Tag: #cake

Weighing in on Mindful eating

A number of years ago I joined Weight Watchers to try to lose weight before step-daughter #1’s wedding. Through diligence, planning, counting and going to a pop up class at work, with some colleagues, I managed to lose nearly 4 stones. I got down to a size 10, something I hadn’t been for very, very, very many years, and some would say was possibly too much. Once the wedding was over though I had no goal to aim for, so my love of food started slipping. I didn’t plan so much, I didn’t count so much, and gradually all of that weight I’d lost, and then some, crept back on.

A couple of years ago my boss and I decided to start Slimming World instead, but neither of us could attend a class in the evening due to other commitments, so we just used the app. Things started off OK and I lost a few pound here and there. I even got to my half stone loss award. So far so good. But there wasn’t anything driving the need to lose weight, other than the fact that I was heavier than I should have neen according to my BMI. The trouble is, I like food. And beer. And wine. Although I should say that I don’t drink regularly or in large quantities. Usually one pint and I’m done. So the weight has just been bobbing along the same line, give or take a pound or two here and there.

For me, the most significant issue has been lack of tangible reason for REALLY putting some effort in to losing weight. We eat well, and varied diet. Only problem is I don’t like fruit, of any description in any form. We do follow SW recipes, but we do indulge in treats and nibbles and naughty but nice food. Life’s too short, right?

There’s lots of empirical evidence that suggests that being on the heavier side increases your risk of heart disease, diabetes and so on. And now they’re linking obesity to a higher risk of contracting Covid-19. I don’t get easily swayed by things like that, there’s always some bandwagon to jump on. One week it’s don’t eat chocolate, the next they’re telling you that dark chocolate is good for you, in small quantities. And many other examples.

I think that if you want to diet, or exercise, or whatever, you should only be doing it for yourself and not to impress anyone else or jump on some gimmicky bandwagon.

I do want to lose a bit of weight but I’m not going to give up everything I enjoy about food and drink, to fit some stereotype of femininity or social construct. I will put a bit more effort back into counting and planning and if I lose a few pounds, hurrah.

Cake magazine week 2

As you know I’ve decided that all these cake magazines I’ve been collecting over the years actually need to be used, so this was week 2. Of the morsels on offer to create in this weeks mag was sponge squares covered in water icing with piped lines and dots.

The recipe called for an 8inch square madeira cake, cut into squares then an apricot glaze, followed by some lovely pastel shades of water icing, then some uniformed, delicately piped lines and dots in a contrasting colour.

Having just jumped on the bandwagon and purchased a silicone mould that looks like individual cake slices, I decided that would be fun rather than making plain old boring squares. So far so good.

Once cooled, the recipe says to apply a glaze of apricot jam. Open the fridge. Raspberry it is then. Slap it on. Then, to make the coloured icing more vibrant, add a thin layer of white fondant. Hmmm, rummage, rummage. White chocolate modelling paste it is then.

The suggested water icing was delicate pastel shades of lime green, yellow, baby blue and orange. I had deep red and blue to hand! That’ll do.

The magazine went on to describe how to pipe the perfect straight line, and perfectly rounded dots. Sod it, I’ve got a pot of sprinkles that need using up. On ya go. Bosh, and done.

Not pretty. Not as advertised. But edible. As its only for me and Mr, it’ll go down just fine with a cuppa. ☕