Actually when i say diet i lie. Some of my friends recently have lent me WeightWatchers books, calculators etc as I've been moaning about how I'm really hating my body right now and need to desperately lose weight but I'm not sure about 'doing a diet'. They've never worked long-term for me before so i don't see why this time will be different. So am attacking this from a different perspective and will see how it goes. Am trying to eat good food and exercise more. To achieve this i have been out for a walk around Cannon Hill Park this week with my friend Christie from my counselling class at uni. We did 2 laps of the park but i think I'm going to build this up to more over the coming weeks. Christie has also given me a cross-trainer (which I'm using at home, gradually building up the number of minutes i spend on it...currently standing at a measly 5, but its better then nothing) and she has also given me a push bike. The push bike needs a little work doing on it as i cant get the tyres to stay inflated (the air rushes out when i remove the bike pump from the tyre - maybe a faulty valve??) but i cant wait to get out and about on it. After speaking to Birmingham Bike Foundry earlier today, I'm going to drop it in there for them to look at it and perform wonders....
Anyway, last night i made Chicken & Chorizo Gumbo. I started off by
making a chicken stock - i roasted some chicken bones for 20 minutes and
then put into a pan with carrots, celery, bulb of garlic, peppercorns,
onion and simmered for 3 hours. I then strained it and let it cool before removing the layer of fat from the top.
To make the gumbo (which is adapted from a recipe in this amazing book which my wonderful friends, Alex and Katie got me for my birthday last year) i firstly fried off some diced onions, celery (i SERIOUSLY hate celery but i think it helps to make the base of a soup), chorizio (about50g, diced) with half a red and yellow pepper (also diced). I then added some garlic cloves, paprika and chilli and cooked for 5 minutes. The recipe called for sweet smoked paprika and cayenne pepper, neither of which were in stock in the Co-op so i improvised ;) The recipe also called for Bourbon....this is something that i don't have in my drinks cupboard so i didn't bother. I then added a diced potato, diced sweet potato, a load of the chicken stock id made (enough to cover), a bay leaf and some dried thyme...simmered for 20 minutes....had awesome gumbo! It was really sweet from the chicken stock and peppers (definitely worth making the proper stock) and hot from the chilli.
Now for this afternoons task - I'm going to the cinema. On my own. For the first time ever. Those of you that know me well will know that to me this represents a passage into adulthood (at the age of 41...) See you on the other side!!!
Now for this afternoons task - I'm going to the cinema. On my own. For the first time ever. Those of you that know me well will know that to me this represents a passage into adulthood (at the age of 41...) See you on the other side!!!
Aw I love going to the cinema on my own - especially The Electric - spent many Wednesday afternoons in there in it's previous incarnation, when they had a cheap-price Arthouse double bill, coffee and cake! Of course in it's current form it's much more spruced up, and with a different slant on it's programming, but it's still a great place to go on your own if you just want a bit of 'me time' with a glass of wine, beer or cocktail, slice of cake, and some uninterrupted film absorption!
ReplyDeleteI hate celery with a passion, but my Holy Trinity of flavor is bell pepper, onion, and celery. Oddly, neither of these goes in my mouth uncooked. When cooked, all must be diced.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I hate going to the movies alone! I am a bit older than you, but when I was 41, I had never been to the movies alone. I consider it a social occasion. Besides, I need someone to watch my purse while I go to the bathroom and to tell me what happened while I was gone.