Plan - shop - cook - eat! Food, I love everything about it.

12^th April 2013

Surround yourself with people who are going to lift you higher.  Opray Winfrey

You’ve got to love the human body, I felt so tired yesterday morning, when I was getting all my stuff together in my bag to leave I almost put my cup of tea in there too!  Yet I went to bed at ten last night and I’ve been awake since 2am, wide awake, not tired, can’t got back to sleep so after an hour of lying there, I decided to get up and do something useful, I can always go back to bed later in the day if I get tired.

Despite being tired yesterday morning, I still prepared my lunch before leaving the house for work and I’m so glad I did because I ended up having it for lunch and dinner, was delicious, recipe below, I know if I hadn’t I would have probably ate junk when I got home on the night.

This week in my meetings we’ve looked at portion distortion and how easy it is to eat more without even thinking about it.  I hadn’t realised until my bestie pointed it out that since changing to square plates I’m eating less because they are smaller than my old white round plates.  Eating less and not even noticing, that’s the kind of diet I want I have to say, so if your dinner plates are on the large side maybe it’s time to consider downsizing them, same with your glasses, tall thin glasses are the way forward.

Someone suggested if you weigh and measure and ProPoint everything you eat then it doesn’t matter what size plate you eat it from, mmm think about it, psychologically you’ll be more satisfied if you’re plate looks fuller however much you’re eating.  However the other reason it’s good to downsize your plates is because I know none of us weighs, measures and ProPoints EVERY DAY, we all get the odd case of ‘sod it syndrome’ and when we do we just pile food on the plate, at least if those plates are smaller you’ll pile less without thinking about it, so you’re controlling your portions whether you’re ‘in the zone’ or not.  Food for thought there.

We were chatting yesterday morning in my meeting and my fabulous helpers reminded how much I’ve changed, I’m stood there saying how food is now this complete experience, it’s starts in my head with the planning, then moves to the supermarket for the browsing and shopping before coming back to the kitchen for the cooking and finally the sitting down at my dining table and eating, it’s a huge part of my life that makes me happy, where as once upon a time I used to cook everything on gas mark 9!  If the packet (yes everything was pre-packed for quickness) said 40 minutes at gas mark 5, I would cook it at 20 minutes on gas mark 9!  Speed was essential, minimal cooking time, minimal preparation time, just cook, eat, and move on!  And before that, before losing my weight and becoming a leader I was probably even worse, because I was rushing, eating and not even tasting, so I ended up eating more and more and more to try and get some kind of satisfaction from something, I used to think I loved food but I didn’t – I just ate, sorry I mean I just OVERATE!  These days I taste everything and since getting the dining table the eating experience has improved even more.  I can’t recommend sitting up a table, focusing on and tasting your food enough for satisfaction and relaxation, even if I only sit down for 5 or 10 minutes, I still stop and pay attention, even manage a bit of conversation with mom rather than sitting with it on our laps whilst watching television, yes a much more pleasurable experience.

So today once my work is done, I’m creating in the kitchen I think, I have 2 whole chickens and I’m going to cook scrumptiousness, thinking chicken and rice casserole maybe, had contemplated slow cooker but changed my mind, perhaps a curry of some sort.  No rush to decide, planning is all part of the pleasure.

Enjoy you’re day, the weekends on its way, and try this recipe it was delicious;

Chorizo & Cheese Mash, served 3 at 10pp each

 

600g potatoes per person (12pp)

Splash skimmed milk (1pp)

100g cheese (11pp)

50g chorizo sausage chopped (4pp)

5 spring onion diced

150g mushrooms sliced

1 diced yellow pepper

10g sun dried tomato chopped

1 tbsp of garlic salt

10g parmesan

Salt and Pepper to taste

Boil potatoes until cooked & mash with half the cheese and a splash of milk.

Meanwhile fry chorizo together with spring onions, pepper, sundried tomato and mushrooms.

Put the mash in a dish and top with chorizo, onions, mushrooms and remaining cheese & parmesan, then grill till brown & serve.

 

Always Eat Gorgeous - you're worth it.