target set

Following my shock (ok truth be known not so much of a shock) weight gain I have set myself a target of 4 stone that I would like to lose (I will make do with 3 and a half stone) and would still be chuffed to lose a stone and a half to be at less than I was when I had my hernia operation.

Yesterday while doing our food shop I made sure that I got myself some lowish calorie desserts and something to satisfy my chocolate fix.

I have now set up my food diary (and I can get to it on my smartphone too) and it shows on there my starting weight, the goal that I want to lose and my % towards it :).

With Evie now its not so easy to go out for long walks especially when James is at work or out doing his Ingress stuff.

Couldve been

Better or worse.

I weighed myself this morning (I was hoping to do it before I ate my breakfast) but couldn't get to the weighing machine.

When we do our food shopping I will make sure that I don't buy any yummy bits that I usually snack on.

not as bad as I thought...

I decided to bite the bullet this morning and see how much I weighed...

...I had a figure in my head (bearing in mind that I had my holiday and Christmas) of being one stone heavier (14 pounds) then I was in October, but I had only put on 5 pounds, so am well chuffed ;o).

As they say "the proof of the pudding is in the eating" (dont you just love all of these food related puns) so I will see how I am next week and as to whether I have to reassess the situation as Fagin would say ;o).

LOL you can tell its January as the diet shows are starting! I love seeing people transforming themselves ;o)

and I had some curry too

I hope that you are sitting down?

wait for it...

...we actually did something interesting!

...we went a-visiting ;o)

On Friday night we went to Trowbridge in Wiltshire, it was so unbelievably quiet - James loved it and was sad to come home yesterday...

...the journey up took us five hours because of roadworks and heavy traffic on the M25 - it was supposed to take three and a half hours, luckily the journey home was miles better.

Yesterday we went to Longleat the home of the Marquess of Bath. We didnt go into the house itself, we just did some of the attractions. We had a really fun day ;o)

This morning I decided to bite the bullet and to put the central heating on, as it is now getting chillier...

...we turned the heating on and nada - not a sausage - nothing...

...so we fiddled with the thermostat and it clicked on and nothing...

...we then tried turning the heating off then on again (in the hope that it would miraculously spark back into life) and the beautiful hum of the pilot light lighting didnt come.

James even tried tapping (read bashing) the pipes to see if that would do something...

...but again nowt!

As I am typing away I heard the pilot light come on but realised that it is for the hot water...

Anyhow as we have HomeCare we rang British Gas and an engineer is coming on Tuesday...

...I am so glad that we decided to put the heating on before it got really cold!

I weighed myself this morning and was expecting a massive gain as I had eaten some curry (I was only going to have a little bit but in typical Amber fashion I kept on going back for more as it was so nice and I hadnt eaten any curry in a long time), and I had only put on 100 grammes so was well pleased.

aaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrggggggggghhhhhhhhh

(I think the title says it all).

I have been trying to be good all week...

...I weighed myself this morning and have put on 100 grammes (not too bad I know), and I wouldnt mind so much if I wasnt trying to be good. Plus the scales that I usually use were out of order so had to use some different ones - so that is an added variant too!

I can only put it down to the lunch I had on Monday not being as calorie conscious as the website said :o(

I have another lunch this week coming to go to too...

I was so disheartened after weighing myself that I almost went for an apple fritter donut in Starbucks but stopped myself...

I was being irrational

We were in Marks & Spencers yesterday morning, and James suggested that I should buy a new rain coat, so I tried one on in a size 14, and it felt tight! So James said to me why dont you just get a bigger size? I must admit I felt quite upset about the size 14 feeling tight, its like Im losing the battle of trying to stay slimish!

I know that I am not because I can still pull up my size 12 jeans without undoing them!

So I told him that I was going to stick with the rain coat that I have at the moment and will wait until I can comfortably fit into a 14 again... ;o)

He said that he didnt understand why I was being so stubborn!

I weighed myself this morning and have put on 200 grammes (which I know is hardly anything) and I still have 5 weeks to lose some weight...

...I am putting it down to not doing anything on the exercise bike for 3 days and on a couple of days I had some cakes for my mid-morning snack that I didnt know the calories of (so hee hee I have put them on the side for James Mum & Dad to have ;o)).

I will blame it on the scrambled egg on toast

This weekend Chelmsford has been overrun with festival goers for V, we have only seen a few people walking about, so they havent been too much of a problem (which is good), I will have to see how many people are lurking at the train station tomorrow morning waiting for the first cheap day return train ;o).

We were coming back from going into town today and was casually looking in the window of the The Old Court Theatre, and I saw in the window a sign for a show that I thought said Transvestites, it actually said Travesties (LOL I would hate to think what this says about me as a person!).

I weighed myself this morning as part of my 8 week challenge, and I have put on 300 grammes, I felt really gutted then I remembered that I had met a friend for lunch on Thursday and I had scrambled egg on toast! I felt better after I had rationalised it ;o).

Anyway Im doing things slightly different this week. Last week I had some roast potatoes and split them over 2 days (thus still having the same amount of calories) and this week I will be making James eat the other half of them (force feeding them up his nose if he refuses to open his mouth hasnt been ruled out) ;o)

I blame it on the bacon sandwich

I have to admit last weekend I had the munchies, and ended up scoffing a whole 150 gram bag of chocolate covered espresso beans from Holland & Barrett, they were really nice, and THEN had a big bag of crisps too.

I went and did the big shop as normal this morning and it was busier than normal because of it being Mothers Day, it wasnt Christmas busy but busier none the less.

I thought that Starbucks would be busier today too with people treating their Mums to a nice skinny cappuccino. Perhaps that could be a marketing ploy for them next year...

...I can see it now "we asked 100 Mums what they would REALLY like for Mothers Day from their useless offspring and 87.2% said all they wanted was a venti skinny latte" ;o).

I really am wasted ;o)

I weighed myself this morning and put on 2lbs, I shall blame it on eating those yummies! Were they worth it?

That is a big fat YES ;o)

this would never have happened in the French Revolution!

Last week I mentioned that I had wrapped up 77 die cast drills to give as presents to our brokers...

During the week I started getting the presents ready to send out. I printed off the Merry Christmas message to go on the presents (printed on A4 paper), as they had to be trimmed I got the guillotine out of the cupboard to trim the paper, and the bloody thing wouldnt work, it wouldnt cut the paper at all! I have ordered a replacement blade, which is being delivered to the UK partner from Germany on Tuesday.

So I ended up cutting them by hand, needless to say my cutting abilities arent great but they will do ;o).

I have posted seven so far to Australia, and I have a whole lot more to send next week and for most of them the last posting date is this Friday. My feet were sore enough this week. James your on stand by for some foot rubbing ;o). Poor poor James... ;o)

I was queuing up in Starbucks this morning getting Gingerbread latte # 15 and there was a bloke behind me on his mobile (cell) phone to a mate saying "Im in Costa and they have ginger loaf cake" I cant believe he uttered the "C" word in my beloved Starbucks. If I was one of the Barristas I would have unceremoniously chucked him out (after he paid for his drink) for being so stupid!

It would have made me laugh if he was supposed to be meeting his friend for a gingerbread latte and ended up in the wrong coffee shop ;o).

I took the plunge and weighed myself this morning since our holiday, I was hoping against hope to have lost something since I last weighed myself, but no I put on five pounds FIVE POUNDS FIVE POUNDS FIVE POUNDS. Mind you I am pretty sure Ive lost something since I have come back as my work trousers do feel looser.

testing my willpower

Yesterday James interview on the Money box program on Radio 4 was broadcast...

...I laughed my head off when he said "I'll have to scan that" ;o)

On Thursday my boss went for a breakfast meeting and it was devoid of breakfast (so essentially just an early morning meeting) he came back saying "all we were after was a bacon sandwich and we didnt even get that". He then said I (as in he) will buy as all a bacon sandwich to make up for it...

...I was thinking what a great idea this was (as I had been thinking about bacon sandwiches) and he turned to me and asked if I minded getting them, it got me out of the office for 10 minutes so didnt mind ;o)

here is the bacon sandwich in all its loveliness ;o)

On Friday I ended up doing one of those tasks where you really need something nice to nibble on to get you through, I would normally have gone for something like this, and to be honest I almost went out and got them. But I thought to myself NO NO NO! I was quite proud of my willpower.

We have been watching Britains Best Dish and all the nice food on there made James fancy a Fish Terrine so we were looking in Marks & Spencer at their fish range...

The first thing we looked at was a White Orkney crab layered "thing" that was £5.49 that was way too expensive, then we looked at a similar crab thing but made with the dark meat and that was still too expensive at £3.49, and I said in a huff just get the fish sticks as they were 86 pence as he'll never know the difference once hes cut them up into his rice ;o).

Whilst in Marks & Spencers yesterday I was looking at their desserts and came across this lovely looking one...

Ive had a quarter of it so far and it was blooming gorgeous...

I decided to weigh myself today, just to see how I was going, I was hoping for a slight loss but was half expecting to have put on some as I have tried to be relaxed about things now and was well chuffed that I had only put on 100 grammes ;o)

half a cupcake if you dare?

First thing first on Thursday I got an email from Schmap saying that one of my photos has been shortlisted for inclusion in the eighth edition of the Schmap London Guide, to be published early September 2009 ;o) How excited am I...

...I could soon say that I am a published photographer ;o) Any time that James criticises my photos I can say "well I am a published photographer so there" whilst sticking my tongue out with my hands on my head antler style ;o) Very childish I know! Actually I think I will change his wallpaper to that picture as a constant reminder for him ;o)

NXEA latest 48 hour strike started on Thursday. I was quite annoyed that they included in the Industrial Action Timetable the special trains that they had running the week before. This time they were running three per hour upto 9am, and I just knew that the train journey wasnt going to be nearly as comfortable as it was :o(.

Anyhow Thursday morning arrives and I get to the station in time for the first train and there are station staff informing us passengers of the trains that are running (just to make sure that everyone knows of the extra trains), and an announcement comes over the tannoy that the first train hasnt even left Colchester yet as there is some sort of problem *sigh*. So the (what was an extra) train arrives having started from Witham with the carriages around three quarters full, but I was pleased that I got a seat.

My boss let me leave in time for the 4pm train (because unlike the morning, the trains in the evening were still running one per hour!). I left work at 3.25 just to make sure I had plenty of time to get a good seat, I was sitting there and at about 3.55 the driver announces that tomorrows (Fridays) strike will not be going ahead as a compromise has been reached. Someone (not me Im hasten to add) shouted "Oh no" ;o). I texted my boss to let him know because his trains were also effected. The people who were sitting near me on the train were saying they wernt going to tell their bosses, and one woman was moaning because she had already made the time up!

Thursday was even more of a good day as my latest chocolate tasting box arrived from Hotel Chocolat...

Last week I bought a packet of four gorgeous lemon meringue cupcakes, I ate two at the weekend with the intention on having the other two during the week. Because they were quite calorific (did you like my new word?) I had the idea that I could have half a cupcake each night thus spreading the calories over four nights.

This idea worked ok on Monday as the cupcakes were still fresh, but by Wednesday because they were getting stale (although still before the sell by date) the cupcake disintegrated as I cut into it, so I ended up having half the crumbly mess Wednesday night and the other half on Thursday, the meringue was made of harder stuff and kept intact Im pleased to say.

I weighed myself this morning and was gutted that I have put on two pounds, I can only put it down to the fact that I didnt have my normal sausages last week. I ended up having English Breakfast sausages that were a lot meatier! I shall have to see how I go next week.

Oh well...

Going to work in my PJs

OOOOhhhh I have a new follower...

Welcome dot (thats what Im going to call you ;o)).

Well the train strike went ahead on Thursday and Friday last week (that was a surprise I can tell you), when I got up on Thursday morning and checked the website I was half expecting "we are pleased to say the strike has been called off", but no it was "please allow more time for your journey". Yes they were running limited trains of one per hour (as opposed to the six per hour I can get normally) on the different lines. The one would have to have got would have started from Colchester a full five stations down the line from me and would have been packed to the rafters (if trains had rafters ;o)).

So, I ended up working from home. I decided that if I got up at my normal time, then I could start work at say 7am and doing 7 hours work I could be finished by 2pm, leaving the afternoon to do as I like ;o) That was my theory and to my surprise (and yours too) thats what I did.

So what did I do with my extra hours? As the weather was nice I went out for walks ;o).

On Saturday my Mum and Sister came over from The Netherlands they are here until Wednesday (just before the next strikes are due). I went and met up with them along with Brother no 2 and his girlfriend. I promised my Mum I would mention her on my blog without blaming her for my witches hair ;o).

I never realised how much my love of fig rolls affected their childhood. Apparently I would award the person who kept quietest the longest with a fig roll! I also said that if you talked too much then you would run out of words ;o). What a nice big sister I am ;o).

All this talk of fig rolls has made me want some, so when I was shopping in Sainsburys this morning I spent a whole 5 minutes down the biscuit aisle looking for them, and was mighty pleased that I did.

You will probably recall last weeks brilliant idea of having a good dessert on Saturday night and a bad dessert on Sunday (after weighing myself), well this week I decided to go for good desserts both days. partly because I saw that Marks & Spencers also do a chocolate muffin dessert. I had that one last night and that was gorgeous too - definitely going on my desserts to have again list.

Thinking about it I dont think the list of stuff I wouldnt have again has anything on it!

I weighed myself this morning and have put on 100 grammes, no big deal!

you dont say...

It stands to reason that if I take my camera with me to work each day, then I will end up taking more photos, and that is exactly whats happened ;o).

For those of you who were worried about the lack of Vegpots last week, you will be pleased to know that Sainsbury's were back to having the full range ;o). So no more manic searching (read frantically ordering the poor girl who was shelf stacking to go out back to look if they had any more) by me this morning for an alternative! Talking of alternatives, the Bombay Potato I had last week was nice but not filling enough!

I must look like someone who knows where theyre going (or perhaps just not as insane as everyone else ;o))...

... as someone actually asked me the way to Liverpool Street Station on Wednesday evening, as I was hurtling towards the station anyway (I can walk fast when I want to get home ;o)).

I was in Marks & Spencer yesterday deliberating about what yummy dessert to get, and eventually decided to go back to the white chocolate & raspberry cheesecake slices, I had forgotten just how nice they were ;o). Poor James can normally get the rest of our shopping while Im still looking ;o).


see my all my flickr pictures

I weighed myself this morning and have put on 100 grammes! As James pointed out I have walked home every night last week, so its probably muscle. And Im sticking to that ;o)

so proud

Im so proud of James, he started his new contract job last Thursday...

Talking of jobs (or rather lack of them) I saw this sign in the window of Lush I think this shows just how bad the job market is here in the UK :o(.

Just click on the picture for my flickr pictures

I have been taking my camera to work with me in the hope of being able to film some more people playing the Street Pianos, incidentally I was able to upload the video onto flickr eventually with the help of James ;o). Ironically I havent seen anyone playing the pianos (its like they know!!!).

I took Als advice and had a little tinkle on the piano (even though I cant play), the first time I ran my finger across the keyboard (someone I used to work with was walking past at the time and called me a hooligan ;o)). The next day I was feeling more defiant and gave the keyboard three bashes as I was walking past. The next thing I knew I heard someone else doing the same thing (he gave it one bash ;o)) its good to know I inspired someone ;o).

I found another piece of Innocent Vegpot reading, this time it was on the Spicy Chermoula Tagine

"power lunching

When did you last get genuinely excited about lunch? Was it when Jean Claude Van Damme came over and Brevilled you up a nice ham and cheese number? Were guessing it probably was. But we think we can provide even more lunchtime excitement. Right here, inside this pot. 3 of your 5 a day quick as a flash to heat and eat. Admittedly there will be no Belgian high kicking. But there will be vegetables, good health and good taste. And as JCVD once said "God gave me a great body and its my duty to take care of my physical temple" So please let this pot worship your er physical temple" ;o).

On my train line we normally get air conditioned trains, but shock horror on Tuesday there were problems and I had to sit on a non air conditioned train, it was horrible!

In my bid to get the word chocolate mentioned more on this blog see my wordle, I had today a piece of chocolate with Chili (there are three more pieces in the bar I bought) , it was really nice, the chocolate had a really hot flavour to it - I will most definitely buy that one again).

I weighed myself this morning and was well gutted that I put on two pounds, I cant put it all down to meeting my friends for lunch as I only had scrambled egg on toast, oh well I will see how I do next week.

Who on earth is Paul

I finally did my wordle, and wasnt surprised to see that James is prominent, but I have to wonder who Paul is? I even thought I had used the wrong website when creating the wordle! No I definitely used the right one! I also thought the word chocolate would appear in there but not a sausage (mind you I didnt see sausage either!).




click here for the flickr copy

Paul, Paul, Paul? Who could Paul be...


...damn if I keep typing Paul then he will appear even bigger when I do my next wordle!


I actually did something interesting yesterday, I went for afternoon tea with my friends at Marygreen Manor in Brentwood, it was a joint birthday celebration as three of our birthday are close together. It was nice, we had a good natter and ate cakes ;o)


see my pictures here...


I still cant think who Paul is!


I tried another new soup this week at Pret A Manger - Minestrone Soup (pasta, tomato, Savoy cabbage, celery, haricot beans, red wine, garlic, onion, paprika, oregano, sage, rosemary, thyme & parsley) it was really nice and filling ;o).


Paul, Paul Paul...


...who could Paul be? This is doing my head in!


Walking to the station the other night I saw a bloke playing chopsticks on a piano in St Helens (this was actually on the street) I wish I had my camera with me as it was very surreal!


Oh, Paul...


...it has to be Paul A Young as in my favourite chocolate shop, blimey thats a relief!


I only have a three day week this week as I have booked Thursday and Friday off - so hopefully it will go quickly ;o).


I weighed myself this morning, expecting a massive gain after stuffing myself with cake yesterday and was well pleased that I only put on one pound (well 200 grammes to be precise) what a result ;o).

Buy one get two free

This was the sign that caught my eye as I was walking past Tesco in Bishopsgate on my way to work on Thursday morning.

So I hear you asking, what product was this brilliant offer on? It was Jaffa Cakes, what a great bargain. I guess they had them by the door to draw in customers (which they certainly did in my case) in the hope that they would then buy more products, which I didnt do!

If deflation means more offers like this then thats great...

Im now waiting for the cost of my annual train ticket to reduce, somehow I think we will see flying pigs first!

James has been moaning that the birds have been messing up the birdseed that he has left out on our unused waterbutt for them to eat, by yesterday I was getting fed up with his constant whinging, and jokingly suggested that he should glue the birdseed to the waterbutt so it doesnt get messed up. It took a full five minutes for him to realise the full impact of my suggestion and then I got an almighty glare ;o) Its a good job looks cant kill!

Because its a Bank Holiday weekend my Boss decided to close the office at lunchtime on Friday, and because Im normally ravenous by then I decided to get my half a lamb sandwich (yes, it still makes me laugh) and eat it on the train. I managed to catch the Intercity train to Ipswich and there was a Canadian lady on the train who by the sounds of things had just landed that morning and was on her way to stay at her Sons, she was saying that whenever she comes to England she likes having jam donuts. She was also saying it was years since she had a Cornish Pasty (but I cant stand those). Anyhow, I now fancy a jam donut and will make sure I get myself one next weekend I think ;o).

Its amazing how hearing someone talk about a certain food product will immediately make you want to eat it. I wonder if food companies have ever thought of employing people to sit on trains or in public areas and bring conversations around to the said item, and they could have a mobile stall selling those foods nearby.

You could imagine going to see a Stand up comic and he or she being sponsored by a food company, and they bring the different products into their routine, and you come out thinking about it and what do you know theres a concession stand with those products. I think I shall market that idea ;o)

Because I left work early on Friday I then didnt have enough fruit for Friday, I decided to walk down to Asda to get myself some more (I like to eat fruit before having something nice for my dessert in the evening). While I was in there I saw they had garlic baguettes for 50p each and loving a bargain the way I do I bought two.

I had my one last night, and it was nice, but I think next week I will stick to having a garlic flatbread as its a lot nicer ;o).

I weighed myself this morning and have put on another pound, I blame that firmly on the garlic baguette, as I thought I was pretty good earlier in the week. So I shall see how I go next week and as Fagin says I shall review the situation.

Brahms with my Praline, I dont think so

Thank you all for my Birthday wishes last week ;o)

Whilst out shopping last week I bought a birthday cake to have, not a proper one because that would have been plain greedy, but a coffee sponge roll, which was really scrummy ;o)

If you click on the link it will take you to my flickr page

The day itself was good, I even got cups of tea made for me at work, which is generally unheard of! I always seem to be the one who makes most of the drinks. I swear they would die of dehydration if I didnt make the drinks.

I even did the right thing and bought cakes for everyone or rather pastries...

...I bought three croissants, one pain au raisin, and a maple pecan plait for me ;o) Theres only five of us.

When I was back in London my boss even told me not to feel I should make the drinks and to only make them if I was making one for me. I even half joked on another occasion that I wait til Im dieing of thirst before I make the drinks!

I got this mailing the other day from the Chocolate Tasting Club, I really did consider going for it, but thought to myself do I really want to pay another £7.00 for a CD? The answer to that was a big fat no! Especially as Im not really a fan of classical music.

Talking of unheard of things, I normally bring to work some sort of food thing when Ive been away on holiday, and my colleague brings me back a bar of chocolate (which is really nice of him) when hes been away, the other people dont tend to bother. Im the only person to send postcards too.

My boss went to Turkey for a golfing break and actually bought us back some Turkish Delight, so it was actually the proper stuff ;o) It was really nice too, I ended up having two pieces one mint and one rose and they were coated in coconut with a nut in the middle.

I weighed myself this morning and knew that I was bound to have put a bit of weight on after having all those yummy things, so was well pleased that I only put on 200 grammes. Im going to try to be (or rather reasonably) good from now on. I know who am I kidding ;o)

not so souper

On Thursday I tried another new soup from Pret a Manger, this time I went for Spinach & Nutmeg (Spinach, nutmeg, potato, sage, cream, butter, onion, celery & organic vegetable bouillon) the taste was ok, it was just devoid of lumps, so it wasnt very filling. I was hungry for the rest of the afternoon, and as James (and the numerous charity collectors - sorry I didnt mean to scream at you "never mind the starving millions I want feeding") will testify a hungry Amber isnt a happy Amber!


As followers of Als blog would have seen, I made a mission statement so to speak, to eat a portion of chips on every beach in Britain - I should have said England really - but as ever I speak first (should that be comment first?) and think later! I now have to include Wales and Scotland also, Im not quite sure how many beaches there are, "but it sure will be fun finding out". As I said I can cross off Southend ;o).


Its my birthday on Wednesday and James has bought me a new camera, I have had a little play with it (but was told off because its not Wednesday yet!), I will try and upload the few pictures Ive taken (be warned theres a scary self portait in there to ;o)).


I hate wasting food and on Friday James said to me "theres some Walnut Pave left - if you dont want it I will throw it away", I had to eat it - it wasnt just "some" bread it was half the loaf, and I felt incredibly full after eating it - so full infact that I couldnt eat a chocolate! Yes, I was that full!


Considering I ate all that bread, I was well pleased that when I weighed myself this morning I only put on 100 grammes (I wasnt too pleased that I have had to pay again - oh well two weeks free is better thatn a smack in the kisser!).

the long short week

Why is it that short weeks always last longer than normal weeks? That always flummoxes me! I always know that by Wednesday afternoon I am over halfway through the week, but on the few weeks that we have a bank holiday then the halfway mark comes Wednesday evening, which is why psychologically its longer!

Last Monday the new series of Hells Kitchen started with the rather sexy Marco Pierre White running the pass. Im sorry James but if Marco said to me "let me take you away and hand feed you chocolate all day" then I would have my bags packed before you could say "did you check the coinstar?"

You will be pleased to know that the chilli and chocolate sausages were really nice! They had chilli in them with little pockets of dark chocolate that melted as they cooked, the combination really worked well together ;o). The sausage lady didnt make them this week, but will make them again either for next week or the week after. I was speaking to her husband and he said they sold out last Saturday too and also sold out at Barleylands. Hopefully the sausages will continue selling well (and not just because it was Easter).

While doing the shopping this morning I bought a new Innocent Veg pot, British Spring Greens, hopefully it will be as nice as the others are.

On Tuesday morning at Liverpool Street Station I came across this sign at the Bishopsgate exit escalators.

I always walk up and down the stairs (and that is always during the peak periods anyway). It will only affect the people who would want to use the escalators whilst going in the "wrong" direction! Upto a few weeks ago they were renovating the escalators (one at a time) and they were running in the "wrong" direction, as trying to walk up/down the stairs would be a complete nightmare when everyone is walking the other way!. It reminds me back to when I was at school we had "up" stairs and "down" stairs but at hometime and lunchtime everyone would walk down the nearest staircase!

I knew after all the chocolate I ate last week it was inevitable that I would have put on some weight this week...

...even still there was a teeny part of me hoping that there would be a small loss, huh! fat chance of that happening! I shouldnt really have been surprised that I put on four pounds!

Like I said last week the bad weeks make the good weeks seem better (I just have to keep telling myself this) ;o)

black velvet

Every day for the past couple of weeks, I have been confronted by a blackboard on a pavement "A board" saying "try our yummy black velvet cupcakes" I have been umming and ahhing about trying one and on Thursday I finally cracked!

Yes I'm the gullible fool that all those adverts are aimed at - I admit it! ;o) If you word something just right I will succumb eventually...

I followed the arrow on the sign leading me around the perimeter of The Gherkin to Konditor & Cook, I entered the haven of yummieness asked in my least frantic voice saying "I would like two black velvet cupcakes please" The East European lady (how comes everyone in the food industry in London is always Eastern European? - I dont have a problem with this) says to me "I vill gow and cheyck on zem" she then came back and said "zey are being done now and vill be ready after 12".

Well at least I know they will be fresh.

I went back at lunchtime to get the yummy cupcakes and got one each for me and James. Good job the trains werent up the creek that evening as I dont think they would have made it home ;o).

They didnt disappoint me (lets put it that way - to be honest if its chocolately it rarely will ;o)), it was a chocolate cake with a whole load of lemon butter icing on top (so it looked like a pint of Guinness).

On Tuesday last week the managers of our building bought around croissants for all the tenants, apparently they do this about once a month (we never got this in Romford ;o)). Seeing the round croissant imediately took me back to when I was 11 at Hedley Walter High School in a French lesson when our teacher bought us out the very same croissants (obviously not the same ones as they would be 27 years old and stale!).

I got to try a another new soup this week from Pret a Manger, Slow-Cooked Miso Pork & Rice (free-range chicken stock, rice, pork, carrot, spring onion, miso paste, ginger, fish sauce, red chilli, garlic, soy sauce and sesame). Even better I managed to get the last portion of it too as just after I got my pot of soup the person serving me said that was the last of the pork...

...so to the guy who I "pipped to the post" it was really nice, I was making someone feel hungry at work while eating it too as he said it smelt like worcester sauce! I half expected him to back with some from another shop but he didnt.

While doing the food shopping this morning, I came across a new veg pot from Innocent, Indian Daal Curry, it sounds pretty yummy so Ill tell you what its like next week, Im still having the Coconut Thai Curry one too, as that really is my favourite one at the moment.

The weather has been really nice today and we ventured out for the first time this year without our winter coats!

I hear you asking "so what did the Black Velvet cupcake do to your weight?" what do you mean your not asking that? ;o) Well Ill tell you anyway...

...I put on one pound.