Battle of the Bulge

So this is it, time for some serious consideration on losing some Kilos.  I've been trying to get rid of 7Kgs for years now, and it has not budged.  I have tried everything you can possibly imagine, pills, shakes, gym, Jillian Michael's, C25K, patches (now that was weird), Weight Watchers, Calorie King, low fat, no fat, low carb...you name it I've done it, and now I am over it.  I want this gone and I want it gone now!!!!! Ok so expecting it to be gone now is a bit of a stretch...but you get what I mean.

While I was investigating what I was going to do next, I came across this supposed wonder drug Reductil, you can only get it through a prescription and it is one of the few drugs that is not caffeine or speed based...or so I've read.  Off I went to the doctor's...well it was mainly for my allergies but it came just in time, and I asked him for a prescription.  Thinking I was going to have to argue my cause I was ready.  Surprisingly he informed me he was more than happy to prescribe it for me and he also said that it was one of the safer drugs on the market...woohoo!!!!

The drug is supposed to keep your metabolism consistent and it also helps curb hunger.  This morning was my first day on it, I was expecting it to take a little while to act but...hell no!!!!!! worked straight away I am so so surprised.  I usually have toast and coffee (which I have at work) for breakfast.  This morning all I had was the coffee, at 10 I realised that I had not eaten my toast, so I ate it even though I was not hungry.  It is now 12pm and I would have usually finished lunch....you guessed it...not even the slightest bit hungry.

If your wondering about side effects, to be honest all I have had is chilly hands, that's it.  I know I am going to have a bit of trouble sleeping tonight but lets see.  If you are wondering why the hell I am taking these things, don't judge me, if this is going to help me and in the process give me confidence then I will give it a go.  I have done my research and I have gone to the doctors, there is no way I will not give it a go.  I am still going to the gym and I am still eating healthy, but I am seeking an extra little push from this little pill.

I am going to publicise my weight, I want to record improvements (I'm being positive) I am 64Kgs as of 2 days ago, I am hoping to get down or as close to 58Kgs by the wedding (BIL's) which is in September. 

So wish me luck!!!!!!

MIA - But I've still been baking!!!!!!

Well its been 3 weeks since my last post but by god it has been the most trying time I have ever had.  So I am going to vent, spill and in short get over it...although I don't think this post is going to be very short.

Just as we thought we were finally settling down and getting used to life in Perth, we get a call from a company, offering Markus a FIFO position, we never applied, it was through recommendation because his brother worked there.  And that's where it all began.  We got excited, we knew it was pending his interview and medical, but we were pretty sure he would get it.  My nights were spent debating whether this was the right thing to do, especially since he had got into uni and was so keen on going.  Finally we decided that it was too good an opportunity to give up and we decided that 12 months was as long as he would do it for and then we would reassess.  After all the stress of this crazy upheaval, he failed his medical, his back, they said would not hold up to the strain of the work and because it was a remote area they were not willing to take a chance.

This was not all though, my job was a nightmare, I cried nearly every night for a long time and decided I was going to leave.  And I have, 2 weeks and I will be out of here, back in the city where I'm meant to be.

So that's me, that's where I've been, I am in a much better place now, I guess what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger.  I am determined to make this work, I am determined to get my life back and I am determined to stop the pity party.  Right here and now I take control and right here and now I take charge.

Vegan Viloet Crumble *Drool*

I stole this recipe from another blog and I thought if I can pull this off I would be nothing less than awesome.  I did, I pulled it off and I made honeycomb from scratch...how truly awesome!!!!!!  This is the easiest thing ever and to be honest the most fun I have had in a long long time!!!!

I am singing the song *try it, you just might like it* in my head as I type this up...such a joyful recipe!!!!

Ingredients:

1 cup water
2 cups caster sugar
1 tbs liquid glucose
2 tsp bi-carb soda
Melted chocolate

Method:

In a saucepan (make sure it is large and deep) combine the water and the sugar

Stir on low heat till all the sugar is dissolved and you have a clear liquid

Turn up the heat slightly and allow the liquid to boil (do not stir at all)

When the liquid turns golden turn off the heat

add the bi-carb and stir vigorously till all is dissolved.
* Warning: the caramel will now rise quite a bit and bubble up, be very careful that you don't get burnt.

Once mixed in pour into a tray that has been lined with baking paper and allow to cool.

Once cool and hard break into pieces, any size you like

Cover in Melted chocolate and allow to cool and then EAT EAT EAT!!!!!

When do you compromise?

So last weekend was a true test to my convictions as a vegan, I was kindly sent this article http://www.goveg.com/effectiveAdvocacy_personal.asp and this was pretty much my ethos when I first went vegan.  When I initially announced it to family, I got the usual, "what about your health" and "oh its too hard"etc.  But I think most of them kind of got that this time I was sticking to my guns and I was going to do it. 

On the weekend we drove down to beautiful Bunkers Bay, we stopped off for a coffee break and while I went out to get some gas my BIL bought me a coffee.  Only after did SIL remind him that I only had soy did he realise, and apologised profusely.  I had no qualms drinking it, I decided that I was not going to make a fuss and that it was a genuine mistake and there was no way I was going to demand another coffee from the very busy cafe. 

We then stopped off at a gorgeous winery that served German food, with Markus and BIL being of German background Markus set aside his vegetarianism for lunch.  Then we were left with me...what was I going to eat????  So after a squize at the menu I realised that I had to do some tweaking and eat the least offensive dish.  I chose the pumpkin gnocchi with out the feta which was part of the dish. 

While I did not feel guilty about having to make these exceptions, I got thinking about how lenient is too lenient and what kind of message am I sending if I will compromise so easily.  I would never have eaten meat if there was nothing else on the menu, how far is too far? How many times do I compromise before I become a plastic vegan.  On the other hand do I dig my heels in and stubbornly refuse to eat anything that has animal products in it no matter what the situation?  Is there a fine line you cross each time?

I would appreciate any comments and feedback on the situation.  I am a new vegan and I am still finding my way.

Chocolate Tart... the most delicious thing I have ever eaten!!!!!

 

On the weekend I made this chocolate tart, I was a bit suspicious, how can tofu be used in a dessert and taste good...but I wanted to try it anyway...I had BIL and SIL over for do it yourself Burgers and sweet potato chips, they were going to be my test subjects.

So here goes:

Ingredients:

3 packets of oreos

1/4 cup Nuttlex

500 g silken

500 g non dairy choc chips

2 teaspoons Vanilla extract

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Blend the Oreos until they are just crumbs.  Combine crumbs with melted butter and line a pie tin with the crumbs to form a pie crust. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes and then remove and allow to cool completely.

2. Blend your tofu and vanilla until creamy.

3. Melt your chocolate chips. Add the melted chocolate to the tofu mixture and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture into the (cool) pie crust, spread evenly and put it in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours before serving.

I promise you this is the best thing you have ever put in your mouth...so delish!!!! A word of warning though...it is rich, I would suggest small pieces, even Markus could not finish a whole piece.  But if you want to make an impression...this is it!!!!!

Rick Stein's Sicilian Pasta

I just had to share this one, Markus is a big fan of Chef Rick Stein and we usually watch his show while we have dinner every evening.  The other day he made this beautiful pasta from Sicily and he was so excited about how good it was and how this was going to be his vegetarian dish at his cafe.  Truth be told the only thing that made it vegetarian was some Parmesan cheese he added on the top, this is a traditional, authentic Sicilian dish...and its vegan, no adaptation necessary.

Ingredients:

1/2 a large eggplant (or more if you want)
Vine Tomatoes
Dry Spaghetti

2 cloves garlic

Olive oil

Basil

Method:

Deseed the vine tomatoes and set aside
Chop your eggplant and fry, set aside
heat olive oil
Add garlic
add tomatoes and cook
Add your cooked spaghetti
Add your egg plant and mix well to get all the flavours going
Throw in chopped basil...done!!!!

I cannot tell you how delicious this meal is.  For a variation and non-eggplant lovers, swap the eggplant with capers.

Upside down Banana cake

This is a truly delicious yummy cake,  the recipe was adapted from Now Vegan's upside down pineapple cake, with reducing the amount of sugar used in the original recipe the cake was perfect!!!!!

So here goes,

Ingredients:

1 Cup Brown Sugar
2 Bananas
1 cup Self raising Flour

1 Tsp Baking Powder

1 Tsp vanilla Extract
2 measures No Egg
1/2 cup olive oil

hand full of almonds / walnuts and sultanas

Method

Grease your baking dish and sprinkle 1/4 cup brown sugar on the bottom. 
Then place sliced bananas to cover the bottom of the dish. Set aside.

To make the cake mix all the wet ingredients together
Add Sugar and No Egg and whisk

Slowly add the flour until all ingredients are combined.

Add nuts

Pour cake mixture over bananas and bake for 40 mins, but check, every oven is different.
Cool cake once done and over turn

So good you can actually eat it: