Tip-Chasey and a Moment of Great Elegance

I like to think I move with some degree of gracefulness, despite my family often comparing me to animated teddy bears or penguins in various television shows or movies. I know that when I walk, there’s a bounce in my step which can apparently be translated into catwalk-style movement by swaying my hips from side to side, except that when I do that, I feel like some sort of exaggerated, rounded Mata Hari-type person. So bounce I do and it gets me from place to place tolerably well most of the time.

Today we had a list of things to do but first, it was time to play Tip-Chasey. Most people will have played this at some point. One person is ‘it’, they chase everyone else and when they tip someone, that person takes over as ‘it. Clean simple fun.

There are lots of variations and today, we played the one where someone stands at ‘home’ (the big tree in the yard) and everyone goes to hide while they count. When they’re finished, they go and look for the other players and everyone tries to get ‘home’ before they’re caught. We played a few rounds, worked out the finer details, tried to outrun each other. Needless to say, I got caught over and over again. Until…..

The tree which was ‘home’ is in the back yard, so I, feeling very clever, went out the front door and climbed over the fence, then ran back towards ‘home’. I almost made it too, Zac close on my heels, but for the slope we were pelting down

I tripped, and like Jerry Lewis in slow motion, fell over my feet, arms and legs like windmills and came skidding to a halt, on my stomach, on the grass. Oh the ignominy. Because having ascertained that I was okay, they laughed their faces off, doing action replays, describing it again and again, laughing some more.

Right, I was going to win the next one! I found a perfect hiding spot, waited until the seeker, Andy this time, was engaged in a different part of the house. Then I burst from my hiding spot, and before they had time to react, I had made it onto the back verandah, vaulted down the stairs and was leaning against the tree, clutching at my breast. I’d won and victory was sweet! Except that on the way down the stairs, I’d somehow caught my breast on the corner of the railing as I’d jumped and I was leaning against the tree because I was in the middle of keening with the pain of it.

We stopped playing soon after that and went to the movies instead but I can be graceful, truly…..sometimes…..

 

Dinner tonight was the roast beef I was going to cook last night, which brings me to Day 6 of my challenge. I’ll have to think of another one for when this one’s finished…..

Roast Beef

 

 

Best Fish Pie

This is Day 4 of my week long, self-imposed challenge to post each evening’s dinner here. It’s a thinly-veiled ruse to get myself back here and writing, after a few weeks off and it’s working. Hooray!

I’m excited about tonight’s dinner. It was REALLY good! On a scale of one to ten, Andy gave it a twelve….and it wasn’t just dinner tonight, oh no. In a departure from the norm, I made dessert as well and Zac could barely pretend to be interested in dinner, with the prospect of Apple Crumble to come.

First though, dinner. It was Fish Pie, from a Jamie Oliver recipe and truly, it was the best fish pie I’ve ever eaten! When I thought to make one, I was imagining wine and cream and cheese but his recipe is so much simpler and more healthy. It has grated carrot and spinach and other delish things. The fact that it was better than any other I’ve tried as well was such a bonus. Later, taking a plate to the kitchen, I saw Andy scooping the last mouthful from the dish “Just making it easier to wash up” he said, looking for any that had been missed. I don’t blame him at all, it was awesome!

 

Bare Ingredients. I forgot to put the lemon into the photo..

 

 

 

 

Uncooked and ready to be covered with potato.

Ready to be cooked

I should have taken a photo later. Not a scrap left.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And so to dessert.

Over at Conor Bofin’s Blog ‘One Man’s Meat’, I read a Rhubarb Crumble recipe and it looked so yummy, I decided to try an apple one for us tonight, after all our hard work. I modified the recipe, since I made them in small, individual ramekins, so needed less of everything and used apple instead of the rhubarb, obviously.  Even before they were cooked, the apples were aromatic and sweet and yumptious and afterwards….Oh afterwards, they were sublime.

I’m not even kidding. Best dessert in years! It was served with a dollop of cream on each one but I could easily have gone without it, I discovered.

 

Isn’t it pretty?

I love this little cutter, it made things so much quicker.

The Apple Crumble…..mmmmmm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 4, complete 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Legs Like a Lamb

Have you ever seen a newborn lamb? Or maybe a calf? Come to think of it, any of those newborn creatures that lift themselves delicately to their feet so early and totter, fall, stand again. Determined but oh so tender and wobbly?

 

Like this….

That was me today, after yesterday’s walk and this morning’s gym workout. Oh it felt wonderful at first but half an hour after leaving the gym, I sat down. Standing, for the rest of the day, became one of those faintly farcical manoeuvres, done carefully and with much thought, until my muscles warmed sufficiently to get me to the next place.

I know it’s just a function of exercise and I drank water and stretched and all those good things but I still made those little noises every time I stood up. Somehow, it mitigates the pain. I don’t know, don’t ask. 🙂

Anyway…. at the gym today, they were doing sign-ups for a challenge and before I even knew what it was about, I signed up. Nothing like throwing myself in at the deep end for getting me going again… Turns out, it’s a month long challenge, weigh-ins every week, the aim of which is to lose 5 kilos. I forget what the prize is, nothing very full on but there was a buzz in the gym and it added to the general air of fun and positivity. While I was doing the circuit, I found myself working just that little bit harder than usual, which of course is the point.

And so to tonight’s dinner. Another simple dish tonight. Chicken breast fillet, butterflied, or whatever that cut is where you slice it as though you’re opening an envelope. Served with steamed broccoli, carrot and potato and a tomato sauce. I used garlic salt and a little olive oil to cook the chicken and it was savoury and gooood.

 

 

Day 2 Chicken and veg

 

 

 

 

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Walking and Dinner

Such an original title for this post. I’m on fire today!

Actually, I’m really tired because coincidentally, just as I finished last night’s post, I got a message from Dawn, inviting me to walk. We decided on today, after work and then walked along the coast together for almost two hours, stopping now and then when I was puffing too hard.

There are hills!! 🙂 Seriously though, a few weeks without a proper walk and I’m puffing again. Far out! Still, it was great to catch up and we talked as we walked and we laughed between ragged breaths (Mine, not hers. She was breathing with incredible ease, even when we reached the tops of hills!).

 

Today’s walk, hooray

 

Tonight’s dinner was jacket potato with mince and cheese. Simple and hearty for a coldish evening. Although you can see kidney beans in the first pic, I left them out of the dish in the end. Also, I added garlic, salt and pepper and basil.

 

 

So that’s it. Day one of this week’s challenge to post every evening’s meal, making me accountable and mindful 🙂

 

 

 

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