Brocolli and Stilton Soup

The nights are drawing in and Halloween is approaching. So the kitchen has started to beckon to cook some nourishing hot food once more. So here is my recipe for Brocolli and Stilton soup.

Ingredients:

One head of Brocolli

A large chunk of Stilton [as much or as little as you like]

Vegetable stock

Put a couple of litres of water or stock into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the stock cube if you have just used water. Put in the Brocolli, cut up into small pieces and boil for 10 mins.

If you like a smooth soup wizz up with a hand blender at this stage.

Crumble up the Stilton and add to the soup. Cook for another few minutes until cheese has melted.

Change the cheese to a different one if you do not like Stilton.

Serve with crusty bread.

Yummy yum yum!

P.S.If you are detoxing don't add the cheese or the stock cube if you are being really strict.

However, don´t expect it to taste very nice!

New shoes

The shops have restocked with their winter collections, which seems a little strange because it's still in the mid 30's degrees. To see winter coats and jackets in heavy weight material is quite odd. I would be amazed if any of the locals would actually buy any of it yet, unless they were heading back to the UK in which case they would definitely need it going on the recent weather they have been having. I certainly couldn't consider it because I could be two dress sizes smaller come December.
The one thing that I would consider buying though is shoes. Shoes are universal. They generally fit whether you a dress size bigger or smaller. Being the shoe manufacturing capital of the world next to Brazil and China or course, the ranges here are pretty varied and good value for money. So, if I need a shopping fix I will head to the shoe shops!

Naughty but Nice

The scales aren't moving up nor down, but then again I have indulged in two full English breakfasts this week and a couple of beers [but not at the same time]. The weather is still hot, hot, hot and not cool enough to embark on a new exercise regime. This, I'm sure I will start in October. For now exercise is kept mainly to dog walking in the evenings, the occasional dip in the pool and trips to the shops for essential food and school paraphernalia for the kids. Roll on October.

A couple of days on

It's been a couple of days now since the detox ended. During those days I have nibbled on crisps, eaten a little chocolate and had 2 glasses of wine. The wine gave me an incredible upset tummy, so much so I haven't been back since, which I suppose isn't a bad thing. I have also been cajouled into going to Burger King by the kids. I had a Whopper.
The scales haven't really moved, maybe 1lb in the wrong direction at most. I'm still eating pumpernickle bread and tahini as that habit has kind of stuck. Apart from the bun on the whopper I haven't had bread. So I can recommend this detox lark to retrain your tastebuds into a healthier lifestyle and it also gets you used to much less food.

Day 10

Menu Day 10

Melon

Water

Totilla wrap with tomato and cheese

Water

Cranberry juice

Tuna salad

Water

Mixed nuts

After yesterday I feel I can eat a few more normal things, hence the tortilla and cheese. However, I am still being good overall. I wonder how long I can keep this up. The weather is still hot and humid which knocks your appetite, so I might as well capitalise on that whilst I can.

We have been invited out for a meal at the weekend, so it will probably go out the window then.

Toodle pip!

Day 9

Menu Day 9

Pump bread and Tahini

Water

Melon and strawberries

Freshly squeezed orange juice

Water

Beef in a peppercorn sauce and brown rice [oops how did that get in there]

Water

Today was hard. I haven't been sleeping and a combination of that, kids and lack of calories made me really light headed so I caved in at tea time and had a more substantial dinner. Yummy yum yum! I don't mind though I'm really proud I got this far. I have lost a total of 9lbs. Yippy. I intend to continue over the next few days being fairly good, but not necessarily as good as I have been.

Day 8

Menu Day 7

Pumpernickel bread and Tahini

Freshly squeezed orange juice

Guacamole and carrot sticks

Water

Fresh fruit salad

Falafels and fruity salsa [as below]

Water

This afternoon was quite tough. I met up with lots of friends at the beach. It's the norm for everyone to take heaps of scrummy food. I took fruit salad, lots of water and fruit juice. The friends and I had lots of chit chat about diets and food. In a way this detox is easier to do when you live a reclusive life and don't get into conversations about nice things to eat. It was very tempting to steal a sausage roll off of one their plates, but I didn't. It was also very tempting to reward myself and have a glass of wine tonight. I will feel proud of myself in the morning when I hop on the scales and know that I didn't give in.

Day 7

Wow! I've done a whole week without giving into temptation.

Day 7 Menu

Pump. bread and Tahini

Herbal tea

Freshly squeezed orange juice

Carrot sticks and guacamole

Water

Mixed nuts and dried fruit

Garlic mushrooms [ roasted] with brown rice

Plum

Water

The scales only went down a fraction today. Although a fraction is better than nothing. My body is probably getting used to less food. So today the dog got a brisk walk rather than a leisurely one to speed up my metabolism. When I get to where I want to be with this detox I'm going to embark on a new exercise plan. The temperature here should be a bit cooler then, so it should be much easier to achieve and it's also a good excuse to go and buy new trainers and a definate excuse to buy a few autumnal items for my wardrobe.

Day 6

Much the same start of the day as the previous days.

Menu Day 6

Banana

Herbal tea

Homemade falafels

Salsa: finely chopped cucumber, spring onion, tomato, avocado and papaya and lime juice

Water

Red Peppers stuffed with onion, brown rice, butter beans, aubergine, papaya and pesto

Water

Melon

Today a friend asked me what I am looking forward to the most. Well what immediately sprang to mind was a glass or two of rose wine or a meal out - either a steak or Chinese, where I don't have to cook it. The meal out really is nothing to do with food cravings and more to do with not having to prepare and cook.

You see although I am doing this detox, my two children 'Thing 1' and 'Thing 2' are not, which means that this week I have had to come up with tasty dishes for me and the usual stuff for the kids. Now, don't get me wrong I am all for the kids eating healthily and I have got them to taste each of my dishes that I have made for myself, but that is just not their 'Thing'.

So, today I cooked them breaded fish and oven chips. I did a full roast dinner for them yesterday with homemade yorkshires and all. Hence I ate roasted veg for tea last night.

P.S Regarding my menu today I can personally recommend the salsa. It was delicious and livened up the falafels no end!

Day 5

My cellulite is going! I am amazed at the difference that 5 days of detoxing can make. I had heard that drinking more water helps reduce it. However, I had filed that piece of information into the urban myth file. But no it's true. I have to experience something to believe it, and this is definately now in the FACT file.

Menu Day 5

Pump. bread and Tahini

Herbal tea

Freshly squeezed orange juice

Guacamole with cucumber sticks

Slice of Melon

Water

Snack - Mixed nuts and dried fruit

Water

Roasted vegetables including one roast potato

Herbal tea

It's amazing that I don't actually feel hungry considering the little food that I am eating. I have made sure that my body does not go into ketosis by eating little and often.

Feel free to leave a comment if you wish.

Day 4

Today started well. I wasn't particularly hungry. The scales went down [a bit].

Day 4 Menu

Banana

Water

Mid morning snack - Pump bread with Tahini

Herbal tea

Green salad with oil and vinegar dressing

Water

Mixed nuts

Vegetable stew and jacket sweet potato

Dried fruit

It's amazing how my clothes feel looser already. I have got to keep this going for the full two weeks. Although it is so tempting to crack open a bottle of wine and dive into some chocolate. I have made sure that there is not any choc in the house, so temptation is out of harms way. There is wine in the wine wrack though. My goal is to get into half of my wardrobe. I don't mean climb in. I mean be able to do up half of the contents of my wardrobe whilst I am wearing it.

Day 3

Today started off well. The scales showed a loss, I didn't feel hungry and my headache from yesterday had disappeared.

Day 3 Menu

Apple

Water

Pumpernickel bread and Tahini

Veg and butterbean soup

Herbal tea

Green bean and watercress salad with oil dressing

Fresh papaya

Water

snack - mixed nuts

The worst time of the day for me is the evening. So the nuts are for then. I have included papaya today as it known as one the 'superfoods'. It contains vitamin C, beta-carotene, fibre and phytochemicals with strong antioxident properties.

Day 2

I've been to the market. Bought a tonne of fruit and vegetables and spent close on €10.
Bought:
Nectarines
Plums
Pears
Sweet potatoes
Red and green peppers
Spring onions
Thin green beans
Courgettes

A giant lettuce

Day's 2 menu:

Pumpernickel bread and Tahini

Herbal tea

Water

Fruits of the forest

Water

Vegetable chilli

Brown rice

Nectarine

Water

snack - walnuts and a pear

It's almost teatime and I'm starting to feel hungry and am getting a headache. I don't normally suffer from headaches, but it's common to experience them when you start a detox. My caffeine intake on a normal week is quite low only having perhaps 2 coffees a week and maybe a couple of diet cokes a week. So I am expecting the headache to pass quite quickly. I think it's probably because I'm hungry as I had a light lunch today, more than detoxification. I don't drink milk, so am substituting the pump. bread for homemade muesli.

I know you shouldn't but I am weighing myself everyday to add extra motivation. I will reveal all at the end, but so far so good.

CaramelandCustard - That's sweet

Step into my world.

Day one
Today is Day 1 of my detox diet. I have embarked down this road before. In fact it was 5 years ago. A life of good living i.e eating, now means the time has come again. But, this time I am better prepared. All alcohol has been removed from the fridge, so no temptation there and a trip is planned to the local market tomorrow to stock up on more fruit and veg.

Today breakfast was a melon followed by mid morning snack of rye bread and tahini.
Lunch was butternut squash and carrot soup.
Dinner will be roasted veg and brown rice. [Wowee -what a feast?]
Snack will be a handful of walnuts. I feel healthier already.

My hand is already adorned with blisters from peeling and chopping up a huge butternut squash and carrots.
Oh what soft hands you must have - I hear you say! Well no - not really. I must make a mental note to buy softer veg this week.