Eating has been a bit of a theme as I cooked a lavish three course meal for my Flâneur for his birthday on the 19th. It was a little stressful as I had chosen to be a little bit more complicated than my usual "shall we have pasta...". I made goat's cheese and red onion tarts to start (served with some salad to pretend it was healthy), following by shoulder of lamb stuffed with an apricot stuffing (which was much nicer than I had anticipated). Was a bit pissed off that the annoying butcher, who pointed out it's called shoulder in Scotland when I asked for neck (which I'd seen used on Masterchef, how was I to know that's what 'the English' call it!), that he had said to me - oh if you're stuffing it, with this piece you wont need to tie it. Well that was not true and as I checked on it part way through I realised it had sprung apart and the stuffing was starting to char. So I had to take it out the oven and try and tie string round a hot piece of meat in a desperate attempt to make it cook properly. Anyway, this was accompanied by dauphinoise potato (recipe on the potato council website, of all places), and asparagus (cooked in butter...hhmmm...). By this time I was pretty well stuffed as we just don't eat that much anymore, having cut our portions down quite considerably. But we weren't done, as I had decided to have a go at making chocolate mousse.
The recipe for the mousse came from Jamie Oliver's "Happy Days" book, and apparently served "4". As I wanted some for the next night too, I thought I'd do half the mix again and therefore have enough for 6. Six piggies that would be! It was a huge amount of mousse that I put into frankly the most enormous glasses I have (they're champagne bowls), and there was still some left over to make two other reasonable sized portions. I felt really quite ill half way through, but ploughed on none the less. ;o) Maybe this is why I am so large....
All this was washed down with some very lovely Californian Zinfandel and some yummy Prosecco. Hmmm.... Thankfully had taken the next day off, boy did I need it. My tummy felt a little sore. Spent most of it cleaning the flat though. Just don't get the chance to give this place the clean it needs what with working and everything...
Had a lovely visit from Wastrel and SAM and was very pleased that my Flâneur was cooking and that he was doing fish! He did a fine Japanese spread including gyoza (yummy), sake glazed salmon, greenbeans with a soybean paste and toasted sesame topping, Japanese potato salad and of course, rice. Washed down this time with a nice Sake and green tea. Oh, and of course, finished off with Mousse. That's what we all were - fished off by mousse!! Only SAM and I managed to finish ours. Urgh...
So, yes, eating has been a real feature of the last two weeks, but not really exercise. On the plus side it is now Lent, when traditionally I give up chocolate and sweets. It's been pretty tough these first few days as I begin to realise just how much of a habit it has become! This is the 9th year (I think) that I have done this and usually by Easter I don't really want chocolate, so hopefully this will be a real chance to cut right back. I shall have to just make sure I don't gorge on Easter Sunday and therefore fall with a bit fat bump off the wagon... Flaneur is under instructions not to buy me more than 1 Easter egg and to make sure it's a really good quality one...
Lent should help with the weight loss though which appears to have very frustratingly stalled. Not exercising probably has something to do with that, but I am bumbling along still at the X-1 stone 3lb mark, sometimes a bit lower, occasionally a bit more (v. depressing), but mostly just at the 3 mark. That's still my stone marker, but it would be nice if it went down a bit, at least to get me into the X-2 stage... Sigh! Am determined to get back to the exercise this week coming though - I will be at the pool on Monday, I will!!
On the sewing front, I did finish the front of my quilt, which was very satisfying. Sorry no pics at the moment - have to down load them from the camera, which involves using a different computer... Anyway, it doesn't look much different from the picture of it all laid out on the floor! It's blooming massive, but looks great. I'm really really pleased with it and now just need to get the wadding and backing fabric and finish it off. It really hasn't taken me half as long as I expected...
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