Month: June 2014

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Happy Birthday, Blog

Today marks a whole year since I started posting on a regular, if not daily, basis. The actual site started a few years earlier but life happens and priorities change.

So, what’s changed in a year? Well, I’ve not been snapped up as the next Nigel Slater so no living off my art just yet 😉  I started to work on my photos; better shots, more post-production, but it got to be a bit of a pain so I’m mostly just uploading straight from my little Nikon for posts. I may be doing a course to improve my skills, but got to put it in the queue with all the other must-dos.

Over the year, I’ve mostly stuck to the Paleo/ Primal plan but I can see where I’ve slipped up and what caused it. I assumed it would be holidays abroad, as I’m not home with my usual familiar resources, but actually that’s been fine.  At home, as long as I eat enough fat, I don’t get the munchies after dinner and I have the energy to give 100% at the gym. Where I have slipped up is the unexpectedly good Summer weather (= need a cold beer = ooh look, snacks!) and weeks where I’ve broken routine and not stocked up properly at the supermarket. All fixable 🙂

For the next 12 months I hope to be sticking to the food and exercise plans, but I’ll be branching out into Cross-Fit so I’ll be needing all the slow-carbs I can get!

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Clean June – Day 12

Dairy intake reduced to <250ml – ACHIEVED.

Alcohol reduced to maximum 14 units per week (in line with health guidelines not to exceed 2-3 units per day) – ACHIEVE. Pint of lager after evening walk (2.3 units)  

Get out for a walk or cycle every day, including gym days – ACHIEVED. 6km evening walk – TV still broken :(

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Clean June – Day 11

Dairy intake reduced to <250ml – ACHIEVED. 

Alcohol reduced to maximum 14 units per week (in line with health guidelines not to exceed 2-3 units per day) – FAIL. Made cocktails 🙂 3 Aperol Spritz (5 units)

Get out for a walk or cycle every day, including gym days – ACHIEVED. 1hr Body Balance class plus 5km evening walk – TV still broken 🙁

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Braai etiquette

You may have seen I refer to braai a few time in my blog. Yes, this is similar to what a Brit might call “barbeque” in that you cook outside, on charcoal. That’s about where the similarity ends.

As a Brit, only South African by marriage, I have had to learn the rules of the braai over more than a decade. Tricky as I did work as a grill-chef for several years, which does make me slightly more qualified than the average bloke with a can of beer!  How did I know I might be causing offence by innocently picking up the tongs…. (see rule #2)

  • always charcoal or, better still, kameel hout (exception being use of camping-gas in fire-risk areas, using a skottel)
  • women must not interfere with the braai – keep yourself busy making salad (1-2 is plenty) or arranging napkins and cutlery
  • only the braai master will turn meat or decide if more charcoal is to be added 
  • the braai master will need regular hydration; Hansa or Castle are suitable options
  • this is no land for burgers or bangers
  • no place for “veggie” kebabs either – there’s salad coming from somewhere

Dogma aside, what can you cook? What can’t you cook?!  My Oom Steve does the most AMAZING pork ribs. I also had a delicious T-bone steak that I hope, one day, to recreate. We’ve successfully cooked a chicken, a big hunk of beef and salmon fillets on our Weber. 

Latest experiment involved smoking a slab of brisket, on the low heat after cooking dinner. We threw on a handful of soaked hickory woodchips and left it to take on the awesome aroma for a couple for hours. This didn’t completely cook the joint so it went into a low oven the next evening for a couple of hours.

Result: subtly smoky, and super-tender beef. Nom nom nom 🙂

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Clean June – Day 10

Dairy intake reduced to <250ml – ACHIEVED. Back on tea and coffee, but a lot less of it 🙂 

Alcohol reduced to maximum 14 units per week (in line with health guidelines not to exceed 2-3 units per day) – ACHIEVED. 2 vodka and tonics (2 units) 

Get out for a walk or cycle every day, including gym days – FAIL. No excuse – TV broken….

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Swede chips!

I was getting a bit bored with sweet potato (curse of the Paleo life) so I thought I’d try swede to go with my chilli and lime chicken dinner last night. Similar consistency when mashed, but about half the price.

Result? Looks like a chip 🙂

DSCN2058

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Clean June – Day 9

Dairy intake reduced to <250ml – ACHIEVED.  

Alcohol reduced to maximum 14 units per week (in line with health guidelines not to exceed 2-3 units per day) – ACHIEVED. Zero units

Get out for a walk or cycle every day, including gym days – ACHIEVED. 5km evening walk

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Clean June – Day 8

Dairy intake reduced to <250ml – ACHIEVED. 2 cappuccinos and a lot of water 

Alcohol reduced to maximum 14 units per week (in line with health guidelines not to exceed 2-3 units per day) – ACHIEVED. half pint lager (1.3 units)

Get out for a walk or cycle every day, including gym days – FAIL. Too hot during the day and in the evening

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Clean June – Day 7

Dairy intake reduced to <250ml – ACHIEVED. A home made latte and a cup of tea, and a filter coffee at a nice café in town – couldn’t stay caffeine free any longer! 

Alcohol reduced to maximum 14 units per week (in line with health guidelines not to exceed 2-3 units per day) – FAILED. Not even going to try to do the math….

Get out for a walk or cycle every day, including gym days – ACHIEVED. 5km walk