Merry Christmas

I love Christmas. Here are my top ten reasons:

1. Family - it's a time for getting together and spending time with loved ones. Or not. As I usually go to France at some point over the Festive season I invariably 'do Christmas' with my folks in early December, and then off I go guilt-free. I have to say, that I love my early-December Christmas.

2. Parties - My BB has got into the habit of buying me a lovely new dress for Christmas. How sweet is that ! He never buys anything in a style that I would buy, and so much the better for it,  I always love it ! In the drudge of work and the day-to-day, it's nice to get dressed up and go and party!

3. Christmas cards - I love Christmas cards. I love sending and receiving them. I love e-cards too. I recycle cards and make gift tags for the following year too. I did take a 'year off' from cards last year, but I'm back with a vengeance this year.

4. Christmas Decorations - The decorations are not yet up at home. I have decorated the office, with snowflakes on the office windows, poinsettias on the windows sill, snowflakes hanging from the ceiling, some tinsel and a little tree. Who needs to do home with an office like that?? Home will get done at some point.

5. Gifts - I love shopping for gifts. I do a lot of shopping on-line these days, but I still like going to my local shopping centre too, even if there are crowds, and stopping off for a warming coffee en route.

6. Children - It's all about the children isn't it ? Isn't it ? My CC will soon be a teenager and I'm detetermined for Christmas to be as Christmassy as ever ...

7. Christmas Lunch- I'm very specific about my Christmas lunch. I have an actual aversion to not cooking it myself, as I know what I like. My Christmas lunch is very important, and can be totally ruined by a dodgy piece of broccoli or squash. I know, I know that sounds ungrateful, like I said, I'll happily cook Christmas lunch...

8. Christmas Food - I must be the only person that loses weight in the run up to Christmas. As much as I love a Christmas lunch (my stylee), I can only eat it once. I absolutely cannot eat three roast dinners a week for every week in December. No way. In fact, I really don't like that everything is over-embellished at Christmas. Carrots in honey and orange and sprinkled with sesame seeds ? No thanks, just steamed carrots will be fine thank you. Brussel sprouts with chestnuts and bacon. No. Just brussel sprouts please. etc. etc...  So, if there's an invitation for a Christmas lunch, I will wish you well and go off for a jog.

9. The weather - If it snows, great! If it's cold, that's great too. If it's warm ? That's just plain wrong.

10. Christmas Carols - I'm not a religous person. I don't go to church. I do believe in being a good person, being kind to others, being thoughtful and polite, and being a good citizen. I don't feel I need to go to church to live that kind of life, nor to feel that there is some 'thing' that guides me and drives me. I never feel more connected then when I am singing a Christmas carol. This year I will actually be singing carols myself as I have joined a Christmas choir. Bring it on !!

That's my top ten - what's your favourite, or least favourite things about the festive season ?

To Do or Not To Do

I am so obsessed with To-do lists that I looked for a piece of software that I could use to keep a rolling to-do list on my computer for my work to-do list. Of course, I installed it here on my laptop first where I am writing this, to test it out. It's an amazing piece of software, it's called Desktop iCalendar lite, so search for it on the Internet and download it.

 

 

I don't just have one To-do list, but several and as I have mentioned before I often update my lists on my mamouth 12-hour car journey across France. I will write list of things to do at work, list of things to do at home, lists of things to do in my life. If I don't write it down, I will forget about it. I seem to have a lot of things to remember these days. My daily commute was a perfect time to write a list, but since I don't do that now, an electronic to-do list serves me much better. That one in the image above, 'CC-dentist' is to remind me to book a dental appointment for my daughter.. this is something that I remembered the other day and thought I must write down before I forget. It's funny that a to-do list is never actually finished, but a rolling document. Although, I think the best thing I ever ticked off was completing my MBA.

 

What about the really big things ? Like Life Insurance ? I don't suppose I have really thought about that, have you ? Sure, I know that if I die the mortgage gets paid, I *think* there's something in one of my pensions that pays out something to my family members.. that's rather vague isn't it ! But I see those advertisements and I think, based on that do I need additional life insurance, or not ? Would it be worth the investment ? What about you ? Do you have a to do list, did it, or does it include sorting out life insurance ? Answers on a postcard to the usual address, which is just below this post, in the form of a comment.

 

 

Toffee Ginger Cakes with Fudgy Icing

I posted a picture of Toffee Ginger Cakes with Fudgy Icing in my last post, and promised a recipe for them, so here it is.

I can take no credit for the recipe at all as I found it in Waitrose Weekend when I was in Waitrose recently. Of course, I made some changes, but then if you read this blog you would know that I can never follow a recipe to the letter.

Ingredients
100g soft butter I used PURE Soy margarine, as usual..
100g light brown soft sugar
1tsp ground ginger I used fresh ginger, about a thumb sized piece (recipes always say that don't they)
1tsp vanilla extract
25g golden syrup
100g self raising flour, sifted Sift ? Me ? No sifting..
2 eggs

For the Fudgy Icing
25g butter I used PURE Soy margarine, as usual..
50g light brown soft sugar
2tbsp single cream oops, I think I used skimmed milk, still tasted lovely.. I never, just never have cream lying about as I try to restrict  the amount of animal dairy produce that I use and eat..
100g icing sugar

To decorate
Fudge pieces  I didn't have those either, the cakes were perfectly lovely without them.

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200 deg c, gas mark 6. Place paper cupcakes cases in a 12-hole cake tin. Beat the butter and sugar together until pale and creamy.

2. Beat in the ginger, vanilla and golden syrup until combined. Gradually add a little flower and some of the egg, beating well after each addition. Repeat until all the egg and flour has been added.

3. Spoon into the cases and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until golden and well risen. Place on a wire rack to cool.

4. For the icing, melt the butter (or PURE Soy margarine), and light brown sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil, add the cream (or milk) and simmer for 5 minutes. (I don't think I simmered for 5 minutes, actually).

5. Remove from the heat and beat in the icing sugar. Spread the icing over the cakes and decorate with fudge (if you have any).

Cabbage Patch 2013 - The Results

If I could write on the 'speech bubble' on this cake, I would write 'Well Done GG and Kooky Girl on fantastic results in the Cabbage Patch 2013'. GG managed an impressive 1:13:00 and I managed 1:25:07. Considering, I had thought that I would finish in 1:40:00 I was very pleased with the result.

What can I tell you about the race ? Well, we were running quite late and earlier in the morning it was pouring with rain, so it was a quick comfort break in Costa Coffee and straight to the race 'holding area'. We did feel a little like cattle as we were quite tightly squashed into the street, and all too soon, we were off. I waved GG off as she is faster than me.

The course is very flat, I recall going over several bridges, I completely missed the mile 8 marker, and it would have been useful to see it, as I was flagging at that point... There were 2 water stations and I took 2 cups at each, one for me, and one for my hot head. 

The earlier rain had been replaced by a nice, warm day, and when running it was a little too warm. During the whole route there were plenty of runners, and spectators. I have to say that I was glad to be finished, and pleased that I recovered very quickly. I put that down to the race being a relatively flat route. I met up with BB and CC, and we made our way to the area to collect the nice long-sleeved wicking t-shirt and some more, much needed, water.

Later, we met GG and her family in the infamous Cabbage Patch Pub. It's a lovely traditional pub and we gathered in a booth. GG and her family ordered some food, the kiddie burger and chips, macaroni cheese, and caesar salad. They all looked delicious. I was still experiencing post-race nausea at this point ... The atmosphere in the pub was warm and friendly and, as it is race HQ, it was packed with runners. Service was still great though.

I could have stayed there all afternoon, but it was off home for a long, hot soak in the bath and some Maths revision for CC.. Later, I raked the leaves in the garden and made the cupcakes above. Tomorrow I will post the recipe and you can make them, if you wish.

So, will I be doing Cabbage Patch next year ? No such luck. BB and GG's husband have already put dibs on that one, but I can't say I'm that disappointed as I can go to the Cabbage Patch pub and have a lovely lunch. That's what I call a Win-win. 

If you are looking for a popular, flat and fast race with lots of competitors and a great atmosphere then I can highly recommend  the Cabbage Patch 10 and it's HQ Cabbage Patch pub. Cabbage Patch: I look forward to seeing you next year.  

Cabbage Patch 10 2013

I haven't blogged for quite some time now. I've just started a new job, which has changed my life, in that I no longer commute for 2 hours a day, but I still haven't found much spare time for blogging..

I've still been running,  and it's great that many of my new colleagues are into running, and fitness in general. This weekend will see GG, (a new friend) and I taking part in the Cabbage Patch 10.

Cabbage Patch 10 is one of those races that I've heard of for years, but I've never raced it. It's already a favoured route, because it's one 10 mile loop and not a 'there-and-back', or a 'loop-the-loop a gsquillion times' route, which drives me crazy.

I already know that I won't be breaking any records on the day. If I finish in 1:40 I'll be happy enough with that. On Saturday, I did park run in 25:30 or so. This was a few seconds longer than 2 weeks ago, and that was a PB, so that wasn't a bad result..

Wish me luck - I will post a full report and photos on Sunday.

Oh, and remember, if all of this rain is putting you off running outside, then grab a running top with a hood and get out there, even if just for a short run. It's quite exhilarating !

Happy running !

Veganism - week 1

It has been a good week, and I did manage a whole week of a vegan diet, and then I lapsed. Don't get me wrong, I haven't eaten any meat, fish, or an actual egg, but I did have some biscuits and a piece of cake (that probably contained eggs and milk), and  I also had some cheese in my mushroom risotto, but no side of chicken fillet like BB and CC.

I guess I've realised just how hard it is.. I definitely don't miss meat, but it's pretty frustrating to go in the supermarket and look at seemingly innocent products and see 'contains milk' or 'may contain milk'. I also looked for some vegan / non-dairy cheese in a large supermarket and found not even one variety..

Here are some products or meals that you can eat and I did:

Savoury
Japanese Rice Crackers
Sweet chilli sauce
Peanut butter
Brown Rice
Mushroom Risotto (hold the cheese)
Vegetable Curry
Falafel in wholewheat pitta with salad and humous
Spaghetti with olive oil, black olives, garlic and a squeeze of lemon
Rice noodles with beansprouts, and a sauce of sweet chilli sauce, soy sauce, lime juice served with mange tout
Stuffed vine leaves
Alpro almond milk
Blue diamond almond milk (less creamy than the Alpro variety, and definitely my preferred brand)
All sorts of nuts.
Houmous and cucumber sandwich


Sweet
Alpro soy yoghurt
Alpro soy yoghurt - Vanilla flavour - great alternative to custard.
Apple and blackberry crumble (crumble made with PURE dairy free spread) served with vanilla Alpro
Strawberries
Grapes
Alpro chocolate dessert

I also managed  a PB in Saturday's park run, so the lack of meat and dairy did not seem to effect my energy levels. This week I would guess that I will eat a little dairy, no actual eggs as I don't like them anyway. I would definitely recommend a vegan week. It definitely focuses the mind on your food intake and your overall diet.

A Vegan September

I know just a few 'vegetarians'. I'm sorry about the quotes, but one of them eats fish and chicken, but never pork, beef or lamb. Another eats fish, but no meat. Another is a total vegan..

I'l be honest, I like eating some meat, some fish and I also like vegetarian food. However, one thing I've never understood is how some people can refer to themselves as vegetarian yet still eat meat and fish.

I have more of a problem with the ethics of milk and egg production than meat production, and don't even get me started on the blinding of prawn mothers. That said, I think we (I), get removed from the reality of meat that is shrink-wrapped in plastic on the supermarket shelf, and the animal in the field, or most often the animal that is not in the field. I struggle to relate the two. I am sure though that I would find it too squeamish to be able to slaughter or prepare my own meat. If that is the case, how can I take it from the supermarket shelf and cook and eat it ?

I've been thinking about vegetarianism and veganism more and more and of one thing I am sure, and that is, for me it's an all or nothing choice. I may be wrong, and I may look back in months or years to come and think I will eat chicken and fish, and no other animal. I have also become squeamish about animal bones and animal fat lately which reinforces my feelings towards meat...

I have therefore decided to go vegan for September, BB thought I should start with a gentler option, and I do understand that, but I do feel the need to go 'cold turkey' (pardon the pun.). I will be eating no meat, fish, eggs, milk, cheese, gelatine, honey or any other animal derived product.

I went shopping today, and I was most surprised to see just how animal-based a lot of products are. Although, I did manage to buy plenty of food that  was suitable for vegans.

Wish me luck, I will report back on how it goes !!!