I recently experienced a major "slap in the face of life." Whilst my self esteem was never on the highest rungs of the ladder, I suddenly felt as though I had slipped so far down that I was effectively just standing on the ground instead. It's hard to maintain an acceptance of one's self when someone you've invested your heart and life to apparently simply stops loving you. Of course you blame yourself (even when you know their stupidity, ignorance, lack of foresight and care is the predominant factor) and the second guessing of your being (physical, emotional, sexual and mental) is something you just can't stop doing.
So, when you feel like crap, and believe that you look like crap... what do you do?
Well, in my case, I've returnedto the gym. I realised it's been four years since my last gym junkie phase. Back then, I managed to lose a solid 10kg (and up to 13kg on weight fluctuation days) over six months. Of course, moving house a few times after that, changing jobs, changing lifestyle, made it rather difficult to maintain that newly acquired weight and shape. Consequently, about seven of those kilograms came back to me with great embrace.
But, I've done it once, I'll do it again.
Monday past saw me sign back up to my old gym. I have it in my mind that I aim to return to up to 12 gym sessions a week within the first month (keeping in mind that Easter break is right in the middle there.) Before your jaw drops too far at the sheer though of 12 times a week, let me assure you that each session is not massive. Quite often it will just be a half hour routine on the cross-trainer/bike/treadmill. So, half hour before breakfast and before work to kick start the metabolism, then half hour after work and before dinner to de-stress for the day and get some movement back in to my body after the inevitable 8 hour staring-at-computer-screen-and-calling-it-work chore.
As encouragement, I've had a couple of shopping sessions to stock up on gym appropriate clothes, including today's purchase of an $80 pair of tights... WTF??? But, if I don't maintain my gym work, I'll actually feel guilty for having spent that for no reason. Plus, since they look good, I'll be much more inclined to want to wear them and head off to the equipment!
So, since joining up at the start of the week, I've only managed to make it to the gym twice. That first half hour session on the cross-trainer put me out of walking action for three days due to extremely tight calves :(
I have my first assessment tomorrow morning (8am on a Sunday - nice and quiet on the gym scene with no-one else usually around) where I'll have all of my weights and measurements taken, and a basic 'plan' drawn up for a routine.That being said, I think I'll predominantly stick to my half hour, twice daily, cardio stints for a while, with a few free weights to tone the arms and abs. Add that to the old body builder's eating plan, and use of amino acid supplements and protein powders, and I'll be back on track within a couple of months (fingers crossed!)
Well, that's working on the body... now to find some way of working on the mind. That's not going to be quite as easy I fear.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
My Favourite Recipes
Yes, I know; It's been a while since I blogged. My apologies.
Life was on a forwards path, or at least I thought. But now it's taken a turn, it's time to indulge you in one of my past-times which doesn't fail me. Cooking.
Plus, I found a few weeks ago I needed one of my recipes but didn't have the book with me. So, if I publish a small collection of fail-safe-always-need-to-know recipes, I can source them when I'm not near my bookshelf!
So here we go.....
Baileys Irish Cream
400ml can condensed milk
300ml cream
3 eggs
1 Cup Whisky/Brandy (Scotch)
1 Tbsp chocolate topping
1 tsp coconut essence
Mix well in blender and bottle. Consume within 4 days
Sweet Muffins - general mixture
1 Cup honey
1 egg - beaten
1 1/4 Cups milk
100g butter - melted
2 Cups Self Raising flour
Options to include:
1/2 Cup walnuts
1/2 Cup chocolate chips
2-3 bananas - mashed
or
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup sultanas
stewed apple pieces
cinnamon
Combine all ingredients, making sure flour is mixed in last. Mixture does not have to be entirely smooth when 'fully mixed'. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 180 degrees.
Carrot and Zucchini Muffins
1/2 Cup SR wholemeal flour
1/2 Cup SR flour
1/4 Cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp bicarb soda
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 grated carrot
1 grated zucchini
1/4 mixed crushed nuts
1/2 Cup milk - scant
45g butter - melted
1 egg
Combine all ingredients, mixing well. 20 minutes at 200 degrees.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
125g butter
1/2 Cup sugar
1/2 Cup brown sugar - lightly packed
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1 egg - lightly beaten
1 3/4 Cup SR flour
1/2 tsp sale
125g chocolate chips
60g walnut pieces
Cream together butter, sugars and vanilla. Add egg gradually, beating well after each addition. Mix in sifted flour and salt. Add chocolate chips and walnuts.
Shape teaspoons of mixture in to small balls, place on lightly greased oven tray. Allow room for spreading. 10-12 minutes at 180 degrees.
Apricot Cream Pie
425g can apricot halves
1/2 Cup sugar
2 Tbsp SR flour
200g light sour cream
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla essence
cinnamon - to top
Drain apricots and place in pie dish. Combine sugar, flour, add egg, sour cream and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Pour over apricots. Sprinkle with cinnamon. 40 minutes at 190 degrees.
Basic Pizza Dough
3/4 Cup warm water
1 tsp olive oil
7g satchel dried yeast
2 Cups plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
Dissolve y east in water. Stir in oil.
In large bowl stir flour, salt and yeast mixture until blended. Kneed for 2 minutes. Cover bowl with greaseproof paper. Let dough rest for 5 minutes. Roll out to required size. Brush top of dough lightly with oil prior to adding toppings. Crust cooks best at 12-15 minutes at 200 degrees.
Bechamel Sauce
60g (3 Tbsp) butter
1/3 Cup plain flour
salt and pepper
pinch nutmeg
2 Cups milk
125g cheddar cheese - grated
3 Tbsp Parmesan cheese
Melt butter in saucepan. Add flour, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Blend until smooth. Stir over heat for 1 minute. Gradually add milk and stir until sauce boils and thickens. Reduce heat, cook 1 minute. remove from heat and stir in cheeses until they melt.
Pineapple & Cherry Fruit Loaf
1 packet glace cherries, halved
equal quantities of glace pineapple, small chunks, and glace ginger
125g butter
1/3 Cup castor sugar
2 eggs
1 Cup plain flour
1/3 Cup SR flour
1/3 Cup Milk
1 Tbsp cream sherry
Grease and line loaf pan. Mix butter and sugar. Add eggs, 1 at a time. Mix in fruit, half of flour, milk and sherry. Add remaining flour. 80 minutes at 150-160 degrees.
Thai Dipping Sauce
1 Cup sugar
1/2 Cup vinegar
1/3 Cup water
Simmer to syrup. Add chill, cucumber, onion etc.
Light and Easy Boiled Fruit Cake
375g mixed dried fruits
3/4 Cup soft brown sugar
1 tsp mixed spice
1/2 Cup water
125g butter
1/2 Cup sherry
2 eggs - lightly beaten
2 Tbsp marmalade
1 Cup SR flour
1 Cup plain flour
1/2 tsp bicarb soda
Optional topping - 1/3 cup toasted muesli, chopped walnuts and cherries.
Place fruit, sugar, spice, water and butter in large saucepan. Bring to boil. Simmer for 3 minutes. Remove and cool. Add sherry, marmalade and eggs. Fold in sifted flours and bicarb soda. Grease and line 20cm round pan. Two and quarter hours at 160 degrees.
Chocolate Mousse
200g dark chocolate - chopped
20g butter
250ml thickened cream
3 eggs - separated
Melt chocolate and butter in double boiler.
Whip cream to soft peaks.
Whip egg whites to soft peaks.
Add eggs one at a time to cooled chocolate mixture. Fold in cream. Fold in egg whites. Pour in to desired servingware and chill for at least an hour.
Life was on a forwards path, or at least I thought. But now it's taken a turn, it's time to indulge you in one of my past-times which doesn't fail me. Cooking.
Plus, I found a few weeks ago I needed one of my recipes but didn't have the book with me. So, if I publish a small collection of fail-safe-always-need-to-know recipes, I can source them when I'm not near my bookshelf!
So here we go.....
Baileys Irish Cream
400ml can condensed milk
300ml cream
3 eggs
1 Cup Whisky/Brandy (Scotch)
1 Tbsp chocolate topping
1 tsp coconut essence
Mix well in blender and bottle. Consume within 4 days
Sweet Muffins - general mixture
1 Cup honey
1 egg - beaten
1 1/4 Cups milk
100g butter - melted
2 Cups Self Raising flour
Options to include:
1/2 Cup walnuts
1/2 Cup chocolate chips
2-3 bananas - mashed
or
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup sultanas
stewed apple pieces
cinnamon
Combine all ingredients, making sure flour is mixed in last. Mixture does not have to be entirely smooth when 'fully mixed'. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 180 degrees.
Carrot and Zucchini Muffins
1/2 Cup SR wholemeal flour
1/2 Cup SR flour
1/4 Cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp bicarb soda
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 grated carrot
1 grated zucchini
1/4 mixed crushed nuts
1/2 Cup milk - scant
45g butter - melted
1 egg
Combine all ingredients, mixing well. 20 minutes at 200 degrees.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
125g butter
1/2 Cup sugar
1/2 Cup brown sugar - lightly packed
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1 egg - lightly beaten
1 3/4 Cup SR flour
1/2 tsp sale
125g chocolate chips
60g walnut pieces
Cream together butter, sugars and vanilla. Add egg gradually, beating well after each addition. Mix in sifted flour and salt. Add chocolate chips and walnuts.
Shape teaspoons of mixture in to small balls, place on lightly greased oven tray. Allow room for spreading. 10-12 minutes at 180 degrees.
Apricot Cream Pie
425g can apricot halves
1/2 Cup sugar
2 Tbsp SR flour
200g light sour cream
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla essence
cinnamon - to top
Drain apricots and place in pie dish. Combine sugar, flour, add egg, sour cream and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Pour over apricots. Sprinkle with cinnamon. 40 minutes at 190 degrees.
Basic Pizza Dough
3/4 Cup warm water
1 tsp olive oil
7g satchel dried yeast
2 Cups plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
Dissolve y east in water. Stir in oil.
In large bowl stir flour, salt and yeast mixture until blended. Kneed for 2 minutes. Cover bowl with greaseproof paper. Let dough rest for 5 minutes. Roll out to required size. Brush top of dough lightly with oil prior to adding toppings. Crust cooks best at 12-15 minutes at 200 degrees.
Bechamel Sauce
60g (3 Tbsp) butter
1/3 Cup plain flour
salt and pepper
pinch nutmeg
2 Cups milk
125g cheddar cheese - grated
3 Tbsp Parmesan cheese
Melt butter in saucepan. Add flour, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Blend until smooth. Stir over heat for 1 minute. Gradually add milk and stir until sauce boils and thickens. Reduce heat, cook 1 minute. remove from heat and stir in cheeses until they melt.
Pineapple & Cherry Fruit Loaf
1 packet glace cherries, halved
equal quantities of glace pineapple, small chunks, and glace ginger
125g butter
1/3 Cup castor sugar
2 eggs
1 Cup plain flour
1/3 Cup SR flour
1/3 Cup Milk
1 Tbsp cream sherry
Grease and line loaf pan. Mix butter and sugar. Add eggs, 1 at a time. Mix in fruit, half of flour, milk and sherry. Add remaining flour. 80 minutes at 150-160 degrees.
Thai Dipping Sauce
1 Cup sugar
1/2 Cup vinegar
1/3 Cup water
Simmer to syrup. Add chill, cucumber, onion etc.
Light and Easy Boiled Fruit Cake
375g mixed dried fruits
3/4 Cup soft brown sugar
1 tsp mixed spice
1/2 Cup water
125g butter
1/2 Cup sherry
2 eggs - lightly beaten
2 Tbsp marmalade
1 Cup SR flour
1 Cup plain flour
1/2 tsp bicarb soda
Optional topping - 1/3 cup toasted muesli, chopped walnuts and cherries.
Place fruit, sugar, spice, water and butter in large saucepan. Bring to boil. Simmer for 3 minutes. Remove and cool. Add sherry, marmalade and eggs. Fold in sifted flours and bicarb soda. Grease and line 20cm round pan. Two and quarter hours at 160 degrees.
Chocolate Mousse
200g dark chocolate - chopped
20g butter
250ml thickened cream
3 eggs - separated
Melt chocolate and butter in double boiler.
Whip cream to soft peaks.
Whip egg whites to soft peaks.
Add eggs one at a time to cooled chocolate mixture. Fold in cream. Fold in egg whites. Pour in to desired servingware and chill for at least an hour.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Food Glorious Food
It's been a while since I posted a pointless personal ramble here, and it has been requested that I provide some form of update (are you happy now Melo? :P) I haven't felt that any of my recent activities/dramas/sessions of stupidity have warranted being blogged about, but I think I have something which may capture your attention in both mental and tastebud states!
This weekend past was the Brisbane edition of the Good Food and Wine Show. Now, some of you may recall that this is the event for which I travel to Sydney for. Mister and I had a nice long weekend in Sydney in July for it this year, and we see no reason to miss out on the local version too. I must say, I was slightly apprehensive about going - we missed the Brisbane edition in 2009 because the 2008 edition was rather lacklustre and disappointing. Also, the 2010 Melbourne edition was rated poorly by my parents.
Nevertheless, tickets in hand and a queue spanning the entire Brisbane Convention Centre, we lined up for entry at 10am on Friday. The first issue of annoyance was upon attempt to collect our free show bags from the Info booth, just inside the entry door. It took us no more than 15 minutes to filter through to the front of the line and within that brief time, they'd already given away all of the free bags. Talk about poor planning. In fact, there were food and wine stalls who had very limited stocks of products, or had already run out of things by the time we'd made our way to see them - and this was only the first day of the show!! Whilst we were compensated with vouchers for free mini bottles of Oxford Landing wine, it certainly wasn't a balanced compensation. How unprofessional and disorganised. We, on the other hand, flounced around like old pro's, with our wine tasting glasses suspended from our necks by way of neoprene glass holders on lanyards. These are such a glorious invention which work well within the bounds of gravitational law - your glass is always at the vertical, no matter how much you sway.
My boasted aim of "in by 10 and half drunk by 10:30" wasn't far off the pace - the morning began with a short sharp knock back of a chilled Coffee Baileys, and on to the stalls we ventured. That hour of the morning was not going to be considered too early for tastings of roast lamb, duck legs, Chilean wine, coffee, sauces, chocolate, sake and umeshu, biscuits, cheese or fortified wines and spirits. In fact, that 10:30am rapidly tended towards noon. By this time, there was a strong need to sit down, rest the feet, have a cuppa and offload the haul of purchases. This called for a picnic in the underground carpark of the Convention Centre! My mother, in all her preparedness, had packed a flask of hot water, tea and coffee supplies, and some buttered pumpkin scones.
Round two was another two hours of tasting, drinking, fighting for stepping space amongst the idiots who bring young children in pushers and old dodder'ers with their Good Food shopping trolleys purchased as memorabilia merchandise.
Within the entry ticket price, we were reserved a seat at the celebrity theatre session for George Calombaris and Gary Mehigan. The show was entertaining and witty, and yet for the life of me, I really can't remember what foods were prepared on stage - obviously it was a highly memorable and informative session!!
I think by this time my tastings of moscato, chardonnay, pinot grigio, shiraz, merlot, muscat and many more varietals had sufficiently numbed my memory cells of a week of hell at my place of employment (of which there are only 14 more remaining, and four of those are holidays!) and had inspired me to remain as brainless as possible about anything else in the rest of the world that wasn't to my benefit on that day, in that state.
By the time we were Tom-Tom navigated out of the city and back to the confines of suburbia and domesticity, the belly was bulging and the pores were almost seeping. And nothing could have topped off a day of culinary delights like a bacon, egg and sauce sandwich for dinner!
Oh yeah, and if you need to know about other life events - my job is destined to end on 11 February; I had a job interview two weeks ago and haven't heard anything official about the result (though, if I continue to hold my breath for it, I'll end up looking like a Smurf!); My big birthday plans for 19 February are well underway; I'm still making my way though nearly every food stall and restaurant at Sunnybank's Market Square (it's like a not-so-little China!); Christmas is nearly here and I have no need to panic - the presents are roughly selected and the tree is ready to go up.
This weekend past was the Brisbane edition of the Good Food and Wine Show. Now, some of you may recall that this is the event for which I travel to Sydney for. Mister and I had a nice long weekend in Sydney in July for it this year, and we see no reason to miss out on the local version too. I must say, I was slightly apprehensive about going - we missed the Brisbane edition in 2009 because the 2008 edition was rather lacklustre and disappointing. Also, the 2010 Melbourne edition was rated poorly by my parents.
Nevertheless, tickets in hand and a queue spanning the entire Brisbane Convention Centre, we lined up for entry at 10am on Friday. The first issue of annoyance was upon attempt to collect our free show bags from the Info booth, just inside the entry door. It took us no more than 15 minutes to filter through to the front of the line and within that brief time, they'd already given away all of the free bags. Talk about poor planning. In fact, there were food and wine stalls who had very limited stocks of products, or had already run out of things by the time we'd made our way to see them - and this was only the first day of the show!! Whilst we were compensated with vouchers for free mini bottles of Oxford Landing wine, it certainly wasn't a balanced compensation. How unprofessional and disorganised. We, on the other hand, flounced around like old pro's, with our wine tasting glasses suspended from our necks by way of neoprene glass holders on lanyards. These are such a glorious invention which work well within the bounds of gravitational law - your glass is always at the vertical, no matter how much you sway.
My boasted aim of "in by 10 and half drunk by 10:30" wasn't far off the pace - the morning began with a short sharp knock back of a chilled Coffee Baileys, and on to the stalls we ventured. That hour of the morning was not going to be considered too early for tastings of roast lamb, duck legs, Chilean wine, coffee, sauces, chocolate, sake and umeshu, biscuits, cheese or fortified wines and spirits. In fact, that 10:30am rapidly tended towards noon. By this time, there was a strong need to sit down, rest the feet, have a cuppa and offload the haul of purchases. This called for a picnic in the underground carpark of the Convention Centre! My mother, in all her preparedness, had packed a flask of hot water, tea and coffee supplies, and some buttered pumpkin scones.
Round two was another two hours of tasting, drinking, fighting for stepping space amongst the idiots who bring young children in pushers and old dodder'ers with their Good Food shopping trolleys purchased as memorabilia merchandise.
Within the entry ticket price, we were reserved a seat at the celebrity theatre session for George Calombaris and Gary Mehigan. The show was entertaining and witty, and yet for the life of me, I really can't remember what foods were prepared on stage - obviously it was a highly memorable and informative session!!
I think by this time my tastings of moscato, chardonnay, pinot grigio, shiraz, merlot, muscat and many more varietals had sufficiently numbed my memory cells of a week of hell at my place of employment (of which there are only 14 more remaining, and four of those are holidays!) and had inspired me to remain as brainless as possible about anything else in the rest of the world that wasn't to my benefit on that day, in that state.
By the time we were Tom-Tom navigated out of the city and back to the confines of suburbia and domesticity, the belly was bulging and the pores were almost seeping. And nothing could have topped off a day of culinary delights like a bacon, egg and sauce sandwich for dinner!
Oh yeah, and if you need to know about other life events - my job is destined to end on 11 February; I had a job interview two weeks ago and haven't heard anything official about the result (though, if I continue to hold my breath for it, I'll end up looking like a Smurf!); My big birthday plans for 19 February are well underway; I'm still making my way though nearly every food stall and restaurant at Sunnybank's Market Square (it's like a not-so-little China!); Christmas is nearly here and I have no need to panic - the presents are roughly selected and the tree is ready to go up.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Balloonatics
Have you got any of those activities that you'd like to do, but just can't see yourself venturing out to achieve them? To me, hot air ballooning was one of them - it'd be nice to do, but not necessarily something I absolutely have to try before I kick the bucket.
So when the opportunity came along - by way of hand-me-down pre-paid vouchers - to take a flight in a 'loon, I of course took it.
My father and I took the flight (along with 20 other people and the pilot) crammed in to a wicker gondola somewhat reminiscent of a scene from the Indian rail system!
We started the morning being picked up from the foyer of the Radisson hotel at 05:15. As we bounced along in the back of the troopy to the Arundel industrial area for condition testing there was a faint sparkle of the sun rising over the coast. We launched a helium filled (normal party sized) balloon with a red light attached to it to track the breeze and atmospheric conditions. It was decided the location wasn't suitable for launch so off we headed to Helensvale.
A quick balloon test at the second site indicated favourable conditions. By 06:30 the insurance waivers had been signed, the balloon was inflated and we were all piling in to the basket. To be honest, I didn't even notice we'd left the ground until we were about two feet above it - it was a very gentle and gradual lift. I did however notice the heat generated from the four burners right above my head! It's claimed the air inside the balloon is around 120 degrees Celsius.
As we tracked south on our flight following the rail line we were greeted by several honks of the horn from the trains below. Apparently the drivers are known for their communications to the balloons above!
There was no great drama on the flight, nor anything to even suggest we could be unsafe at any time. The flight averaged around 5 knots speed and I believe the average elevation was 500ft. We did begin to drop close to some power lines and trees, but I think the perception of their proximity was worse than the reality.
The flight lasted 45 minutes and we landed in a rough cow paddock at Carrara. The cows at least didn't seem fazed by our presence! I had never really stopped to think how the pack up of the equipment would happen... the envelope (balloon) is flattened out and bundled at the top end, and then, utilising the assistance of all the people who had just taken part in the flight, loaded in to a huge cart and wheeled in to the back of a trailer.
We finished the morning back at the Radisson hotel with a champagne buffet breakfast and review of the photos which had been taken from the on-balloon camera. All up, a four hour adventure for something I'd probably never have treated myself to. But at least now I can say I've done it!
