Day 31 ... SH day 5

The food at Butlins sank to a new low this morning when I went for my breakfast. I arrived and let the kitchen staffs know that had arrived. No less than 3 minutes later I was presented with some barely cooked row mushrooms and almost splattered tomatoes.

The mushroom looked visibly uncooked and I asked the waiter “seriously, would you eat this? Can you not see that this isn’t cooked?”  And I asked him if he could at least ask the chef to cook all into some oil with garlic and black pepper? The waiter took away the plate and when he reappeared, I had better looking tomatoes and healthier looking cooked mushrooms…

Frankly how these people remain in business is beyond me. I don’t know. Is it because we are Christians and are not meant to complain? By not complaining, these people think it is ok to serve us this rubbish and in our “Meekness” we accept mediocrity.

A the end my breakfast look like this with some sundried tomato and marinated aubergines

 At lunch time there was no surprises… you’ve guessed it OVERBOILED broccoli and cauliflower. I didn’t manage to have my lunch at lunch time as we were so busy on the stand. So, my lunch was eaten cold at 6.30 pm.

At break time, I went to Morrison’s in search of new flavours and came back with some Tahini, olive and garlic in olive oil and some sugar-free Dijon mustard. I also discovered that 99% of mustards jars I could find on the shelves had sugar in their composition... Wow!.

So, for dinner my concoction was made of he following: Ready-to-eat chestnuts, tahini and mustard, potatoes, over killed broccoli and cauliflowers, olives, sundried tomatoes… my dinner companion was a  very  hungry  seagull who watched all my movements.

It tasted really good. Tahini on its own isn’t that good, but with a bit of mustard it is just great. Tahini is the equivalent of peanut butted, but it is made of sesames seeds. Next, I will try it on a peace of cracker … it should be interesting.

Day 30… SH day 4

Today I decided to skip the resorts’ breakfast again. I wonder if anyone has spoken to them about the quality of their food here. It is amazing that, having traded for over 20 years, no one has taken them to task about their food; the vegetables are always over boiled, the fruits are bruised and at times you can find some starting to spoil… oh boy. I think I would have cried if I was paying for this with my own cash.

 So, skipped the resto’s breakfast, had a lie in and had some of my oatbran cakes with some tomato, fruit and redbush tea.

For lunch I had a plate of over boiled broccoli too ugly to be shown here.

And for dinner, I had some grated carrots collected from the restaurant at lunch time. To that, I added some grilled aubergine, sundried tomato and pickled beetroot eaten with a rice cake and a drizzle of flavoured sunflower oil from the aubergine jar.It tasted nice, but , I am starting to get tired of these unplanned mixes… just two days before I can go home and plan my meals properly. Can’t wait!

Only 10 days to go now before the end of this no meat, no caffeine, no sugar, no refined food, no deep fried food, no flour, no rice, no pasta extreme vegan lent.

The last days of anything can be a challenge and I hope that I won’t fall for anything until the end.

See you tomorrow.

Day 29… SH day 3

Today I decided not to go to the breakfast but instead had a lie in… I wanted to have a break from the tomato and mushrooms morning combo.

So waking up after 10 am I just had some fruits and redbush tea.

Having worked a bit on the stand this morning, I thought it was time I got out of the “compound”, go checkout the Morrison’s shop next door and get some supply, for the next few days. In so doing, I wasted too much time reading the labels and kind of missed my lunch break. With 10 minutes left, I just flew in the restaurant, collected a roasted potato and cauliflower, dumped it in my chalet, flew to the exhibition stand to liberate my colleagues who were on shift since this morning.

So, I had my lunch at 6.30 pm, which meant I didn’t have to worry about dinner.

For lunch/dinner which you can see here, I had baked potato, boiled cauliflower, topped up with roasted (jarred)  roasted aubergine and (jarred) Sundried tomato plus some olives and a little drizzle of sunflower oil from roasted aubergine jar.

Loved my concoction and it looked much tastier that what was served in the restaurant. I ate it cold but I didn’t have any choice and rather eat cold and tasty than… well what was on offer.

Something that I have notice is that I am really struggling to fit in my prayer breaks. Yesterday and today I was too busy when the prayer alarm sounded mid-morning and mid-afternoon… tut-tut

Day 28... SH day 2

Sunrise on Easter Sunday

Today is Resurrection Day… and Spring Harvest first celebration service was at 7am. I didn’t want to go, but my colleague convinced me to. She thought it was going to take place on the beach with people being baptized like previous years.  It turned out; the beach celebration of the resurrection was cancelled because it was high tide. Then, we couldn’t have communion because the seagulls behaved like vultures at times. I was aware of none of that until I followed the sound of singing which, led to a green… I was disappointed that the service wasn’t on the beach, but happy that I went to the service… in my jammies… lol

It tasted as it looks

Today our good friend Jozef the waiter and the chef kept their word. Within five mutes after I sat down for my breakfast, I receive from the kitchen my tomatoes and mushrooms; still bland… unfortunately I don’t trust them to provide me with something else as they might add in un-prescribed ingredients. My trusted friend the chunky tomato was there too. But, I suspect that if I am still on this diet after day 3 I might lose the will to live… getting bore of it now.

For lunch I had some boiled-to-death green beans, carrots and baked potato with fried onions…

My dinner

The tea time offers no alternative for me and for any possible vegan working on the events team. So I collected the tea and passed it on to whoever wanted it; sandwich, flapjack, chocolate cake and fruits. All I kept from my tea was the clementines and banana.

At lunch time I managed to sneak away some fresh salad that I could use for dinner. So, for dinner, I had a multi coloured salad with sweet corn and the flavoured oil from my chunky tomato sauce accompanied with my oat bran savoury biscuit.

One thing I am noticing now is that my digestive system has gotten used to these vegan meals and is functioning semi-correctly without help. Which is great! I think from time to time, I will take leave from my normal egg-caffeine-cream-butter-sugar rich diet. 30 days of veganism will help me to cleanse and restore my digestive system…

Happy Easter!

Day 27… Spring Harvest day 1

The breakfast was a bit of a challenge today. Given that most full English breakfast includes Tomato and mushroom, I assumed that I would only have mushroom and tomato. But, to my surprise, there was eggs meat and more meat in various forms, then, all the breakfast fruit or salads where bathing in sugar… After my first walk in the buffet area, all I could eat was citruses and my own fruit tea.

Then I decide to ask the team of waiters if there was some thing they could do for me as I was vegan, they said no and seem quiet unhelpful… I asked If the were at least some tomato they could fry for me. The first chef came out and said in broken English “no no we don’t have zat”! the whole team was Polish… So I let go. At this point in that room, I was the only black woman and I was making a fuss… 2 or 3 people were staring at my fruits plate with that “how dare she be different? I didn’t care. All my meal were paid for and I needed o eat.

Then the kindness looking waiter walked pass by, I spoke to him. This other waiter spoke a better English, he understood my predicament and got me an even more helpful  chef who, promised me that for the next week he will be cooking my breakfast and keeping it in the back for me. Result!

Ten minutes after the conversation appeared a plate of tomatoes and mushrooms… seasoning less and saltless. Thank goodness once again I had my Jar of tomato chutney. At the end I enjoyed this!

My dinner

I was a bit more apprehensive for lunch. The room was fuller with people and I really didn’t want to make the same thing I did this morning… I was so glad when I saw, baked potatoes, steamed red cabbage, boiled-to-death leek.

I couldn’t use any of the sauces provided as I had no access to the ingredients. I just took my plate as it was and added some fried onions… bob’s your uncle.

Tea time was the same as yesterday; sandwich, crisps, fruits. Gave away mine and instead ate this great salad that I had from Marks and Spencer’s. It constitute on Endamame soy beans, sugar snaps peas, green beans & coriander.

uuuhmmm.

Day 26… Good Friday - Spring Harvest.

Today is 29 March and is Good Friday. I had a great big breakfast with a great bowl of mixt fruits & red berries tea, an apple and oat bran cookie…

When I got to church, there was communion. I hesitated to take the bread and wine, but if there was a day to eat t and drink, it would be today. So, I took the communion. For the last 28 days, I had managed to skip few of these. Right after the service I was travelling to spring harvest in Minehead on the south coast.

The charity I work for has a stand at Spring Harvest this year and I had to go set up and spend a week there. Spring harvest is a Christian festival organised in Butlins sites for 3 weeks between March and April every year. This year I am spending week one in Minehead.

When I learnt that I was going to Minehead half way in my lent, I was a bit worried. I came here last year and I don’t think vegans would have much to eat here. What hope is there for an extreme vegan? For my lent, I excluded all products of animal origin included honey, excluded refined food items, rice pasta, bread, crisps, all sort of sugars. So, it is going to be really difficult to eat what Is on offer while I am here.  All my meals were paid for in advance, but I don’t think and going to make much of my vouchers.

Thank God that I had planned tuff to eat at least for the first day.  I packed a jar of my chunky tomato sauce and a jar of fried onions and thyme. Those two can make everything better. Ion my way I stopped at Marks and spencer’s to get their fuller for longer salads… most of them had either sugar, soy sauce (which contains sugar), honey, cheese or mayonnaise (which contains eggs). But I found a beautiful nuts and pulses salad with Quinoa, black eye peas, carots, broccoli, peas, green beans, peanuts almonds, pumpkin seeds, pistachio nuts, poppy seeds. It was fitting only if I didn’t have it with the included vinaigrette.

Thank God I had my jar of fried onion with me. Not only did the onions enhanced the taste of the salad, the flavoured oil brought the much needed vinaigrette.

To seal all that, I had prepared for the journey a tub of strawberries. I did really felt full.

When we arrived it was time for tea; Sandwich, yogurts fruit, chocolate bar, crisps tea and coffee… The only thing I can have from that beautiful buffet was… fruits. When I asked to have more fruit as I couldn’t take anything else, I was told no. I resorted to trade my sandwich, yogurt and chocolate bar with another volunteer in exchange of bananas.

For dinner after checking what was available, I resorted to just eat a full bag of roasted salted mixed nuts and one banana.

Let’s see what surprises await us for breakfast in the morning…  better take my jar of tomato chutney to the restaurant just in case.

Happy Easter.

Day 26… Good Friday

I have decided to steer clear of the blog for few days. I am leaving you to reflect on this song by Third Day. The song is called “offering”. I love Third Day because ALL their songs make me want to stop and just worship taking in every single word while they sing.

The name Third Day is a reference to the fact the Jesus rose on the third day after his death on the cross. The “offering” song is one of my most loved prayers… Enjoy

If you want to copy the lyrics, click here

Happy Easter.

Day 25… Grace to you

Earlier this year, someone dear to me got saved… I was in floods of tears when he told me that he went to church and something happened… Praise God in deed!

When I look back at how this brother used to mock me every time I said something about church or that he should pray about some of his trials. When I used to say that I am going to church mid week, he would say “again?”… Yup, the same guy got saved. Yesterday he called for a chat and was telling me how it is all going at his church and how he is discovering what it really means to be Christian…

If you can imagine a child who has been in a sweet shop for the first time, at their return, you ask them how it was. The enthusiasm in their voice and the imagery they conjure describing the shop is just… well, just a real picture. This guy tells me that he sang in the male choir in front of 300 person (he’s been saved less than 6 months)… He wouldn’t have been seen dead going in a church willingly. I guess that is salvation and the grace of God for you.

Now conversation flow much easier without me worrying that he might make fun of what I am saying. I had prayed so much for this brother. All he needed at the end was a little nudge from another person that the Lord had placed at the right place at the right time. Now I am so amazed to see this brother in Christ so enthusiastic… just like a new born… Isn’t God great? His grace, his grace, his grace is just… indescribable… This brother, being in the Kingdom today is just a miracle and my joy is just so… don’t know how to describe my happiness right now. I wouldn’t be so surprised if I find him preaching on the pulpit one day because of the way he is and the protester he was until now… God uses the most improbable people in his Kingdom… I can wait to see where this guy will end up… Lord you are AMAZING!

Often we pray for people and we are never quiet sure if it is all going somewhere because we cannot see changes in their behaviour or their belief. If you are praying for your dear friend, your child, your brother, your neighbour, your parents, do not give up because in good time, God will hear you and that person will come through. Keep praying, keep knocking, keep interceding…  No pray goes unanswered.

To encourage you I have found this song from Candy Staton, it is the only one I could think of at the time of writing this post. The song is titled “I thought you’d Like to know”

The lyric say:

I thought you’d like to know, All those night your paced the floor

Praying I would make it home alright. Believing God that He would some day save my soul,

Well He did, just thought you’d like to know.

Then I thought you’d like to know all those prayers you prayed for me, never one fell to the ground. I know sometimes it looked like I was a million miles from grace. But He answered your prayers and I thought you’d like to know.

O [mama] I want you to know I love you. Please forgive me for all the times I broke your heart

Every tear you cried for me, drew me closer to being free. I just want to thank you and I thought you’d like to know.

Keep prayin’!  Happy Easter!

Day 24… Waste not!

Well it is the end of the month; I have now ran out of most things. My best friend this week is the bottom draw of my fridge.

Last night, when I looked at it I found some lettuce, beetroots, carrots and few other vegetables mostly limp.

I hate throwing away food even when I do have cash. I think that fact contributed to my creativity in the kitchen too. When I’ve got tired fruits, I make compotes, Jams or coulis to top up natural yogurts.

When it comes to vegetables, you can make soups, salads or stir-frys depending on the level of

My herbs & seeds collecton

limpness of your vegetables. It is also always good to have dry herbs in the house like, herbes de Provence, oregano, thyme, garlic granules, white pepper and black pepper. If you can have Brazil nuts, hazel nut, almond, sesame seeds and poppy seeds. With a selection of those on your kitchen shelf, you will never go hungry.

If you are not sure what to do? Google your ingredients and see what others have done with it. Just try… it is my idea of fun obviously.

So, the biggest thing in my fridge today and on the menu was lettuce. I had it as salad for lunch and on the evening a made a lettuce and spinach soup accompanied with roasted parsnips for chewing.

To make the salad, I used some chopped lettuce, diced tomatoes and the last two beetroots, fiverandom black olives, two pieces of roasted potato and topped with roasted almond.  It looked beautiful, tasted as good.

For the spinach and lettuce soup, I had mainly lettuce. I only added Spinach because I wanted a very green soup. So in hot oil, fry onions, in goes your chopped lettuce, spring onions, celery, frozen spinach leaves, stock cube. Cook for 20 minutes, blend! Bish bash bosh, as Jamie would say. Job done.

Spinash & lettuce soup

For the roasted parsnips: Peel, spay oil, salt. Place in the oven at 180C for 20 minutes.

It is all ready. Simple & delicious.

Note: this soup can be served topped up with cream or coconut milk and eaten preferably with bread (baguette of course).

For the salad, just add shreds of roasted chicken or turkey. There are so many different flavours here, do not use a heavy vinaigrette. A squeeze of lemon, a pinch of salt and a drizzle of olive oil should do.

C ya!

Day 23… Outspoken

Last Saturday, I was invited to the opening of this new church’s building. At the end of the service the Pastor thanks all for coming and for supporting the church in their journey so far. I have known the church for the 3 years now. It has been a journey and they now finally have a Home. When it came to me, he described me as “…a person who says what she thinks. Anyone who give her a microphone should know that that and be ready…”.!, WHAT?! How do you know that?! I thought.

I wasn’t shocked by what he said, but more by how he knew it. When he then called me to the microphone, I discretely turned him down. See? I’ve got a really expressive face and it says what I think before I even opened my mouth. I couldn’t go up there all confused.

Those who work with me have to deal with this straight talk thing daily. If it doesn’t feel right, or half baked, I react there and then (unfortunate or fortunately). You see, I think that people spend too much time thinking about how to walk around the eggs shell on the floor. Me, I either walk on them, sweep them or carefully place them where they might be safe. I do no have the time or energy to avoid them at every single step, which works well for “British-ness”. Good! I am not Brit anyways.

My full African Name spells "revolution" and I think some of that is found in who I am… mainly about breaking unspoken, undefined, unclear rules. Besides I am French African. English not being my first language, it can be really difficult during an argument to find softer words to express my point of views. Seeing me in full flow once, Stuart Briscoe renamed me Battle Axe. Well, if that get things done, so be it.

Warning: If your are going to be one, own it. But know that you will not always have the backing of others who might agree with you secretly. If you are going to be outspoken, learn to think on yer feet. Not an easy road. Learn to walk it alone… Learn to back down when you get it wrong too and never say “I told you so!"... Tell your face not to be so reactive...

Since starting this journey, I m learning a lot of thing about me and about life in general… interesting road. 17 days to go.

On to happier subject… Food!

The best meal of the day was the ratatouille I had for lunch with a dry browned couscous.

Ratatouille are great to get rid of tied vegetables especially which is what I did. It is the end of the month, l am skint and had a collection of wrinkly vegetable and herbs in the fridge.

So, for my ratatouille the ingredient I found were: green, yellow, red peppers, leak, celery, Spring onions, revived carrots*, dying fresh tomatoes, 1 tin of tomato, chickpeas ,lame sage and thyme.

*to revive slightly dry carrots, just put them in water for 20-30 minutes and you will have new plump carrots.

Chop everything as you can see on this picture, them cook in your preferred order. Only add the tin tomato after all the rest has softened slightly. Do not cook the tomato in the way that there is still a bit of sweetness to it. For the rest, just be creative. You can always DM me for full recipe.

As for the couscous, I don’t like it plain. So, I roast mine in a bit of oil until brown first. It gives it very nutty flavour which I like. Once browned, just add boiling water, bit of salt then cover for 10 minutes. Separate the grains with a fork just before serving. Voila! :-)

Ratatouille & couscous

Day 22 … My bible is back

Turns out, I had left my bible at church. I was so glad to find it in the lost properties yesterday. I’ve had it for over 9 years now. The inside serves as a journal and I have written +highlighted most

My battered bible

pages… ahhh well come back beloved!

This episode highlighted something though… I blamed the devil last week when I couldn’t find my bible… really sorry for this time dear Lucifer… isn’t this something we so readily do as Christians? We automatically blame the devil for our own failures, lack of self-control and other inadequacies. I could write an essay on that subject… We reject the fault on the “prince of Persia” rather than checking ourselves. In so doing, we fail to admit that we are still “under construction”.

There is a good reason why I left my bible behind last week though; I was trying to duck to avoid an admirer. What is it with some men…  Be kind to them and they think that they have found the next Mrs. Now I know that I am “beautifully and wonderfully made”, but no thank you. And it seems we live in the same street as well. More ducking

Pepe le pew - Stinky. Sticky

then? Hate it when that happens. I have now changed the service I attend on the Sunday… still! Onwards and sideways.

On to the food; today for lunch I had what I called “Broccoli rescue” with dying broccoli and 3 random radishes which I have browned with onions quarters and topped with roasted almond flakes. This dish was inspired by one that I saw in the Sunday times last week. They called it broccoli and garlic...  

What you need to recreated this dish are: Fresh broccoli preferably, some radishes, one onion cut in quarters, 3 garlic cloves, half a stock cube & herbes de Provence.

Method: in hot oil, brown all the sides of the onion quarters, same for the radishes. Throw in your broccoli florets and minced garlic, season with the herbes de Provence and dust with your vegetable stock. Cook until the broccoli softens to your liking. Serve topped with the crushed roasted almond flakes. Voila!

My "Broccoli rescue"

For dinner I had a “mijote” of green lentils with soya meatballs. This a French recipe normally cooked with sausages, ham and gammon… yup all in the same pot!

For my vegan version, I have used soya meatballs which I have soaked in boiling water for about 10 minutes before frying in seasoning.

As for the lentils, they must be soaked for about 6 hours then boiled for 1 hour before they can be used in anything (that is if you are using the dried ones). You can see all the ingredients on the picture, go on try it. If you want the step by step recipe, DM me.

With so much good food around I don’t think I am going to be losing any weigh before the end of this lent… damn food!

Apologies of any traces of Franglish in my writing.

Nite, nite.

Day 21… Palm Sunday

“My life is not my own, to you I belong. I give myself to you. I give myself away so you can use me, I give myself away so you ca use me.

These are the words of a song by William MacDowell and it is also a prayer. It always challenges me when I forget that being saved isn’t all about me and that I was saved to serve in the Kingdom.

When I started my lent, I made la list of prayer topics for each week… but I couldn’t totally stick to it. Along the way stuff happened spiritually and made me change topics of prayer. The list is getting longer and longer as I pray for friends, family, work, health, spiritual stuffs, I am convince that by the end of my lent (12^th April) I would have left out topics that should have been added to the list.

You may think that it is hard to carry this out. All it takes is discipline and commitment. If something really matters to you, you will find the time to do it… I carry a bible around and have set few annoying alarms during the day to remind me that it is time for prayer. 5 to 20 minutes depending of how busy my days are.

Besides, the true sacrifice came from the One who let himself nailed on the cross so that I can be Free, The One who intervenes for me from the right hand of the Father. I am just so grateful to find a use in the Kingdom and to pray for those who are yet to find the Lord.

My greatest desire is to be useful in the Kingdom or more useful should I say. I feel slightly disappointed by my lack of boldness when it comes to talking to the Homeless I serve about the Kingdom. Thank God the other volunteers are bolder in bringing them the Word weekly. I hope to be more able to share when we start helping in old people’s home soon… may be it is just not my gift to share but just to be… which one do you think I should pray for? no idea yet...

Today I didn’t do to morning service I have been running around so much lately and needed that quite time. Some of it meditating on the Word and this mammoth task I have set to myself.

For breakfast, I had some of the cookies I made yesterday with a red fruits tea. Over this week end I also revisited and old grandma recipe. I remind me of my childhood with mammy KoKwa, my paternal Grandma. It is mashed ripe plantain with red kidney beans, palm oil and a dust of salt. (My love for sweet and salty might actually be coming from that now that I think of it).

Plantain, beans, palm oil, salt

This is the simplest recipe in the world and is the last meal I would ask if I was about to die. It is sweet and salty and really comforting… what can I say. No matter how adventurous your pallet may be, there is always a meal that says “I am home”! For me this is the one.

pounded palntain

Its nutritional value isn’t bad either. Check this out; the plantain contains vitamin B6, Vitamin A and C. The kidney beans protect against heart diseases, and a great source of protein. As for the palm oil it contains vitamin E, beta carotene, co-enzyme Q10 … According to a Portuguese explorer palm oil smells like violets, tastes like olives, has a colour of food blended saffron”. It is not be used by amateurs.

See you tomorrow for day 22. Thanks for reading.

Day twenty… halfway treats

Whoo hoo! I am officially half way in my lent… yes you are right I didn’t start on the same calendar as everyone else. Refer to the first post and day 14 post.

So, for this halfway mile stone, I wanted some vegan “BISKITS” to celebrate. Besides I also promised those who were going away for Easter that I would make them today. So, I have made some savoury biscuit that you can eat with the chunky sauces/chutneys (recipe on day 11 & day 13 blog posts).

Here they are; savoury oat bran biscuit with ginger & rosemary (salty) and currants cookies with oatbran, grapefruit zest and rice milk (sweet).

To make the savoury biscuits, you will need:

1 glass of rice milk

1 glass of oat bran

2 table spoons of sunflour oil

1 tea spoon of grated ginger

½ tea spoon of rosemary

1/ 2 tea spoon of salt

Method: in a mixing bowl, pour your oatbran and the milk. Mix well and leave it for 20 minutes for the bran to absorb the milk. After, add in the ginger, rosemary, salt & 1 table spoon of oil. Mix all well.

Preheat the oven at 175 degrees for 10 minutes. In a ceramic baking dish, spray the rest of vegetable oil. Then, use a tea spoon to form your biscuits as you wish. With the

proportions above, you should obtain 18 to 22 small biscuits. Put in the oven to cook for 40 minutes at 175 degrees.

Once the time is up, get the biscuits out and lay them on a separate plate to cool.

It is ready. You can eat it alone or served with one of the chutneys on days 11 & 12.

Note: unlike normal flour, oat doesn’t rise at cooking. it is slightly compact and gummy. It therefore needs longer to cook and allow the centre of the biscuit to dry completely. Feel free to replace the ginger or rosemary with your preferred spices.

To make the vegan currants cookies you will need:

1 glass of oatbran

¼ glass of rice milk

2 table spoons of sunflour oil

1 apple (your choice)

A tea spoon full of grape fruit zest (didn’t have lemon to hand)

A hand full of dry currants. & 1 pinch of salt

In a mixer, blend together the peeled apple, grapes, half of the currants, 1 spoon of oil, and half the milk.  Once blitzed, pour the melange in a mixing bowl and add in your oatbran. Mix it all well; add in the pinch of salt and whole dry currents. Leave the paste aside for about 25 minutes. For the bran to absorb the liquid and soften.

Preheat the oven at 175c.

Once the paste is ready, use a tea spoon to measure the size of dough per cookie. Shape your cookies and place it on a baking dish. Don’t forget to spray the rest of oil on your baking tray before placing the cookies on it.

Place the tray in the oven and leave to cook for 40 minutes. Mine got slightly burned because I forgot how easily the sugar can burn, so, keep an eye on yer cookies.

When time is up, get the tray out. Put the cookies on a plate upside down to cool. Upside down because cookies are slightly thicker, this will allow the bottom of the cookies to finish drying.

They actually taste really nice. You wouldn’t know that no butter, eggs no sugar were used to make them.

I will definitely make them again with coconut milk. Keep your eyes peeled and let me know how yours tastes. C ya!

Day 19... Going away?

Wow 40 days of special food regime… One thing that you may not consider when deciding to eliminate some items of foods from you diet is, what would happen if you decided to go away for the weekend or take a sort break… No tea, no coffee, no sugar, no flour, no rice, no pasta, no biscuits, no deep fried food. How do you deal with that if you are not even going to have the possibility to cook your own food while away?

My solution? Do not go away! But if you are a certified vegan you would know how to deal with those situations. For me? I’d prefer not going away at all.

For some this is the season to take short breaks with partners and children, You can’t cancel the break unless every body is on the same regime or has the same concerns as you.  So here is what you could do. Be prepared. Make some chutney or dips in advance. On this blog, you will find two savoury chutneys; see day 11 and day 13. And to accompany them, make some savoury biscuits out of fruit and oatbran. For snack, make some cookies out of oatbran and liquidised fruits… I am going to try making some tomorrow and will post the recipe later on the blog. So, do check day 20 blog. Pack all that and you will feel safe until you find what you can and can't eat what you get to your holidays destination

I am still trying to lose the 3 pounds gained during the last 18 days and the best I could do was not to consume banana at all day today.

For breakfast I had my beloved oatbran with rice milk… without fresh fruit. Yuk! This is getting hard. I need to cut down on fruit as they are full of calories and sugar too.

For lunch, I had some microwave steamed French beans with a special sweet and salty chutney and crushed walnuts.

To make the chunky sauce, you will need 1 beetroot, 1 yellow plum, 1 half onion,  5 garlic cloves, 2 table spoons of vegetable oil or olive oil, 1 small tomato and a hand full of dry raisins… I love sweet and salty stuff… even my pop corns are sweet and salty.

So, chop all the ingredients, fry the oinion with thyme until caramelized, throw in the rest of the chopped ingredients. Cook until soft, mash it a little bit and ad a bit of water to make it saucy, then crush half a vegetable stock into the mix. Leave to cook for another2 minutes don’t let it dry off. It is ready.

Steam the French beans separately for 5 minutes in the microwave, serve them topped with your chunky sauce and then add the crushed walnuts. Voila! Enjoy.

Sorry had to make it short tonight. It is soup run night it is raining and it is cold out side...bbbbbbrrrrrghgghh!

See you tomorrow.

Day 18th… Getting rid of extra pounds

After yesterday’s realisation, I have started a pounds shaving “diet”… laughable isn't it? But I do hate the idea of having gained gain that much in so little time. I am naturally already 10kgs over my normal weight but, I hide them well given my height. Having more on top of those 10kgs is a NO NO!

Since I started lent, I haven’t been exercising either because that time is now taken by the cooking the photos, the prayer times and the blogging.

I’ve no particular plan on how to get rid of those 3 pounds, but I am going to try really hard. So, in good faith this morning, I had a really light breakfast a grated pure ginger tea… I grated my own ginger and stirred it in that silver thing you can see in the picture. With the tea I had half a grapefruit and a bit of dry raisin for the sugar kick.

For lunch, I had this beautiful buckwheat tabouli.

To Make it, you will need: pre-cooked buckwheat, fresh coriander roughly chopped, olives, fresh broccoli finely chopped, grated carrots, a finely chopped tomato, some chopped dry currants, a bit of salt a small amount of vegetable or olive oil.

Just mix all the ingredients in a bowl, add salt and oil as the last elements to the tabouli. If you prefer your tabouli sharper than saltier, squeeze some lemon juice on it just before serving.

Shopping: Since starting this blog, I have been no where near a health food or whole foods shop yet. Most of the stuff that I have used can be found in out every day supermarkets and corner shops. If you want to buy like buckwheat, quinoa, bulgur, nuts, seeds and those kinds of things, whole foods shops are too expensive. You will find most of them in the whole foods section or world foods aisles in Tesco or Sainsbury. The big Tescos have a wider range.

Measuring ingredients: You would have noticed that I rarely give the quantities/proportions of ingredients used in preparing my foods. I tend to make it up as I go. The good thing about loving food is that you know the ingredients that you like and those you don’t. Since starting the blog, I have put a note book in the kitchen so I won’t forget what I have used…



My ideal kitchen



But I do hope that being unable to work out the proportions will not prevent you from trying some of the foods on this blog.

Know that the kitchen isn’t an enemy but the friend who keeps you away from the fast food and prevents you from eating the horse meat that you didn’t know was used in your meal.

The meals on the blog: I am trying to only post pictures of dishes only once on the blog. You will hardly find two posts about the same dish. If I don’t mention what I eat at breakfast, lunch of dinner, it is probably because I had a leftover or cooked a dish that is already on the blog.

Prayers: I now pray 3 time a day and managed twice in 18 day to bless my food,,, that is a start in my books. I am not mentioning the subject of prayer as they are getting more and more personal.

The end! :-)