Here we go again!

Soooooo, I have been a bit radio-silent over the last few days.

Sorry about that, I've got a horrible dose of tonsilitus and so have, obviously been pretty out of it!

Normal blogging services will (hopefully!) resume on Sunday - if the antibiotics do what they're supposed to do - and I'll post a soup recipe that I used before I got ill.

I've also decided to blog weekly now instead of daily, otherwise it seems to get a bit repetitive!

So, keep checking back and things will be up and running again ASAP!

Stay happy,

WG x

P.S. Again, I realise that this picture has zero to do with the blog but it was just too pretty not to! X

Days Sixteen, Seventeen, Eighteen and Nineteen!

I have firmly hit my stride now, both with work and with my diet.

Yesterday (Day Eighteen) was Saturday and so an 'off' day which meant that I relaxed my rules and even enjoyed a (small) slice of chocolate pie for dessert in the evening. It was deeeeelicious!

Aside from that, I've been really good and not cheated at all. Day Sixteen was more salad for lunch, beans on toast for dinner - not very exciting but high in protein and the brown bread is good for fibre - as well as loads of fruit and veggies to snack on.

Day Seventeen was a bit shaky, I had loads of cravings all day but managed to stay busy at work and they eventually went away. Lunch was a risotto that the chef at work made and then Drummer Boy came over in the evening and we had chicken Caesar wraps for dinner - mmmmmmm!

Today has been the best so far. I started with a run this morning (Drummer Boy had to leave early to record with his band), followed by half a grapefruit with pinenuts for breakfast. After cleaning my kitchen and livingroom (cleaning burns major calories if you're energetic about it!) I had hummus (home made) with veggies for a snack, followed a bit later by some home made soup for lunch. This evening I had some fruit salad as a snack (mango, strawberries, blueberries, grapes, apples, oranges - delicious!) and then made the sausage casserole again to use up some leftover ingredients from last week. In a little while I'll have some apple and cheese and then it's time to hit the hay!

Back to work tomorrow, going to try and fit a workout in afterwards, if I'm not too exhausted!

Stay happy,

WG x

P.S. How cute is this kitten?! I know it has nothing at all to do with this post but it's just so lovely I couldn't not post it! X

My New Bible!

Now, I'm not one to buy cookbooks but this is something that I just had to have!

I watched the Economy Gastronomy series on the BBC and throughly enjoyed it. The basic idea behind it is 'Spend Less, Eat Better' which is something that I try to do.

What I like best about this book is that everything is broken right down and made really simple. Which is good for me because I'm something of a novice! And you can see from the picture that I've already marked loads of stuff to make!

I can't wait to get cooking, check back soon for some tasty, healthy recipes!

WG x

P.S. The diet is still on track, will blog properly on Sunday! X

Homemade Hummus

Hummus is really cheap and easy to make and is much better made fresh as you know exactly what's gone in it!

Ingredients

- 4oz of chickpeas (canned)

- 2 garlic cloves

- The juice of one lemon

- 1 tsp of ground coriander

- olive oil

Method

1. Place the chickpeas, garlic and lemon juice in a food processor and blitz until everything is roughly chopped and combined.
2. Gradually add small amounts of olive oil until the hummus is at the right consistancy for you.

And that's it!

WG x

Days Thirteen, Fourteen and Fifteen!

Today at work a little girl took her very first steps whilst I was looking after her. Sometimes I bloody well love my job!

Anyway, the diet is back on track! I weighed myself this morning (at the crack of bloody dawn - it was still dark!) and I've now lost ALL of my Christmas weight - woop! Just half a stone to go now and then I'll be back to a size 8, happy days!

The last three days have been great, being at work really helps me to get into a routine and I haven't slipped up - yet! The last two nights, more due to the fact that I'm beyond broke - I've had a pasta salad with a balsamic dressing - yummy! Tonight I made the sausage casserole again to use up the leftover ingredients and I think it was more successful than the first time around. Lunches I've had at work which has been good as all the food there is super healthy for the kids and I only have tiny portions. Snacks have been a mixture of fruit, crackers with butter and veggies with homemade dip. (I'll post the recipe for it in a moment)

I'll be getting back on the exercise properly next week but I have done 30 minutes of yoga every night after work - it's a great way of unwinding after a long day at work AND it's good for toning and strengthening all over.

So, all in all, life is pretty good!

And my food delivery has just arrived so that's all for now!

Stay happy,

WG xxx

Sausage and Red Wine Casserole

This might not look like it's the healthiest option but if you choose good quality sausages and have it with lots of veggies then it's not too bad!

Ingredients

(For Four People)

- 1 tbsp of olive oil.

- 3 sausages, cut into pieces.

- 1/2 an onion, chopped.

- 3 garlic cloves, chopped.

- 75ml of good red wine.

- 3 tbsp of tomato puree.

- 150ml of beef stock.

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pan or casserole dish.
2. Add the sausages and cook until browned on all sides.
3. Add the onion and cook for 3-5 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute.
5. Add the red wine, tomato puree and beef stock and simmer until the sauce has thickened.
6. Serve with mashed potato and lots of veggies!

Days Nine, Ten, Eleven and Twelve!

Well, what a bugger-up!

Day Nine was a total bust, I had a migraine that lasted literally all day so I didn't eat at all, just slept and drank a ton of water. Rubbishness!

Day Ten was better, I got my six meals in and made some tasty chicken Caesar wraps for dinner but I did fall off the alcohol wagon in a spectacular fashion! It was worth it though, DB and I had a great evening together, hadn't laughed so much in ages!

Day Eleven wasn't a good one! It started well, with half a grapefruit and some pinenuts for breakfast, and then a short walk round the village with DB. I messed it all up though by getting fishcake and chips from the chippie (it's at the end of my road and my eternal temptation!) for lunch...oops. Dinner was a yummy sausage casserole (recipe to follow!) and several glasses of wine.

Today (Day Twelve) has been a flat-out failure but for once I just didn't care! We woke up too late for breakfast so I grabbed some low-fat pretzels and we headed into town to see Sherlock Holmes. As usual, we were an hour early - I'm generally 30-45 minutes early everywhere I go - so we wandered around town. Big mistake. Passing KFC, a waft of chickeny, battered goodness came out of the doors and that was it. Two piece chicken meal with chips and a Pepsi? Yes please!

Dinner tonight was leftover casserole and a resolve to do better next week!

We can't be good all the time!

WG x

P.S. A couple of people have asked where I get my pictures for this blog from. The answer is deviantart.com, go and check it out!