Do you need to spend more time with someone?

5^th November 2017

Do what is right, not what is easy…

Isn’t it funny how when you plan things and expect something to go a certain way, it doesn’t, yet when you haven’t planned and have no expectations, that’s when the best things happen.  Friday night when I got back from work to find Terry and mom singing was just the best few hours, yesterday didn’t go that way at all, not to worry though, we’ll make up for it today I’m sure.  I reckon me and Aunt Bessie should spend some quality time together in the kitchen and knock up a hassle free Sunday roast, I’ll do the meat, she can bring the spuds etc, actually I might just make my own, be a proper host.  We’ll see how I feel because I’m not planning and I have no expectations at all for today, we’re just going to go with the flow.

We consumed a lot of junk yesterday because we couldn’t get in the kitchen, well by junk I mean a bag of peanuts, some crisps and a bit of mom’s carrot cake.  I don’t know how people do that all the time, it made me feel blah and all I wanted was a proper meal, thankfully I had eaten a chicken sausage sandwich for breakfast so at least I’d had something decent.  I think I’ve finally got over my eating for three, can get back to normality now and good healthy food, do a shop for some fresh fruit and veg etc.  Yeah I’m over it.  I won’t be Pointing today but I won’t be eating a load of junk either, tomorrow though I’m back on it with a vengeance, honest!

Woke up a few times in the night, mom woke me about half two, bless her, she was having a coughing fit, followed by the heating clicking on at half three and waking me up, so I had to go down and turn that off before it woke everyone up.  Finally my temporary cleaner (here for one weekend only!) had unbeknown to her or me, set my alarm clock whilst dusting, so that woke me up at 4.47, thankfully we’d been in bed by 9, so I’ve still had some sleep.

As if I needed reminding again but I was yesterday, time is more precious than money!  My brother painted the kitchen yesterday and it didn’t go smoothly, so he didn’t get to spend those valuable hours with mom, I wished I’d paid someone else to do it now.  We can’t get time back, we can earn more money, and this is why we have to weigh up how much time we spend working to earn.  Yes I know we have to pay bills and eat but are we getting the balance right and thinking about what we’re spending money on.  I remember when I worked at my last job towards the end when I’d been given a manager role, I was working ridiculous hours, earning well don’t get me wrong, but on my way home I was going to the supermarket buying a bottle of wine (to cheer me up) and a roast chicken (to save me cooking).  The extra money I was earning was going on buying expensive ready cooked food, clothing because you have to wear different clothes.

When I decided enough was enough and I didn’t want that job anymore, I took an incredible pay cut, I slowly paid off my credit card debt which had been built up by buying stuff to try and make me happy.  I soon realised you can’t buy happiness!

I managed to cut my food bill, I didn’t buy clothes for ages because I had so many and I found my happy again, mom and me got to spend more time together because for years she came to work with me and life got good again.

I love my phone but I’ve realised I don’t need the latest one that’s just been launched, this one works just fine for now, I’ll replace it when it needs replacing.  My cars the same, I’ve had it about 14 years now I think and as long as it goes, I can live with the dents and rust.

I know I’ve just spent a bloomin fortune on a wet room and my kitchen but I needed the wet room to make our life easier and you know what my kitchen had to be adapted to take the washing machine so yeah I treated myself and had a new kitchen, not that I need to justify it but I haven’t had a holiday for over 3 years now so that’s where I take my mini break every Sunday morning now ;)

I don’t do regrets because I’m a big believer in ‘if you’re gonna regret it, don’t do it’ but if I’d have known Friday what I realised yesterday, I’d have paid someone else to paint the kitchen and we’d have spent the day laughing in the living together.

Do you need to spend more time with someone?

Life's all good again

4^th November 2017

We don’t grow when things are easy, we grow when we face challenges.

I had a wonderful day yesterday, actually I’ve had a brilliant week (we’re not talking weight loss success here btw).  It started with me covering a meeting, it wasn’t a very busy one but me and the helper went way back so had a bit of a catch up, she was one of my first gold members when I first became a Weight Watchers leader.  Last night’s meeting was awesome as always, something happened in that one that I can’t blog about until next Friday after I’ve done a week of meetings inbetween as it’s part of the meeting and I only started that yesterday, didn’t just amaze my members, stunned me too! 

I walked in my house last night to the sound of music, I’d been listening to my brother sing all afternoon whilst he was cooking in the kitchen and every know and again I’d here mom in the living room add a line to the noise (they both sounded like they were being murdered might I add!), but on the night when I entered the living room they were dueting and it was wonderful to see, both of them enjoying each others company and having a lovely time.  I recorded a few minutes on my phone to keep forever.

We had a lovely even and I forgot about all the difficulty of the last few months / years, we just had fun.  We talked about the past, our childhood, mom’s life with dad, but not in a miserable way, we laughed because we realise the days that break you are the days that make you and boy have we all been a bit broken now and again.

What was really lovely was walking in the house to the smell of delicious food that someone else has cooked for you, now that was something special I have to say.  Terry had cooked me his Greek speciality Stifado that he has mastered – wow, really tasty.   Here’s the recipe as he told it to me;

Stifado (Terry style)

1kg meat in big pieces (beef = 19sp)
Heaped tsp ground cumin
Garlic - we used 1 big bulb
Heaped tsp cinnamon
6 bay leaves
Salt and pepper
Onions or shallots (as many as you want)
2 sprigs rosemary
8 cloves crushed
Whole tube of tomato purée
3/4 bottle Red wine (14sp)
Olive oil - heavily drizzle (2 tbsp = 9sp)
Add a bit of chilli to suit your taste.

Put olive oil in big pan
Throw meat in. Stir & seal
Chop garlic fine - throw in
Then throw everything else in, top up & Cover with water
Then simmer for a long time. (Good couple of hours)

It was seriously good, I enjoyed every mouthful, and at 42sp for a huge pan, it wasn’t bad value for points either, he served it with carrot and potato mash which I think he added mustard too and that was lush too.

One last meeting this morning, a sneaky massage then I get to spend 48 hours with my family and I intend to enjoy every minute of it.  Anyone for a game of scrabble J

For the first time in a long time I’m buying a lottery ticket today after what happened in my meeting last night, seems I have luck on my side at the moment.

Whatever you’re up to this weekend BeYOUtiful make sure you enjoy your loved ones around you and make a little time for yourself.

Here's to the weekend!

3^rd November 2017

You can’t fall if you don’t climb, but where’s the joy in living your whole life on the ground?

A little tired this morning, but worth it.  We didn’t go to bed till 11pm, my brother and his wife arrived about half eight, after an awful drive up from the airport – it took longer from London to Wolverhampton than it did from Corfu to England!   We had a few hours of catching up and laughter before I finally had to admit defeat and go to bed as I’m covering a meeting for another coach this morning, so need to be out early.

Well last Thursday my bestie returned to my meeting as a member and she got weighed of course but I decided to make it my weigh in too and got weighed with her, would you believe I managed a maintain this week despite eating for 3!  I’m relieved I have to say, now to try and not do too much damage over the weekend but I’m not going to stress about it, I will enjoy having my family here and worry about it later.  My brothers going to cook for me – that’ll be worth a gain!

It’s a bit nippy this morning and I can’t put the heating on because I’ll wake everyone up and I don’t want to do that, this house will be loud soon enough, you don’t understand how loud it will be, when you put more than 2 Longsdens in a room together, oh it’s so loud, we need a talking stick as we all get excitable and try to talk at the same time.   

Well my blog yesterday about eating for 3, me, the wild boar and the truffle pig seemed to ring true for quite a few, there were a lot relating to this tale of greed and I’m glad to say on the back of it, a few of you returned to the fold.  I’ve loved my meetings this week, we have had a few smiles but the smile of the week goes to my lovely last Thursday meeting and the very innocent but wonderful member who when asked by her colleague at work if she’d had eaten kidneys, she replied ‘no but I’ve eaten the beans that come from it!”  You’ve got to love that!

I’ve had some amazing donations this week for Yum Tums, including two bin bags of gifts from the shop on Bloxwich High Treat called “WOW, that’s a bargain”, make sure you support your local store and have a pop in and a mooch at their goodies on offer there.  Then a huge thank you to Penn Road Butchers, not only did he donate a huge turkey crown, he sold me the other 3 at cost price – how fab is that, they look amazing too!  Please do support his business, he’s done so much for my members this year by making special ‘Weight Watcher’ friendly stuff including burgers and chicken sausages made from breast meat.  He’s also been generous with my various charity events.  He will deliver, free if it’s local but I also know he’s able to deliver far and wide now as he has those special storage boxes that keep things fresh for up to 72hrs whilst in the post.  At the bottom of this blog is Smart Points info on some of the things he sells, he also always does offers on his healthy meats, so check out his facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Penn-Road-Butchers-1570997599797501/ 

This is his latest offer 

Winter packs
Kilo of Stewing beef
Kilo of Braising steak
Kilo of diced chicken/ fillets Kilo of Turkey steaks/ diced Gammon joint And 2 FREE Gammon Steaks Was £46 Now only £35 Another great deal at Penn road butchers Ask about our delivery service Local or can be delivered to your door anywhere in the UK (Message him for details)

Anyway enough of the free advert!  I need to get my backside in gear, I have a busy day, two meetings and family in the house! 

Here’s to the best weekend ever, bless my sister-in-law last night as we were all going to bed she said, “I’ll clear this Chinese up in the morning will you be able to get your breakfast with it in your way?”, to which my brother said, “Our Bev, are you joking, I call her Stig of the Dump, she’ll be eating that for breakfast never mind working round it!”  Mmm, now what to have for breakfast ;)  See ya lol xx

Penn Road Butchers

Sells fresh, healthy meats such as chicken, steak, pork loin you point as normal.

Chicken curry 3sp a tray

Donor burgers (125g) 3sp

Mexican burgers (125g) 3sp

Chicken burgers (125g) 1sp

Low fat pork sausages are made with lean pork and a little rusk so I would point as reduced fat pork sausages as per the app which is 2sp each, 4sp per 100g 

Chicken sausages are made with chicken breast and a small amount of rusk, so I guestimate 6sp per pound more than covers it.

If you ask him he can make Gluten free chicken sausages.

You can choose any lean fresh meat, he cuts the fat off, then coats with the flavour of your choice.

e.g.

Chicken breast / pieces (1lb or 450g) = 4sp

Beef mince 5% (1lb or 450g) = 11sp

Beef rump steak (1lb or 450g) = 10sp

Beef stewing steak, lean) (1lb or 450g) = 8sp

Pork loin, 1 steak (125g) = 5sp

He uses 30g marinade per 1 pound of meat.

Chinese 30g = 3sp  (11sp per 100g)

Garlic 30g = 4sp  (15sp per 100g)

Lemon Pepper 30g = 4sp  (12sp per 100g)

Pepper Steak 30g = 3sp (10sp per 100g)

Cajun 30g = 4sp  (12sp per 100g)

Tandoori 30g = 4sp  (12sp per 100g)

Mint 30g = 5sp  (17sp per 100g)

Tikka Masala 30g = 5sp  (16sp per 100g)

BBQ 30g = 6sp (19sp per 100g)

Piri Piri 30g = 4sp (14sp per 100g)

So you add the SP for the meat of your choice to the SP of the marinade and that gives you the total.