Jezebella's Journal

[Jezebella]

Hey SB hun

Hope you are enjoying the theatre. What have you gone to see? I have only been once since living in London, although I did work at the Royal Court Theatre for about a year, so did see the odd bits and bobs there. Still not the same as going as a proper outing.

Dying to hear all about your day, and updates on the cat children.

Big Hugs

Jez
xx

 

[Jezebella]

RTM Day 74 (Week 11)

Another day, another dollar, I am totally shattered. Too much to do and not enough hands to do it. I really did not stop cooking apart from a few quick fag breaks, mostly I was on the phone on work related calls whilst smoking too!! Anyway 3 tastings tomorrow and had to do all the prep for it today. It doesnt sound like a lot, but, if you break it down, nearly 30 different dishes, each of which are complex - for example: The open Buffallo Mozarella "lasange" needs peppers cutting, roasting and peeling then marinding, courgettes sliced on the mandolin, marinated then chargrilled, aubregine sliced, salted, chargrilled, basil deep fried, pasta blanched and chilled, vine cherry tomatoes roasted, basil sauce vierge made etc etc.. that is just one dish, so you can kind of see why it takes time. Realistically it is much easier to prep a job up for 200 odd than fiddle about with tastings, but without them, we don't pull in the buisiness, and it is so competitive out there at the moment. Still no computer at work so the daily struggle goes on.

Food wise - lots of coffee all day today, but only 2 with milk, the morning 11am cup and the afternoon 4pm cup. I still love the black coffee, but the milky ones are comforting and help get you thorough the day. Breakfast was porridge with stewed plum, raisin and some strawberry yoghurt. Lunch totally failed to happen - when you are working with all the food you are just not hungry, I did taste a bit of roasted sweet potato and about a teaspoon of tabbouleh. At about 4pm thought I really should eat something so had a banana with a sugar free jelly and the coffee.

Whilst I was working today, I batch made loads of things to pop in the freezer there so I have an easily acessible meal. Not always possible to eat when I am so busy though. Finally finished cleaning down at 6:30 then headed off home, luckily traffic was ok, had 2/3 of my peanut bar on the drive, and am saving the rest to sprinkle on my compote later.

Dinner was a quickie put together of some cooked chicken sliced and popped into the tagine sauce I defrosted, with a bit of cous cous, and a baby BGT naan, some spinach and roasted sweet potato. I could only eat about half of it, really enjoyed it, but probably the peanut bar in the car filled me up. Feeling very full from all the carbs and as nice as they are, I realise I don't need to eat them every single day. I am having a slight craving for a chicken sarmie for some reason, but can't decide between that and toast for the final bread day.. Mind you 2 to go, although I still have the pita to try. I was planning the pita with lamb, tzatziki and loads of salad, so that might be an option for tomorrow night.. then I am still left with the toast/sarmie dilemma, but I guess as I realised during abstinence, it is still all there for later on when I am ready to sample it - it really isn't becoming extinct!.

Pud is going to be more stewed plum - quite addicted to that, with a vanilla yoghurt and a black currant jelly. Will be a long one agian tomorrow with all the tastings- quite exhausting as you are permanently "on show" so to speak. Then one more day until a day off and our visit to Chai.

More tomorrow Have a fantastic Friday everyone.

Jez
xx

 

[thin_inside]

Anyway 3 tastings tomorrow and had to do all the prep for it today. It doesnt sound like a lot, but, if you break it down, nearly 30 different dishes, each of which are complex - for example: The open Buffallo Mozarella "lasange" needs peppers cutting, roasting and peeling then marinding, courgettes sliced on the mandolin, marinated then chargrilled, aubregine sliced, salted, chargrilled, basil deep fried, pasta blanched and chilled, vine cherry tomatoes roasted, basil sauce vierge made etc etc.. that is just one dish, so you can kind of see why it takes time.

Phew. Sounds complex. Hope you had some help .

as I realised during abstinence, it is still all there for later on when I am ready to sample it - it really isn't becoming extinct!.

Brilliant point and something I am already realising. I cannot possibly try all the food options for week one in the first week. They will still be there for next week, and the week after, and the one after that.

With breads there are sooo many many choices. Enjoy making those choices, day by day.

I have plums and bramley apples to make up a crumble for the kids, mum and uncle tomorrow night. Comfort food.

BTW - the new chilli packs are perfect comfort food and just hit the spot at lunchtime today when it was cold and wet outside. Roll on the day in week 3 when I can make up a bowl of real chilli con carni (sans beans).

xx

 

[katalena]

As I realised during abstinence, it is still all there for later on when I am ready to sample it - it really isn't becoming extinct!

A valuable statement and one I could have done with reminding myself tonight!!

Kat xx

 

[kenshin112]

Oh I heard the chilli pack is perfect for the Wintery period

 

[thin_inside]

Jez hon - you're a fast learner!

 

[Jezebella]

Lol, I am speedy on the damn kbd when I want to be!!! God I really must head off to work now, just loving being here with Miss Lily too damn much!!!!

Have faboulous days everyone and I will keep updated checking on the old batphone - I mean iphone!!

Jez
xx

 

[Jezebella]

RTM Day 75 (Week 11)

Well a busy day again, the tastings went really well but went on for hours!! Food wise an ok day but the tastings played havoc with my schedule again. I packed breakfast but only got to make it at about 11:30 by which stage the hunger had passed. Porridge, vanilla berry plum compote, a few raisins and half a pot of strawberry muller. Popped the rest away for later. I also took a banana, and jelly and had some packs on me too. I knew what was packed on the tastings so knew there was plenty there that was possible for me to eat.

Literally shovelled that porridge down in about 3 minutes as the first lot of people were early. Got that tasting out of the way, lovely people but a rather serious bunch. It was then half past one, made lunch for my boss and the sales girl as they were leaving, phoned my orders in and realised the next people were due in about 10 minutes and I had done nothing towards tasting 2!!! Had another coffee and shifted up a gear, by this stage I was not hungry but definitely picky, so had a raspberry, strawberry and lychee, nibbled a bit of salmon and some julienne veg. By the time this tasting was done I was actually hungry, but had to get the rest of the orders in, so made all the calls, and started getting the third and final tasting ready - this was the real biggie with loads of dishes,so once I had things in place I sat down and ate 1/2 a beef olive (one I had made so it was gorgeous and fat free) with some of the cooking liquor, 3 spears asparagus and about 60g each plain boiled swede and turnip. Was a very fabulous meal indeed, and filling. Only time for a quick smoke and then the wedding couple arrived. Many many many dishes to be served. The tasting ended up going on for 3 hours, with lots of talking with the clients. Now the getting the food onto plates is fine, but then I need to photograph on 2 different cameras, and take each dish in to them, do an explanation, answer questions - so really no time to actually even stop and make a pack up. And certainly no time to eat consciously, found myself wanting to pick again, but restricted it to bits of fruit. I have noticed a new habit, which must be a sub conscious kind of thing - if I put something into my mouth to taste, I chew it, get the flavour and spit it out - sorry a bit TMI but at least I get the flavour without the calories. Finished the tasting at 9 so was nearly 10 by the time I was home and 11 before I managed to sit down and eat again. Really did not feel like anything savoury so had an orange jelly, mandarin yoghurt and some baked apple with raisins, a sprinkle of blueberry and raspberry. Really yummy. Calories are obviously quite low today so will have a hot banana shake. Reading TI's journal really put me in the mood for one!! Will still be a low calorie day, but, with the run up to Xmas this is not necessarily a bad thing. Kat, if you are reading this, see even the best laid plans go awry

Another long one tomorrow, well a big out of the house day, meeting the chefs at base at midday, then heading to Ealing for the job, so will breakfast before I leave, take lunch to have at about 2pm and will pack something at base to take for dinner - absolutely cannot eat what we are serving tomorrow - lovely suet puddings - well I could eat one, I would no doubt love to eat one, but just not right now!.

I obviously haven't had any bread today, so will have it tomorrow and Sunday. This neatly solves my sarmie/toast dillemma. I will make a ham salad sarmie to take for lunch and have the toast on Sunday for breakfast. Having said that, no massive bread cravings today, no urges to go and eat weird things, I am really starting to believe my palate might have changed.

Well more tomorrow, but agian it will be a late one.

Jez
xx

 

[thin_inside]

Can't beat the hot banana shake last thing! It's a habit I am not looking forward to having to give up. I love my packs and was in such a routine with them that I'm already finding it tough to decide which one I drop each day.

You have such a hectic life girl! What you do for a living sounds exciting though.

How do you make the beef olives fat free? I liked them but have never made one myself. xx

 

[kenshin112]

T-I I believe she's a chef or manager of a restaurant or something
but jez your
recipes are amazing

 

[Jezebella]

lol Ken I am the head chef of an events company

Jez
xx

 

[kenshin112]

Lovely jez can I be part of the team I make a mean beans on toast

 

[thin_inside]

Jex hon - what can I do with Quark for week 2? Never used it before and bought some today, but a bit at a loss.

Quick pointers would be great. Is it like philly? Can it be eaten cold and warmed, used as a sauce etc?

Thx xx

 

[katalena]

TI - quark is quite versatile! I have mixed herbs with it and stuffed chicken breasts or you could stuff peppers etc...

It is nice with some sweetner and vanilla extract mixed into it and served on fruit

Kat xx

 

[Jezebella]

RTM Day 76 (Week 11)

Well this is Saturday's log but it is nearly 1am so technically Sunday. Still I have only just had dinner about half an hour ago and am sitting watching Xfactor catch up so I guess it is still realistically Saturday for me

So this morning a lovely lie in with Miss Lily on a beautiful sunny but freezing day. Got up eventually did the housework and sat down to breakfast. Banana, some fresh berries, a few raisins and the porridge. Wanted to be quite full before I headed off to work. I packed some bits to take with me for lunch and knew I had stuff on the job if I wanted it this evening as I got some Ratatouille put on and we always have plain grilled chicken and plain grilled salmon for any wierdys that pop up with unexpected dietary requirements - trust me we get a fair few. Traffic was ok, bit busy in the Westfield area, so I think everyone was headed out Xmas shopping. Got to base had a cup of coffee and then we waited for the others to arrive. Left later than expected but made good time to Ealing. Once we unpacked it all off the trucks I grabbed my pear, which was sublime!! Perfectly firm but soft and yeilding (lol sounds like I am writing erotic fiction here!! - good old food porn) and so sweet and juicy. (read that any way you like <G>) Once we were unpacked and the bits were dispatched off to their respective areas I made my little roll. One small wholemeal/white with some lean ham, a teaspoon of cottage cheese, sliced cucumber, smear of american mustard and about 2 grams of grated cheddar. God it was lush, made me feel quite full. So work proceded as it does, but we had loads of time so grabbed a few cheeky smokes outside the door in the pouring rain Oh it is such a glamourous life this eventing business!! Out on jobs I realise I absolutely feel more picky, so if I have have have to pick I try to stick to protein and only tiny amounts of healthy things. So a little chicken, about 15g and 2g of smoked salmon went into the mouth - not great, I really need to nip this in the bud. Still I add it all into the daily calorie log and restrict what else I eat to cover it. I suppose as long as I dont have that and then eat full meals on top I will be ok. Dinner was served and the crumbles were pure temptation, pity I knew that there was sugar in them or I could have had one!!

Eventually we served, cleared, packed up, and left the front of house to deal with the disco part of the evening. Drove back to base in the pouring rain to drop the guys off at their cars then headed home. Got in just before 11pm. Decided to have half a glass of wine - was just in the mood for some. Am about 1/4 of the way through it, so probably won't end up finishing it. I was contemplating just having fruit and yoghurt but really wanted something hot, so heated a little ratatouille and had that with a bit of cooked salmon, tzatziki and about a 1tbs of cooked sweet potato. Extremely yum and I am glad I had it. Cals are still only just on 1100 so will probably still have the jelly and yoghurt later, or maybe just a bar and coffee. The banana shake and toffee bar last night just rocked - sorta like an LL version of banoffi!!!

So that was the day, I am finding it hard to eat meals on events because of the time frame and it puts my schedule out completely, but I think all in all I am not doing too too badly and it is just balancing things out. I cannot believe that I feel so much more relaxed about it all now. I still have tense moments, and still watch the calories and keep within my self imposed limits but I do feel more in control of it all. And I am certainly no longer beating myself up if I don't eat exactly the right thing at the appointed time. Also absolutely think, because I do have things to taste at work, as part of my job that if I allocate a certain amount of my daily calorie intake towards this and cut back on certain other aspects I will be able to keep it on track.

Your thoughts are obviously as always welcome, but I am now about to recline on this uber fab couch and have a little r&r. Tomorrow we are off to visit Chai - very exciting.

Have a great Sunday all

Jez
xx

 

[kenshin112]

Sounds great jez
you are a busy bee but that's a beautiful thing

 

[Jezebella]

Lol it is not always such a beautiful thing

Jez
xx

 

[slendablenda]

Chai Day

As I'm writing this you are probably both visiting Chai for the first time, can't wait to hear all about it.
Your picking, tasting, chewing, spitting routine is very familiar to me. I've done that too.
How come when we have managed to go so long in complete abstinenece we can't resist picking now?
Having said that - I can see you are manging this really well. You are braver than me. I haven't re-introduced bread at all. I think we need to use our own judgement now.
After all, LL is designed to give us the skills to take control of our eating habits forever.
I think we are doing very well.

 

[katalena]

Jez, it is great to read you doing so well

I am so excited to read about Chai!

Kat xx

 

[kenshin112]

Yeah can't wait to hear about chai

I love being busy, otherwise you get lazy ahem, but today I'm relaxing after the gym