'My body Is A Temple!'
I realised regardless of how much I've tried to eat more healthy or low calorie food... instead I've just been filling up on artificial sweeteners, one known to many as aspartame. No tests have confirmed anything but this culprit points to a lot of health problems after being consumed a lot. Such as migraines and stomach problems... even panic and anxiety attacks too. This is something I'd of brushed off because I immediately assumed aspartame was only in diet drinks such as coca cola, I was very wrong. It’s in so much stuff now, even your Robinson’s fruit squash drinks, I’m not just talking the low sugar version.. even the higher calorie version contains the sweetener too! It’s even in your condiments like tomato ketchup. I ate a Activia yogurt earlier finding that the low fat lunch I was consuming had aspartame in it too. What is it all coming too? Surely having so many foods and drinks containing sweetener and chemicals we aren’t getting a good diet? With this all in mind I’ve decided to try and cut out aspartame and other nasty items. This really is going to be hard as I do like to watch my weight and tend to stick to low calorie items in the supermarkets, which now I know will no doubt contain something I’d like to avoid! I’m going to be honest with everyone now... I’m a 27 year old cooking disaster. My boyfriend is a fantastic chef (thank goodness) so I’m well and truly spoilt rotten. I work on the principle that if I can’t decide what to eat I will go hungry or have a bowl of cereal... not exactly the most healthy way of life. I’ve cooked for my boyfriend 3 times in 5 years. It’s bad isn’t it?!
So I had a good think about all this the other day....
Last year my Mum bought me an amazing present. An Edward Monkton worktop saver... In the form of the 'Pig of Happiness'. Everytime I reach for the kettle to make a brew, there he is staring right back at me encouraging the fact life is good. So whilst I was making my cup of decaf coffee the other morning, the pig of happiness looked up at me. It was this connection that made me realize I needed to start loving my kitchen, and actually use it properly.
Who can resist that face?!
Those who follow me on twitter will have heard my little tweets from my kitchen! First thing I did this week was I shifted my cook books that were gathering dust on my book shelf, and popped them into the kitchen. No reason for me to get bored of what to create for meal times!
This week my boyfriend and I took to the kitchen to make some sort of bolognese-carni spaghetti! We picked up the very fresh basic items from the supermarket.
The deal was my boyfriend would create a fresh homemade sauce and I'd make the pasta. Not sure who drew the short straw there but I accepted the challenge! I learnt how to make my own homemade pasta! I'd never thought of making my own, but the fact I'd know what had gone into my food (as obviously I've made it!) was the winning reason for me to give this a whirl!
I'd love to say I had nothing to help me but as you can see from my snaps I have a kitchen gadget. That is Gino D'Acompo's pasta cutter, that I picked up for £12.99 from TKmaxx. Trust me it was still tough getting the consistancy right!
When we ate the meal, of course the sauce was delicious as my chef boyfriend made it, but I was stunned by the fresh pasta. It tasted so great having it fresh and I'd done it! I wanted a gold star! I was a multi-tasker with this kitchen adventure and decided to make my own loaf of bread. We don't eat bread very much so making a little loaf full of goodness seemed a fab idea. I started from scratch and created something that the boyfriend has said is delicious! Check me out :)
As new years resolutions go I'm doing good with sticking to this one. I'm eating fresh food and attempting to create my own meals from scratch. As I'm being good and having a weekend in and not drinking, I'm going to cook for us tonight! Who knows what I shall make....watch this space!
xoxo
