Quick update

The last couple of weeks have yet again been a whirlwind.  So much is changing and happening at home and I really haven't had the chance to do much on the computer (no we do not have a laptop) so everything has taken a bit of a back seat.  

So the bad news is, our TV broke and Great British Bake Off had only aired one episode, so typical! We will be shopping around for a replacement very shortly I'm sure as my husband is already feeling uneasy about the whole thing.  Also, an iPad screen does not do it justice although Mel and Sue are still hilarious regardless of what medium you watch it on.

The good news is, I have managed to sort out my son's birthday party already and an itinerary has been drafted, although no one but my husband and I understand it.  It will be train themed and I am very much looking forward to it! I have also planned a little soiree at our house afterwards for the rest of the family to join us which will be Chinese themed party food and Christmas cocktails because I mean what could be better than that?  I will ordering the party food from here (queue dribble...) and I have found some amazing cocktails on this site which I will definitely be making. 

I have also been very busy on the meal front.  I'm determined my son should eat healthily and I refuse to give up because of pressure about me being cruel.  My friend who is also my trainer told me about The Body Coach a couple of months ago and whilst I was in awe of some of the recipe videos and her subsequent pictures of the meals she'd prepared using the videos, I did nothing about it till last week.   I am now following him on Instagram and I am even more in awe of what I have seen.  For those who haven't heard of him, The Body Coach is a personal trainer from Essex who posts HIIT work outs and recipes (Lean in 15) that take no time to make.  He has his own books, has his own "plan" for weight loss and has had a TV show as well.  Following him makes me truly see how easy it is to make healthy meals including a variety of veggies which my son will actually eat and will in turn help me lose weight.  I'm not going to try and oversell as I'm in the very early stage, but I'm not endorsed and if you really think being lean and healthy is for you, just take a look and see! I will never fad diet again! Here was last week's meal plan: 

Our meal plan for the week

And these are a couple of raw photos (they tasted better than the photos make them look!) of the meals I have made:

Cajun chicken sausage jambalaya and rice

Turkey and kale meatballs with bolognaise sauce (and spaghetti) - this was all we had left! Although the recipe went a long way!

And one my husband made (which he is mega proud of and rightly so):

 

Chicken stuffed with mozzarella and bazil and wrapped in parma ham with spicy cauliflower cheese

 I cannot tell you how excited I was that both my husband and my son ate kale for the first time without realising, I had my smug face on for at least 20 minutes after the meal.  If you have ever tried kale you will know what a strong smell and flavour it has.  

I cannot wait to be 'lean' and take care of my family at the same time.  Oh course there is a time and a place for cake and eating these meals I now won't feel so guilty when we all eat them!

~AB~