The New Year Diet Project, Monday Weigh In, 9th of April, 2012

Good Morning :) It has been a very happy Easter down here in Margaret River. I hope everyone has enjoyed the same happiness.

In situ. This morning, a photo from where I am sitting in bed, writing this blog. This is the guest bedroom/my wardrobe. I have moved into it as I have the ceiling being replaced in my bedroom. Yes, I collect Barbie Dolls.

The Diet

Right, the diet. The diet is no more. I have decided that it must be boring people more than it is boring me. My weight is just sliding sideways, I have lost it, gained it, lost it, gained it. I think it's gonna keep going that way. I suspect and know that the majority of others who started the diet have done much the same. There are a few stand out dieters that have pushed themselves through the pain and managed to lose a decent amount. Well done, and congratulations. It is no mean feat. Ramping up the exercise, cutting out the wine and keeping the carbohydrates at a minimum and upping the protein, seems to be the key. I certainly don't deserve to have maintained mine as I have been eating to many yummy things like pizza, pasta, chocolate & drinking wine. Tut Tut. I am fitter, and so am happy about that. I feel better. So, something was learned in that process. We shall see how it goes.

Old Friends

I have to tell you about my very first friend, Kenneth. I woke up the other morning, thinking, 'that bugger hasn't replied to my email wishing him a happy birthday!!!' I rolled over under my fluffy warm doona, checked the emails that had come through during the night and there it was, an email from Kenneth! I must be psychic :)

Singapore. I'm the short one. Aren't they a beautiful couple?

Anyway, I really think this is special. Kenneth and I went to kindergarden together in Singapore and became best of mates. I lived there for 4 years as a little kiddy, from the ages of 2 to 6. I left Singers, returned to Australia and left Kenneth behind. So, that was the last time we saw each other.


I never forgot him. He was my very first, best friend. A couple of years ago, I started to search for him. Google helped a little, as I got a sense that he was somewhere in the UK and working in finance, but they were old leads and I just could not find him. It took a couple more years before the family grape vine came across him in Singapore and mentioned me to him. Did he still remember me? Oh course, he said, he had apparently enquired as to my whereabouts also, through the school head mistress, and had never forgotten me either.


We have obviously gone our own ways, he has a lovely family in the UK and travels between there and Singapore still, pursuing a life of finance and politics. And I have settled here in Margaret River after a life of galavanting around the Australian country side. We have corresponded via email like the old fashioned 'pen pals', the internet bringing us closer. But, I just think it's amazing that, a bond that is forged at such a young age still remains. We may never meet in person again, but, good to know we have not lost that connection. Never under estimate the power of a friendship, male or female.

The Easter Holidays

One of my Blue Tongue Lizards, I couldn't bear hurting one with a whipper snipper! They have been know to live to 20 years in captivity. That's longer than my dogs.

Oh dear, the Easter holidays have been alot of fun. I have mowed the lawn - again, and, have had my first ever experience using a whipper snipper (after psychoanalysing myself, realised my reluctance to pick it up was that I thought I might end up chopping up a little critter in the grass! A real possiblility as that's where they like to hide, I am not talking little ones, I am talking about my chunky Blue Tongue Lizards, weighing in at about 200 - 250gs each). Apart from inadvertently trimming a couple of plants in the front garden, I think I did quite well. Have also used my reciprocating saw on cutting back part of the Macadamia Tree to get my car under. http://www.ryobi.com.au/Products/PowerGarden I love my Ryobi, 36V tools, easy to start, no petrol or oil, no smell, not as noisy, and amazingly powerful. They do the job very happily. The lawn mower conks out if half way if the lawn is too long, or wet, but, it's just a matter of putting it back on charge, whilst getting around with the whipper snipper. Very satisfying.

This morning. This is the 'after' shot of the lawn mowing and whipper snippering, note arount the compost bins, I was impressed with myself!

Social occasions.... there are a few. A BBQ at my girlfriends place on Saturday. Had to leave the car and get a lift home. It was a lovely, afternoon. A classic, where you truly chill out in good company with good food & wine.


Then, a party at Valmai's. That was hectic, prawn pizza's, wine, good music, dancing, yummy vodka jelly shooters, a fire, more wine, music and dancing. I did the right thing and took myself off about midnight. Valmai crashing about 5. I still have a few other social occasions for the holidays and needed to preserve my liver. The next morning, I made some of Bill Grangers Corn Cakes with an Avocado Salsa and took them back around to Valmai's for lunch. They were yummy, I used the corn bought from the Margaret River Farmers Markets. The sweet, heavy corn normally doesn't make it to the cooking stage, as I just sit on the back step and eat it fresh off the cob. I had one corn cake at home, straight out of the pan, hot with mascarpone and smoked salmon, delish.


The hectic social life continues; a curry night tonight, a catch up with Noofi tomorrow, and the family, also arrives tomorrow. Poor old liver. None of my family or friends are tea totallers!

Recipes

I also made a batch of Rueben Solomon's Chilli Vinegar as a gift for Valmai's Hubby, whose birthday it is. I think I found it in a Gourmet Traveller Magazine (click here to go to their website, which is very good)

Ruebens Chilli Vinegar, If you can't read this old recipe send me a note

* Note: I have noticed I have gone from a dieting headset to a cooking headset. Mmmmm, interesting! Back on that rower!