Weigh in Wednesday!

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안녕하세요

(Annyeonghaseyo)

こんにちは

(Konnichiwa)

你好

(Ni Hao)

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I can't believe it's been 9 years since my last weigh in Wednesday post.

I've decided it's time to bring it back as I want to start looking after myself a little more as well as loosing some weight as I've put weight on since my last posts, especially since lockdown back in 2020.

I've started monitoring what I eat by logging what I eat on the health app on my phone, I still have a coffee in the morning but I'm wanting to start my day with a glass of water first as it's meant to help rehydrate as well as aiding digestion for the day. Keeping up with this will also boost metabolism, enhance mental alertness, and supports skin health by easing dehydration-related fatigue.

I definitely don't drink enough water, so I'm hoping this change can help me into a more healthier and better mindset of drinking more water.

I'm hoping to start learning more about food so I can start picking the right foods to help me have more healthy eating habits, as well as lifestyle.

I also want to eventually get back into exercising, even if it's just small workouts to begin with, and also as it starts to get warmer, walking home from work as on some days I finish before lunch time.

I'm going to check in on the first Wednesday of each month, continuing to enter my weight, as well as measurements for my arms, waist, hips and thighs. As for me those are where I hold the most weight. I' also going to take pictures for each of the posts too so that there's also a visual prompt for me to keep up with it all.

Starting Weight:

11st 12.5lb/75.45g/166.5lb

Arm Measurements:

32cm/12.5 inches

Waist Measurements:

100cm/39 inches

Hips Measurements:

113cm/43 inches

Thigh Measurements:

61cm/24 inches

Well that brings this issue of Weigh in Wednesday to a close, I hope I've inspired you to think about making a change, even if it's just drinking more water.

See you soon!

안녕

(Annyeong)

さようなら

(Sayonara)

再见

(ZaiJian)

Bye

Flapjack

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(Annyeonghaseyo)

こんにちは

(Konnichiwa)

你好

(Ni Hao)

I decided to give making some flapjack another go as I wasn't 100% happy when I made some Lemon & White Chocolate Flapjack a few years back and I wanted some baked goods as a snack. I came across this recipe that seemed fool proof so I decided to give it another go.

Let's get baking!

Ingredients:

225g butter

150g golden syrup

105g soft light brown sugar

450g oats

1 tsp salt

100g milk chocolate

Start off by pre-heating the oven to 190C/170C Fan/Gas Mark 5

Line a 20x20 cm baking tray with baking parchment.

In a large pan, melt the butter, sugar and golden syrup over a medium heat.

Once the sugar has dissolved, remove from the heat and stir in the oats and salt.

Give the mixture a really good stir so that all the oats are coated.

Pour the mixture into your lined baking tray and pat down with the back of a spoon.

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, the edges should be starting to brown, but the middle should be soft and wobbly.

When the flapjack is cold, remove it from the tin and slice your flapjack into 16 squares with a sharp knife.

Melt the milk chocolate and drizzle over the flapjack squares and allow to set.

Once set you can tuck in and enjoy.

I was so much happier this time round with these flapjacks. The recipe was really easy and simple to follow and is definitely fool proof. This recipe is perfect for any novice baker.

The flapjack was really soft and chewy, which for me is my perfect flapjack. The flavours were really nice and I'll happily make this again. It's the perfect little baked treat, and even more perfect enjoyed alongside and nice cup of tea.

If you would like to follow the original recipe, then head over to the Taming Twins Easy Flapjacks recipe page.

See you soon!

안녕

(Annyeong)

さようなら

(Sayonara)

再见

(ZaiJian)

Bye

The Running Grave - Book Review

Hello

안녕하세요

(Annyeonghaseyo)

こんにちは

(Konnichiwa)

你好

(Ni Hao)

The Running Grave is the 7th instalment in the Cormoran Strike series by Robert Galbraith aka J.K. Rowling.

The book was published by Sphere Books on the 26th of September, 2023.

The Running Grave sold 50,925 copies in it's first week of sales in the UK, placing first on the UK Official Top 50 Book Sales list.

Private detective Cormoran Strike is contacted by a worried father whose son, Will, has gone to join a religious cult in the depths of the Norfolk countryside.

The Universal Humanitarian Church is, on the surface, a peaceable organisation that campaigns for a better world. Yet Strike discovers that beneath the surface there are deeply sinister undertones and unexplained deaths.

In order to try to rescue Will, Strike's business partner Robin Ellacott decides to infiltrate the cult and travels to Norfolk to live incognito among them. But in doing so, she is unprepared for the dangers that await her there or for the toll it will take on her...

Utterly page-turning, The Running Grave moves Strike and Robin's story forward in the epic, unforgettable seventh instalment of the series.

I won't deny that this took me at least a year and a half to read, as I just stopped reading books for a while. But I won't deny that while I enjoyed the book and when I began reading and continued it, I was gripped. It's definitely the darkest book so far in the series, I found it at times really hard to read at times, with just how dark it really got.

I won't lie and say this book didn't scare me as, we all know there are cults out there that brainwash people, that make it so you believe whatever your told and separate you from friends and family so that no-one really knows what's happening, or even remove you from the situation.

I lost count of the amount of times I was holding my breath while reading this book, as well as the shivers that ran down my spine as I read each of the chapters at the farm. I honestly believed that Robin wouldn't safely make it out of there. And I definitely didn't believe that anything good would come out of her going there.

In this book, we get to see how Strike and Robin move around their decisions when it comes to their business and personal relationship. We also see Strike have to deal with his own issues and demons without Robin around as he deals with his uncle's health deteriorating as well as Charlotte's final attempts to get back at him.

This book is the lowest we've seen Robin go with her mental state, while on the farm and off the farm, with her relationship also taking a few knocks.

We meet many new characters in this book, and sadly the main ones I remember and think about from this instalment are the Wace's, their characters really made an impact and not in a good way.

I've already started the next instalment in the series, but I've not got too far yet, I hope it's a little lighter than the last book, but with how the last 2 books have been, I feel like it can only get darker and more bone-chilling. That being said, I do look forward to what the case will be and how Robin and Strike's relationship may change and will they keep fighting their true feelings or be honest with themselves and with each other.

PRAISE FOR THE STRIKE NOVELS:

'The work of a master storyteller' - Daily Telegraph

'A Superlative piece of crime fiction' - Sunday Times

'Strike and Robin are just as magnetic as ever' - New York Times

'Outrageously entertaining' - Financial Times

'One of Crime's most engaging duos' - Guardian

'A page-turner that will keep you up all night' - Observer

'Finely honed, superbly constructed' - Daily Mail

Robert Galbraith Strike Series:

The Cuckoo's Calling

The Silkworm

Career Of Evil

Lethal White

Troubled Blood

The Ink Black Heart

The Running Grave

See you soon!

안녕

(Annyeong)

さようなら

(Sayonara)

再见

(ZaiJian)

Bye

Simply Cook

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안녕하세요

(Annyeonghaseyo)

こんにちは

(Konnichiwa)

你好

(Ni Hao)

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Cook restaurant quality meals!

Each box comes with 4 recipe kits and 4 step-by-step recipe cards.

Following the recipes, you combine the kits with 4-6 items from your fridge or cupboard.

Then in just 20 minutes  you'll be enjoying a delicious meal for 2-4 people.

First from this box I cooked the Beef Stroganoff. In this kit you get Stroganoff Seasoning, Mushroom Stock and Horseradish Seasoning.

I always love this dish, it's always full of flavour, and the beef always cooks to perfection. I always leave out the horseradish seasoning out of the mash as it's really not for us. Neither myself or Skye enjoyed the flavour when I used it the first time. I may start adding a little of it in the future to see if we change our minds.

Next from this box I cooked the Bibimbap. In this kit you get Gochujang Paste, Miso Stock and Soy & Red Miso Sauce.

We love this dish. The flavours work well together and I always tone down the heat by not using much of the Gochujang paste. I always look forward to this dish when it's in one of our boxes.

Next from this box I cooked the Creamy Honey Mustard Chicken. In this kit you get White Wine Reduction, Supreme Sauce Stock and Herb Mash Mix.

Get a pan of water on to boil for the potatoes and boil 250ml water in the kettle.

Cook the chicken.

Start the sauce.

Return the chicken.

Mash the potatoes.

Serve!

This is a perfect midweek meal. The flavours were really nice and the chicken was cooked to perfection, it was really juicy. We weren't really big fans of the herb mash mix, so maybe next time I'll use less of it of keep it to our standard seasoned mash.

Lastly from this box I cooked the Cajun Chicken Bake. In this kit you get Cajun Seasoning, Red Pepper Stock and Southern Hot Sauce.

Prep the chicken and mash.

Fry the chicken.

Prepare the garnishes.

Flavour the mash.

Serve!

This was really nice. Sadly I couldn't get my hands on the Okra that the recipe requires, but I would like to give it a try with it to see how it changes the overall dish. Skye doesn't like sweet potato, so I made her normal mash with the bacon mixed into it. Personally for me, next time I think I'd bake the chicken in the oven, rather than frying it as I'm funny with chicken, especially when it comes to frying a full breast.

Each box is £11.78 or £9.99 if you click ship now, with your first box being a trial price of £3.

If you are interested in making your own Simply Cook subscription, then head over to the Simply Cook website, to check out more details as well as their big catalogue of dishes to make.

Here is a code to help you on your way and to get you your first box free:

Free box invitation code.

See you soon!

안녕

(Annyeong)

さようなら

(Sayonara)

再见

(ZaiJian)

Bye