On getting fit and failing to maintain... again and again...

So last year I completed Round 3 of the Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation... It was great! Just the kick I needed get started. I had a great friend for support and we absolutely smashed it together. I lost close to 10kg, re-gained a whole lotta fitness and found my muscles hidden under that lost fat, even started growing said muscles a little.

I was on a high, the round finished late November. I bit the bullet & signed up for a second round. I started out, or rather kept on going at the the same pace. But somewhere after Christmas, during the height of the FNQ summer heat with the changing demands of life with a baby reaching 1 year old and the shifting priorities for both my friend & I, here I am at the start of May, 5 months later. I stopped, I have a whole book of reasons and I hate every one of them. It got harder to get moving.

On top of the getting harder to get moving, my food choices slipped.  My ability to say no to regular treats waned.  Food is without a doubt the most important factor in weight control.

And so it's time to throw out the book of reasons and start eating for nourishment AND Just. Get. Moving.

On big awesome pride for my Mamma

I have an awesome Mamma.

She is a kind lady with a big warm heart and possesses a selflessness that deserves recognition but would never dream to demand it.

I grew up watching her give so much out, even with our modest lifestyle Mum always found ways to pay it forward. She would always donate our toys to the families who needed them more. Of course not our favorites, but if we'd outgrown them or stopped playing with anything for length of time they'd be on their way to a new family.

So when she & Paulie went to Bali last week for a long overdue and well deserved holiday, with my 2 younger sisters, it came as no surprise to me when she told me she was taking 3 suitcases of clothing to an orphanage. 3 suitcases in lieu of their own luggage, which she was limiting to their carry on bags.

It was no surprise, but it still made my heart sing with pride. Awesome big pride for the big heart she has and the lovely lessons she taught me growing up. And the beautiful lesson she has taught my sisters on their first international holiday, that you don't just go to another country and just take, you give back in whatever way you can.

Baby Boy {13 Months + 1 Week}

It seems we are living in a time warp, wasn't I just writing a post introducing Mylo? Now, boom... He's a toddler. (So there's a big gap in documenting the last 12 months, bad blogger!)

The last week, Mylo's been stepping' out... Every day he's choosing to toddle along more and more... I think its fair to declare he's officially walking!! Next up he'll be running. Eep, two boys to chase, play dates at the park are about to get a whole lot more active...

On dreaming better things for a neglected blog...

So it's been a while, a rather long while since I visited this place! It's not for lack of thinking I'd like to, but vastly due to being incredibly disorganised. I want to write more, record more of our stories here. I need to forgot any rules about what I want to write & just start posting and let that voice and direction come organically.

So for now my dream is simple: write/record, post... Watch this space, it will start filling up and with any luck a little of it will be worth reading!?

[in the kitchen] Moroccan Lamb Meatballs

This week I thought I'd get around to doing something other than a post from the kitchen after the last two posts... but while I have posts waiting to be written, they will demand more of my time than an easy peasy recipe complete with pictures of the yummy goodness... so... here again I have been in the kitchen filling the bellies of the BEs.

I had some lamb mince in the freezer that I'd bought on a whim when I saw it at Coles.  I had originally thought I'd have a go at making Lamb Koftas, but I googled Lamb Mince and came up with a recipe for Moroccan Lamb Meatballs with Couscous and decided the Lamb Koftas could wait.

Over the years I have clipped many a meatball recipe, thinking that I'd give them a go but always shied away thinking there was too much work involved with the mixing, rolling, browning & all that jazz.  After my first attempt at this recipe I realised that this was not the case... I found this to be no more complicated than a bolognaise sauce & actually quicker, the cooking time is definitely faster.

As usual, I have tweaked the original, partly due to absence of ingredients in my fridge/pantry!

This one received a BIG Mr BE thumbs up and will be joining in on our 'usual rotation'.  We could not however convince Mini Man to actually taste this (as usual) but he did push it around the plate enthusiastically and enacted some rather dramatic 'fake' chomping actions with spoonfuls... maybe next time some will make it down the hatch?!  I live in hope!!

(Original recipe credit:  taste.com.au | Moroccan lamb meatballs with couscous)

What's in it...

Meatballs

• 500g lamb mince
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 small white onion, coarsely grated
• salt & ground black pepper , to taste
• 2 tbs vegetable or canola oil
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 2x 400g cans diced tomatoes
• 1tsp ground cumin
• Juice of 1 small lemon

Couscous

• 1 cup couscous
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• Zest of 1 small lemon
• 1tbs finely chopped fresh mint
• 1 1/2 cups boiling water
• 1 tbs butter, softened

Put it all together...

Meatballs

1. Combine the mince, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp coriander , onion, salt & pepper in a bowl and mix thoroughly.
2. Roll the mixture into small balls, approximately the size of a walnut.
3. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and add the meatballs, cook for 2-3 minutes or until browned.  Set aside to drain on paper towel.
4. Remove the excess oil from the pan.  Add the garlic and cook briefly.
5. Add the tomatoes, 1 tsp cumin, and salt & pepper to taste.
6. Bring the mixture to the boil and simmer for 2 minutes.
7. Return the meatballs to the pan, cover & cook for 4-5 minutes or until meatballs are cooked.
8. Stir the lemon juice through the mixture & serve on the prepared couscous, with greens (we had broccoli, beans & wilted baby spinach) or other steamed vegetables of your choice.

Couscous

1. Place the couscous in a heat proof bowl.
2. Add the cumin, lemon zest & chopped mint & combine.
3. Pour boiling water over the couscous, mix with fork, cover & set aside to absorb.
4. Once absorbed, stir with a fork to break up the grains, stir through the butter & season to taste with salt.

Visuals...

I was so busy cooking this one that I forgot to take any progress shots!

On being up past my bedtime... again... as usual

Mr BE is away for a few nights at a training course, in Brisbane - lucky him!

The boys are both in bed, sleeping like angels, have been since 7pm - bless them!

So I've been pottering about...
I tidied the kitchen, washed a load of nappies ready to hang out in the morning, had a shower, set a few things out ready to make breakfast without Mr BE's help a bit easier in the morning, had a cup of tea & some yummy fresh pawpaw and somewhere in between finishing that & now, I ended up here, at the computer first up I was sorting some internet banking & updating our financial spreadsheets then I moved on to reading a few blogs & checking out facebook.... and just now I was chatting with a lovely friend who is in a different timezone and it occurred to me that it was well... getting a little bit late... late enough to be past my bedtime... I stated as much to her and promptly bid her farewell to send myself to bed (which I clearly haven't done yet... since I'm here still writing about it).

But funnily enough, if I define my bedtime as the "time I go to bed", then going by averages on the usual "time I go to bed" one might actually say it's my bedtime right about now.

Ha ha!  Why is that? I certainly would cope better with more sleep than I get, yet every night Mr BE & I declare we shall be having an early night, only to find ourselves up past our bedtime... again?  Well tonight I'm doing the solo night owl... but I betchya if I rang him right now there's a fairly high chance he's still up too!!

On that note... I really must get to bed... Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite :)

[in the kitchen] peanut butter squares

 Mini Man is a huge fan of peanut butter.  He loves it on toast every morning and will often have for his lunch sandwiches as well.  A while back we let him have a cheeky spoonful while we made his toast and created a MONSTER!!  Every time we get out the jar he now expects to eat it in much the same fashion one would normally consume yoghurt!!

I have mentioned before he's a big eater but a terribly fussy one when it comes to broadening the menu to incorporate new things.  I love to cook and it breaks my heart that so many of the meals I attempt to dish up to him get sent back to the kitchen!  We are still battling to get him to move on to proper evening meals... but that's a whole other post.  The point being, every so often I manage to get him to try something new & when I saw this recipe in a local parenting info magazine I thought I'd hazzard an attempt to make him a snack that incorporated one of his favourite flavours...

These were a massive hit, we are onto our third batch now, I think they'll stay on the menu for a while.  They are definitely a treat, but at least I know what's in them and we can have fun making them together.  I'm also thinking now that we have the base for this one we can start playing with different dry ingredients for a little variety.  But for now we'll stick to the following...

I cut this one out when I saw it, so I don't have original credit details to offer.

What's in it...

• 4 tbs peanut butter
  original recipe called for crunchy, I only buy smooth & it worked fine
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 cup powedered milk
• 2/3 cup dessicated coconut
• 3/4 cup sesame seeds

 Put it all together...

1. Line a 20cm slice tin with baking paper.
2. Combine the peanut butter and honey in a microwave safe bowl & microwave on high for 50 seconds or until a smooth runny consistency.
   this can be done on the stovetop if prefered
3. Add the remaining ingredients & mix well to combine.
4. Turn the mixture out into the lined tray & press down.  Let it cool & refrigerate.
5. When cooled cut into squares.  Best kept refrigerated.

The Visuals...

make it up

the finished product