tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50508460018874042642024-02-19T09:34:21.788+00:00Reading DoctorReading Doctorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17843267586247104946noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5050846001887404264.post-54171835805356805202017-01-15T11:00:00.004+00:002017-01-15T11:00:46.095+00:00Something ElsI've renamed my blog <a href="http://elsdraeger.typepad.com/something_els/" target="_blank">Something Els</a>, and moved it to Typepad. So please update your bookmarks...Reading Doctorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17843267586247104946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5050846001887404264.post-45303578414477316202017-01-02T12:54:00.000+00:002017-01-02T12:55:15.108+00:00Reading and Resolutions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
Back in 2015 I set myself a challenge to read a <a href="http://readingcookingdoctor.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/book-week-2015-overview.html" target="_blank">book a week</a>, and exceeded my target, reading 53 books over the course of the year. I had planned to try and do the same in 2016, but for one reason and another I was unable to read at all for many months of the year. I still kept a record of the books that I read though, and have catalogued them on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user_challenges/3679825" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> as before. Although there were only nine of them, I did a graph of my reading patterns over the year:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFB-O0MP4DiWNWuRYCXU3Lh33Fnj7fquvTo6f_9MZSfRMIHQb-dQnwXXu-I7DefvwmhxN07NajDW_SYZjmzP7806rxPBI8N4D5whq14IKdKvRYOzStxFr_9Wr92tDeGxocRFjhma8XSVI/s1600/Books+2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFB-O0MP4DiWNWuRYCXU3Lh33Fnj7fquvTo6f_9MZSfRMIHQb-dQnwXXu-I7DefvwmhxN07NajDW_SYZjmzP7806rxPBI8N4D5whq14IKdKvRYOzStxFr_9Wr92tDeGxocRFjhma8XSVI/s400/Books+2016.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
This year I also included four children's books, as 2016 was the year that I introduced my son to <a href="http://amzn.to/2iuAOjU" target="_blank">Harry Potter</a>, by reading them to him at bedtime. In a year we managed to get through the first four books, but we are now having a break from them, as the fourth book was quite scary and even induced a few nightmares for the 9yo. He absolutely loves the series, and is now Harry Potter obsessed, but agreed quite willingly to have a break, so I think he realises how scary they are for him. <br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Of the five books that I read myself, the one that had the most impact on me was Marie Kondo's <a href="http://amzn.to/2i1HHIB" target="_blank">The Magical Art of Tidying</a>. I have wanted to declutter for years, and had a good go a couple of years ago, but it wasn't until I read this book that I was finally able to get rid of a whole load of unnecessary stuff. My books have now been reduced from an amount that filled two Ikea Billy bookcases, several shelves and many piles on the floor to a much more manageable number that all fit on one Billy bookcase, with space for DVDs and CDs as well. I can now fit all of my clothes into 2 drawers and half a wardrobe, and I have even managed to reduce my photos to one shelf of albums and some picture frames. I can't say that I live in a minimalist home, but with three children in the house under the age of 10 that isn't really going to be possible. I have reached a point however where tidying only takes a few minutes, and feel much better about the space I live in.<br />
<br />
As it's the New Year, I have also made two resolutions. I'm keeping it simple this year, with a plan to read just 24 books over the year, and to finish (or discard) my various crochet and knitting projects. I have really enjoyed learning to crochet over the last few years, and even managed to design my own <a href="http://readingcookingdoctor.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/mini-crochet-bunting.html" target="_blank">crochet bunting</a> back in 2014, but I have ended up with four projects actively on the go and one as-yet-unstarted knitted scarf promised to the 9yo. I have resolved that I will not embark on any more woolly projects until I have either finished or discarded all of these.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Reading Doctorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17843267586247104946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5050846001887404264.post-47684637482795489952016-12-13T14:58:00.002+00:002016-12-13T14:58:47.470+00:00Advent CalendarsWhen I was a child, our advent calendars had pictures in them, behind little doors. I can still remember being really excited to discover which picture was behind each door, even though I had to share the calendar with my brother and so only got to actually open a door once every other day. As I got older I became aware that other children not only had their very own calendars, but sometimes had chocolate instead of pictures behind the doors. Every year I secretly hoped I would get one with chocolate in it. That didn't happen until I was a teenager, and at some point I promised myself that if I ever had children I would do things differently.<br />
<br />
For the first few years of being a parent I was happy enough to buy chocolate advent calendars, but I kept thinking of ways to make things a bit better. When my oldest was 4 years old I realised that I had my very own calendar just waiting. One of the pieces of furniture that I inherited from my mother is a Chinese medicine cabinet, which has 42 decent-sized drawers in it. I set about finding 24 tiny gifts, 24 very small wrapped chocolates, bought some tags and string, and the first calendar became a reality:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUDT_Qsg1JHXMF7hmIcbhSUBp1eJI011Zalx1w0nqLyyFVM34eQOX6N0C6S599pCuBVm4xI5tp3ZGZ8fQPrGvK0JJF7zdkt9yz_mWkvEmohAE5_QM9r9RhZPLQRpsg03jZbCheevbofPY/s1600/2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUDT_Qsg1JHXMF7hmIcbhSUBp1eJI011Zalx1w0nqLyyFVM34eQOX6N0C6S599pCuBVm4xI5tp3ZGZ8fQPrGvK0JJF7zdkt9yz_mWkvEmohAE5_QM9r9RhZPLQRpsg03jZbCheevbofPY/s200/2011.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
It was a huge success. My then 4-year-old could recognise all the numbers and was only too happy to show his sister which drawer to open every day. I knew then that a tradition had been started.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9rzfVsUms0jXiGxvI1eFBuxN3LGvrI9yKxOgRU8FKIs15fIO6u1cPDH2MzglCmchSrp1XcDt7YaczxXcMVzi3asXVUapbx3E-FY5k_tNxmpApVGtCY7RWHPPX10JBRr0zyDSVkS3E3dI/s1600/2012_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9rzfVsUms0jXiGxvI1eFBuxN3LGvrI9yKxOgRU8FKIs15fIO6u1cPDH2MzglCmchSrp1XcDt7YaczxXcMVzi3asXVUapbx3E-FY5k_tNxmpApVGtCY7RWHPPX10JBRr0zyDSVkS3E3dI/s200/2012_3.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgudtxF1rMqkzues2VwJJQaVwzTKG1-DQ838_hjt1VfDkTGd7XaEJB6L_43GHCzTO5Xpf6VHGVnDiOm983WRcajrb-xx_375GK7d9ZEs0jJSkdNBDpNZ811QqnX12z_RrsFQ5GgMfvFjFY/s1600/2012_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgudtxF1rMqkzues2VwJJQaVwzTKG1-DQ838_hjt1VfDkTGd7XaEJB6L_43GHCzTO5Xpf6VHGVnDiOm983WRcajrb-xx_375GK7d9ZEs0jJSkdNBDpNZ811QqnX12z_RrsFQ5GgMfvFjFY/s200/2012_2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
For the next year I made it a bit more Christmassy, with green tags and red ribbon, and also took a picture of all 48 wrapped presents. And let me tell you, it takes longer than you think to wrap so many teeny tiny gifts!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The children now look forward to the calendar being set up every year, and ask about it for several weeks before December starts. I never put any tags on (or any presents in the drawers) until they have gone to sleep on 30th November, so when they wake up on 1st December it is a lovely sight for them. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This year we now have 3 children in the house, which meant wrapping 72 presents. The presents are also colour-coded, so that there can be no arguments as to who gets which present every day.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9pu6vrqLDapq2h8ZdsUNd9tNbnoody7iivlAUD7jYXVBfIjmgth5758nrN1PudeHqxcaydrmDvT5wxcN0oTFM3_4OexwQxLovbIjhfrwg82ROWY4JfLbEG1B9XqnL8uXc4-TxgKvXIPs/s1600/2016_8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9pu6vrqLDapq2h8ZdsUNd9tNbnoody7iivlAUD7jYXVBfIjmgth5758nrN1PudeHqxcaydrmDvT5wxcN0oTFM3_4OexwQxLovbIjhfrwg82ROWY4JfLbEG1B9XqnL8uXc4-TxgKvXIPs/s200/2016_8.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This year all the presents are Lego-themed (in case you're wondering, sourced from previous years' <a href="http://amzn.to/2hicHXc" target="_blank">Lego Advent Calendars</a>), as that is something that all the children enjoy playing with, but part of the beauty of using this cabinet is that the presents can change as the children's interests change. </div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
Reading Doctorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17843267586247104946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5050846001887404264.post-52106814921438967462016-11-27T08:37:00.003+00:002016-11-27T08:37:46.132+00:00Cauliflower Cheese and Starting AgainLast week I went back to <a href="http://readingcookingdoctor.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/low-carb-high-fat.html" target="_blank">eating LCHF</a> again. For one reason and another I had fallen off the wagon, for nearly 9 months. Inevitably I had re-gained all the weight that I had lost, but that didn't bother me as much as the other symptoms. The worst one was the reflux. When I'm eating carbs I need to carry gaviscon tablets around with me all the time, which is no fun, let me tell you. I also really hate the fact that my ankles are swollen almost constantly when I am eating carbs.<br />
<br />
I've been low carb again now for just over 10 days, and have had no reflux symptoms at all for the last 9 days. The <a href="http://readingcookingdoctor.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/hunger.html" target="_blank">constant hunger</a> that I have when eating carbs/sugar has already receded, and my ankles have come back again. I didn't weigh myself at the outset this time, as I don't have weighing scales in the house anymore, but some of my clothes are already slightly looser around the waist.<br />
<br />
One of the things that I find the most difficult about eating low-carb is the amount of cooking involved. I find that unless I have a ready supply of meals in the freezer and suitable snacks in the fridge that it is too tempting to eat foods that are too high in carbs. I'm going to try from now on to make a point of always having appropriate meals available in the freezer, and one of those meals is cauliflower cheese. I've always loved cauliflower cheese, and spent many of my weight watchers years trying to make a low-fat version. They never worked though, and after a while I just resigned myself to only eating it when having a 'cheat day'. <br />
<br />
All of this meant that the first recipe I wanted to tackle when embarking on a LCHF regime was cauliflower cheese. And let me tell you, in all the times I have made it since, with slight differences to the recipe each time, there has never been a dud one. It is now one of my favourite meals.<br />
<br />
The last time that I made it I took time to write down the amounts of ingredients I used, and even took a few photos, so that I could keep a definitive recipe for myself. You'll notice that my recipe is in fact for cauliflower and broccoli cheese with bacon. I can assure you that it will work just as well without the broccoli or bacon, but I think they make this recipe perfect.<br />
<br />
<u>Ingredients</u><br />
<br />
1 head of cauliflower<br />
1 head of broccoli (just use 2 heads of cauliflower if you prefer)<br />
6 rashers of streaky bacon (optional)<br />
<br />
400g cheddar (you could substitute 100g of this with blue cheese and it works wonderfully too)<br />
150ml cream<br />
400g full-fat cream cheese<br />
<br />
<u>Method</u><br />
<br />
Steam or boil the vegetables until they are almost cooked, then drain all the water away. <br />
Cook the bacon until crispy. Put the vegetables and bacon into a baking dish. Don't forget to put all the bacon fat in with it too.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv6N3u3LBlM9vEjc1JjrZ5KesPIRtKRcdcmUfg1szI2qVwgPpjIVp_6ClH29odN5Cq_95DIicQomfiplPGxGWkUZGVc5djKX0Ix8JQ131vU4554r0bGU9bH4m8O6eDb4HoZViANBixakY/s1600/thumb_IMG_1024_1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv6N3u3LBlM9vEjc1JjrZ5KesPIRtKRcdcmUfg1szI2qVwgPpjIVp_6ClH29odN5Cq_95DIicQomfiplPGxGWkUZGVc5djKX0Ix8JQ131vU4554r0bGU9bH4m8O6eDb4HoZViANBixakY/s320/thumb_IMG_1024_1024.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
Put the cream cheese, cream and almost all of the cheddar into a pan and stir together to make the best cheese sauce you have ever tasted. It will seem like a lot of cheese sauce. Trust me, you'll need it all.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCHiibCHwLgczMuKvjD1fOLK1oahTYTezSrPsDRdI05if0xSU9uHwTHXklJP1wijR834DF_pQ-OWU8JkJP02UtyRMjaneqsqUjLGYhecHhaq5qipgd6JxRInzu8hso-BVGuwfHb5l2yyw/s1600/thumb_IMG_1023_1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCHiibCHwLgczMuKvjD1fOLK1oahTYTezSrPsDRdI05if0xSU9uHwTHXklJP1wijR834DF_pQ-OWU8JkJP02UtyRMjaneqsqUjLGYhecHhaq5qipgd6JxRInzu8hso-BVGuwfHb5l2yyw/s320/thumb_IMG_1023_1024.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Pour the cheese sauce over the vegetables and bacon and mix well to ensure there is sauce covering everything. <br />
<br />
Sprinkle your reserved cheese on the top and bake in the oven at 200C for about 25 minutes.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTOftfeaeJqqau1R_J1VK6u2_P2ShR7kK8H4gMkWyFKlTwEj1KwMF301zEwiEm9JT5rNBYOXknO4AzS2CsNUQVVDHSch4yKZiCQVkUxkLqRwLOu9M9rUOhfl5C1DJ0s5kF4r5bABWV72U/s1600/thumb_IMG_1028_1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTOftfeaeJqqau1R_J1VK6u2_P2ShR7kK8H4gMkWyFKlTwEj1KwMF301zEwiEm9JT5rNBYOXknO4AzS2CsNUQVVDHSch4yKZiCQVkUxkLqRwLOu9M9rUOhfl5C1DJ0s5kF4r5bABWV72U/s320/thumb_IMG_1028_1024.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Look at that - doesn't it look fabulous? <br />
<br />
It serves 4-6 people, depending on how hungry you are. If you're cooking for 1 or 2, just freeze the rest. When needed again, cook in the microwave for 2-4 minutes for a speedy, delicious, LCHF ready meal.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Reading Doctorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17843267586247104946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5050846001887404264.post-12224934910130744152016-01-19T14:11:00.000+00:002016-01-19T14:11:09.237+00:00Book a Week 2015 - OverviewLast year, for the first time since I can remember, I made a <a href="http://readingcookingdoctor.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/a-book-week.html" target="_blank">New Year's Resolution</a> that I actually kept. In fact I even did better than I planned as I read 53 books in 52 weeks, a whole book more than my target. Along the way I kept a record of the books, and some information about them, as I wanted to know whether this challenge would encourage me to read different books to the ones I would normally choose. Also, I do love a spread sheet.<br />
<br />
<u>Books by genre</u><br />
<br />
I've split the fiction books up into generic fiction, science fiction, fantasy and detective. One of the greatest things about this challenge was rediscovering my love of science fiction books - as a teenager I read only science fiction for about 2 years, and I had forgotten how much I enjoy it. I have also split non-fiction into generic non-fiction and self help, using my own arbitrary category system. I only included one children's book, although I read many, many more with the 6yo and 8yo over the course of the year. The one I included was Matt Haig's <a href="http://amzn.to/1M4xhOI" target="_blank">A Boy Called Christmas</a>, partly because I read all of it (rather than it being a joint effort between the 8yo and me) and partly because I enjoyed it more than any of the other books I read with the kids last year.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYGWH6YLw9fA-8lLxDzUU0VfoTWTnU0tovt7ef5FQULOePZ-tYS1jF0yNaV-czG4piHc9wjF3jX64zUbfpJdrsvExvZ0Bxg1ZZ6sWY47Q2Uy_v0lY582Pf5dEdABVwqyutTk5oxc8Adxc/s1600/Books+by+genre+2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYGWH6YLw9fA-8lLxDzUU0VfoTWTnU0tovt7ef5FQULOePZ-tYS1jF0yNaV-czG4piHc9wjF3jX64zUbfpJdrsvExvZ0Bxg1ZZ6sWY47Q2Uy_v0lY582Pf5dEdABVwqyutTk5oxc8Adxc/s400/Books+by+genre+2015.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<u>Books by month</u><br />
<br />
I was also interested to see if I read at the same rate through the year. The chart below shows how many books I finished in each month. As you can see, there is a wide variation - from zero books finished in June to 12 books finished in April. This mainly reflects the timing of my annual leave during the year, and that in January I deleted Facebook and Twitter from my phone temporarily. June was a very hectic month for various reasons and so reading went out of the window for a bit.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb9SnyweiDC-Z0Rm7CgY0WWWq-p9maKiG9F1ZMcooaJdL-uGOltuSpMybwEjQ6ZVgd4EAhY8p08xfy6I2h9V3SLx8SREtBiKZ9JG7rSCMiAzrfBWJpVrnhyphenhyphen-BXhsYIr_YjBB7hlv6ENNo/s1600/Books+by+month+2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb9SnyweiDC-Z0Rm7CgY0WWWq-p9maKiG9F1ZMcooaJdL-uGOltuSpMybwEjQ6ZVgd4EAhY8p08xfy6I2h9V3SLx8SREtBiKZ9JG7rSCMiAzrfBWJpVrnhyphenhyphen-BXhsYIr_YjBB7hlv6ENNo/s400/Books+by+month+2015.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<u>Books by Source</u><br />
<br />
One of the things I really wanted to get out of last year's challenge was to read books that I otherwise would not have come across. I also resolved that I would try as far as possible to read any book that I was recommended to me by a friend, even if it really didn't appeal to me. When I looked back at the source of the books I read, I was surprised to see that more than a third of them were either gifts, recommended by a friend, or inspired by people I follow on twitter or blogs I read during the year.<br />
<br />
When I reflect on the books I enjoyed the most they were mainly from among those that had been recommended to me.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjNEsq-M4gzBWppDZEfSjVrAdDiiEnfr107h7yFP5FSH_qS4BS0QQYO131zXhJP_htnQILI-T7YoQ7enjq6YhMvvBxZXorlvdI3DzVBjKvBQQsrih5P-lJ0CQZqQQ4450iu6vllKvLszM/s1600/Books+by+source+2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjNEsq-M4gzBWppDZEfSjVrAdDiiEnfr107h7yFP5FSH_qS4BS0QQYO131zXhJP_htnQILI-T7YoQ7enjq6YhMvvBxZXorlvdI3DzVBjKvBQQsrih5P-lJ0CQZqQQ4450iu6vllKvLszM/s400/Books+by+source+2015.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<u>The best books</u></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<u><br /></u></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The best non-fiction book I read was <a href="http://amzn.to/1U9gNLt" target="_blank">The Unthinkable: Who survives when disaster strikes - and why</a> by Amanda Ripley. It was recommended to me by one of my friends and is an absolutely fascinating look at how people react to disasters and stressful situations. In particular it gave me some very interesting insights into how the correct training in medicine can help doctors to overcome their natural response to stressful situations and apply basic principles to ensure they react to emergencies appropriately. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Among the autobiographies I read, the stand-out one was Matt Haig's <a href="http://amzn.to/1PdLMYC" target="_blank">Reasons to Stay Alive</a>. I learned of its existence by following Matt Haig on twitter - so you could say it was recommended to me by the author itself. It is a brilliant book about surviving, and living with, depression and is one of the books that I will be keeping because I know I will read it again and again.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The best fiction book (well, technically science fiction) was <a href="http://amzn.to/1Oq7Y0T" target="_blank">The Martian</a> by Andy Weir. I read it just after having seen the film and absolutely loved it. It kept me up until 3am as I could not bear the idea of going to bed without having read the ending. As is almost always the case, it was much better than the film - although I must say that I really loved the film as well. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
More than any of these books though, one of the books that I read last year changed my life. That book was <a href="http://amzn.to/1PdNERj" target="_blank">Why We Get Fat: And What to Do about It</a> by Gary Taubes. It was one of many books I read last year about diet, and the one that inspired me to start following a <a href="http://readingcookingdoctor.blogspot.co.uk/search?updated-max=2015-05-10T09:14:00%2B01:00&max-results=7" target="_blank">Low Carb High Fat </a>diet. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<u>Next Year</u></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
For next year, I plan to try and read a book a week again, because I enjoyed it so much, but I won't put myself under pressure to do so. I would also like to continue keeping the spread sheet, as it has been really interesting for me to go back over the year and see which books I read.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
If you'd like to have a look at all the books I read in 2015, you can find the complete list on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/11043527-eleanor?read_at=2015" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></div>
Reading Doctorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17843267586247104946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5050846001887404264.post-63057455485319404942015-12-26T18:00:00.000+00:002015-12-26T18:00:42.165+00:00LCHF Take 2Boxing Day is the new New Year for me. I've fallen off the LCHF wagon in quite a spectacular way over the last couple of months, to the extent that my weight is back up to my starting level. Interestingly my waist measurement is not quite back to where it was, so I'm hopeful that at least some of the excess weight is water.<br />
<br />
There are several reasons why I started eating too many carbohydrates again, but it has taught me four very important things:<br />
<br />
1) I am clearly very insulin resistant. My body's response to eating carbohydrates again was almost frightening in the way I craved bread, pasta and potatoes almost instantly after eating that first bowl of pasta.<br />
<br />
2) I am addicted to sugar, and in particular poor quality chocolate. Once I start eating milk chocolate I find it genuinely difficult to stop. Back when I was firmly following a LCHF diet earlier in the year, the occasional bit of 85% chocolate was fine, but it turns out that with milk chocolate I really can't stop at just one piece.<br />
<br />
3) I am probably not someone who can have a 'cheat day'. I comprehensively fell off the wagon after I allowed myself to eat some sweets at Halloween - not even 2 months later and I have regained all the weight I had lost.<br />
<br />
4) While I don't have coeliac disease, my gut's reaction to going back to gluten and sugar was 'interesting'. I'm really looking forward to not feeling bloated anymore in a few day's time...<br />
<br />
So, back to LCHF it is. Starting today, rather than 1st January, so that it is very firmly not a New Year's Resolution. In addition to looking at all the websites I used before (such as <a href="http://www.dietdoctor.com/" target="_blank">Diet Doctor</a>) I have also signed up to the <a href="http://realmealrevolution.com/" target="_blank">Banting</a> online course. I already have the <a href="http://amzn.to/1EeiWNg" target="_blank">Real Meal Revolution</a> cook book, but I feel that the course will give me the kick start I need.<br />
<br />
As the website does everything in kilos, my new starting weight is 89.2kg. This is a lot more than I should weigh, given that I am only 160cm tall. I do feel more confident than I ever did when re-starting WeightWatchers though, as I know already that I won't become irrationally hungry, and that I will enjoy all the food I eat. It does mean I have to be very organised with pack lunches for work, but I'm up for the challenge.<br />
<br />
Starting on Boxing Day is a surprisingly good idea as it turns out - the fridge is full of leftover turkey, bacon, sausages and cheese, so the first few days should be easy.<br />
<br />Reading Doctorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17843267586247104946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5050846001887404264.post-45054948467676344112015-11-30T10:54:00.001+00:002015-12-01T12:13:59.920+00:00Wheezing and Junior Doctors I've never used this blog to talk about the NHS before, but today I feel I need to:<br />
<br />
Yesterday our 8yo was very, very wheezy. After following our inhaler escalation plan he was still wheezy. On a Sunday evening at 6pm. We rang the out-of-hours GP service and a doctor rang us back within 15 minutes. She felt he needed to go to A&E and that ideally it would be in an ambulance. We explained we were 4 minutes from our local hospital by car, so she advised we drive him straight there rather than waiting for an ambulance, so he could be treated quicker.<br />
<br />
A&E was incredibly busy, but we were triaged by a nurse within 3 minutes of arriving and saw a doctor (a "junior" doctor) within 10 minutes. After more treatment the 8yo was still wheezy, so he was given some steroids and more of his inhalers, with a plan for him to be reviewed and re-examined by a doctor within an hour. <br />
<br />
Despite the fact that the department was so busy we had to sit in the waiting room rather than a hospital bed we were reviewed on time by both a lovely nurse and a very kind and polite "junior" doctor. <br />
<br />
After 4 hours in A&E his wheezing had improved enough that we were able to go home. We were given a comprehensive treatment plan and very concrete advice as to what to do if he did not continue to improve.<br />
<br />
Everyone we saw was kind and considerate, and no one complained about how busy it was. They apologised for the lack of a bed for the 8yo to rest on while waiting to be reviewed, but his treatment was not in any way compromised. <br />
<br />
This, by the way was in an A&E department that our health secretary tried to shut down, but which remained open after a vociferous local <a href="http://www.savelewishamhospital.com/petition-and-fightback-2015/" target="_blank">campaign</a>.<br />
<br />
By the time we got home it was midnight. The department was still busy when we left, and the staff were working together to look after all the sick children still waiting to be seen. <br />
<br />
So when you see a "junior" doctor on a picket line tomorrow remember these things:<br />
- We already have a 24-hour health service. <br />
- It is one of the best in the world. <br />
- It is already operating at more than capacity. <br />
<br />
What we need is more doctors, more nurses, more radiographers, more pharmacist, more physiotherapists, more midwives and more support staff. <br />
<br />
We do not need more cuts, or less pay for more hours worked, or a further demoralised workforce. <br />
<br />
We should all be working together to fight for our NHS. Please join me in supporting our junior doctors when they take action tomorrow. <br />
<br />
<br />Reading Doctorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17843267586247104946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5050846001887404264.post-29332974485704473702015-08-09T22:59:00.002+01:002015-08-09T22:59:34.788+01:00Ankles and recipesOne of the first things that happened when I started cutting carbs from my diet was that my ankles reappeared. I have had slightly swollen ankles for as long as I can remember - worse on hot days, and terrible after long-haul flights. When I was pregnant my legs swelled so much that I was asked to monitor my urine every day for protein as my obstetrician was worried I was going to develop pre-eclampsia. I never did get pre-eclampsia, but I did have a very impressive weight loss after both babies were born, due mainly to losing water.<br />
<br />
I remember that my mother used to get swollen ankles too, so I assumed that it was just genetic, and that there was nothing I could do about it. Even when I lost quite a lot of weight after my second child was born I still had very swollen ankles, especially on hot days. And then I started the low-carb high fat diet. My ankle reappeared within a week - I couldn't believe it.<br />
<br />
Here's a picture of my legs from about 2 weeks before I cut out the carbs. I barely have an ankle at all, and some horrid creases from how swollen they are.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitI0M645Ivh2kJlsfFowYzPeezwL1wjHWc43-JI6C9M-Ni2JG26nJMmJkYI-sE6CEQwWPtVR_cjqGoDQQDsyL57Nz-U72Oydn4eV4ZGQbuUP6r5-kU7KTc0hLTAr0fo4p1ou5HLCK0uww/s1600/31.03.15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitI0M645Ivh2kJlsfFowYzPeezwL1wjHWc43-JI6C9M-Ni2JG26nJMmJkYI-sE6CEQwWPtVR_cjqGoDQQDsyL57Nz-U72Oydn4eV4ZGQbuUP6r5-kU7KTc0hLTAr0fo4p1ou5HLCK0uww/s320/31.03.15.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
And here are my legs today - you'll note I am also sporting a lovely pedicure. As you can see, I now have bona fide ankles again, despite today being a very hot day here in the UK.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbw9nIHSE4cWrR3OLig6jUc4zH8GVJtJP7SkYHeqI5FlIMCOSB634TxKrtP8vkejBBd2GATkI07Et9Rhs7CAcwHnw7YWkZEB6gKlYRcvv-VA3JB43w5zytw8YAY3MRHTPO144SgqXPVM4/s1600/09.08.15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbw9nIHSE4cWrR3OLig6jUc4zH8GVJtJP7SkYHeqI5FlIMCOSB634TxKrtP8vkejBBd2GATkI07Et9Rhs7CAcwHnw7YWkZEB6gKlYRcvv-VA3JB43w5zytw8YAY3MRHTPO144SgqXPVM4/s320/09.08.15.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
My weight has been stable for 4 weeks now, which is frustrating, but also understandable. I've been on holiday for the last 2 weeks and have drunk quite a lot more wine than normal. I have also eaten the odd poppadom. Those things combined have clearly pushed my carbohydrate levels over my personal limit. I'm back at work next week, so I'm confident that I can get back to eating a much lower level of carbohydrates, along with drinking less alcohol. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It will also be easier to stick to a strict low-carb high-fat diet seeing as my new cookbook arrived this week - <a href="http://amzn.to/1EeiWNg" target="_blank">The Real Meal Revolution</a> by Tim Noakes, Jonno Proudfoot and Sally-Ann Creed. It contains an essay from Tim Noakes explaining the science behind the eating plan, and some absolutely fabulous looking recipes. So far we have already tried the cottage pie and the mackerel and avocado breakfast. Both were excellent, and I have plans to try several more recipes over the next few weeks. </div>
<br />
<br />Reading Doctorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17843267586247104946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5050846001887404264.post-67963225904949005002015-07-17T19:35:00.002+01:002015-07-17T19:35:52.068+01:00Obese to OverweightAfter 12 weeks of following a low carb high fat diet I have now lost 10% of my bodyweight. I have also reduced my BMI from 32.4 to 29.2 - this means I have moved down from the Obese category to the Overweight category. <br />
<br />
The numbers don't really matter though. What matters is that this week I bought a new pair of jeans and two new tops, and I chose the ones that looked good in the mirror, not the only ones in the shop that fitted. And I feel great in them. I have also received several comments from people this week who have noticed that I have lost weight. Although I am very definitely doing this for myself, it was still rather lovely to realise that other people have noticed and it is always good to get a compliment or two.<br />
<br />
Two of my work colleagues have been so impressed with my weight loss so fart that they have also adopted a low carb high fat diet. They asked me for a book recommendation, so I've advised them to buy Gary Taube's book, <a href="http://amzn.to/1OkrJ6k" target="_blank">Why We Get Fat</a>, as that is the one I found the most useful. So far my colleagues have lost more than 6 pounds each, in just 2 weeks, which is brilliant. My next plan is to move the office over to full fat milk for our tea and coffee.<br />
<br />
<br />Reading Doctorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17843267586247104946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5050846001887404264.post-12469138446754739932015-06-05T22:25:00.003+01:002015-06-05T22:25:40.340+01:00HungerOn all the many diets I have tried in my life there was always one constant theme - hunger. No matter how many vegetables I ate, and how much I tried to bulk up meals with "zero-point" food, a couple of hours after eating I would be hungry again.<br />
<br />
I was also always hungry when I woke up in the morning. This often meant that I was unable to even have a lie-in at the weekend, as I would be woken before 8am by my protesting stomach, insisting that I go downstairs and put some breakfast in it immediately. <br />
<br />
Now that I have been eating low carb high fat for nearly 7 weeks I am delighted to say that my hunger has almost totally disappeared and it is a revelation. A couple of weeks ago I had to go to the dentist so didn't have breakfast. I then had a filling and was advised not to eat until the numbness had worn off. As a result I ate nothing at all until 2pm - and nothing bad happened. I was a little bit hungry by about midday, but not grumpy and was still able to concentrate at work perfectly well.<br />
<br />
I was away at a conference this week and there was no suitable food at lunch time. Instead of panicking and eating unsuitable food in case I got hungry later, I just didn't eat lunch. I didn't manage to get to any food I could eat until 6pm, and incredibly, I genuinely wasn't hungry during that time. I was aware by about 3pm that I would probably appreciate some food, but it didn't feel like hunger and it certainly wasn't uncomfortable. I also didn't overeat at dinner.<br />
<br />
With previous eating plans I just would not have been able to go from breakfast until 6pm without being uncomfortably hungry, and when food did come along I would have eaten much more than I needed.<br />
<br />
Also, I have now lost 10 pounds and 12cm from around my waist - without any calorie counting at all.<br />
<br />
Long may this continue!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Reading Doctorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17843267586247104946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5050846001887404264.post-89341779955010923442015-05-11T12:06:00.002+01:002015-05-11T12:06:24.313+01:00The sun is upMost mornings now I am woken up by a little person standing by the side of my bed saying "the sun is up mummy".<br />
<br />
They are not referring to the actual sun (thankfully, as at this time of year in the UK that would make it 5.15am), but to their <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B002APJCNE/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B002APJCNE&linkCode=as2&tag=bakidoct-21&linkId=WZRK3HT4TIPATKCQ%22%3EGro-Clock%20Sleep%20Trainer%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bakidoct-21&l=as2&o=2&a=B002APJCNE%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Gro-Clock</a>. We bought it 5 years ago when our youngest arrived and her older brother was going through a phase of waking very, very early in the morning. That, combined with a tiny baby waking often in the night to breastfeed made for an extremely tired household for a while.<br />
<br />
In the midst of it all we bought the Gro-Clock to try and persuade our oldest to sleep through the night. If you've never seen one, it is a back-lit clock with a night setting and a day setting. You set the time you want the day setting to come on, which is when the 'Sun' comes up, and during the night there is a big star with little stars around the edge. The stars count down until morning, so that when there is only 1 star left the kids now that it is nearly time to get up. It's very clever, particularly in a country like the UK where the sun rises at 4.45am in June and 7.50am in December, so that you really do need to know what time it is to know when to get up in the morning.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00IKFO8K0/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B00IKFO8K0&linkCode=as2&tag=bakidoct-21&linkId=OBHDQIITIQHSEU3V"><img border="0" src="http://ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00IKFO8K0&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=GB&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=bakidoct-21" /></a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bakidoct-21&l=as2&o=2&a=B00IKFO8K0" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
</div>
<br />
<br />
I'll be honest, it didn't work straightaway, and we ended up paying a sleep consultant to help us (separately, best money I have ever spent) encourage him to sleep through the night. We persevered with it though, as we liked the simplicity of it, and both kids really liked seeing the Sun come up, even though in the beginning they viewed it more as decoration than instruction. It also comes with a cute bedtime story book which explains to the kids how it works.<br />
<br />
In the last couple of years though, it has really come into its own. Our oldest is now 7 and wakes up between 6 and 6.30am most days. However he rarely comes to wake us up before 7am, and sometimes it is as late as 7.30. He wakes up, sees how many stars are left on the 'Sun Clock' and then either tries to go back to sleep or quietly goes downstairs, feeds the cat and then plays with his toys or reads a book. He then comes upstairs every so often to check the Clock, and once the Sun is up he comes in to wake us up.<br />
<br />
Our youngest does the same - although clearly on the days they both wake up before the Sun is up they don't always manage to stay quiet enough for us to sleep in for a bit. There was a particularly good weekend a while ago though when the 7yo came into our room at 7.50am and said: "The sun is up, I've fed the cat and given [the 5yo] her breakfast. Could you come and do my breakfast now?" The only reason he felt it necessary to wake us was because he didn't want cereal like his sister and thankfully didn't think he should open the baked bean tin himself.<br />
<br />
Both kids can now tell the time, but that's hard to do in the dark, so for now we're sticking with the <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00IKFO8K0/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B00IKFO8K0&linkCode=as2&tag=bakidoct-21&linkId=3UDMMY2CRQGLOTIJ%22%3EGro%20Clock%20Sleep%20Trainer%20with%20Story%20Book%20-%20Updated%20Version%20-%20NEW%20VERSION%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bakidoct-21&l=as2&o=2&a=B00IKFO8K0%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Gro-Cloc</a>k. It also got us through jet lag after a recent trip to Australia. I didn't realise it until a couple of days later when the 7yo said: "I woke up loads of times last night Mummy, once there were still 6 stars left on the clock and once there were 3, but I went back to sleep until there was only 1 star and then I went downstairs'. How impressive is that?<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Note: I have not been sponsored to write this post, but if you click on one of the links and buy a Gro-clock (or something else) from Amazon then I will receive a tiny commission. </span> </i><br />
<br />Reading Doctorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17843267586247104946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5050846001887404264.post-607100284164900402015-05-10T09:14:00.000+01:002015-05-10T09:14:32.088+01:00Fairy TalesA couple of weeks ago I read <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1612185401/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=1612185401&linkCode=as2&tag=bakidoct-21&linkId=WQZE3LM5ZUS66B6Y" target="_blank">The Woodcutter</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4452712.Kate_Danley" target="_blank">Kate Danley</a>. It is now up there as one of my favourite books. I really enjoyed reading Fairy Tales as a child, so to read a book that unites many of them with a truly adult theme was a joy for me. I particularly liked the way fairy tales from many different sources were brought together - to name but a few, it was lovely to see Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk and Baba Yaga all appear in the same story.<br />
<div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">The book also made me reflect on the fact that, for me, one of the very best things about having children is to be able to read books to them and see them discovering for the first time some of the stories that I knew and loved when I was their age. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">At the moment both kids are enjoying the Kingfisher book of </span><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1846169380/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=1846169380&linkCode=as2&tag=bakidoct-21&linkId=MTPHP5NTEMARR67F" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Fairy Tales</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> retold by </span><a href="http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Waddell" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Martin Waddell</a><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">, and they are currently reading </span><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0753404737/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=0753404737&linkCode=as2&tag=bakidoct-21&linkId=CWAIAZPDXPVCNJKB" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Tales from Russia</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> retold by </span><a href="http://www.jamesmayhew.co.uk/" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">James Mayhew</a>.</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I'm so glad I read The Woodcutter, as it has reawakened my love for Fairy Tales, and inspired me to expand the kids' collections of traditional stories.</div>
Reading Doctorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17843267586247104946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5050846001887404264.post-53554743436234689652015-05-04T00:18:00.002+01:002015-05-10T09:14:48.218+01:00Low Carb High Fat<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As part of my <a href="http://thebakingdoctor.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/a-book-week.html?m=1" target="_blank">Book a Week</a> challenge I have just read 2 books about food which set off a genuine lightbulb moment, and I have now been on a low carbohydrate high fat diet for 2 weeks.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Looking back I have been moving towards this way of eating since 2013, when I read David Gillespie's book <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0718179072/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=0718179072&linkCode=as2&tag=bakidoct-21&linkId=F7V3RZVVYJPFCV3B%22%3ESweet%20Poison%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bakidoct-21&l=as2&o=2&a=0718179072%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Sweet Poison</a>. After reading it I gave up all refined sugar and fructose (including dried fruits, honey, maple syrup and the like) and I did find that my appetite reduced somewhat and that I stopped craving sweets, biscuits and chocolate after a few weeks without sugar. Although I did lose weight without having to do any calorie counting for the first time in my life it wasn't much (7 lb or so) and I still found it hard to curb my appetite for carbohydrates. I then decided to have a break from the no-sugar regime at Christmas 2014, as I thought I would have enough self-control to not overeat. It turns out I didn't - I ate an enormous amount of chocolate and junk food, and put on 6 lb in 2 weeks.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then in January 2015 I stopped eating sugar again, but in a desperate attempt to lose weight I also went back to Weightwatchers at the same time. This plan really did not work for me - in 3 months I managed to lose the enormous amount of 2 lb, and then put it back on again. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have been actively trying to lose weight on and off since the age of 16, normally on some variation of a low-fat diet. Along the way I have followed Rosemary Conley, Weightwatchers, Susan Powter, the Scarsdale Diet and a particularly ineffective book called Eating Less. However none of these have resulted in me losing weight in any time of sustainable fashion, although to be fair I had the most success on Weightwatchers - but never came close to reaching my goal weight. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks to my account on the Weightwatchers website I have my weights tracked (albeit sometimes sporadically) from 2007 onwards, and I can see now that the only times I have managed to get my weight below 12 stone (168 lb) was for a short period when I was breastfeeding (11 stone 1 lb, for about 3 weeks) and when I had a viral infection which caused thyrotoxicosis (11 stone 9 lb, for about 4 weeks). </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the day I started following this current regime I weighed 13 stone 1.4 lb (183.4 lb). Not my highest weight ever, but nevertheless way too much for my height. At 5'3" I should weigh between 8 and 10 stone to have my BMI in the healthy range. So I have at least 3 stone (42 lb) to lose. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">"<i>Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results</i>"</span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><i>Einstein</i></span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If following recommended dietary guidelines had failed to work for me for more than 20 years, then surely now was as good a time as any to try something else. I resolved to try going low carb high fat to see what would happen. It meant cooking different food for my partner and kids, and coping with a house full of carbohydrates, but I was determined to try for 2 weeks and then evaluate it. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The results have astonished me. Over the past 2 weeks I have rarely been hungry, I have eaten what seems to be a lot of food, and I have lost 7 lb in weight and 9cm from my waist. I know this rate of weight loss will most likely not continue, but I am truly hopeful for the first time in 20 years that I may finally have the answer to my weight problem.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have enjoyed eating avocado, roast duck (with the skin on!), full fat cheese, bacon, nuts, full fat yoghurt and the odd berry. On the down side I have also really missed bread, rice and pasta, and it was very hard not to swipe some of the kids' pizza when I cooked it for them yesterday. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On balance this way of eating has been a lot easier than any others I have tried, principally because I have not had all-consuming hunger to deal with, nor anxiety over whether I had enough points left to be able to eat a satisfying dinner. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As for those 2 books - they were <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/144729971X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=144729971X&linkCode=as2&tag=bakidoct-21&linkId=6BUQIOZH3EKYPOLF%22%3EThat%20Sugar%20Book:%20This%20book%20will%20change%20the%20way%20you%20think%20about%20'healthy'%20food%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bakidoct-21&l=as2&o=2&a=144729971X%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">That Sugar Book</a> by <a href="https://twitter.com/damongameau" target="_blank">Damon Gameau</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0307474259/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=0307474259&linkCode=as2&tag=bakidoct-21&linkId=F23YRFTAPIKJVQXF%22%3EWhy%20We%20Get%20Fat:%20And%20What%20to%20Do%20about%20It%20(Vintage)%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bakidoct-21&l=as2&o=2&a=0307474259%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Why we get fat </a>by <a href="https://twitter.com/garytaubes" target="_blank">Gary Taube</a>. I strongly recommend that you read them both, along with <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0718179072/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=0718179072&linkCode=as2&tag=bakidoct-21&linkId=F7V3RZVVYJPFCV3B%22%3ESweet%20Poison%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bakidoct-21&l=as2&o=2&a=0718179072%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Sweet Poison</a>.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<br />Reading Doctorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17843267586247104946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5050846001887404264.post-42003740753189728042015-01-27T15:14:00.003+00:002015-01-29T23:13:09.419+00:00Coffee Machines and Clear SpacesWe have a new coffee machine. It's been in pride of place on our kitchen surface for a week now, and already I feel that it is worth every penny. My partner is happy because she loves real coffee, the 5yo and 7yo are happy because they love hot chocolate, and I'm happy because even though I only drink decaf I still love a decaf latte.<br>
<br>I was so excited by the first latte I made that I took a photo:<div><br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh94Fml7wHfitvs6rtGCpTdt9txA1eltdJWfoMktguFa8huyyOcG4p07OBdCQ0c_7EgWdc3BpJsaxh6_1KVq77f0k83US0Rh1uUXgR2Zr0ggWbn1F2krrk72AA2tqmfwLRrnAt7X8c8sAY/s640/blogger-image--1576826470.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh94Fml7wHfitvs6rtGCpTdt9txA1eltdJWfoMktguFa8huyyOcG4p07OBdCQ0c_7EgWdc3BpJsaxh6_1KVq77f0k83US0Rh1uUXgR2Zr0ggWbn1F2krrk72AA2tqmfwLRrnAt7X8c8sAY/s640/blogger-image--1576826470.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div>Flushed with that success I moved on to making the kids a proper hot chocolate each, complete<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> with mini marshmallows:</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx6Y1g3SPJo3N-ud1G31rPrhDenKBxjcDuXJrE5T7yhexctlYwpIRtIGE8urMI4BJbN0ptieKKQLX1JI5NsKahcrpzgR3-sOKhniMeM4XnNoCq_OcmYfY5xr0Pl1ij2THSybxedfhUYCk/s640/blogger-image--1247151180.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx6Y1g3SPJo3N-ud1G31rPrhDenKBxjcDuXJrE5T7yhexctlYwpIRtIGE8urMI4BJbN0ptieKKQLX1JI5NsKahcrpzgR3-sOKhniMeM4XnNoCq_OcmYfY5xr0Pl1ij2THSybxedfhUYCk/s640/blogger-image--1247151180.jpg"></a></div><br>
The other thing that is great about the coffee machine is that in order to fit it on the breakfast bar I was compelled to clear the space. I have now managed to keep that space clear for a week, with just a few second needed to clear it each time. This is a real triumph in our kitchen, as for the last few years the breakfast bar has been a general dumping ground for children's toys, unopened post, assorted pens and pencils and general detritus. Here it is now - a breakfast bar that can actually be used as such, with room for all four of us to sit and eat together.<div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmNlfqSX_NkuJpHXcS3PI3l0KAyOyDUPJcnCiF5oL5bx_of4pK4lXHxnAlHk2VLTqy7HVSF7fuw_7qgChkxL9gtLeDpwnvmxlJ5PX-RAQs4Yq2AnIdOl-nP1E-Z8TfBtFKvQh2S_pNplA/s640/blogger-image--1088624255.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmNlfqSX_NkuJpHXcS3PI3l0KAyOyDUPJcnCiF5oL5bx_of4pK4lXHxnAlHk2VLTqy7HVSF7fuw_7qgChkxL9gtLeDpwnvmxlJ5PX-RAQs4Yq2AnIdOl-nP1E-Z8TfBtFKvQh2S_pNplA/s640/blogger-image--1088624255.jpg"></a></div><br>
<br>
My plan is to keep this space clear for another week, and then create another space in another room, and continue decluttering in this slow but steady way until we are finally living in a tidy house.</div></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div>Reading Doctorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17843267586247104946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5050846001887404264.post-19901734796773954142015-01-19T22:33:00.002+00:002015-01-19T22:34:30.082+00:00Can a book make you happy?I can't remember now what made me choose to read <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/006158326X/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=006158326X&linkCode=as2&tag=bakidoct-21&linkId=NI32OT3QG6LGWKNY" target="_blank">The Happiness Project</a> but I'm glad I did, as it was indirectly responsible for prompting me to start this <a href="http://thebakingdoctor.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/a-book-week.html" target="_blank">reading challenge</a>. I found the writing style a little irritating to start with, and I wasn't sure I would stick with it at all, but once I was used to the way Gretchen writes I really enjoyed the rest of the book.<br />
<br />
In particular several of the observations really struck a chord with me. One of them was the idea that people are happier once they stop trying to like things that they think they should like and embrace the activities that they do enjoy. I used to feel guilty about reading 'chick lit' or YA fiction as I felt that I should enjoy reading classical literature and 'worthy' books. I always felt the need to justify my choices of reading material, and felt a nagging sense of unease that I haven't ever managed to finish Lord of the Rings, or Catch 22. However I've read both the Hunger Games trilogy and the Twilight Saga twice, and enjoyed all the books enormously. Reading blogs like <a href="http://www.matthaig.com/ten-reasons-it-is-okay-to-read-ya/" target="_blank">this one</a> by Matt Haig went a long way to convincing me that I should feel free to read what I want and not feel ashamed of any of my choices, but the final nudge I needed was to reframe my reading habit as my way of relaxing. I would never criticise anyone else's choice of book, so why was I criticising my own?<br />
<br />
Another of the ideas in the book I really liked was that of keeping a journal which was only 1 sentence a day. I'll admit that this mainly appealed because I had already started that very thing. One of my Christmas presents this year was a <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0811870197/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=0811870197&linkCode=as2&tag=bakidoct-21&linkId=DQFAPSV3SWQ4PZL2" target="_blank">One Line a Day Diary</a> which I thought was a genius idea. I have never managed to sustain a proper diary for longer than a few months, but I think I really can commit to the idea of writing one line a day. It's only been 18 days so far, but I haven't missed one yet, so I have a good feeling about it this time.<br />
<br />
I have also started decluttering, but that process really began when I turned 40 a few months ago. It's going very slowly so far, but I have managed to take several bags of stuff to charity and recycle a whole load of paper. Following the impetus of this book I now also have 3 'clear areas' in the house (they are very small, just my bedside table, a dresser and a small cabinet) and my aim is to keep them clear for at least 2 weeks and then gradually start on the rest of the clutter. <br />
<br />
I would like to try and write this blog more regularly, as I have been thinking about it more and more over the last few months, but it is difficult to find the time. In particular, I'm not going to set myself any goals (such as 1 post a week, or 3 posts a month) - I am just going to write my ideas down as I go along and see how it goes. <br />
<br />
If you're intrigued and want to read more about the Happiness Project, Gretchen Rubin maintains a blog, which is <a href="http://www.gretchenrubin.com/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />
As to whether the book made me happy - actually, so far it has. After starting to read it I stumbled upon Tara Anderson's <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tara-anderson/why-i-read-52-books-this-_b_6398880.html" target="_blank">blog</a> about her challenge to read 52 books in a year and for the last 10 days I have been very happily reading at every available opportunity. Reading Doctorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17843267586247104946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5050846001887404264.post-1386181349121028792015-01-09T00:12:00.000+00:002015-01-09T00:13:35.155+00:00A book a weekI have a late entry to my resolutions for this year. Today I happened upon this <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tara-anderson/why-i-read-52-books-this-_b_6398880.html" target="_blank">blog</a> by <a href="https://twitter.com/tarable" target="_blank">Tara Anderson</a> about her experience of reading a book a week for a year and that is what I am now planning to do for 2015. Although it's already the 8th of January I have read two and half books since Christmas, so I reason that I can count them towards my total.<br />
<br />
Realistically I may not be able to read 1 book every single week, but I'm confident I can read 52 books during the year, especially as I have a couple of long plane journeys and a few train journeys to take at various points during the next year.<br />
<br />
I'd like to use it as an opportunity to read different books to those I would normally read so I plan to ask my friends on Facebook and my followers on Twitter for suggestions. By happy coincidence one of my neighbours had suggested that we start a local book club this year, so that may well provide a few unusual choices too. And, like all other book lovers, I already have a pile of books at home in my "as yet unread" pile, which will set me up nicely for the first few weeks.<br />
<br />
I'm happy to say that my family know how much I love reading and no birthday or Christmas passes by without me receiving at least 3 new books. This year was no exception and so the first two books I read were from among my Christmas presents. My first choice was <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0356502406/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=0356502406&linkCode=as2&tag=bakidoct-21&linkId=GU34HQGNXJRXJCNF" target="_blank">Ancillary Justice</a> by <a href="https://twitter.com/ann_leckie" target="_blank">Ann Leckie</a>. I have always loved Science Fiction and for many years as a teenager would read nothing else, so I was delighted to be introduced to a new Sci Fi author. I have to say that this one did not disappoint. I was immediately transported to the world of the Radchaai and literally could not put this book down. I particularly loved the way the book deals with the gender of characters, and enjoyed reading about the burgeoning relationship between Breq and Seivarden. Having finished it I immediately started on the sequel (<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0356502414/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=0356502414&linkCode=as2&tag=bakidoct-21&linkId=3LVA7526CMMA4WCW" target="_blank">Ancillary Sword</a>). As often happens, I did not find the second book quite as good, but it was still completely unputdownable, and I'm delighted to learn that there will be a third book in the series published in due course.<br />
<br />
The book I'm reading this week is <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/006158326X/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=006158326X&linkCode=as2&tag=bakidoct-21&linkId=3XHPTB34TJM4L24C" target="_blank">The Happiness Project</a> by <a href="https://twitter.com/gretchenrubin" target="_blank">Gretchen Rubin</a>. <br />
<br />
I am genuinely excited about this new resolution, and hopeful that it will expand my horizons. I also suspect it will help me to kickstart this blog again as well, as I will no doubt want to share my thoughts on each new book.Reading Doctorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17843267586247104946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5050846001887404264.post-26693029181865249732015-01-05T00:16:00.001+00:002015-01-09T00:13:54.208+00:00ResolutionsLast year I pretty much had one New Year's Resolution - to learn to crochet, and to my surprise I did. I'm a long way off being good at it, but I have managed to complete several mini projects, and am a long way towards finishing a scarf for myself and a blanket for the 5yo.<br />
<br />
This year I plan to continue on the same theme. I want to finish the scarf and the blanket but I have been spurred on by a most welcome Christmas present of an <a href="http://attic24.typepad.com/" target="_blank">Attic24</a> Yarn Pack. The pack in question is the one which will make a <a href="http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/2014/03/rainbow-raindrops-cushion-ta-dah.html" target="_blank">Raindrops Cushion</a>, and I am very excited about it.<br />
<br />
Now all I need to do is find the time to sit down and start the project.<br />
<br />
Happy New Year to you all.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Reading Doctorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17843267586247104946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5050846001887404264.post-29014213693611566392014-10-10T12:51:00.000+01:002014-10-10T12:52:34.892+01:00Cheesy Leeks on Toast<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTjMPkJ8FEUb2CRxBLkssoZcER4lKWqGVnh6_HnmwwcvPWGmeEqWZMRtNXdDIqSRJBI8K0lWtELfu5Bj8dcQhM3lvdI-8tOoJ-e2u0SVJ5drbSmW_hNHdum1Ozl885qSArAFe1ZEVDK-8/s1600/Cheesy+Leeks+on+Toast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTjMPkJ8FEUb2CRxBLkssoZcER4lKWqGVnh6_HnmwwcvPWGmeEqWZMRtNXdDIqSRJBI8K0lWtELfu5Bj8dcQhM3lvdI-8tOoJ-e2u0SVJ5drbSmW_hNHdum1Ozl885qSArAFe1ZEVDK-8/s1600/Cheesy+Leeks+on+Toast.jpg" height="197" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I've been back on Weightwatchers for 2 weeks now and really feel like I am on a roll. I lost just over a pound the first week, and am getting used to the restricted portion sizes. I am staying sugar-free, but didn't manage to lose weight using that method alone. I think that may be because I have spent so many years on one diet or another that I just cannot judge portions properly if left to my own devices.<br />
<br />
Given that I really do need to lose a few pounds then something had to change. In fact, let's be honest here, I need to lose about 3 stones (for any Americans reading this, that is 42 pounds, and for any Australians reading this, that is about 19 kg).<br />
<br />
For now, I'm still staying off the refined sugar, but am also following Weightwatchers. I just hope that this time I can stick to it for longer than 8 months - which I think is about my previous limit before the weight started creeping up again.<br />
<br />
Anyway, today I'm at home so I got the chance to make my own lunch and spend a bit of time doing so. I've been really enjoying Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1408812126/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=1408812126&linkCode=as2&tag=bakidoct-21&linkId=LCECXQZUVZOOFUDB" target="_blank">Veg</a> Book and I leafed through that for some inspiration. There is a rather wonderful looking recipe for a Leek and cheese toastie, but there was a bit too much double cream and cheddar in it for a Weightwatcher's-friendly lunch, so I adapted it to lower the propoints value.<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients</b> (serves 2)<br />
<br />
2 leeks, finely chopped<br />
40g cheddar, grated<br />
2 tablespoons philadelphia light (or other low-fat cream cheese)<br />
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme<br />
1 tsp olive oil<br />
4 slices of bread<br />
<br />
<b>Method</b><br />
<br />
Fry the leeks in the olive oil over a low heat until soft (it will take at least 15 minutes)<br />
Stir in the thyme, philadelphia and grated cheese (reserving 2 teaspoons of cheese for sprinkling)<br />
Lightly toast the bread, then spread with the leek mixture<br />
Sprinkle the reserved cheese over the top<br />
Grill until golden and bubbling (it took 5 minutes under my grill)<br />
<br />
<b>Weightwatchers</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
8 propoints per serving (using recipe builder on Weightwatchers website)<br />
<br />
--> Of course, you could reduce this to 4 propoints per serving by only having 1 piece of toast per person and having a salad on the side<br />
<br />
If you're not trying to cut calories, then I'm sure Hugh's original recipe would be even better - his <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1408812126/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=1408812126&linkCode=as2&tag=bakidoct-21&linkId=LCECXQZUVZOOFUDB" target="_blank">Veg</a> book is available to buy on Amazon.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1408812126/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=1408812126&linkCode=as2&tag=bakidoct-21&linkId=VPB2D5IXTQKJQLKA"><img border="0" src="http://ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1408812126&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=GB&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=bakidoct-21" /></a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bakidoct-21&l=as2&o=2&a=1408812126" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<br />
<br />
<br />Reading Doctorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17843267586247104946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5050846001887404264.post-23621953909231492942014-06-12T10:52:00.001+01:002014-10-10T12:53:01.130+01:00Sun, running and avocado on toast The 6 and 4 year old woke up at stupid o'clock this morning. They were over-excited because today was the day a reward chart was completed so they were due a toy. Nothing would induce them to go back to sleep and wait until the sun came up, so they eventually got their toys and then played happily in the lounge. <br />
<br />
However I couldn't get back to sleep and was vaguely wondering what productive things I could do when I realised it was my running day and that instead of going for a run after they were asleep this evening I could go this morning.<br />
<br />
I've been training for a 5K now for several weeks, using the 5K Runner app, and so far it's going well, but I am still getting used to working out when to fit the training into my day/week.<br />
<br />
I'm not sure this morning has convinced me to set an alarm to run in the early morning, but it really was a glorious day to run today.<br />
<br />
The sky looked like this:<br />
<br />
<br />
<center>
<a href="http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=14/06/12/141.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/14/06/12/s_141.jpg" height="280" style="margin: 5px;" width="209" /></a></center>
<br />
There was hardly any traffic on the road, and everyone who I passed smiled or said Good Morning.<br />
<br />
And to top it all off, when I got home I remembered that there was half an avocado in the fridge, so I could make my favourite sugar-free breakfast for myself:<br />
<br />
It couldn't be simpler. Toast some wholemeal bread (preferably with seeds and/or grains in it). Spread liberally with salted butter. Mash an avocado on top (if the avocado won't mash easily with a fork it's not ready to eat).<br />
<br />
I truly think it is perfection on a plate. <br />
<br />
<br />
<center>
<a href="http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=14/06/12/142.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/14/06/12/s_142.jpg" height="280" style="margin: 5px;" width="209" /></a></center>
<br />
<br />
And here's another picture of the beautiful sky, just because.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<center>
<a href="http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=14/06/12/143.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/14/06/12/s_143.jpg" height="280" style="margin: 5px;" width="210" /></a></center>
<br />
Happy Thursday!Reading Doctorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17843267586247104946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5050846001887404264.post-47041095882298820342014-05-21T22:00:00.000+01:002014-05-21T22:00:15.739+01:00Mini Crochet Bunting I've always been a sucker for a magazine, and since taking up knitting last year and crochet this year I have bought more than my fair share of crafty/yarny publications. I usually buy editions that come with free yarn and/or needles and then spend ages looking at the patterns to see if I think I can manage any of them. <br />
<br />
I had an early success last year with this knitted cardigan for Rabbit. This was made using a magazine pattern and some wool I already had. The then 5yo was delighted with it.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRCqQ9H-rso6cqvweokMD8Z29KGMNTxNnjSrqmgl-zY76uohHKmQ5XBja1UdINXV6KvsIHfcOf3XeMk8NAcKYBXNLQ0HvHK2mM-f2wRqCrvg6zGCFyn7kCs5ef4CaU8oinyQ8TWY4524w/s1600/image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRCqQ9H-rso6cqvweokMD8Z29KGMNTxNnjSrqmgl-zY76uohHKmQ5XBja1UdINXV6KvsIHfcOf3XeMk8NAcKYBXNLQ0HvHK2mM-f2wRqCrvg6zGCFyn7kCs5ef4CaU8oinyQ8TWY4524w/s1600/image.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Then in January this year I used some of the leftover yarn from a magazine to practice granny squares and turned them into a blanket for Rapunzel. The 4yo loved it and tucks Rapunzel into bed with it most nights. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5SroKi8_dINfWT8qdTQA7Y7r0uddMK3_R3OkxBWMBwyN1gmSTCriE66Bb4lZsExT10o1BPkYNGXYuYrbibATU2uVGMUOWyx6BQ1cyaq8eGbFS6ZpEKoW-RNI5u5wucUw1wXqj7NSIYY/s1600/image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5SroKi8_dINfWT8qdTQA7Y7r0uddMK3_R3OkxBWMBwyN1gmSTCriE66Bb4lZsExT10o1BPkYNGXYuYrbibATU2uVGMUOWyx6BQ1cyaq8eGbFS6ZpEKoW-RNI5u5wucUw1wXqj7NSIYY/s1600/image.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
In April I made some more granny triangles, in two different patterns:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG25DNA_v1khKHVlXm6GEYb8sP-fF7Lw2vQVCDlxVfyaSncCoB_j-Lm1zzWOlnstgBQ1-JE8oLInpmFHpleJefhLY8d4VS2Ge0ZxLt-Zz-1uYbICpth9VIKQE_zgRaphDE7tQ4qYyOWgQ/s1600/image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG25DNA_v1khKHVlXm6GEYb8sP-fF7Lw2vQVCDlxVfyaSncCoB_j-Lm1zzWOlnstgBQ1-JE8oLInpmFHpleJefhLY8d4VS2Ge0ZxLt-Zz-1uYbICpth9VIKQE_zgRaphDE7tQ4qYyOWgQ/s1600/image.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
My eventual aim is to make some rainbow-flag inspired bunting for summer but I haven't yet got exactly the right shade of purple. One is too dark and the other is too light. So frustrating. <br />
<br />
While the rainbow bunting is on hold I found myself browsing the magazines in my local shop again, and ended up buying issue 62 of <a href="http://www.letsgetcrafting.com/" target="_blank">Let's Get Crafting magazine</a>, which had some rather lovely bright yarn in it. None of the suggested projects grabbed me though, so I decided to experiment with some different styles of granny bunting triangles.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGSTMKB5iI4JZivrjcJbc-Z-kEsS3BCop5QZdjy60Cuc7QyiDdpJhtVxHCfl_SiznXDUgR2zkhQoEnA2505EwCWPMNcmLdBrEaYpnyeY55C_-2qZHYpH0KzJal3vooeg_UrjEnwlySRHM/s1600/image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGSTMKB5iI4JZivrjcJbc-Z-kEsS3BCop5QZdjy60Cuc7QyiDdpJhtVxHCfl_SiznXDUgR2zkhQoEnA2505EwCWPMNcmLdBrEaYpnyeY55C_-2qZHYpH0KzJal3vooeg_UrjEnwlySRHM/s1600/image.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
Of the 4 different styles shown, my favourite is the bottom left (with blue on the outside) and I'm proud to say it is all my own design. I can't really believe that I only learnt to crochet in January this year and already I can design patterns. Only in simple treble crochet stitch, but still, to me it seems amazing. I was enjoying myself so much that within a week I had used up all 4 bright colours and had 16 mini triangles:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTgyOb25hSfWSvqhI4Idb2cxAF5HRZ4YrBBxCLZzCI-kkJormVdwxnmnlt19xxAie0u2FB-b2x1aXzr3Rzquq1j-eCn5vzyyAFNkkrIxmEwtRvMasICNVkNWz07yPI8W0kmrS5iEn69oE/s1600/image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTgyOb25hSfWSvqhI4Idb2cxAF5HRZ4YrBBxCLZzCI-kkJormVdwxnmnlt19xxAie0u2FB-b2x1aXzr3Rzquq1j-eCn5vzyyAFNkkrIxmEwtRvMasICNVkNWz07yPI8W0kmrS5iEn69oE/s1600/image.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
I steam blocked them, then used one of the remaining colours from my pack to join them together with a simple double crochet chain. This is the finished product hanging up in my brother's conservatory:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkwwFLSbtJkxBxIDGF4oHfpmKyFvxAqUJN1JbRRg4KIWtbxLKfmNGYLWLGn8S-oXvHEL5d2qUx6NVJZeWEe2b2UkX2qH_P6VjhB-AOg-j6BlLbyDnwpaBikaqnH3rG-JZAY-W9u40E6U0/s1600/image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkwwFLSbtJkxBxIDGF4oHfpmKyFvxAqUJN1JbRRg4KIWtbxLKfmNGYLWLGn8S-oXvHEL5d2qUx6NVJZeWEe2b2UkX2qH_P6VjhB-AOg-j6BlLbyDnwpaBikaqnH3rG-JZAY-W9u40E6U0/s1600/image.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
It didn't stay there long though - I brought it home and now it is safely packed away in the Easter box in the loft, ready to be decorative again next year for our annual Easter Egg hunt.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Reading Doctorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17843267586247104946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5050846001887404264.post-10336502414412418242014-03-18T20:16:00.001+00:002014-10-10T12:53:21.485+01:00Crochet for RapunzelMy crochet skills are improving on an almost daily basis. In fact, I am even mid-way through crocheting myself a scarf. However, I keep being delayed in finishing this project by small people asking for various yarn items for themselves or their toys. This one being a case in point. I had bought some yarn in a variety of rainbow hues to make some rainbow bunting for the summer, and was looking at them when the 4yo said "could you use the red, pink and purple to make a scarf for Rapunzel?". It seemed a pretty reasonable request to me, so I made a few teeny squares in those colours:<br />
<br />
<center>
<a href="http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=14/03/18/1061.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/14/03/18/s_1061.jpg" height="280" style="margin: 5px;" width="210" /></a></center>
<br />
When I showed them to her for her approval she said: "where's the lellow?". On pointing out that she had not initially asked for yellow she said: "yes I did". There was no arguing with her, so that evening I made some slightly different yellow squares to add into the mix:<br />
<br />
<center>
<a href="http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=14/03/18/1062.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/14/03/18/s_1062.jpg" height="210" style="margin: 5px;" width="280" /></a></center>
<br />
These did meet with approval, but apparently the red edging was not good enough, so the finished item had to have an extra yellow edging too. I think it's turned out pretty well myself:<br />
<br />
<center>
<a href="http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=14/03/18/1063.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/14/03/18/s_1063.jpg" height="280" style="margin: 5px;" width="209" /></a></center>
<br />
Of course, said scarf is now adorning a radiator and not the intended doll, but the colour scheme was much admired by the 4yo, and I was quite pleased by how neat it looks. Not bad given that I only started learning to crochet this January. Reading Doctorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17843267586247104946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5050846001887404264.post-22039746007971212392014-02-20T23:36:00.000+00:002014-02-20T23:36:28.636+00:00Chocolate and Pecan Brownies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAV15BY0pjYJ85iCY6GomHX6dsDwnj_RaH6XIaqIu_4XntgLWNXokXbr083mKTmK9D0_Bl54bpd-Zu1bRg1aridAJa_XC9PIt_5gXaiifpX7ZR_JE-SX6mFZGNxFM2htJ6q2XxovHyZ4U/s1600/IMG_3048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAV15BY0pjYJ85iCY6GomHX6dsDwnj_RaH6XIaqIu_4XntgLWNXokXbr083mKTmK9D0_Bl54bpd-Zu1bRg1aridAJa_XC9PIt_5gXaiifpX7ZR_JE-SX6mFZGNxFM2htJ6q2XxovHyZ4U/s320/IMG_3048.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
These brownies are the best I've ever made, and I stumbled upon the recipe by chance, as I wanted to use up the pecans I had left after making Nigella's Christmas Cake. (and yes I know it's February now, but it seems as good a time as any to blog about brownies).<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
I made these on Christmas Day, using my shiny new <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000094U5H/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B000094U5H&linkCode=as2&tag=bakidoct-21">KitchenAid</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bakidoct-21&l=as2&o=2&a=B000094U5H" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />, which is without doubt one of the best Christmas presents I have ever received. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja9xR1UhqAh-iNXVgVwj23Imd5hud2Oe1lbSbacCDu84woyDAuBu4rm9yKLa5E-4bgZK5bgRFKf1vM7IXu00OE7NqIUozpmulMCX4LEAgiRrm6jU3ZghBTHjxkhQbyfFy_3MzqNpRe_7I/s1600/IMG_5592.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja9xR1UhqAh-iNXVgVwj23Imd5hud2Oe1lbSbacCDu84woyDAuBu4rm9yKLa5E-4bgZK5bgRFKf1vM7IXu00OE7NqIUozpmulMCX4LEAgiRrm6jU3ZghBTHjxkhQbyfFy_3MzqNpRe_7I/s1600/IMG_5592.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7W_ahhy7QMslMmDf3Yg3dHJ23nVrjIhTvXMfODgAlveUsuhRC8mvKhyjBAyaqWFCDxBLzeOEV1of0_3Cm1RG3XIo3PmpG8_bRBm0ICXxMBlcSzQhHTZYYLhC74MVzxFTFQRtA7eBaqSI/s1600/IMG_5594.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7W_ahhy7QMslMmDf3Yg3dHJ23nVrjIhTvXMfODgAlveUsuhRC8mvKhyjBAyaqWFCDxBLzeOEV1of0_3Cm1RG3XIo3PmpG8_bRBm0ICXxMBlcSzQhHTZYYLhC74MVzxFTFQRtA7eBaqSI/s1600/IMG_5594.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
I made enough for us all on the day, and to take with us to the rest of the family on Boxing Day. Every single person in the family liked them (ages 4 to 64) which was very gratifying, but did mean that I didn't get to eat quite as many of them as I would have liked.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha69rh5C_3wdW30iMu-BsR1gfqMLa4URZaAz_moxijJELPewKR6EJPCrqoldvxsYIQZapEJWjL6KBeCxzprbwp0Y-2RWeuMEs0t76vGXQnRwqGfU7U9dU9ZVDYARsKBuHanhZnkCEbs-8/s1600/IMG_5596.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha69rh5C_3wdW30iMu-BsR1gfqMLa4URZaAz_moxijJELPewKR6EJPCrqoldvxsYIQZapEJWjL6KBeCxzprbwp0Y-2RWeuMEs0t76vGXQnRwqGfU7U9dU9ZVDYARsKBuHanhZnkCEbs-8/s1600/IMG_5596.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
The recipe I used was a Sophie Grigson one, and can be found <a href="http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/recipes/266320/Sophie-Grigson-s-chocolate-and-pecan-brownies" target="_blank">here</a>. Since one of my new year's resolutions was to give up refined sugar, I'm not planning on eating any more of these myself in the near future, but I may make some for everyone else to eat, seeing as they were so popular.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000094U5H/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B000094U5H&linkCode=as2&tag=bakidoct-21" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B000094U5H&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=GB&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=bakidoct-21" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=bakidoct-21&l=as2&o=2&a=B000094U5H" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;">
</span></a></div>
Reading Doctorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17843267586247104946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5050846001887404264.post-36623638110108812042014-01-02T22:26:00.000+00:002014-01-02T22:26:42.765+00:00Crochet and other thingsI have made New Year's Resolutions in the past, and they have all had two things in common - almost have all related to eating less, exercising more or both and I have failed with almost all of them within a few days or weeks. So this year it's going to be different. I have resolved re-start my blog, and to learn to crochet. And I'm pleased to say that on only day two I am doing pretty well. I started with a (slightly wonky) small granny square, following a pattern from one of my many knitting magazines:<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWo8JIZRHSF7Qzqv205HGY1toBxwQyPSq5A0BfA6G9JZna9KhatH44NG2mv0O7JW1M9BRj5Z-uSc62tTgQDPIYaG4DCJIyMp7Hye0JU2EXy55kLCfETy4BJ3DbYSl_lwFBkPMB-LFdx-4/s1600/IMG_5624.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWo8JIZRHSF7Qzqv205HGY1toBxwQyPSq5A0BfA6G9JZna9KhatH44NG2mv0O7JW1M9BRj5Z-uSc62tTgQDPIYaG4DCJIyMp7Hye0JU2EXy55kLCfETy4BJ3DbYSl_lwFBkPMB-LFdx-4/s320/IMG_5624.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
I was pretty pleased with it, especially because before yesterday I had only ever once used a crochet hook, and that was to put a simple border on a knitted blanket. It was hard to get my head around all the stitches using just 1 colour though, so I abandoned that to work on my first ever granny triangle:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc6opHupzkX9wEShHvQn2k_9LMO-7Cd6hBPLQoasJOeGcP05BL0Ut-TRbzIx9i_6-Rmwkoguic3ePIcxWGrp-DjBZP4yXSw5-E6CfqVmaYAkYi4GjzPGMBCqXnI-uDYg9cSPSq0i1tGfQ/s1600/IMG_5625.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc6opHupzkX9wEShHvQn2k_9LMO-7Cd6hBPLQoasJOeGcP05BL0Ut-TRbzIx9i_6-Rmwkoguic3ePIcxWGrp-DjBZP4yXSw5-E6CfqVmaYAkYi4GjzPGMBCqXnI-uDYg9cSPSq0i1tGfQ/s320/IMG_5625.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
To make it I followed the absolutely excellent instructions on the <a href="http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/granny-bunting-triangles.html" target="_blank">Attic 24 blog</a>. I am hoping to move on to producing a whole line of bunting. I've got lots of remnants of wool leftover from the many knitting magazines I have bought this year, and it would be great to use them up in a practical (and pretty) way.<br />
<br />
I've now finished my first triangle, but have yet to block it. It's a bit wonky, and I haven't darned the ends in yet, but I like it:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf0ONyPtvCxfhOOU_sPTwMAkxDDLRtZWrzz4LEYmV7PFDYASrfA10zYX0wFTiYJ0PID8UaoHVu_0yc8NBkZdIBKysiODv5agg_0bcabUbqZZWZPNX8IyXil4wAfufLhnS-IH2eXXdnicA/s1600/granny+triangle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf0ONyPtvCxfhOOU_sPTwMAkxDDLRtZWrzz4LEYmV7PFDYASrfA10zYX0wFTiYJ0PID8UaoHVu_0yc8NBkZdIBKysiODv5agg_0bcabUbqZZWZPNX8IyXil4wAfufLhnS-IH2eXXdnicA/s320/granny+triangle.jpg" width="305" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I couldn't be more delighted with how quickly I was able to make something with my new skill. Knitting took a lot longer to get started with. I haven't given up on knitting though, and in amongst my crochet posts and baking writing I'm sure some knitting will follow.</div>
<br />
I only discovered Lucy's blog at Christmas this year, and have been reading it avidly for the last few days - it is very inspiring and I really love her use of colour. I can thoroughly recommend it - <a href="http://attic24.typepad.com/" target="_blank">the home page is here.</a><br />
<br />
I just showed this post to my partner who said "but you're called baking doctor and this seems to be about crochet". This is a fair point, but I felt it would be odd to start a separate blog, so am keeping the same name. I'll see how I get one with it, but plan to intersperse crochet with baking, knitting and book reviews over the next few months.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Reading Doctorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17843267586247104946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5050846001887404264.post-77001096472337750372013-01-11T00:30:00.000+00:002013-01-11T00:30:49.864+00:00Variations on a pancake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD-vHsmhgvA3379tWrXG9o0yj8FHtaWRHiNQcLQW8-9VniP56jMCf59VG3aNAKu1SsPKn4oWlFsZr3jq_qM_rKhq2D-MJP9u9VLiL31vWUHmoMPWNi1INKb-LmD-rbSA3GtVfVRcqqG9o/s1600/drop+scones+&+apple+jam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAAGvE8pwhF-53CNU57tJDkYvDkPR3_dpBwoiCv5G1h6tvLX0YOaV7JRGqF15RhTDXJTtzovQ80P-mk7P5c_x8nM86Gs-nZbQ_qGmKxhcnsICl59r__JdQbTrQYHyzBFRwmMS4ngWlK5o/s1600/apple+drop+scones.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAAGvE8pwhF-53CNU57tJDkYvDkPR3_dpBwoiCv5G1h6tvLX0YOaV7JRGqF15RhTDXJTtzovQ80P-mk7P5c_x8nM86Gs-nZbQ_qGmKxhcnsICl59r__JdQbTrQYHyzBFRwmMS4ngWlK5o/s320/apple+drop+scones.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I tweeted about these pancakes back in October last year, but have only just got around to finishing the blog - life somehow got in the way.<br />
<br />
We often enjoy pancakes as a family, and have been using the same recipe for <a href="http://thebakingdoctor.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/dairy-free-pancakes.html">dairy-free pancakes</a> for ages now. They go very well with bacon, or with maple syrup and banana and the recipe works every time.<br />
<br />
I've been trying some recipes from my most recent Weightwatchers cook book, and when I noticed there were not one, but two pancake recipes in it I knew I would try them out sooner or later.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Recipe 1: Apple Drop Scones</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
We had a bowl full of apples that we were struggling to eat, the first one I tried was this recipe for apple drop scones. I adapted the recipe to make it dairy-free and I thought the results were pretty good. The kids, however, were not so sure. They didn't like the bits, and only ate them after taking out the raisins and the apple pieces. (in fact, they were so against the bits that even several months later whenever I make pancakes they say "without bits mummmy" in a slightly anxious voice)<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2H7b7929_FwOUHyOH_tFU2XPTQlZ3F8r8AkdVtjxK5YHfo61rthC-ispQKwF9vUJmSkV8TipmD17THQ2E2UZiIWhih_g4TSnklGRVp1wxLopAInSWxCUedEaQgpk8gz-IsdyIH6ut4Kw/s1600/apple+drop+scones+cooking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2H7b7929_FwOUHyOH_tFU2XPTQlZ3F8r8AkdVtjxK5YHfo61rthC-ispQKwF9vUJmSkV8TipmD17THQ2E2UZiIWhih_g4TSnklGRVp1wxLopAInSWxCUedEaQgpk8gz-IsdyIH6ut4Kw/s320/apple+drop+scones+cooking.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<br />
100g self -raising flour<br />
50g muesli (I used sugar-free Alpen)<br />
1 eating apple - peeled, cored and finely chopped<br />
25g golden caster sugar<br />
1 large egg<br />
150 ml soya milk (sweetened)<br />
2 teaspoons vegetable oil (I used oil spray)<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Method</b><br />
<br />
Mix the flour, muesli, sugar and apple together. Beat the egg in the milk, then add to the dry ingredients and beat well<br />
Leave to stand for 15 minutes<br />
Heat a large frying pan with some oil spray<br />
Put tablespoons of the mixture into the pan (as you can see, I could cook 5 at a time in my pan)<br />
When bubbles form on the surface turn them over<br />
<br />
The original recipe suggests serving these with low fat spread and jam, but we had them with maple syrup, which I can heartily recommend.<br />
<br />
Makes approximately 18 pancakes. Propoints value: 3 for 2 pancakes with 1 tsp maple syrup<br />
<br />
<b><u>Recipe 2: Maple griddle cakes with apple 'jam'</u></b><br />
<br />
A few days later we still had loads of apples left, so I thought I'd try again. This time I adapted a recipe for 'Griddle cakes with banana jam' My version is almost unrecognisable, being made with maple syrup and soya milk and with apple puree instead of banana jam. The 5-yr-old loved the 'apple jam' and ate several pancakes without any maple syrup at all - a first for him. And it has the added bonus of legitimately being one of your 5-a-day.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioe-mIgCbpu5Tmy6v0mFzW9hphYD4xwvSGqpGLIu7Vb86GO6m6vXzuRJqe38UnxmMkROrKb_iRwmGNIIAttYsDdreTDyI0bIoiUtC7dLZc2xseYfFWN9r43d06OTfJlmkK92nFEL5be3U/s1600/IMG_2480.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioe-mIgCbpu5Tmy6v0mFzW9hphYD4xwvSGqpGLIu7Vb86GO6m6vXzuRJqe38UnxmMkROrKb_iRwmGNIIAttYsDdreTDyI0bIoiUtC7dLZc2xseYfFWN9r43d06OTfJlmkK92nFEL5be3U/s320/IMG_2480.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<b>Ingredients - Pancakes</b><br />
<br />
100g self-raising flour<br />
1 egg<br />
1 tablespoon maple syrup<br />
150 ml soya milk (sweetened)<br />
vegetable oil spray<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients - apple jam</b><br />
<br />
3 eating apples<br />
1 tbsp caster sugar<br />
pinch cinnamon<br />
1 tbsp water<br />
<br />
<b>Method</b><br />
<br />
Mix all the pancake ingredients together to make a smooth batter<br />
Leave to stand for 10 minutes<br />
<br />
Peel, core and chop the apples<br />
Cook them in a covered pan with the cinnamon, water & sugar until cooked. Mash gently with a fork to form a coarse puree<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Put tablespoons of the mixture into the pan </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
When bubbles form on the surface turn them over</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
They are done when they are set and golden brown on each side</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Serve with the apple jam</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Makes approx 16 pancakes. 1 propoint per pancake (with apple jam)</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b>Recipe Evolution</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Both these recipes were inspired by recipes found in this Weightwatchers cook book, which can be bought on Amazon:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=bakidoct-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=0857202286&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Reading Doctorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17843267586247104946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5050846001887404264.post-80306184778327021662012-11-04T22:35:00.003+00:002012-11-04T22:35:57.626+00:00Banana and Chocolate Muffins<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIqKJlBTJJ1uby5r0dVB3gKkwUVuCMPK0dvGiN14WVW3fND8IPCt70YaLSSsAQz0DrZ66UNd9pv_7nFDO7RVkUwtrsXeP-kzpGadGAKOq4-y7ChAVV6nUfe9oKkYJLVL9I-MbvyTZIkzo/s1600/banana+muffins+cooked.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIqKJlBTJJ1uby5r0dVB3gKkwUVuCMPK0dvGiN14WVW3fND8IPCt70YaLSSsAQz0DrZ66UNd9pv_7nFDO7RVkUwtrsXeP-kzpGadGAKOq4-y7ChAVV6nUfe9oKkYJLVL9I-MbvyTZIkzo/s320/banana+muffins+cooked.jpg" width="306" /></a></div>
<br />
These muffins are the result of many attempts at perfecting a banana and chocolate chip recipe. I have experimented with this many times - mainly because we seem to always have 2 or 3 bananas that are just too ripe to eat, but not so over-ripe that they should be put in the compost.<br />
<br />
They are always a huge hit in our house, and work particularly well as an after-school snack for the 5-yr-old. I do still occasionally make my grandmother's banana bread when I have some old ripe bananas hanging around, but these muffins have become a firm favourite.<br />
<br />
I've not tried them with nuts yet, but I'm sure they would taste good with walnuts or pecan nuts in them.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWl06lBIQzVqcMh6KRED5ly4bKHmTrH8sF-xgiip7uhekDGnYnXjWlw2sst_mn-ozdrSySy79U3HzDv89_7zQtaj9nRvc5pR8fyAvdiP_h4PBySXMoMYwxF03KJMkhaIcp3QuQUbsQSi8/s1600/banana+muffin+raw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWl06lBIQzVqcMh6KRED5ly4bKHmTrH8sF-xgiip7uhekDGnYnXjWlw2sst_mn-ozdrSySy79U3HzDv89_7zQtaj9nRvc5pR8fyAvdiP_h4PBySXMoMYwxF03KJMkhaIcp3QuQUbsQSi8/s1600/banana+muffin+raw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWl06lBIQzVqcMh6KRED5ly4bKHmTrH8sF-xgiip7uhekDGnYnXjWlw2sst_mn-ozdrSySy79U3HzDv89_7zQtaj9nRvc5pR8fyAvdiP_h4PBySXMoMYwxF03KJMkhaIcp3QuQUbsQSi8/s320/banana+muffin+raw.jpg" width="316" /></a></div>
<b><u>Recipe</u></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<br />
125ml sunflower oil<br />
250g plain flour<br />
2 eggs<br />
100g caster sugar<br />
2 tablespoons maple syrup<br />
1 teaspoon baking powder<br />
3 medium ripe bananas<br />
100g dark chocolate chips<br />
<br />
<b>Method</b><br />
<br />
Whisk the eggs, maple syrup and oil together<br />
Mash the bananas<br />
Sieve the flour and baking powder into a bowl together<br />
Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and mix together<br />
Mix in the bananas and chocolate chips<br />
<br />
Divide equally between 20 small muffin cases and bake at 200 C for 15-20 mins, until golden brown on top<br />
<br />
<b>Recipe Evolution</b><br />
<br />
These are based on <a href="http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/banana-and-butterscotch-muffins-84" target="_blank">this</a> recipe in <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0701181850/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=0701181850&linkCode=as2&tag=bakidoct-21" target="_blank">Nigella Feast</a>. By replacing the butterscotch chips with dark chocolate (as recommended by the good lady herself) they are dairy-free. I reduced the amount of chocolate by a third initially to reduce the propoints, but then the next time I made them added some maple syrup as with less chocolate they were slightly less sweet.<br />
<br />
<b>Weightwatchers</b><br />
<br />
These come out as 4 propoints each using the recipe builder on the website. If you make more or fewer muffins from the mixture then adjust the propoints accordingly.<br />
<br />
<b>Interaction</b><br />
<br />
I tweeted a picture of these muffins and was tweeted back by <a href="https://twitter.com/ww_uk" target="_blank">@ww_uk</a> asking me to send them my recipe so they would publish it. I duly did so, but didn't really expect to hear anything back. A few days later though, they replied, asking if it was ok for them to share it via social media and when I said yes, they tweeted this:<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Fancy something indulgent but low in ProPoints values? Try @<a href="https://twitter.com/bakingdoctor">bakingdoctor</a>’s chocolate&banana muffin recipe, just 4 PPV! <a href="http://t.co/s0nrtMU6" title="http://twitter.com/ww_uk/status/264003410351775745/photo/1">twitter.com/ww_uk/status/2…</a><br />
— Weight Watchers (@ww_uk) <a data-datetime="2012-11-01T13:58:12+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/ww_uk/status/264003410351775745">November 1, 2012</a></blockquote>
<br />
I gained 7 new followers as a result, and a great feeling of satisfaction. Goodness only knows how happy I would be if I ever published an article or a book!<br />
<br />
<br />
<script charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>Reading Doctorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17843267586247104946noreply@blogger.com0