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

Friday Fitness - a stationary week

It hasn't been a very active week for me this week. Had a couple of high step days but lots of days were under the 10 000 mark. There were days we only got one walk in and days when we got no walks in. It happens

Have also had a few challenging days. I baked. That is fatal. Not only did I bake I cooked! This weekend "Handmade with Love" is having a stall at a Christmas Craft Fair run by one of the local schools. Its always a huge event. They start off with a wine and cheese night tonight with limited ticket sales (to allow people who pay for the more expensive ticket get first pick of the stalls and the crowds are less) and then it is on all day tomorrow (well 8.30 - 2). I decided to augment our sewing things with some biscuits (cookies) and sugar coated peanuts so... I baked (biscuits) and cooked (sugar coated peanuts). And unfortunately I love both home made biscuits and sugar coated peanuts.

My sister in law Tanya gave me some empty Moccona Coffee jars when I was at her place - some really big ones. I put the biscuits in those and put the sugar coated peanuts in smaller jars. I printed out labels to tie onto the bottles with ribbon and they look very festive. I just hope that someone buys them!!! I put some "hats" ie fabric circles onto some of the jam jars that didn't look as nice but most of the jars I didn't cover.

This is the recipe I used for the biscuits. I got it from Hayley of My Smoko Break on Facebook. It makes heaps of biscuits (she says 100 but I am not sure I have ever got quite that many but you do get heaps) You can freeze the biscuits cooked or freeze the dough. I didn't quite follow Hayley's recipe so these are my instructions but you can find the original on her FB page

Smoko Biscuits

500 gms Butter or margarine (I used butter)

1/2 cup sugar

Can condensed milk (they are around 400 gms)

5 cups SR flour

Preheat oven at 180C
Cream sugar, butter/margarine and condensed milk with mixer on low speed (She says use a wooden spoon)
Add flour,slowly mix to combine (I sifted my flour... cause I always do but Hayley's instructions omit this)

Add desired ingredients to each portion. Some of Hayley's suggestions are -  100&1000′s ,choc chips, smarties, white choc and macadamia, nuts, sultanas, white chocolate; coconut, cornflakes, choc freckles on top, custard and then fill with icing, or keep them plain and cut them into shapes. (I think you would need to refrigerate the dough first as it was very soft) Also suitable to ice.

Hayley says to roll into balls and put on greased trays and flatten slightly. I didn't. I put my mixture into the fridge for a bit then grabbed a handful of it and worked it into a roll that I then cut half inch slices off the end and put them on the trays. I topped some with chocolate buttons, I made jam drops (put a dint in the top of them and fill with jam) I added cocoa to some and worked it in just a bit to make them more like chocolate swirls. I rolled some in coconut

Bake 10-12 mins till golden brown.

Sugar Coated Peanuts.

Equal quantities of sugar, peanuts and water.

Red Food colouring - several drops - enough to give the peanuts a good colour.

Place all ingredients in a saucepan over the heat and stir till the sugar dissolves. Allow to come to the boil and boil gently for AGES stirring occasionally. The mixture gradually thickens. Once it becomes quite thick stir constantly. When the mixture starts to go dry (ie the sugar crystallizes) quickly spread the peanuts out on trays, making sure there are no big clumps of peanuts. Allow to cool and then bottle. Keep in air tight containers (the lid stops them disappearing quite as quickly as well as keeping them fresh)

Sugar coated peanuts are Fixit Guy's favourites and I will make them for his birthday, father's day and Christmas. We all love them actually and they are patently not very nutritious at all!

I was dreading hopping on the scales this morning - limited exercise and lots of nibbling but was pleased to find that my weight has been stationary over the week 95.5kgs

Friday           8 497

Saturday       8 264

Sunday         5 621

Monday        2 634

Tuesday      14 161

Wednesday   8 913

Thursday      4 734 

You can tell the only day this week that I got 2 full walks in can't you. Ah well. Every day is a new day. Even when I have been snacking on sugar coated peanuts, biscuit dough and fresh biscuits I haven't reall over done it. I haven't been a total guts. yesterday I did have a slice and a scone (with butter, jam and cream) but that was all. So I am not beating myself up about it. So long as I continue to make lots of good choices I know I will continue to become healthier.

How about you? How have you gone this week?

Fitness Friday on Saturday

Running late seems to be the order of my week!

Its Saturday and I didn't get my fitness update written yesterday which was busy for many reasons.

After 34.5 years of working for the same company, the big Australian as it is referred to (BHP) and its subsidiaries my DH, my beloved Fixit Guy retired. It was a forced retirement in that 8 weeks ago he was notified that he was being made redundant but that was ok for us. We were looking at retiring next year anyway so this way it comes with a very lucrative payout or Golden Handshake as it is referred to.

We've been married for 32 of those years (well we will have been in another 12 days) and for 31 years he has been working at a mine that has meant very early starts for him (but not me) He would get up on his own and have his breakfast and just  before he left for work he would make me a cup of tea and leave it beside my bed in a thermos cup so it would stay warm for me for when I awoke. We were trying to work out exactly when he started doing this... seems like forever. So Friday I woke up to say goodbye to him on his last day of going to work. I took a photo of my last pre work cuppa from him. For some reason he says he won't be getting up to come for an early walk with me and my girl friend 3 times a week. I don't blame him at all. I said I'd bring him a cuppa when I got back (I don't leave myself enough time to make a cuppa before going for my walk)

This week I have managed to walk 3 times with my friend Maree, and run twice as well. On Thursday I pushed myself and ran 5 km for the first time in several months. I kept my speed up (for me) and did it in 38 mins averaging just over 7min 30 secs per km.

I managed to get my 10 000 steps most days this week. Missed it today and yesterdar but got 17 000 one day so that was good

Eating wise ... well not been brilliant but my weight is still under 88kgs so haven't paid for it too dearly. Of course I shot myself in the foot so to speak by cooking some scones - white choc and apricot ones. They were very yummy. I made them for morning tea at Patchwork when we had some visiting patchworkers.

There is a story behind the scones. Last year when I was in the UK visiting Fangirl (who lived there for a couple of years) we had a driving holiday around Scotland in a Wicked Van. We stopped for morning tea each day as part of our fun and at one point we stopped in a little craft centre called Milton Creagh. We had our first cream tea there (In Australia we refer to them as Devonshire Teas ie scones and jam and cream) They had regular scones ie plain ones and sultana scones but they also had a daily special scones and the day we were there they were apricot and white chocolate scones. We happened to be seated near a local woman who was there with an elderly gentleman, probably as a day carer. Anyway she had visited the place frequently and talked loudly and at length about everything such that we couldn't help but overhear. She went on about Mary, the lady who made the scones and how nobody made scones like Mary. She made Fangirl and I giggle and for the rest of the holiday all scones were compared to Mary's. They were excellent scones.

Since I hadn't asked the redoubtable Mary for her recipe when I wanted to make them myself I had to invent a recipe. I am happy to share it with you here. No photos though... I didn't think about it at the time. The measurements are also best guess. I just make scones and add stuff till they look right. Sorry. At least it will give you an idea. Having found my photo I have just discovered that hers  had cinnamon in them too... ah well next time

Not Quite Mary's White Choc and Apricot Scones

3 cups SR Flour

1/2 cup sugar

200-300 gms sour cream

1/2 cup white choc chips

1/2 cup chopped dried apricots

Sift flour and sugar together into a large bowl

Add apricots and choc chips

Add sour cream about 1/3 at a time and mix in lightly with a knife. Add more till it all sticks together in a ball. You can use a spoon or your hands towards the end. You want all the dry ingredients to be incorporated but not too wet. You are going to have to flatten it out. Add a bit of flour if its too hard to work into a ball

 Sprinkle some flour on the work surface and place the ball of dough on it. Press it out gently with your fingers. (You can use a rolling pin if you want to. I don't bother) Press or roll till its 3/4" - 1 " thick. Cut into rounds with a scone cutter or a glass. Dip cutter into flour to stop dough sticking. 

Place onto a greased biscuit slide. (cookie tray) Put the rounds so they are touching each other. This way they support each other as they rise. Alternatively instead of using a cutter you can place the ball of dough directly onto the grease tray, press out and then use a knife to cut into squares (like you were cutting up a slice) My mum always made her scones this way. They aren't as elegant as using a cutter but its quicker to make and you get to decide the size of the scone.

my scones

Bake in a hot oven (180 degrees Celsius) for 10-15 mins, until they have risen and cooked. I tap mine and when they  make a hollow sound they are done. Some authorities say scones should be pale in colour- not brown but I don't worry about that. (and Mary didn't either.)

Eating Mary's scones set the tone of the rest of our visit to Scotland and England. If we were going to have morning tea out we would have the cream tea and would compare the scones to Mary's. It has become a tradition that we have continued in Australia. Fangirl came over to try the ones I cooked and gave it a Mary rating. I think she said they were "Almost as good as...." so that is a high recommendation.

Fitness Friday

The good news! I have run 3 times this week working through my C210K program. I'm up to week 3 I was going to run again this morning but it was too cold to get out of bed. Or I was too chicken. I stayed up too late... lots of excuses, none of them very good, but 3 times is good right? I have walked every morning this week except this morning and walked every evening. I have continued to get over 10 000 steps every day this week except once.. maybe Saturday, when I got only 9 000.


I  slipped down to 3rd on my Fitbit friends list but that was not because I was not achieving my steps but because two of my friends must have been putting in major efforts and doing huge numbers. Hats off to you Tazitaff and Sam. I have passed Tazitaff today but Sam is still out there although she had a low step day yesterday (she flew to New Zealand so not able to manage 2 trips to the gym). I am wondering how she will go whilst on holidays. If its a walking holiday I am well and truly stuffed but if its a bus tour... well things are looking good for a surge to the top!

Speaking of Fitbit. This hilarious article, Stepping out, Living the Fitbit life by David Sedaris on Fitbit was posted by Fitbit on their facebook page. My friend Sophie says it sounds like me but I think it sounds like Sam. (and so does she)



Weightwise... I have been too scared to step on the scales. I have been hogging into carbs this last week - bread, scones, etc. I made this zucchini cake to take to church on Sunday for a shared lunch. It didn't all get eaten so has been tempting me all week but worse was the fact that my friend Betty took some coconut buns along but didn't take her left overs home and I scored them. I love them, warmed slightly in the microwave to freshen them up. I have been eating way too many of them too. So... even though I have been exercising a lot I know I have been eating wrong so am sure my weight has gone up... things are a little more snug. I know I have to start to get my act together once more.

Back to the Zucchini cake - I more than halved the oil and it was fine. I omitted the dates as we didn't have any and they are another thing my husband should avoid with his sensitivities. We also squeezed the grated zucchini to get rid of some of the moisture in it. This cake had cream cheese icing and I had low fat cream cheese and it didn't whip well. Guess its like low fat cream and sour cream... the low fat stuff doesn't whip. I could have added a heap more icing sugar to thicken it (I added some) but for the most part I just let it drip off a bit. This is the websites photo of the cake... I didn't take one of my effort. I have more zucchini to use up so might make another one for tonight when the family will be gathering for dinner

Friday Fitness A day late

Have been going great guns with my fitbit steps. I have remained at the top of my friends list all week. I have made my 10 000 steps each day. I only ran on Tuesday... ran week 2 day 2 of C210K. Yesterday I was still trying to decide if I was going to walk or run and when (lying in bed on a cool morning procrastinating about getting up) when I heard a vehicle pull up out the front. We are having our bathrooms renovated and so have the builder and other tradies in and out of the house fairly frequently. The builder often starts just after 7. It was 6.55 but it didn't sound like his vehicle... and it was out the front not in the drive. So I peaked... no it wasn't him. I had this sinking feeling. I wondered if it was the asbestos removal guys. They were supposed to be coming Friday (today) but last time they came, to gut the family bathroom, they turned up a day early and Fixit Guy had half an hour's notice to evacuate the house (I was away). He had to pack up the bathroom first. At least we were already out of the bathroom this time... they had taken the pedestal and the vanity out the previous day. But FG was at least out of bed... they came at 9.30 last time. I was right... the builder pulled up by the time I was dressed and at the front door. Asbestos guys it seems are a law unto themselves. They turn up when they want, and too bad that you have to scramble madly to accommodate their changes of plan. I had pulled on my walking gear. I grabbed my day clothes, lap top, hand bag, phone and charges and took them downstairs. I made some breakfast and took the electric jug and coffee making necessities downstairs with me too. Since I ate breakfast first I decided not to run. I don't like running on a full tummy. That is my excuse as to why I didn't run anyway. Its a pretty good one.

Weight wise... sad story. I have been eating too much this week. Its only that I am keeping up as much excersise as I have been that I haven't blown out more. I was 87.8 this morning. My main downfall has been a yummy pumpkin cake recipe I found at the end of last week and which I have made twice already. I try to give slices away but end up scoffing the leftovers. Its soooo good. You'll find the recipe here I found it in the free Taste magazine available from Coles Supermarket. I adapted the recipe slightly. I toasted my pecans. You could use other nuts if you want (but I LOVE pecans) I also used some sour milk I had on hand rather than buttermilk. If any of my American readers don't understand any of the ingredients just ask. I think you call icing sugar powdered sugar. Its the product you make cake icing out of.

 It so happened I had a huge butternut pumpkin that I won at the silent auction at the quilting retreat the weekend before. When there is only 2 of us at home to eat it and Fixit Guy doesn't eat much of it due to his sensitivities I needed something to help use it up. Going to look for a good recipe for zucchini as well. He was given a massive one of those the same weekend and it will take some getting through. Fangirl took a photo of me holding both... must ask her for it

Pippin Cat seems to be more interested in the recipe for Risotto than pumpkin cake

I had light sour cream in the icing and it didn't thicken... it was yummy and less calories but not really elegant on the cake. Pippin thinks their is a good recipe on the next page obviously