It's the last weekend in November and I've been feeling Christmassy for nearly a month now! I've planned all my shopping and bought most presents, even wrote my Christmas cards last night! Next weekend is my last shopping trip (I detest shopping in December as it's so busy) so I have a few more bits to get and then it's time to decorate the house! This year I have a 3-bed house instead of a 1-bed flat, so more decorations are definately needed. At the moment I only have a 6-foot tree and some tinsel and lights to put up the stairs, I'm thinking fairy lights in the windows and a wreath on the door ...? I'm also continuing on my home-baking theme and making biscuits to hang on the tree instead of chocolates (which Pete doesn't like).
Talking about home-baking I did try out some recipes which I could make as presents but the Christmas cookies weren't very nice (too chocolate-powdery), instead I've found a lush recipe for Chocolate cake which I made into buns for Pete's last games day and they disappeared sharpish. I'm also falling back on my traditional brownie recipe.
Cute kitten on YouTube!
Sunday, 29 November 2009
Sunday, 1 November 2009
Autumn is upon us ...
Last night was Halloween, but we went to see fireworks instead. Most local fireworks displays were this weekend which by rights should be devoted to Halloween but instead we're celebrating blowing things up. The display was fantastic as usual and was a good 20 minutes of 'ohhhhs' and 'ahhhhs'. It also gave Pete an excuse to show off his torch prowess, in fact there were quite a few people with powerful torches having a competition on who could light up the trees most (no surprises that these were mostly men).
This week I have been mostly annoying my sister with requests for Christmas lists as I'm starting my shopping early. I'm trying to do it mostly online again but the Royal Mail strikes might make that tricky which is why I'm starting early. This is where cycling to work is not useful, on Friday I received a parcel which didn't fit in my rucksack so will have to stay at work until I drive in.
I'm planning on having a homemade Christmas as much as possible, well that was the plan in summer when I was made redundant but as my knitting pace is one row per quarter I doubt I'll get much finished by December. So, instead I'm baking. This means lots of testing which Pete doesn't moan about. Today's concoction was Nigella's chocolate biscuits which were not good. I have an aversion to anything that tastes of chocolate but actually isn't chocolate, these biscuits made with cocoa were a prime example. But never fear, I have several recipes yet to try.
This week I have been mostly annoying my sister with requests for Christmas lists as I'm starting my shopping early. I'm trying to do it mostly online again but the Royal Mail strikes might make that tricky which is why I'm starting early. This is where cycling to work is not useful, on Friday I received a parcel which didn't fit in my rucksack so will have to stay at work until I drive in.
I'm planning on having a homemade Christmas as much as possible, well that was the plan in summer when I was made redundant but as my knitting pace is one row per quarter I doubt I'll get much finished by December. So, instead I'm baking. This means lots of testing which Pete doesn't moan about. Today's concoction was Nigella's chocolate biscuits which were not good. I have an aversion to anything that tastes of chocolate but actually isn't chocolate, these biscuits made with cocoa were a prime example. But never fear, I have several recipes yet to try.
Saturday, 3 October 2009
One more off the bucket list?
I've been cycling 3.5 (each way) miles to the train station for the past 3 weeks and I've noticed a definite improvement in my fitness. The hills are much easier but I'm still puffed when I get to the top, I'm even doing them in 2nd gear instead of the lowest. Logistically it's working too, I get to work at about 8:15am (or 8:45am if I catch the later train) then have a quick shower and back to my desk to start working. Downsides are my entire office gets to see me in lycra, I sit on a train for 40 minutes being sweaty and I have two showers a day which is very drying.
My swimming is coming along too, I've mastered front crawl breathing every other stroke, now I'm working on breathing every 3 strokes (so alternate sides) with the help of a nose clip (and Pete). My next goal is to be able to swim 4 lengths in a row, currently I can do just about 2.
Tomorrow I'm starting a new diet called Zest4Life which is run by nutritionists. A girl at work is a trained nutritionist and is starting to run these classes, so she needs volunteers to do a dry run. It's a 4 week trial which happily covers my 'Detox for a month' life goal. The diet is more about eating healthily (low GI) not reducing calories specifically, so lots of vegetables, fruit and natural stuff. Tea is restricted to one cup a day, so I'll be switching to fruit teas at work and chocolate is 100g a week, so a big reduction there. I'm hoping it will teach me more about food options and get me cooking again.
Talking about cooking, I've bought a slow cooker! Tomorrow I'll be treating Pete to slow cooked leg of lamb and during the week I'll do a chicken and tomato effort. Our eating habits aren't great, Pete tends to eat when he gets home from work as he trains later in the evening. By the time I get home, he's eaten and generally on his way out which means we both cook and eat separately during the week. However, if I set the cooker off in the morning and Pete turns it off when he gets home, we'll both eat the same thing but at different times.
My first evening class was this week, I'm doing an Introduction to Counselling at Bracknell for 10 weeks. I really enjoyed it, the other students are lovely and the teacher is very good. I'm really looking forwards to studying again and will probably go on to do the next course which is a year and more commitment.
My swimming is coming along too, I've mastered front crawl breathing every other stroke, now I'm working on breathing every 3 strokes (so alternate sides) with the help of a nose clip (and Pete). My next goal is to be able to swim 4 lengths in a row, currently I can do just about 2.
Tomorrow I'm starting a new diet called Zest4Life which is run by nutritionists. A girl at work is a trained nutritionist and is starting to run these classes, so she needs volunteers to do a dry run. It's a 4 week trial which happily covers my 'Detox for a month' life goal. The diet is more about eating healthily (low GI) not reducing calories specifically, so lots of vegetables, fruit and natural stuff. Tea is restricted to one cup a day, so I'll be switching to fruit teas at work and chocolate is 100g a week, so a big reduction there. I'm hoping it will teach me more about food options and get me cooking again.
Talking about cooking, I've bought a slow cooker! Tomorrow I'll be treating Pete to slow cooked leg of lamb and during the week I'll do a chicken and tomato effort. Our eating habits aren't great, Pete tends to eat when he gets home from work as he trains later in the evening. By the time I get home, he's eaten and generally on his way out which means we both cook and eat separately during the week. However, if I set the cooker off in the morning and Pete turns it off when he gets home, we'll both eat the same thing but at different times.
My first evening class was this week, I'm doing an Introduction to Counselling at Bracknell for 10 weeks. I really enjoyed it, the other students are lovely and the teacher is very good. I'm really looking forwards to studying again and will probably go on to do the next course which is a year and more commitment.
Sunday, 13 September 2009
Autumn is coming
I don't know why but I'm feeling very autumnal, almost Christmassy? I have a warm, fuzzy feeling inside, is it contentedness or the fact that I've just had a hot cuppa? I prefer the former.
Well, I've been living with Pete for over a month now and we're both still alive, which is a bonus. We've had a few disagreements (mainly tea related), it's a work in progress as I knew it would be. It's not easy putting two people together who have lived alone for a few years. My solution is to not stress about the small stuff, if it bothers me, I'll do and not nag Pete to (as he won't listen to me or do anything I ask him to).
I've also started my new job and I'm thoroughly enjoying it, the people are lovely and the work is interesting. It's so nice to work in an office environment again, turning around to have a natter breaks the day up nicely. We also get free breakfasts (if you turn up before 8:45am) and Friday treats (this week we had chocolate brownies and iced buns).
I've bought a bike using work's Ride2Work scheme, which basically means I get 50% off the price of a bike and accessories and pay it back monthly for 1 year. I've gone down the retro route and have a proper ladies bike complete with wicker basket. I'm hoping that this will make it less stealable and people won't expect me to be too fast. Pete and I did a test run to the station and back to see how long it takes and where to lock my bike up (bike lockers are all taken and have a waiting list). It took 18 minutes to get there but I suffered on the way back and the long, steep hill did me in and I had to stop before I threw up. After a short break I trundled back home with Pete shouting encouragement from behind. I reckon doing that everyday will boost my fitness no end. It does mean I have to catch 2 trains in leggings though.
Well, I've been living with Pete for over a month now and we're both still alive, which is a bonus. We've had a few disagreements (mainly tea related), it's a work in progress as I knew it would be. It's not easy putting two people together who have lived alone for a few years. My solution is to not stress about the small stuff, if it bothers me, I'll do and not nag Pete to (as he won't listen to me or do anything I ask him to).
I've also started my new job and I'm thoroughly enjoying it, the people are lovely and the work is interesting. It's so nice to work in an office environment again, turning around to have a natter breaks the day up nicely. We also get free breakfasts (if you turn up before 8:45am) and Friday treats (this week we had chocolate brownies and iced buns).
I've bought a bike using work's Ride2Work scheme, which basically means I get 50% off the price of a bike and accessories and pay it back monthly for 1 year. I've gone down the retro route and have a proper ladies bike complete with wicker basket. I'm hoping that this will make it less stealable and people won't expect me to be too fast. Pete and I did a test run to the station and back to see how long it takes and where to lock my bike up (bike lockers are all taken and have a waiting list). It took 18 minutes to get there but I suffered on the way back and the long, steep hill did me in and I had to stop before I threw up. After a short break I trundled back home with Pete shouting encouragement from behind. I reckon doing that everyday will boost my fitness no end. It does mean I have to catch 2 trains in leggings though.
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