Month: August 2013

Diet Project Overview – With Infographic

Published on by Anita2 Comments

Trying out a new diet is never easy. Especially if it is so far from what you are used to. Some diets simply can not fit into a working lifestyle and for me it is very hard to find the time to eat properly. So I was looking for a diet where food does not drag me down, makes me totally sleepy, fat and unhealthy.

If you are a full-time working person you probably go to work early in the morning and finish late afternoon. You probably have a lunch break of an hour (in my country you are in luck to have one of those long ones) and that’s it for the day.

Let’s use my schedule as an example. I wake up at seven, get ready by eight and usually make it in to the office by 9. I have my lunch break from noon to one, and I finish work at six. Home by seven. If I don’t have to go to the shop. If I do, I am home by eight-ish. Cooking anything takes between one or two hours with all the preparing. Yes, I have watched Jamie’s 30 minute meals, but somehow I never manage to have everything prepared and given to my hands, so even those take an hour. Not to mention the whole lot of washing up. So I would have food ready by 10PM if I am quick.

Well, that is not really a healthy time to have dinner, is it? Even more, it is said that the best is to have dinner before 6PM. Who on Earth can do that?

So whatever I cook in the evening, must be the following day’s lunch, and I have to settle for the same meal for two days in a row if I don’t want to cook every day and go to bed at midnight. So for me, the only diet I can stick to is what I can squeeze into this tight schedule.

Processed food and fast food must be out. I am also not the kind of person who is physically able to count calories nor the one who enjoys starving. So those diets are out, too. Considering my options, I basically went for the manageable choice that could also solve my symptoms of bad digestion and sleepyness – gluten free. I don’t have to lose a lot of weight, 5 kilos tops, so I don’t mind it is not so radical, it not about the weight loss.

I have a list of things that contain gluten and I read the labels to make sure a desired product is celiac-friendly. There is an incredible amount of pre-packaged meat that is not suitable so I get all meat (excluding ham and cold-cuts) at the farmers market. I make sure I have plenty of veg and fruits at home, because I have „the nibbles” often. Millet balls and dried apple crisps are awesome for this. Popcorn can be eaten, too. Sweets are not prohibited, as long as they are gluten free. Apart from that, my biggest fear was loosing noodles. I am a huge fan of those. All kinds. Luckily enough, on the second day of my diet I found gluten free spaghetti in the local Lidl and this just assured me that I have finally found the perfect diet where I won’t miss a thing and doesn’t feel like something I have to do.

So I started it about a week ago. Did it once for a few weeks, but I must admit I did not do it properly. Suprisingly enough, I still managed to loose 4 kilograms. Two came back since, but I blame Lidl and their incredibly tasty choclet donuts I ate 3 times a week lately. Yes, I know, not a great example I am.

But this is a good start, and I ’ll keep you posted about how I manage it and what the results are.
For now, here is an infographic for you to learn more about the gluten free diet. It has some very useful info, but I still don’t agree with the part where it says this is bad for your overall health and should not be used if you are not diagnosed with celiac disease. Many people never get diagnosed, but feel whole new after going gluten free. In my opinion, it should not be used for the sole reason of losing weight, but to feel better and give more attention to what we eat. 🙂

The Ultimate Guide to Gluten-Free Living

Explore more infographics like this one on the web’s largest information design community – Visually.

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Dubarry Style Chicken

Published on by Anita1 Comment

So, it is blogging about food again. I love cooking and surprisingly enough, I cook well.

We have a line of amazing chefs in our family. As far as I know my grandmother inherited the recipes and the talent from her granny, and it had been continued by my dad and now, me. My boyfriend can stand next to me the whole time while I am preparing and cooking, and he says he gets hungry by looking and smelling only.

Dubarry style usually means a dish made with cauliflower and milk. If it involves meat, it is usually pork and Bechamel sauce is added. I have a traditional recipe from my Gran, which is extremely tasty, but I am not a fan of pork and have serious issues eating (or matter of fact, drinking) anything that contains raw milk. So I kind of came up with my own recipe, and it turned out to be really good.

Dubarry Style Chicken

  • Servings: 2-4
  • Difficulty: medium
  • Print

Shopping list 

–          Big, organic chicken breast

–          0,3 l sour cream

–          A smaller cauliflower

–          20 dkg cheese

–          Worchester sauce

–          Sesame oil (tastes absolutely fab, but can use normal sunflower oil as well, but make sure not to use olive oil, as it burns quicker)

For seasoning, make sure to have:

–          Rosemary (not ground!)

–          Marjoram

–          Salt and black pepper

–          Stock-cube (for chicken)

–          Fresh chives

–          Some roast chicken seasoning (not necessary)

Cut up to smaller pieces and wash the cauliflower. Put some water on the stove to boil and when boiling add the chicken-stock and the cauliflower. Don’t leave them in there for more than 5 minutes, it only needs to be half cooked. Drip them and let them cool.

Slice the chicken, aim to have longer slices and they are cooking well if they are as thick as your finger. Put them in a bowl and add the a pinch of salt, pepper, half of the cut up chives and if you have roast chicken pre-made seasoning, add a teaspoon of that, too. Add two teaspoons of the Worchester and the sesame oil, mix well. Make sure all the chicken slices are well-covered. Put them on the side for 10 minutes.

Empty the sour cream into a mixing bowl. Add a pinch on salt and pepper to it, the leftover chives, a teaspoon of rosemary and marjoram. Each. Don’t worry, it won’t be too spicy, as the sour cream smoothens the taste.

When all done, heat up a non-stick (ceramic, if you can) pan. Make sure it is sizzling hot. Do not put anything in there (no fat, oil or butter). Leave the heat on max for the whole time. Start putting the chicken in there. It only needs about 20 seconds per side, the middle should still stay raw. When all half ready put a few drops of sesame (or sunflower) oil in a roasting tin. Put the chicken in and carefully place the cauliflower on top. Pour the mixed sour cream on the cauliflowers and make sure to cover each one. Sprinkle the grated cheese on top generously.

Set the oven for 200 C and cook it for 15-20 minutes. By that time it should be soft and golden brown.

photo(2)

Enjoy!

Skype Easter Egg: A Kitty On Screen

Published on by AnitaLeave a comment

So fellow bloggers,

A workmate of mine has just found the perfect Easter egg on Skype.

If you press more than 3 buttons at the same time, you and the person you are chatting with both receive a cat as a message, and it disappears as you click somewhere or start typing normally.

Here’s the screenshot:

skype easter egg

Happy blogging all 🙂

laptopcat

Are We Ever Satisfied?

Published on by AnitaLeave a comment

So there have been not many (okay maybe none) blog posts last week, as I started to write my new book in my free-time. I sometimes start a book, but tend to never finish them. At times like these, I have about 4 or 5 days of a complete blackout, where I only have the urge to write but do nothing else. I am, unfortunately, not in the position to do this as I have to go to work, actually do work (:-)), and be a „housewife” at home. And how quickly it comes, it goes as well. Poooff, the Muse has left. So now I am stuck with 30 pages, a sketch and a vague storyline. I really like the story though, it’s just the flow of all those thoughts and creative (and sometimes poetic) lines that stopped.

Instead, now I am also contemplating to try „drawing with the right side of the brain”.  I am a lefty, so adapting shouldn’t really take that long. So they say.

Seems like my creative side started shouting again to break out and conquer the world. It might do someday. If I will ever get consistent on things.

I used to draw and I used draw very well, but it was just gone as I reached 14 and never came back. That was the time when I started writing my first novel. I succeeded to write half of it, then handed it to my best friend to proofread. Haven’t seen it since then. She said it was great. As great as something written by a 14 year old can be.

I do know there are things I have to improve on. First should be, actually finding myself in something and stick to it. I want to write, then I want to draw. I want to do something creative, but creative things don’t always earn money and would require some talent people born with, not just imagine they have it. I also bought a ridiculously overpriced camera, as I thought it might be photography that completes me. I has not yet happened.

Meanwhile, I work as a writer and online marketing specialist at daytime, I am also finishing a Law course at the Uni. So what does that say about me?

Yes, correct. This person has no idea what to do with her life. I have ambitions and I really want to be more than what I am now. But I am not yet sure in which ways of life I want to be more. Most things would require talent, which I believe I have. In something. Until then, I only have the extreme adaptability and the fact that I learn a lot quicker than other people. We could call that a talent.

I have a job I love, a boyfriend who loves me, 3 cats, 20 fish, a nice car and a flat that’s half mine.  This could potentially make other people the happiest in the world, but I still think there is a field of life I have not achieved anything on. Now I only have to find out, what is missing.

Sounds easy. But in fact, when you have everything you wanted it gets harder to see what exactly making you feel you need to be more. When you don’t have enough money, you imagine it must be money, then. If you don’t have a car, all your problems become related to the fact that you want a car. So you put the things you need in order, and imagine how nice it would be to achieve them. Make a plan and see how it works out. Well, this has happened to me back in England. I really wanted a license and a car and it took me 3 years to achieve both. Oh, and I moved countries twice and this is my third job and relationship since then.

With this constantly changing environment there is always a need for something, that can cause the urge to achieve more. But mine is not this kind of urge. This is above these all. Which makes it more difficult to figure out… They say finding yourself is lifetime journey. But will it ever happen?

What if we already had it, and let it pass us?