Sally Serves It Up

Nearly half way through my food diary journey. Even though I normally make some sort of note of what I’m eating, I haven’t been this honest since my Weight Watchers days. It’s definitely giving me more focus, even when I’m not eating/drinking the best I can. I would recommend it to anyone wondering why the scales or inches aren’t moving quite as you expect. But for it to be effective, you have to write down everything that passes your mouth - no exceptions.

BREAKFAST 7.45am: Sun Warrier Protein Chocolate shake with water and rice milk.

COFFEE 9.30am: Starbucks tall iced white Americano

LUNCH 1pm: Mori small salmon sushi box (3 x salmon/avo, 3 x salmon nigiri). Seaweed salad. Diet coke.

EXERCISE 5.30pm: barrecardio

DINNER 7.30pm: At my mumbo’s house… had about 10 anchovy stuffed olives (loves these ones you get in a can from Waitrose… not in oil), then some rotisserie chicken with roasted vegetables mixed with rocket, feta and balsamic vinegar. Two large glasses of rose wine (aka 2/3 bottle). I then got home and Frank had made two ridiculously tempting baked goods: rhubarb crumble cake and some peanut thing - so I tried a bit of each but literally hardly anything…

…

BREAKFAST 7.40am: One scrambled egg mixed with some extra egg white and half a small avocado.

COFFEE 10.45am: Starbucks tall iced white Americano

LUNCH 1.30pm: Pret A Manger Italian Chicken Salad (I LOVE THIS SALAD), diet coke.

EXERCISE 6.30pm: barrecore

DINNER 8.15pm: It was such a nice day today that post barrecore I found Frank sitting outside the pub enjoying the sun - I joined him for a medium rose spritzer. When we got home, I had one more medium glass of Sancerre rose. Food wise, I had tuna and salmon sashimi and a seaweed salad post barrecore and a small tomato and blue cheese salad and a little bit of chicken noodle soup when I got home. Very odd combination but everything was quite small and just what I fancied… could have done without the soup though… #dulynoted

Weening myself off wine after last week is proving more difficult than expected…

Since cleaning up my eating, I’ve become slightly dependent on certain cooking essentials to make my food taste as delicious as possible. One of them is herbs which I use in ALL salads and almost everything else; another is lemon which I squeeze onto about 70% of my food; and the third is hot sauce. Move over tabasco, Frank’s Red Hot Sauce is far superior. Here are a few ideas on how to use it (you can also buy mini travel bottles to keep in your desk/handbag/car).

1. Scotch Eggs. My Dad says you should cut it in half and loosen the egg so that the hot sauce goes in all the way.

2. Oysters. Just one drop as hot sauce seems to expand in oyster juice.

3. Kippers… another of my Dad’s favourites.

4. Eggs. Fried, poached, scrambled or boiled, I lob it onto all of them.

5. Guacamole/Salsa (and just about everything else Mexican)

6. Soup. It works especially well with anything green based like broccoli, spinach & kale.

7. American style cocktail sauce (ketchup and horseradish)

8. Super healthy food. When I’m being particularly good and eating things like grilled fish and steamed spinach, hot sauce (and lemon) is essential in keeping me sane.

Let me know if you have any other suggestions!

Buy it here. Enjoy.

BREAKFAST 7.40am: Glass of water and David Kirsch Chocolate Meal Replacement Shake mixed with half rice milk/half water.

LUNCH 12.45pm: Two little gem hearts with some cucumber, tomatoes, roast chicken breast, pumpkin seeds, basil and about 30g feta. A little bit of olive oil and white wine vinegar.

SNACK 1.30pm: After lunch I had about half a punnet of English raspberries.

EXERCISE 5.30pm: barrecore

DINNER 7.30pm: A stirfried chicken breast with cumin and nigella seeds with some hot sauce, 1/2 can Gwyneth’s refried beans and some iceberg lettuce with blue cheese dressing. And then I had a small bowl of the chicken noodle soup I made… to make sure it tasted good!

…

BREAKFAST 7.40am: Glass of water and David Kirsch Chocolate Meal Replacement Shake mixed with half rice milk/half water.

LUNCH 1PM: Two little gem hearts with some cucumber, tomatoes, roast chicken breast, pumpkin seeds, basil and about 30g feta. A little bit of olive oil and white wine vinegar. Can of diet coke.

DINNER 7PM: Two baked eggs (plus a little extra egg white from here) with cooked vine tomatoes, 25g feta and basil, oregano and thyme. Served up with lots of parsley and a bit of parmesan. It looks like a mess but it was bloody good. Two large glasses of wine (one white/one rose). Had to have a second glass after I quite badly burnt my hand trying to put the baked egg frying pan in the sink #notetoself.

EXERCISE: day off

I absolutely love Mexican food but it can veer towards the unhealthy side of things. As a Gwyneth devotee/worshipper, I look no further for a slightly healthier take on cooking, including these refried beans which are not really refried but gently cooked. They taste absolutely great and add fantastic flavour and depth to chilli/fajitas/burritos/the whole Mexican arena.

They’re particularly good with a drizzle of olive oil and some crumbled feta but that’s just an option, of course.

I didn’t take a picture because I ate them too damn quickly. But here’s a picture of Gwyneth looking just how I like to imagine I do when I’m cooking and a link to her great cook book.

Ingredients - Serves 2

1 x 400g tin of black beans, drained

2 cloves of garlic

1/2 cup of water (or stock if you’ve got some)

1 tsp of salt

In a non stick pan, heat some spray oil and add in the beans, water, garlic and salt. Bring to a gentle boil and let it simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring often with a wooden spoon. They’re ready to serve when everything has combined and slightly emulsified and the water has evaporated.

Frank and I were both craving Mexican post a wonderful wedding at Sissinghurst on Saturday. We decided on chicken fajitas as the perfect football sups. If you want a healthier option, wrap everything in some iceberg lettuce instead of tortilla wraps which allows for a couple more pinches of grated cheddar - which in my dairy loving opinion, is well worth it.

I served them up with guacamole (I make mine by mashing up one avocado with a generous pinch of sea salt and lots of lime juice) and a tomato salsa of chopped vine tomatoes mixed with a shallot, a small handful of chopped coriander, some salt and lime juice. Plus a few dashes of my favourite Frank’s Red Hot Sauce.

Ingredients - Serves 2

2 chicken breasts, diced into bite sized chunks

1 large white onion, sliced

2 red peppers, diced into small chunks

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp paprika

1-2 tsp chilli flakes

1-2 tsp cumin

1 tsp coconut oil

Heat the oil in a wok and fry off the chicken for a couple of minutes. Add the spices and let them coat the chicken. Then add the onion and pepper and mix everything together, allowing to cook on a medium heat for about 4 minutes. Then add the garlic and toss thoroughly. You want to make sure that any liquid that is released really cooks down so that the bottom of the pan starts to brown and everything takes on the flavour of the spices. Put into a bowl and serve with tortilla wraps or iceberg lettuce (plus some hot sauce).

Right, so these are the last of my unhealthy food diaries. I cannot wait. Not having exercised for a week and the consequent drinking and eating that has accompanied it has almost put me in a bad mood. But the wedding I went to was so wonderful and special that any slightly unnecessary calories and hangovers were definitely worth it. Here it goes.

Day 17

BREAKFAST 9am: Starbucks Grande Skinny Capp - I don’t like to skip breakfast but I genuinely didn’t want any food.

LUNCH 1pm: Out for ritual Friday Byron with work, chose skinny Byron (which has no bun) with avocado and coleslaw (not v mayonnaise based).

SNACK 6pm: After a hideous journey out of London, I had two shortbread biscuits that were at the house we were staying at. God, they were good.

DINNER 8.30pm: Out at the pub, I chose seared tuna nicoise and had a bit of bread. A few glasses of white wine.

Day 18 - WEDDING DAY

BREAKFAST 10am: Everyone was going heavy on breakfast ahead of the wedding lunch which was going to be at about 4pm. I had two slices of wholemeal toast with some bacon and two boiled eggs. Tea and a glass of diluted apple juice.

LUNCH/DINNER 5pm: some sort of cheesy tart, followed by duck and dauphinoise, and then cheesecake. Was v good.

I had lots of wine and then some crisps when we all got back to the house.

Day 19 - HUNGOVER DAY

BREAKFAST 10.30am: Two boiled eggs with two slices of wholemeal toast. Glass of diluted apple juice and a tea. Cup of filter coffee with milk.

LUNCH 4pm: Didn’t get home until 4pm, had two little gem hearts with some chopped tomatoes, cucumber and blue cheese dressing (really fancied this). About 8 olives.

DINNER 7.30pm: Chicken Fajitas - had one in a lettuce wrap and one in a tortilla wrap.

I went to Florence this week for work - it was a hardcore combo of working all day, eating and drinking. Slightly embarrassed by such levels of copious drinking but hey ho… I can’t beat myself up about it.

Day 13
BREAKFAST: David Kirsch Shake mixed with rice milk and water
LUNCH: Pret Avocado Wrap - high cal but filling and delish
DINNER: Dinner in Florence. We shared bruschetta & then three different pastas between three: green risotto with blue cheese, ravioli with butter & sage and wild boar pappardelle, WINE.

Day 14
BREAKFAST: Two boiled eggs, cappuccino
LUNCH: Bowl of pesto pasta, small glass of white wine, diet coke
SNACK 4pm: Scoop of gelato
DINNER: Various mixed starters (e.g. squid with avocado, spinach and parmesan salad) and then veal with truffle sauce and avocado. WINE.

Day 15
BREAKFAST: Two boiled eggs with small rye roll, cappuccino
LUNCH: Tomato pasta with dollop of pesto

SNACK: scoop of mint choc chop gelato
DINNER: A few canapes at a party and then shared starters of bruschetta and burrata with truffle, then roast pork and roast potatoes. WINE.

Day 16: Travel day back
BREAKFAST: Cappuccino and a boiled egg
LUNCH: Bowl of tomato pasta
SNACK: Small glass of red wine on the plane to discuss various emotions with my Boss - which was good because the turbulence was #litchmorbs
DINNER: When I got home, I had a salad of little gem hearts with tomatoes, feta, basil, hemp seeds and avocado. Dressed with olive oil and red wine vinegar.

So there you have it. Way too much food and alcohol and far too little exercise (aka none) but I enjoyed myself and had the best time. HATE.HATE.HATE that I drank every night for a week - literally gross. But I’m going to a wonderful wedding this weekend at Sissinghurst and will inevitably enjoy some more drinking and then I’m back on track with lots of barrecore and clean eating next week.

Had the most incredible time at Pret A Diner. Couldn’t recommend the whole experience enough. Amazing food and such a fun time.

BREAKFAST 10.30am: two large boiled eggs chopped up & with a teaspoon of lurpack lighter. Cup of Builder’s tea.

LUNCH 1.30pm: Chicken caesar salad (I’m not one of those people who orders this thinking it’s healthy, I just bloody love it… but there wasn’t a lot of dressing or croutons). Some olives. Diet Coke.

DINNER 8pm: some bread dipped in olive oil; scallops with asparagus and celery; tomato risotto; veal cheeks with mashed potato; bit of chocolate birthday cake. Lots of wine and other drinks!

EXERCISE: None

…

Only slightly hungover from last night… which is surprising.

BREAKFAST 11.30am: Sun Warrier Chocolate Protein shake mixed with rice milk.

EXERCISE 1.30pm: 35 minute jog on Tooting Common, averaging 10 minute miles (= I’m getting faster!).

LUNCH 2.30pm: 3 x little gem hearts with one vine tomato, a tbsp of sunflower seeds and flaked almonds, a bit of feta and chives. Dressed with olive oil and red wine vinegar.

SNACK 4pm: About 8 pecan halves and a boiled egg.

DINNER 7pm: Nigel Slater Thai Green Curry (click here for recipe). So weird that I decided to cook this on the very same weekend a year ago.

Off to Florence tomorrow.

BREAKFAST 7.45am: 2 large boiled eggs and a cup of Builder’s Tea with a dash of milk.

LUNCH 12.45pm: Two little gem hearts with some left over roast chicken, 30g crumbled feta and 1 tbsp organic hummus. Drizzled with a little extra virgin olive oil.

SNACK 3pm: Starbucks skinny flat white.

EXERCISE 5.30pm: barrecore

DINNER 7.15pm: Sushi with my Mumbo: 3 tuna rolls, 3 salmon/avo rolls, mixed sashimi, 2 x yellow tail nigiri. Some edamame beans. Just under a bottle of white wine and a square of Lindt hazelnut milk chocolate. YUMMERS!

…

Today was a blow out. Totes chips.

BREAKFAST 9.30am: Joe & The Juice large avocado, apple & lemon juice. Starbucks skinny flat white.

LUNCH 1.30pm: A Classic Byron burger medium rare, a couple of fries (litch) and circa two glasses of white wine and THEN A WHITE WINE SPRITZER. Flat white.

DINNER: Unfortunately, I didn’t really have any dinner because I was out drinking lots of white wine spritzers and having a fun time. But when I got home, I did have a big handful of tortilla chips with a bit of hummus…!

EXERCISE: No exercise, having two days off after six consecutive days.

A great sunny day. And a great day of work, exercise and delicious food.

BREAKFAST 7.45am: David Kirsch Chocolate Flavoured Meal Replacement Shake made with 1/2 water, 1/2 rice milk.

LUNCH 1pm: Small Mori salmon sushi box (3 salmon nigiri, 3 x salmon/avo rolls). Seaweed salad (and a diet coke - HOWL).

SNACK 5pm: Small handful of mixed plain nuts

EXERCISE: barrecore

DINNER 8.30pm: Delish salad: 2 x little gem hearts, one vine tomato, a small smoked mackerel fillet, lots of basil, 30g crumbled feta, 1 tbsp sunflower seeds, 1 tbsp olive oil and red wine vinegar, squeeze of lemon.

DESSERT: two squares of Lindt dark chocolate with sea salt.

BAH HUMBUG - waking up to the rain this morning put me in a foul mood… for the whole day. Enough said.

BREAKFAST 7.45am: Two small slices of Gail’s San Francisco Sourdough with 1/2 a small avocado smashed up with some lime, salt and a tiny drizzle of olive oil. Cup of Builder’s tea with a dash of semi skimmed milk.

LUNCH 12.45pm: Packed lunch of the Physique 57 chicken salad. Followed by a small Joe & the Juice Fibre Active Juice (avocado/apple/lemon).

EXERCISE 5.30pm: barrecore

DINNER 7.30pm: 1/2 cup of quinoa (basic recipe here) mixed with oregano, thyme, mint and 30g feta. Served with two large vine tomatoes, two little gem hearts and a softly boiled egg. Drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice.

Afterwards, I had some English raspberries from Kent which were beautiful.

…

BREAKFAST 7.45am: David Kirsch Chocolate Flavoured Meal Replacement Shake, mixed with half water and half rice milk.

LUNCH 12.45pm: Physique 57 chicken salad with one little gem heart and some rocket. Diet coke - I really fancied one… hey ho.

SNACK 4pm: One large hard boiled egg and about eight plain mixed nuts.

EXERCISE 6.30pm: barrecore

DINNER 8.30pm: I dreamt of this salad all the way home - I was really hungry and wanted something satisfying and warm. I mixed a big serving of steamed spinach with 1/2 cup of quinoa (basil and lemon), 25g feta, toasted almonds and a mackerel fillet. Drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice.

I know that everyone can follow basic cooking instructions on the back of a packet but I wanted to post this to inspire more of you to eat quinoa, the gluten free and protein packed version of cous cous. It’s such a good healthy alternative to almost every one of your favourite starchy carbs and has a fabulous texture - plus, you can have it with just about everything. Frank had some with a couple gluten free sausages the other day, while I mixed mine with lots of herbs and feta.

Normal cooking directions are 1 part quinoa to 3 parts water. Simply put it on the hob and simmer on a medium heat (with the lid on) until all the liquid is absorbed. Leave it to cool and then fluff up with a fork. And please use low sodium stock to cook things like this - it adds fantastic (and sometimes much needed) flavour. I like to make a big batch on Sundays so that I have a go-to dinner at any point of the week.

No excuses now - swap that cous cous for quinoa and get cooking. 

Physique 57 is the hugely successful take on the bar method that has stormed America. I ordered their book detailing their two week ‘groundbreaking’ plan to give me some ideas for healthy eating over the summer. There are loads of great ideas (keep your eyes peeled for my post on their healthy salad dressings!) as well as routines and descriptions of the moves which are leaning out my thighs real nice.

This salad appealed for my packed lunches and is a throw back to the classic American style chicken salad. It really kept me full (well, at least until my 4pm hard boiled egg).

Ingredients - Serves 1

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

1 rib of celery, peeled and chopped

1/2 red onion (I used a shallot), finely chopped

Small handful of parsley (I didn’t have any parsley so substituted with mint and chives)

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tbsp good olive oil mayonnaise (I used rapeseed mayo which is lower in saturated fat)

1/3 cup of shredded chicken breast

3 cups of rocket or little gem

Mix everything together apart from the chicken and rocket. Toss through the chicken and then serve over the lettuce.

Frank bought me this oil mist sprayer for my birthday (he knows the way to my heart). It works really well and majorly helps in reducing how much oil you use in your cooking, especially frying, baking or roasting. When I roasted a chicken on Sunday, I just sprayed the whole thing with olive oil instead of slathering it all over - much better. You can infuse it with garlic or herbs but for the moment, I’m keeping it straight.

Buy it here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Prepara-Deluxe-Oil-Mist-Sprayer/dp/B0026L7BNU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1339498458&sr=8-2

I really don’t like to do anything on a Sunday that involves being social or drinking. For me, Sunday’s are for laundry, exercise, newspapers, TV and cooking… in that order.

Oh, and FYI… I haven’t been recording my water intake in these diaries because it’s the only constant in my life, I drink circa 1.5 - 2 litres of water a day.

Breakfast 10am: David Kirsch Chocolate Flavoured Meal Replacement Shake, mixed with half water and half semi skimmed milk (have run out of almond/rice milk).

Exercise 12pm: 40 minutes continuous jogging on Tooting Common. My pace was approx 11 mins per mile which is an improvement so I’m pleased.

Lunch 2pm: 2 x little gem hearts with 3 large vine tomatoes chopped up with lots of oregano and about 40g of feta, drizzled with a little olive oil and lemon juice and a big dollop of left over pea, feta and mint dip. A can of V8 juice #weekendtreat.

Snack 4pm: Big handful of fresh peas in the pod, a cup of Builder’s tea with dash of milk.

Dinner 7.30pm: I cooked a whole roast chicken with some olive oil and lots of sage, rosemary and oregano. I had some of the breast meat with some kale that I steamed and tossed through with about 1 tsp of butter and some toasted flaked almonds.

As a sweet treat, I had two squares of Lindt dark chocolate with a touch of sea salt (my favourite chocolate ever) and a nettle tea.

I made this dip in a haste after I was stressed my bagni cauda had turned out too milky. I was serving a big platter of crudite (chicory, little gem hearts, radishes, carrots, celery, sourdough) for my starter so imagine my horror when I thought the anchovy dip wasn’t working. In the end, both dips worked out and everyone especially liked the pea one. Here’s the recipe (with no photo). For crudite, it works best with the sourdough and quartered little gem hearts but it would also be lovely as a crostini topping. 

Ingredients: Serves 4-6

Two big handfuls of peas or petit pois, cooked and cooled

100g feta, very roughly crumbled

Small handful mint leaves, roughly chopped

100ml extra virgin olive oil

Zest and juice of one lemon

In a small blender, combine all of the ingredients. Pulse gently and stir with a spoon every so often to make sure most of it gets combined but you still have some whole peas and bigger chunks of feta (add more oil as required). I don’t think you need to season as the feta gives it a salty punch. Serve in a dish with a drizzle of olive oil on top.

Hungover from dinner party. Coffee is the only thing that sorts me out, as you can see…

Breakfast 9am: Grande Coffee Light Frappuccino. This is not Clean & Lean but for 118 calories, it really does the trick in remedying my quite severe nausea. The Boss also bought me a skinny Flat White.

Lunch 1pm: Byron Chicken Burger. I’m a huge fan of Byron - not only is it next to my work but you can have a burger without feeling really greasy and gross and guilty. The Chicken burger is amazing and circa 400 calories which I think is TOTALLY worth it in these circumstances. No sides but asked for extra pickle :)

Dinner: I went over to my super healthy friend’s house for dinner. She cooked baked sea trout with samphire, asparagus and roasted almonds. So good and so healthy. Had some plain cucumber and radishes before, as well as some olives. And then two squares of Lindt dark chocolate with sea salt for dessert. Peppermint tea.

Exercise: No exercise. Again. Back to the barre tomorrow. And every day next week!

p.s. I only tend to think of calories when I’m hungover and I want food that I don’t normally want.

…

Saturday Breakfast 10am: two boiled eggs chopped up and mixed with 1/2 teaspoon of Lurpack lighter (butter is a weekend treat). Builder’s tea with dash of milk.

Exercise 12.45pm: barrecore

Lunch 2pm: Small Mori salmon sushi box (3 salmon/avo rolls, 3 salmon nigiri)

Snack 4pm: Big handful of fresh raw peas (in their pods) and a can of V8 juice

Dinner 8pm: I had my sister and brother-in-law over for dinner. This is the final thing in my social week before I can really focus on my food and exercise. I made a big crudite with an anchovy and garlic dip and a pea and feta dip, followed by tagliatelle with beef & porcini ragu and some homemade Gail’s sourdough garlic bread. Dessert was a slice of Frank’s lemon polenta cake with some creme fraiche and raspberries. 3/4 bottle of the most delicious Sancerre Rose.

Very excited for the next five days of no drinking and really focused eating. I enjoyed having fun and seeing my friends this week but now I’m ready to get back on track.

I drank far too much today thanks to a totes chips dinner party at my friend’s flat which included a dance routine to a 5ive medley song… But thankfully they cooked a delicious wheat free sups so I didn’t feel too unhealthy.

BREAKFAST 9.15am: Joe and the Juice large Fibre Active juice (avocado, apple, and extra lemon). So delicious, I would really recommend this as a filling slow releasing juice.

LUNCH 1pm: Mori seaweed salad and a small salmon sushi box (3 x salmon nigiri, 3 x salmon/avo inside out roll). Diet coke #slightlyhungover

SNACK 6pm: V hungry when I got to High Street Ken so I purchased a wonderful COS sweater, along with a packet of Clearspring Tamari Roasted Almonds from Wholefoods which are absolutely delicious. 174 cals.

DINNER 8pm: Jenny cooked asparagus with parma ham and mozzarella, then roast chicken with roasted vegetables. This was all followed by circa six dark chocolate covered strawberries. I forgot how good these are! (Alcohol - circa half a bottle of wine and three incredibly strong vodka tonics).

EXERCISE: NONE :( The Jubilee has completely screwed up my training.

p.s. FYI BTW these food diaries are only lasting 57 days exactly - just thought you should know that…!

Welcome to the launch of my food diaries. Personally, I love reading other people’s food diaries and as bikini season is approaching (in approximately 57 days) I need some extra focus to get me feeling completely poolside chips. I thought of no better motivation than telling you exactly what I’m eating, drinking and doing to get me to my goals (which are definitely about a lot more than just the numbers on the scales), and hopefully I will inspire some of you to stay extra focused while that second pitcher of Pimms is served up. Saying that, this is a social week for me and I’m going to Florence in a couple weeks but it’s all about staying as mindful as possible in these situations while still enjoying yourself and not being completely psycho…!

BREAKFAST 7.45am: Two hard boiled eggs and a cup of English Breakfast tea with a dash of semi skimmed milk

LUNCH 1pm: Half a small avocado with 1/2 a cup of homemade rice salad (recipe here) and a little gem lettuce. Eight spritzes of olive oil spray.

SNACK: at 4pm I had two celery sticks and a small carrot, chopped up crudite style (this is where a little forward planning can prevent you from snacking mindlessly at your desk). When I got home at 6pm, I had eight walnut halves.

DINNER 7.30pm: Out for my mother’s birthday at the White Horse. Resisted bread and went for starter of scallops (just three with a light tomato dressing) and then the crab & avocado salad (had a main size version). I probably had just under a bottle of white wine. Whoops. At home, I had a cup of decaf tea.

EXERCISE: No exercise today which is frustrating - I haven’t exercised since a really great jog on Saturday and have started to go a little mad which is probably a good sign… but thankfully I’ve got it booked in for Friday, Saturday and Sunday.