1 day to the competition!

8 July...1 day to go

I had my final stats done last week, below is how I have changed over the last 6 weeks…

25 May (6 weeks)
Body weight. 59.8
Body fat %. 19.16
Body fat kg. 11.29
LBM. 47.61

16 June (3 weeks)

Body weight. 59.8
Body fat %. 16.95
Body fat kg. 9.98
LBM. 48.92

30 June (9 days to go)

Body weight. 58.6
Body fat %. 16.33
Body fat kg. 9.56
LBM. 49.04

Tuesday Food 100%.  Spin 300 cals. Trained Back

Wednesday. No cardio…Miss Lucy was wide awake at 4am so getting up at 5 wasn’t much of an option. Trained Chest & biceps

Thursday  Food 100%.  Today I have the most horrendous pain in my left abductor.  Goodness knows what I’ve done…probably something silly like coming down the steps in the house wrong or doing a funny twist when putting Lucy on the floor.  L  Hobbly hobbly walking so no cardio.  It is a planned rest day from weights but I’ll do some good ab work later this arvo.  Today I should be able to finalise my last week of food planning.

Friday.  Food 100%.  My weird pain has gone so I managed to get a spin session in. Trained Chest/shoulders.

Saturday.  Food 100%.  Today I did just did a good all over upper body session. Stacy from http://www.twentysevenphotography.com/came along and took some photos of me. This was great as I haven’t even taken progress pics this year!  Stacy did a fantastic job so make sure you check her work out!

Sunday.  Food 100%.  Total rest day today.

From here on in things change a LOT!  I have started my carb depletion, so now my food ratios are 12.5% carb, 67.9% protein, 12.3% fat. My water manipulation process has also started. Training is also changing to more explosive work with sets of 10-12 reps.

Monday. Food 100%.  Legs day + a 30 minute walk

Tuesday.  Food 100%.   Trained Back.  Had an accident in the gym today while training a client. For some completely ‘brain foggy’ moment I put my hand on a machine in a place where you aren’t supposed to and had my left middle finger tip crushed. Ow ow ow!!  My fingernail is totally smashed, the nail bed pretty wounded and I have a lovely cut down the side of my finger.  Damn it! Lucky its not a manicure competition I’m in!

Wednesday. Food 100%.  Trained Chest & biceps

Thursday.  Food 100%.   Changed food again!  Halved my water intake and now my food ratios are 16.6% protein, 79.2% carbs, 13.4% fat.

Friday. Food will be 100% and today my food ratios are 24.1% protein, 71.3% carb, 1.3% fat.  Water is halved again too.  Slept terribly last night…could hear the storms coming from ‘forever’ away and at 3am had the thought of changing the bikinis I am planning to wear. I’ll establish that later today…nothing like final decisions!

This last week has been great (apart from my damaged digit).  I feel amazing, and think I look pretty good too.  I have been asked “who is your competition?” from people at the gym. My answer is always the same: “I am”.  To me, as long as I look better than I did last time, I have succeeded.  To me, competing is a constant learning process, I learn about my body; what works, what doesn’t and how I react to certain foods and supplements.  Then I can take that and knowledge and use nutrition, training, cardio and supplements to get the best I can from my work.  I know I can do better…and I intend to! My upper body looks the best it has ever done, but my legs are like pins and need more size which I’m looking forward to working on.

In the meantime, I look forward to tomorrow, bring on the dream tan, the glam lashes, 9 stick-on nails, the bikinis (whatever I decide to wear), the heels, the bling, the posing, the routine and with any luck – a placing!

Thanks to my wonderful hubby Matt for all your support and of course my sponsor LifeStyle Meats!

Supermarket Challenge Summary.

Well my 4 week challenge has come to an end and I am happy to share my news.  I have gone through my credit card bill for the 4 weeks prior to my challenge and added up my spending so I can make a comparison to what I have spent over the last month….…and I managed to spend a whopping $629.40 less!!

This proves that the ‘only spend the cash’ system can work; and I plan on sticking to it.

It does take a little time. Each weekend I sit down, plan the menu (often I’ll jot ideas down mid-week & ask the family what they may like) go through my cookbooks and make my shopping list with only writing down precisely what I need.  In the past I would just write ‘veges’ on my list, now its very accurate to the likes of 3 carrots, 2 onions, 4 heads broccoli etc. 

We definitely haven’t ‘scrimped’ on meals, and have all eaten very well.  My weekly menus are still being printed and put on the kitchen wall each week.

All I can say is ‘thanks Money Man’ for showing me a great system that can save me thousands!

11 days and counting!

28 June.  11 days to go.

I’ve packed my bag for the show…all important items such as:

Bikinis, shoes, tanning stuff, gloves, resistance band, 2 copies of my routine music, pen, vivid marker, bikini bite, jewellery, make-up, Vaseline, hair-spray, sewing kit, straws, magnesium, and some food supplies that wont go off

The past week has been a bit a bit if a struggle – and I have done some hard days of ‘soul searching’ as the show gets closer; one evening I almost pulled out as I drank some wine …chasing down some blue cheese!  I have questioned how I look, and if I have really done enough to look worthy of my sparkly bikini. I guess show day will tell. 

My inner Nigella was trying to break free all week….if only I could be happy with over sized hips/thighs/tum/everything, look gorgeous, and be able to indulge in the delicious meals I prepare my family! However, my vanity and desire to have a tight toned body wont allow it... not this year anyway!

Ah well, like one of my gym tops says “if it was easy, everyone would do it”. I have pep talked myself and have had some great ‘inspirational/get your act together/you can do it’ talks with friends also which is just what I needed.  Its times like these that you become very thankful for the support that you get!! I am now counting down to carb depletion, then the loading and then have my oompa-loompa-come-nutella tan to look forward to. I am positive that once I’m on stage I’ll remember why I do this crazy sport!

I’ve changed my cardio a tad…instead of 40+ minutes on the bike, I am making sure I get through 300 calories, so the time fluctuates.

Tuesday.  Food 100%.  No cardio. Trained Back: drops & supersets         

Wednesday. Food 100%.  Spin 37 mins. Trained chest & biceps: drops & supersets

Thursday.  Food 100%.  Spin 32 mins. Fully booked so no weights

Friday.  Food 100%. Decided to have a sleep in today which saw me sleep to 5.30 (an extra half hour). Had planned on doing legs but ended up having a mare of a morning. Got to the gym, no training schedule for clients, no diary, forgot my uniform, wallet and food (can’t go without eating!).  I decided to call it a day and rest. Grrrrrrrr.

Saturday.   Food: Hmmmmmm.  Spin 30 minutes. No weights today.  Visited a girlfriend, got a flat tyre (shit! thanks to my Dad for teaching me how to change one) and had a ½ glass of wine.  Followed up with returning home (+ a quick supermarket stop), and stocked up on lovely piece of eye fillet, mushrooms, potatoes (which I thinly sliced, tossed in olive oil, garlic & rosemary then stacked them up high for baking), blue cheese and a bottle of savvy.  And some chocolate. Enough said.

Sunday.  Food 100%. Felt pretty rough due to half a bottle of wine being consumed and look like a puffed up puffy puffer fish I’m so bloated.   Legs session at the gym with lots and lots of supersets.  No cardio.

Monday.  Food 100%.  Spin 27 minutes. Trained Shoulders & triceps.

Tuesday Food 100%.  Spin 24 minutes. Trained Back…and feeling a hell of a lot more positive! 

2 and a half weeks to go

22 June. 2.5 weeks and I’m there!

Well, I’ve sent in my entry form, added some more bling to a bikini and am just about set to go. Last week I tweaked my food – and definitely noticed the difference with energy levels lagging a little. I had also taken out creatine & beta-alanine which showed in my workouts and recovery.  My hammies were still telling me off 4 days after training them – ow ow ow!   

The last week I have really noticed the cold; yes, it’s winter and we have had some chilly days but the lack of body insulation makes me feel it even more!  My stats were done on Friday and this is where I’m at….

25 May (6 weeks)
Body weight. 59.8
Body fat %. 19.16
Body fat kg. 11.29
LBM. 47.61

16 June (3 weeks)

Body weight. 59.8
Body fat %. 16.95
Body fat kg. 9.98
LBM. 48.92

I am pretty happy with my stats and will have them done once more next week so I know what volumes of food to eat on my final week.

Tuesday.  Food 100%.  Spin 30 mins. Trained Chest & biceps                  

Wednesday. Food 100%.  No cardio. Trained Back

Thursday.  Food 100%.  Spin 30 mins. Trained Shoulders

Friday.  Food 100%. Spin 30 mins. No weights today as everything is too sore! Body stats done.

Saturday.   Food 100%.  No cardio today. Legs. Lots of supersets!

Sunday.  Food 70%.  Posing practice in Tauranga.  This was pretty tough and my back hurt like hell afterwards.  It was a good reminder that I need to get practicing more – and in my heels!  As I tend to live in trainers or slippers (nanna), I’ll have to get walking around the house in my stage shoes.  Had a ‘sanity meal’ roast chicken with roast spuds, pumpkin, carrots, peas and gravy. Dessert of plum & apple crumble with French vanilla icecream.

Monday.  Food 100%.   No cardio. Trained shoulders & triceps.  I’ll be sticking to dropsets, giant sets and supersets from here on in.  Basically to keep my mind challenged and to have a cardio aspect to my gym sessions.

Week 3 of my supermarket savings!

Week 3 report for my shopping challenge.

I’m very pleased to announce yet another successful week with change left of $5.50.

It goes to show that with careful planning it can be done.  Once this week is completed I’ll be doing a summary to see how much I have saved/spent in comparison to the 4 weeks prior to starting the challenge. Last week a couple of staff members at Countdown mentioned they hadnt seen me much lately!

Here is how the last week went + a few recipes…

Monday: Chicken Pie.  Linc loves pies and I feel pretty happy serving this up to him.  This makes a very generous pie so we usually get a couple of extra serves in the freezer.

Chop and fry off 1 leek, add to the pan chopped (cooked) chicken, 2 chopped carrots (I cooked carrots on Sunday so used leftovers – I also had a cup of peas leftover so put them in too),  1 cup chicken stock + 2 teaspoons thyme.  Simmer for 15-20 mins. Add 1 tablespoon cornflour that has been mixed with 2 tablespoons water.  Cook till thickened. Season & allow to cool.  Prepare a pie dish with pastry.  I make my own pastry using the ‘Short Pastry’ recipe from the Edmonds (pg 72 in my book).  Its simple to make in the blitzer and I get to freeze 1/3 of it to use later for a quiche or smaller pies.  Place filling into pie. Cover with pastry lid. Brush with 1 beaten egg, sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake at 200c for approx 30 mins.

I reserved some pie filling and made Lucy up a couple of ramekins with pie filling topped with mash for the freezer.

Tuesday: Thai Pumpkin Soup.  Simple recipe…I use a pumpkin soup recipe & add in 2 teaspoons thai green curry paste, 2 T fish sauce and 1 can coconut cream.  In place of coconut cream you can use 1 tin light & creamy evaporated  milk & 3 teaspoons of coconut essence.

Wednesday: Nachos. Beef casserole. Good old Edmonds recipe again.  Pretty much a cook-free day as I chopped everything the night before then threw it all in the crock pot in the morning.

Thursday: Leftover day.  Linc thought choosing something from the freezer was cool and picked out chicken pie and chicken fried rice.

Friday: Thai green chicken curry. Made with thai green curry paste, chicken, onion, 1 tin light & creamy evaporated milk & 3 teaspoons of coconut essence. Served on rice

Saturday: Pork chops. I marinated these in maple syrup and garlic. Served with mashed kumara with orange (just add some juice & finely grated orange zest) and green beans

This week’s menu all set.  I made the Lemon Cookies last night and have the soup already cooking. My bread making hasn’t gone particularly well but I am persevering with it!  

The menu for week 4

Final 4 weeks to show...

14 June. Final 4 weeks.

This week its time to tweak my food which I’ll be doing by taking out some foods and replacing them with others.  Next week I’ll be changing it again also, which will then lead me up to my final weeks prep.  I’ll also be doing some switching and dropping some supplements.  

I’ve also felt a bit doubtful about my appearance towards the end of last week.  I think part of it is from looking at too many other competitors on the internet,  part is not having anyone else to monitor how I’m going, and part of it is from not being on stage (in figure) for a couple of years.  I should be alright – and Matt tells me I just need to hang in there and keep going! 

My dessert is egg whites, protein powder and lashings of cinnamon now – nyum nyum!  Its cooked into some weird consistency and extremely tasty!

Tuesday.  Food 100%.  No weights (fully booked with clients).  Spin 40mins                      

Wednesday. Food 100%.  Spin 40 mins. Trained Legs

Thursday.  Food 100%.  Allowed myself a sleep in today to allow my legs to fully recover…slept till 6am. Trained Shoulders

Friday.  Food 100%. Spin 30 mins. Did a light back train…the gym was extremely cold and I found it hard to get warm. Must remember to pack thermals in my gym bag!

Saturday.   Food 100%.  No cardio today. Trained chest/bis

Sunday.  Food 100%.  No weights today. Cardio was LifeSprints on the bike – damn hard!

Monday.  Food 100%.  No cardio.  Light leg workout (tho completely nailed my glutes!) – energy a little low.

This weekend I’m off to Tauranga to join in Kaye’s posing class so I’m looking forward to that.  I've been practicing posing after each weights session but still like to get to a class to see if I need any pointers.  I still haven’t made a decision on what to wear, but this weekend will shout myself some eyelashes, nails and some new jewellery. 

Over shopping….week 2 report

My shopping challenge is going well and this week I have $17.40 left over!

I didn’t get time to make the Fruit salad muffins I had planned, so they are rolling over onto this weeks planner. 

Here is the rundown of our last week:

Sunday: Roast (chicken & veges).  Sunday is always roast night.  I recently discovered the size 22-24 chickens which cost about $13, and are more like a small turkey. By purchasing a large chook, I can plan to make chicken pie, fried rice or risotto the next night.  Linc has a massive appetite which I’m sure any mother with sons understands so I make sure he gets a large serving of veges and my (in his words) “legendary” stuffing.

Monday: Chicken Fried Rice.  Linc loves this meal!  I used leftover chicken from Sundays roast. Also ‘gladwared’ up 3 roast meals for Lucy and got 2 days worth of sandwiches for the boys out of it. 

Here’s my recipe…..  Beat 2 eggs, then cook them in a wok like an omellete, remove, cool and slice.  Heat up 1T sesame oil, add in 1 chopped onion, cook till clear. Add 2 cloves crushed garlic + 1t crushed ginger + 1 cup peas.  Cook for 1-2 mins, add approx 2 cups cold rice & chopped (cooked/leftover) chicken & stir fry till well heated. Add chopped egg to heat through. Serve with soy, sweet chilli or sweet n’ sour sauce.

Tuesday: Bacon & Egg Pie.  Used 4 slices of a 1kg pack of bacon, the rest has been divided up and frozen.  2 meals stored for Lucy and the boys got pie in their lunch box the next day.  The rest of the bacon can be used for macaroni, pie, quiche or what-have-you.  Simply used the recipe from the Edmonds cook book.

Wednesday: Nachos. Made with 500g mince, 1 can tomatoes, 1 can refried beans, onion and tomato paste.  Served on nacho chips, with cheese & sour cream.  Only used half the mix and froze the rest.  I try to do a ‘quick meal’ on Wednesdays as Matt has a wine appreciation course and needs to dine & dash!

Thursday: Steak, mushroom sauce, scalloped potato, broccoli. Found the best price for steak at LifeStyle meats in Dinsdale

Friday: Butter chicken & garlic naan. Had my brother over for dinner. :o)

Saturday: Tangy chicken, mashed pumpkin, beans.  Tangy chicken is chicken marinated in  4T tomato sauce, 1 T Worcestershire sauce, 2T white wine vinegar and 2T brown sugar

This week’s menu is printed ready to go…and I’ve just pulled the gingernuts out of the oven halfway through typing this.

Thursday I’m pretty busy: I’m guest lecturing at WinTec, have a business meeting in the afternoon and a haircut booked in the evening, so the boys can pick a meal out of the freezer to reheat so I don’t have to worry about cooking. 

Matt’s parents have supplied us with a pumpkin from the garden so that will be used for the Thai pumpkin soup, and then I’ll use the rest of the jar of curry paste on Friday night.  I’m planning on using some of the pumpkin next week for Sweet & Spicy Pumpkin Muffins.



The menu for this week



5 weeks to the comp

7 July 

Over the half way point now! My sore throat and lethargic bod was all sorted well and truly in about 48 hours last week.  Thank goodness for speedy recoveries! 

My early starts are still continuing…with my earliest wake up at 4am on Friday.  It seems so weird and I’ve never had it before.  I’m not hungry when I wake, and I don’t take any fat burners/thermos so I’m not winding my system up.  I just wake up; and am wide awake ready to go – so I go!

I am still sorting out what bikini (or bikinis) to wear. I have it down to a choice of 4.  I like to wear a different one at judging and at the night show. My final choices are red lycra, deep red velvet, green or burgundy. It will probably be a last minute decision.

I’ve started working on my routine.  The first half is sorted, so over the next week I’ll try to piece the rest of it together.  I’m not really too focused on it since they don’t count towards a placing.

Tuesday.  Food 100%.  No cardio (still on throat recovery). Trained Chest/Bis                    

Wednesday. Food 100%.  Spin 45 mins. Trained Legs

Thursday.  Food 100%.  Spin 40 mins. Trained Shoudlers/Tris

Friday.  Food 100%.  Spin 50 mins. Trained Back.

Saturday.   Food 100%.  Had a sleep in today (6.30am). Rest day from weights and did 30 minutes of interval sprints at the gym after breakfast.

Sunday.  Food 100%.  No cardio, no weights.

Monday.  Food 100%.  Spin 60 mins…the last 10minutes were pretty tough! Trained chest & biceps. 

I’ve really noticed how I react to low carb and high carb days the last couple of weeks. On Thursday I was looking (and feeling) teeny-tiny-deflated-flat in the gym but come Friday arvo after a feast on carbs I was looking a lot better… so I hope I can nail that on my carb up for competition.

Over Shopping...

The past fortngiht I have had to come to the admission that I spend far (far far) to much money at the supermarket.  We have a budget but I tend to blow it on a weekly basis when I stop in to get a “couple” of items and walk out with 3-4 bags and another 100+ gone on the credit card.  Some weeks I would be spending over double what we should be and it needs to stop! 

Part of it, is that I stopped meal planning for the week.  Nearly every day I’d pop into my friendly Countdown (so 

My menu for the week

 friendly I know most the staff by name and they know mine & Lucy’s too)  on my walk home to grab a bunch of stuff and top it up with more things I think I may need – but don’t really.  The other part is my love for baking…my pantry is extremely well stocked so I can bake pretty much anything the recipe book has to offer, and some items are way overstocked!

The last 2 weeks I have gone back to menu planning for the week – and this week have added my 4 things to bake for the week.  I have my shopping list set, and now embark on a 4 week challenge to stick to the budget!  Lincoln loves my menu as I print it out and stick it to the kitchen wall. He is always wondering what his next dinner will be so it’s stopped him pestering me too!




The Money Man!



To do this I have taken a lesson from the Money Man.  Remember him, the sergeant major type guy who would teach people on TV how to spend their dosh – and save more in the process.  My lesson… take out the budgeted grocery moola from the bank, and spend only that for the week. And once it’s gone, there is no more money allowed till the following week.  It has certainly made me think a lot more and I have reduce my visits to countdown.  Last week I had $4.50 left over. I am so proud of myself!

I’ll let you know how I go over the next few weeks and if it works it’ll be a plan I stick to!

Macaroni & Cheese with Bacon

MACARONI CHEESE WITH BACON.

Lincoln first made this a year or so ago.  I turned my nose up at the idea of it as my only recollection of macaroni

Ready to cook (or chill till required)

 was when an aunt was baby-sitting me (at around age 6?), and she wouldn’t let me leave the table till I had eaten my (hideous) macaroni. It seemed like it took forever to get through my plate…and I’m sure I recall gagging at it.

I helped Lincoln make this and it came out of the oven smelling exceptionally good. I decided to try a spoon-full and it was incredible!  This is a good ‘sometimes’ food as it’s loaded with all things bad: pasta, cheese and bacon. 

However, if you have boys who are going through growth-spurts it’s a fantastic filler. I will often make it during a morning (up to the baking point) it if I have a busy afternoon with clients when prepping dinner could become a mission.

It would also be an ideal ‘gift dinner’ if you have a friend who has been really busy and could do with a night off cooking.  Lincoln tells me he could eat this “every day” and Lucy goes nuts for it too.

This macaroni has a fantastic crunchy topping. 

Ready to serve!



2 ½ cups dry macaroni

50g butter

¼ cup flour

2 cups milk

Pepper (I don’t use any salt in this recipe as there is enough in the bacon)

150g grated tasty cheese

4-6 slices chopped cooked bacon

2/3 cup breadcrumbs.

Set oven to 180°C.  Chop & cook the bacon and set aside.  Melt the butter in a pot, add the flour and stir for a couple of minutes over a medium heat. Whisk in ½ cup milk. Keep whisking until the mix thickens. Whisk in another ½ cup till the sauce thickens and repeat the process until all the milk is mixed in.  Bring the sauce to a simmer, then remove it from the heat, season with pepper and stir in 100g of the cheese. Stir in the bacon once the cheese is melted through.  If not using immediately, cover and set aside.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to the boil and cook macaroni till al-dente (approx 7-9 minutes).  Drain, then mix in with the sauce.

Put the mixture in a large oven dish that has been greased with butter or oiled.  Sprinkle 1/3 of the breadcrumbs over it. Then sprinkle with 25g cheese. Repeat the crumb/cheese layer then bake for approx 25 minutes.

You can prep this in a morning, then cover and chill it. Bake for approx 40-45 minutes if baking from cold.



6 weeks to go....

Tue 31 May 2011

This past week the calipers were out to check up on my progress.  I had my stats done 2 weeks prior and wasn’t happy with the result – which gave me a good motivation to get cracking!

Here are my last few readings  (done on a 4 site measure using Durnin/Womersley)

19 April (12 weeks)

Body weight.     60.2

Body fat %.       21.27

Body fat kg.      12.89

LBM.                47.71

11 May (8 weeks)

Body weight.    60.4

Body fat %.      21.27

Body fat kg.     12.85

LBM.               47.55

25 May (6 weeks)

Body weight.     59.8

Body fat %.      19.16

Body fat kg.     11.29

LBM.               47.61

Weights/cardio last week was as follows:

Tuesday.  Food 100%.  Morning Spin 45 mins. Trained Chest/Bis             

Wednesday. Food 100%.  Morning Spin 40 mins. Trained Legs

Thursday.  Food 100%.  No cardio today as my legs are telling me they need rest. Trained Shoulders/triceps

Friday.  Food 100%.  Morning Spin 40 mins. Trained Back. REALLY hungry tonight. I’l monitor this over the next week; could be due to churning through extra calories on the bike or the monthly cycle.  Must order more supps as have been out of Exec B this week.

Saturday.   Food 80%.  No cardio, no weights.  Off to Auckland for the NZIFBB show. Had #73 for lunch at Wagamuma… too much rice, too little chicken but damn tasty!

Sunday.  Food 100%.  Spin 40 mins. Trained Shoulders/tris. Have a sore throat in the afternoon.

Monday.  Food 100%.  My sore throat got worse last night and my body felt really lethargic, so no cardio today and I managed to sleep a solid 10 hours last night.   Did a light back train.   Off to the Herbal Shop for some magic juice to fix me up.

I’m a bit disappointed that I’ve got a bit of a cold…arrgggghh.  I’ve got a medicinal formula from The Herbal Shop to sip on throughout the day which seems to be working exceptionally fast.  My rule is no cardio till I’m better and I think I’ll be up to it by Wednesday or Thursday at the latest. 

Today I finalised my bikini – I needed to make a few alterations to it, and they certainly aren’t the easiest things to work with. Now it just needs some shiny bling and it’s done.

Over the next week; start tweaking my food plan for the final 4 weeks. Start work on a routine.

Ginger & Raisin Cookies as requested!

Ginger & Raisin Cookies.  (These cookies have a soft texture.)

Ginger & Raisin Cookies



Figure competitor Tara Wright requested this recipe from me and says (and I can relate to this) "I dont eat the goodies just love to bake them, apparently its a normal habit for dieting [competing] ladies". She has baked my afghan recipe twice and they were a huge hit.

This mixture makes about 50 cookies, so halve it if you need to.

200g soft butter
2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons golden syrup
2 eggs
1 teaspoon van essence
3 cups flour
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup raisins (more if you like)

I like to make the dough in the electic mixer... it saves a lot of time!
Heat oven to 160'C. 
Cream butter and sugar (in mixer), till well mixed.  Add the syrup (keep mixer going), then the eggs one at time.  Add the vanilla, followed by the flour, ginger and soda.  Once its all mixed together, add in the raisins. It may be best to mix them in with a wooden spoon.
Roll into balls and lightly squish with your hands.  Place on a prepared tray, allowing them room to spread.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden.  Leave to cool for a few mins before placing on a cooling rack.

This is what else Tara has to tell us...


Tara: figure competitor & baker!



 "I have worked this year on getting more stage time and confidence and increasing the intensity of my training.  I have found training with my partner Dave has really given me the push I needed to go past my plateaus. 

I recently competed in the WFF/Nabba South Islands and got 1st in the Miss Figure 40+ and then two weeks later at the Nabba Christchurch Classic and got 2nd in the Senior Figure Class. 

I am training hard currently towards the Nabba South Islands in Dunedin on September 3rd and my lovely man will also be getting back on the stage in September.  Its looking to be a big show, so I am really focusing on improving my condition and stage presence."

 Fantastic work Tara - hope to catch up with you at Nationals!

7 Weeks to go

Tue 24 May 2011

My past week has been fantastic with an abundance of energy to burn.  I’ve been up early for cardio; the alarm is set for 5 but I seem to be in a habit of waking at around 4.45 and getting right into it.  Morning spin sessions start with a warm up, a strong coffee and a dance CD…the last week I’ve spun my way through some HedKandi which is very ‘housy’ but perfect for getting stuck into the bike work. I dish out some tough hills to myself, speed work and high resistance to keep things interesting and using the beat of the music to keep up to.

As I mentioned last week, I have changed my cardio on the treadmill to 1 min run, then a rest to the side of the track for 30 seconds before carefully getting back on. I’ve also been concentrating on my stride; opting for long strides and powering up my legs than shorter stepping. I can handle a speed of 15k but don’t think I’ll push it any further (well for now) as my calves definitely feel the effects of it and I don’t want to injure myself.

No flat pancake!

With my bike and treadmill work I try to use as much of my glutes as I can.  I used to have the most flattest bum (like a flat round pancake) so over the years I've worked my tooshie into a nice round curve which I hope to keep as long as I can!

Weights/cardio last week was as follows:

Tuesday.  Food 100%.  Morning Spin 45 mins. Trained Shoulders/Tris                   

Wednesday. Food 100%.  Morning Spin LifeSprints. Trained Back

Thursday.  Food 100%.  Morning intervals. Speed 14.7. 1 min on, 30secs off x 20. Trained chest/bis

Friday.  Food 100%.  Morning intervals.  Speed 15. 1 min on, 30secs off x 15 – must remember to stretch well as calves were damn tight after this and for another couple of days. Trained legs

Saturday.   Food 100%.  Trained Shoulders/Tris. No cardio today as was up late with Lincoln watching a movie (11pm is late for me!)

Sunday.  Food 100%.  Morning Spin 50 mins. No gym today

Monday.  Food 100%.  No cardio today. Trained Back.

All in all a very good week I reckon. My abs are well through, Matt has endured me posing in the living room as I try to figure out what bikini to wear!

Porridge for toddlers

I loooove porridge!  I have memories of my dad putting oats in a pot with water before going to bed so it could 

Lucys Fruity Porridge

get  a good soaking overnight before cooking.  Then somehow he would end up big globs of it through his beard…telling me with a hearty laugh it was for his morning tea!  I also remember in my teen years making porridge and smothering it with brown sugar...I wouldn't dream of that now. 

Todays recipe is easy to make and is a regular on cold morning for Lucy.  She loves this fruity mix and I reckon  it’s a perfect starter for any busy toddlers day!  I have some other ideas for oats which I’ll test on her over the next couple of weeks…and keep you posted on how they go.

Put into a pot…

2 ‘good’ tablespoons rolled oats (quick cook type, approx 15g)

2-3 chopped peach slices

1 tablespoon or so of tinned baby apple (or home-made stewed apple if you have it)

¼ cup milk

¼ cup water

Mix together then heat gently to a simmer, stirring frequently, and allow to cook for a minute or 2.  Cool to tot friendly temperature and serve.

I also give the meal a light dusting of cinnamon too for some extra flavour.



Lucy loves this and I’m sure you could double it up for a larger kiddies.

Enjoy!

PS.

I choose tinned fruit in juice, not syrup, and chop half a can in advance. As I try to be super organised, I chop up half a tin of peaches to store in the fridge for use throughout the week, and Lincoln has the rest with his cereal.

Baby apple is only good for a day once opened, so I freeze the rest and defrost as I need it.



Marinated Salmon.

Marinated Salmon: delish!

Serves 1

Matt isn’t a fan of salmon, and Lincoln isn’t far behind him. I have ‘trained’ them into liking it through this very tasty marinade.

I cook my salmon on a George Foreman grill that I line with a folded piece of baking paper (cut edges to the bottom so the fat still drains) which makes clean up minimal.

150g skinless salmon (or more/less to your liking)

1Tablespoon soy sauce

1 Tablespoon honey

3 Tablespoons chopped red onion OR 3 chopped spring onion

2 Tablespoons chopped pickled ginger: found in the Asian section at super market.

Mix ingredients and allow fish to marinate for at least 15 minutes. Heat grill and cook for 4-5 minutes (or to your liking).

Serve.

You’ll see in the picture I have served this with brussel sprouts. Richard Till has been on the Countdown commercials pushing these lately.  I blanched 100g of them, then stir-fried them in a very small dash of sesame oil and some of the marinade and a splash of oyster sauce.  It was pretty tasty! I would usually serve this with a mix of bok choy, broccoli and fresh beans.