Things I've discovered.........

Things I’ve discovered since starting running and trying to lose weight:

1)      Herbal teas may be good for you, but not all of them taste nice

2)      Oatsoeasy creamy natural flavour sounds lovely, but I hate it

3)      When the season starts turning, the mornings get dark really quickly

4)      It’s much nicer to run at 5.45am than 8am (I get really hot & sweaty at 8am)

5)      Water doesn’t taste any nicer if you’re drinking it for health reasons, I still hate it

6)      Drinking more water during the day makes you spend a lot of time in the loo *sigh* (what goes in must come out)

7)      Cottage cheese really doesn’t taste great on its own, but add in some onion/tomato/cucumber salsa and some herbs and you have a yummy topping

8)      Wholewheat pasta is much nicer than I thought it would be

9)      The bread I like to buy comes in those short, big slice loaves when I much prefer a longer, smaller slice loaf *sigh*

10)   Eating less meat is so much healthier for our bodies and our bank balances

11)   My treadmill is going to come in very handy in the winter months

12)   I actually like running – well, to be more accurate, I like the benefits of running, but not so much the actual running LOL

13)   Having a scale that isn’t digital is very annoying when you’re trying to ascertain how much weight you’ve actually lost

14)   A running bra is a must for lady runners

15)   The right shoes to run in really makes a difference

16)   One can actually get excited at the thought of running a race

17)   Even losing just half a kg can make one really happy J

18)   A sport watch can make it much easier to keep track of training

19)   Starting to run isn’t as hard as I thought it would be

20)   Most importantly, I’ve discovered how much running & sticking to the program makes me proud of myself and lightens my mood on a daily basis.

And now, how about another delicious recipe - this one I got from a friend and I can definately recommend it:

Vegetable lasagne

Ingredients -

1 medium aubergine

3 medium courgettes

1 onion

1 tin tomatoes

1 clove garlic (crushed) or 1 tsp garlic puree

2 tbsps olive oil

mushrooms

lasagne pasta

2 oz butter/margarine

2 oz plain flour

1 pint milk

3-4 oz cheddar – grated

2tsps pesto sauce or 1

tsp dried basil

1tsp dried oregano

1tbsp tomato puree

1 Preheat oven to 180

2 Dice the aubergine, place in a colander & sprinkle well with salt. Leave to drain for 20-30 minutes and blot on kitchen paper before adding to rest of ingredients. (this stops the aubergine tasting bitter as it sometimes can)

3 Heat the oil in a large pan. Chop the onion and fry in the oil with the garlic until soft.

4 Slice courgette and add to the onions along with the drained aubergine. Fry until the courgette & aubergine is golden.

5 Slice the mushrooms add to the pan and continue to fry for a further 2-3 minutes.

6 Add the tinned tomatoes, pesto/basil, oregano & tomato puree. Reduce the heat and continue to simmer whilst you make the cheese sauce.

7 Melt the butter in a pan. Add the flour a little at a time, mixing well after each addition, until the mixture binds together. Continue stirring and cook for 2-3 minutes.

8 Remove from the heat and add the milk a little at a time mixing well to ensure no lumps are formed. When all the milk has been added return to a low heat and bring to the boil gradually, stirring continuously, until the sauce has thickened.

9 Remove the pan from the heat and add the cheese mixing well.

10 Layer the vegetables, pasta and cheese sauce in a large ovenproof dish and place in the oven for 20-30 minutes.

11 Serve with salad and/or garlic bread and enjoy!