Hi readers,
How are things with you? Are you having a good weekend? Dare
I ask – did you have an okay return to work this week?
High five to everyone who made it back to their desks this
week for the first time since Christmas break! You’ve got the first bit out the
way now – the return of the routine, and remembering your computer passwords
again, battling your inbox, dismantling the forlorn office Christmas tree – and,
with that behind you now, I’m sure you’ll storm next week.
My past week’s been a mixed bag, readers. We were all
terribly sad to return to my work on Wednesday to the sad news that a colleague’s
partner unexpectedly passed away over Christmas break. Felt funny, went in to
hospital, and died. Nothing prepares you for such sudden shitty news, ever,
readers. So, we’re all very sad for Sue at work.
It’s strange – this brings a new level to that first phone
call back or first email with a client, when they say, “How is everyone? Did
you all have a good Christmas?”. And the honest answer is: no, we did not. It’s
a terribly sad time.
But, it’s a time to be alive. I think we’ve all been
reminded that today really could be our last day, this might have been our last
Christmas, we could die out of the blue at any moment. And it’s important to live
in each moment.
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| @riuttahighland |
I hope you take that with you, readers. A return to routine
in January doesn’t have to mean you pick up where you left off, living the same
days, just as things were before. Maybe take a look at your life and change it
up for the better in 2018? Or, just try something different? Leave safety
behind and do something wildly un-2017? Be a rock star in your own shoes.
I intend to do the same! This weekend, I finally made it to see the Photomarathon
exhibition in Sheffield, showcasing 250 photos taken around the city by random
people on one October day. It’s been ages and ages that I’ve been wanting to go
and see this, and it was really good. So, goal achieved there. I recommend!
And I also went to see the new Star Wars film at the cinema…
which is SO GOOD, readers. I say: go see it! Whether you’re a fan of Star Wars or
not, whether or not you’ve watched any of the previous films, it’s just a cool,
funny, epic film out at the cinema right now, and you’d be missing out if you
didn’t go see it. You’d be a fool! In my humble opinion: go and see Star Wars.
I’ve also been eating like a rock star since I last wrote to
you, readers. It’s day 7 now of my low-carb January challenge and I’m still on
board with that! I’ve been eating a LOT of salad this past week, I’ll share
with you some salad highlights in a moment, and I’ve been feeling generally lighter
and healthier than I have in a long time. Yayyayyay.
So, I’ve been pulling together this week a lot of
4-ingredient salads. I think, for me, this is generally a good number of different
things to have on a plate to make a tasty, balanced meal, with a mix of
different flavours, without overloading the plate with too much food.
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THE SALADS
First off, I enjoyed a tasty roast salmon, avocado, red
pepper and spinach salad.
I also made a niçoise salad with tuna, boiled eggs, black
olives and spinach leaves.
Plus, I pulled together a salad of grilled halloumi and
butternut squash, with sun-dried tomatoes and spinach leaves.
And I’ve been meal prepping some Greek salads to take into
work for lunch this week – these babies are feta cheese, black olives, red pepper and
spinach leaves.
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Tasty stuff, readers. I recommend all of these salads! They’re
colourful and flavoursome and filling – everything you need. And I’ve been drizzling
my salads with a little French dressing from the Morrisons ‘eat smart’ range. So
long as you don’t soak your salads in the stuff, I reckon there are only around
2-3g carbs in a serving.
And it certainly adds a little something to the large quantity
of spinach leaves I’ve been consuming this week! Having accidentally ordered 600g
spinach leaves on an online food order – not at all realising how many leaves
that equates to – I’ve been on a mission this week to incorporate spinach into
as many meals as I possibly can. It’s been a lot of leaves.
How about you, readers? Have you been tossing together some
salads of your own this week? Eating as if you have four stomachs? Do you have any suggestions for low-carb
meat-free 4-ingredient salad combos I could try?? Please – fire away!
Have I inspired any of you, maybe, to try and lower your
carb intake in January? I will say – I’m one week in and have realised that
dropping carbs isn’t something you can just casually do. It takes time and
thought to prepare tasty meals, and to eat well, without involving carbs. It’s
not to be taken on lightly.
But, if you’re up for the challenge, I think it’s a fun and
engaging way to eat. It will certainly shake up the meals you put together. I’m
trying all sorts of new things – like these VegiDeli mini sausages I picked up
in Holland & Barrett the other day. They’re low-carb and great to have around
on a weekend, for snacking on while you’re at home.
And I’m sure I’ll try lots of new foods over the course of
the next month. I’ll leave you now to get on with your weekends, readers, but I’ll
be back in touch soon with some more recipe inspiration for low-carb eating in
January. Hope you have a great week ahead – sure you do!
Salad safely,
Hayley
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