Food organisation

I have been wondering whether to put this on my blog or not, as it's not really relevant to the whole theme I have going on here, but I have been going through a massive decluttering spurt.

It started when I was out of the game with my ankle, and I was practically crawling up the walls with frustration. To take my mind off it, I started to go through all of my stuff and weeding out the unnecessary.  It felt really good, and now I feel properly cleansed.

But I am not stopping there. Last weekend I decided to give my kitchen a revamp and re-organise my food cupboards. Given that this blog is about food (well, sometimes), I thought I should crete a post to boast about my efforts.

There was one corner that used to really annoy me. It was wasted space, frankly, and a dumping ground for all the food that I couldn't fit in my cupboards:

ICK.

There was two issues with this arrangement: firstly, it looked like a total guddle, and secondly, the water from the nearly sink sometimes seeped over onto the work surface, making my teabags all soggy. :(

I realised that there was also a lot of wall space there that I wasn't using, so I came up with a plan to start storing up, rather than out. I invested in a cheap £10 Billy Bookcase from Ikea, and voila! Instant organisation!

YAY

It looks so much better now!

I was even able to bring out some of my pretty jars of rice, pasta and pulses, and put them on display. I don't know why, but there is something so nice about having all of my wholesome ingredients on show.

So yeah, that was my weekend.

Do you have any kitchen organisation tips? Please tell me about them in the comments! Now that I've got the ball rolling, I get a total kick out of this stuff. Seriously.

Just a quick one...

... To say how shocked and saddened I am to hear of the tragic events in Boston.

The day before the race, my Twitter feed was full of excitement and anticipation... but at the moment it's so full of heartwrenching stories, that I dread opening it for fear of what I might read next.

I know it's hard, but we need to look on the bright side. Ill leave you with this quote that popped up in my Facebook feed (because that's where I seem to get all my blog inspiration nowadays).




The tales of the many heroes rising up to the plate in this difficult time have been inspirational. We need to take the positive out of this if we can, and keep our chins up. Because when we let things like this bring us down, that's when the fuckers win.

Be strong, Boston. The world is thinking of you.

X

New Beginnings

I freaking love April.

Winter is well and truly behind us (well, in theory), the mornings are getting lighter, the days are getting warmer and I am feeling good.

Screw new year's resolutions - resolving to make a change for spring is where it's at, and here's why: there is a kind of hope attached to spring breaking that cannot be found at any other time of the year. With new blooms appearing, and the sunrise ready to greet me when I get up in the morning, it feels like the whole planet is awaking from a six month slumber.

Don't get me wrong, my ankle isn't completely better, but it is the best time of the year to start a new training plan. I went out for my first run yesterday in over two months, and boy it felt good.

Well, at the time. About 10 hours later the dreaded and inevitable DOMS set in (you know, when those muscles you haven't been using for a while go "remember us?!") so I've been walking like John Wayne most of the day, but I know it will pass.

The main concern is my ankle. I don't know if it is true or not, but a trainer once told me that the pressure equal to 8x your body weight passes through your foot every stride you take on a run. That's quite a hammering. So, I am starting out really really easy, only 15 minutes at a time, and then building up from there. The flare ups are to be expected, but I am trying to minimise them as much as I can.

In the meantime, so far so good. I'll keep you posted.

What 2000 calories looks like

Yes, I know I have literally just written about something similar, but these food comparison thingamyjigs seem to be everywhere at the moment and I'm just a sucker for them.

Plus, the background music is so jaunty! ;)

Via Buzzfeed

Why I Run

Just a short one today, I came across this pie chart (may or may not be wholly accurate) on why people run. It made me chuckle:

There's at least a couple of those reasons that resonate with me! How many do you identify with?

Drugged up March

I know these moany posts aren't everyone's cup of tea, but I have to vent. Plus, it's my blog, so screw it. If you don't like it, go and read someone else's blog! (I don't mean that, sorry. Please stay. I love all my readers. Sit down, I'll make you a cup of tea. JUST DON'T LEAVE ME!!!)

Anyway. The ankle still hurts. BAH.

Don't get me wrong, there is a definitely a vast improvement from when I stopped running six weeks ago, but it's not the complete miraculous recovery I was hoping for.

I went to the orthopaedic assessment clinic as planned, but unfortunately it wasn't as fruitful as I was hoping it was going to be. Don't get me wrong, the doctor was lovely, but she hadn't really told me anything I hadn't heard already. Just the usual "nothing wrong with the ankle structure, WOW your biomechanics are screwed, here are some exercises, give it time... blah blah blah..."

Well guess what, I have given it time. I have given it time with bells on. I have paid my dues, I am fed up and I want to get running again NOW!!!

So you could say I was pretty bummed. Shortly after I went back to my physio/psycho therapist and vented. I think she was relieved that there was nothing there that she had missed, and that she had been right in thinking there was nothing wrong with the ankle structure itself. That got me thinking... is there any way that this could just be a chronic niggle with no physiological purpose? Quite possibly, she replied.

If that's the case, maybe I should shift my focus from healing my ankle injury (when there isn't anything to heal) to breaking the psychosomatic pain feedback cycle that it has left behind. So, I have started on a simple course of ibuprofen to block the pain for two weeks, and hopefully once I come off them, my stupid brain will realise the pain served no purpose and will block it out for good. Well... that is the plan anyway. :)

I've done "no run February".... so I am following it up with "Drugged up March!"

Hmm, maybe need to work on the name a bit. It sounds like I have lost it a little... Nevermind. You all know what I mean.

Besides, I have a 10k at the end of May to train for so I have to get started up again pretty soon. I've spotted a good training plan by Bupa that should get me 10k fit again, but it takes 8 weeks, which means ideally I should be up and going for it in about 10 days.

But, I'll just wait and see if the ibuprofen plan works before I make a solid decision. I'm sure I'll get there one way or another ;)

How to make popcorn

Every so often, you gain a skill that changes your life. In the past couple of weeks, I have been honing such a skill, and I swear I am not exaggerating when I say that it has been a game changer. 

Home made popcorn. Oh yes. 

"But wait!" I hear you cry, "Isn't popcorn that cinema snack that's really bad for you?!" Well yes, because its covered in a sugary syrup and fills a bag that's twice the size of your head. As a matter of fact, with a sensible topping and a controlled portion size, popcorn is quite a modest treat that's perfect for satisfying those evening munchies. 

Homemade Popcorn 

(serves 1 - multiply the recipe if you need to serve more)

• 25g unpopped popping corn (I get mine from Holland and Barrett, but you can get it in pretty much any health food store - for a pretty decent price too)
• 10g butter or margerine
• 1 teaspoon of sugar OR 1/4 teaspoon salt (depending on whether you want your corn sweet or salty)

Add your butter to the pot (hint: you'll need a bigger pot than you think)...

... and melt on a medium low heat. 

Once it's all melted, add your flavouring, whether it's the sugar or salt. I've decided to go for salt today. 

Something I've noticed is that when it comes to popcorn, people tend to fall into either sweet lovers or salty lovers... I must confess I am a rare breed in the sense that I have a soft spot for both. It really depends what kind of mood I am in!

Next, add your corn and shake your pot so that each kernel is glazed with the butter.

Finally, put the lid on the pot. And wait...

This is probably my favourite part... watching the corn as it pops in the pot is really exciting and I turn into a 5 year old again! Just remember to shake the pot every so often so the popped corn doesn't catch and burn. 

You'll know when it's ready once the popping has settled down to every 2-3 seconds. 

And hey presto! Perfect popped popcorn, with a fraction of the guilt. At 150 to 170 kcals with the sugar, it's the perfect cheeky treat ;)