Home grown

I Am Ending The Extreme Lifestyle Experiment; Food Diet

Posted on by in Blog, blogging, Challenge, experiment, food, Home grown, lifestyle and tagged , , , .

It’s been over 2 months now since I initially launched my most challenging experiment thus far and I am at the point now where I have to end the experiment as it is now.

For those of you who have not been following, this experiment was based around the premise of only eating the food that we could grow here, and what is grown/made locally. Beyond those items, I allowed myself the ability to purchase oil, butter, eggs, wheat powder, vinegar and sugar from the market so that I could make and preserve our own food. The reason I did this was to see 1) if I could live locally and sustainably, to 2) put my money into our community and 3) try to stop myself buying some of everything a the market and force myself to learn how to cook real food and by doing that 4) pay off some debt.

It was challenging at first, and then I kind of got into the groove.  However, it’s been quite difficult to maintain this challenge in a household with more than just me. It’s been incredibly expensive too. I did not think things through thoroughly before setting the ‘rules’ for myself on this challenge. What that resulted in was me spending 4€ on a can of local salmon pate instead of 27 cents for a bag of macaroni. This is no way is helping my debt issue. It has been an amazing feeling knowing that I’m eating sustainably and locally, but I just cannot keep up the momentum. I need food items to eat with the vegetables and I need to be able to purchase items that I can afford. I need to be able to buy fruit for my family. And if there is a bowl of fruit on the table, why am I not allowing myself to eat it?  This is why I am ending the experiment.

I am ending the experiment as it is now, anyway.  My plan is to thoroughly integrate this challenge for myself in my day to day life. I will continue to buy locally and purchase as much produce as possible from local farms. But I will also make smart purchasing decisions in the market. I will allow myself that cheap bag of macaroni, and a can of tuna with the occasional avocado. I will still try to make bread and muffins instead of buying them, but I will not feel conflicted about buying food items for my family that are affordable options.

The great thing about this experiment is that I learned so much! I met many local farmers and am looking forward to returning for big orders to last us the winter. (Fingers crossed) I have learned how to cook a variety of items from just a few options, not to mention varying preserving methods.

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I have learned that I don’t need to waste my money on piles of unfulfilling foods. A few potatoes fills my stomach for longer that 2 plates of pasta.

I have learned how to forage for mushrooms and berries (though I still don’t trust myself to do it on my own).

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I have learned that having a small portion of locally caught fish is just as filling as a huge plate of pasta with sauce. I have also learned that if I just eat right, I don’t need all the extra stuff I was loading into my shopping cart.

So, what do you think?

-Mliae

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Extreme Lifestyle Experiment: Update #1

Posted on by in Blog, blogging, canning, country living, experiment, fail, food, Home grown and tagged , , , , , .

Two weeks. It only took me two weeks to completely lose my mind. I’m still going on the challenge, but I’ve already had a major slip-up.

This is how its been going:

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On the first day, I thought I had some potatoes remaining in cold storage. Apparently not, as they had all sprouted in the bag. That wasn’t a great start, but I was able to get to the local store (which only sells local dried foods) and I was happily surprised to find a container of salmon paté so that what was my dinner.

The next day I went to the market where I was able to buy summer squash, small cucumbers, tomatoes, kale and local made habanero mayonnaise (yum!). I felt quite proud of myself and like, Yay I’m gonna do this! However I realized I had made one very large mistake. I embarked on this challenge to save money, to pay off some debt. But guess what! Eating local is expensive! The tomatoes and the mayonnaise each hit me for about €5. ‘OK,’ I thought to myself, ‘You’ve GOT to get this figured out’.

I was eating fresh berried from our bushes for breakfast. A good money saver, can’t get cheaper than free and it fit within my rules. My husband was kind enough to cook rice for a few meals (I can’t make rice…yes, it’s that bad!). Rice is also on my list, so we’re good there. Just fry some summer squash and call it a day. Hubby also made some slow cooker pea soup, which I really enjoy for some reason, so we ate a lot of that.

I did tell my husband that he didn’t have to do this challenge with me. I knew it was a major lifestyle change and I figure since he didn’t actually sign up for it, it wouldn’t be so nice to force him into it. He’s been really great trying to make meals which include things I can also have and then I only have to make whatever I want with it. However, it’s proved extremely challenging to sit there and watch the man eat bread or drink fizzy water without pulling sad puppy dog eyes.

I did manage to tell a couple friends what kind of crazy thing I had set for myself. I was invited to join on a berry picking trip. So this happened…

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I got a whole bucket! 🙂 This went promptly into a jam making session. I’m not so great at jam yet. It turns out kind of watery. But, this turned out really well (for me to eat, at least) and I’m looking forward to having it on cabbage casserole and hopefully some bread too (if I can ever figure out how to make it).

I managed to get some info on local farms that might sell directly to me.  I went, I bought, I  will go back! With this place I now have access to peas, cherry tomatoes (OMG – SOOOO GOOD!), kale, potato, onion, summer squash and turnip. This alone is enough variety to do some canning, eat fresh and make some soups for freezing.

And then it happened. About 1 week in and I got hungry. Not normal hungry, but eat the chair kind of hungry. I don’t actually understand what happened. I have been eating. Quite a bit, actually. But maybe not having all the instant food and whatever in it to make it instant, threw my body into some kind of withdrawal or something? I was so hungry. I would eat and snack and eat but I was still as hungry as if I hadn’t eaten anything. So weird.

So when I got together with a longtime friend of mine the other day, I went off my balance. I cheated. I cheated in a major kind of way. I ate restaurant food (which actually wasn’t outlawed if I was away from home) but then I did it like 2 more times in the span of 7 hours and I got whatever my little heart desired. She was horrified, I’m sure. I don’t feel embarrassed though, because she had been sufficiently warned. And then I shopped. I bought gas water, donuts, cheese bread, mini pizza. Which I kind of hate myself for now because it’s like I’m having to start all over again. I also wonder – how in the hell did people do this? Are we really so spoiled that I thought I was going to die after only 2 weeks?! Two weeks not of dieting, but of eating whatever I wanted, as long as it was locally sourced/made/grown. You know, one really wonders about these things. 50 years ago, eating like this was the norm. Now? Not even remotely normal. Areas are growing singular crops, instead of the formerly diversified ones, because most of those crops are going into the processed food we eat. People were satisfied eating locally. People knew what to do, how to make it work, how not to get bored, what to mix it with so as to maintain healthy systems. Us in modern day? Hah.

I finally got it together and worked up the nerve to try a bit of ‘baking’. Bread is far too complicated at this point, but I did find a fantastically simpler recipe for wheat tortillas. I will be posting the recipe at a later date. I made the tortillas today and it turned out well! Not so pretty, mind you. But they work. You can put stuff in them and they wrap. Best yet, I’m not the only person here who will eat them. Win!

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So that’s how that’s been going. What do you think, is a occasional fall down acceptable in a challenge like this?

I still feel like I’m in for the win though. My husband bet I wouldn’t last 2 days, and I beat that wager by a long distance. (Although he’ll try to argue that I’ve been begging for food gifts from him all along. Don’t believe a word he says about that…). This is harder. Much harder than I actually thought. I’m hungry and I’m cranky but there’s also some weird sense of pride that I feel. Like somehow anyone but me cares that I’m eating berries for breakfast instead of diet shakes. I feel like I’m doing something healthy and constructive for myself (and I know hubby is glad I’m at least trying to learn to cook something). And I feel like I’m doing something good for the local economy. Not just wasting money, but actually investing in something that local people have poured their backs into creating.

To be continued…

Any thoughts on this?

-Mliae

EXTREME Lifestyle Experiment…Can I Do It?

Posted on by in Blog, blogging, Challenge, Confession, country living, experiment, food, Home grown, lifestyle and tagged , , , , , .
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Greetings all and thanks for stopping by! Today I’ve got a big one for you…

We just returned from our trip to the States, and it was so much fun! But now its down to business and I would like to discuss with you something I’ve been thinking about doing. I’d really like your input as to whether or not you think I have just completely lost my mind.

I’ve been rolling over in my mind how to explain this, but there really isn’t a good way to do it that I can find. So, here it is: I’ve decided to set a challenge for myself – starting today (this morning actually, and day one sucked) that I will do a complete 180  degree turnaround and live off the land – or at least locally. In all honesty, even though I’ve put some stuff to grow (fingers crossed) I really only have red currants and rhubarb growing and I’m smart enough to know that there’s no way I can last 2 days with that. I’m also kicking off a year (or thereabouts) of a shopping ban. No clothes, accessories shopping for me! I’ll explain all in the following paragraph. Please hang with me because there’s a lot of info – as this is a YUGE challenge I’ve set for myself. I have no idea how long I’ll actually make it, but we’ll see!

This whole post is surely a bit disjointed, but I do want to get all the facts out there so you can call me on it later. 😉 My motivation is this: I’ve been trying to get our accounting together and I realized that we are spending 100’s of Euros more a month than we should be, at the market. I’ve been thinking alot about how spoiled we (as several generations) are. I’ve been paying more attention at the market and it has started to stun me how easily accessible everything is due to globalization. I mean, I think its only in the past 20 years or so that its become commonplace to find summer fruits in mid winter or autumn root vegetables in the spring. This is not natural. Anyway, things got me thinking about how our grandparents lived. Although they were able to import/export items, it was nowhere near the level we have today. They had to eat according to natural harvesting seasons and also with wars, economic depression and the ration card. Despite all of this, many of them managed to survive and become what is actually one of our healthiest, toughest and most stable generations of the 20th century. And then I look at myself. I have been learning 1-2 ways of planting or preserving every year. But in the grande scheme of things, I’ll be 70 before I can actually live off what I’ve learned. I can’t bake – not for anything. I can cook, but it’s not in the realm of deliciousness – so I’m usually the only one who will eat it. And I need to learn. I have a habit of purchasing ready-made or easy to prepare food.  But the more I look at it, the more I want to prioritize my spending. As I would prefer to be able to pay off my debt (Or at least pay it down somewhat). Creating a life which is more on the self-reliant sphere has catapulted my decision. That and the fact that I really need to learn how to do this. It’s sink or swim time. And I hope I don’t sink!

So here’s what I’m doing: I am living off what I can grow as much as possible and what I can source from local farms and local small business (live fish farm -? I think it exists?, greenhouses and a small shop which sources dried herbs from the area). I am allowing myself gifts. As in, I will not turn down birthday cake if someone gets it for me. (My husband hates this clause because he thinks I’ll be begging people to buy me food ‘gifts’…he may be correct, but lets hope not!) I know that I will need lots of help from friends and neighbors to help me learn and direct me to local farms where I can purchase food items (which will fun to explain, as they don’t even know this blog exists).

I am allowing myself some purchases at the market, as I cannot cook without some things. The items I am allowing myself are as follows:

  • varying wheat flours
  • oil
  • sugar
  • cheese (& maaayyyybbe milk if I need it for casserole, but I think I can do without)
  • eggs
  • yeast
  • dried beans/peas
  • mustard powder (I’m trying to perfect a mustard recipe for gifts)
  • coffee
  • tea
  • vinegar

If I cannot make the items I need with these ingredients, I don’t get it. I have to learn to make my own bread, pastry, pasta and sauces. I don’t feel like I’m cheating with these ingredients, because they are necessary and even the cowboys had access to these items. Besides, I can’t preserve without some of it. So there. *sticks out tongue and wags fingers in ears.

Part 2 of this challenge is that I am embarking on a shopping ban. 1 year if I can do it. I have enough. Ironically, I looked in my wardrobe today and have built up my wardrobe to exactly 30 items. I find it so weird that some people consider 30 items for a season, a minimalist challenge. How? My wardrobe looks so….full!

I don’t know why my mind is so set on this, as it seems like a mission to disaster for this spoiled city girl. But I am determined to make it work. I can tell you quite honestly that I am already seriously missing fruit and mineral water.  I know that I will have troubles, challenges and frustrating days. I will be logging everything so that you can share in this journey with me as much as possible. I plan to do a vlog series about it as well, but no promises because I have no idea how weird I’m going to get.

So that’s my deal. Any thoughts on the matter?

-Mliae

*Photo sourced via Pixabay

My Spring Garden Wishlist

Posted on by in Blog, blogging, country living, Deals, fixer-upper, Home grown, lifestyle, Shopping and tagged , , , .
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Spring has sprung and you know that with all the work we have to do here, browsing for garden options to make our yard beautiful is one of the first things I’m doing! If you are anything like me, I know that you are looking at all the beautiful ideas coming out this year and thinking about those few things which would take your yard from pretty to outstanding!

Here are a few garden finds that are definitely on my wishlist!

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Pack of 8 Garden Flower Bed Edging Strip Pebble Stone Borders

This just looks cool. I have a ‘flower bed’ area out front. Or at least I think its supposed to be. It looks rather sloppy and I think that something like this would help to solve the appearance of the outer edges.

 

raised planter

Best Choice Products Raised Vegetable Garden Bed Elevated Planter Kit Grow Gardening Vegetables

Planter boxes are cool! The USA seems to have a huge trend going now with planting boxes of multi-levels and that works well for the rest of us because we can find affordable options on Amazon with International Shipping 😉

 

planters

Dipamkar® Set of 10 Metal Pots Hanging Plant Pots Flower Pots With Drainage Hole Flower Bucket Balcony Planter Garden Home Ornaments

These are just cute. I’ve been trying to plan out how to get my herbs growing outdoors this year without an invasion of weeds. This simple yet effective idea just may be the way for me to go!

 

garden tools

Unity 5-Piece Premium Heavy Duty Garden Tool Set – Ergonomic Wooden Handles – Anti-Rust – Strong And Durable – Garden Tested

Everybody needs a set of gardening tools. I like these wood handled ones, it just adds a bit of elegance.

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Keep your garden pest free

 

garden dome

the garden igloo 360 dome with pvc weatherproof cover

OMG….THIS! It’s a bit out of my price range at almost 900 GBP, but how glorious would this be tucked away in a side garden?! I think this is the perfect solution for a get-together on a rainy day or a romantic interlude on a balmy summer’s eve. Love it!

 

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AOSHR Potato Grow Bags, Durable 2 Pack 7 Gallon Potato Planter with Access Flap, Raised Garden Bed for Planting Vegetables, Taro, Radish, Carrots, Onions

I don’t know about your spacial restrictions, but we have had a challenging time trying to sort out planting all the things we’d like to put into the ground. To my eyes, this looks like a fab solution for those of us who have big plans and small spaces! I think that I will be purchasing these this year 😉

3 in 1 firepit

[Upgraded] FEMOR Large 3 in 1 Fire Pit with BBQ Grill Shelf,Outdoor Metal Brazier Square Table Firepit Garden Patio Heater/BBQ/Ice Pit with Waterproof Cover (Fire Pit & Grill)

Last but not least, this 3 in 1 fire pit. If you know me well, you know that I always look for multi-functional items. I can’t stand clutter or restricted storage, and therefore items that serve more than 1 purpose are the ideal foundation for my home & garden purchasing decisions. This is not only a sexy fire pit, but also serves as a grill and ice chest! Not bad considering the price is only about 71 GBP!

 

Guest Post: 5 Ingenious Ways to Grow Vegetables and Herbs Indoors

Posted on by in advice, Blog, blogging, garden, guest post, Home grown and tagged , , , , .
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Hello everyone! 

I’m so happy to have the pleasure of sharing a great guest post with you today! Tim Graham, writer at www.yardandgardenduru.com has been kind enough to offer his advice on indoor gardening for us today! I thought this a perfect topic since winter is upon us and many of us who love to plant, and are at least learning how to do so (Hands up!) might have difficulty in the winter months. I hope you all get as much out of this as I have. Can’t wait to get that indoor garden started! Thank you, Tim for this great post!

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No matter how much space you have at home, it is still possible to grow vegetables and herbs. All that is required is a little ingenuity and a little thought, and you can be well on your way to having fresh produce on hand.

You also have a second benefit from growing in these smaller places. Your home looks chic and much more inviting.

Here are five vegetable gardening ideas that can help you on your way. They are not the ultimate as there are hundreds of ways you can adapt and change what you use to plant. So if you want to plant up, down, left or right there will be an option somewhere.

Window Boxes

These are easy to purchase and take no time to get ready and require very little skill or knowledge. It is good to see what you can grow in windows boxes before you continue:

  • Radishes
  • Leaf lettuce
  • Spinach
  • Green onions
  • Most Herbs (basil, thyme, parsley, sage, oregano, and chives)

There are a few tips that will help you obtain the very best from your window box:

  • Examine plant and seed packet labels to ensure the selection you choose will fit in your window box.
  • Your window box should be hung from a south-facing window if possible. This will allow your veggies and herbs to get as much sunlight as possible. If you are unable to do this, and a window will suffice your veggies yet might not get the same doses of sunshine.
  • Use high-quality potting soil. The roots will not be able to reach deeply into the soil to search for nutrients.
  • You should make sure your window box is well fertilized as there will be limited nutrients which will be used by your vegetables as they grow.

Patio Gardening

It is as if container gardening was made for patios. Your containers should be large enough that a few of them will fill the space you have. Ideally, they will be 12 inches deep which allows the roots to spread and take hold. The range of veggies you can grow in large containers is much more than a window box and can include:

  • Cucumbers
  • Bush beans
  • Lettuce
  • Potatoes
  • Carrots
  • Onions
  • Broccoli

Climbing plants can also be produced in containers. All you have to do is position these at the back or use poles that give them something to climb up. All soil care is the same as a window box apart from watering; your plants might need more frequent watering as containers pass water much quicker.

Hanging Baskets

These can go anywhere where you can hang them out of the way, be it a patio, balcony or in a bright area inside your home; the possibilities are endless. You might think you are limited to veggies that can be grown, yet some varieties thrive in these conditions.

A few that are possible are:

All herbs.

Tomatoes – some varieties have been created specifically for this purpose.

Strawberries – these can grow well in those partially shaded areas that you have.

The one significant difference for baskets is you have to use a good quality potting mix as the growing medium. This helps to reduce weight and to provide those much-needed nutrients.

As with the other options, watering and using fertilizer is crucial due to the basket size.

Vertical Pallet Gardens

These take up very little space as they grow vertically and can be hung or stand in any area. There are a few options of how to use a recycled pallet; this ranges from filling the whole thing with packed potting soil or adding landscape fabric to the bottom of each shelf that you will utilize. If you consider hanging one on the wall of your house, you should line the back with landscape fabric, black PVC and a sheet of thin plywood to prevent moisture from seeping backward.

You can also find the range of vegetables is quite considerable yet not limited to:

  • Peppers
  • Peas
  • Beans Lettuce
  • Basil
  • Mint
  • Strawberries

As with all the other ideas, potting soil and good fertilizer are recommended.

Gutter Gardens

These can be very cheap and quick to construct. They can also be hung or more often than not secured to a wall or a fence. Although any gutter can be used, it is advisable to opt for aluminum for strength reasons (especially if hanging).

If you have space 10-foot lengths are ideal. Here you fasten endcaps and secure them in place and drill a few small holes in the bottom side of the gutter at one end for drainage.

Again an excellent potting soil is advised for good root growth. One fastened to your area and filled with soil it is a matter of choosing the best vegetables to grow. Again you will be surprised what is possible. The following vegetables can be produced in a very cheap garden that you can hang 2 or 3 high against your chosen surface.

  • Lettuce, Salad Greens, Mustard, and Spinach
  • Radish and other small rooting vegetables (carrots or beets)
  • Strawberries
  • Snap peas
  • Garlic and Bunching Onions
  • Most Herbs (basil, thyme, parsley, sage, oregano, and chives)

About the Author – Tim Graham writes at YardandGardenGuru.com. He is passionate about gardening, yard care, and the tools. Outside of writing Tim usually finds himself knee-deep in lawn clippings, weeds, and grandchildren.

How do you do your indoor garden?

-Mliae

Random Factoids 28.08.2017

Posted on by in Blog, blogging, food, fun, Home grown, Plants, trivia, Uncategorized, WTF and tagged , , , , .
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‘There are over 20 000 species of edible plants in the world. However, just 20 species provide 90% of human food.’

*Source

Hmmm…food for thought. Literally! I wonder if these other 19 980 species of edible plant would help to solve the worlds food crisis as opposed to lab made frankenfood. Thoughts?

-Mliae

Our Rhubarb plants!

Posted on by in food, garden, Home grown, Plants and tagged , , , .

I really love it when I can say: ‘Spring has sprung and look what’s springing up for us!’  Fresh from our garden! YYYYEEEEE, I’m always so excited when I see good plants coming up! 🙂 🙂

This past year I have really been into planting, preserving and trying to make the most out of what we can gather from our own property (or at least trying t learn how to). So I’m super excited about our little rhubarb plants. I know these guys will grow big and strong and give us lots of rhubarb juice, rhubarb pie and rhubarb sauce! Do I sound like Bubba in Forest Gump?

Stay tuned for some fun recipes 🙂

How are your Spring plants growing?

-Mliae

 

Fresh from the garden :)

Posted on by in beauty, country living, garden, Home grown, Plants and tagged , , .

Hello everyone 🙂 I hope you are enjoying the last bits of summer!

I was so excited about this, I just had to share! Yours truly, has a very nasty track record of killing off almost every plant she comes in contact with. So you can imagine my fear and frustration when I spent a ton of money I didn’t have on bulbs and roots for pretty plants and flowers I feared I would ultimately murder.

But look-y what happened! I planted tons of lily and gladiolus bulbs (being consoled by friends and family the entire time that they would not sprout until next year) and 3 peace rose ‘bushes’ (nope, not bushes…really tiny sticks with a root-y part). I only managed to ‘over-love’ one of the rose bushes that just didn’t make it. But two of them did, as did some of the lilies!

So here is a photo of my first Massive peace rose from my baby stick and a beautiful lily next to it. No, the lily isn’t miniature, the rose is HUGE. YYYYEEEAAA! Who’s your gardening lady now?!

How’s your garden growing?

-Mliae

WWWOOOOHHHOOO!!! Winter Slim down goal achieved!!

Posted on by in 100 calorie foods, cellulite, diet, fail, food, Health and wellness, Home grown, lifestyle, Milestone, weight, weightloss and tagged , , , , , , , , .

After a very long battle with my weight…I’VE DONE IT!!

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This has really been some sort of journey! I started out at 76 kgs (168 lbs) and more than 2 yore than a year later, I’m now at 59,9 kgs (132 lbs)! I picked up on my attempt at shedding those last stubborn 20 lbs of weight while blogging. Those were absolutely the most impossible and stubborn to shed! But today, I’m here to celebrate meeting weightless goal! I’ve tried and failed, tried and succeeded with so many different things and I’d like to go over some of those now.

To recap some of the alternatives I tried:

  • No sugar
    • This actually helped a lot but I was astonished to discover that everything we eat has tons of sugar in it! I mean seriously! Take a look at your ketchup bottle. Now divide the grams by 4 and thats how many tablespoons of sugar are in 1 serving of ketchup! If you can curb the sugar, its a great feeling. You know your body is starting to get over it when you feel like someone has hit you head with a sledgehammer.
  • No booze
    • This was a no-brainer. Booze has tons of hidden calories in it, and I always get the munchies when I indulge. So, I limited my intake to 1 or 2 glasses of wine or a small cognac on only special occasions.
  • Dramatically limiting my calorie intake
    • Great in theory, horrendous in practice. No doubt. I was hungry all the time, and completely lost my senses – resulting in The Nacho Incident. If you scroll down to the bottom of the linked post, you’ll see a list of low calorie foods and their serving sizes in 100 Kcal increments.
  • Strict exercise regime
    • When I finally realized that I desperately needed some outside help, and someone that I trust to hold me accountable for my own failure or success, I was fortunate enough to get David from Chape Personal TrainerChape Personal Trainer to work me into shape! David has been awesome! He takes the time to explain things to me that defy logic, listen to me whine about my bad diet days, patiently listens to me bitch about muscle soreness, and has supported me with friendship, consistently updating new workouts for those  soft cushy spots on my body that are driving me mad and always adjusting whatever need be to make sure that I had a positive and successful experience with him as a personal trainer. Thank you, David! You pushed me to meet my weightless goal and I DID IT!!
  • A not so strict, gradually increased exercise of convenience regime
    • This was at the beginning and I…sucked at it. I’ve discovered in this process that I have zero will power if I allow myself even a millimeter of lee-way.
  • Diet soups and green teas
    • Green tea helps a lot, but really only by getting rid of water weight. Green tea is super healthy though, so I say go for it! The diet soups worked well…for awhile. But then I was just – HUNGRY! The lack of vital nutrients made me feel really run down and basically worthless. The hunger turned me into a monster.
  • Vegan and vegetarian
    • This, I highly suggest – if you make sure to have enough protein. Always have a backup though because when Chape suggested I lose the tofu, tempeh and cheese for a week – I lost my mind.
  • Only eating fresh fruit and veg
    • This, I loved! It was a bit more time consuming to cook and clean, but I felt really great, higher energy and less hunger!
  • Consulting Chape Personal Trainer
    • BEST MOVE I MADE!  I seriously could not have done this without David’s help! Super simple – All I had to do was consult daily. I kept a daily/hourly food and drink journal, David posted workout regimes, times, weigh in days, measurement days and scales for me and then would adjust the workouts to fit my needs as he saw fit. This took all the stress out of trying to figure out what was best. I just trusted him, and on occasion listened to him tell me things in a quite loud voice, and IT WORKED!
  • No fizzy drinks
    • This was easy, and I suggest it as a first move to anyone who’s trying to shed some weight. Fizzy drinks have TONS of sugar and other bad stuff for you and cutting back on just one a day can make a massive difference! I went to mineral water, hot teas, black coffee and the occasional juice. Also, shocker: cutting back on fizzy drinks actually reduces your thirst. Fizzy drinks dehydrate you – making you thirsty.
  • Eating my carbs in the morning
    • This was actually a great suggestion by a fellow blogger at Olivier fiction. And it actually worked out pretty well! At least when you eat your carbs in the morning, you have time to burn them off throughout the day and you don’t crave it so badly. Not exactly sure how it works body-wise, but it helped ease the pain of the carb and sauce cut down.
  • Cutting carbs completely
    • Oh Atkins, how you mutilate my mainly vegetarian diet! This just wasn’t for me. Granted, broccoli has tons of protein. Buuuttt, do you have any idea how frustrating it is to be a herbivore on a carnivores diet and still manage to find something yummy to eat? No fun…no fun at all.
  • Going yeast free for 1 week
    • This was actually something I did not share on the blog. I wanted to see if I could actually even pull it off. I did! Surprisingly, yeast is in lots of baked foods which one would not expect. After what I thought was a sly move on my part when I bought a weeks worth of tortilla wraps as a substitute, my fiancé took one look at me and said ‘you know thats made with yeast, don’t you?’. I didn’t believe him. I was wrong. Gggrrr…I hate being wrong. The yeast free week was a long one – especially when I got to watch everyone else enjoying my wraps. But you know what? At the end of the week, my belly looked pretty flat! I never realized how much yeast containing products contribute to belly bloat! So, if you’re working on that beach bod, I’d give this a shot!
  • Reducing portion sizes
    • This was quite easy. Stopping myself from getting seconds was the hard part.
  • Eating earlier in the day
    • Great in theory, virtually impossible when you are eating in a household setting and with others who actually have schedules to contend with.
  • Guzzling matcha and cutting back on the sauces
    • Matcha, I love you. Sauce, I love you too. Putting a few drops of salad or hot sauce on my food just didn’t cut it. Sorry.
  • Drinking more water
    • I’ve been told to do this on countless occasions. But I just don’t like it. I try, but I float. I’m a chic. I’m already running to the Loo every chance I get. Add a preliminary water consumption minimum and I might as well set up shop there. Tried, and failed. However Im drinking more than I was – so maybe not totally failed.
  • Eating more
    • When David suggested this, Thought he had lost his mind for sure. After he explained it to me, I thought – great, I’m going to go on an eat more diet and turn into a blueberry. But, I tried it. And you know what? IT WORKED! How the hell???
  • Drinking Yerba Mate before meals 
    • This is actually something a girlfriend of mine from Argentina suggested when I very first trying to shed the weight, weighing in at 76 kg or 168 lbs. I was desperate to lose some of the flab before I turned into a ball. She suggested drinking a full glass of heavily steeped yerba mate before every meal so as to reduce my appetite. It worked! I will never again have a home without this stuff in it.
  • Fasting
    • Intermittent fasting wasn’t actually bad at all and I managed t0 pull it off for like 2 weeks. However, eventually my body began to expect food at 4 and to not be hungry after 7, but the weight loss stopped. When I stopped fasting, I re-gained the weight.

Moments when I went totally off the rails:

  • Christmas and New Years
    • I decided I would allow myself some holiday indulgence. What a terrible idea this was…I actually gained back all the weight I’d lost (while trying to shed this last bit) + 2kgs/5lbs! Nothing like starting all over again 🙁
  • The Nacho incident
    • I don’t even know what happened on this day. It’s like I was being a nice normal chic in the supermarket and then…insanity struck. I kid you not when I say that I barely even remember grabbing all requirements for an amazing set (or 2 – YES, 2!) of nachos! Including a solid weeks worth of my calorie intake. Boy did I ever regret that move!

Some of the exercises that worked really well for me:

  • I used forearm planks and flute bridges as warm ups and to tone my core:
    • Forearm plank – I find myself doing extra of these randomly and mixing with ->
    • Glute bridge – Doing flute bridges feels like a bit of a break after planks. Mixing these is awesome and its really simple to just jump off the sofa and do a set!
    • Bird Dog
    • Dumbbell Shrug – I love this one! Simple and really effective 🙂
    • Reverse fly – Great for arms, shoulders and back. You get used to it, but at first = Ow ow ow! However, it’s a REALLY important exercise so I suggest you try it if you are doing any for of weights.

Some of the exercises that were difficult:

  • This reverse crunch is a great exercise, but hard, hard, hard!!
  • This Alternating Shoulder Tap Plank made me feel like I was going to land on my face. But its super effective, and to tell you the truth, I was incredibly proud of myself when I finally nailed it!

In addition to all the exercises I received from Chape (there are many), I also go on several dog walks daily, which aids in burning some calories. I have been intermittently trying to conquer the kettle bell swing. I look like Mr Magoo trying to do it, but I will nail it down eventually.

Although I have met my weight loss goal – YYYYEEEESSSS!!! – I do plan to continue eating well and utilizing these exercises. I would like to at least maintain my weight and would be very happy to take up more! Besides, I want to look fantastic in that bikini and I have a wedding dress to fit into! I will, of course keep you updated on my progress and pitfalls.

I am SSSSOOOOOO HAPPY! I was seriously starting to doubt that this milestone day would ever come! Just consider me living proof that a woman metabolism does not come to a screeching halt in her 30’s 😉 Thank you all so much for following me and my journey, for all the support and ideas, suggestions, encouragement and motivation! Thank you David, for all the time, effort and energy you put into getting me into good shape! And a special Thank you to my fiancé for putting up with my whining about sore muscles, midnight rampages about being hungry and not having suitable food, and for laughing at me when I’m acting like a total psycho.  We did it!!! 🙂

Thanks for reading!

-Mliae

DIY Yard Waste Composter

Posted on by in fixer-upper, Home grown, Home renovation, home repair, lifestyle, Plants and tagged , , .

Hi all and happy Sunday 🙂

As most of you know, we’ve been working, working, working…to make this place great and add some curb appeal at the new place!

This composter desperately needed to be done, as we have quite a bit of yard space and nowhere to put all the cut branches, grass clippings, etc.

I was so excited when my partner mustered up some old wood and put this beauty together! It will be full soon, and no doubt, we’ll have lots of good quality planting soil next spring! 🙂

Making yard compost is really easy, especially since you don’t have to be so super cautious about placement since it doesn’t use food waste. A yard compost pile really only needs a perimeter (such as this), lids or solid walls are not a necessity. Just toss all your leaves, and natural yard waste inside it. The outside will insulate the core and will help to excellerate the natural process of breaking down the material. In about a year this will result in a natural, nutrient rich form of soil and fertilizer (especially if you add coffee grounds). Because worms are naturally attracted, and necessary in the process, you must place your composter a reasonable distance from your home, as to not create  a pathway for creepy crawlies from the compost to your home.

Compost and enjoy!

-Mliae

Planting time is upon us!

Posted on by in food, Home grown, lifestyle, Plants, Uncategorized and tagged , .

WWEEEEEEEE!! Spring is here, spring is HERE!! We’ve been working quite hard to get the yard area even ready to do some spiffing up. Curb appeal is the name of the game this summer. So is self-sufficiency.

We are starting out with a whole bunch of berry bushes that were here when I got the place. Now we’re adding…ALOT!

There are plans in the making for a few flower beds which include multiple types of lilies, gladiolas, red poppies and yellow rose bushes. These have been ordered, but only the gladiolas and a few lilly bulbs have arrived so far.

Then there’s the good stuff: Food!

There will be 2 different types of apple trees, a pear tree, a plum tree and a cherry tree going into the ground when they arrive this month or next. Rhubarb is planted, and we have seeds – lots of seeds. We decided that planting boxes would be a good idea, so now that those are being created, I can start putting my seedlings and some new seeds in to watch them take root! Some of the seeds include: Portulaca, carrots, turnips, peas, kale, cherry tomato and chili peppers.

This year, I really wanted to be as self-sufficient as possible. This little guy you see pictured, is one of many kale plants I hope will grow and last me the entire summer of grazing and eating. I figure by planting the kale alone, I’m saving at least 80€ in what I spend at 3 -4€ a pop on small packages of kale at the market.

What are your summer planting plans?

Time to get dirty!

-Mliae