Let's talk about 'The Christmas Diet'.
Does anyone else do this? You know where you cut back on all the foods that are good in life and exchange them for the ones that you don't really want but feel that you should have. Like green beans. Today I ate green beans for the first time since I became an adult and realised that my mother couldn't tell me to eat them anymore. And why did I submit myself to this tragic bean eating frenzy? All so I can have that extra slice of turkey on Christmas Day.
It's like food just goes and ups its game when Christmas rolls around. How on earth are you meant to say no to tubs of mixed crisps, foot long jaffa cake boxes and mince pies? Not to mention the advent calendar chocolate, after eight mints and guzzling of glasses of mulled wine.
I love Christmas. I love the twinkly lights. I love the tinsel. I love the music. I love the presents. But most of all I love the food. All of the food. Even brussel sprouts get a look in.....
I have been planning what to cook for my Christmas dinner for weeks now and look forward to it with each passing day, but so I don't put on another stone in weight by the end of the year I decided that the best and most sensible thing to do was to lose a stone now so I can put it back on again.
So my Christmas Diet basically consists of a sandwich and soup for lunch and a reduced sized dinner. It's going to be so worth it though when I tuck into pigs in blankets dipped in bread sauce. Is it ok that my mouth is watering right now? I'm actually struggling to control my salvia flow at the thought of a cheeseboard. So you see its worth eating the green beans. Maybe I'll even learn to love them! Let's face it - Christmas is basically the only time of year that you can eat an entire cheeseboard to yourself and nobody judges.
C x
Thursday 27 November 2014
Sunday 16 November 2014
Recipe - Cranberry Mincemeat
The house has been smelling beautiful today and it's all thanks to the gorgeous mincemeat I have been cooking up in the kitchen ready to fill my pastry with. It's a good idea to start your batch now so it will be ready in time to make mince pies for Christmas as you need to leave it to mature for a couple of weeks. To make the mince meat you will need to do the following, trying not to hum Christmas songs as it is still only November!
Ingredients
500g mixture of raisins, sultanas and currants (I found a very handy bag premixed with cherries and mixed peel from Sainsburys but if you can't find this you will also need 85g of mixed peel)
140g dried apricots
85g dried cranberries (I used a bag of orange cranberries)
zest and juice of one lemon
zest and juice of one orange
150ml brandy
175g vegetable suet
100g fresh cranberries (I could not find fresh cranberries anywhere so I used dried on this occasion!)
200g soft brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
Method to the Madness
Put the dried fruits into a large bowl (excluding the fresh cranberries. Pour over the brandy, zest and juice. Stir in, cover and leave to soak for 24 hours.
Once the fruit has soaked up all the alcohol overnight you will need to put the mixture in a pan with all the remaining ingredients. Stir over a medium heat until the suet has melted and the mixture is lightly bubbling.
Whilst hot spoon the mixture into your sterilised jar and seal. You will need to leave the mixture in a cool dark cupboard for at least two weeks before using and can be kept for up to six months.
It is a good idea to make the mincemeat up now so you will be ready to make those Christmas mince pies!
C x
Ingredients
500g mixture of raisins, sultanas and currants (I found a very handy bag premixed with cherries and mixed peel from Sainsburys but if you can't find this you will also need 85g of mixed peel)
140g dried apricots
85g dried cranberries (I used a bag of orange cranberries)
zest and juice of one lemon
zest and juice of one orange
150ml brandy
175g vegetable suet
100g fresh cranberries (I could not find fresh cranberries anywhere so I used dried on this occasion!)
200g soft brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
Method to the Madness
Put the dried fruits into a large bowl (excluding the fresh cranberries. Pour over the brandy, zest and juice. Stir in, cover and leave to soak for 24 hours.
Once the fruit has soaked up all the alcohol overnight you will need to put the mixture in a pan with all the remaining ingredients. Stir over a medium heat until the suet has melted and the mixture is lightly bubbling.
Whilst hot spoon the mixture into your sterilised jar and seal. You will need to leave the mixture in a cool dark cupboard for at least two weeks before using and can be kept for up to six months.
It is a good idea to make the mincemeat up now so you will be ready to make those Christmas mince pies!
C x
Friday 14 November 2014
A Letter
Dear 16 year old self,
I thought ten years on I might be able to impart some of my 'wisdom'. So here is a letter to you.
Try not to care so much about what people think of you. Dont stress. This I say with the upmost sincerity. You will worry yourself into the ground. Stop crying over boys, they really aren't worth it. You need to realise that relationships end for a reason, and that reason is obvious. It was never going to work and they aren't good enough for you. I know it hurts but you will learn something from each one. It sounds oh so cliched but we like a cliche so seriously hold out for the good one.
Stop being so bloody mean to your parents. They love you and you should love them because they are quite frankly, awesome. So stop being a spoilt brat who thinks she is right all the time. You aren't and Mum is. Trust me on this one. I know the phone calls asking where you are can be annoying but honestly, in 10 years, you will be calling her all the time just to catch up.
While we are at it stop being so angsty. It's really not worth our time and will achieve nothing. You need to be nice to the people that love you and stop pushing them away with bullshit and drama. You will still have people that you went to school with that are your very best friends even 10 years on so try hard not to piss them off or give them memories they can throw back at you in the future to embarrass you. On that note make sure you always make the effort to keep in touch with your friends but don't be upset if they don't make the effort back, the ones that matter will.
Please do try and do well in your GCSE's even though they won't really matter in 10 years. They will set you up with discipline and get you into college. Speaking of college, you will drop out 3 months before you take your A Levels but it was for a good life experience reason, besides we go on to spend 6 years getting a degree in English Literature, which is what we always wanted and we didn't need the A Levels anyway. But do keep writing. Write every day if you can, take the time to do so. Also don't worry about your shoddy maths. www.percentagecaculator.net is our friend.
I know you will have just got your first job washing dishes for £5 an hour. This is actually a very good rate for a 16 year old and you should really open up a bank account, (not with HSBC - they are crap), and start saving now. I know our dream is to have our own house, be married and have a child by the time we are 25 but I'm telling you now this hasn't happened. The reason we don't have a house is because we didn't save. The other things are down to your future boyfriend and out of my control.......
I'm not going to tell you to stop smoking because I quite enjoy it still but perhaps maybe consider if it is the best thing. I'm not going to tell you to drink less either because that's also up there on the list of things that are enjoyable but I will give you two tips. Drinking to excess to get over a break up is not a good idea and avoid milkshakes on a hangover. They don't mix well with us.
Please try and fight our intolerance to exercise and our love of melted cheese and fried chicken. You will still be unhappy with your body 10 years on but if you could just maybe look after it a bit better that would be great. On that note, stop wearing short skirts and getting your boobs out. Listen to your mother. We suit mid length skirts that show of our calves and you are asking for the wrong kind of attention with those low cut tops.
In a few years time you will get a call from your best friend asking you to move to Cardiff. Do this without a second of hesitation. They will be some of the best years of your life, and you will meet a group of people who mean the world to you and who love you for being you, even if you did take the Harry Potter Sorting Hat test and you are a Slytherin. Yeah. I know.
You need to have fun now and stop worrying about the future, and who likes you, and who thinks you are funny. Honestly the future will sort itself. Just stop stressing about the little things that really wont matter 10 years down the line because I can tell you, currently, life is pretty bloody great.
C x
I thought ten years on I might be able to impart some of my 'wisdom'. So here is a letter to you.
Try not to care so much about what people think of you. Dont stress. This I say with the upmost sincerity. You will worry yourself into the ground. Stop crying over boys, they really aren't worth it. You need to realise that relationships end for a reason, and that reason is obvious. It was never going to work and they aren't good enough for you. I know it hurts but you will learn something from each one. It sounds oh so cliched but we like a cliche so seriously hold out for the good one.
Stop being so bloody mean to your parents. They love you and you should love them because they are quite frankly, awesome. So stop being a spoilt brat who thinks she is right all the time. You aren't and Mum is. Trust me on this one. I know the phone calls asking where you are can be annoying but honestly, in 10 years, you will be calling her all the time just to catch up.
While we are at it stop being so angsty. It's really not worth our time and will achieve nothing. You need to be nice to the people that love you and stop pushing them away with bullshit and drama. You will still have people that you went to school with that are your very best friends even 10 years on so try hard not to piss them off or give them memories they can throw back at you in the future to embarrass you. On that note make sure you always make the effort to keep in touch with your friends but don't be upset if they don't make the effort back, the ones that matter will.
Please do try and do well in your GCSE's even though they won't really matter in 10 years. They will set you up with discipline and get you into college. Speaking of college, you will drop out 3 months before you take your A Levels but it was for a good life experience reason, besides we go on to spend 6 years getting a degree in English Literature, which is what we always wanted and we didn't need the A Levels anyway. But do keep writing. Write every day if you can, take the time to do so. Also don't worry about your shoddy maths. www.percentagecaculator.net is our friend.
I know you will have just got your first job washing dishes for £5 an hour. This is actually a very good rate for a 16 year old and you should really open up a bank account, (not with HSBC - they are crap), and start saving now. I know our dream is to have our own house, be married and have a child by the time we are 25 but I'm telling you now this hasn't happened. The reason we don't have a house is because we didn't save. The other things are down to your future boyfriend and out of my control.......
I'm not going to tell you to stop smoking because I quite enjoy it still but perhaps maybe consider if it is the best thing. I'm not going to tell you to drink less either because that's also up there on the list of things that are enjoyable but I will give you two tips. Drinking to excess to get over a break up is not a good idea and avoid milkshakes on a hangover. They don't mix well with us.
Please try and fight our intolerance to exercise and our love of melted cheese and fried chicken. You will still be unhappy with your body 10 years on but if you could just maybe look after it a bit better that would be great. On that note, stop wearing short skirts and getting your boobs out. Listen to your mother. We suit mid length skirts that show of our calves and you are asking for the wrong kind of attention with those low cut tops.
In a few years time you will get a call from your best friend asking you to move to Cardiff. Do this without a second of hesitation. They will be some of the best years of your life, and you will meet a group of people who mean the world to you and who love you for being you, even if you did take the Harry Potter Sorting Hat test and you are a Slytherin. Yeah. I know.
You need to have fun now and stop worrying about the future, and who likes you, and who thinks you are funny. Honestly the future will sort itself. Just stop stressing about the little things that really wont matter 10 years down the line because I can tell you, currently, life is pretty bloody great.
C x
Thursday 6 November 2014
Amsterdam - The Final Day
We woke up to our final breakfast opting to pay for a bacon and egg roll to see us through to lunch. We checked our bags into the lockers so we wouldnt have to carry them and set out.......in to the rain.
We sought shelter in The Royal Palace situated in Dam Square and spent a lovely and interesting 2 hours walking around and learning all about this grand building. The giant sweeping marble maps on the floor and the impressive heavy iron chandeliers all portray a glamour that you just don't see every day.
After we had finished feasting our eyes on all the splendor we feasted our bellies on some very tasty food. We stopped at a little cafe which smelt divine. We treated ourselves to a cheese pastry and an apple cake from the vast selection.
We had a couple more hours to kill so we decided to walk the streets a bit more to see what we could see. We weren't disappointed either, as after turning down just one street we found some incredible graffiti
We had to go back to the hostel to get our stuff so we made our way through the streets, picked up our bits from the hostel lockers and then got on the train back to the airport. Our flight was a little bit delayed which was annoying, especially as we had work the next day but we made it in the end.
Amsterdam is really beautiful and it's not just all about going there to sit in coffeeshops and get as high as possible. We saw so much just by walking around the city, we didn't get any public transport and it was probably the best idea to walk, although the bikes scare me so much! They really do rule the road over there. I would really recommend going if you haven't been or going again if you've been already because there is always something new to do or see.
C x
We sought shelter in The Royal Palace situated in Dam Square and spent a lovely and interesting 2 hours walking around and learning all about this grand building. The giant sweeping marble maps on the floor and the impressive heavy iron chandeliers all portray a glamour that you just don't see every day.
After we had finished feasting our eyes on all the splendor we feasted our bellies on some very tasty food. We stopped at a little cafe which smelt divine. We treated ourselves to a cheese pastry and an apple cake from the vast selection.
We had to go back to the hostel to get our stuff so we made our way through the streets, picked up our bits from the hostel lockers and then got on the train back to the airport. Our flight was a little bit delayed which was annoying, especially as we had work the next day but we made it in the end.
Amsterdam is really beautiful and it's not just all about going there to sit in coffeeshops and get as high as possible. We saw so much just by walking around the city, we didn't get any public transport and it was probably the best idea to walk, although the bikes scare me so much! They really do rule the road over there. I would really recommend going if you haven't been or going again if you've been already because there is always something new to do or see.
C x
Monday 3 November 2014
Amsterdam - Day 2
After waking up and getting breakfast to try and ease my poor head we decided the best way to fix it would be to go to the Heineken Experience!
After a very foggy walk through the streets we arrived at the brewery and started our tour.
We learnt how the beer is made and got to try a few glasses on the way round too. It was actually really fun and even though I'm not the biggest beer fan it was still interesting to learn.
After we had finished up we headed back towards our hostel to get ready for an evening out with my friend and her boyfriend.
We went for a couple of drinks first before heading out for traditional Dutch food in 'brown cafes'. These cafes are the best way to get a real feel of Amsterdam, off the beaten track of the tourist areas.
We had a lovely meal, I had steak and Leigh had Chicken Satay which is quite popular.
It was a very lovely evening filled with lots of laughter and catching up on the last couple of years. We went to bed very happy, our tummies full and our heads relatively clear ready for the final day.
C x
After a very foggy walk through the streets we arrived at the brewery and started our tour.
We learnt how the beer is made and got to try a few glasses on the way round too. It was actually really fun and even though I'm not the biggest beer fan it was still interesting to learn.
We went for a couple of drinks first before heading out for traditional Dutch food in 'brown cafes'. These cafes are the best way to get a real feel of Amsterdam, off the beaten track of the tourist areas.
We had a lovely meal, I had steak and Leigh had Chicken Satay which is quite popular.
It was a very lovely evening filled with lots of laughter and catching up on the last couple of years. We went to bed very happy, our tummies full and our heads relatively clear ready for the final day.
C x
Sunday 2 November 2014
Amsterdam - Day 1
Rising bright and early the next day to a very silver room we headed downstairs to breakfast which was included with the room . Defeitely a European breakfast
On the way to the flea market which you can find in Waterlooplein we passed a bridge covered in padlocks. Leigh and I didn't have one on us but really do we want another bridge collapsing under the weight of padlocks?! It does look pretty though.
With a taste for markets we headed towards the famous floating flower market to see what all the fuss was about. There are certainly a lot of tulip seeds to be found and I couldn't resist a trip into the cheese market which flanked the side of the flowers.
We walked down some more alleys and streets working our way towards Anne Frank's House where we had a tour booked for the afternoon.
Before that we needed to grab some lunch and so we found a cute little cafe, with a jetty and a free table. The only flaw to this was that I had to fight off birds through the whole meal, which given my phobia was pretty traumatic but still I soldiered on to put away a beer and one half mozzarella and pesto and one half brie and ham toastie.
Have you ever been to Amsterdam? If you haven't been please do go and visit Anne Frank's House. Even if you haven't read her diary it is so important to remember the atrocities that were committed under Hitler's reign. You are not permitted to take any photographs as you go round the rooms so I only have one image but it is one of my favourites because it portrays her so well.
After the thought provoking visit I needed a bit of cheering up so where better than a little tiny cheese shop and museum. There were tubs everywhere of tiny cubes of cheese all there for the taking. It was my dream shop!
Our tummies full of cheese and with the sun going down we decided to fill them up further with dinner. Another suggestion via my friend and a tasty one at that. She sent us to 'Bird' which is situated in China Town in the Red Light District. When the Dutch want Thai, this is where they go apparently!
We had a stroll through the Red Light District after our dinner and tried not to stare at the girls as they gyrated against the windows. The whole essense of that one small section of Amsterdam is like a Disneyland for grown-ups.
Once we were back at the hostel we contemplated how we were going to spend our evening, only to then get caught up in conversation with two fellow hostelers who were also at a loss for their evening. We decided to make good of our discount beer vouchers we received on arrival and drank the night away.
This is why I love staying in hostels. You meet so many different types of people from all over the places and I just LOVE to meet new people. We eventually crawled into bed where I fell asleep hoping I wouldn't have a hang over. (read - I threw up for 15 minutes and then passed out in my bed).
C x
After we had eaten our fill we consulted the map and headed out into the numerous alleys to explore all Amsterdam had to offer, which happens to be quite a lot. Bicycles filled with cheese, pretty canals, beautiful architecture, and bridges galore
On the way to the flea market which you can find in Waterlooplein we passed a bridge covered in padlocks. Leigh and I didn't have one on us but really do we want another bridge collapsing under the weight of padlocks?! It does look pretty though.
We headed round to the flea market to look at all the bright and shiny bits and bobs on offer. The good thing about going to a market on a weekday - it's a lot quieter!
Before that we needed to grab some lunch and so we found a cute little cafe, with a jetty and a free table. The only flaw to this was that I had to fight off birds through the whole meal, which given my phobia was pretty traumatic but still I soldiered on to put away a beer and one half mozzarella and pesto and one half brie and ham toastie.
Have you ever been to Amsterdam? If you haven't been please do go and visit Anne Frank's House. Even if you haven't read her diary it is so important to remember the atrocities that were committed under Hitler's reign. You are not permitted to take any photographs as you go round the rooms so I only have one image but it is one of my favourites because it portrays her so well.
After the thought provoking visit I needed a bit of cheering up so where better than a little tiny cheese shop and museum. There were tubs everywhere of tiny cubes of cheese all there for the taking. It was my dream shop!
Once we were back at the hostel we contemplated how we were going to spend our evening, only to then get caught up in conversation with two fellow hostelers who were also at a loss for their evening. We decided to make good of our discount beer vouchers we received on arrival and drank the night away.
This is why I love staying in hostels. You meet so many different types of people from all over the places and I just LOVE to meet new people. We eventually crawled into bed where I fell asleep hoping I wouldn't have a hang over. (read - I threw up for 15 minutes and then passed out in my bed).
C x
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)