Food I made!

I started cooking again. It's been a while. Life has been topsy turvy for a little while. I'm hoping for a fast improvement.

Anywho, here's some pictures of stuff I did recently and not so recently. I'm going to try to work out more. That's what they all say right? Well 2013 hasn't provided the suddenly inspired boost of life change that I wanted. It's not that 2013 has been disappointing but I always naively throw my heart into New Years. Then when that doesn't work I jump onto Chinese New Year and hope that it will give the whole new start thing another surge of hopefulness. But hope runs thin when it's cold and miserable. I want to try again and I will.

Listening to music helps. I got Jake Bugg's album and also a The Black Album by Metallica. I love the song 'The Unforgiven', it's melancholic, pessimistic and passionate. I like stuff like that. Riffs that punch you in the gut and melodies that give you that knot in your throat just before you burst into tears. Weird and mildly masochistic maybe but it's just the way I feel. That will be the song of the day. I think this is going to be a running thing. Song of the day. I know enough music for it to last for a few decades without repeating itself.

But yeah, this was supposed to be a foody entry...

Okay well I had a lot of cranberries so I mage ham salad with olives and feta with cranberries. And then cranberries and plum for dessert. It was a bit tart but sort of healthy.

This was delicious! It was lamb chops and an avocado salad with feta, olives, red peppers, mixed leaf salad and shredded carrot. It was a Friday night and I wanted a treat. The Pinot Grigio topped it off. I know that you're supposed to have red wine with red meat. But SUCK IT! I enjoyed my dinner!

You may have guessed the common theme is salad.

Well that's all I really have to say.

Bye!

Olives and Omega Three!

I'm trying my best to change the worst elements of my horrific lifestyle. Well it's not that bad. I don't chain smoke and inhale cheeseburgers, nor to I snort cocaine, chug gin and watch Jeremy Kyle. Things could be worse. That's not good enough though. I want things to be better. So I've started experimenting with my food and the way I treat my body. On the way I discovered 3 great things.

1. Olives

I used to hate olives. But I was desperate for a filler to add to a salad and I thought I'd try something a little different. Olives are full of fat. In fact the internet tells me that up to 85% of the calories found in olives are fat.

Health Benefits

On the bright side though they lower blood pressure and they are packed full of antioxidents, they help prevent cancer (the internet told me) and they also taste really good with poultry!

(If you don't believe me there it is!)
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=46

2. Wakame

My good friend Emi introduced me to this. Wakame is seaweed. The type I have at the moment it the dried version which can be found in most East Asian Supermarkets, all the ones I have been to anyway. All you have to do is soak however much you want in water for about 5-7 minutes and add it to your meal. It has a delicious sweet flavour. I've started putting it on my salads especially when using Salmon or Tuna.

Health Benefits

Wakame contains vitamin E, vitamin K, Iron and Calcium. It's good for your skin, bones, helps your blood to clot and also is really low in calories. It can help flavour food, so richer ingredients aren't needed. I think that was wikipedia talking. On the downside there is a lot of salt in it.

3. Jalapenos

Or if you prefer on a 'steek'.

I can't get that n. It really bothers me.

I'm training myself to handle spicy food. This is kind of helping me and they taste good on cheese and toast, in sandwiches or on salad!

Health Benefits

This is surprising. I was just going to say they're spice-tastic but actually they are good for much more.
They help to clear a blocked nose, stop a migraine, prevent cancer, help with weight loss and stop you looking like a wimp when you order nachos.

Check it out!

http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/6-health-benefits-of-jalapenos.html

Hey I made stuff!
Fried scallops and japanese rice with sweet chilli sauce.

Scallop and olive salad

Wakame chicken salad with olives, kos lettuce and sesame oil. Grilled bread with sesame oil.

I hope I can make more interesting things soon. I'm not the biggest fan of scallops so next time I'll use king prawns or squid!

Bye!

Spring!

I’m watching the satisfactory denouement of Geordie Shore. It’s silly that it’s gets me thinking about all the endings and beginnings of the days that have passed and will pass. All of the people I’ve been attached to and grown apart from. It’s sad to think of all those friendships and bonds now haunting me like shadows, just memories in the back of my mind. It makes you wonder what the future will bring; romance; heartbreak; tears of laughter; tears of pain- a tattoo perhaps.

Isn’t it exciting? Now that it’s officially spring there are horny birds swirling in clouds above us, everything begins to bloom including our hopes for a great summer. I like spring better than the New Year. There is more of optimism now in spring than in the half assed, hung over promises we make to ourselves at the start of each year. I will lose weight; I will eat better; I will be a Pokémon master.

I don’t want to do that crap again. That was January. This is March; April; May...this is spring. My favourite part of spring, or one of them is being able to take walks through Greenwich Park in a light jacket. The sun sets later so even after a later shift at work it’s possible to enjoy a little bit of extra sunshine. Watching the sunset from that special bench in Greenwich Park is one of my favourite overly romantic pastimes, reading on this bench with a coffee is a great way to build up to it.

Spring is also great because it’s cheaper. The warmer it is, the more enjoyable being outside is and the more we can enjoy galleries and museums.

I’m going to try in the month of April to hit one gallery a week and two markets a month for fruit or cute quirky stuff. After all, London has loads of markets to offer and I’ve only explored Camden, Greenwich and Lewisham. I would love to revisit these markets but I have to try Deptford, Ridley, Roman Road, Brick Lane, Dagenham, East Street and so many more! I can’t wait.

But until then I’ll keep taking my walks, keep doing Zumba, and eating salmon and olive salads.

I hope my friend will join me on these escapades, spring is always more enjoyable when your friends are there to share it with you.

 Bring on the cherry blossoms!