It’s been a long time since I posted a Fun Friday post so I thought I’d surprise you all with this gorgeous, but fun ’1st birthday cake smash’ photograph. Taken by Amelia at Cherry on Top photography, based in Australia. Her newborn and family photographs are simply stunning, you must check out her website.
Have a fun Friday and a great weekend!!
Hi and welcome to week 5 of my 5:2 diet. For those who are unfamiliar with my blog column ‘Can you have your cake and eat it?’ I’m undertaking an experiment to see if I can lose weight on the popular 2 day a week fasting diet ( known also as the 5:2 diet).
For those new to the fasting diet, the 2 days a week of fasting consists of consuming 500 calories a day for women and 600 calories a day for men. For the remaining 5 days of non-fasting, you are encouraged to resume your usual eating routine, so there’s no need to calorie count. You can choose which 2 days a week to fast on and it’s recommended that you have a break between fast days i.e. your fast days shouldn’t be held on consecutive days.
For those that have been taking an interest in this column you’ll know that I haven’t posted for a couple of weeks. This was due to taking an early Summer holiday with the family. As I mentioned in Week 4 I was thrilled to have lost 10 pounds in preparation for going on holiday, it really does make you feel better when your clothes fit well and you generally feel lighter.
I love food, and being on an all inclusive holiday I knew I was going to be eating more food than compared to being back home. The weather was unusually hot in Cyprus so I was happily eating lots of fresh salad, fruit and Cypriot food. There were various restaurants in the resort and they all served t0-die-for puddings, which often included chocolate ganache (see here for my recipe ).
As you can imagine I didn’t hold back on the desserts and I consumed (too many to mention) cocktails during the evenings. Hey, I was on holiday so I was prepared to have a weight gain. What’s the damage you’re asking… I gained a total of 3 lbs….
Once home I started back on the fast diet as soon as the Bank Holiday weekend was over. The fast days were Tuesday and the following Monday. I spaced the days out as I had various social commitments and guests staying over. I want to make the fast days easy and if I’m entertaining or eating out the last thing I want is to be restricted. That’s the beauty of this diet, it provides the flexibility to choose your days based on your schedule.
Fast days
Here are the menu breakdowns for the Monday and Tuesday fast days
Tuesday
Breakfast
Bowl of blueberries and strawberries 30 calories
Lunch
1 tin of Heinz Carrot & Coriander soup 160 calories
Dinner
Innocent Veg pot Thai Curry 318 calories
Snacks
Tea, coffee, herbal teas
Total 508 calories
Monday
Breakfast
1 slice of medium toast with butter 115 calories
Lunch
Sweetcorn & Coriander salad 85 calories
Dinner
Innocent veg pot Thai Veg Curry 318 calories
Snacks
Drinks: herbal teas, black tea, water, handful of blueberries
Total 518 calories
Diary of week 5
You’ll notice I’m slightly over the 500 calories on both days, but I’m not going to sweat over it. 
I previously had a 3lb weight gain due to my holiday, it’s encouraging that I’ve been able to pick up the fast diet routine again and at a time that’s been workable with my schedule. I think it would have been harder to kick-start a continuous 24/7 diet.
I apologise for my repeated use of Innocent Veg pots, I find them convenient, tasty and full of flavour. They are an easy meal option, especially when you’re cooking other (non-fast) meals for the family. Sainsburys regularly have a ‘buy one get one free’ so I can’t help popping a couple in the shopping trolley. So here are the results:
This week’s weight loss 3lbs ( 1.3kg)
Total weight loss 13lbs ( 4.5kg)
Total weight loss including gain 10lbs ( 5.9kg)
(from holiday)
So in summary I’ve lost the 3lbs I gained on holiday and am back to a 10lb loss on the scales. The entire weight loss would have been 13lbs if I hadn’t had a gain. I’m confident that I’ll lose a stone if I continue on the fast diet for the next week or two, which I plan to.
The recipe I’m sharing this week is sweetcorn and corainder which is inspired by the salads I ate on holiday. Salads don’t have to be boring, I recommend adding a fragrant lettuce, or spice to boost the flavour, also the riper the tomatoes the better.
Recipe ~ Sweetcorn & Coriander Salad ( Serves 1 approx 85 calories)
Bowl full of mixed lettuce (watercress, spinach, rocket, iceberg)
A handful of ripe cherry tomatoes
Several slices of cucumber
Half a tin (about 60g) of sweetcorn
2 tbsp of fresh coriander
a chopped celery stick
3 slices of red onion
Dressing: Try 2 tbsp of rice vinegar
Optional : a handful of grated carrot, 3 slices of pickled beetroot
Method
- Place the lettuce(s) in a bowl
- Sprinkle the coriander on top
- Add the sweetcorn in the centre of the lettuce
- Add the chopped tomato, cucumber, celery, onion
- Splash the rice vinegar dressing over the top
- Serve immediately
Have you heard the news? According to Thomas Cook In Flight magazine, a new London location is being sought for a new 24 hour cupcake “ATM”.
The American cupcake chain ‘Sprinkles’ whose clients include ‘A listers’ such as Paris Hilton and Oprah, opened it’s first cupcake ATM in Beverly Hills last year and London is in the frame to have cupcakes on tap 27/7.
Would you buy cupcakes from an ATM?
Do you think something like this could work in London?
I’d love to hear your comments below.
Image via Thomas Cook In Flight Magazine
Don’t you just love dark chocolate ganache? It’s one of my favourite toppings for chocolate cupcakes and chocolate cakes. Whilst on a family holiday in Cyprus recently, I noticed that the hotel we stayed in regularly served chocolate ganache in one form or another in it’s desserts. I am pretty certain that it was made using the same % of cocoa solids in the chocolate as I use (53.8%), as it tasted the same as the recipe I use at home and in my chocolate classes.
Chocolate ganache is so simple to make, it uses a combination of cream and chocolate. It tastes so decadent, grown up and almost naughty.
In it’s fluid form, you must use it quickly as it will begin to thicken and set. I usually take a tablespoon or two and literally spoon it over a chocolate cupcake. Within ten minutes it will set enough to add any further decorations on top, or you could just take a big bite? I know what I’d rather do…
Recipe for Dark Chocolate Ganache (for topping 12 cupcakes)
200ml single cream
200g chocolate buttons ( I use Callebaut, 53.8% cocoa solids)
Method
- Place the single cream in a microwaveable bowl and add the chocolate buttons
- Microwave together for 1 minute, then stir
- Microwave for 30 seconds, then stir
- Repeat until the chocolate has melted into the cream, stir until smooth
Please note that the microwave I use is 900W, therefore you may need to adjust your microwave timings.
Enjoy!
Hi and welcome to week 4 of my 5:2 diet. For those who are unfamiliar with my blog column ‘Can you have your cake and eat it?’ I’m undertaking an experiment to see if I can lose weight on the popular 2 day a week fasting diet ( known also as the 5:2 diet).
For those new to the fasting diet, the 2 days a week of fasting consists of consuming 500 calories a day for women and 600 calories a day for men. For the remaining 5 days of non-fasting, you are encouraged to resume your usual eating routine, so there’s no need to calorie count. You can choose which 2 days a week to fast on and it’s recommended that you have a break between fast days i.e. your fast days shouldn’t be held on consecutive days.
Due to travelling longhaul the week before I did opt to miss a week of the diet as it didn’t make sense to fast whilst dealing with a busy schedule and jetlag.
I soon as I came back from my travels I immediately jumped back on to the diet so let’s see how I got on in week 4:
Fast days
For my fourth week I fasted on the Tuesday and Thursday. I’ll be honest and admit that after a week’s break from the routine of fast days I was hungrier than I had been in previous weeks. I guess this shows that once you fall out of routine, your body adapts to it’s new regime ( in my case eating American pancakes) relatively quickly. I drank more tea and coffee, and found that Twinnings Peppermint tea helps to keep you hydrated and less hungry. I also went to bed earlier and read on the fast days. I found that keeping busy distracted me from feeling hungry.
Here are the menu breakdowns for the Monday and Thursday fasting days
Tuesday
Breakfast
1/2 pink grapefruit 45 calories
Lunch
Carrot and Buttercream soup (1 tin) 228 calories
Dinner
Vegetable stir fry (300g) 111 calories
Mushrooms sliced 8 calories
ginger & garlic
Soy sauce
Snacks
Small clementine 35 calories
Tea, coffee, herbal teas
Total 427 calories
Thursday
Breakfast
1/2 pink grapefruit 45 calories
Lunch
1 banana 72 calories
Dinner
1 large breaded cod fillet 268 calories
1 large salad 50 calories
(tomatoes, lettuce, cucumber, pepper)
Total 435 calories
Diary of week 4
Compared to week 3 I found this week to be harder. The reasons for this I believe were related to travelling the week before and then attempting to revert back to a normal eating pattern. I guess the key lesson from this week is that if you have a very hectic schedule then perhaps this program may not fit easily into a busy lifestyle.
I’m surprised that I did have another loss, I thought I may have gained due to a week off the diet. Here are the results:
This week’s weight loss 2lbs ( 0.9kg)
Total weight loss 10lbs ( 4.5kg)
I have to say that I’m thrilled with the weight loss, and in little over a month I’ve hit my initial target of 10 lbs. I’ve had a consistent weight loss each week and I’ve still been able to eat normally on the non-fast days. I’d like to lose a stone in total, but I’m equally thrilled that I’ve lost the extra pounds for my upcoming family holiday. With this in mind, I’ll be back with a fast diet update on the 7th May. (next update will be on the 14th May)
No recipe this week, but my key tip for staying full is to eat half a grapefruit. You’ll notice that I have eaten grapefruit for breakfast on both fast days on week 4 and it’s definitely helps me to stay full until lunch time.
If you have any feedback, or if you’ve lost weight or are following the 5:2 fast diet then I’d love to hear from you.
Thanks Tracy x
This year I seem to be on the road more than usual. I knew I had some trips in the diary but I had no idea I would be flying over to a business conference in San Diego, California. It was a marketing conference that a friend of mine was already going to, and it was to be attended by the world’s top bloggers and online marketers. As my blog audience continues to increase, I was keen to learn from those with really successful blogs. It wasn’t primarily aimed at just food bloggers, there were bloggers from all industries and niches.
The conference was a real insight, the states are at the forefront of most things especially anything internet related. The audiences the professionals have on their blogs in the US is huge in comparison to many UK and European bloggers.
The trip was an amazing whirlwind of meeting some fantastic people doing some amazing things, whilst being surrounded in the beautiful city of San Diego. With an eight hour time difference and staying for only four days we didn’t really slip into the time zone. We were so busy and in awe of the place that we didn’t let jetlag stand in our way. In fact we even managed to track down the only cupcake bakery in San Diego, helped by the man in this picture…
A few streets away and we found ‘Heavenly Cupcake’ lounge and bakery.
We took a peek inside and I took a couple of pictures on my iphone of the cupcakes behind the counter.
Mothers Day was a popular cupcake theme, in the UK we celebrate Mother’s Day in March whereas the USA celebrates it on the second Sunday in May.
I didn’t purchase any cupcakes because I had just eaten this delicious (and large) Mexican meal
And look what I eat for breakfast earlier that day. Being a typical Brit I thought the pancakes would be the size of a small saucer, I nearly had a heart attack when I was served with 3 enormous buttermilk pancakes. I only managed to eat one which I drenched in maple syrup, and I think my face said it all when the server put the plate in front of me.
Until next time…
Happy Baking!
Hi and welcome to week 3 of my 5:2 diet. For those who are unfamiliar with my blog column ‘Can you have your cake and eat it?’ I’m undertaking an experiment to see if I can lose weight on the popular 2 day a week fasting diet ( known also as the 5:2 diet).
For those new to the fasting diet, the 2 days a week of fasting consists of consuming 500 calories a day for women and 600 calories a day for men. For the remaining 5 days of non-fasting, you are encouraged to resume your usual eating routine, so there’s no need to calorie count. You can choose which 2 days a week to fast on and it’s recommended that you have a break between fast days i.e. your fast days shouldn’t be held on consecutive days.
Before we get to week 3′s results I’ll give you some background on the days I fasted and a breakdown of my menu plans. This week I’m also going to share a Vegetable Chilli recipe I created too.
Fast days
For my third week I fasted on the Monday and Thursday, I find it helps to have a couple of days apart between each fast day. Monday is ideal as you’re more motivated at the start of the week and it’s over quickly. I also like the flexiblility of moving days around to fit around my schedule so I know that Mondays are never set in stone.
Here are the menu breakdowns for the Monday and Thursday fasting days.
Monday
Breakfast
1 small apple 23 calories
Lunch
None
Dinner
Vegetable chilli (see recipe below) 261 calories
White rice (35g uncooked) 124 calories
Snacks
Tea with skimmed milk x 2 20 calories
Total 428 calories
Thursday
Breakfast
1 medium bread slice toasted 88 calories
1 tsp olive oil spread 27 calories
Lunch
1 tin of Baxters Healthy Minestrone soup 89 calories
Dinner
2 egg omlette with salad 251 calories
Total 508 calories
Diary of week 3
I have to say that with each week that passes, this regime does get easier. The hunger panes are not as strong and pass quickly, and I even felt as though I could have exercised on a fast day as I’ve felt lighter and more energetic. So far I’ve refrained from any exercise on a fast day, as I thought this may encourage hunger. On a non-fast day I have a taken long walk or a light jog as I continue to feel more energised. Maybe it’s a mental barrier I need to cross in regards to lightly exercising on a fast day. I’m comforted in the knowledge that I can eat what I fancy afterwards on a non-fast day, but I’m open to experimenting so watch this space!
This week’s weight loss 2lbs ( 0.9kg)
Total weight loss 8lbs ( 3.6kg)
Here’s a recipe for the Vegetable Chilli, I found that the addition of kidney beans combined with a hit of spicy chilli, really helps to fill you up.
Vegetable Chilli (for 2 people) 261 calories per person
Recipe
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
½tsp hot chilli powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tin of plum tomatoes
200g fine green beans
215g tinned kidney beans
300ml (1/2 pint) of vegetable stock
Method
Drizzle the oil into a large saucepan over a medium heat and add the onion, garlic, red and green peppers, and saute’ over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes
Add the paprika and cumin to the saucepan and cook for a further minute
Add the remining ingredients and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes
Season with salt and pepper
Serve with boiled rice or fresh salad.
If you have any feedback, or if you’ve lost weight or are following the 5:2 fast diet and would like to share your story, then please tell us in the comments box below.
Thanks Tracy x
Following on from Part 1 of my recent visit to Paris, I wanted to share with you my trip to ‘Le Bon Marche’ which is one of the best known department stores in Paris. According to ‘Wikipedia’ the store was founded as a small shop in Paris during 1838, and began as a fixed price department store from 1850.
Initially it reminded me of Selfridges in London. On closer inspection, the decor was simply elegant combined with an air of French sophistication.
We casually browsed though the designer fashion departments, before heading towards the food hall.
The food hall caters for Parisians undertaking their weekly food shop, but it also has specialised sections selling food from around the world.
Their baking section was adorned with the most delightful sugar decorations that were shaped in handbags, teddy bears, the Eiffel Tower to name a few.
More unusual sugar decorations….
Not surprisingly, they had an extensive range of chocolates available that took up an entire section in the hall. The French love their chocolate and I wish we had the same variety back in the UK.
The patisserie counter was pristine, each product had been beautifully crafted and meticulously positioned to impress.
If you’re taking a shopping trip to Paris then I definitely recommend that you pay a visit to ‘Le Bon Marche’, you won’t be disappointed I promise.
Earlier last month I had the pleasure of spending a few days in beautiful Paris. The weather was pleasantly warm and spring-like, perfect for exploring the city.
Yep, that’s me courtesy of Mr S.
And how gorgeous are these buildings?
Oh how I love this city…
This was the view from our hotel room, it was seriously breathtaking…
Although we visited a few tourist attractions, Mr S and I were interested in sampling as much food as we could, so you could say it was more of a foodie getaway. Initially I wanted to book onto a macaron making course. Only one venue had a 2 hour course available on the dates we’d be in Paris. After making some enquiries and finding that no one was responding, we decided to use the time to seek out and eat macarons instead. I didn’t have to walk far to find them.
And where better to visit then Pierre Herme’s Paris Boutique, famous for it’s exquisite french macarons.
I bought a box of 7 macarons and they were without doubt, the best macarons I’ve ever tasted. Pierre Herme’ is renown for experimenting with unusual macaron flavours such as olive oil with mandarin orange, liquorice and violet, salted butter caramel, milk chocolate and passion fruit, amongst many others.
And there were macarons in many of the patisseries we passed by…
And one more..
Yes, I was in macaron heaven.
Happy Baking!
Tracy x
It’s the end of my second week on the 5:2 fast diet. As I mentioned last week I was wondering whether this regime would work over the Easter weekend, as I knew I would be eating out on at least three occasions over the bank holiday weekend.
Before we get to the results I’ll give you some background on the days I fasted and a breakdown of my menu plans. I’m even going to throw in one of the recipes I made. You’ll have to excuse the quality of the images as I’m more accustomed to photographing cakes than hot meals.
Fast days
I fasted on Monday and Wednesday last week and I also fasted yesterday (Monday), so you’d be correct in thinking that I’ve had three fast days in a week. Regardless of when I take the fast days, Tuesday each week is the day that I weigh myself to track any results. I chose to fast yesterday as it was convenient whilst travelling home, and working it around my schedule this week.
Here are the menu breakdowns for the Monday and Wednesday:
Monday
Breakfast
1 ruby red grapefruit 41 calories
Lunch
½ pot Fresh Carrot & Corainder soup 89 calories
Dinner
Mushroom & Aubergine Bake 336 calories
Total calories 466
Wednesday
Breakfast
40g Raspberries 10 calories
Lunch
½ pot Fresh Carrot & Corainder soup 89 calories
Dinner
Vegetable curry 280 calories
40g (dried) Basmati rice 100 calories
Extras
Milk in tea 10 calories
Total 489 calories
Diary of week 2
Week 2’s fast days felt easier than the first week. My husband is following the diet with me and he felt the same too. It helps if you’re having a busy day. If hunger strikes I reach for a hot drink such as tea, coffee or water and the slight hunger pang disappears within a few minutes.
On the non-fast days I had eaten more than usual as we were staying with family over the Easter weekend. This included 3 meals out (with wine), 3 slices of my simnel cake, a chocolate brownie and a couple of crème eggs. I did have a couple of long walks including a 20 minute run with my sister.
This week’s weight loss 3lbs ( 1.3kg)
Total weight loss 6lbs ( 2.7kg)
I have to say that I’m thrilled with this result after only 2 weeks. I have generally felt less hungry on my non-fast days and my cravings to snack are not as strong as they were. Again, it’s still early days so I’ll keep you posted in the coming weeks.
Here’s a recipe for the Vegetable Curry, it’s very flavoursome and packed full of vegetables and spices.
Vegetable Curry (for 2 people) 280 calories per person
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 medium aubergines, cubed
200g mushrooms, chopped
½ onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
½ green chilli, chopped
Pinch of cumin seeds
Tin of plum tomatoes
1 tsp turmeric
2 tbsp garam masala
2 fresh tomatoes, chopped
3 cardamom pods (seeds only)
Coriander to garnish
80g dried basmati rice
Method
Drizzle the oil into a large saucepan over a medium heat and add the cumin seeds to the saucepan. Cook the seeds for 30 seconds and then add the onions to the pan for a couple of minutes until they soften.
Add the turmeric to the saucepan and mix, then add the aubergine to the pan and cook for a couple of minutes.
Then stir in the garlic, chilli, fresh tomatoes and cardamom seeds.
Add in the tin of tomatoes and stir, then add the garam massala and cook on a low heat for 20 minutes. Finally add in the chopped mushrooms and cook for a further 10 minutes.
Serve with boiled rice and garnish with the fresh coriander
I’ll be missing out next week’s column as I’ll be overseas on business, I’ll be back the week after (around 17th April) with my next update. If you have any feedback, or if you’ve lost weight or are following the 5:2 fast diet and would like to share your story, then please tell us in the comments box below.
Thanks Tracy x
