Tania Kettle

I’ve decided that I’m coming back in my next life as a cat.  Preferably black and fluffy.  I mean, c’mon - eat, sleep and sunbathe….that’s my idea of a purrrfect life lolollol  God, you can tell we have been rowing training hard out again yes?  I thought two 5am starts were bad but four a week, 6 days a week and somedays we are not finishing until 6pm - it is hard yakka and the only thing I am going to say is they better bloody win at the regattas!  Anyway, surprisingly enough we aren’t as tired (overall) as I would expect.  A common phrase from the young one (at the oddest times) is “I’m going for a nap” but apart from that it’s not too bad and I’m still (just) awake before the alarm.  I’m going to blame the smoothies on this.  I still believe that they are the quickest and best way to get vitamins and minerals into the body and they are especially good for re-charging and re-vitalising and not just because I said so but because they have proven results.  I still crave carbs if I don’t eat often enough or get that teensy weensy bit tired but I think that past a certain work point during the day you must have carbs anyway.  I try, and mostly succeed with eating breakfast and have noticed that with me adding more food to my day my body is liking me better and working at a far better rate.   I hope you all are getting the same excellent results as we are here 

Food today: brekkie - Whittakers white macadamia choc, snack - muffin, lunch - 2 club sandwiches, watermelon and choc, snack - Kettle’s seasalt potato chips, snack - choc, dinner - smoothie.

Happy thought of the day:  I have another four months of this glorious weather 

What a fabulously interesting day!  I am all for throwing your toys out of your cot periodically as it has a tendency to clear the air and get things sorted.  Well, sorted they are lol.  But seriously, don’t be a victim.  I am heartsore that I’m hearing that some of my clients are getting made redundant.  It’s a terrible time of the year for this to happen (not that I think that there is a particularly good time) and for those that are finding (or have just found out) that their partners are playing outside their back door…well, there’s never a good time for that either but I do believe that it is always better sooner rather than later.  For those of you who are in this situation or even have little niggly doubts let me help you out here….if your partner…..locks his computer, turns off his phone, changes his aftershave and/or gets new nickers.  He’s playing.   If you can’t get hold of him during the day because he’s “in meetings”.  He’s playing.  If you are having more sex than normal.  He’s playing.  Last but not least if you have any doubt whatsoever……99.9% chance he’s playing.  Hope that helps  :) 

Food today: brekkie - strawberries and banana, lunch - corned beef sandwiches, snack - apricot danish and dinner will be BK and a beer.

Happy thought of the day:  Another successful rowing day 

I am one unhappy camper today!  My biggest “nut off” is when someone lies, either through choice or by insinuation and over the last three weeks I seem to have come across a lot of it.  Before I go any further I do have to put my hand up and say that I did a doozy of a white lie and got caught.  I should have been honest.  I wasn’t, I thought she would deal with a white lie better so did that.  And got caught.  Big time.  Anyway,  I apologised madly and hope the situation rectifies itself in the foreseeable future!  In my defence it was to save her feelings.  Yes, I know.  However, over the last couple of weeks I have heard of quite a few (if I was being generous) untruths (but I’m not) lies and I don’t understand why people do it.  The rational part of me understands that someone who lies is sad and unhappy and has low self esteem.  Got that part.  But the totally unreasonable part of me goes What were you thinking!  How can you possibly think that saying that was ok?  I try to be a good person and to have a high moral and ethical standard and I try to live by these rules I own every single day.   To make people feel better and to encourage, support and nuture and through actively living like this to encourage others to make different, and better choices.  Most days it works, some days it doesn’t and to find myself today on the receiving end of another lie is suckful.  Being lied about is hurtful and it doesn’t matter whether you are 14 or 40!  It. is. one. major. piss. off.    If you have lied to someone, be a man (or a woman) put your hand up, own up to your lies and deceit and frankly leave the rest of us the hell alone.  In the words of my Great Grand Nana (now well deceased) - A liar takes away your choices, because if you had all the facts, would you have made the same decision? 

Actually?  Hell. No.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr……

Food today: brekkie - steamed broccoli, snack - figs, lunch - tuna mountain bread, snack - smoothie, dinner will be - mashed garlic potatoes, steamed broccoli and beans with lamb steak.

Happy thought of the day:  The truth always comes out 

You know I was thinking about this whole home baking thing…..I have a theory that home baking is better because it is made with love from one person to another and with the whole aim of bringing pleasure.   If you cook with your lover, it is a form of foreplay…..to create a dish, together, with music, wine, talking and lots of laughter……nothing better and it is usually the start to an amazingly, awesome night.  I find it quite interesting though that a couple of my girlfriends (who are also excellent cooks) if a new man asks them if they can cook, like me, they say no.  The theory behind this?  We are modern women.  We have careers, family and (on a good day) a social life and we have no intention of getting involved with men who expect us to cook because we are women.  Ha!  As my girlfriend would say I am not going to come home every night and cook for a man so it’s best that he doesn’t have any expectations to start with!  lolollol  Men beware, women lie - we can cook, we just won’t  lol

Another smoothie for you: watermelon, orange juice and fresh strawberries or orange juice, strawberries and a handful of Signature Range Nature’s Mixed Berries (found frozen in the fridge/freezer isle of supermarket) which consists of boysenberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries.   Delisimo!

Food today: brekkie - dried figs, snack/brunch - cold chicken with (a little) plum jam and 1 choc chip cookie, late lunch - left over garlic mashed potato and a few baby carrots, snack - strawberry, orange juice and mixed berry smoothie, dinner ravioli with mushroom sauce with a well deserved glass of vino lol.

Good on me….went to the gym and did 30 mins cardio - wanted to do more but my stiches had other ideas lol

Thought of the day:   Your relationship is who you cook with  

WANTED:  1 Great Grand Nana to make strawberry jam, fresh sponge cake and warm, fresh scones on a cold Auckland day.  Well, any day actually…..I’m not too fussy lol

The young one loooovees home made strawberry jam - well, everyone in my family does so about four years ago I decided to do the whole “mother nature” thing and make everyone xmas presents lol   The strawberry jam tasted fabulous but something went a little haywire between the cooking and the sealing because a month later when said xmas gifts were given out there was a thin layer of mould covering everything lololllol - that should say exactly how good the jam tasted as everyone scraped the mould off and ate it anyway lol  The jam turned out better than the chilli in jar though - no one told me that you cannot cut chilli’s without gloves because the chilli juice soaks into your skin and what starts out as a little burn turns to hours of agony…..once the poision control people could stop laughing they said wear gloves next time lolollol - it was not funny at the time, in fact I thought my hands were going to fall off with the pain.  The Kahlua and Baileys turned out way, way better but I digress if anyone has a Great Grand Nana who they are prepared to lend out (or give)….call me…..

I could have gone to the gym today but instead stayed in the warm making choc chip cookies….will try for a better effort tomorrow….

Food today: brekkie - 2 eggs, snack - dried figs and banana, lunch - tuna mountain bread, snack - 2 warm, freshly made, hot out of the oven, choc chip cookies and dinner will be roast chicken with garlic mashed potatoes, baby carrots and silverbeet and late snack may be another choc chip cookie.

Happy quote of the day:  Warm cookies have half the calories of cold cookies.  God said so.    lolollol  

What a fabulously busy weekend!  We are now rowing for two different teams so with two 5am starts this weekend there really wasn’t a huge amount of room to move lol…..add into the mix - markets, shopping (both food and clothes - the young one’s done another  growth spurt on me) sunbathing, friends, family, sleeping (the young one) and studying and you get the general gist of it lol - no, I didn’t get to play pool but you know….what can you do?

Today let us talk about strawberries as we have been eating a huge amount of them…..

Strawberries are anti aging and help ease arthritis and asthma while keeping your urinary tract and heart healthy.   They also clean the digestive system and reduce the risk of intestinal disorders as well as high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease.  Strawberries overall are a women’s fruit as they work with tummy etc….

Foods been pretty good - quite a few carbs but c’mon….5am starts? by 8am I’m ravenous for a cappuccino and a crossiant lol….in no particular order…..Saturday - cappuccino, crossiant, smoothie, sandwich, smoothie, chicken nibbles…..Sunday - cappacinno, hot scone, almond crossiant, freshly made sourdough with tomato, avocado and blue cheese, smoothie, pasta.  And some wine.  lolollol - I definitely do deserve it thank you very much lol

Oddest question of the weekend…..I know that you are organic but you must also do something else…..is it botox?     lolollolollol ummmmmmm….let me think about this…..NO.   lolollol

Said bikkies are made and fabulous so I thought I would share the recipe…….Ingredients: 2 cups of plain flour, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, 185 grms of melted butter, 1 cup of brown sugar, 1/4 cup of white sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence, 1 egg and choc (we use Whittakers and the recipe recommends a cup - I use how much I feel like lol).

Pre-heat oven to 170.  Mix flour, baking soda and salt together.  Melt butter then add brown sugar, white sugar, egg, vanilla essence then add to flour bowl and then add choc then put on tray.  I baked today in mini muffin tins and they turned out ok but tray is easier to remove them from.  Bake for about 15 mins….Good enough for the young one to hoover down and consistently want seconds of lolollol now that’s a suprise lol

Food today: brekkie - dried figs, snack - toast, snack - 2 half broken (trying to get out of mini muffin tin)hot choc chip bikkies, snack - smoothie, dinner - pizza and a couple of beers lol  -  I have got to get to the gym next week lol

Quote of the day (taken from Jerry Seinfeld):  Where lipstick is concerned, the important thing is not colour, but to accept God’s final word on where your lips end.   lolollol 

Well today was seriously random!  The young one’s in the middle of exams so asked for me to make some more choc chip bikkies……no problem….you know though, that being the age I am, I should know better than to commit to baking anything, anywhere, anytime lol - I can only bake when I feel in the mood.  And today I wasn’t.  Or I was but somewhere between 7.30am when he asked me and 10am when I became aware of how seriously behind in my work I was I started freaking out about these bikkies and they took on mammoth proportions!  It’s now 10.15pm and said cookies are still sitting in their own particular ingredient packets in the pantry lolollol.  Maybe better luck tomorrow  :) 

Food: brekkie - toast and tomato, snack - figs, lunch - chicken……….dinner will be fresh bread, tomatoes and a glass of wine and maybe a little choc lol

Thought of the day:  I seriously do not believe that all 24 hour periods are the same physical amount of time lolollol 

Another beautiful day in sunny Auckland!  Not a sit back and enjoy the sunshine day but you know, you can’t make hay every day lol  The young one has a quirk - about six, possibly seven, months ago we made a garden - you know, in the wooden troughs (very cool) and have managed to grow quite a few things…..lettuce (after the 20th million try - they are quite difficult to grow!), spinach, silverbeet, bok choy, carrot, broccoli, lavendar, thyme, sage, lemon, rocket and chives.  And strawberries.  We have a beautiful lemon tree with one perfect lemon - and the young one won’t let me pick it!  Why not u ask?  Because he planted the tree, watered it, fed it and now he just can’t let himself pick it - he wants to look at it lolollol  May I just say everyone comes around and goes Great, you have a lemon in which case the young one does a mad dive to subvert any tries to distance lemon from said tree.  As I said, he has quirks.  lol

Found another great recipe for home-made ice-cream today…..

Ingredients - 4 eggs (separated), 1/2 cup of caster sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla essence and 300ml cream (lightly whipped)

Method: Using an electric beater, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form (remember add a smidgen of salt to quicken the process).  Gradually add half the caster sugar, slowly, and keep beating.  In another bowl, beat yolks and the remaining sugar until thick and pale.  Beat in essence.  Gently fold yolk mixture into egg white mixture. Fold in cream.  Add either honey or golden syrup to taste.  Stir to mix then put in 2 litre container (or anything with a lid that you can find lol) and freeze.  Takes about 3 hours.  It is unbelieveably good!  (Taken from “Flavours” of Sunnyhills School).

Use in smoothie:  banana and strawberries, milk and ice-cream or banana, peaches, milk and ice-cream.  Young one hoovers these down like nobodies business!

Missing the gym and technically not allowed back for another week but am starting to feel the lack of burn so will go down in the next couple of days.

Food today: brekkie - smoothie, snack - toast, lunch - watermelon juice and a little cold chicken with a caramel slice, snack - choc, dinner - risotto with brocolli, peppers - green, red and yellow with giant prawns.  And maybe some wine.  And maybe some potato chips while waiting on dinner.  Best I go to the gym tomorrow me thinks lolollol

Oddest question today:  You are actually his Mum aren’t you?   lolollol  What are my other choices?? 

Oh my God!  For the first time ever I slept in and missed rowing training lol…..I set the (phone) alarm last night and then turned off the bloody phone lol  God, I am such a blonde some days….  The first inkling I had this morning that maybe things weren’t on track was the sunlight streaming in my window - sun does not stream at 5.15am! and then the cars whizzing past completely gave the game away as no one is on the road at that time normally.  That actually set the tone for the rest of the day (yes, that means I ran seriously late for everything else) so at 2pm I gave up, threw my clothes off and worked outside sitting in the sun lol.  As soon as I did that I found the missing hours and got more work done then than I had in the previous 5! 

Let us have a look at watermelons today…..red flesh always says that a fruit or vege has lycopene, the antioxidant carotenoid which is believed to reduce the risk of cancers, particularly prostate.  Watermelons are high in vitamin C and vitamin A which stop premature aging and stroke, cancers and heart disease and are particularly good for a glowing skin, symptoms of asthma and rheumatoid arthritis and as I have said on many occasions a natural diuretic.  (Taken from 100 Health Boosting Foods).  Juice watermelon and drink if you suffer from bad period or excessive bloating and/or water retention and smoothie it if you just need a little womanly nuturing.  (Taken from the Tania Kettle Book of Life Experiences) lol

Another one of my favourite smoothies:  watermelon (just put it all in minus skin) and orange juice.  Better for women than men as particularly works on the tummy/womb area which as we all know men are lacking.

Food today: smoothie, snack - toast, lunch - sausage roll and caramel slice (yes, I know, no need to mention it), dinner is a surprise as a friend is bringing a bottle of wine and takeaways (no idea what).

Quote of the day from the young one re the “yo Momma” …….Yo Mamma’s so stupid she sold the computer to buy the Internet   lolollol