does enthusiasm count for anything?

If I'm going to do a week in food, it clearly requires more planning that I did this week.

One of the problems with meal times, is that their location can change quite rapidly.

On Monday I went to Surrey so that P could cut my hair for her college course, and ended up having a large lunch (rice and Katsu Curry), then a midnight snack at home.

Tuesday ended with a large pile of roast veges, and chicken breast - just because it's easy.

There was dating on Wednesday (nothing to write home about), so I effectively had a pint of London Pride for dinner.

Thursday and Friday disappeared into a blur. See I can't even recall what I ate - there was a bento box in there somewhere.

This is why grocery shopping is difficult. Things just go off in the fridge.

And the only lesson from the whole week - I like Japanese food!

bored of food - getting a head start

When you live on your own making three fresh meals a day can start to seem rather arduous, and I commonly make things to put in the freezer. Today I've tried to get a head start on lunchtimes. It took about an hour to whip up a batch of sweet potato, pumpkin, and ginger soup (Leiths Vegetarian Bible ... again), and there are at least five hearty servings.

Soup and smoothies both fall into the same category of pureed food for me - more like a drink, not really a meal. This has been pleasantly surprising. I threw that last pita in the packet, and a slice of breadmaker toast on the plate as well. The result was pleasantly surprising - a tasty meal that was quite filling.

(It probably helped that I actually tasted the soup whilst seasoning it. Yeah, I know - Gordon, Hugh, and Jamie would have kittens if they knew somebody was throwing salt and pepper in a dish without trying a bit.)

Now I just have to work out how to toast bread at work in a microwave.

bored of food

Things have been getting a bit tight round here. Buttons are becoming more difficult to fasten, and there has been builders bum where previously there was none. Until about nine months ago I had monitored my weight via the industrial sized scales in my archive store. That was until I decided that I only ever used the scales to weigh myself, and put them away to make extra space. Recently some girth expansion had become apparent, and a quick scale shopping trip to Argos proved that I was not deceived.

Having made this discovery, the first bit of advice I stumbled across talked about being conscious of the food one eats, savouring and enjoying every mouthful. This struck a chord with me, as I tend to chock back food just to keep up my calorie intake. This is fine when I’m training for a half marathon – not so good when I’m resting an injured foot.

Taking this advice has lead to an unexpected and significant change to my eating habbits. You start to realise how many other activities you do while eating: reading, working, emailing/texting/facebooking, watching television, surfing the internet, or even having a slice of toast while doing the vacuuming. Savouring every mouthful turned out to be a bigger change than I had anticipated.

The key thing that has come out of this is that my cooking is really shit. A lot of the stuff I prepare for myself to chock back is dead boring. So this weeks focus is on food. I hope it makes you hungry, and I hope you eat slowly.

the perpetual anti television

Not watching television is proving to be a self perpetuating thing. Once you start doing other things, they just keep happening. I had a really lovely day yesterday visiting the God Child and family. They have a lovely new home, and we spent the day testing the apples in their new garden for edibility (we think they are cox), playing football, kicking up leaves, and eating far too much crackling. And I got in a good bit of train knitting too.

Today I'm off to the theatre with some running friends. Friday I have tickets booked for a wee jazz club in my neighbourhood - this was discovered in the first flush of anti-television web surfing. Then Saturday and Sunday have walking and cycling excursions planned for them.

This means that in the intervening free evenings I really need to get on with some much needed life administration, grease the bike, and work on
the new dress. Not to mention yoga and running.

Suddenly I don't feel so bored.

needle snob

Turns out Royal Mail cannot be blamed for the non delivery of the new DPN's for the September to December Cardi. Turns out to be (my) human error. I can't wait to get going on the sleeves now, and start marching toward the Christmas deadline. All of the other things that have been started in the meantime will have to put to one side.

I'm really falling for beautiful wooden needles these days. Although I was surprised how light in colour these are. They are supposed to be ebony, and I'd expected them to be black like piano keys. Having seen them, I think I like the look of the rose ones better.

advertising

Today I was suckered into buying a new mug for work by the beautiful pattern on the outside. Now every time I take a sip of coffee my whole field of vision has STARBUCKS COFFEE emblazoned accross it. It's not even subliminal!

the anti television

Last night was a late one, so today has been subdued. However I did brave Hamley's to find a birthday present for the God Child. And then treated myself to hangover food. For me this is always lots of noodles, or lots of rice Japanese style - yum!

Then I came home, dumped myself on the couch and watched a DVD. Does that count as not tele?

anti television - self explanatory

the anti television

This evening I had my first opera experience. I'd taken my knitting in case it got a bit boring with all that worbling. We went to see Artaxerxes, and it was amazing. I'd never thought I'd be admiring metal work at the theatre...

the anti television - day four

Today I decided to play with my camera. Here are my two favourite pics.

This happened when I started taking the picture, and then noticed a man standing a few metres off having a wee, so decided to move off before the camera had finished it's business. Hmmmm.

Yes, there are ghosts in this picture. I had the camera on the top of a menu outside a restaurant, so loads of people moved through the frame, stopping to look at the menu while I was taking the picture.

And some others I just liked...