Return of My Heart

I sometimes feel as if my life is just an endless round of the same activities, my own personal Groundhog Day.

Wake at 6, up at 6.30, try to leave by 7 (but always leave later), spend ages in traffic, walk to my office, work for 9-10 hours, walk to car, drive home, cook dinner, eat, watch a bit of telly then pass out.

I do have an amazing view while being annoyed by the road works.

It could be worse. So then I try to flip that feeling of monotony to a place of positivity.

I’m so grateful for a safe journey back and forth to my work each day and for my reliable air conditioned lovely little Rhinomobile. I’m grateful I have a safe place to park and that I don’t have to pay out of pocket every day and have to wander round for ages looking for street parking, I’m grateful I have a loving family to cook for, I’m grateful for my warm, dry home and functional kitchen (it’s pretty ugly but I won’t let that dampen my gratitude). I’m grateful for a job in this economy. I’m grateful to have that routine!

I’ve stuck with Banting, resisting the random craving but mostly coping fine.

Sunday I never made it to the shops, instead I enticed Caitlin to stop on her way home. I found a yummy recipe on this Facebook Page and adapted it.

I layered chicken in a glass dish, then a layer of sliced mushrooms, then a packet of washed baby spinach. I mixed about 2 large tablespoons of cream cheese with a cup of chicken broth and poured it over. I baked for 40 minutes then added mozzarella on top and baked about 15 more minutes. To go with I made cauliflower mash and topped with mozzarella and baked it. It looked a right mess but it was very tasty.

Monday we had no proper food in the house so creativity was required. I just put together the last odds and ends. I made ‘tacos’ using gem lettuce as shells. We chopped bacon, mushrooms and peppers and fried them and made lots of guacamole and chopped tomato.

We had 1 sweet potato so we sliced it and fried the rounds in coconut oil. We made fritters with the last of the zucchini and cheese. It was tasty and filled a gap and complied with our low carb attempts. It meant no take away and that’s an improvement.

I have a new breakfast I’ve been eating all week as I was getting fed up with all the fry ups. It’s too much to have that much in the morning then lunch and dinner as well. This week I have had a container of full cream yogurt, sprinkled it with sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, nuts and cinnamon. Yummy.

Tuesday I stopped at the shop and got some food in for me and the girls. Shopping is so quick with Banting as I mostly hit the ends of the shop: the meat, the veg and dairy. Most of the stuff in the middle of the shop is full of sugar.

That night after I got home from the shops I took Cordelia home and then I made my own pork meatballs. I bought minced pork and put garlic, red pepper, onion, celery and coriander into the blender, then after finished I added to the minced pork along with 2 eggs and a sprinkling of almond flour then made into little balls and fried them in coconut oil til crispy outside and nicely browned.

I heated zucchini noodles and coconut cream, steamed broccoli and served the pork meatballs on top.

That night I popped beef stew meat into the slow cooker, added vegetable stock and seasoning and left it on overnight. The next day I steamed gem squash and served the stew in the squash. I fried mushrooms in butter and made brussel sprouts. It was a great way to serve the stew and all went well together.

Thursday the dogs were home alone while we were working and either they or the wind triggered the alarm and the security company kept ringing so I left work at midday and went to work from home. It was hot but I put on my fan and enjoyed my view.

My poor dead grass.

The next night I fried chicken and chorizo then when brown I added a tin of tomato and some fat green olives and grated fresh Parmesan on top.

I fried mushrooms and then threw in a bag of spinach.

I took the left over gem squash and puréed it with cream cheese. It all went so well together. The sweet creamy squash was a perfect balance to the earthy spinach and spicy acidity of the chicken and chorizo.
That night our illustrious *cough* leader President Zuma gave the South African State of The Nation Address. The promises are the same empty platitudes. We are in a crisis, the water supply infrastructure is in dire need of reworking, we are in a nation wide drought. Our electricity grid is unstable, the entire electrical infrastructure has not been properly maintained for 20 years and there is no visibility of plans for proper support and development or regeneration. The Rand is at its weakest ever. We need a leader. Zuma Must Fall.

Friday night we had Josh down and he offered to get pizzas so I had a Banting base one I just got cheese and tomato and then cooked my own chorizo to go on top.

Saturday I had to go into the CBD to get my hair done. It’s so relaxing and a necessary evil unless I want to grow out my zebra stripes. I think once I retire I will go my natural colour and let the grey come thru.

This week Norm has been in the UK. I’ve missed him lots. He’s such a supportive husband. It’s a lot to do both our chores when he is away, but luckily the girls help. Lily feeds the dogs in the morning. We feed raw so chopping up chicken feet and lungs when first awake is a challenge.

When Caitlin is home she helps with dinner. She also does the evening dog feed most of the time. I make sure we humans get fed and keep the house in check.

Last night the girls, Josh and I were all home so I made zucchini noodle pasta with prawn and chorizo in a creamy tomato sauce. I fried chorizo with a yellow pepper, an onion and 2 chopped chilies. Once done I threw in a tin of chopped tomato, a squidge of tomato paste and half a tub of creme frais. Once that was warm I added in the woollies prepared zucchini noodles and my thawed cooked prawns from Woolies. Heated it through and left the noodles al dente.

We just relaxed and watched movies Saturday night. While we were sleeping it rained a bit as we woke to a wet garden, however it was rapidly soaked up as the sun rose in the sky.

I headed out to the airport to collect Norm this morning at 11 and then we stopped on the way home in Constantia at Greens for lunch as neither of us had eaten.

After we ordered our food Norm disappeared into the little deli shop next door and came back with some beautiful Valentine flowers for me!

He is so sweet.

Neither of us fancied a warm, heavy breakfast as it is quite a humid day so we both opted for a Caesar salad, minus the dressing.

I had the bacon Caesar.

The bacon was very inconsistently cooked, some bits almost raw and some bits perfectly crispy. I was disappointed in the lack of anchovy. I avoided the breadcrumbs and the rest was suitable for Banting.

Norm had the Chicken Caesar. He polished it all off and we chatted and caught up with each other’s week.

The dogs were over the moon with excitement when they saw Norm. Navajo was crying and whimpering while galloping with delight. Panda hasn’t left his side.

They had a nap after Norm had a shower and changed from his winter clothes to shorts and a T-shirt.

Norm brought me so many presents from the UK. A new cover for my iPad, my Ghost perfume which is only sold in the UK, Touché Éclat concealer by Yves St Laurent, a James Bay CD and 3 books for me to contribute to Book Club as I’m hosting it on Tuesday. We found out it’s the wrong City of Bones but too late. Oh dear.

I’m so spoiled! It’s hard when your fave beauty products are either unavailable or incredibly expensive.

Our actual Valentines celebration was booked for 7, a dinner at Massimo’s in Hout Bay. It’s 5 minutes from our house. They put on a gorgeous Valentine’s menu.

For tonight, Banting be damned. I had a night of whatever I wanted.