First day of Uni...

We had a cracker of a sunset last night - red hot, pink and purple - glorious!
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Today Bri starts her Bachelor of Nursing - good luck! - we know you will love it and will make a great and caring nurse.
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I gave her room a spring clean yesterday - packed away most of her stuff that she has left behind so the room is neat for when she comes home next.
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I have reclaimed my 'good room' dining table - all through 2011 it was littered with study and school material. Gone!
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Not much else going on here except eating food, I guess. Friday night we had steak with 3 salads - yum!

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Wednesday night we had Annette Sym's Satay sauce on chicken skewers with Basmati rice which I steamed with snow peas and bean shoots. Simple and delicious.

SATAY SAUCE (Book 3, page 42)
1/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
1/3 cup onion, diced finely
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon dried coriander
1/2 teaspoon dried cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried turmeric
1/4 teaspoon chilli powder (I use dried ground chilli flakes, about 8 turns of the grinder)
3/4 cup evaporated light milk (Carnation)
1/2 teaspoon coconut essence.
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In s small saucepan, spray with cooking spray then saute garlic and onion for 2 minutes. Add all other ingredients combining together well, bring to the boil then leave to one side.
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Skewer your meat - I used chicken but you could use pork or beef and fry off in a non-stick pan until cooked. Serve with rice.
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Last night, Gus coated some Chicken Marylands in an African Spice mix and did potatoes in the oven and a tossed salad. I was good and didn't eat the skin on the chicken - too fatty!
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This week brings another week of work then off to the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide on the weekend then the Taylor Swift concert on Sunday night - can't wait!
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Cheers - Joolz

Meet George the Juicer...

This is my new Breville Juice Fountain Plus - I shall call him George ...
It came recommended by Aussie Joe Cross from Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead. Do yourself a favour and watch the trailer for his inspiring film and the testimonials. I am not contemplating a juice fast just yet, but can see the benefits of doing a 10 day fast. But I think I love my food just a bit too much at the moment...
RRP is $229 but it was on special in Target for $169
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It has a wide chute for juicing whole fruit and vegetables (fits a large apple whole) ... but I learned that it is still best to cut into fruit to make sure nothing nasty is lurking inside...
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This orange looked a bit 'woody', like the flesh had dried out...
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This is what it looked like inside - yuck! I threw it away and got another one out.
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This juicer extracts heaps more juice from the fruit than my old juicer (the pulp is so much drier). This is 1 apple, 1 orange, 2 carrots, 1/2 small raw beetroot and 2 sticks of celery with green tops on - and it made a good one and a half large glasses full. It is becoming part of our morning routine to juice and I will try and have just veggie juice when I get home from work each day. I need to be a bit careful of having too much fruit juice (the extra sugar won't help with my weight loss). It really is delicious!
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This afternoon I tried silverbeet (chard/kale), celery, cucumber, carrot, beetroot and kiwi fruit (just for a bit of sweetness) - not as nice as the above mix but still drinkable and it has stopped me having any snacks until dinner time.
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I don't know how I did it!

My weight loss has been slow since I joined our local Weight Watchers group back on November 1, 2011 but last night I finally lost a further 600gms which gave me a total loss of 5.1 kgs - I am super happy. I could not believe that I had still lost weight in the past week, given the Australia Day 4 day weekend that we enjoyed with our visitors from Melbourne.
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I think my juicing has helped my weight loss - the juice is filling so I do not snack between breakfast at 8am and lunch at 12 noon, just a cup of coffee at work usually. The juice also makes you 'regular' if you know what I mean (definitely daily for me!) and I think it flushes unwanted things from your body. It is a bit costly but I guess I am not buying snack foods and I buy the cheapest apples (Sundowners were $1.97/kg compared to Pink Lady's $3.94/kg). I am investing in my good health.
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I have started taking Fish Oil to see if it eases my back and shoulder joint pain. It could take months before I may notice a change. The oil tastes fine and I just have a little bit of orange juice to wash it down. Lets see if I can see an improvement.
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It's a beautiful sunny, clear blue sky day here today. My garden is looking colourful but very neglected. Because I have been having physiotherapy (with acupuncture) on my back and shoulder I am not game to get out in the garden in case I strain something. The weeds aren't taller than the plants yet so that's okay!
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We have a book club that leaves books at work and I was couldn't resist buying Julie Goodwin's latest book - The Heart of the Home. I got it for $20 but it retails for $49.99.
It has some lovely recipes along with her stories of her childhood and growing up and enjoying home cooked food. There are many recipes I will try but will have to modify the fat content in them. Recipes using a knob of butter (100gms) are just not good for you!
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Last night at our WW meeting, we had a small tasting of some low fat dishes that some of the committee members had made. I will cook the Lamb Chasseur tonight - it only has 6 ingredients - lamb, onion, mushrooms, bacon, canned tomatoes and beef stock - it was delicious.
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Enjoy your day - I hope the world is throwing some nice weather your way - it's a cracker of a day here!
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Cheers - Joolz

Juicing...

I got out my juicer and made my veggie/fruit juice this morning...
(Raw beetroot, carrot, celery, apple & orange)

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This is it before I stirred it... pretty, isn't it?
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A glass full of goodness!
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We had a chicken Caesar Salad for dinner last night (sorry no pics) and I used Praise 99% fat Free Caesar dressing and it was delicious. I chopped up baby cos lettuce leaves, browned off some lean bacon then my chicken tenderloin pieces and let them cool off. Once cooled/cold, sprinkle the lettuce with bacon pieces and chicken, add the dressing (I don't like to use too much) then sprinkle in some croutons (I buy mine but you can make them too). Finely grate some parmesan cheese over it all and give it a good toss. I find you only need about 2 tablespoons of the cheese and that is not a lot, weight wise. Enjoy!
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It was a little bit ironic as I had just bought the January copy of Australian Healthy Food Guide and it suggested swapping the normal dressing for reduced fat version. I did that before reading it! This edition is packed full of good swapping ideas so I will share a few over the coming days.
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Angus & I are walking each morning (40 minutes) and I am really enjoying it. He makes me accountable for going.
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HEALTHY SWAPS
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Instead of feeling hungry after only having a piece of fruit for breakfast because you are trying to be good - Add extra fibre and protein by adding a handful of muesli, a tablespoon of LSA (ground linseed, sunflower and almond) and a good dollop of low fat yoghurt to a bowl of fruit salad (chop it up the night before).
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Instead of getting a pie from the bakery - Make extra dinner and pack it so you have healthy left overs for lunch the next day.
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Instead of pouring sauce or dressing like it's going out of style - Use a tablespoon or a pump bottle to spray a small amount over your meal.
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Instead of choosing juice, cordial or soft drink throughout the day - try to choose WATER first. Add some fresh lemon or lime juice or a few sprigs of mint for flavour.

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Instead of having icecream or custard for dessert - opt for low fat versions. Individual serve packs will reduce the likihood of over doing it. Make a low fat fruit crumble with apples and berries.
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As you can see, I am back into it! I didn't over-eat over the Christmas/New Year break but I did eat a little too much of my favourite thing - CHEESE! I have it out of my system now and will not be buying any delicious, scrumptious, mouthwatering vintage cheddar (Cracker Barrell!).
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Cheers - Joolz

A good day....

I started yesterday off with a 30 minute walk. I did some tidying around the house and ended up getting to work rather late. Oops! Home for lunch, I had left over Cottage Pie - even better than the night before! I cut up watermelon and pineapple and dolloped on some yoghurt - banana & creamy honey Forme (no fat, low sugar). So good!

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I went out to a pub for dinner last night with my WW committee friends. We all chose sensible meals - no Schnitzel Parmy & Chips for us! Instead we chose rump steak or grilled chicken breast with either vegetables or salad. I had tossed salad, rice salad and beetroot. No creamy noodles or potato salad.
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As a treat and to save us making poor choices for dessert, I made Annette Sym's Wicked Chocolate Cake. I made it in a paper lined 'sponge roll tin' so it was less than 2cm high. I cooked it in the oven at about 170C, not the microwave. I was in a rush to make it because I didn't get home from work until 5pm and I had to be at the pub at 6pm! I whipped it up and had it in the oven at 5.15pm - it was cooked by 5.30pm! I slipped it out of the tray and onto a chopping board - into the fridge for 10 minutes to cool (which it did because it was so thin). Out of the fridge - whacked the icing over it, sprinkled hundreds & thousands over it, back into the fridge for 10 minutes then out again to cut it into squares, onto the plate and out the door! Phew!
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It was so gooood! Just a small piece is packed with lots of chocolatey goodness to satisfy any dieter craving chocolate. The trick is just to have ONE piece as a treat! Moderation, girls!
We each enjoyed a piece and I bought leftovers home so that is going to work today for 'smoko' for the menfolk! It is a lovely moist cake.
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I'm off to work today then tonight is weigh in night at WW so fingers crossed for another loss. I had someone tell me I had lost weight yesterday so that has boosted my spirits a bit! I can see a bit of difference in the mirror - my aim is to be able to see my 'caesarean' scar when I look down - Lol!
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Looks like it's going to be a cracker of a day here ~ I enjoyed my 30 minute walk this morning ~ enjoy your day where ever you may be~
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Cheers ... Joolz

Cottage Pie and a Lazy Lady...

I made this yummy Cottage Pie from the Australian Institute of Sport Survival for the Active Family book. It's a quick and easy, cook in one pot, bake in another dish which will fill up any hungry family.
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Firstly, cook 4-6 medium potatoes ready to be mashed. I steam mine in a double boiler saucepan - I think it retains more nutrients than boiling.
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In a large saucepan, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and brown off
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1 onion
1 medium carrot, diced
1 stick celery, diced
150gms button mushrooms
1 medium zucchini, grated
(here you could also use sweet corn, peas and green beans)
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Now add in 500gms of lean beef or lamb mince and brown that off too.
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Add 2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons Soy sauce
1.5 cups good beef stock
1 good tablespoon plain flour to thicken the sauces
~Add in 1 can of brown lentils...
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Stir to combine and let simmer for 15-20 minutes until your potatoes are cooked - mash together with 1/4 cup skim milk and 1 tablespoon butter or margarine (I use Flora Pro-active)
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Pour the mince mixture into a large lasagne dish, top with mashed potato and sprinkle with 1/2 cup grated reduced fat cheddar cheese and bake for a further 15-20 minutes.
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I served ours with a puff pastry wedge to give it a pie feel or you could serve more peas and carrots with it. Totally delicious!
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On the weekend, I made this very easy slice (from Fiona at Inner Pickle) for Kirby to take on her first day of work...
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LAZY LADY

125g butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp cocoa
1 cup self-raising flour
½ cup desiccated coconut
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Method
Make this in one saucepan, save the dishes. Melt the butter, stir through the sugar and then then egg. Stir through the cocoa and then the flour and the coconut.
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Spread in a slice tin and cook 15-20 mins at 180°C.
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Ice while still hot.
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Icing:
1 cup icing sugar
2 tbsp cocoa
2 tsp softened butter
1½ tbsp milk
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Mix all together in a bowl and spread on top of warm slice. Sprinkle with coconut.
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Have a super day - I went for a quick walk this morning, a bit later than usual but I still got there!
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Cheers - Joolz

Seeing some results...

I stopped to take this picture on my way into town this morning before my walk. Low fog drifting along the ground, lit by the sun...
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It's been a great week so far - I have walked 4 mornings for half an hour, I have had two days of solitude at home (Gus and Bri went to Adelaide), I have been busy at work and yesterday's fitness workout was quite enjoyable. We only did a bit of aerobic stuff before getting down on the mats for some strength work. Leg lifts, butt lifts and crunches. This sort of routine, I like! Afterwards, we had a personal trainer speak to us about strength training and nutrition to fuel the body. It was good to hear that what Sheryl had been telling us was backed up by this guy too! We all came away from it very empowered and rearing to go again.
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I weighed in and had a 1.0 kg loss which is just fantastic. It is slow, but that is a 2.0 kg loss since 17th October. I am on track and have not felt the need to break out and be bad with my eating habits. Sheryl has set a goal for the group to lose 5% of our body weight, therefore I should lose 3.82 kgs. I think I can achieve more in the 7 weeks - 5kg would be incredible!
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Today, my muscles are aching once more but I powered through my walk, even doing 2 short bursts of jogging to elevate my heart rate. This is all important for healthy weight loss.... but I think I need a sports bra! He he he!
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A few samples of what I have been eating and the portions. Monday night when we got home - a pork chop seasoned with Tuscan seasoning, small serve mashed potato and peas and carrots and corn.
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Yummy dinner last night - Angus and Bri bought home some King George Whiting fillets which I had pan fried, sprinkled with Lemon Pepper seasoning, lettuce, cucumber, tomato, olives, baked potato and sweet potato and also tomato, onion and zucchini bake topped with wholemeal bread cubes and the tiniest bit of cheese. Delicious!
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I freeze our wholemeal loaf of bread in 2 slice portions - this will last us 4 mornings for breakfast and no wastage. I buy 1/2 loaves of white bread for Brianna.
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Around the garden - this Blue Moon rose has been neglected so badly - hasn't even been pruned the past 2 years and this is what is produces!
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More McLeod's Daughters...
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Yellow carpet rose...
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Hot pink carpet rose...
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Coral, single petal carpet rose...
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Petunia...
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Our front porch area - could still use a bit of spruce up...
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We had a power spike on Wednesday evening and when I got home from my meeting, the computer and printer were off. I turned them back on but the printer was as dead as a maggot! Yesterday I bought a new one - $99 for a Canon Pixma MX410 - printer, copier, scanner and FAX and its a good one for printing photos too! There was a promotion going to enter a draw for $20,000 cash plus you got 10% discount on the purchase so it only cost me $89.00! Yay!
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Anyhoo, last night I proceeded to install the new printer - I first disconnected the old one from the power and pc points. Phew, I had to get in under the desk (bum up!) and sort out the tangle of cables...
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As you can see, there is not a lot of leeway once the pc is connected to everything. It only comes out so far...
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S0 much for wireless technology! I finally had it hooked up so I proceeded to 'Read The Manual' (yes, gentlemen, women sometimes to RTM!). The printer can be 'wireless' so I went through all the steps, page by page, until I got to the part of 'detecting the machine'. Do you think I could get the modem to detect the printer? No way, no how! The modem wouldn't accept the WEP Key number that I was keying in... (hey, I sound like I know what I am doing!). Anyway, I gave up and attached the USB cable to the printer and computer (more bum up!) and away it went!
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I shall call him Darth Vader... very similar black plastic exterior and who knows what lurks inside!
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We are in for a cracker of a day - blue skies and warm temperature - spring is definitely in the air today!
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Cheers - Joolz