Day 2 Steak for dinner...

I started off the day with a smaller bowl of porridge, banana and honey and a cup of coffee.
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Lunch - it looks massive, but there is a lot of salad in this yummy sandwich.
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Dinner - Steak with Teriyaki sauce (I used mushrooms instead of capsicum). This is Angus' serve, I had less steak and 3 wedges and a dollop of sour cream. I slow roasted the wedges in the oven for over an hour, they were coated in about 2 tspns olive oil and some spice mix (Nostimini).
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I tried this recipe for Choc Mint Squares (you would normally make it in a slice tin) but I decided to use mini patty pans so they are bite sized. A little dry but still tasty and nice with a cuppa.
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Week 1 (Day 2)
I walked for 45 minutes this morning - it was freezing (4C) but I ploughed on. I had a Berry Trail bar for at 11am with a cup of peppermint tea (1/2 tspn sugar instead of 2!). My sandwich for lunch was so good. I drank all my water quota. I would have gone for a walk this evening but we had heavy rain so that stopped that. I had an apple when I got home from work (cut it up and sat down to eat it). I made the Choc Mint brownies then got dinner going. Actually wasn't really hungry by the time we ate dinner but it was good. I had 2 of the little brownies after dinner then off to bed at 10pm.
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Annette's Quote for the day - Courage is when you're scared to do something but you still do it anyway.
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Cheers - Joolz

A good start to Day 1 of The Masterclass...

Crunchy-O-Cookies... need perfecting because at the moment they are like cardboard to chew. I did use All-Bran instead of wholemeal Cheerios so that may be the problem. Onwards....
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Breakfast - 1/2cup dry wholegrain quick oats with 1 cup skim milk, banana & 2 tspn honey (will cut the oats/milk in half in future as it was too much - Annette recommends 3/4 cup cooked porridge).
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Lunch - Tuna and salad plate
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Snack - Sundowner apple (a new variety I hadn't tried - delicious!)
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Dinner - Chicken & Vegetable Lasagne
Packed with lots of veggies (pumpkin, sweet potato, carrot, broccoli and green beans), this was quite a busy recipe with lots of steps and used lots of pans but now I've made it I think I can stream line the method a bit. It was delicious and will definitely have it again. Brianna didn't even find the green beans in it! :)
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Week 1 (Day 1 - my weight 73.0 kgs)
I walked for 50 minutes in the morning then when I got home from work and food shopping, I felt hungry so I made a Chicken Noodle Cup-a-Soup. After that I decided to go for another walk as I had time before preparing dinner. So I scooted off for another 30 minute walk around town.
I drank all my 8 glasses of water during the day without feeling too bloated. I had a mandarin for supper so that gave me my 3 pieces of fruit for the day.
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Annette's Quote for the day - The secret to success in getting ahead in life is getting started.

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Cheers - Joolz

(FYI - I am following the 28 Day weightloss Masterclass as per Annette Sym's Symply Too Good To Be True Book 6 - I may modify the eating plan along the way but I am following Annette's book and being guided by her hints, tips and motivational audio and video messages)

Symply Too Good To Be True 6 ...

I got my hands on Annette Sym's latest book and it looks amazing. Some really good recipes and a whole lot of advice on common sense healthy eating and weight loss. I'm going to give it a go! Wish me luck!
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It's cold, wet and dreary here so not much happening. I might make some of Annette's Crunchy-O-Cookies - I plan to substitute the sultanas with dried blueberries. I'll let you know how they go. Our 'last supper' tonight will be slow cooked lamb shanks and mash then I plan on eating out of Annette's books for the next month if I can. There are not many every day recipes that this amazing woman has not converted to low fat (but they are still very high in flavour). If you can lay your hands on these books, do it (now there are 6 to collect). Now I'm off to listen to the CD that came with the book - I need to get motivated!
Enjoy your Sunday,
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Joolz

Who will follow me...

Who will be my 50th follower? No giveaway just yet, but my 400th post is coming up soon and I'll have a small gift up for grabs then.
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Joolz

Chow Mein & Weekender Biscuits ...

My two day solitude holiday came to an end yesterday afternoon when Bri arrived home with a bag full of dirty clothes and her big beaming smile. Angus followed soon after (he's been away since Saturday), with even more clothes to wash - I must admit I was feeling a little redundant, having got the laundry pile up to scratch on Monday night. I was having withdrawals!!
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This is my big bowl of Chow Mein that I made Tuesday night - I'm still ploughing my way through it. I love CM, yes I do - on toast for breakfast even.
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I suggested to Bri that I knock up some blueberry & white choc muffins but she said she'd rather some Weekender Biscuits (these ones I also rolled in cornflakes for extra crunch) .... so I obliged. She loves me! :)
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These are super crunchy and they have naughty choc chips in them too! Give them a try, won't you?
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Off to work today - it's another chilly day here but at least the sun is out.
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Cheers - Joolz

Home alone...

After our busy weekend, I have been deserted! Kirby went back to Uni yesterday, Gus is away in Hamilton at SheepVention and Brianna is staying with her friend Maddy until Wednesday.
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I am home alone! This means that I have the house to myself! I can eat when I want! I can do what I want! I can streak down my passage way naked if I want! But I won't! I can do nothing if I want and I think I will! I stayed in bed half an hour longer this morning because I didn't have to get school lunch ready, iron a shirt, go to the bakery for fresh bread, pick up after anyone, tidy the 2nd bathroom, vacuum crumbs. I am loving my 2 day vacation! But I miss them all!
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Last night I had a home-prepared Shepherds pie for dinner (I made Kirby some to take back frozen to Adelaide) and then I made Banana Bread from a recipe I found at Honey & Jam. Hannah is a young girl who has a wonderful blog - she loves baking and photography. I just had a look at her recipe list of other 'breads' and I'll be trying several of them soon!
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I'm off to work later this morning then when I get home this afternoon, I'm going to make a big frypan full of Chow Mein (my favourite for when I'm alone as no-one else likes cabbage).
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Television viewing tonight - 7.00pm - The 7pm Project (Ch 10)
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7.30pm - Modern family (Ch 10)
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8.00pm - One Born Every Minute (Ch SBS) - tape this
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8.30pm - Packed to the Rafters (Ch7)
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9.30pm - Thank God You're Here (Ch 7)
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10.00pm - Hot Docs - 49 Up (Ch SBS) - tape this
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10.45pm - Kitchen Nightmares USA (Ch 9)
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Do you talk to yourself when you're alone? Me and myself were just wonderin'!
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Cheers - Joolz

Brianna's Debutante Ball...

Brianna was presented at the Tenison Woods College Debutante Ball on Friday, July 30, 2010 and was partnered by her friend, Alex.
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We stayed at a lovely Bed & Breakfast called Colhurst House. Our host, Patty, generously let us have the run of the house for photographs. There are 6 rooms, each beautifully decorated and pristinely maintained. Olde world charm with modern appointments.
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Our breakfast this morning was home cooked and delicious. The fruit salad compote comprised finely diced and chopped watermelon, apple, banana, strawberries, honeydew melon, mandarin with fresh red currants, blue berries and mulberries, topped with vanilla yoghurt - heaven! Then I had 2 perfectly poached eggs on toast with bacon and a lovely strong plunger coffee to finish.
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This is the sitting room at Colhurst House.
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The front entrance to this majestic old building.
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Colhurst House was built in 1877
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Brianna's hair was styled by her cousin, Bianca.
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Our beautiful daughter, Brianna, all ready for the Ball.
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We had a professional photographer do lots of pictures of Brianna and her friend, Maddy.
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Don't they look like two Southern Belles, decending the staircase?
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Alex & Brianna - the partners all wore black tail coats with gold waist coats and cravats and white gloves.
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Kirby & Brianna
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Alex & Brianna with Maddy & Euan
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Maddy and Brianna have been best friends since Yr 8 in High School...
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Clowning around for the photographer...
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The stage theme for the evening was a flower shop - each debutante was presented with their bouquet by their partner who selected the flowers from the florist in the shop.
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Here Brianna is presented to the college Principal and Father Richard, the college/parish priest.
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Finally, the presentation is finished and they get ready for their dance, entitled the Lily of the Valley Waltz.
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After the official dance, the girl's fathers and the partner's mothers were asked to join them for an informal dance. Angus was very proud of Brianna.
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18 Debutantes
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Alex and Maddy (her bouquet was tulip buds with feathers)
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Alex gave Brianna an engraved bracelet and Bri gave Alex an engraved hip flask.
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Brianna and Michael (cute couple)...
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Angus & Julie (cuter couple) ...
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Shoes off, dirty hemline... time to go home!
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Tired and weary I am today.
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Cheers - Joolz