The days are getting lighter and I’m getting heavier

How great that it is getting lighter day by day.  I walked though our local park recently and the magnolias are really getting carried away.

It is unusual here in Auckland but we have had a couple of frosts but it means the days are beautiful. It has been very wet though so I am searching the net for suitable things to plant in the garden beds in August.

I have cooked with scant regard to seasonal vegetables when on a good salary and made the mistake of making a yummy vegetarian dish from Libby Weaver’s Real Chef  book.

http://www.drlibby.com/real-food-chef/

However it required about 5 peppers, 2 avocados and 1 1/2 cups of cashews . Peppers at this time of the year are up to $3.00 each so this isn’t a cheap recipe in July. I need to think more carefully about buying seasonal vegetables for cooking. Weaver doesn’t use any bread, dairy, gluten etc so I decided to have a go at making my own tortillas  instead of using her suggested silverbeet to wrap the beans and salsa in. It was so easy! I will definitely do that again.

Just throw 2 cups of flower and a teaspoon of salt in with enough water to make a dough, rest it for ten minutes, divide into 8 balls, roll them out and do a minute a side in an oil sprayed pan. They were great for wrapping the leftovers for Bruce and Sam’s lunches.

While I love a lot of Weaver’s recipes, many of them are beyond the reach of middle income families. A friend made one of her desserts and it cost around 50 dollars. They aren’t all like that though.

The joy of cooking though , is in the sharing. I love to watch my son chowing down on a great big healthy vegetarian wrap.

I was really lucky too yesterday, as my friend Patsy went halves and gave me a delicious rhubarb ginger crumble with gingernut biscuit topping, mmmm.

I don’t want to introduce the topic of weight loss really because so many of us use an inordinate amount of time discussing it. My view is, if you don’t intend to do anything about it then shut up. and yet, here I am….

Despite yoga everyday, my weight seems to be steadily increasing. I put on a couple of kilos in France and then just haven’t been able to get rid of them. I really thought healthy eating at home would work. I just can’t face Weight Watchers or dieting so I am going to try to do at least thirty minutes walking a day and write it down at home. Here it is for all the world to see….

Off to the library in Browns Bay and a walk along the beach for thirty minutes.

Have a good week. FG