As tomorrow is International Coffee Day, what better topic for a post on a blog whose title pays homage to the humble latte than coffee?
You may remember a post I did a few months ago when I revealed I had finally bought myself a home espresso machine. It has transformed my life! There's something almost decadent about making myself a proper coffee in the morning and then sitting down at my computer to start the day...and it makes the house smells lovely too. I adore the smell of fresh coffee.
One of the reasons I put off getting a coffee machine for so long was because I was convinced that using one would be quite technical and difficult, as I am not a gadget girl at all. Now that I have my machine I can't believe what I was so worried about!
I have a DeLonghi espresso machine, the exact model of which appears to have now been replaced by this one. I would be confident with any of the Comet Delonghi Coffee Machine range as they're really easy to use, especially for beginners like me!
While I can't claim to be an expert and am yet to master latte foam art (!) here's a few of my tips for happy coffee machine usage and making great coffee at home :)
Tip 1: Make friends with the instruction manual.
Sounds obvious I know but I am one of those people who tends not read instructions until she hits a snag and then finds out she's been doing it wrong all along! ;)
So the first thing to do when you buy an espresso machine is read the instruction manual thoroughly because they're all different. Get to know your machine inside and out and follow the instructions to the letter until you get the hang of how it works.
But you'll commonly find that with most machines before making any coffee you need to let it heat up plain water and let it pass through the pipes and filter to clean them and get everything cranked up and ready to get to work. My machine instruction manual recommended filling and emptying the tank twice before making any coffee. I duly obeyed!
Tip 2: Buy good coffee and get it freshly ground.
Tom keeps saying we should get a grinder and grind beans when we need them. I would love that but our kitchen is so tiny I don't know where we'd put a grinder ;) At the moment I buy my beans whole and then get them ground where I buy them. The ground beans are then stored in an airtight jar in the pantry. The important thing, as my mate Nic pointed out to me, is to get the beans ground specifically for an espresso machine because it needs a very fine grind. Don't put coffee that's been ground for a plunger/french press in if you can help it, the results will be quite different and not always drinkable!
There's not a lot of choice out where I live to buy coffee beans so I tend to rely on Starbucks, whose Fairtrade blends are reliably very good. But my absolute favourite is the house espresso blend from Monmouth in London. They have an eye-widening variety of beans available so I may be daring and get something bolder next time. The Monmouth coffee also has produced a superior crema in my DeLonghi machine too, so far.
Tip 3: Keep the milk frothing arm fastidiously clean!
This is a tip from my barista friend Bill Lark. If you just drink espressos you won't need to worry about this but if you're a latte, cappuccino or macchiato lover, you want the milk to froth up just right. If the frothing arm isn't kept clean, not only will any caked-on milk scunge make any fresh milk taste a bit sour and gross, but hot milk can clog up the tube the steam travels through which may mean you turn on the steaming dial one day and nothing happens! So keep a clean cloth handy and wipe the nozzle down straight away after you've steamed the milk, it's a good habit to get into.
To clean the milk frother, fill your frothing jug with cold water and immerse the steam tube completely in the water. Turn the steamer on and run for about 20 seconds or until the water is boiling. This should dislodge any dried milk build up inside. If the steam is still blocked you can use a toothpick or bamboo skewer to unclog the small holes at the bottom.
Also, another milk tip from my mate Bill: for a creamy velvety latte, steam the milk first and put to one side while you make the espresso. When ready, stir the milk and fold the foam through gently and then add it to the coffee.
As most of you would know, the majority of luxuries in my household have been curtailed this year as I've embarked on life as a full time writer. While it's been completely worth it, it has not been easy. Having a really good cup of coffee to start most days is a luxury I really appreciate, and it hasn't hit the hip pocket anywhere near as much as I thought it would. I'm so glad I bought it. As well as helping to jolt me awake most mornings, it's been good for the soul too.
So if you too secretly long for home brewed espresso and foamy lattes in your pyjamas but worry it's too difficult, never fear. It's so much easier than you think!
Do you have a coffee machine? What are your tips for making great coffee at home? :)
I was introduced to the wonders that are Bliss Balls on the 21 Days of Nourishing e-course back in June. For those in the know, 21 Days is a beautiful online experience that fosters a real sense of friendship and community between the participants. Every day you get a "love bomb" in your email inbox and this could be anything from a guided mp3 meditation, to creative writing prompts, invigorating or gentle yoga sequences, tips on going green with your beauty routine, or even delicious nutrient packed recipes. It's always a surprise! You're encouraged to interact and share your thoughts, progress and results with the 21 Days Tribe on the private Facebook group too, which is great fun. The emphasis is very much on taking a bit of time out in your busy day to nourish yourself, to feel grounded, creative, purposeful, healthy and happy. If you've been burning the candle at both ends and want some time and space just for you, I thoroughly recommend giving the course a try!
Anyway, one of the "love bomb" emails on the first course featured an interview with Sydney-based health coach Fiona Wissink about simple ways to incorporate more raw, plant-based and whole foods into our daily diets. Fiona used to be 28kg overweight as well and in the process of becoming fit and healthy she became very passionate about good nutrition and now coaches people to become their happiest, healthiest selves. Her tips for getting more green, raw and wholesome were very do-able, I reckon even my Dad, president of his local Beer and Beef Club, could take them on board ;)
Our hOMework was to make a recipe Fiona included if we so desired....and when I saw the ingredients I knew I couldn't resist! This was my favourite lesson of the whole course :)
Fiona (and Stella and Jacqui, the 21 Days course creators) very kindly agreed to let me share the Bliss Balls recipes with you all, as quite a few of you asked about the recipe when I mentioned them a few months ago when they made a wonderful breakfast substitute one morning when I was late for my train. They also make a perfect pre-run snack, a healthy snack to tide you over at the office, or a treat with a cup of herbal tea in the evening. They also keep really well in the fridge for ages and ages. I think I still had four or five in the fridge after nearly eight weeks and they were still great - kind of like rum balls, the flavours had deepened and matured! But how I managed to resist them for so long is beyond me!
I've shared Fiona's original recipe and also, in true SLSB tradition, the "Phil version". If you have kiddies, get them to help shape the mixture into balls and roll them in coconut - I'm sure they'd love it :)
You should be able to get all the ingredients at your local health food shop - I found maca and raw cacao powder (which smells incredible by the way!!) at Wholefoods in London but have since sourced them from two shops in my local area. If you can't find it in your local shop ask them if they'll order it in for you, most of them are happy to!
Bliss balls
Original recipe courtesy of Your Health Coach and 21 Days
Phil's version in italics!
Ingredients
1 ⅓ cup of medjool dates (pits removed) (I used dates from wholefood section of the supermarket)
handful of almonds (I have also used a combination of pecans, pistachios and walnuts)
1 tablespoon maca powder
¾ cup chia seeds
1 cup raw cacao powder
2 vanilla beans (scraped) (I found using just 1 vanilla bean was fine - save the pod and put in a jar of sugar to scent it)
1 tablespoon of coconut oil (I used filtered water - coconut oil is a wonderful food but just not in the budget at the moment!)
Shredded raw coconut
Place all ingredients except for chia seeds and coconut oil (or water) into a food processor. Mix well! Pause the processor to scrape down the sides and mix again until everything is thoroughly combined.
Add in the chia seeds and part of the coconut oil (or water) until desired sticky consistency is reached. It should become almost like a big dough ball in the food processor. Add more oil or water as needed but you don't need much, the mixture should be firm.
Roll the mixture into little balls (or, if you're me, a variation of big and little balls!) and then into the shredded coconut.
Keep in the fridge.
Enjoy as suggested, or with an iced chai and good novel, as below!
Hope you enjoy, and let me know if you try them! Thanks again Fiona for letting me share the recipe :)
Thank you for the lovely feedback on my experience in the trail half marathon! I must admit I'm a little apprehensive about Sunday's race now but I did a nice easy 5k this morning without too many dramas, and tomorrow I'll be back to the training plan with a long run on Friday. I hope that will be enough to get me through on Sunday.
My race number arrived in the mail today so I guess there's no backing out now!
So far this is the plan for the rest of the week:
Wednesday: 5 x 15 mins running in progression/2 minutes walking Thursday: Rest (I will be out for the day but I will wear comfortable shoes when walking, not my high heeled boots!) and yoga Friday: Long run (warm up, stretches, then 8 x 1km slow/1km medium) Saturday: Couch potato (and yoga) + a very early night! Sunday: Race
Having had a few treats earlier this week, I'm trying to get back on the straight and narrow this week with yoghurt and Nakd bars fulfilling the majority of my sweet cravings :)
Stash from the goody bag I got at the Nakd new flavour launch last night
I'm also going to fuel a lot better for Sunday than I did for Beauty and The Beast. My meal the night before will be either baked potatoes or pasta....but I have been having gluten free pasta rather than the regular stuff since my big gluten free challenge in August. So I think what I will do is have gluten free pasta on Thursday night before my long run Friday and see if that works in terms of fuel. If not, baked potatoes on Saturday it is!
Breakfast on Sunday will be bagels rather than toast, and I'll also have a banana (I WILL eat it this time!) and other snacks which I'll eat in the car on the way to Nottingham. With sports beans in my arm wallet and a bottle of Lucozade handy, I will be all powered up this time!
I'm also going to watch Chariots of Fire on Saturday night (assuming it arrives by then). I normally watch Run Fatboy Run the night before a race but we watched that last Friday night and I'm in need of some new inspiring running films. I hope it will get me pumped. The theme popping up on my iPod usually does!
Are there any inspiring films about women runners? Perhaps I should write one :)
The fact I survived Saturday's race and am here, 48 hours later, telling you the tale is an achievement, in my opinion! I truly had no idea that this race was going to be as tough as it was. The whole experience was so intense and at one point felt like it would never end. I could barely walk by the end of it. It was strange because mentally I was still strong because I knew I could do the distance, but the terrain was so tough that my body was slowly giving up. It took every ounce of strength I had, and lord knows where I got it from, to physically keep going. Just thinking about that murderous hill at the end is making my thighs ache!
I had trained for this race at parkland near my home in Buckinghamshire that has dirt paths, woods, fields and lots of hills where I had done both long runs and interval training (including hill strides!) so I had felt prepared. I'd combined the trail running with lots of road training as well, where I had noticed an improvement in my stamina. I had every reason to feel confident. So I thought.
The night before, I laid out all my kit, wrote a list of things to check off in the morning so I didn't leave the house without some vital bit of equipment, did yoga, watched Run Fatboy Run, carb loaded with rice and vegetarian chilli (delicious!) and had a fairly decent night's sleep. The alarm went off promptly and opening the window revealed a beautiful sunny but frosty early autumn morning. I had a cup of tea, water, Lucozade, toast with strawberry jam, and a few bites of overnight oats. I put a banana in my bag to eat on the way but in my excitement I forgot to eat it. That was a mistake!
We drove the back way to Stonor Park, rather than getting on the motorway. There was a classic car rally happening in one of the towns so it was such fun seeing all these "Mr Toad cars" as I call them puttering along the winding country roads. We arrived to a packed car park, with still an hour to go before the race started, and I stared in awe at all the hard core runners with their impressive trail gear! Here was I in my running capris with a hole in them that I'd patched up with safety pins (new capris are on their way I hasten to add)!
And so we followed the signs uphill to the start. It was freezing!! And the hill was very steep...a warning of what was to come, really!
After reaching the top of the hill and catching my breath (!) I registered and got my race number, timing band to go around my shoelaces and a race t-shirt which we were told if we wore it while running the race Helly Hansen would donate £2.50 to the race charity, Lifeboats. So I put mine on :)
The race was comprised of laps of Stonor Park, each one just under 4.4 miles. The half marathon was 3 laps, the full marathon 6. There were people doing it by themselves and also people doing the race in teams of 3 or 6. I love the atmosphere at the start of a race, everyone looked really pumped...but also a bit apprehensive!
At this point there wasn't long until the race start so I joined the queue for the loos and then looked around trying to get some clues of where the course was actually going to go around this massive property. I had been warned about "The Beast" of a hill that concluded each lap....but I could see lots of hills!!
Finally the announcement came on that we were to go to the start so I said goodbye to Tom and joined the throngs of runners, right at the back. The gun went off and away we went! You can see this in the video:
The start of the race was all downhill....and unfortunately, it was all downhill from here for me, figuratively speaking, as well!! You know how I always say that you won't know if the run is going to be good or bad until you start....well, within a few minutes I knew this was going to be tough. My breathing was all out of whack and I could feel a stitch bubbling away in my ribcage. But as I was already at the back I didn't want to stop and get completely left behind so I kept going, slowing the pace and trying to get my breathing under control. It took most of Lap 1 to do that because the course was on an almost constant incline. I would try and power up the hills but then when there was a decline on the other side I'd get a stitch almost immediately. I couldn't believe it. I had trained! I'd run heaps of half marathons before! It had never been this hard in training! I felt overwhelmed with disappointment. What on earth was I going to do?! I was going to have to walk most of it at this rate!! My pride was forcing me to keep up with the other runners but I knew I wasn't going to be able to do it for another two laps. I was just going to have to forget about everyone else, forget about time, forget about wanting to write a glorious and triumphant race report, and just run my own race.
Negative thinking is something you just can't afford in a long distance race, particularly when you have only just started it. I forced myself to think about what advice I've given to others who have had bad runs/races and tried to implement it as much as possible. It was hard though. I tried to think about other runners' strategies that I'd read about over the years that I could do to get me through this. I remembered Alison's excellent "run 2 songs, walk 1" plan that she uses in marathons, so I started doing that. But it ended up being a 1:1 ratio for me, I'm afraid!
The problem was that although I had trained on hills I had never done a long distance race that was on an almost permanent incline before. There were flat sections, but they were only for about 400m or so, then it was back to hills! I just hadn't built up enough strength. Aerobically, apart from the breathing being out of whack, I was ok. If it had just been a bit flatter.... ;)
I started feeling better once I was on the last quarter of the first lap, the breathing seemed under control and I had hit a downhill section where I picked up some speed. Then it was flat for a bit and I started to feel a bit more confident. I had seen Tom a few times - he had positioned himself well! - and I'd forced myself to stay strong and plaster on a smile for him. I thought the start of the second lap must surely not be too far away. And it wasn't.....but I had to get up "The Beast" first!!
Imagine a hill practically at 90 degrees! No one was running up it at this stage, everyone had stopped to walk (that made me feel a bit better!). I tried the old trick of not looking to the top, only at the horizon. It helped, but only marginally. The burn! Oh, the burn!! But finally I made it to the top and went around again and downhill for the start of Lap 2!
At this point, I was starting to feel ok. I started feeling less freaked out and more engaged in the surroundings (it really was beautiful!) and what was going on. I kept my eye on another runner, a girl with a bright yellow jersey on called Speedy Mel, who was about 200m in front of me at this stage. I noted she was stopping to walk regularly as well so that made me feel a bit better about not being able to run constantly. I saw Speedy Mel as I was finishing, on another lap, so she must have been doing the marathon. Hats off to you, Speedy Mel!
There was a herd of wild deer, about 20 of them, that galloped through the park at one point and they were spectacular to watch. "Chariots of Fire" came on on my iPod and made me well up a bit. I saw Tom and waved and smiled, but as I passed him and had to go up another hill I was thinking "I can't believe I have to do what I've already done again!"
Once the semi-flat beginning of the second lap was over and the constant incline started again, the despondent thinking crept back in again and I had to really work hard mentally to fight it off. I stopped to stretch my calves quite a bit as they were very tight. I found I could run better and for a bit longer after stopping for a stretch, so that helped. I ripped open my bag of jelly beans and scoffed them down, as I was feeling a bit empty, fuel-wise. I had a bottle of Lucozade in my hand which I was sipping at regularly. What I wish I had done was stop at the Clif Bar stand at the beginning of each lap, where they had bars you could grab to eat. I barely noticed them as I was just so happy to have got to the top and be starting another lap, I didn't want to lose momentum! I wish I had stopped, just for 30 seconds, for some fuel. It might have made a big difference. It really wasn't the same as running a half marathon on flat concrete roads and I didn't appreciate that until I was actually doing it!
At the end of Lap 2 I had just reached the top and was about to start Lap 3 when a marshall got my attention and said "the half marathon finish is over there", pointing to the left hand side of the course.
"I still have another lap to go!" I said, thinking oh dear, I must be very slow if this person thinks I should be finished by now! And for a split second I thought about just going over there and finishing, just so it would be over. Everything was aching, my breathing problems had returned and I couldn't believe I had another lap to go.
By now I was so fatigued I was finding it hard to lift my feet properly and hence my shoes were collecting a lot of dirt and long grass. This was also tricky because the terrain was so uneven so I found myself tripping slightly on a constant basis! There were rocks and tree roots to dodge, and a lot of the course was on a bit of a slope so one leg had to work harder than the other to keep me upright for most of the race. I could feel my left foot kind of moulding into my shoe, if that makes sense. It was very uncomfortable. I ran for as long as I could and then I would walk to get my breath back and then try to run again, but it was getting harder and harder to sustain any kind of rhythm or pace for long. I couldn't even run on the flat bits any more at this stage. The only parts I could run were on the downhill bits!
At this point I really didn't think I was going to make it. I was exhausted and in pain and could not understand for the life of me why I do this for fun. No one had made me do this! This had all been my choice! What an idiot! Mentally I knew I could do the distance but my body had actually started failing on me! Every time I hit a hill I had to walk and even that was getting harder and harder. I thought the next time I saw Tom I would just collapse in his arms and sob "I can't do it! I can't keep going!" I didn't remember even the London Marathon being this hard! I felt like such a failure. People doing the freaking marathon were passing me! "What are you doing here Phil?" I moaned.
And then a Pink song came on my iPod and the line blasted right through my blues.... "so what?! I'm still a rock star!"
Repeating that line to myself over and over for the rest of that lap was what kept me going! It was the comeback for every negative thought I had.
I'm going to be dead last.
SO WHAT?!
There's a crowd of supporters coming up and they're going to see me walking and they'll think I'm pathetic!
SO WHAT?! Tom is videoing this and I'm going to look terrible!
SO WHAT?!
I'm going to have to write about how bad this was on the blog and everyone is going to think I suck!
SO WHAT?!
Pink, my new running hero!
I also kept saying to myself, over and over, that it was ok to walk if I needed to. I was going to finish, come what may, and if I had to walk, so be it. "It's ok, not long now, you're doing really well," I said to myself, through gritted teeth. Marathoners were passing me with gusto, even clipping me on the odd occasion (which shitted me, to be honest, there was plenty of room to go around me!) but I kept on going.
A horrible stitch had come back on the final decline, so awful I thought I was going to be sick. "Oh, go away!" I shrieked in frustration, almost in tears. I could feel myself tripping over my own enormous feet. I had slowed down a little purely because I didn't want to fall and injure myself on the final hurdle. I dodged rocks and fallen branches as best as I could, trying to remember where the rabbit holes in the long grass were so I didn't fall into them!
I saw Tom again and I thought I was going to cry. But I didn't. "Nearly there!" I panted as I went by, my hand briefly grazing his.
It was later on, after the race, that Tom told me that he'd seen some horrendous things on the course. He had seen a man with an open head wound, blood gushing down his face, still running. He had seen people fall over. He'd seen one guy rip his ankle open and start screaming. He said no one looked like they were having an easy time of it!
Finally, "the Beast" was in full view and I knew it was nearly over. I glanced at my watch and saw it was coming up for three hours since the start. Aargh. Worst time ever. Ever. In the history of everness. I was last, for sure.
But a sign on the way up the hill, which I hadn't noticed until now, said "Dead last is better than didn't finish, and didn't finish is better than didn't start."
I carried on, through the burn and the all-consuming ache, up that hill. Around me, the battle weary marathoners were pushing themselves up too. I stopped halfway to catch my breath. One of them stopped with me and then walked up the rest of the hill with me, chatting, telling me this was the end of his fourth lap. My God, having someone to talk to really helped! It took my mind off the pain and how much further we had to go, and before I knew it we had reached the top. I thanked him for staying with me and wished him best of luck with the rest of his race, and then I finally, FINALLY could go through the finish line. I had nothing left but I ran anyway.
And then, just like that, it was over. The pain was gone. I had done it!
I had my timing band cut off, a medal put around my neck, and collected a goody bag and a recovery drink, and then staggered off into the sunshine to find Tom!
I lay down in the grass and just let myself be. I was so exhausted, I could barely speak. Tom just sat with me, let me put my head on his lap and told me about how the race had been for him as a spectator, and told me all the gory stories!
I couldn't believe how hard it had been.....and how I had even managed to cross the finish line at all. The results are through and I was right - I came last. But, as Pink would say, SO WHAT?! I still did it! I didn't get injured, which sounds like an achievement in itself, and I didn't give up.
I don't think trail running is for me, I have to say, as I now believe it is the domain of the super, super fit! But I'm proud I gave it a go.
I came away from Saturday's experience feeling more humble about my sport than I have felt in a long time, perhaps ever. Running a race of that magnitude is always an achievement in itself and I really do forget that sometimes. Because I've run a marathon I think nothing is beyond me and I should be able to do anything....but I need to remember that doing it is the most important thing. I am as guilty as the next person of expecting great things every time I show up to a race instead of just patting myself on the back for showing up, giving it my best and crossing the finish line. I forget sometimes that I couldn't run at all.
I don't think I've ever felt more unfit or less of a runner than I did on Saturday. It was not my finest hour. But I still did it. I didn't give up, I crossed the finish line.
PBs, looking great in the finish photos....that's a bonus. Doing it in the first place is the thing to be proud of.
I can only hope and PRAY that the next two are going to be somewhat easier!!
I read a wonderful Tweet a few weeks ago, which was the inspiration for today's mantra:
Isn't that a great way to re-frame feeling jealous or envious of someone or something? Up your game!
I say this in all honesty, but I don't tend to get jealous when I see other people achieve things. Oh look, I AM human and occasionally do....mostly when people have cute babies or are able to jet off to exotic places with a moment's notice (!)....but on the whole I am really thrilled for people when they achieve something that I might like to do too. Because it shows me that it's possible. And if I occasionally do give in to the green-eyed monster, I know it's because it's something in me that's feeling insecure, left out or not good enough. It's all about me and nothing to do the object of my envy. Just because someone else has done something or acquired something that we want too it doesn't mean we can't go after it as well. Success is not like a tub of ice-cream that only has enough servings for 4 people....there is plenty to go around for everyone!
But I must admit I didn't always think that way. In my late teens and early twenties, jealousy was a very common emotion for me. I denied myself nothing in the food stakes (!) but I constantly felt deprived. I always felt like I was missing out. And when I heard of someone I knew or knew of who had been travelling overseas, or got a job they loved, or lost weight, I would have a huge grumble. "When is something good going to happen for me?! When are my dreams going to start coming true?" I would whinge to myself. Well, moping around in my home town, not challenging myself, not stepping up and being brave enough to change things I wasn't happy with.....was it any wonder?! Living that boring and unsatisfying life was all my choice. Other people living their lives and achieving their goals had nothing to do with me. If I wanted my life to change and start achieving something, I was going to have to up my game.
I think one of the downsides to success that people don't talk about very much is that you are often on the receiving end of other people's insecurities. It was a regular occurrence in the year or so after I reached my goal weight and I can tell you it isn't nice. Call me Pollyanna but I think our thoughts, words and actions in life should be focused on moving ourselves forward, not holding other people back. And I'm not sure why optimism and wanting to achieve things in your life sometimes gets mistaken for arrogance. If it weren't for those who are optimistic and forge ahead, we would all be stuck and have nothing to aspire to. Instead of wallowing and thinking "why can't that be me?"....make it happen for you too! Have the guts and determination to expect the best of yourself. Become a tall poppy. Up your game!
I came, I saw, I (only just!) conquered the Helly Hansen Beauty and The Beast half marathon!! What a brutal, gruelling race. The toughest of my entire life! Today I feel great, albeit a little sore, and kind of pumped for the next two races which, by my reckoning, can only be easier! Full race report to come :D
Happy Friday! Is it just me or has this week flown by?
Tomorrow is my first half marathon of three in the next three weeks - the Helly Hansen Beauty and the Beast trail challenge! Gulp! Let's hope it goes well. I'm looking forward to writing another race report :) Wish me luck! Tom will be tweeting on my behalf during the race so follow the hashtag #3halfs3weeks to stay updated.
Despite the gruelling training this week (did 18.5km yesterday! Ouch!) I have been kind of blissed out as I'm enjoying so many cool things at the moment. I thought I'd share some of them with you, so here's a selection of what I'm currently loving....
The colours of autumn. I've written on this subject many times before but I truly do love the transition from summer to autumn. The UK, and London particularly, is beautiful this time of year. I took this picture on my last training run yesterday. I think the heatwave we had a fortnight ago is well and truly over; the nights are getting darker and chillier, the air smells of falling leaves and firewood. Time to start thinking about layers, running gloves and a new coat!
Courgette (zucchini) "fries"! Has anyone else tried these? I made these earlier in the week to go with our haloumi burgers and they were amazing!! I used a WW recipe and it turned out great. And so easy! You dip the courgette strips in seasoned flour, then in whipped egg white, then in breadcrumbs and bake in a hot oven. In the seasoned flour I used a spice blend I brought back from Australia called "Bush Spice" which has a lovely lemon myrtle flavour. These fries were just delicious - so crispy, just like tempura but without all the oil. SO good. Let me know if you give them a try!
The Paris Wife. I bought this book when we visited Bath in March (Bath has got wonderful bookshops!) and I can't believe I waited until our holiday in Cornwall to finally pick it up and read it. It was just mesmerising. It tells the story of Hadley Richardson, the first wife of Ernest Hemingway, as they meet, fall in love and move to Paris in the early 1920s. But if you know anything about Hemingway you'll know he was married four times and hence something is bound to go wrong in this story somewhere! I love historical novels but I particularly love it when they are an imagined history (using the facts available) of real figures rather than fictional characters. This book brought bohemian Paris to life beautifully, not to mention the bullfights of Spain, the Alps, Italy and post WW1 Chicago. Every now and then you pick up a novel that is so beautifully written you don't want it to end...and now I have finished it I'm still thinking about it! Highly, highly recommended!
Aussie music. Feeling a bit homesick and in need of some cool writing/working tunes a few weeks ago, I got myself Pete Murray's first two albums (I used to have them but left them behind in Oz and lo and behold they weren't in my boxes when I returned! Hope they went to a good home) and I've finally jumped on the Angus and Julia Stone bandwagon. I always tend to discover bands years after everyone else does ;) I had of course heard of them but all the songs I'd heard had never blown me away. Now I'm wondering....what took me so long?! Down The Way is a magnificent album. "Yellow Brick Road" is my favourite track. All the songs remind me of Melbourne for some reason. And Pete's See The Sun is just as awesome as I remembered. "Class A" is my favourite track.
My new on-the-go drink bottle - BRITA Fill&Go. We got our tap filter replaced recently and the team very kindly sent me this bottle to try as a little bonus...it's the best drink bottle for commuting/days out I've found for ages. It's quite big (holds 600ml) and fits very easily into my backpack side pocket. It has a filter in it that you replace as you need to and there's also a straw in it that means you don't have to tilt your head back to drink, you just suck it up through the straw. So easy! So far it's kept the water in it lovely and cold too.
Race anticipation! I got the pack for the last half marathon (on October 7th) in the mail yesterday. And a new t-shirt, bonus! It's so exciting getting your race pack in the mail...it means it's getting close :) The first race tomorrow will be a challenge so I'm just hoping to cross the finish line in one piece! The other two I can concentrate on improving my form and times a bit. I really enjoy the atmosphere of a race so the next few weeks should be really good fun, regardless of how well (or not!) I run.
Other things I'm loving (not pictured!): loose jeans (!) ♥ Skype calls ♥ Sydney Swans making the AFL Grand Final! ♥ Rachel's Organic Greek Yoghurt with Ginger (luscious isn't the word!) ♥ keeping a journal again ♥ wonderfulblogs ♥ SongPop ♥ the return of Downton Abbey ♥ getting to know our new neighbours ♥
What are you currently loving? Have a happy weekend!!
I'm playing catch-up at the moment...I've got about ten posts on the go....but I really wanted to tell you about going to the Paralympics because it was amazing. I am really missing all the action of the Games that we enjoyed here for the last little while. It was a really inspiring time and I loved how much community spirit, national pride and true sportsmanship was on display!
I was very lucky to get tickets to the swimming at the Paralympics thanks to British Airways. We went along on the Friday afternoon to soak up the atmosphere and have a look around Olympic Park before the swimming finals began in the early evening. After seeing it on TV constantly for a couple of weeks I was stoked to be there myself and see it all with my own eyes, it was kind of surreal!
Getting there was easy - we took the tube in and changed at Finchley Road for a Stratford train. The station itself was very busy as we expected but they were well staffed and there were no congestion problems at all. There were volunteers greeting everyone, it was such a happy and welcoming atmosphere. Westfield shopping centre was heaving! We had a look around for a while and eventually decided to hit up M&S for some healthy picnic items and camp out at the British Airways ParkLive, which was a huge expanse of parkland with big screens.
We got a good spot and soaked up the sun and atmos while we had lunch. I was convinced John Torrode from Masterchef was sitting down the bank from us - if it wasn't him it was an impersonator! The cycling was on while we were in the park and when a British cyclist won gold the park exploded in a roar, it was incredible.
Then we had a wander around the Park for a while. I had to keep pinching myself that I was there!
Finally it was time to hit up the Aquatic Centre for the swimming finals!
The first race was probably the most anticipated - the men's 400m freestyle (S8). This race had three Britons in it - Oliver Hynd, Sam Hynd and Thomas Young - and the crowds were going wild for them! It was the last lap of the race where it looked like Oliver Hynd was going to win the gold medal that the noise in the aquatic centre just grew and grew and grew....I thought the roof was going to come off! We were actually behind the Hynd boys' supporters too. It was just electrifying being there. I'd never been to an event like this in my life and I've got say that being there is a thousand times more exciting than watching it on TV :) The Hynd boys got second and third, by the way!
The races were interspersed with medal ceremonies, which was great fun. Australia won a few golds which was wonderful and I sang along (quietly) to the national anthem, which made me a bit emotional. I was pleased I'd had the foresight to wear waterproof mascara! And there was a large contingent of Aussies who called out "oi oi oi" at every opportunity!
It was really interesting to learn about the classification of the competition at the Paralympics too. It's a system designed to ensure the athletes are competing with others of similar ability. Swimmers are classified according to how their impairment affects their stroke. S1-10 is applied to athletes with physical impairments, 1 being the class where the stroke is most affected due to the impairment and 10 being the least affected. There's another classification for the visually impaired, which were really fascinating races to watch. The athletes were tapped with a pole as they were approaching the end of the pool so they knew when to turn around. For someone who is not much of a swimmer I was utterly spellbound! And it was great seeing Tom, who isn't normally much of a sports fan, get caught up in the spirit!
We stayed right to the end, cheering everyone on until the last! Olympic Park was quite magnificent at night:
To avoid the crowds at Stratford we walked to West Ham and there were heaps of volunteers lining the way to direct us and wishing us a safe journey home. I cannot praise the volunteers enough - they were unfailingly helpful and friendly and were all obviously very proud to be there. I felt proud to be there too. When I thought about what happened in London just one year earlier, with the riots and all the nastiness, sadness and fear they incited, the city absolutely glowed during the Games. It was a really happy place to be.
And I've got say, seeing these incredible athletes achieve what they did, it gives all my excuses for why I can't do certain things no gravity whatsoever! Being there reminded me that with discipline and hard work you can achieve pretty much anything you set your mind to.
I love the Games! What an awesome summer it was. All the bunting is slowly coming down and the streets are now decorated with autumn leaves. But I'll remember our visit to the Paralympics for a long, long time.
Did you enjoy the Olympics and Paralympics? If you're in the UK, did you go along to any events?
I had been living in Melbourne for about a week, had lost 13 of the 27.5kg I needed to lose, and knew maybe two people in my new city. So my goals with the blog at the start were very simple - to keep myself motivated and accountable and to meet people in Melbourne. I also wanted to share what I was learning about health and fitness, and what was working for me, in the hope it would help and inspire others in the same situation.
Little did I know what I was embarking upon and how much my life was about to change. In the months that followed, life as I knew it was over and the adventure of a lifetime began!
One of the highlights of my seven years of blogging, without a doubt!
It's hard to believe I've been doing this for seven years. I did debate whether it was an anniversary or not as I took most of 2008 off but I decided that, regardless, I have spent seven years (of my 31, so nearly a quarter of my life!) actively online and that is worth mentioning :)
So much has happened in those seven years. Most of it has been life changing! And I can't even begin to list all the great things that Skinny Latte Strikes Back and blogging in general has brought my way. Every day I am thankful for it.
So today, to mark the occasion, I have recorded a podcast in which I share seven things I've learned about blogging over the years. I don't claim to be an expert, by any means, but they are all things that have helped me so I share them in the hope they will help you too, if you're interested.
You can download the file to your computer or listen in iTunes too (it does sometimes take a few hours for the new show to be listed in iTunes - thanks for your patience!)
I sometimes wonder whether, after seven years, I might have said it all. But I know that I, as a person, am definitely still a work in progress and I probably always will be. I'm still learning and changing, all the time. And as long as that is going on I'll have things to write about, new discoveries and experiences to share and (ideally) some wisdom to pass on as well. The more I work on myself, my passions and making my life an adventure, the more I'll hopefully be able to help you to follow your dreams and create a life you're passionate about too. I can't tell you how much it means to me to hear from readers who have been inspired to make changes in their own lives after reading about my journey. It is so humbling and is probably the main reason I'm still here plugging away after all these years. That, and I love connecting with people. If I am making a difference in just one person's life then it's all worthwhile!
So thank YOU so much for reading, listening and being a part of Skinny Latte Strikes Back. Thank you for caring enough to check in here and let me into your lives. Thank you for sharing the journey with me. Thank you for believing in me. It means more to me than I can ever tell you and I am so grateful for your support. It's great having you along for the ride.
Well, it's been a while since I updated you all on the training progress for my 3 in 3 Weeks challenge.....so today we rang in the changes with a video. This morning was the last trail training session before Saturday's race, the Helly Hansen Beauty and The Beast trail half marathon! Check out the video to see what I got up to today :)
This is a picture I took on my training run while we were on holiday in Cornwall two weeks ago. I ran some of the Camel Trail and really enjoyed it. It was a grey day with a fine mist of rain falling almost constantly, which was heaven once I'd warmed up! Did a pretty good time too, according to the GPS. It makes such a different when the trail is (mostly) flat!
It was wonderful to smell the fresh briny sea air as I shuffled my way along the trail. One of the things I love about running is getting outside into nature and the fresh air, feeling all my senses come alive. Smell becomes particularly potent for me when I run. I love inhaling the earthy, grassy scents of the woods and trails near my home; the hay, dust and old wool smell of livestock; even the throat coating smokiness of a camp-fire. During high summer there was a patch of road where the fences were covered in honeysuckle and on a warm morning the smell was so heavenly I would deliberately slow down :) You can't get that kind of thing on a treadmill, eh?
My trail runs as a whole have been reasonable. As I said in the video, it has got easier and yet it hasn't got easier. Every time I go up there I come away with mixed feelings about whether I'm getting any fitter or improving! For the last little while I've been secretly afraid that Saturday is just going to be one big exercise in self humiliation. But today, about halfway through, I felt like things were finally coming together and that maybe I won't make a complete fool of myself!
The road runs likewise have been reasonable but overall a mixed bag these past few weeks. My last training run before Saturday is on Thursday and I've made the decision to do it on the road simply because of the distance I have to cover (8 x 1km fast/1km slow) and I didn't want to wear myself out too much by doing it on the trails so close to race day.
So far, the only thing that is keeping me sane is thinking about the race in 5km chunks, as per my usual race plan. I can run 5km. I can run 10km. I can even run 15km at a push most days. It's all good!
I think my confidence has been slightly chipped at because of the different fuelling strategy I've had this time around as well. I've not fuelled as much before my runs because I wanted to burn off some fat, which has been a lot harder. I've got fatigued a lot faster and been sore afterwards. That has not helped! But on the plus side, it seems to have had the desired effect. I got on Skype to my sister-in-law last night, having not seen her for six weeks, and the first thing she said was "you've lost some weight!". The other day too, while walking to meet some friends for dinner, I suddenly had a strange sensation around my stomach, like a blast of cold air. It took a few seconds for me to realise it was the gap between my jeans and stomach! Haven't felt that for a while ;) I was relieved that my indulgences in Cornwall didn't do too much damage!
Eating since I've been back from holiday has been as it was for the last month or so. Gluten free where possible, but I've enjoyed some nice loaves of bread (not all to myself, obviously!). Yoghurt is still my favourite food. I have salad with lunch and dinner where possible. I've stopped the second helpings and late night chocolate scoffing (for the most part, there has been the occasional Doubledecker!). But that's about it. I'm drinking more coffee, but that's probably because I bought myself a bag of Monmouth house espresso beans while I was in London last week and am now quite addicted.
I did heaps of yoga and core work while we were in Cornwall. Our cottage had a lovely garden and courtyard where I could set my mat up in the early morning sunshine. On a trail run last week while I was doing a rather gruelling downhill bit I actually felt my upper body and core lock as I ran down and felt all the pressure that had been on my knees and thighs travel up there, almost like magic. I felt so invincible and strong! But afterwards......so, so sore. I felt a dull ache all across my lower back most of that day. I got Tom to rub it with some Joint Ace gel and I also devised a yoga practice made up of poses that are best for lower back pain and they all really helped. Once again yoga seems to have helped me stave off injury :)
Despite not feeling as fit this time around I am really looking forward to Saturday. I love the atmosphere of a race. And conversations with fellow runners have me reassured that the usual adrenalin will kick in and that will get me through if nothing else!
Otherwise I'm being kept pretty busy - there's lots to tell you and catch you up on.....so, back to the pile :) More soon! xx
One very enjoyable aspect of blogging is being asked to take part in super cool blogger challenges like the TOTAL Recipe Treasure Hunt!
To celebrate the launch of their new recipe collection 1000 Ways to enjoy TOTAL Greek Yoghurt, TOTAL are holding a treasure hunt of 30 of their recipes, hidden away in various corners of Blogland. If you'd like to win an Ultimate Chef's Kit (including a Magimix blender, Victorinox knife set, pans, pestle and mortar, electronic scale and loads more!) all you have to do is go to their Facebook page and have a look at the map where you'll find clues leading to 10 of the hidden recipes and over the next few weeks, TOTAL will be posting additional clues on their timeline for the final 20. The more recipes you find, the more times your name goes into the draw and the more chances you have to win!
We bloggers taking part were asked to choose a recipe from the list of 1000 (no easy task, believe me - my shortlist had about 30 on it!) and then cook it and share the results. After seriously considering the peanut butter yoghurt parfait (which I'm think I'm going to make anyway!) and the amaretto fudge cocktail (ditto) [after the half marathons, obviously!], I finally settled on.......
Roast vegetable, feta and yoghurt moussaka
Serves 6
500g TOTAL 0% Greek Yoghurt
2 yellow peppers, sliced
2 red onions, cut into wedges
2 medium courgettes, sliced
1 aubergine, sliced
100g butternut squash, sliced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
500ml tomato passata, or pasta sauce
2 tsp dried oregano
1 small can butter beans cooked
2 eggs, beaten
100g feta cheese, crumbled
Salt and pepper to taste
Paul Merrett's original recipe is here, what follows is my version. I found the moussaka needed more topping - maybe it was the size of the dish I used - so I used the entire tub of yoghurt and two eggs.
So, here is my version:
Preheat the oven to 180°C / 360°F / Gas Mark 4.
Coat a deep oven-proof dish with cooking spray and place the vegetables in the dish. Roast for 25-30 minutes or until softened and starting to turn golden.
Speedier version: Coat a pan with cooking spray and saute the vegetables until soft and starting to colour. If you like, you can place the onion wedges in a deep oven proof dish and bake them while you cook the rest of the vegetables on the stove-top. This is what I did when I realised, with guests imminent, I would have to get the ball rolling very quickly!
When the vegetables are cooked, combine the vegetables, garlic, passata sauce, oregano and butter beans in the deep oven proof dish. Bake again for 30 minutes.
Whisk together the Greek yoghurt and beaten egg in a bowl or jug and season.
Remove the dish from the oven and top with the yoghurt and egg mixture, spreading evenly to cover. Crumble feta cheese evenly on top and bake for another 20 minutes, until golden. I found finishing it under the grill just to get the top puffy and crispy was a good idea - about 5 minutes on a high heat should do it.
Serve with a fresh and crispy green salad.
This was an absolutely delicious meal - my guests went back for seconds! It was a really light yet very comforting version of moussaka. I'm a huge fan of using yoghurt instead of cream in cooking and this one is a real winner. Definitely one to make again.
This mantra occurred to me on Saturday afternoon while I was doing my long run for the week. I had been up quite early but had farted about in my usual manner! Once I was finally on my way it was very warm, my mind was thinking about errands and other things I wanted to attend to once I'd finished my run and I was regretting not having got it out of the way earlier. About the 4km mark (with about 10 to go!) I said almost these exact words aloud to myself, through gritted teeth! And then I thought "what a great idea for Monday Mantra!"...so in many ways it was worth it ;)
I have been quite good lately with getting up and going for my runs early and Saturday's was my first afternoon run in a while. I think I much prefer being an early bird when it comes to workouts....even though I am a night owl through and through. Can you ever change this about yourself, I wonder? Has anyone ever successfully made the transition? How did you do it?
I think this mantra can be applied to anything you might not be particularly looking forward to but will reap the benefits of having completed. Now I will attempt to apply the same philosophy to filing my tax return....
A little while ago I asked SLSB fans on Facebook about their favourite power tracks to run/work out to. Lots of people responded and I put together a playlist of 13 tracks that are fabulous to run to! The tracks I picked are:
Rock Star (Jason Nevins Remix Edit) - N.E.R.D. Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger - Daft Punk I Like How It Feels - Enrique Inglesias Straight Lines - Silverchair Where's Your Head At - Basement Jaxx Knights of Cydonia - Muse All Of The Lights - Kanye Lose Yourself - Eminem Catch - Kosheen Super Massive Black Hole - Muse Shoot The Runner - Kassabian Joker And The Thief - Wolfmother Alejandro - Lady Gaga
This is the order I had them in - I know 8tracks mixes it up once you've played it once the whole way through - so the idea is that you started with my favourite, guaranteed to make you feel like a rock star song (!) and Lady Gaga is designed to be the cool down.
I enjoy having the mix on around the house too, it's a surprisingly (well, maybe not so surprisingly!) motivating mix to have on while working. Most of the songs I had heard before but I had never thought of running too, and they're fabulous! Silverchair's "Straight Lines" is particularly good on those long bumpy trails. I love having new music to listen to on a run, it's one of the best rut-breakers I know!
I am working on Part 2 as we speak, which I'll hopefully have ready for next Saturday's race!
What are your favourite running/work out songs that get you pumped?
Today I turned on my laptop for the first time in ten days! Can you believe it?! I've not had a break like that for years....possibly ever. It did me the world of good.
Tom and I have just come back from a week in Cornwall which was utter bliss. We rented a small stone cottage in a tiny town just outside of Padstow, which was a great base to get to beaches and lovely quaint Cornish towns. I ate and drank as if calories didn't exist, gulped sleep, read voraciously, and soaked up the sun, sand and surf as only an Australian deprived of the beach for nearly a year would.
On our last morning there, I felt inspired to make this week's Monday Mantra from the Scrabble cards we found lying around the cottage and enjoyed a game or two with. It was quite early in the morning, the grass was slightly damp, and the sun was blinding. I felt moved to write something very simple but that had been a constant reminder for me in the week we'd had away:
So, happy Monday! Pictures and tales from Cornwall to come :)
Bananas have been ripening very quickly of late in my fruit bowl. I usually get them a little green because I like them slightly under ripe - but they're going all spotty before I get a chance to eat them! Spotty bananas are great to use in porridge or to freeze whole for smoothies, but I think their best use is in something like this banana bread. This was my first time baking a cake with gluten free flour so I was not sure how it would turn out...the result was fantastic! The bananas make it very fudgy and moist. The trick with this particular cake is to let it sit before slicing and eating - so make it after dinner and let it sit overnight :)
The thing is, don't expect it to taste like a banana cake because it has a very different and denser texture. It hasn't really got a crumb. It's really fudgy and very filling. If you like things like Lara Bars and Nak'd bars, you'll love it!
Gluten free banana bread
Based on this recipe at allrecipes.co.uk
Makes 12 slices
75g butter or margarine
175g dark brown sugar
2 eggs
3 large bananas, mashed
200g gluten free plain flour (I use Dove's Farm Plain White Flour Blend)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Preheat the oven to 180 C and grease and line a 1kg/2lb loaf tin. Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs a one at a time, beating well. Then add the bananas and beat again. Finally, gently stir in the flour and baking powder.
Place the mixture in the prepared tin and bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes until well risen and firm. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool. Leave overnight.
You can eat it plain, or spread with butter/margarine or even, my favourite, with a bit of organic smooth peanut butter (try it! It's good!)
Can you believe I'm still going with the gluten free? I can't....but everything is so delicious I've barely noticed the difference apart from in how I feel. Gluten free pizza is the real winner - Tom requests it every Friday now :)
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