I like to buy food magazines and take a great interest in the recipes. I rip out any that I think are interesting and that I might cook, and then place them in a pile that I never look at again! Well, I do try a few new recipes but on the whole, I will be honest, the pile of ripped pages just sit there. I eventually chuck them away!
A little while ago I read an article in the Delicious magazine which made me smile. It was all about making New Year resolutions and how we would probably get on better if we did something like make a different meal every month, or leave it until the spring when we are all feeling more motivated. Just enjoy the winter months and wrap up warm and cosy and relax instead. It struck a cord with me, as a person making many resolutions that fail after a few weeks. I have little will power and can't 'diet' to save my life. I like food and love to prepare it. I know I should stick to my father's 'little and often does you no harm' mantra and my parents are a shining example of elderly discipline, but I'm naff at it. Both my brother and I have addictive personalities. My brother likes his glass of wine, a bit too much I think. I've been there, when the one glass of red wine after dinner turns in to two, then three, and soon you are having a bottle a night. It's a big secret but many, many people do exactly that, and drink far too much. It's been happening for years. I stopped when I had to take medication for my arthritis. I can't drink with the tablets and I didn't find it difficult to give up the wine for a painless night of sleep. Maybe that was my saving grace? But I do like a piece of cake. I know I am overweight. My BMI thingy is probably too high. I am a comfortable size 16 and that's where my body happily sits. I can be a loose 16 or a tight 16 depending on what I have been doing, hormones, how much I've pigged out on a weekend, or even how I am feeling. If I want to be a smaller size I have to be really ridged about what I eat, and to be very frank I don't want to do that. I am being totally honest here. Don't get me wrong it's not all we eat. I do also eat a lot of vegetables and salads, and Neil and I cook from scratch much of the time. But we also like a cake or dessert after dinner and sometimes in the evening. It's all a balance, but I'm not as good as I should be about the 'balance' bit.
Still, I detract from what I was on about! The article in this magazine inspired me to bang off an email and I got a lovely reply straight away, which was nice. Since Neil has been out of work I haven't bought a magazine as I consider it to be a luxury, but it doesn't stop me flicking through them in a shop. Imagine my happy surprise when I looked through the February issue of 'Delicious' to see my email in print! Not only that but it was the 'star email'. (prize of £75 to spend in Majestic wines) Well I had to buy the magazine of course. I did mean what I said in my email too, so today is my 'cake day'. I'm going to try and bake it in a minute so it's cooked before I visit my parents later. I'll bake Neil's favourite, but I'll also make some flapjacks with a variation like seeds in so Neil won't realise. A new recipe. I'll get some healthy bit in there somehow!! It's far cheaper than buying any, and at least I know what's in them. Yesterday before work I trawled my place of work looking at the cakes and health bars, as I thought I would buy something instead of making it. Maybe it's because Neil isn't working that I am more aware of what I am spending, because I was horrified at the price. I suppose I've never really had to check the price before as we could buy what we liked pretty much. It's different now, and yes I admit I was not impressed. I didn't want to spend £2.50 on five healthy oat bars when I can make them myself, nor did I want to spend £3.65 on a sponge cake when I could easily make one for far less cost. So I'm off now to bake, and fill the house with the smell of fresh cake. A lovely smell, and one which may just wake up Neil :-). Have a lovely day...……
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