Friday, December 9, 2016

Fitness Friday

Central Queensland, where I live, has been experiencing a heatwave. We have had a week where the maximums have been 40+ (that's Celsius. ) and minimums in the 20s. We have been walking in the mornings early but even so if we are out past 7.30AM we have come home dripping perspiration. Today is positively balmy in comparison... maximum of 36. Tomorrow the maximum will drop to the high 20s and I can't wait. Its been pretty stinking hot.

Our air conditioner has been running all day but today we haven't put it on. It really is hot enough to need it but the difference from yesterday makes it seem not so bad. There is a storm brewing though and rain is expected for the next 4 days. It will be welcome as it will drop the temperature and refresh the lawns and gardens which are becoming very dry and crunchy!

To add to our heat woes my fitbit has stopped syncing. My iphone thinks the battery is flat but it isn't. I will need to go on the website and see what they recommend but I keep forgetting ... so flat strap it slips my mind. I have remembered now but I am writing this blog. By the time I finish it will have slipped my mind again.

I work out my main walks and input that on the app so getting credit still although it doesn't seem to be connecting with the challenge I am currently involved with. Usually I come 2nd (who can ever hope to beat Terje) or occassionally 3rd (who is this Ruth who suddenly popped up and was vying with Terje for the lead last week) This week I am a long long last.

The heat has made food less attractive and drinking water much more attractive and I have chipped away a bit more weight. I didn't weigh myself but yesterday afternoon I was under 97kgs so that means I have lost a little more this week. (we had Thai takeaway last night and I ate a whole serve on my own so not sure what that will have done to my weight) I have also been cooking the last 2 days. Yesterday I made plain sugar coated peanuts and savoury sugar coated peanuts and since it took me a while to get them bottle up a lot more of them got nibbled by me (and my family) that should have.

Today I made smoko biscuits - jam drops and chocolate ones that I sandwiched together with white chocolate icing. A few of them didn't make the jars either. Usually I keep a few back out of the jars that I cut up and let people try before they buy but with a 24 year old son visiting at the moment... the extras got eaten! Never mind. They will have to believe me when I say they are good.

These biscuits are so easy to make. They have just 4 main ingredients.

500gms butter or marg creamed with 1 cup sugar
Add 1 440gm tin of condensed milk (I use the low fat) and beat in till smooth
Add 5 cups SR flour (you can sift if you like but I didn't bother)

For the chocolate ones I added 4 tablespoons cocoa - or 1/4 cup (use 4.75 cups flour)

Roll into balls. For the jam drops I  made a dint in the top of the balls with my thumb and added jam.
For the chocolate ones I pressed down with a fork.

Bake at 150-180 C for 10-15 mins

Cool.

For chocolate cream biscuits sandwich 2 biscuits together with icing. I used white chocolate icing.

White chocolate icing. Melt white choc buttons (1.5cups) ( I used the microwave and followed the instructions on the packet) When completely melted I added 1.5 Cup sifted icing sugar, and stirred to combine. Add 1 tsp vanilla essence. 

Actually I didn't measure. I added what white choc buttons were left in the packet but figure it was about that. Then I added icing sugar till it was the right spreading consistency. Then I added too much icing sugar and having no more chocolate I added some milk till it was back to the right consistency.

Spread one biscuit with the icing and put another biscuit on top. I put them in the fridge to harden up a bit since its hot today. (Not as hot has it has been but still hotter than chocolate likes)

All this cooking was for a stall Handmade With Love had at our churches Walk Through Bethlehem tonight. There was a bit of rain early on necessitating slight change to our stall. This is our original set up before we moved under shelter



On a sad personal note my uncle died yesterday. He was my dad's younger brother. There was 6 years between them but they were always great mates and loved to tell stories against each other. They obviously loved each other dearly. Goodbye Uncle Jack. A life well lived.

My mum and dad at their Golden Wedding Anniversary in 1990 with Uncle Jack who was Dad's best man and Aunty Beryl (my Mum's sister) who was her bridesmaid. Mum is wearing her original wedding dress. Aunty Beryl made a replica of her dress. Dad was in the army when they married so he is wearing a army greens and his army hat. Uncle Jack is wearing a suit as he wasn't in the army when Dad married.... he joined up when he was old enough a few years later. Only mum is still alive but the other 3 all lived into their 90s so they did well. Mum is 94 now.


My Fitbit stats for the week  
Friday         13 695
Saturday     14 807
Sunday       10 420
Monday       11 632
Tuesday       11 501
Wednesday  11 366
Thursday     10 952







1 comment:

  1. Sorry about your uncle. And I hope your Fitbit gets squared away! The treats sound yummy!!

    ReplyDelete