Thursday 29 September 2011

Jewish New year today! Shana Tova! Shalom Sababa! Ma nishma!





I have been invited to Jewish friends to celebrate the new year and have gone with a lovely bottle of Kosher wine and not partook of the honey cake a traditional Roshashana Tradition. I did has some lovely roast chicken and enjoyed it very much.

Every day there are temptations to stop one from dieting. But for me there is greater temptation of reaching my goal maybe for the-last time. I ate a portion of oats with yogurt vanilla and Xyitol : This really helps to curb my craving and makes the oats palatable.

I have lots of recipes to share with you so do join me for more of the tasty delights.

Wednesday 28 September 2011

18 Days and 23lbs lost on Dukan

18 Days and 23lbs lost.. This is really working well for me!!

grumpy day

I have lost another three pounds. However I am feeling grumpy and tired. maybe my body is catching up with too much exercise. In fact I am writing this on my IPod touch in bed.. A rare place to be in the day. I made myself a. Savoury Gallete this morning in my new non stick pan. I also made one for my daughter and added cheese to hers whilst mine had smoked salmon. The non stick pan I had before certainly was not anymore but I hardly noticed due to the amount of oil there was.
Dukan says that when the risk of giving up is high, the role exercise plays is crucial. Yet also advises do not practice sports whilst on an intense period of loosing weight. And advises that this may make one feel more tired than usual.. I can accept that and will now have a sleep. I am fortunate that I have the time to do this. Anyone starting the Dukan diet should really not attempt to do so without the book. It explains the complexities of dieting and is at the moment my constant companion.

Tuesday 27 September 2011

Dukan and the overly Obesity

I have just re-read the book re severe obesity and the diet. Dukan suggests that when on the diet that walking is enough exercise: too much exercise can make people feel lethargic and they are more likely to crave foods that are not on Dukan.

He also advises that exercise is usually not something that severely obese people are used to or they would not have got obese. Here I beg to differ I have always liked to cycle and swim and have also loved the wrong kind of foods.


Although I would like to take Dukan' s advice that whilst on Cruise if one I overly obese they should not re not exercising too much I would find that difficult as I would be depriving myself of activities with friends and family and me time in the morning in the pool before the day begins. On the other hand I can appreciate that too much exercise can be detrimental having sustained injured in the past form a over enthusiastic gym or dance routine.

I went to Champney's yesterday and enjoyed some lovely treatments as well as Nordic Walking and Aqua Mitt, I thin this has left me a little more tired than usual.. However I would not like to have missed the fun I had.

I will heed what Dukan says and yet be my own counsel. I think his advice was on the side of caution and obviously generalised but well meaning.

Saturday 24 September 2011

Rabbit stew



I made this rabbit stew following closely to the Dukan recipe book. but I must say I gave up hunting for raspberry vinegar and used red wine vinegar.. I sautéed the shallots and rabbit which I cut up myself although the butcher did offer Their own juices using my electric pressure cooker and then added tarragon, carrots chestnut mushrooms, celery and red wine vinegar, put it  in the pressure cooker for 21 minutes ( Dukan uses conventional cooking and says 40 mins) and it  was absolutely delicious tender and piquant. I was surprised how much water was produced in cooking this and the softness of the Rabbit was lovely.

I like Rabbit and do not agree it tastes like chicken, its stronger..My five year old daughter said its "gross". and also did not believe it as rabbit because if was not furry!

Friday 23 September 2011

Salmon and cream cheese bites or canapes - Attack



A nice impressive recipe that does not take long to prepare.. But you do need to make before hand as it needs some chilling tome to become solid. I brought some smoked salmon and had some  very light cream cheese   and wanted to combine the two.

I added lemon zest and herbs finely chopped  and back pepper to the cream cheese.

Put some cream cheese  in the middle of the salmon and roll them in cling film and set aside in the fridge for an hour or more.. When ready to serve into pieces about an inch thick.. And serves


My five year old daughter liked these and said she wished she could have them everyday.. This is a great ( An expensive achievement) as she  thinks some of the recipes I have tried on the Dukan diet are "gross"
My husband remarked.. did you make those! They did look professional and shop brought.

This would make a great appetiser or canapés.. I shall certainly have some of these in the fridge wrapped up ready for when guests come round at Christmas. ( of dear I have written the C word in September)

This recipe would work with ham too.




Wednesday 21 September 2011

Oh! those scales are not moving on the Dukan Diet!


The scales are not moving.. Even worse although its hard for me to say I have gone up 1.5lbs..
   
But I figure that is no bad thing at least I know that what I am eating is not contributing to a gain.. I recall in the book that the body wants to hold on to this weight and will try very hard to maintain a heavier weight if it used to it. Eventually it will give up. I have convinced myself that this Dukan diet works . For me there is no other alternative..If I give up what else have I got?.. anything else will definitely result in a Gain.

Monday 19 September 2011

Chicken kiev -attack



a chicken breast

extra light cream cheese
one chopped clove of  galic

herbs to season

salt and pepper





I cut the chicken open and removed a little to make a seal the insides after  stuffing with the garlic mixed with the cream cheese.


add the seal


and roast.



for a variation mix the oats with seasoning and coat the chicken in egg and roast for that southern fried crunch and flavour




Sunday 18 September 2011

Seafood Terrine - Attack



This recipe is  from the Dukan recipe book and combines 2 tbs spoons of Oats, 2tbs spoons of fromage frais  a handful of mixed seafood, and three eggs.

I put it into the dish and  it turned into a very nice filling dishh..

Courgette Soup - Cruise

Courgette Soup - Cruise

I had a look in  the  Dukan Recipe book and found a recipe for cream of ourgette soup. I made this but did not put in the Fromage Frais.. So it just onions and courgettes and water and stock. I then used a hand blender.For my family who are not dieters I added a tin of kidney beans. I cooked the onions in the stock for around 10 minutes before adding the courgettes and more water then blended.

Lovely quick and delicious.

Madhur Jaffrey boiled Eggs-Cruise

MM Curries eggs

This is a adpatation from a Madhur Jaffrey recipe  I have cooked the onions with a little water and then added chilli boiled eggs and soya sauce.. Simple but nice

Beetroot juice

It looks like wine But Its not

I have a bad cold and thought a good way to get veg was with Beetroot and Carrot Juice

I had a few sips of beetroot juice and was suspicious s it tasted so sweet.. Although we are allowed vegetables I think taking it in Carb form would allow the ingestion of too many carbs. this had 8grams per 100 grams.

What do you think?

Social Sirens Calender


I  volunteered for a Charity Calender after a night of tweeting that led to a idea of making the calender whenre the money would go to charity. The charities chosen  were David Rathbands Blue Lamp Foundation and Help the Heroes.

I am seen here in a Gok Wan Basque amongst other items

At this location the  make up was done by a very talented lady http://makeupbytrish.com/ 


You can find out more at
/www.tweetgirls.co.uk/



The Dukan War






Are you at war and do not know it?

Do you find you self getting uncomfortable and irritable after stepping on the scales?

Do you sometimes think this weight loss cause is lost so I may as well admit defeat?Do you not know you are at war but your body, family and emotions do?

Do you feel defensive because of things that people say and do and put this down to your weight?


Dukan says "the weight loss phase is a period of war and to achieve true victory, the only result has to be ever lasting peace"

Dwight D Eisenhower said""We are going to have peace even if we have to fight for it."


The peace that comes form weight loss is a slow one that can be easily be disturbed. Dukan offers a way forward with the carefully planned phases and maintainable plan.

I have so far lost 17lbs 11 days and feel so much better. even when the scales stayed stuck at the beginning of cruise for three days I knew that I would be loosing... There is no surprises in the food that would make a gain. And I am not ravenously hungry.

The recipes I have been using are here on the blog http://dukandaze.blogspot.com/2011/09/salmon-with-herb-crust.html is my favourite so far..









17lbs in 12 days

Salter scales at Argos go up to 28.5 lbs

When you step on the scale .. does it leave you in a bad mood for the day.?
Do you put of doing things through lack of energy?
Are you sensitive to the way people look at you and things they say that are connected to your weight?

Well I am all of the above and have taken steps to change this.

I was on attack for 5 days and lost 13 lbs and then the scales stood till for three days, But today after four days on consolidation the loss is there I have lost a further 5lbs.

I noticed that even when the loss was not happening I was not upset when I stepped of the scales, because I knew that there was no way I was going to get a surprise. I was eating what I should have eared and exercising moderately... (very at the moment)

Dukan says " The Weight loss period is a Period of war and is achieved through Victory"

How about this saying

from Dwight D Eisenhower " we are going to have peace even if we have to fight for it"

The War on Weight continues and the worse part is when you do not realise you are at war.. your body, your knees, your emotions and people around you do.

Saturday 17 September 2011

Salmon with herb crust-attack


I wanted to use the salmon I brought in the Co-op reduced from £4.00 to £2.37. I looked in the Dukan Diet Recipe bookhttp://www.amazon.co.uk/Dukan-Diet-Recipe-Book/dp/1444710354/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1316296969&sr=8-1_
The recipes were either to include smoked salmon or contained cod roe . The Salmon Heart Frittata contained Hake and then another one the Terrine required smoked salmon and salmon Roe. There was one recipe I contemplated the one in a mustard sauce.. then I thought I would try something simple as I had lots to do and did not want to take long.

I went into my Garden and grabbed some herbs from my pot.. dill and marjoram and chopped these,I then added some salt, garlic pepper ( It comes in a small spice jar and is ready to shake) and some oat bran. I then roasted it in the oven. Very delicious as the skin was crisp and I added some fromage frais as a sauce.

Some times the simplest things in life are best. It is important that the diet fits in with your lifestyle and does not dominate it. This is why I adapt the recipes to what I can get, can afford and have the skill, mindset and time to make.

Salmon with herb crust


I wanted to use the salmon I brought in the Co-op reduced from 4.00 to £2.37. I looked in the Dukan Diet Recipe book. The recipes were either smoked salmon r contained cod roe . The salmon Heart Frittata contained Hake and then another one the Terrine required smoked salmon and salmon Roe. There was on recipe I contemplated the one in a mustard sauce.. then I thought I would try something simple as I had lots to and did not wantto take long.

I went into my Garden and grabbed some herbs from my pot.. dill and marjoram copped these I think And added some salt, garlic pepper ( It comes in a small spice jar and is ready to shake) and some oat bran. I then roasted it in the oven. Very delicious as the skin was crisp and I added some fromage frais as a sauce.

Some times the simplest things in life are best. It is important that the diet t fits in with your lifestyle and does not dominate it. This is why I adapt the recipes to wat I can get, can afford and have the skill, mindset and time to make.

Friday 16 September 2011

Cod and Thyme Courgettes -cruise



It was a very easy recipe to prepare. I did so put it in the fridge and went to the pearl with my daughter.

When I served t for my daughter she said it looked disgusting...(She is 5 and its a phase).. and really I did not take care of presentation.. having a cold you just want get on with things.. So I made her a quick snack and tucked in.. surprised that the courgettes were tasty and firm and juicy and the fish,., well it was there.. In the end my daughter did try and liked the courgettes.. As for the fist. I am not sure what happened but Waitrose say that they will replace it or me.

As for recipe

It was so easy I just sliced up the courgettes.. no instructions on thickness so made them reasonably chunky and not see through.added thyme from my herb pot in the garden and garlic and then added the fist and another layer of courgettes thyme and garlic. It took around 25 mins in the oven on around 160. Dukan says a gentle heat.. but I am not sure what that means.

I am finding that maybe Dukan should not have just done a translation into English but also looked at the cultural, social aspects of what food is in our society and how we eat.Not to mention the availability of producjavascript:void(0)e I find I am making substitutes - something more local or something maybe not so expensive or able to find and used for more than one recipiency...( An example I will not be buying Raspberry vinegar even If I can find it for the two recipes that requires it)
I wonder how the Americans are coping. looking for Courgettes when they have Zuchinnis?

It brings me back to why I am doing this Blog..I know Dukan can work but the book just put me of at first.. I do not need any excuses for giving up this time so I am hoping you will join me on the journey.. I have around 111 pounds to go.

Well as for the diet.. I really must stop the daily weighing I weighed the same today. Do follow my blog for more Dukan recipe deciphering and my Journey to less pounds.

Smoked Chicken Mouthfuls-Attack


I had this on my first cruise day and loved the cucumber

I went shopping and saw this lovely smoked turkey breast and knew there was a recipe in the Dukan recipe book by Dr Pierre Dukan that uses these. I decided to try making smoked chicken mouthfuls.



Smoked Chicken Mouthfuls

The recipe uses shallots .. I used spring onion. It uses chives I do not have any but figure that I will work out how to use a substitute and that the spring onion may do.

Dukan give the advise that this will take 45 minutes to prepare.. He does not mention that difficulty level and artistry that is needed is quite high.

What he would like you to do is to make 20 galletes using just egg whites.. 7 to be precise.. So first I figure that is a waste and I use three whole eggs instead.. Its on Dukan.. Then I add the corn flower.. Its at this stage I realise I am meant to make 20 Gallettes with them. So I start,.. I make three.. and eat them.. I was apparently mean to keep them warm, make the filling and then hand tie them with gently softened boiled chives...

I don't think so.. I have house to run and belly to fill. I am not having canapés at the pool after.
So I decide to make a Omelette and then make the filling which is heated Shallots( spring onions) and chicken breasts mushrooms and added fromage frais ( which kind of curdles.. ( it did say to lower the heat on this one)

Anyway I ended up with a lovely omelette ( as my gallete never quite take on any form that could be anything else)

Thursday 15 September 2011

Ok .. Here goes.. I can cook and brought the Dukan Reciepe book. and that's the complication.. Firstly I downloaded the book from audible.com and it was great until I got to the second part which was a audible recipe book.. Obviously that does not work .. unless one has great short hand or a super memory.. Also I like to flick through book ( preferably with pictures which this one does not have. Where possible I shall use my I Pod Touch to create pictures,

I brought the book at WH Smith for £14.99.. It is a thick book and starts of with enough about the diet to get one going really.

But the recipes phase me.. I went into Sainsbury's and asked for Veal,, that was difficult enough... But the first recipe asks for liquid sweetener. What that?!!


Not to be put of it is my resolve to try every recipe in the book and comment here on it. I thought very hard about the methodology of this and know I cannot start with the first recipe.. the liquid sweetener is a problem in itself.

As Dukan is meant to be for life.. I really embracing this and want to get all these new recipes under my belt as the notches decrease.

I weighed 23st 8 t my heaviest and today after 5 days of attack and 2 days on Consolidation I weigh 22st 9.5, So I know this works.. Just have to keep at it.

Here is my first attempt at Dukan Bread

The recipe is broken down into times so this helps... But I wonder what type of yeast ( I used fast acting dried yeast) Dukan uses as the first attempt at this left me eating a omelette really.. ( but I must admit I did not measure the pan according to the precise instructions) or use quark( could not find it)

So it would appear to do this recipe I will also need a tape measure and Quark.. |I will pot back when I have done this recipe again. Luckily for me I can do without bread and love meat so in some ways this diet is ideal!