Big Red Hearts

Weigh In - week 7

2010-02-21T11:15:00.002Z

Hello,
Sorry I've been quiet this week but it's been half term here.
Well I got onto the scales yesterday, expecting good things and...

Current weight: X stones 11.2lbs
This weeks GAIN!!: 0.2lbs
Total weight loss: 6.2lbs

I was soooooooooooo disappointed. I've not been feeling 100% this week and I didn't have much of an appetite so I've hardly eaten a thing. I cannot believe I have gained weight.
I really must pull up my socks if I am to lose a stone in total by the end of March.
Feeling quite deflated tbh and I am afraid I consoled myself with a cookie (or two...) which isn't going to help me.
Ah well, must try harder.
Have a good week all.
xxxxxxxxxxx

Weigh In - week 6

2010-02-15T12:32:00.006Z

Hello,
Sorry this post is so late, but I DID get on the scales on Saturday for my weekly weigh in and the scales showed...

Current weight: X stones 11.0lbs
This weeks loss: 0.2lbs
Total weight loss: 6.4lbs

I am not going to say I'm disappointed with that tiny loss, because I am actually relieved that there was a loss at all! These past few days I have had the "munchies" - no, not the chocolate squares, but crisps! I just couldn't seem to satisfy these cravings so ate far too many.
Also, after the disappointment of the courgette cupcakes, I baked some of my tried and tested "normal" cakes (well I HAD to make them to compare, didn't I?!) and I'm afraid I ate a few of those too. *blushes*

I really need to give myself a shake up if I am to reach my goal of a stone lost by the end of March. Must get focused!

I entered a competition last week to win this...

Isn't it lovely? Not only it is it red but the bowl and spoon are heart shaped! As I know it is unlikely I'll win it I thought I'd treat myself to one. I am sure the competition said it was from M&S but I went in yesterday and couldn't find it and it's not online either. *Sigh!* Ah well, I KNOW it's not a practical shape anyway, and I don't really NEED it so never mind.

Talking of competitions, I had a few small wins this week.
On Saturday, I received this mascara in the post...

I also won some earphones and a Creme Egg beach ball! Not received those yet, though.

It has been a very quiet start to the year on the competition wins front so here's hoping my luck has finally changed.

Well, it's half term here so I can't spend all day online so I shall sign off now.

Have a great week.

Toodles.

C xx

American Vanilla Cupcakes

2010-02-12T17:10:00.015Z

Hello,
I cannot believe we are already into week 6 of the new year.
Here is this weeks recipe which is again from the book Red Velvet & Chocolate Heartache.

Ingredients
Makes 12 (180 calories and 1.1g saturated fat per cake)
Cakes:
2 medium eggs
160g caster sugar
300g topped, tailed, peeled and finely grated courgette
180g white rice flour
2tsp baking powder
quarter tsp salt
1tsp vanilla extract
Icing:
1 vanilla pod, split sideways with seeds scraped out (I used vanilla extract instead of the seeds though, as it's cheaper!)
170g icing sugar
2 tblsp water
quarter tsp cream of tartar
1 medium egg **white only**
pinch salt

Method
Cakes:
1. Preheat oven to gas mark 4 or 180c. Put paper cases in muffin tray.

2. Whisk eggs and sugar until pale and light, at least 5 minutes.

3. Whisk the courgette into the mixture.

4. Sprinkle in half the flour along with the baking powder and salt and whisk for another 20 seconds. Add the remaining flour and vanilla extract and whisk until combined.

5. Ladle the mixture into the paper cases until they are four fifths full. The mixture will be runnier than a normal cake mixture.

6. Bake in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes.

Icing:
1. Place all the ingredients in a bowl over a pan of boiling water and stir for exactly 2 minutes to dissolve the sugar.

2. Remove the bowl from the heat and beat with a hand-held electric whisk for 9 minutes.

3. The mixture is ready when it forms peaks.

4. When the cakes are cool, ice the cakes as soon as possible before the icing sets.

Voila!

VERDICT: As I was making these I was unsure how they would turn out with courgette in them. I thought they may have a greenish tinge or there would be noticeable bits of courgette in them and taste of courgette but they didn't (see pic at the end of this post which shows one cake sliced in half). I found the texture of the cake much heavier than the usual cakes I bake. I don't think I whisked the icing for long enough (and yes I did time 9 minutes and had soft peaks!). I felt it wasn't set properly and still a little squidgy. The cakes seemed to stick to the cake cases. Now I don't know if this is becuase they don't contain fat but it was a nuisance having to peel bits of paper off them. Again I omitted to tell my family that they contained a vegetable! Their verdict was that they were okay but not as good as my usual recipe. I'm afraid I must agree with them. They are okay but nothing special so I will not be baking them again. I even threw 2 of them away and believe me leftover cake is not something that EVER happens in our household!
I was unsure if I should post this recipe but felt I should post both my successes and failures. It could even be something I've done incorrectly and if any of you try them I would love to know what you think.

Weigh In - week 5

2010-02-07T07:43:00.003Z

Morning,
Well I got on the scales yesterday for my weekly weigh in and the scales showed...

Current weight: X stones 11.2lbs
This weeks loss: 0.6lbs
Total weight loss: 6.2lbs

A very small loss but I am very bloated this week so it was somewhat expected, in fact I wasn't expecting a loss at all so any loss is a bonus. I'm aiming to lose at least 0.8lbs next week so that I hit the 7lb total loss mark.
The ladies over on Misi Slimathon are donating £1 for every lb lost to MacMillan Nurses so, even though I can't join their group, I shall join them in their donations. It is a good cause and also a good incentive. If you are interested in their fund raising and weight loss efforts, there is a link to their blog on my favourite blogs list.
I still haven't done any exercise *blushes* so I really must make the effort as I am sure that will help no end. Good luck for anyone else trying to lose weight.

Well, I think a blog post should always try to have at least one picture so here is something I bought this week...

Yes, that is how exciting my life gets - posting a pic of a dustpan and brush on my blog! Lol. Anyway, I thought it was sweet and as it was just £1.50 in Morrisons then I couldn't let it get away! :-)

Wishing you all a happy week ahead.
Toodles.
C xx

Forbidden Chocolate Brownies

2010-02-04T16:28:00.020Z

Hi,
Well here is the recipe for week 5 of my recipe challenge.
Last week I received a new cookery book so decided to try a recipe from there. It's called "Red Velvet & Chocolate Heartache" by Harry Eastwood and she says it is the "ultimate feel-good book of natural cakes that taste naughty".
All bar one of the recipes in the book contain hidden vegetables and for those of you with gluten allergies, she uses Rice Flour instead of wheat flour.
Although the recipe is called "Forbidden Chocolate Brownies" they do not contain any added butter or margarine which is quite unusual for brownies.

Ingredients
Serves 12
400g top, tailed and peeled raw beetroot, diced into 2cm pieces
100g hazelnuts
3 eggs
220g light Muscovado sugar
quarter tsp salt
150g dark cooking chocolate (min 70% cocoa solids) broken into squares
2 tblsp white rice flour
70g cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
Decoration:
30g chopped hazelnuts

Method
1. Preheat oven to gas mark 3 or 160c. Line base & sides of a 27cm X 20cm X 5cm brownie tin and then lightly brush paper with vegetable oil.

2. Cook the diced beetroot in the microwave for 10 minutes with a splash of water and cover the bowl in clingfilm.

3. Whilst the beetroot is cooking, grind the hazelnuts to a powder in a food processor.

4. Whisk the eggs, sugar and salt with an electric whisk for 5 minutes.

5. Once the beetroot is cooked, drain the water and blend to a puree. Add the chocolate squares and recover with clingfilm. The beetroot needs to be piping hot in order to melt the chocolate. If the beetroot has cooled then heat it for 1 minute in the microwave before adding the chocolate.

6. Next beat the powdered hazelnuts, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and vanilla extract into the egg mixture.

7. Once the chocolate has melted, stir into beetroot to combine.

8. Add beetroot mixture to egg and flour mixture and fold in until fully combined.

9. Pour the mixture into the tin and sprinkle the 30g chopped hazelnuts on top. (One of my sons hates nuts, hence why half has none on top!) Cook in the middle of the oven for 35 minutes.

10. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 20 minutes before cutting into pieces.

Voila!

VERDICT: Well this was the first time I had baked sweet things with vegetables (apart from carrot cake!) so I was unsure how this would turn out. I deliberately haven't told any of the family they contain beetroot because I knew they would turn up their noses if they knew. They loved them! I loved them! They are very rich so I ended up cutting the 12 pieces into 24 pieces as that was more than enough for me. They are extremely moist which I think must be due to the beetroot. These will definitely be made again. For those watching their weight (me!) if you divided this into 12, then each brownie does contain 260 calories and 13g saturated fat. As I said, they are very rich and chocolatey so if you go for half a brownie then you are having a mega choc hit for 130 cals which I don't think is too bad. If you give them a go, please let me know. I found Rice Flour in the speciality/international foods section with the Indian ingredients. Oh, I think the only downside to this recipe is that the mixing bowl is not so yummy to lick! lol

Weigh In - week 4

2010-01-30T16:12:00.007Z

Hello again,
Well I got on the scales today for my weekly weigh in and the scales showed...

Current weight: X stones 11.8lbs
This weeks loss: 1.4lbs
Total weight loss: 5.6lbs

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaay!!!

I'm happy with that as I had the "munchies" yesterday. It started with a trip to the cinema and a bag of popcorn and then went downhill from there - a few too many Wotsits, etc. Film was good though - It's Complicated starring Meryl Streep (I love her - great actress!) and Alec Baldwin.
I am going to try for another 1.4lbs next week to try and hit my first half stone BUT it may be harder next week due to the monthly hormones kicking in, so any loss will be good.

I won another competition prize this week - well my son did. It was a Wii game so he was chuffed with that.

Nothing else to report, so I wish you all a great weekend.
C xx

Chorizo Frittata & Flame-grilled Tomato Salsa

2010-01-28T16:57:00.021Z

Hello!
Here is the recipe for week 4 of my recipe challenge. I again chose a meal this week rather than baking.
This recipe is from "Economy Gastronomy".

Ingredients
Serves 4
Salsa:
4 beef tomatoes
1 red pepper
2 yellow peppers
1 small red onion, chopped
1 tblsp sweet chilli sauce
1 tsp smoked paprika
juice & zest of 2 limes
3 tblsp chopped coriander
half tsp dried chilli flakes
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 tblsp extra virgin olive oil

Frittata:
180g chorizo sausage
up to 30ml olive oil
8 boiled, peeled new potatoes, diced
8 eggs
2 tsp paprika
2 tblsp soured cream
4 spring onions, finely sliced

Method
Salsa:
1. Place the tomatoes and peppers whole onto a griddle pan. Allow them to blister and colour before turning over. It is fine to let them blacken in places on the outside. The tomatoes will take approximately 20 minutes and the peppers 30 minutes.

2. As soon as they are blackened and blistered remove them from the griddle and allow them to cool. Then scrape off the skins, cut open the peppers, remove the seeds and stalk and dice the flesh. Skin the tomatoes and dice.

3. Put them in a bowl and add all the other ingredients apart from the olive oil.

4. Stir ingredients together and then slowly stir in the olive oil until the mixture is loose and wet. Season to taste.

Frittata:
1. Preheat oven to gas mark 3-4 or 170c (150c fan oven). Choose a pan of at least 25cm diameter to cook the frittata in.

2. Peel the chorizo and cut into bite size chunks and fry in a little olive oil. When they are lightly coloured, remove from the pan but leave the oil from the chorizo in the pan.

3. Fry the potatoes in the chorizo oil until they colour and then remove from the pan. Clean the pan and line the base with greaseproof paper if needed.

4. Crack the eggs in a bowl, whisk them and add 1 teaspoon paprika and 1 tablespoon soured cream. Whisk again.

5. Tip the chorizo and potatoes into the empty pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle the spring onions on top.

6. Pour on the egg mixture and place in the oven. Cook until slightly firm and golden brown in colour - about 15 minutes.

7. Serve with a dollop of the soured cream with parika sprikled on top and with the salsa.

Voila!

VERDICT: Another thumbs up from the family, much to my relief! I will certainly make this again (yes, I know it's just a glorified omelette, but still...). I had loads of the salsa left over so, for my family, I think I could halve the quantities and there would still be plenty. I also "blitzed" half of the salsa in the food processor before serving as I knew my family would prefer it less "chunky". I didn't blitz it all as I didn't want be left with a complete puree so half and half worked well.

I've got a new cookery book so next week I shall be baking something from that. It is something different so it may not go down so well with my brood - watch this space...

Weigh In - week 3

2010-01-24T08:59:00.007Z

Morning All,
Well I got on the scales yesterday for my weekly weigh in and the scales showed...

Current weight: X stones 13.2lbs
This weeks loss: 1lb.
Total weight loss: 4.2lbs

I am into a lower "stone" bracket - yay! :-) I am pleased with that as to be honest I am not following a certain diet plan. Instead I'm trying to fit in with the family meals but control my portion size and cut down on eating between meals. I know my weight loss will be slower this way but I've done strict diets before and, although I lose the weight, I cannot keep it off so thought I would try a different approach. I still haven't done any exercise but I REALLY must make time for it.

It's been a very quiet start to the year on the competition wins front, but I got my first win this week. Nothing major, just some dry shampoo and a mini hairbrush but let's hope it is the start of bigger wins!

Earlier this week hubby came home with a box for me and it contained this...

Apparently one of his customers had bought the organic veg for a friend who was due to visit, but they cancelled the visit so he gave it to us instead! I can't justify the price of organic so it is a rare treat for us. Never tried curly kale before so that will be a first for us.

Nothing else to report so shall sign off.

Have a happy and healthy week.

TTFN

C xx

Carbonara

2010-01-20T17:48:00.016Z

Hi,
Well here is the recipe for week 3 of my recipe challenge.
I decided to do a meal this time instead of baking.
I also chose a lower fat recipe to try and help my weight loss.
This recipe is from "Cook Yourself Thin".

Ingredients
Serves 2
1 small onion
1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
150g linguine
2 large egg yolks
20g freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 tblsp finely chopped chives
small handful roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
5-6 drops Tabasco
salt & pepper

Method
(As I was cooking for 4, I doubled up the ingredients.)
1. In a large bowl, mix the egg yolks, Parmesan, chives, parsley and Tabasco. Set to one side.

2. Dice onion and put in a large, deep frying pan and cover with 150ml water.

3. Bring to the boil. Then lower heat to medium, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the lid, turn up the heat and cook for 3 minutes or until all the water has evaporated.

4. Add the olive oil and Parma ham and cook for 4 minutes until brown, stirring frequently.

5. While the ham is cooking, in a separate pan, cook the linguine according to the packet instructions, adding half teaspoon of salt to the water. (I actually used fresh tagliatelle rather than linguine as it was cheaper!).

6. When the pasta is cooked, drain it but reserve 4 tablespoons of the cooking water and add this water to the Parmesan mixture. Mix well.

7. Mix together the cooked pasta, cooked ham and onions and the Parmesan mixture. Season well and serve immediately.

Voila!

VERDICT: I found this meal very tasty and very filling. I do love carbonara but not the calories the creamy sauce usually contains. I honestly did not notice any loss of flavour due to the absence of cream in the recipe. The rest of the family enjoyed it too and their only complaint was there wasn't enough sauce. It was then that I realised that I hadn't doubled the amount of reserved cooking water and only added the amount for 2 people and not 4! Doh! This is easily remedied for next time, though. My only gripe is that the ingredients did work out quite expensive so next time I shall use bacon rather than Parma ham and whichever cheese I already have in rather than fresh Parmesan. I also think I will use dried tagliatelle as again that is cheaper than fresh. Obviously that may make it a bit less kind to the waistline, but a lot kinder to the purse! This is a quick and easy recipe and certainly one for our regular menu. I think you should be able prep and cook this in 30 mins total.

Please let me know if you give this a try. Enjoy!

C xx

Weigh In - week 2

2010-01-17T08:15:00.007Z

Morning,
Sorry I didn't get chance to post yesterday and this will only be a quick post today.
Well I got on the scales yesterday for my weigh in and the scales showed...

Current weight: X stones 0.2lbs
This weeks loss: 0.6lbs.
Total weight loss: 3.2lbs

I was a tad disappointed but then I MUST remember...

Think I might buy that sign to put in my kitchen!
This week I WILL do better, but I am not beating myself up too much, as a loss is still a loss.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend and have a fab week.
TTFN
C xx

I received some flowers!

2010-01-15T13:12:00.007Z

No, not from a secret admirer, but from a friend. It's amazing what a difference flowers can make when you receive them especially when they are unexpected and not for a special "occasion". Two days ago there was a knock at my door and there was my friend holding some lovely yellow roses for me, along with a card "I know there is nothing I can do or say to help you at the moment with the news, except to remind you I am here for you". I was so touched. It is wonderful what a small gesture can do to lift the spirits and the bright flowers are so welcome at this time of year. I really ought to have flowers around the house more often. Will give my hubby a huge hint! lol

Yesterday I cooked a Leek and Potato soup. Now soup is usually something I cannot make. I do not know what I do wrong but it always ends up like dishwater! Bleugh! But this soup came out lovely. It is so thick and VERY filling. I won't post a step by step recipe here as I got it from the Country Heart & Home blog here: http://countryheartandhome.blogspot.com/2009/12/recipe-for-leek-soup-and-we-have-little.html
As I am trying to diet, I made a few adjustments - substituted butter to low fat spread and the cream to reduced fat creme fraiche. It was delicious and my eldest son agreed (I've not allowed the rest of the family to have any yet! lol). So at long last I have actually made an edible soup, so a HUGE thank you to Debbie!

Have a wonderful (and hopefully snow free) weekend!
C xx

Peanut Butter Cookies

2010-01-13T15:53:00.017Z

Hello,
Well here is the recipe for week 2 of my recipe challenge.
This recipe was again taken from LEITHS Baking Bible.

Ingredients
For approximately 40 cookies.
140g softened butter
115g caster sugar
115g soft light brown sugar
1 large egg - beaten
115g crunchy peanut butter
half tsp vanilla essence
200g plain flour
half tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder

Decoration:
caster sugar, for sprinkling

Method
1. Preheat oven to gas mark 4 or 180c.

2. Cream butter and both sugars together until soft and smooth. Beat in the egg.

3. Then beat in the peanut butter.

4. Add the vanilla essence. (It was after I'd added the essence that I realised that I'd only beaten in the caster sugar earlier and forgotten the brown sugar so luckily I had time to add it before the flour - hence why more mixture in the bowl in step 5!)

5. Sift in the flour, salt and baking powder and STIR until smooth. Do NOT overbeat or the dough will become oily.

6. Roll the mixture into small balls using your fingers and place onto ungreased baking sheets. (I needed 3 sheets)

7. Flatten the dough balls with the prongs of a fork and sprinkle with caster sugar.

8. Bake for 10-15 minutes until an even, but not too dark, brown.

9. While still hot, ease off the baking sheet and allow to cool on a wire rack.

Voila!

VERDICT: Well these went down a treat! My hubby, eldest son and I loved them. My youngest son didn't like them but then he doesn't like nuts so that wasn't a surprise and it meant more for the rest of us! I love Reeces Bars and Cups so I think next time I may add some milk chocolate chips to them too. I will definitely be making these again but probably not when I am on a diet as they are too good to resist! lol

If you try out this recipe, I would love to hear your feedback. Enjoy!

C xx

Weigh In - week 1

2010-01-09T14:34:00.007Z

Well today was the day of my first weigh in.
As some of you know, the past few days have been quite stressful for me and unfortunately in times of stress I head for the biscuit tin and I'm afraid the end part of this week was no exception. *blushes*

Anyway, I gingerly stepped on the scales, heard the "beep" and slowly looked down...

Current weight: X stones 0.8lbs
I've lost 2.6lbs!!! Yay!!!

I know it is not a great deal, as I usually lose more in the first week, but I am dead chuffed that I have lost some weight as my exercise has been zero and it is so hard to drink 2 litres of water when it is so cold outside.

I went on the Wii fit this morning so have done a little exercise today and was surprised how quickly I was out of breath.
I have decided to show a "before" pic of my "Mii". lol

Those of you who have a Wii Fit will know if you gain weight your Mii gets fatter! Eek! I'm hoping that my "after" Mii will look more like Kate Moss! ;-) (well not quite, but you get the idea lol).

Wish me luck for my diet this week.

Well, before I sign off I thought I'd post a couple of pics of my shabby/rustic finds.

I got these 3 tin pails from the Lakeland Sale, reduced to £4.99 for all 3. Our living room is rustic red and gold so they will look lovely in there, and they have hearts on them which I love too.

I also managed to pick this up in Morrison's for £5 just before Christmas and I think it was a great price.

Well as it is still snowing outside, I think I'll shall do some baking to fill up that cake stand!
Oh yes before I forget, I've updated my Choc Orange Cake post with the family verdict.

Have a lovely weekend and keep warm.

C xx

Chocolate & Orange Marbled Cake

2010-01-05T13:19:00.003Z

Hi there!
Well, here it is, my first new recipe of the year!
Taken from LEITHS Baking Bible.

Ingredients

Cake:

225g butter, softened

225g caster sugar

4 eggs, room temperature

225g self-raising flour

2 tbsp cocoa powder

grated zest of 2 oranges

Icing:

115g plain chocolate

115g butter

225g icing sugar

grated zest of 1 orange

Decoration:

30g white chocolate, grated

30g plain chocolate, grated

Method

1. Preheat oven to Gas 4 or 180C. Grease & line a deep 20cm/8in round cake tin. (I don't have a deep 20cm tin so used 2 shallow ones instead).

2. Cream butter & sugar together, then beat in eggs a little at a time.

3. Sift flour and fold into mixture.

4. Divide cake mixture in half & put 1 half in another bowl. Sift cocoa powder & mix into 1 half.

5. Mix orange zest into other half.

6. Put alternate spoons of the mixture into the cake tin(s).

7.Swirl a knife gently through it once and carefully smooth the top.

8. Place the cake tin in the centre of the oven & bake for 45-55 mins (as I did 2 shallower cakes I cooked for just 25 mins).

9. Leave in tin to cool for 5 mins, before turning out onto a rack.

10. Meanwhile make the filling by melting the chocolate, broken into small pieces, in a bowl over a pan of steaming water. Once melted allow to cool.

11. Cream the butter until soft & gradually add the sifted icing sugar. Add the cooled, melted chocolate & orange zest and beat well.

12. When cake is cold, split into half horizontally. Spread 1 third of the icing inside the cake & use the rest to cover the top and sides. Finish by decorating with grated chocolate.

Voila!

I've not tasted it yet but had a little taster of the icing when I was making it and I think if you like Terry's Chocolate Oranges then you should like this. I also don't think I "marbled" it enough as I was scared of over mixing it but if the family likes it then I shall be more confident next time. I also used grated milk choc to decorate. Will report back with the verdict later...

C xx

EDIT: 8th Jan 2010

VERDICT: Well both my boys love it and want me to bake it again! Hubby said it was nice too but prefers my Choc Fudge Cake (me too!). My verdict... well I found the icing quite sweet and I felt the cake was a tad dry. This may be because I baked it in 2 tins rather than 1 so perhaps that dried it a little. Also, when I divided the mixture in half, one half was slighter more than the other and I added the cocoa to the smaller half. With hindsight it would have probably been better to use the cocoa in the larger half. To be honest, this is just me being picky. In my opinion if you love Terry's Chocolate Orange then you will enjoy this cake. (I'm not a lover of them which is probably why I found it too sweet.) If you try out this recipe, I would love to hear your feedback. Enjoy!

C xx

Weigh In!

2010-01-02T19:06:00.001Z

Evening All!

Thank you sooooo much for all your lovely comments and for my new followers! :-)

Well today was the start of my diet so I tentatively stepped on the scales....
In the Red Corner is Big Red Heart weighing in at..............

X stones 3.4lbs

Oh come on, you didn't REALLY expect me to tell you the stones as well did you? Did you?!! Eek! Nobody knows that but me and the 4 walls in my bathroom! lol Anyway, you can still keep track of my weight loss by watching those pounds go! (I hope!). I won't bore you with what I have eaten today, but it's been fine. Have been out for a fair bit today so I haven't drunk as much water as I would like (actually none at all!) and I've done no exercise but hopefully I can get into a better routine once the boys go back to school on Tuesday.

Had a nightmare this morning - went to turn on lappy and got a dreaded Windows Error message - we cannot start up Windows! I am a mega technophobe so panic and nausea set in. Why now when I've just started my blog?! Anyway, this afternoon I managed to locate my recovery discs (which was no mean feat considering how much clutter is in the office) and after several unsuccessful attempts I got it restored back to factory settings!
I am actually quite proud of myself.
However, it means I've lost everything - website faves, email addy's, pics, music etc but at least it is working. Oddly enough, just 3 days ago I decided to save my pics from my lappy onto a USB stick. I have NEVER done this before so I am so relieved that I haven't lost precious photo's of my sons first day at Grammar School or my Dads 70th birthday last year. It was a huge wake up call so I will be backing up regularly from now on. For any of you that, like me, have never bothered to back up please do it and do it today. Once lost it is too late.

On a positive note, the lappy crashing helped me with one of my resolutions - my email inbox is clear!!! Lost them all! Ah well, it saves me going through them all now and deciding if I "need" to keep them. There is only one that may be a problem from a friend I lost touch with as I don't have a written record of her email, but I have her home address so all is not lost.

Right, that is enough waffle for today so I shall bid you all a lovely evening.
TTFN
C xx

My first post!

2010-01-01T16:10:00.000Z

Happy new year!

Well this is my first blog post, so please forgive me if I do it wrong!

Don't really think I lead an exciting enough life for anyone to read this but I shall give it a go.

As it is the 1st of January, then I shall start with my resolutions (groan!).

1. To lose weight. Yes this one appears on my list every year yet I usually end the year heavier than I started it! However, this is the main reason for my blog - to mark my progress (please let there be progress!) and for you all to help keep me on the straight and narrow! lol

2. To try a new recipe once a week. This won't help me with resolution number 1 but I want to try new things and what better than homemade? It may be a cake or an evening meal. I just want to get out of the spag bol, chilli, shepherds pie, lasagne, etc meal rotas. I'm sure most mums will understand what I mean. This resolution is inspired by the film Julie & Julia which I watched at the cinema a few months ago. Although Julie tried at least one new recipe every day, I know that would be unachievable for me so 1 per week it is.

2. To get rid of my clutter! Again, this appears every year, but enough is enough and I feel I am drowning with all the boxes of my hoarding so I NEED to do this. It will be hard for me as I hate waste but if I can't Ebay it then I shall Freecycle it, give it to a charity shop, etc. There may even be some giveaways of my ~~junk~~ treasures on here so watch this space! I also enter lots of competitions and sometimes I get unwanted "runners up" prizes which adds to my clutter so can giveway those too. I also want my "clutter" to be cleared from my email in box which always seems to be full. I always worry I'll end up deleting something I "need" but I must get past this phobia!

Well I think that's enough to be getting on with so if you are still here, thanks for reading this far.
I'll try to post up some pics of some recent recipes and shabby chic finds later on as I know we all love piccies!

Happy 2010, I hope it's a good one!
xx

PS Diet starts Saturday 2nd January - need to clear out** all the fattening things first! ** read as eat!!