What's cooking?

I had my weigh in yesterday and had been nervous since last week when I had lost 2 pounds. I thought it was going to be 2 pounds every week for the next 8 weeks. That still would've been great, but having gone from 4 1/2 to 2 it felt like a little slump. I started my admin voluntary work on Monday so couldn't get down until later, all day I was wishing the hours away to find out my fate. I lost 4 1/2 pounds again! *Dirty Dancing soundtrack voice* "Well I'm back, to show you, how I can really shake em downnnn! Do youuuu loveeee meeeee!" etc. I was so happy! I wanted to hug my pharmacist, but we're not at that stage yet, we haven't even high 5'd yet, we'll get there. She did give me a big smile though. Crawl before walking n all that jazz. I have been caning the water like it was going out of fashion, and walking a lot of places instead of the bus. I think it could have been all the dancing on Friday night also, I was sweating like a p.i.g after busting a few moves. Maybe this is the Gods of dance telling me I should dance more. Well ok then if you insist!

I had really missed cooking over the last few weeks. As I said before when working from home my trip to Sainsbury's and making dinner would always break up the day. The past 4 1/2 weeks getting 300ml water and blending it with the milkshake does not break up the day. I've been really looking forward to cooking again when this finished and got a little jealous when the others would. Then it dawned on me, chefs make a lot of food, but they don't necessarily have to eat it! I thought about cooking for others for the past 2 weeks. I didn't know if it was a silly idea, just teasing myself, asking myself for a breakdown. But I had thought since I've been around food so much and not minded, and been in such a good mind frame, I would work myself up to cooking. It was my friends birthday on Sunday, he was going out for a club night for it on the Saturday. I know Friday was a success, but a club is different. I bowed out and admitted to myself I just could not handle it. It would be a really late one, the place would be crammed, everyone would be super drunk and I was already hanging from my phantom hangover. I told him in advance I would come over for the pre-drinks and to make up for not making the night out, I'd make him and my two flatmates dinner on the Monday. As you know I've been obsessed with food pages for a while now so I tried to get some ideas. The problem is, with food such as lasagne, curry etc you have to taste it whilst cooking to check how it is. This limited me to making something I didn't have to try. I strolled BBC Good Food (it should be my homepage by now) and found this handy number. Boys love burgers so it would be handy, and it would be baby steps into using the kitchen again. (Click here)
My presentation wasn't as good as the website. I forgot myself and made enough for four, so just piled it on their plate.

I threw in some sweet potato wedges as I love the smell of them. My friend thought it would be torturous for me to cook and have my chicken soup with them, but as I say I've got to used to the shakes it felt fine. And as my mum always says after she's cooked "by the time you've made it, you're just sick looking at it" I get it! It felt terribly cheeky piling calories on their plate knowing I'm being super healthy. Actually, no it didn't, it felt good.

I think what helped was having found out the weigh in that day and being on a high. I was in a great mood and while making food I just kept thinking "I've lost 20 pounds, I've lost 20 pounds." I'm not gonna cook all the time, but it's Jess' birthday in a few weeks, so I'll gear myself up for that.

As I said I've started a voluntary admin job for 8 weeks. Every interview I've gone for they've wanted admin experience, something I haven't done in the past. I guess for production it comes in handy to log details and booking things. It's in a college so it's funny to be back in a school environment, a student called me "Miss" which was funny. The days fly in which is great as it'll make the milkshakes week fly in. The first day I didn't bring a shake as I thought it would be weird. But I was too hungry so the next day I brought a "packed lunch" with my hand blender, a mixing bowl, my pint glass and a shake mixture. The supervisor had asked me did I bring machinery for work but I explained the day before about the diet. I'm working with three ladies, they are a lot older than me and I get the feeling they think I'm doing a silly celeb diet but I think I could've thought that before I did it. At lunch I went to the staff room and got out the blender, there was one other staff member and she just said "Oh is that one of those meal replacement things" so at least she knew about them and I didn't have to explain again. If it means I'm getting my lunch I don't really mind how silly I look!

When I went to Sainsburys to get ingredients for the dinner I couldn't help see a "only £1" sticker. I'm like my mum, can spot a bargain a mile off! Sale stickers flash before my eyes and I can spot them every time. Often I'll get something just because it's 2-4-1 even if I don't need it yet, but then when I do I have two of them and have only spent the price of one, and be that little bit smug. Maybe thats how I got into this situation, when a chocolate bar was 2-4-1, or when my fave treats were half price. I used to try and take my friends down with me. I'd buy them as a house treat "oh but they we're on offer!" Hmm, that's in the past now. But anyway, what did flash before my eyes we're daffodils for only £1. I usually would walk past daffodils, but call this cheesy, and i'm not trying to get deep on y'all, but when I did see this I was so happy as it meant Spring was that little bit closer! And with Spring, is the end of shakes, the graduation dress, the new me! I bought the Daffodils and gonna keep buying them until Spring is here, sure they're only £1, it would be rude not to! They brighten up the place, and it gives me my bargain fix!