How to volunteer with Healthy World Cafe

As a nonprofit, our operations rely heavily on volunteers. We'd love for you to join us!

We'll have two shifts � 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. � on each cafe day (Monday through Friday), plus additional times on weeknights and weekends for special events.

We've introduced a new online system for coordinating volunteers, called YourVolunteers.com. We love this system because it is non-profit focused and meets our needs � we hope you like it too!

Here's how it works. First, create your username...

1. Follow the link to http://bit.ly/HWCvolunteer and click Register. Enter a username and password. (We recommend writing that down so you remember!) 
2. You will see �Success!� Then, click on Login Now and go back to sign in using your just-created username and password. (Remember to check the box about being human!) Then, click sign in.
3. Scroll to bottom of terms of service page and click I Accept for YourVolunteers.com's Terms of Service. Ta Da! You�re in! 

Once you're logged in, share your contact information...

1. We'd love to get your contact information. Click the tab at the top called You, and complete Your Contact Information. (Don't forget to hit submit!)
2. If you wish to sign up for The Week Ahead emails (the last option on the same dropdown menu under �You�), please do! YourVolunteers.com will then send a reminder email for the shifts you sign up for � just click Change on the Week Ahead emails page.

And sign up for shifts!

1. Go to the Shifts tab in the top menu bar. Choose Scheduled Shifts by Calendar from the dropdown menu. The �forward� and �back� arrows at the top of the calendar will navigate months. You are able to go up to 3 months ahead to select the day(s) you wish to volunteer.
2. Select the day you wish to volunteer to view the shifts � for a typical cafe day, that will be 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and 1 to 3 p.m. (Come in at 12:30 to grab lunch before working the second shift!) Select the one(s) you want, then click Add. If there is availability, you will see assigned appear on the right. You will receive an email a week ahead as a reminder, if you sign up for that form of contact. (See step No. 4 above!)

That's it!

We appreciate in advance your patience with us and the system. We know there�s a learning curve, so please contact us if you need help. We have a new dedicated email account just for volunteers and scheduling of shifts: HWCvolmgr@gmail.com.

Please check out our volunteer guidelines in advance, available at www.healthyworldcafe.org.

See you at the cafe!

Only when I larf

I'm still improving with the antihistamines although you wouldn't think it to look at my miserable face. My eyes have almost stopped watering except in bright light, but I'm still sniffing a fair bit and sneezing sporadically - and I've developed an annoying cough when I laugh that feels like fiery razor blades in my throat. Lovely. I have to get better tomorrow because on Saturday I'm visiting my mum and I refuse to let this stupid allergy spoil things. Arrrgh I'm do pathetic letting this get me down so much, it's only hayfever!!!  In my defence it's hurts to breathe.  And I'm wearing myself off my antidepressants at the moment so I have some excuse for slightly variable moods.
Onto more cheerfulish things - I finished my contract today and am free of the project from hell. I have a nice 4 day weekend before I start the next one on Tuesday and I'd like to feel well enough to make the most of it, even if the forecast shows plenty of typical bank holiday weather happening. I'm hoping the forecast is as accurate as usual and we have at least grey skies (and low pollen) but dry, dry, dry...

Food today:
Breakfast: scrambled eggs with my homemade sausage patties
Lunch: broccoli cheese soup
Dinner: chicken thigh fillet stir fried with microscopic amounts of leek and orange pepper plus more generous amounts of mushroom and romaine lettuce
Snacks: cheese

Cough

What rubbish weather today.  And it didn't even have the decency to produce a corresponding drop in pollen levels as recompense for the dull grey skies.
I've been really down and rather depressed today for no particular reason. My antihistamines are finally having an effect so I can more or less breathe and I'm sneezing less often, plus my ultrastrong Painkillers have done wonders for the damned eye, so I really should feel better emotionally as well as physically - but I don't. I'm fed up. Maybe something to do with relapsing into bad habits yesterday I suppose. Hopefully a decent night's sleep tonight - and my last day on this job tomorrow - will make me feel better better as opposed to just less horrible...

Food today:
Breakfast: scrambled eggs with 2 little homemade sausage patties
Lunch: Salad with cold chicken
Dinner: keto breaded fish with salad
Snacks: cheese

Yesterday was not a good day

I felt absolutely lousy all day, having hardly slept Monday night because I was so congested I could hardly breathe. So I worked from home instead of dragging my sniffing, sneezing, eye streaming self into the office.
I also comfort ate all day - nothing that is excluded from my diet, but in quantities that made it very undiet friendly all the same. I also drank some whisky to feel better and took some nytol last night both to help me sleep and for its being an antihistamine.
So today I regret eating so much yesterday but because I steered clear of gluten and sugar I don't feel bloated, which is something. I am in the office, and thanks to the antihistamines and lower pollen count so far I feel like I just have hayfever (yesterday I was wondering whether it was a cold teetering on the edge of becoming pneumonia - but I'm a well-known hypochondriac)
Hopefully today will be a better day...
ETA forgot to mention that all the eye watering is also making my right eye ache like hell....

Chrissie, the red nosed tester...

It was freezing first thing this morning but also clear, and beautifully sunny all morning. Which would have made me happier if I'd anticipated being able to get out there, but feeling so lousy made that a lot less appealing. It was still nice to look at out of the window (through streaming eyes)
Of course just for a change I had a meeting running into lunch time anyway...
For the first time in weeks, today I wanted to buy chocolate. I didn't. But as I sneezed, sniffles and wept my way through the day I did overdo the cheese and the peanut butter somewhat. In the past when I've had hayfever it's begun with itchy eyes and ended with watery eyes, but today has been much worse - and still is, as I can hardly see to type. And did I mention it makes my right eye ache as well? No walks until the antihistamines kick in...

Only 3 working days till I switch jobs....

Food today:
Breakfast: eggs scrambled with mushrooms and spinach
Lunch: Salad with cold beef
Dinner: chicken salad
Snacks: cheese & PB

Aaarrggh

Is it a cold? Is it hayfever? I don't know...  But I am MISERABLE today

One of those days...

I really wanted a walk at lunchtime today and for the second time in 2 days my boss arranged a meeting that clashed. Yesterday she decided half way through I didn't need to attend; today she just didn't show up. I'm sorry, but that's really inconsiderate in my book - obviously things can come up, but so can a quick word to say sorry, can't make it, we'll do it Monday instead. Grrrrrrrr.
Still, at least today I'd remembered my lunch!
And only 4 more working days...

Food today:
Breakfast: leftover turkey burger with an egg
Lunch: Salad with cold chicken thigh, avocado and feta cheese
Dinner: bits and pieces - cold meats and cheese mostly
Snacks: homemade pork rinds

Disaster averted - I now have my tea bags!!!

However... I forgot to pack my lunch today. Fool... Of course last time I forgot a meal I just resorted to peanuts and a questionable meat lollipop. This time the food may have been no more nutritious but it fitted my overall macros better! I went out at lunchtime to buy my replacement meal but cut my walk short and just went to the nearest convenience store because I was supposed to be taking part in a conference call. Then my boss (rightly) suggested I didn't have to be on the call because I won't be around for the work being discussed. Why couldn't she say that in the morning though? By the time she let me off the call it was too late to get a satisfying walk in. (though I admit I could have pushed myself to do what I could fit in - and I didn't) I had another very short walk after work in the sunshine as well, but was too busy to go far.

Food today:
Breakfast: eggs scrambled with mushrooms and leek
Lunch: 'sandwiches' of gouda cheese and cold meat
Dinner: homemade turkey burger with roasted broccoli & asparagus
Snacks: homemade pork rinds

Smoothie || Beets, Banana, and Sweet Potato

Sometimes, when I make my smoothies, it is an effort to finish some leftovers or me just working with what I have.  Thus, this morning was born this "medley" smoothie.  The ingredients were eye-balled, so this breakdown is just an estimate.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup beets (previously roasted)
1 large banana
1/2 cup sweet potato (previously boiled)
1/4 cup natural peanut butter
1 1/2 cup water

Instructions:
Blend all together and voila!

First world problems...

I have to get better at shopping more efficiently. On Monday I realised I was about to run out of rooibos tea bags, and added them to a Tesco order being delivered tonight. Now I'm stuck with drinking what the company provides until then. Yesterday they ran out of Decaf coffee (that's not all me). As you know I'm not drinking much full caffeine coffee - only one cup a day. All that's left is black & green tea, neither of which I'm keen on and both of which contain caffeine, and fruit teas. Of course fruit teas don't have caffeine, but if anyone knows any fruit teas that don't smell like heaven in a cup and taste like grass clippings that may possibly, if you're lucky, have been cut in an orchard within 100m of a fruit tree, I'd really like to hear about it. I use my tea to avoid the tedium of plain water - but that's the best I can do! Next time I'll know better...

Still counting down...

7 days to go...  And then I leave this project to go back to my previous company. As every day is as frustrating as the last, with the project moving one step forward, 5 steps back, and it seems unlikely to suddenly fall into place, I'm not sorry to have the end in sight, but I will miss some of the people. I'm very used to working surrounded by men as the UK IT industry is still male dominated, but in this project I actually sit with some women and have female conversation. It's been nice, regardless of how well I get on with the men in the other company, and I'll miss that. Not to mention feeling a bit guilty at leaving before the project is over.

Foodwise my new tweaks are taking a bit of getting used to. I'm aiming for 1 gm of protein per kilo body weight (nope, not telling you how much that is), a maximum of 10% of my calories coming from carbohydrates, and the rest from fat - which is the hardest part. I can eat fatty meats, no problem there, but trying to cut the protein means having to find ways to add fat that don't also add protein or carbs. This evening that meant just melting butter on my dinner, which is easy but unimaginative - and not entirely to my taste. I plan to start making sauces and dressings instead, but I have to shop and plan to be able to do that.
I think it's worth it though - I'm not seeing the rapid weight loss I admit I hoped for, though if I can get properly ketogenic from these tweaks that might change, but the feeling of control I only have when the carbs are very low is a good feeling. I have no interest in the cakes, sweets or chocolate that is constantly all over the office, and don't spend my days obsessing about the next meal even when I'm actively looking at recipes for meal planning purposes. It's great!  Long may it last....

Food today:
Breakfast: eggs scrambled with leftover cauliflower & broccoli cheese
Lunch: Thai chicken curry soup soup
Dinner: chicken thigh fried in coconut oil with broccoli
Snacks: homemade pork rinds

Blah

My weekend was quiet - I didn't do anything on Saturday except cook, watch TV, and do laundry. Sunday I went out for a walk, cooked, and watched TV. I should have been all relaxed and rested after that but I was back to being frustrated within 5 minutes of entering the office today - not particularly surprising I guess.
8 working days left on the project. I am indeed counting them...


Food today:
Breakfast: eggs scrambled with mushrooms
Lunch: Thai chicken curry soup soup
Dinner: Tuna mayo on salad
Snacks: homemade pork rinds

It's Friday!!!

Things at work seemed a bit calmer today so I was too - which is good. The project is still not going well, but for once I got to stay away from the centre of the problems and just spend some time testing. So much more satisfying than a million unproductive meetings! 
I managed to get a blister in an awkward spot on the side of my toe yesterday and it was rubbed by my boots so I only walked about a mile outdoors - but spent so much time chasing around the office that my pedometer says I did 3 miles!  Good job my work shoes didn't rub against the blister I guess. 
Now I'm just really ready for the weekend - and I plan to spend some time looking at my diet and adjusting my ratios of macronutrients. I've no problem with the level of carbohydrates I've been eating but I want to reduce the protein a bit and need to figure out some good snack options. 

Food today:
Breakfast: eggs scrambled with bacon 
Lunch: Beef and mushroom soup 
Dinner: chicken thigh stir fried with mushrooms and a tiny bit of bell pepper plus courgette noodles 
Snacks: leftover keto Pizza (half portion), cheese 

My consultant wants to stick a needle in my eye

Luckily (?) the NHS won't let him (it's not a licenced use of the drug) and I'm not paying him thousands of pounds to do that right now so we settled for him injecting steroids around my eye instead as the swelling wasn't reduced by the eye drops and finger tingling pills and my vision in that eye is still crap. So in a month I'll be on an operating table again, but just for 2 minutes as he stabs me repeatedly with a hypodermic needle.
I swear my eye is out to get me. Apparently the side effects include eye droop and increased pressure inside the eye and I confidently expect to experience both. But he assured me it shouldn't blind me, so there's that.
So I worked from home the rest of the day and even though I expect nightmares about ginormous syringes tonight it was still less stressful than being in the office. I had to take the train to Reading as usual but since we moved house that's a bigger job than it used to be - I walked over 6 miles today. On the way I quite enjoyed it but coming back it was somewhat hellish as my dilated pupils objected strenuously to the sun light being so bright. I basically crossed the road repeatedly just to walk in the shade.
On the plus side unlike most of my past visits to the hospital - particularly the ones where he told me things I didn't want to hear - I did not comfort eat my way through the streets of Reading, and I didn't try to drown my sorrows when I got back either. In fact I felt completely in control of that side of things - it didn't even take any effort. That's HUGE for me and my binge switch.  Whether it will survive the actual procedure is another question...
Right now my Painkillers have worn off and my usual post eye exam headache is making itself felt so I need to turn off the light and lie in the dark a bit.

Food today:
Breakfast: eggs scrambled with bacon
Lunch: one of my purple low carb rolls filled with ham and cheese
Dinner: homemade keto pizza according to this recipe
Snacks: Pork rinds, cheese

I need to retire...

I hate my job
It's my own fault for telling the whole world yesterday that I'd found a major flaw in the logic of one of the most important parts of the system, but as a result I got to spend nearly the entire day in meetings as everyone started panicking. It was a beautiful day again - and I worked through lunch. We then had a crappy drive home, on a day when I really wanted to just get indoors, climb into my dressing gown and vegetate for the evening.
So M suggested a consolatory takeaway, and I agreed on condition it was a kebab because that's the only takeaway I trust. It was delicious - and delivered very promptly - and I resisted the urge to buy a bottle of whisky and drown my sorrows. I also steered clear of the peanut butter - which was a lot harder. Tomorrow I have a follow up appointment at the hospital for my eye so I'm working from home. Hopefully that will allow me to avoid getting so stressed and keep me on a more even keel - instead of veering wildly between homicidal rage and suicidal depression. Only 2 more weeks on this job...

Food today:
Breakfast: eggs scrambled with bacon
Lunch: Beef and mushroom soup
Dinner: lamb shish kebab and a tiny bit of salad with homemade lemon cream sauce instead of commercial sauce.
Snacks: Pork rinds, cheese

Sunshine....

What a beautiful day it was today! When I took a 2 mile walk at lunchtime it was probably actually a bit too warm really - but I did it anyway, and although I just walked along a road you the post office it just felt really good to walk without a coat, feel the sun on my arms (and not get splattered by any passing birds)
It was another frustrating day full of meetings today - since the return of my boss I've done hardly any testing but attended lots of meetings and that's practically the same as doing the actual work - right?  Although having said that I found a truly massive issue today so I guess I shouldn't complain too much.
I managed to avoid the massive quantities of pb today - though I did have a teaspoon full for supper (BTW, good to know I'm not the only weirdo who prefers my pb neat - I actively don't like it on bread)

Food today:
Breakfast: eggs scrambled with bacon
Lunch: Beef and mushroom soup
Dinner: Chicken thighs with pesto courgette noodles
Snacks: Pork rinds, cheese, a little PB.

Blech

Well, I had a very relaxing and lazy weekend - I didn't even go for a walk on Saturday because it was pouring with rain when I usually go out and I'd lost interest by the time it cleared - and started  today feeling not at all homicidal (or pigeoncidal) , which made a nice change. It didn't last for long as my boss, who'd been on holiday for 2 weeks, was back in the office today and looking for lots of updates on the project. Which, you may have picked up the odd hint, has not been an unqualified success. Stress....

I finished today with something like a binge, though very much less than any real binge I ever had - too much peanut butter, eaten from the jar and now I feel a little bit sick and determined to get on the PB wagon....

Food today:
Breakfast: eggs scrambled with bacon
Lunch: Chicken and mushroom soup (half portion) and some roast chicken
Dinner: Gammon salad
Snacks: Pork rinds, babybel

Chocolate Date Brownies

Ingredients

• 300g pitted dates 
• 350ml water 
• 3 tbsp coconut oil (melted) 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 
• 100g cocao powder 
• 160g almond flour (or ground almonds) 
• 1 tsp baking soda (gluten free) 
• 1/2 tsp sea salt 
• 2 eggs 

Method

1. Soak the dates in water overnight. 
2. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C/375 degrees F and grease a 20 cm square (8 inch) baking tin. 
3. In a food processor blend dates until smooth. Add in all other ingredients and pulse until just mixed. 
4. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and spread evenly. 
5. Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, until brownies are set. 
6. Cut into squares. 
7. Best stored in the fridge if you are not planning to eat warm.

Chocolate Almond Cashew Bites

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons almond butter 
• 4 tablespoons coconut oil (melted) 
• 4 tablespoons honey 
• 2-3 tablespoons raw cacao ( or you can use green and blacks - i used 2 raw cacao and 1 green and blacks) 
• 1/2-1 teaspoon concentrated natural vanilla extract 
• pinch of salt 
• 1/2 cup cashews, crushed (I placed them in zip lock bag and crushed them with a rolling pin) 

Method

1. Place all ingredients except for the cashews into a medium sized bowl and mix until well combined and looking deliciously chocolatey. Stir in the cashews. Pour the mixture into a silicon loaf tin. Place in the fridge to set. 
2. This slice only takes a couple of hours to set in the fridge ( to speed it up do 30 minutes in fridge and then into freezer. However, the longer you leave it the firmer it will become. 
3. Store in the fridge as it will melt at room temperature.

Check out Healthy World Cafe's menu for April

What's more enticing than the first harvests of spring? At Healthy World Cafe, we'd say not much. We've worked with several local farms and farmers to develop a taste of the changing seasons in York County.

Our menus will rotate every 4 to 6 weeks, so hurry in and check it out!

$5.50

-- Banh-Mi Hummus Plate or Focaccia Sandwich (Tender Greens Hummus, Seasonal Pickles, Sriracha Aioli)
-- Asparagus and Spring Vegetable Strata
-- Dal with Brown Rice, Sauteed Greens, Curried Pickled Vegetables and Yogurt
-- Chicken Salad Plate or Focaccia Sandwich (Greens, HWC Signature Chicken Salad)

$3.50
-- Spring Harvest Lemon Chicken Soup
-- Butternut Squash and Red Lentil Curry Soup
-- Roasted Radish Salad on greens with a Sweet Vinaigrette
-- Citrus Lentil and Chickpea Salad with Feta and Wheatberries

EXTRAS
-- Dried Fruit and Oatmeal Cookie, $1
-- Seasonal Vegetable Pickles, $1

Water and iced tea are free with your purchase, and all our menu items are sourced from our farmer friends in south-central Pennsylvania and made from scratch.

Lunch will be served 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. Take-out orders are available during lunch hours by phone only; please call 717-814-8204.

Grumble

I would love to be sweetness and light today following yesterday's darkness and rage, but nothing has changed and in fact sleeping badly due to feeling all that fury only exacerbated things.
For the first time in weeks I wanted to binge this morning - not on anything specific, no cravings, I just wanted the familiar distraction and comfort of eating food that would bloat me up and ultimately piss me off even more, thereby satisfying this weird self-destructive impulse I sometimes have.

I didn't.

(Although it's lucky that no-one bought cake in, if they had I might have grabbed the whole thing and made a run for it. And trampled anyone in my path.)

At lunchtime I went for a fairly short walk to get a snack and the weather did cheer me up a bit - as I walked along in a t-shirt and jeans with no coat in sight ;-) but it was over too quickly, although I didn't know about the pollution issue before I went out so it's probably a good thing. As I was walking back to the office a sky rat chose to relieve itself over my arm and now I want a gun. A specific pigeon gun - I didn't see it but I'm pretty sure it was a pigeon. It always is. Luckily it landed on my bare arm rather than my clothes so I could wipe it off using the carrier bag I was holding then wash my arm with half a bottle of hand-wash as soon as I got indoors. While plotting the deaths of every pigeon in the South East to make sure I get the guilty party.
It's possible I have anger issues.
No, I think that's a perfectly reasonable response. What are pigeons for anyway?

Food today:
Breakfast: protein chia pudding
Lunch: Chicken and mushroom soup
Dinner: burger in a bunch. A bun!!!
This bun to be precise - and it was amazing. (and purple)
Snacks: hard boiled egg, Pork scratchings

Review: Communal atmosphere, 'scrumptious' food at Healthy World Cafe

Since our community sneak peek April 3 and our grand opening April 6, we have been inundated with kind words from diners, volunteers, members of the media and our community at large.

Thank you!

If you're curious about what you can expect from a visit to the cafe, check out this beautifully written review from The York Dispatch: Communal atmosphere, 'scrumptious' food at Healthy World Cafe.

You can also preview some of the other recent coverage below.

FlipSidePA.com

-- Healthy World Cafe features local food, art and entertainment

-- Photo gallery from First Friday

FOX43

-- Healthy World Cafe in York allows customers to work in exchange for their meal

From Randy Pflaum

-- Healthy World Cafe: A community cafe in York

The York Dispatch

-- Healthy World Cafe reopens in downtown York City

-- Photos from the cafe's grand opening

ABC27

-- Pay-how-you-can cafe to open in York

Rrrrrrrrr

Frustration is bad for morale - and health
Work was complete crap again today. It didn't get off to the best start as I arrived to get an email to ask me to look after 2 new starters this morning - the first I knew about their existence much less my responsibility for them. Somewhat unexpectedly that was the high point of the day - they both seem really nice, they aren't as jaded and disillusioned as they soon will be, and it wasn't for very long. Then I got back to my day job and almost instantly reverted to my usual state of impotent homicidal rage. Which lasted all f**king day. Even going for a walk at lunchtime didn't help. I went to an ethnic supermarket in search of M's cheap peanut butter but they didn't have any. I did buy a few other bits and they kept me hanging around at the till for so long that I had to cut my planned walk short and get a move on back to the office. I should really have just walked out, but I'd run completely out of coconut oil, so I just stood there like a lemon. And felt my blood pressure rise several more points.
On top of that my personal email was screwed on my mobile so I was sincerely tempted to hurl the phone at the nearest window. Or flush it down the loo. Or stick it in the microwave /dishwasher. Or just jump up and down on it.

I do love days that turn me into Godzilla's bad tempered aunt / Satan's evil twin.

I am TERRIFYING today.

Food today:
Breakfast: protein chia pudding
Lunch: Chicken and mushroom soup
Dinner: chicken & egg salad
Snacks: pork scratchings, hard boiled egg

Bit down. No reason.

Today was a real nothing of a day, and I was bored rigid through most of it. So I won't pass the boredom on.
Sore foot meant no walk.
Still very low carb and low coffee, alcohol free - I had a couple of drinks at my dad's house but otherwise doing well. Apart from that...  Yawn....

Food today:
Breakfast: scrambled eggs with a little smoked pork sausage
Lunch: Gammon salad
Dinner: salmon baked with wasabi mayo and broccoli & cauliflower
Snacks: cheese

Yawn.....

Tired and fed up today. All weekends make me feel like this, but the longer the weekend the more strongly I feel.
I slept reasonably well last night too, but I walked nearly 8.5 miles through the day and with the low level stress of even a smooth journey as well I was really tired yesterday again.
I was so bored at work today that staying awake was really hard - and I was hungry all day too. I managed not to eat too much more than I should have - just some cheese - and went out for a walk at lunchtime. I was going for an exploratory wander along a new route which unfortunately turned out to be shorter than I'd hoped because it was a loop that ended quite close to the office - and by then I was so hungry all I could do was go in for lunch. At least I tried!

Food today:
Breakfast: cheesy scrambled eggs
Lunch: Gammon salad
Dinner: tuna fried Cauliflower rice
Snacks: pork scratchings, cheese

Back to work ALREADY????

Where the hell did the weekend go???

Back to reality

 I don't want to go to work tomorrow :(
Another totally smooth train journey today :)  The first train ran 20 minutes late due to trespassers on the track (as the teenager across the aisle said, "run them over") but didn't stop me making my connection so no big deal. The underground train was sitting at the platform when I got there so crossing London couldn't have gone any more smoothly. And I was so worried about it! Just lucky that the works on Kings Cross were carried out at Christmas I guess.
My Dad, his wife and I went out for lunch and a walk around one of my favourite Lincolnshire villages yesterday - Woodhall Spa - and it was a lovely day out, though unfortunately later on I had some pain in my eye from late afternoon bright sunshine.
This morning Dad and I went for a walk through the fields around his village - about 5 miles on some pretty uneven and slick surfaces. It wasn't sunny or photogenic - lots of ploughed fields and fields of just-sprouting crops, but it was lovely to chat and stretch my legs before spending a few hours on a train or 4. I also enjoyed spending some time with their beautiful and friendly cat - especially when she was begging for her breakfast at 6 this morning :-)

I just wish I could have stayed longer - and, as already mentioned, didn't have work tomorrow.
Ah well....

Food today:
Breakfast: fried eggs, bacon and mushrooms
Lunch: ham, cheese and egg salad
Dinner: lamb shish kebab
Snacks: pork scratchings

Lovely day...

Knackered today after a restless night spent worrying about the promised /threatened rail chaos for my journey to Lincolnshire today.
Not so much.  I caught the first train no problem - it arrived 2 minutes early in fact. Ditto the second train. 2 underground trains obligingly showed up a minute after I reached the platform, and the final train arrived in Newark North Gate station dead on time. However the journey still took 3 hrs 40 odd minutes, and even though I spent the time sitting down primarily it was tiring.
Dad and his wife met me at North Gate and after dumping my bag in the car we spent a couple of hours walking around Newark. It was lovely despite the grey weather, and I could happily have carried on walking along the River Trent.

Then it was home to Dad's house for a late lunch and a very relaxing chatting afternoon. I had a little whisky for the first time in just under 3 weeks and fought off several well-intentioned attempts to feed me stuff I didn't want to eat, and had a lovely evening
Food today:
Breakfast: eggs scrambled with gammon and cheese
Lunch: sausage, bacon and eggs
Dinner: beef curry with cauliflower rice
Snacks: babybel cheese

Slow day today...

The weather continued being crappy but no work so I didn't care much, and walked a bit anyway - only 3 miles or so. Apart from that it was a bit of housework, a lot of laundry (getting sorted before I go to my Dad's tomorrow) and a ton of TV watching including the finale of The Walking Dead.

Food today:
Breakfast: saut�ed Pork mince and mushrooms...  Weird but tasty, the mince was left over from making the Meatballs yesterday... With a Cauliflower Breakfast pancake
Lunch: cheese salad
Dinner: Cauliflower fried rice
Snacks: homemade pork rinds; peanut butter

Grey, gloomy weather...

Welcome to the daily Berkshire Weather Report / moan. I have just one word today: Rain.
Ok, I lied about the one word. :-) but not about the rain. It feels like it's personal... a personal attack on my activity levels. Which is possibly a little melodramatic of me considering that the rain stopped around 9:30.
By lunchtime it was just dreary but not actually raining, so I managed to force myself out for a walk. I needed it - tWelcome to the daily Berkshire Weather Report /moan. I have just one word today : Rain.
Ok, I lied about the one word. :-) but not about the rain. It feels like it's personal... a personal attack on my activity levels.
By lunchtime it was just dreary but not actually raining, so I managed to force myself out for a walk. I needed it - today another company that inhabits the same office building as mine was holding a chocolate sale in the main lobby of the building, and not only did that produce long queues of bargain hunting chocoholics, but it also created an overwhelming smell of sugar and chocolate whenever the door was opened.  In the past when I've not been able to resist eating /binging on cakes /chocolate it's actually been the smell far more than the sight of it that's really got me going - but honestly, even if I wasn't low carbing I think the overpowering, all consuming smell of all that chocolate and sugar would still have been too much for me - genuinely off-putting. I was glad to get out in the fresh air!
I avoided all shops and headed for a nearby park instead. It probably looks much better in nicer weather but still beats road walking hands down. Although there were many clouds of massive insects hanging about the park, I guess because of all the lakes...

Unfortunately I forgot to bring my walking boots with me today. I was thisclose to not going out, but decided to take it easy and just monitor my feet for signs of blistering and I'm glad I did - the soles felt a little burny by the time I got back but otherwise they were fine and I felt much better in the afternoon as a result.

I have to confess to some overeating this evening - nothing like a carb-fueled binge, but extra meatballs and cheese. I don't feel as bad about it as I would after binging on junk, possibly because I feel just a bit too full as opposed to bloated, sweaty and disgusting physically. Still, that won't help me get where I want to be, so I'll have to be aware of that.

Food today:
Breakfast: scrambled eggs with cheese
Lunch: homemade soup
Dinner: Pork Meatballs with homemade tomato sauce and Cauliflower rice
Snacks: homemade pork rinds; babybel cheeseoday another company that inhabits the same office building as mine was holding a chocolate sale in the main lobby of the building, and not only did that produce long queues of bargain hunting chocoholics underfoot, but it also created an overwhelming smell of sugar and chocolate whenever the door was opened.  In the past when I've not been able to resist eating /binging on cakes /chocolate it's actually been the smell far more than the sight of it that's really got me going - but honestly, even if I wasn't low carbing I think the overpowering, all consuming smell of all that chocolate and sugar would still have been too much for me - genuinely off-putting. I was glad to get out in the fresh air!
I avoided all shops and headed for a nearby park instead. It probably looks much better in nicer weather but still beats road walking hands down. Although there were many clouds of massive insects hanging about the park, I guess because of all the lakes...

Unfortunately I forgot to bring my walking boots with me today. I was thisclose to not going out, but decided to take it easy and just monitor my feet for signs of blistering and I'm glad I did - the soles felt a little burny by the time I got back but otherwise they were fine and I felt much better in the afternoon as a result.

I have to confess to some overeating this evening - nothing like a carb-fueled binge, but extra meatballs and cheese. I don't feel as bad about it as I would after binging on junk, possibly because I feel just a bit too full as opposed to bloated, sweaty and disgusting physically. Still, that won't help me get where I want to be, so I'll have to be aware of that.

Food today:
Breakfast: scrambled eggs with cheese
Lunch: homemade soup
Dinner: Pork Meatballs with homemade tomato sauce and Cauliflower rice
Snacks: homemade pork rinds; babybel cheese

Chop Chop!

Ever since discovering the Vitamix, it's not very often that I get ridiculously excited about a kitchen appliance.

But then this happened:

The Chef'n VeggiChop.

I first saw it in the private Ultimate Weight Loss group on Facebook. One very awesome member of UWL, Debra from Long Island, actually took the time to make a demonstration video of how she uses this hand held chopper to make her VFB (Veggies for Breakfast). Debra makes a beautiful chopped salad with cruciferous vegetables--think red cabbage and cauliflower and other stuff, with some beans and hummus--and happily eats this every morning.

I was so inspired! I wanted to share Debra's video with you here on HGK, and Debra was so kind to send it to me, but I am such a tech dummy that I couldn't figure out how to get it up on the blog. So I prayed that there would be a few demo videos on YouTube to share with you today and we lucked out!



Here's how this simple machine works:





I'm so excited to add another variation to my VFB routine, a la Debbie's salads, but I might even be more excited about making my own salt free salsas quickly and easily. I haven't been able to find any salt free salsas in my area-either canned or the salsa fresca type, and I've got a few recipes that I am just itching to try.

So there you go. I guess I do need another kitchen appliance after all! (I might even get two, because this is one thing that's perfect for travel.)

    

I am a wuss.

I'm not even going to pretend I'm not a wuss, because my wussiness is clearly stamped on my forehead for all the world to see.
I didn't go for a walk at lunchtime or before work today again because it was cold, although a little less windy than yesterday,  and I was hormonal and I just really wanted to be home, in bed, snuggled up with a hot water bottle (and I don't even own a hot water bottle). But in my defence, it was really really cold. As I discovered after work when I had to pop to the shop again. At least it was dry and hail-free though.
As it was too cold for me and my wussiness outside I did make some effort to walk around the office a bit, and use the stairs a few times. According to my pedometer on the phone I walked 2.4 miles almost without going outside, so I guess that effort was somewhat successful. Apart from that work was a mixture of frustration with the project from hell and chatting - a lot - with some of the people I work with or sit near. I must admit there are some lovely people there. In fact they are the main reason I don't run for the hills.
I didn't eat any chocolate again today. In fact, we were all given a little box of mini eggs on Monday for Easter and today I gave mine to M, not out of fear that I would eat them, but out of genuine disinterest. I would like to believe that will last, but it never has before so...  We'll see I guess.

Food today:
Breakfast: 2 chia, flaxseed and cottage cheese pancakes used to make an egg & bacon sandwich
Lunch: homemade soup
Dinner: chicken thighs with garlic mushrooms
Snacks: homemade pork rinds; babybel cheese