A quick trip to the health food store and Get Fresh this afternoon and we were ready to dig in to a vegetarian lunch. We are big meat eaters in this house but vegetarian options are very frequent due largely to Georgie who loves stuff like quinoa, broccoli and veggie tofu sticks. I found these veggie sticks at Be Natural in Aglantzia. They look like long hot dogs but are made from tofu. A healthy option compared to yesterday’s Happy Meal. Oops.
This week has been…well, mad! Finalising details to the house like door handles and lighting has proven too much for me. I have given up on the latter and pleaded with my electrician -who happens to be my sister’s lovely husband- to allow me room (excuse pun!)to breathe and opt for basic light bulbs wherever I cannot make up my mind. At the end of these mad days I pushed myself to spend more time in the kitchen. For some reason homemade food and sweets seemed to bring peace to me. So I baked some brownies… …and chocolate chip cookies. Eggs were a major hit this week with rosemary potatoes and oven baked tomatoes. A really great combo if you ask me especially when you discover a great way to prepare oven potatoes. Check out this recipe. And yes, it does make a huge difference when you use Canola oil. Slightly pricier but a great addition to my kitchen. I even used it to fry the eggs. Ah, my lasagna. It was my first time making this classic dish and I really enjoyed it. Sprinkling and layering all that cheese made my heart pound. Thoughts of melted delights and wobbly thighs were having a massive argument in my head but who cares? My mouth had the final say. They came out slightly dry but I think that was down to using the wrong size baking dish and probably following three different recipes. I used only organic beef and loved the cottage cheese mix. Basically I adapted it to what I had available and what I like. Finally, tonight the aroma of vegetable soup is filling the apartment. Again I meshed a few recipes but really ended up throwing potatoes, carrots, leaks and onions into a big pot with tomato paste and chicken broth. It’s simmering away and I’m about to go wash my hair. It’s thursday, right?
2013 has brought determination in me. Wishful thinking was convincing me that we would be all moved in our new home by Christmas. When I realised that wasn’t going to happen, putting up the tree and decorating the house had a sour taste to it this Christmas. I had given up making the apartment a home and sort of put everything on hold. Today, I felt so disappointed in myself for fishing out bags of food pass it’s expiration date and tossing it all out. I am disorganised at times and I procrastinate more than I like to admit. That stopped as of yesterday. And I am determined to keep it up. Cleaning through the kitchen cabinets was a major step for me and it made me feel good. Just like spending more time making this blog something I am proud of will make me feel good. I hope to achieve alot this year in all areas of my life. For my husband, my baby and for me. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Setting simple, small goals is the secret. For now…a smoked salmon and cream cheese baguette is the beginning of bringing a healthy appetite into this home…wherever that may be.
Things have been good this week. My baby boy welcomed me from London with a shy smile and swinging legs. You’d have thought he was nervous or something! I eased myself into his space because last time I left him with his grandparents, he wouldn’t come anywhere near me for a few hours. It was heartbreaking but expected behavior. Apparently, kids make it personal when you go missing. So within minutes, my little dude was pushing his toy truck around the kitchen with me and making sure I didn’t leave his side. Even for a second. I don’t mind. Do you have any idea how much I missed those mischievous smiles? Starry brownies were the cherry on the top.
My little dude had a rocking weekend riding the carousel and sleeping for 12 hours straight- don’t hate me. I’ve probably just jinxed myself anyway. Feeling slightly more chilled and positive, it’s no wonder I woke up this morning and made peanut butter cookies for breakfast. Which subsequently meant that a boring old Monday wasn’t so bad. Hope yours was a good one. x
