How a woman juggles behind the closed curtain...

Hi friends,

This is not about the recipe of bread rolls. You can search hundreds of better ones on web. This is about how to juggle.

I always think veteran house wives are really good project managers. I am hardly a house wife but I, too, juggle lots of things at home.

As you know I get up early even in weekends. When I get up, I normally go to the kitchen to make a cup of green tea. Today, I noticed I didn’t have bread or rice. Very bad stock management but thankfully, I have got them.

After checking the ingredients, I had a shower, washed hair, left conditioner on hair and wore a shower cap. After washing my face, I applied Environ’s exfoliating masque and left it on. (Refer to my old post.)

Wearing a shower cap and white face masque, I started making dough for bread rolls. Comical yet bit scary scene to witness. You never know what your neighbours are doing behind the closed curtains…

When the dough becomes like this, it is time for me to cover it with a cling film and leave it for 40 minutes. 

It is also time to rinse my hair and rinse off the masque. After that, I applied Weleda's body oils (both white birch and pomegranate) and L’Oreal’s Extraordinary Hair Oil and leave it. (Please refer to my old post.)

Whilst waiting for the dough, I put laundry in a washing machine and changed bed lines.

Applied sweet almond oils to massage nails and fingers whilst waiting for the dough and laundry. After that, wearing rubber gloves to do washing up.

By the time, I finished washing up, the dough was ready. Quickly made rolls. 

Cover them with lightly moistured kitchen towels and leave for 10 minutes.

Now time for a cup of tea. (with soya milk.)

After finishing a cup of tea, I made flower shape rolls like these using kitchen scissors and left them in a warm oven (40 degree C) for 40 minutes. 

Whilst waiting, I took laundry from the washing machine and hung them to dry and loaded the bed linens for the 2^nd drum. Also, about time to finish my fair.

Bit of reading to prepare for an exam. This book works far better than sleeping pills…

When the dough becomes 1.5 times bigger, brush them with egg and bake them in the oven (200 degree C) for 15 minutes.

Voila! Lovely bread rolls. Washing up, laundry, hair, body and face treatment and bit of reading done at the same time.

Truly Happy Breakfast

Hi friends,

My breakfast this morning.

When I got up, I noticed I have no bread or rice. OMG!

 You know, I eat breakfast almost religiously. I had to do something about it to start my glorious Sunday.

So, I made walnut rolls. They are truly scrumptious.

Omelette (contains soya milk) with home-made mini tomato sauce. I often make sauce with mini tomatoes. They contain more lycopene than ordinary tomatoes. Lycopene is great antioxidant as well as cancer preventing agent.

Potato & sweet corn salad and Frankfurters with BBQ sauce.

This is the happiest way of starting a day. My truly happy Breakfast.

Today's Breakfast

Hi friends,

Today’s breakfast.

This looks bit heavy from early morning, well, just a bit. Yellow stuff behind the bowl is a glass of Vitamin C and Zinc drink. (It tastes vile.) 

Mind you, this is only a starter…:-p

Followed by a pudding off course...

Carrot and Walnut cake.

Yeah, this is definitely the reason why I have too much calories and get fat, but we occasionally need a treat, don’t we? 

Weight 8 - I did it!

Hi friends,

I did it!

To be 55.9 kgs by 24^th September, it was my first target. Oh dear. It was more difficult than I imagined when I started. 7 years ago, I lost more than 15 kgs and it was not as tiring as this.

Sadly, my metabolism has gone down since then and it told me that I have aged more than I realise.

Next target is, to lose another 2kgs in 1 month, to be 53.9 kgs by 24^th October.

This is the important phase as I will start shaping my body. Nope, it is not body building. I will not lift up weights in a gym. That is not for me. My shaping body is, to regain the body line I used to have.

After hitting the big wall of Four-Oh, if we lose weight in a short period, we will end up with saggy skins and more wrinkles. Also, if we don’t work on the improvement of metabolism, it is just a temporary loss and our weight will be back to the start in less time than we spent to lose. At certain extent, we need fat to maintain the tension of skin. Don't lose weight too quickly if you don't want wrinkles. That is why I did not change my diet. 

In the next phase, I will maintain my diet. I will eat what I fancy. However, I will start Yokote method and also do more walking. Yokote method is the exercise invented by the celebrity personal trainer Mr Yokote and some of them are extremely effective to work on abdominal muscles.

Let’s see how it goes. 

Panasonic Nano Care

Hi friends,

Some of you have seen this being connected to my PC. 

It looks like a camera for Skype, but this is actually a portable ioniser, Panasonic Nano Care and this is called Nano-E. Kind of cute, isn’t it? I carry this in my handbag and use it in the office.

Lots of colleagues asked me what it is. When I told them, I had another question.

“What for?”

Well, it produces minus ions and an old woman like me needs it. (Please refer to my old post.) All of them except one just laughed and the conversation ended there pleasantly. There was one person who kept asking me awkward questions today.

“So, what benefit are you expecting exactly from that?”

“Eh, yeah, it will moisturise my skin and hair, I think.”

“Do you believe that? Do you actually see any difference after using it?”

Well, the benefit might not be visible as she pointed out, but hey ho, I bought it with my money and I like it very much. There is nothing wrong about it, is there? All I can say is, my heart is moisturised enough not to interrogate colleagues in such a dry manner.

One colleague who overheard our conversation got upset for me, saying she was so cheeky. Bless his gentle soul!

I don’t mind what others think about my oddity. I like carrying some playfulness in my heart no matter how busy I am. We are having stressful days for sure, so there is no need to make things more intense. It is hardly elegant or classy. Definitely not my style.

My darling ladies and gentlemen, what we always need is bit of moisture in our heart and perhaps on skin and hair, too. ;-)

Hello Kitty Breakfast

Hi friends,

My breakfast today.

Hello Kitty sandwich. Isn’t it sweet?

Yeah, yeah, I am developing early menopause and becoming increasingly embarrassing for you, darlings.

Right then, I actually have better things to do today. I will leave you in peace now.

It is cold and pretty depressing here. Now you understand why a sad old woman has been doing something bizarre in the Warwickshire country side…well, nevertheless, I wish you all good Sunday. :-p

Weight 7 - Hate it, change it and change it better

Hi friends,

I had been rather unwell for a week or so because of the stress caused by unreasonable people, lazy gits and people who are dazzled by their brilliance too much to consider feelings of others. Not much difference from people at your work, I guess?

I tend to focus on what I need to do rather than with /for whom. However, from time to time, I lose the control and feel stressed out. The annoying fact is, those thick skinned people have no conscience or what so ever, no matter how low you feel.

So, my dear ladies and gentlemen, why do I have to be bothered by them? It is no point that myself feeling stressed because of such people. I should have only myself to face, as ultimately, I am the person who feels most deeply for my own conducts and face the consequences out of them.

What makes me more annoyed is that I caught a cold as my immune system dropped because of that. I looked awful and so aged.

Apologies for starting this glorious Sunday morning with a depressing topic like this.

Do you remember the TV advert of Honda’s diesel engine?

“Hate it, change it and change it better”

Yeah, I shall fix the issue and feel better about it. This is my “good-bye-miserable-old-cow” kit.

I kept overdosing myself with Green tea and Korean Ginseng for past 7 days to shake off a cold. 1000 mgs of Vitamin C every other day.

Also, Vitamin A to fix my skin, again every other day. (Take Vitamin A carefully as it can harm your health if you overdose.)

Then, have a big breakfast. Nothing works better than a big breakfast.

Now, I am nicely fixed and guess what, after the big treat of gooey chocolate cake yesterday, I still managed to lose weight, as my immune system is back and metabolism kicked-off.

I have witnesses that I also had a chicken burger and chips before the pudding.

I shall share the tip with you when I hit 55kgs….(I am not taking dodgy pills or starving myself. Don’t worry.)

Our Little Reunion

Hi friends,

I booked a table at Greswolde in Knowle for our little reunion.

MT and JD.

AC, myself, AM and JD.

It has been 14 years since I saw JD last time. She was as fabulous as I remembered. All of us had gone through quite a lot in the past 15 years. Some of us became mothers and a grandmother, some had sad losses, some had operations and hospital treatments, etc. We kept talking and time just past at the speed of sound.

My sister JD’s wise words coming from her own experiences.

“We will never get over, we just get used to it.”

That is so very true. By the time we reach our age, we, off course, encounter heart breaking incidents. We will not forget what happened. I don’t think we should. However, we will find the way to cope with it until it becomes part of us.

We have been friends for more than 15 years. I was in my twenties when I met them. I feel so blessed when I am with such inspiring gorgeous souls.

Then, when this great company comes with lovely foods, I am the happiest bunny in Warwickshire.

Today’s pudding…gooey chocolate fudge cake with chocolate & orange sauce and cream.

Shockingly sinful thing for a dieter but it was simply divine, as wonderful as my beautiful friends....

Weight 6 - Slowly but Surely

Hi friends,

Today’s weight.

My target is to lose 1 stone in 3 months, 2kgs in 1 month. When I started on 25^th August, I was 57.9kgs. I have 0.6kgs to lose in 10 days. I have to be 55.9kgs by 25^th September. Pretty doable, isn’t it?

As I am hardly young and fresh, I cannot do crash diet. I am sure I will look like Edvard Munch’s painting “The Scream”, if I do. To avoid the scary result, “Slowly but Surely” is the approach I chose.

Let’s see…

CIPS - Level 6

Hi friends,

My social life will finish on 13^th September and I will have no life until the end of May.

Look at this. This is one of the course books and revision notes for CIPS level 6. The photo of the Alps in dawn cannot symbolise better or more precisely about what involves in this course.

CIPS is the acronym of Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply and I am aiming for the MCIPS accreditation (Member of CIPS) before menopause gets me….haven’t got much time left, then.

My dear ladies and gentlemen, this is tough. I do not wish to make an excuse out of my age, but it is true that my memory has deteriorated in the past 20 years and I cannot remember a thing even though I write those “buzz words” 20 times. When this comes with the current workload and commitment at home, it is hardly a smooth path.

Also, it is quite daunting to think about having 3 exams on the 3 consecutive days in November. I now have only 2 months to prepare. OMG! What am I doing to myself?

Nonetheless, it is a great opportunity to reinforce my skills and knowledge with a globally recognised qualification and it will definitely make myself more marketable. Let’s stop whinging and get on with what needs to be done.

If you are thinking about starting CIPS study, yes go for it. Nowadays, major companies list MCIPS status as prerequisite to apply for purchasing professionals positions. Likewise, if you are looking for an opportunity in any fields, to be an accountant, a PA, an architect or even an angel card reader etc, there must be something to support your development.

It was for those who want to go further on the career ladder before, but nowadays, it is more to keep means of earning bread. The world has become far more competitive than we think. Experience is not only the key for the success. Experience can be a tricky word if we hang around it. It is all relative and how you see your capability coming from it has no guarantee of how others evaluate your quality.

If you are the “old-school” like myself and whinging about the management not appreciating your true value, get your evaluation from a recognised professional body. It is a piece of paper you might snigger, but the sad reality is that paper calculates our pay packet.

No pain, no gain.

…but it is painful, really.

Angel Card Reading for Young Friend

Hi friends,

Another hectic week.

God knows how long this will last. I shan’t whinge. It is far better than where we were in 2009/10 and the automotive industry is certainly thriving here.

However when we are too busy, we tend to forget what really matters to us.

I know a young man with great intelligence and potentials. This combination is rather rare coming with lovely manner like his in younger generation as one can be often an annoying so-and-so at work.  

I did not know until quite recently that he has been on sick leave. I keep travelling between two sites and he did the same. Although we work in the same office, it was just a day or two we saw each other. We used to have coffee together when we have something to grumble.

I just thought we had been missing each other or he was on holiday for summer. You know me, I am normally the last one to notice what is going on in the office.

My dear young friend. He texted me that there are still unknown symptoms he is suffering from. 

We all know that things do not go as well as we plan. Things can go wrong in the last minute no matter how hard we work. Things happen. There are unreasonable people. There are annoying people (Normally starts with B) around us who are good at nothing but shifting the blame to others.

But my darlings, they are nothing. They are not important. It shouldn’t bother us.

This is the angel card I got for him. It came twice, so it must be the true message for him.

“You deserve the best! Reach for the stars with your dreams and desires and don’t compromise.”

High Protein? Breakfast

Hi friends,

My high protein? breakfast.

OMG. What on earth are you eating from early morning? You might have thought.

Darlings, I cannot do low carb diet. I simply can’t.

My favourite Oxfordshire man has been on rabbit food and he certainly lost weight. It is always the way my dear Swabian friend takes after he gains some pounds, too. They say they cannot give up their beers but have no problem to stay away from carbohydrates.

Nope, it is not for me, I cannot live on salad like them. I can do high protein diet, though.

Chicken.

Tofu.

With tofu and wakame (seaweed) miso soup, this is the best I could do.

I miss bread, rice, pasta and noodles…..

One Week Wardrobe Part 2

Hi friends,

More than I month has passed since I got the request. My apologies.

My one week wardrobe part 2 - Last week.

Monday

It was bank holiday on Monday. I went out with a true English gentleman for dinner.

Contain your excitement, friends, he is 75 years old and AML’s father.

Why did I go out with his father? Why indeed! It is because that bloody man and his girlfriend missed the flight from Charles de Gaulle and I am a woman who cannot say no to Lobster Thermidor.

Tuesday

I had an off-site training. Some of you might have seen my “undertaker” photo. I thought I added some colours, but I was still an undertaker…

Wednesday

Office in the morning and then changed to jeans and T-shirt to go to Warwick Castle for a team building event. I can tell you what. August is the worst timing to pick to do such a thing.

Thursday

Normal working day in the office.

Friday

The colour looks bit disappointing in the photo. It is actually really nice green in real. As the office is freezing with air conditioner, I take a big scarf with me.

Saturday

Shabby!! I don’t know how old this pair of jeans could be. More than 10 years for sure.

Today

You don’t want to see me today. I am wearing the same shabby jeans and an even shabbier T-shirt, no make-up and very messy curly hair. Definitely not for public display…

Thank you for reading and I wish you a lovely Sunday. God bless you all.

A gift for her and a gift for me...

Hi friends,

I get busy in September and November to look for presents, venues for meal or beauty treatments for friends’ and family’s birthdays.

There is a gift shop in Stratford called Vinegar Hill. The name is weird but they sell lots of lovely stuff. I could spend fortune there if I am not careful. They are what I found there.

They sell beautiful cards, too.

Also, I managed to find a nice clutch bag within the presie budget.

There is one person who said she would like the stuff she saw on this blog. Who on earth wants a washing up liquid for birthday!!  However, if that is what she really wants, they are what she will get.

I now have to wrap them up. That is a massive pain as I have no skills or talent for that. I am a buyer and I will stick to that.

Right then, I think I deserve a lovely cup of green tea after going through lots of troubles, don’t you think?

It's a shocking fact, my darling ladies and gentlemen, but this tea is far more expensive than any of the things you just looked at.

Because I am worth it. Tea hee hee… ;-p

Weight 5

Hi friends,

I thought no one is interested in how heavy or lighter I have become, so I was planning to upload the report on a fortnight or monthly basis. However, I noticed there are at least two of you who are keen to know how I have been struggling. (Thanks for the teasing texts and the reminder of Lindt chocolate in my handbag!!)

Here we go. This is me today.

Lost 1.1kgs in one week despite the invitation to a slice of lemon drizzle cake and samosas for someone’s birthday and leaving at work.

No no no. I have never touched dodgy sliming pills. I have not changed my diet either. I am a foodie and also a health trivia geek, I don’t do anything if it is damaging my health or expediting aging process.

I will share my tips with you when I hit 55kgs but before that, I have to prove with my body that they actually work.

Pont-l'Évêque

Hi friends,

I had a terrible week and I got totally fed up by Friday. It depresses me a lot when I look so aged because of stress.

Rest assured, darlings. I shan’t ruin the weekend by grumbling about what happened. Whatever happened had happened. Now let’s move on.

To make me happy, I went to Paxton & Whitfield in Stratford on Saturday. It is still early for my beloved Mont d'Or (or some people call it Vacherin du Haut-Doubs) but  Brie, Camembert and Roquefort are too normal and hardly exciting.

Pont-l'Évêque. Good choice, I dare say.

As the name says, it is the cheese originally made in the area of Pont-l'Évêque. It is probably the oldest Norman cheese in production. Unlike other French soft cheeses, it is square in shape like this. I have never seen the round one before, so I presume it could be one of the characteristics of this cheese.

Yummmm…..

PS: How can I forget this photo yesterday? The symbol of Stratford-upon-Avon.

Shakespeare’s Birth Place.