Boxing Day Report In

[Kiwismum]

I hope all you lovely people had a really good christmas.

I realise that I might be the only one on here for a while, so I may be talking to myself, but so be it.

Yesterday we had a great and very relaxing day. No I wasn't following the plan, but I didn't over eat by too much so it is not all bad. We had planned to have our big christmas dinner at 1.00pm and then the whole christmas pudding thing for afternoon tea, and leftovers and salad for the evening meal.

What actually happened was, we had christmas dinner at 1.00pm, and then ended up having pudding at 5.00pm. so we never did the evening meal. My cousin and I with two of the kids went for a nice long walk once the heat of the day eased while the others all watched a movie. So I didn't have too much to eat and got in some exercise. I finished the day with a hot chocolate, 1(yes only one) roses chocolate and a few too many dry roasted peanuts. All in all not too bad really.

Anyway, as I promised myself, today is day one of a new plan. I have my vege soup started on the stove, since I prefer that for my late afternoon snack , I have my planner fillout and ready to go, using up some of the leftovers ,and I am about to have breakfast . It is looking like another hot day, so will be doing quite a bit of gardening today(exercise).

It is all good and I am mentally ready and excited to back on plan. I might even do the one new recipe a day thing again, once I am back in the swing of things.

[Yvonne]

Hi Kiwismum,

Glad you had such a nice day.  Was very much the same here, around to the sons for an hour before they set off for the other parents home..consumed nothing more than coffee! 

Okay, confession time..I think it would be ungracious of me not to appreciate the chocolates I have been given so am doing my best to consume all by Monday morning (shant be difficult),  did have two fruit mince pies (but two isnt too bad ), okay too many glasses of wine spread out between lunch and bedtime but what the heck!   Lunch was a lovely lean veal and lamb roast (so cold meat for the next few days)...dinner was pretty small just a leftover spud and a couple of slices of cold meat..oh and a small slice of steam pudding, custard and cream   Like you we had dessert later in the day...

No exercise yesterday I sat for a few hours listening to Andre Rieu dvds...on the plus side have been busy today gardening, mainly planting and carrying watering cans, quick grocery shop etc....not planning to go into town now for a couple of weeks!

Monday morning I shall jump on the scales, wont be surprised if its a kilo up...this year will try and control and hopefully lose those last few kilos...shall not be obsessing about what Ihave to lose but want to spend as much spare time learning about gardening which is becoming a new hobby and keeping my seven furry friends exercised and groomed...hopefully a busy day will mean less time to eat for no good reason...not sure if I will track each day as I find if I go astray I then throw the entire week out!    Something about seeing it written down in black and white....

Oh well, thats enough of a ramble from me, been another lovely day here but would really appreciate some rain, preferably at night time...

Would love to hear about any new recipes you try, I am going to include new ones that are quick and easy so I can spend more time doing other 'stuff'    I will try and let you know about any we use here...

Hope you are enjoying the rest of the Christmas break, bye for now...

[Kiwismum]

Well good for you for not over eating Yvonne 

Had a slight hiccup today when one of our neighbours invited us up for after Christmas drinks, so I ended up with 2 glasses of wine instead of my soup for my late afternoon snack . I then had a carb free dinner, but ended up feeling a bit hungry . I had fruit and still 3 milk/yogurt servings so I made a smoothie with them to help fill me up.

The rest of my day was spot on as far as the food went, so not so good having a hiccup on my first day .

On the upside I did manage to sell the two yearling steers that we didn't need so the bank balance will look a bit healthier .

[Kiwismum]

Christmas Ham and Tomatoes with 'Whatever is Left' Crumble - I made it for lunch yesterday and it was very good. It makes four servings and hubby and I had a serving each, so we can have it again today

Normally with left over ham we have ham salad until we are sick of it, so this was a nice change from that.

I have all my planning done for today, so the big goal today is to stick to the plan all day. I will do my best

[Yvonne]

Hi kiwismum,
Hope the second day is going well for you as well.  I think you did great, a couple of glasses of wine and I would have gone "Oh well..." and that would have been that so good on you for some great control. 

There is another recipe that I have tried using leftovers which is also a good one, cant think of the name,  perhaps it has beans in it....

I weighed this morning (Day one for me) and actually 800 grams down on a month ago so cant complain.  All the chocolate has gone!  as long as I dont go into my daughters room, she has a dish sitting on her desk...mm, temptation abounds!   

I am going to make the beef stroganoff recipe from the new book tonight,  I bought Scotch fillet to make it with (little extravagant   ) but after reading the recipe not sure if the steak would need to be cooked prior to the onion going in, cooked with the onion and then simmered in the sauce..wondered if fillet needs all that cooking....what do you think?   Even marinated rump doesnt take long when its pan fried....

Had a big day gardening yesterday, if I dont see a sieve full of compost for a long time it will be too soon!   This particular compost heap was placed under a tree and all the tree roots have grown into it so its like shovelling out cement, but once shaken and rubbed through a sieve the effort is worth while...did manage a walk today, up to nine thousand steps so far on the pedometer...

Oh well, better think about something to go with the beef stroganoff I guess, new potatoes, garden fresh broccoli and carrots should do the trick...

Hope all is going well

[Kiwismum]

Hmm this might be too late but I would think all that cooking would dry out such a good cut of meat.

Well done on your loss and also on getting rid of all the chocolate. We still have a fair amount in the house, but it is either unopened or of a type I don't like .

Yesterday we were invited to neighbours for fresh fish. They took Miss Fussy out for her first time fishing so how could we refuse. Yes I did have some wine, but only a couple of glasses and just water the rest of the time. I made a very large coleslaw with a yoghurt dressing that went down very well, so between the fish, coleslaw and a small amount of chips I managed to stay on plan food wise so was happy with that.

Today I have had a perfect day so far, with more coleslaw, and left over ham for dinner, I will have one fruit and one milk/yoghurt left for which I will convert into cherries and fresh yoghurt and that will be me done.

I am looking at the week end as a sort of easing in, so today is day one of the week, and weighin is on wednesday. I weighed last wednesday in preparation of going back on plan, so it is all good so far.

[Yvonne]

You are doing well.    Its amazing how easy we can make it for ourselves when we get in the right frame of mind.   

The beef stroganoff went down well even if I did forget to flour salt and pepper the meat first!  Instead of cooking the meat then adding the onions and cooking it I reversed that bit..once the onions where more or less done in went the beef...it only needed five minutes...cheated a bit with the sour cream as well, instead of a tablespoon on each portion I stirred mine into the sauce...theres enough left over for a sandwich for someone tomorrow..I shall pass and choose a white meat...

I hope your weigh in goes well Wednesday, I am sure it will, you seem very determined ....glad to see husband ate the last of the yummy fruit jellies that where sitting on the breakfast bar..now if only he would eat the cake of liquor chocolate he was given..I shall resist and keep telling myself its not mine to eat!   I can devour a cake in an evening without a thought!

Keep up the good work.

[Kiwismum]

Yvonne I would have probably mixed the sour cream in too.

Managed to stay on track all day yesterday, and will try to do the same today so I will be all ready for weighin tomorrow morning I haven't planned dinner yet, but breakfast and lunch are sorted. We have basically used up all our christmas leftovers so back to cooking.

The cabbage I got out the garden the other day is still going strong, so maybe more coleslaw anyway, but that is as far as I have got.

[Yvonne]

Just as well you like coleslaw   One dish I cant really relate to unless it comes from KFC    Lamb chops for us tonight so shall simply pan fry them (non stick pan and a little oil spray)...breakfast is over, lunch will be a sandwich.   Weather will decide if or not I walk, I dont mind getting wet but wet long coated dogs are no fun.
Tomorrow night will be trying the Ginger Chicken Teriyaki so will let you know how that goes.

[Kiwismum]

Decided on a stir fry for tonight, so that is one more problem solved

Lunch is going to be a BLT provided the bacon defrosts in time, which is should.

We have clouds but no rain as yet, and we could do with some thats for sure. Grass has stopped growing again.

I have done my exercising for the day so now I can go play in the garden for the rest of the day