Days 12-16… Oops!

Uh oh, promised myself I’d blog every day and then what do I go and do? Miss 5 in a row!

*slaps wrist*

It’s not going to be very detailed I’m afraid. Now I’m 29, my memory isn’t what it used to be – in fact I just had to really concentrate to remember my age. Not good… given that it’s in the title of my blog!

Days 12, 13 and 14

Again, lumped together as they were work days and all kind of blurred into one!. It’s the busiest time of the year here at the moment, and I’ve been doing my best to keep my head down, get on with things and not get too bored! I know that sounds ridiculous, that I’m rushed off my feet and yet I’m bored, but my brain just isn’t stretched enough most of the time and that’s the cause of it.

It’s been ok though, Friday was a particularly productive day and I went home all smiles ready for the weekend.

Friday night was a lovely relaxing evening, and I cooked something that is definitely a new favourite of mine – chicken with lemon and courgette couscous.

Chicken with lemon and courgette couscous

Absolutely delicious dish and only c. 450 calories (less if you share it among 4!). I adapted the recipe a bit to serve 2 (only used 2 courgettes, 100g couscous, 200ml chicken stock) but kept the chicken quantity the same – Mr TwentyNine likes a good bit of meat on his plate! So here it is, from the BBC Good Food website (as a lot of my new faves are!)

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 200g couscous
• 400ml chicken stock
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 courgettes , grated
• 2 lemons , 1 halved, 1 cut into wedges
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Method

1. Tip the couscous into a large bowl and pour over the stock. Cover and leave for 10 mins until fluffy and all the stock has been absorbed. Heat 1 tbsp oil and fry the courgettes until softened and crisping at the edges. Tip into the couscous, then stir in with plenty of seasoning and a good squeeze of lemon juice from one of the halves.
2. Halve the chicken breasts horizontally and put each piece on a sheet of cling film. Cover with another sheet and beat each piece out with a rolling pin to make it thinner. Season. Heat the remaining oil in a large pan and fry the chicken for about 2 mins on each side until cooked through. Squeeze over the juice from the other lemon half and serve with the couscous and lemon wedges on the side.

Per serving

275 kcalories, protein 25g, carbohydrate 29g, fat 7 g, saturated fat 1g, fibre 1g, sugar 4g, salt 0,37 g

Yum! Washed it all down with a glass of Bordeaux and these little low-calorie delights:

Yoo Moos!

First time we’d tried these but they were knocked down to £1 each in Asda so had to give them a go!

In other news this week Mr TwentyNine has enrolled us in a gym membership. That does make it sound a bit like he looked at me, thought “You need the gym love!” and booked me in, haha, but I promise it was a joint decision. Only problem – induction is 7am on Monday morning, and we have to get there 20 minutes early to sign membership forms etc! Eeek.

Baptism of fire or what?!

All being well, we’ll be going to the gym 3 mornings a week before work. It’s the only time we can do it – neither of us has the energy or motivation after a full day in work so we need to just get in there first thing in the morning before we can start making the usual excuses:

” I have a headache.”

“I did a lot of typing today, I think I have RSI so probably shouldn’t exercise.”

“I’ll miss the new episode of Dallas!” 

Nope, can’t be having any of that! I won’t be aiming to lose weight, as I don’t need to, but I do need to tone myself up a bit. Hoping to see results by Christmas so I can indulge in a well-earned festive binge.

Day 15

Ugh, this was pretty much a wasted day. I don’t know if we were just over-tired, stressed from work or just hormonal, but Mr TwentyNine and I were snapping and sniping at each other all day! It took until an argument at 10pm for us to both admit we were idiots and apologise. But still, total waste of a day together.

Note to self – DON’T DO IT AGAIN! 

Had a necessary trip into town in the morning for a few bits and pieces. Picked up some of the new Tresemme ‘Split Mends’ conditioner and spray so will be interested to see if that’s any good.

Home – and finally I get some time to continue my painting! Given that I worked on it for 2 hours, I felt like I got not a lot done. All I can say is that painting stone walls is not as easy as it looks. But hey, it’s another step towards me finishing I guess.

Stone walls – my nemesis?

Another lovely dinner – I am soooo loving trying new things. Mr TwentyNine deciding to eat veg has been the best gift he could have ever given me! We had a roast chicken and tomato tagliatelle. Nice and simple, super quick to make and truly yummy.

Roast chicken and tomato tagliatelle

Slightly spoiled the low-calorie aspect of this by heading out to McDonalds shortly afterwards for a muffin! Can’t help it, with the mood I was in somebody would have died if I didn’t get that muffin…

 

Day 16

Up ridiculously early today to try to exhaust myself for a good night’s sleep ahead of the crazy Monday morning gym induction. Was also nice to spend some time with Mr TwentyNine after Saturday’s bickering disaster, before he headed off to band rehearsal from 10am-4pm.

I can’t pretend I wasn’t grateful for some ‘me time’.

I whiled away a couple of hours doing some washing, cleaning the kitchen, having a shower – all while dancing along to Michael Jackson’s ‘Number Ones’ album. Ahhh it still kills me that I will never get to see that man perform live. What sheer talent he had! There will never be anyone like him again. Mr TwentyNine and I have plans for an ‘inspiration wall’ in our spare bedroom, and a photo of MJ will be right there in the middle of it (along with Ms Winehouse and Mr Mercury, to name just a couple of others).

Art attack

Found a bit more time for some painting. Was really frustrated with what I did though, it’s just not looking right at the moment. So I wisely stepped away and I’ll come back to it some evening this week when I’ve given myself a bit of distance from it.

Also watched Eat, Pray, Love again. I do love that movie (although not as much as the book) and I always feel a little bit inspired after watching it. Don’t worry Mr TwentyNine, I have no ambition to up and leave to India or Bali (although Rome I may consider!) but I do find it’s a good reminder to get out there and do what you want to do, live life as you want to live it. Hmmm.

We also finally watched American Pie: The Reunion this afternoon. It was great, but HOW OLD did it make me feel?! I remember going to watch the first one at the cinema when I was just 16! Now all the characters in the film have grown up… does that mean I have to as well?!

 

Food For Thought

Well I reckon I’ve given you plenty above!

One thing I did do tonight was cook a batch of flapjacks – pre-gym snacks ready for Monday morning! Made them with the world’s most basic flapjack recipe (butter, oats, golden syrup) but I think I might experiment in future with bananas, apricots, etc. Not sure, but will have to look into what foods are particularly protein-rich that I can maybe chuck in the mix!

Flapjacks!

Please let me know if you have any suggestions for either pre-gym snacks or post-gym breakfasts – while they were certainly an incentive to get out of bed this morning, I think flapjacks may get a bit boring after a week or so!