Grocery Haul 1 ~ Farmers market and dabbling in organic produce

Just thought it would be fun for you guys to actually see this rather than read about it!

Day 12 - Food hangover, kale and hot chocolate

Having been away for almost three days (9, 10, and 11), day 12, which was today, felt exactly like day 1 and its that feeling you get when you come back home from a really indulgent holiday.  All of a sudden I'm trying to get back into routine and it's all exciting, nerve wracking, complicated and tiring.  It really does not help that I will be on my period soon so I'm not only feeling awfully bloated but I'm experiencing some really deadly cramps.

Nonetheless I was very pleased to make a smoothie for breakfast and I started drinking my water again.  I managed my 2L as well which was encouraging.  I decided I would be a bit adventurous today because I had the time to.

Remember I told you I picked up only a few things from Whole Foods?  Well I lied, I picked up two:

These are Sky Sprout's Organic Mixed Sprouts!  Also I got some fresh organic kale because it looked so lush.

I have to say both went down well and the kale which cost 99p for a very large bunch, fed three people and was incredibly wonderful.  It's amazing because I've been eating supermarket kale for so long and it's always been one of those rubbery, dry and sometimes uncomfortable eating affairs but I ate it because I knew it was good for me. These ones, the organic ones, are soft, lush and smell wonderful.  They actually taste sweeter and are so vibrant.  I am LOVING this organic stuff.  The sprouts were wonderful and I ate the entire box.  Yum!

This is a close up of my lunch which was a mixed sprouts with tuna fish salad.  I sprinkled nori on top to give it more flavour.  To. Die. For.

This was dinner which was the rest of the sprouts, quinoa and kale with more nori on top.  I am so vitamined up!

The rest of the day I ate a lot of apples and broccoli; and I didn't manage many steps but that's OK, I figured considering it's my hang over day I just need to get the food in check again.  One step at a time people!

I also decided I no longer want to eat refined white sugar anymore and nor do I want to eat artificial sweeteners.  I happened to have unrefined Demerara sugar which I looked up and it says it's less processed and has a better flavour.  I use it to sweeten this:

 

This is Divine's 100% fair trade cocoa powder that I use to make hot chocolate.  I've accepted that the 'yummy' hot chocolate is a swishy cup of sugary crap and from now on I need to learn what real hot chocolate is.  In a small mug I add a very large tea spoon of cocoa powder, one tea spoon of Demerara sugar and add water.  You can add hot milk but I'm happy without because I don't want the extra calories.  Hot chocolate has gone from being this sickeningly sweet, light brown and frothy slosh to bitter sweet, strong cocoa goodness. It's a big change but I kind of like it.  It's like going from a latte to a good quality black coffee.  I'm so glad I'm open to change and have a palette for it otherwise I would be in trouble. 

That's all I have to report on food. 

I've recently reassessed my finances and kind of discovered that if I'm frugal with my money from now on I may have the money to join my leisure centre and perhaps buy myself a decent pair of trainers.

Tomorrow I'm heading off to the farmers market so there WILL be a grocery haul!

Good night!

Helen

Day 10 + 11 - Organic Eggs, Food Market and Whole Foods visit.

Day 10 was actually a very good reminder that I don't like sitting around idle anymore.  In what i call 'my previous life', I would spend the whole day doing no more than what a rock would do, just lazing about and loving up doing absolutely nothing.  To a certain extent, I still love doing 'nothing' but it's become my leisure time where I have fun or learn things (soon, maybe exercise properly).  But on Wednesday I did nothing and just laid in at my friend's house and watched a lot of TV. 

The one thing that I learned from day 10 is that organic eggs are really, well and truly, superiorly DELICIOUS. Most people will say that organic food tastes no different to regular food and while I cannot say it for other things, Sainsbury's So Organic Free Range eggs are wonderfully tasty.  I actually had five eggs in one day....   OK, no one said day 10 was a particularly good day.  On top of that I munched on some crisps too but besides that the diet stayed relatively well intact. 

Day 11, which is today, was somewhat of a different story.  I feel like life is trying to teach me (or test me) on how to cope in life situations and the obstacles are tough but not as bad as they seem.  I woke up and finished off the last of the six organic eggs and it was so good boiled (note to self: boiled eggs are way more filling and less fatty than fried eggs, or omelettes!)
I had a particularly small breakfast because I knew I was going out to eat with one of my besties.  Her and I are quite extreme foodies but the only difference is is that she has zero ability to store fat and I think I absorb her fat for her.  When we catch up it's seldom we go without food because after all, what's happiness without a bit of munch? 

 

WARNING: This blog starts getting very delicious.  I'm sorry if you're hungry and you want to be good but this is about food appreciation and picking the right choices, not eating everything you can get your hands on and I promise there is a point to this!

The evening started off at Ponti's in Covent Garden where we sat down to have drinks and catch up.  To go with the home made lemonade we had some rosemary salted almonds, garlic bread and olives.  

 

Like I said, there is a point to this.  Remember, when going out, stick to one nibble with your drink if you're going to have one.  In this case the better option would have probably been the olives.  The almonds were good but full of salt and not tasty enough to compensate for that.  As for the garlic bread, well, need I say more?

Having walked out of Ponti's and aimlessly drifting into a sea of people we realised we had suddenly arrived at the Apple Market!  This is a new Real Food Market that takes place every Thursday in Covent Garden from 11am to 7pm.  It's 'the foodie paradise of fresh produce and gourmet ingredients'!  There is absolutely everything from artisan cheeses to fruit and vegetables, from prize winning meats to home made cakes, even speciality breads and seafood!  I would highly recommend anyone who is able to go to take a visit.  It's a like a small scale of a farmers market and it was an absolute pleasure.

 

I was awfully excited looking at the fresh fruits and vegetables because they were organic and extremely beautiful.  It's rare that you see such vibrant looking produce in your local supermarket so the thing we must take note from here is that there is definitely more out there than your local Asda.

Polish pastries!  I didn't dare try them because I have not yet allowed one to pass my lips in a long time.  Remember, pastries are definitely a once in a blue moon thing.  Delicious as they might be, they are probably not worth the feeling or weight gain afterwards. 

I have an extreme weakness for beautiful and fancy salads and this one caught my eye.  Again, I didn't eat it but my brain sure did.  This type of salad had Parma ham with figs and mozzarella cheese.  Can you just imagine the saltiness combined with the sweet, plump figs and the creamy cheese?  Now boys and girls, this could probably be a good choice because it may be rich but it's full of vitamins and will tantalise your taste buds.. 

Oh lord, pies are wonderful.  I don't think I've ever really had a bad pie in my life, I mean, stodgy pastry with meats?  Delicious!  But I waved them off goodbye with a sad smile.  This is definitely a no go.

Raw oysters - one of the many delicacies in life that I want to thank the sea for.  I am a gigantic raw oyster fan and it's definitely hot sauce and lemon one slider shot for me!  Oysters, are extremely low in calories!  According to Calorie Count, one raw oyster is 10 calories, do you know that's the same as a huge sheet of Nori?  It's also very high in iron, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, selenium, vitamin B12 and zinc so it's like a mini power shot. 

Potatoes in oil?  No thanks, even if you do have fresh herbs all over you, check out that fat!  Grilled kebabs?  Sure, go ahead.

Isn't this a beautiful site?  Look at how beautiful this is.  I believe it's feta cheese that's in this cherry tomato salad and that's OK to eat but in small amounts.  I was certainly tempted anyway!

Dried sausages and meat products can always catch my eye; flavoursome, comforting, versatile and addictive!  Also, high in salt and very fatty.  I have to say I nibbled on one or two taster pieces and made peace with the fact that I tried some.

It was rather off putting when I was trying to concentrate on the fruit and all I could smell was sizzling meat!  It smelt wonderful though but unfortunately that was pretty much out of bounds.  If you're going to have some, ask for a small taste and say goodbye.

If you're like me and you can't resist and dessert, try sharing it or opting for  a dessert 'shot' if there is one.  These are TINY taster portions that will make you happy!  Isn't this one a beauty?

I found L'orchidee and I'm so gutted we found them late!  They actually have some amazing savoury ones to offer and if there is one reason why I'm going to go back soon it's because of them.  The lady there was incredibly polite and pleasant to talk to.  I bought one single Rose macaron and it was TOTALLY worth it.  Go to her website to check her out: http://www.lorchidee.co.uk/

 

Hello carbohydrates!  Considering it was the afternoon I did allow myself to try some of the home made pesto on a small square of bread.  I didn't try the cheese sandwiches but I did share a small taster portion of black truffle risotto!  It was amazing by the way.

So that was Apple Farm and I will most likely go there again.  If anyone would like to go it would be a great place to meet up for some foodie fun!

Something else I've been meaning to tell you guys is that I've been looking through a website that was recommended by Antishay of Youtube and it's Happycow.net.  It's a website directory full of vegetarian and vegan places to eat!  I decided to make it my mission to go to these places to see where my options are and to discover good vegan food.

Originally I wanted to go to Food for Thought for a dinner but I could not find a working cash machine as they only accepted cash.  For the longest time I've been wanting to go to this little treasure trove (so they say) but I couldn't make it today.  We ended up wandering around and ended up in Neal's Yard!

Neal's Yard salad bar seemed like a nice choice except it was quite empty and I usually take that as a signal that food is probably less fresh than it could be.  As for their cheese deli - I have never come across such a feet smelling cheese place in my life.  I will brave it again and buy myself a lump of Brie one day but for now, I can only admire it from afar.

We ended up in Otarian which is a semi-vegan restaurant situated on the corner of Shaftesbury Avenue. 

This is apparently a chocolate treat that contained no eggs or dairy!  To be honest I've tried better vegan chocolate desserts but it was fairly decent.

Vicky and I shared a combo meal of roasted vegetable cous cous salad and a spinach o pea soup.  I have to say the food was of mediocre standard; it did vegetarian food very little justice and while I wasn't throwing my food up, I probably wouldn't try it again.  If I happen to go past again I might give their burgers or wraps a go.

I end this post with a note that I finally visited Whole Foods!!!!!!  I didn't buy anything in particular because I didn't want to carry much but I did pick up some sprouts and organic kale.  I am hoping to visit my closest one by car next time and we can then do a grocery haul :)

Come on day 12, I'm going to make sure it's PERFECT.

Helen

Day 9 - A taste of normal life

I'm at a friend's house so I couldn't update last night, forgive me!

Last night was somewhat of a strange day because I knew my routine was going to be disrupted so I just decided that I wouldn't fuss too much about my food.  I didnt do any exercise either...sounds like a dodgy day doesn't it?

Well it all started when I woke up and Mum asked me if I wanted some of the home made dumplings my Sister in law brought over the other day.  My Sister in law is particularly health conscious so I knew it wouldn't be too bad so I asked for a few.  When I came out, Mum had made congee with the left over basmati rice I left in the kitchen.  Needless to say she had a bowl of it ready for me and the whole 'adult made it can't say no' thing kicked in.  So I ate it!  Rice has never been a very good friend of mine and I went on into the afternoon feeling quite stodgy.

Having tended to my herb garden I was suddenly inspired to make something creative for lunch.  Above is a picture of my quinoa, broad bean, tomato herby salad.  If I had any I would have included some red onions, avocado and perhaps some rocket leaves.   It was a really delicious lunch and I'm glad I gave quinoa another chance because my previous experience wasn't so pleasant.  It goes to show you should keep trying the foods you were not so fond of because tastes buds grow and mature.

As well as this I've been really getting into tofu.  I've always loved tofu but I'm starting to eat it a lot more because it's proving to be a great substitute for meats (on a good day).  Despite cutting down on processed goods, I'm finding it really difficult to dodge them especially when some of my good treats turned out to be processed (Alpro desserts, Philadelphia cheese extra light... even low fat sausages!)

When I worked out that Philadelphia extra light spread was merely a delicious processed 'spread' I went hunting for a healthier alternative.  Somehow I managed to come back with something as equally processed but does not have dairy in it.  I don't know what I was thinking but behold, Tofutti Creamy Smooth.

  Originally I was attracted to this because of its non-dairy factor.  I eat dairy occassionally and cream cheese has always been one of my 'things' (or just a big, fat slice of Brie would do nicely, thank you).  When I picked it up the thought of a tofu cheese product sounded totally plausible and delicious.  It's also gluten free so that's always a plus.  I looked at the nutritional value and it wasn't too fattening either, score!  

I went home a happy bunny and when I tried the Tofutti it's absolutely delicious.  I dipped my brocolli snack into it and lord save me, it was the most wonderful combination.  So good, I even had a dream about it.  Anyway it was while I was munching on my supposedly healthy snack that I started looking up what 'trans fat' actually meant.  I knew it wasn't good but I couldn't possibly have been eating anything that had THAT in it!. No. No, no, no, no you dumb Helen, why don't you read things up before you hand over your money to damage your life?

Anyway having noted the nutritional information I noticed a high number against the polysaturated fat and according to Wiki that is the same thing.  Then I learned more and realised how bad it could be for you (heart disease anyone?).  I've read up that Tofutti contains this and have made trans-fat free versions but I don't think this is the one I picked up.  So now, I have to finish this trans-fat cream cheese - I am NOT happy because it's so damn delicious.

Anyway the night went on and I found myself fending off all sorts of strange temptations in the supermarket. It was time to see visit my friend and what was I going to have for dinner.  I decided on this:

I used to be quite skeptical about Innocent because there is no way a company can be that good.  Having studied them in depth for my degree, I couldn't find much about them that I disagreed with.  This is the first time I've tried their Tasty Veg Pots and at £3.49, I was really hoping it would impress me.  

I opted for the Roasted Aubergine Moussaka  which was very delicious (perhaps needs a bit more pepper and tobasco for me).  The product contains all 'natural' ingredients and I'm happy to report that mostly it's vegetables and goodness.  The only thing I'm 'unhappy' about is the coconut sugar and cheese but I barely batted my eyelid at that. I best thing about it is that it is very low in sodium, high in fibre, low in fats and only 288kcals!  So overall, I think this product is a win and I shall look into more of their veg pots in the future to save me.  

So is this what normal life will be?  Eating without being worried you're going OTT and choosing relatively smart choices?  I hope so because I think I will be just fine.  

Helen