon so I'll put up some pictures if I do. I hear it is yummy!
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We are off to Kongorong for Brianna to play netball (semi-finals). If they win they get another chance but if they lose today they are out. Go Hatherleigh Eagles!
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Weigh in tomorrow after 2 weeks!
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Cheers - Joolz

Day 11 - Soup weather...

I made a pot of soup for lunch - this is really quick and I was eating it 30 minutes later. I did mine on the stove top but you could microwave it just as well. In a saucepan, I threw in roughly chopped pumpkin, sweet potato, carrot, zucchini and onion. Add water to just cover the vegetables and add 1 teaspoon salt reduced chicken stock powder, a crack of black pepper and 1 teaspoon of Mild Indian Curry powder. Simmer until all vegetables are tender then whizz with a stick blender until smooth and creamy. Serve with toast fingers or a wholemeal bread roll.
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Angus had a hankering for a good steak (these were over 1 inch thick!) so I let him cook it. Too cold outside for barbecueing, so he cooked it on the stove then oven baked it for about 5 minutes to finish it off.
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Annette has a recipe for Hot & Saucy Steaks so I made the sauce which had tomato, bbq, teriyaki and worcestershire sauces in it among other things - it was yummy! You could have it with pork or chicken too. I oven baked potato fries (skin on), pumpkin and sweet potato and we had polka dot sweet corn too (yummo). No greens tonight. I had half of one of the steaks, about the size of my palm because they were so big.
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I got baking and made some Oaty Cookies (healthy ones, so these are mine) and Choc Chip Cookie Bars (not healthy as they contain milk, dark & white choc chips! so these are for Kirby & Brianna).
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Week 2 (Day 11)
Won't bore you with todays food, pretty much like the other days for breakfast and lunch. I find I alternate between porridge/banana or 2 slices toast or baked beans with 1 slice of toast. I love my breakfast!
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I have struggled drinking 8 glasses of water because in this weather I am just not thirsty - I probably had 5 or 6. I had a 30 minute walk in the morning but didn't get one in the evening.
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I am a little behind reading the daily hints and tips and need to listen to Annette's daily advice for today so will try and catch up tomorrow. All good here so I hope I can continue to be good over this weekend, ready for weigh in on Monday. Brianna is in the semi finals for netball so we play at Kongorong on Sunday.
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Cheers - Joolz

Day 10 - Rainy with a chance of meatballs...

The weather declared that Spaghetti & Meatballs was on the menu so I made Annette's recipe.
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The start of the sauce - onion, capsicum, garlic & zucchini fried off in a pan.
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Simmering away in all their tomatoey goodness.
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Yum!
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This is Brianna's first attempt at pavlovas (meringues) - they turned out brilliantly. She is using them in her Hospitality class tomorrow. Topped with whipped cream and a blueberry and maple syrup sauce.
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She was pretty chuffed with them.
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Week 2 (Day 10)
The weather was arctic this morning with high winds and rain so no walkies until later in the day - I got in 40 minutes.
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Breakfast - my yummy porridge topped with banana, honey and LSA
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Lunch - left over Tuna Bake and cauli/broccoli bake on one slice of Cape seed toast.
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Snack - 1 apple and later some nuts, cranberries and blueberries.
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Dinner - Spaghetti & Meatballs - very filling!
I had about 6 glasses of water during the day.
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This afternoon I am making Oaty Cookies with dried apricot and blueberries - I'll send some to Kirby for uni snacks.
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Have a nice day - I hope it's a little warmer for you than where I am!
Cheers - Joolz

A text request...

Text message from 16 year old daughter : Can you pretty please get me some sara lee choc icecream :) please xoxo

My reply (2 seconds later) : Ok, but only because I love you! :)
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I love technology!
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Joolz

Day 9 - Another new day...

Well, the sunrise looked promising. I thought finally, a nice sunshiney, warmer day. NOT!!
It was about 9C all day! Brrr! I am really feeling the cold these last few weeks. Roll on spring!
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This is Chicken Marsala from Annette's Book 6 that we had on Monday night (Day 8).
It was nice but I thought the sauce was a bit sweet so next time I am going to modify it by using white wine instead of the marsala. I also made her cauliflower au gratin (Book 3) and added broccoli to it. Brianna loved it. This is a typical size serving for me. After all those glasses of water each day, my appetite by dinner time isn't that big.
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Week 2 (Day 9)
I walked 30 minutes in the morning but didn't get a walk in after work as I had to prepare dinner then take Brianna to Mt.G for an Italian Trip meeting.
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Breakfast was 2 slices Cape Seed toast with sardines (springwater drained off), tomato sauce and worcester sauce, salt & pepper. Yum, yum, yum! Plus a coffee with 1/2 tspn sugar - I have found cutting back from 1 teaspoon to half hasn't been bad at all.
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Lunch - a wholemeal roll with turkey, cranberry, lettuce, tomato, carrot, avocado but no cheese. :( and one banana.
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Dinner - Annette's Tuna bake - this was very nice. Similar to a mornay but with not as much sauce but it had pasta and lots of veggies in it so it was nice and filling and really tasty.
Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture before Angus has hoed into it.
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Annette's Quote for the day - Obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off the goal.
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Another chilly day here so I'm off to find another layer of clothes I can wear.
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Cheers - Joolz

Day 8 - Weigh-in day...

I was very happy this morning. I weighed myself when I got back from my walk and I have lost 1.5 kgs (3.3 lbs) after one week. I think this is a good healthy loss for me.
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Tonight for dinner I think I will try Annette's Marsala Chicken which has a nice mushroom marsala creamy sauce and served with lots of vegetables. I hope I can get another walk in this afternoon if the rain holds off. Okay, I'm off to do some housework!
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Annette's Quote for the day - The one thing that separates winners from losers is that winners take action!
Cheers - Joolz

Day 7 - a quiet day at home...

Not much happening here. The weather is cold and windy with intermittant showers so no walking today. I have been doing some baking for Kirby - sausage rolls and pasties - which I have frozen for Angus to take to her at the end of the week. They are handy for her to pull out for a quick meal.
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Week 1 (Day 7)
Breakfast - 1 plain scrambled egg on 2 slices Cape Seed toast - this bread is delicious!
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Lunch - I made a pot of vegetable soup with veggies in the fridge. I had large lump of jap pumpkin, 1 large carrot, 1/2 a sweet potato, onion, celery and 2 tspn chicken stock powder & pepper. Add water, simmer for about 40 minutes until all soft then whizz with a stick blender. I added some curry powder at the end. It was delicious with a small dob of light sour cream. I had two big mugs at lunch time.
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I had an apple and a banana during the afternoon and a tub if diet yoghurt late in the afternoon for something sweet.
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We made home made pizzas for dinner - I made mine on pita bread instead of the white dough base and I used low fat cheddar cheese instead of the pizza cheese which has mozzarella in it.
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I think I had 7 glasses of water during the day so not bad, considering I wasn't thirsty each time I drank one. Weigh in tomorrow morning so I have my fingers crossed!
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Annette's Quote for the day - Remove any negative messages that are stopping you from getting to your goal weight. It's called taking control!
Cheers - Joolz

Day 6 - Netball in the rain and lamb cutlets...

(web pic)
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Brianna played in her last 17 & Under netball game of the minor round on Saturday - it was windy, wet and very cold. She also had to umpire a junior game before her game so she was freezing when she went on. They had a good game although they lost two of their players to injury (a shoulder and an ankle) and had to have young Under 15's stand in. They lost by 3 goals but Brianna declared it their best game of the season and they played the top team. She played Goal Keeper which she really enjoys. Now they are in the semi final as they finished 4th on the ladder.
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For lunch I had a toasted sandwich of left over chicken breast, barbecue sauce and about a tablespoon of grated cheese on the Cape Seed bread. No photo sorry, I was really hungry as I didn't have anything at netball. Normally I would have a cup of soup and a hot dog or a pasty. Not this time.
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After netball, I headed to Mt. G to catch up with a friend for coffee, bought some more delicious Cape Seed bread from Baker's Delight (and a Berry Tea scroll to have with coffee - I had the tiniest piece!) and I treated myself to a new lipstick and eyeshadow.
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I was glad to get home as it was really wet and stormy coming home. Angus was in charge of dinner - we had herb crusted lamb cutlets, smashed potatoes and salad. Once again - no photo sorry.
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Week 1 (Day 6)
I slackened off a bit today (I think you can have a bit of salad/fruit overload) - I was still very good and apart from a tiny piece of the scroll (bun) I didn't have anything naughty. However, I didn't drink my 8 glasses of water (only 4) and only had one piece of fruit (banana with my porridge) and basically no vegetables. I had a few nuts to nibble on in the afternoon. Normally I could devour a packet (yes, a whole packet!) of savoury or cheddar shapes over the afternoon or have about 2 dozen Jatz crackers with cheddar cheese on them. That is just called over eating and eating for the sake of eating.
So I am pleased with how it's going and I do hope I have lost something on Monday morning when I weigh in.
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Annette's Quote for the day - Don't let anyone steal your dreams.
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Cheers - Joolz

Day 5 - End of the working week...

Breakfast - Bakers Delight Cape Seed loaf (made with 100% wholegrain flour, the small Cape Seed Loaf is packed with the goodness of 9 grains & seeds. High in dietary fibre & preservative-free, it also has a low GI giving you longer lasting energy. It's great for sandwiches & toast) toasted with vegemite. Also a banana and a cup of coffee.
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Lunch - okay, don't freak out! This was my Salmon Salad plate that I just literally threw together in 5 minutes from everything in the fridge.
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95gms salmon in springwater, drained; 125gm can 4 bean mix, drained; lettuce, tomato, grated carrot, capsicum, cucumber, red onion, 1 tbspn grated 25% fat reduced cheddar cheese, Kraft Balsamic 100% fat free dressing. Yummy and filling.
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Dinner - Being Friday night, I was in chill down mood so first up I had a crumpet with vegemite (and the teensiest bit of Flora Pro-active marg) then later I pan fried half a chicken breast, chopped it up and put some straight balsamic vinegar on it (I love the stuff!). No salad with it, just the chicken. I had carrot sticks and salsa when I first got home from walking so that's all I felt like. I had left over Pineapple Pudding for dessert later in the evening. Nice and casual. I must say I have been sleeping like a top - maybe it's the cold, dreary, rainy weather and the extra blanket on the bed?

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Week 1 (Day 5)
I walked twice, morning and evening for 3o minutes (briskly) and I definitely had my 8 glasses of water. Still one piece of fruit down but by late afternoon it just doesn't appeal. I need a maid servant to cut me up a big bowl of tropical fruits and spoon feed me! Anyhoo, another good positive day done.
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Annette's Quote for the day - Every moment presents a wonderful new opportunity to become more of who you are.
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Cheers - Joolz

Day 4 - Cruising along...

Breakfast - Porridge, banana, 1 tspn honey and sprinkled with LSA (Linseed, Sunflower & Almond) and a cup of coffee.
I have my breakfast when everyone has left the house. I listen to Annette's daily audio message while enjoying my brekkie! Then I crank up my mixpod on the blog and SING!
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Lunch - wholemeal roll, turkey, cranberry sauce and salad.
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Dinner - oven fries sprinkled with Moroccan seasoning, ready to bake.
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Mesclun lettuce, semi-sundried tomatoes & olives.
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Pan-fried Coorong mullet fillets, salad & oven fries.
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Dessert - Annette's Delicious Sticky Pineapple Pudding (how can healthy taste soooo good?!)
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My serve with a small scoop of icecream. Heaven!
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Week 1 (Day 4)
I walked at 6.15am for 30 minutes then got another 30 minute walk in at 5.30pm. I just got back to the car when it started raining! I went to Mt.G to have my nails done (my treat) and resisted doing any shopping apart from going to She's Apples to stock up on fruit and vegetables. I also bought some dried blueberries and cranberries as I like to mix them with my nut mix for nibbles.
I drank my 8 glasses of water for the day (and didn't feel too water logged) but I didn't eat my 3 pieces of fruit. Must do that tomorrow. I am feeling really good about this health plan and haven't felt hungry at all. My afternoon nibble if I do need something is carrot sticks and salsa or celery with vegemite. I am steering clear of all types of crackers.
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The weather seems to be brightening up a bit so I hope the weekend won't be too wet so I can get some walks in then also.
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Annette's Quote of the Day - There is no success without sacrifice.
Cheers - Joolz

Day 3 and it's freezing....

Breakfast - 3/4 cup baked beans on 1 slice 9 grains toast and a cup of coffee.
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Lunch - a wholemeal lavash bread, 30gms low fat ham, lettuce, carrot, tomato, beetroot, slice of Free cheese and avocado.
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The lavash bread may as well have been cardboard because that's what it tasted like. I'll go back to the white lavash, thanks! It needed a bit of dressing so I am going to make some of my mayonnaise. Otherwise, very tasty and the diet yoghurt topped it off.
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For an mid-afternoon snack, I peeled a mandarin and put it in this little cooler flask - easy to eat at my office. I also took some mixed nuts and cranberries to nibble on. It's that time of the month...
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Dinner - Annette's Potato Bake plus my concoction of chicken breast stuffed with onion, ham, semi-sundried tomato and moroccan spice, topped with bread crumbs, baked in the oven with a little chicken stock in the dish then topped with a 1/2 slice of cheese to finish plus salad.
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Week 1 (Day 3)
I couldn't walk this morning because the weather was so rough - high winds and rain and about 6C! Kept on track all day although I think I missed a couple of glasses of water. The nuts were a good snack at work in the afternoon.
All good.
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Annette's Quote for the day -
There are 3 kinds of people in the world -
Those who make things happen,
those who watch things happen and
those who have no idea of what is happening!

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Cheers - Joolz