A little chat

Hi guys

Things have been a little crazy at Basecamp here lately. I am getting zero time for blogging at all! However, be assured this is very temporary and I am already working on my plans for next year.

Please bear with me as I take a little time off to finish off some major projects going on, spend quality time with loved ones, reflect on this year and return next year.

Love C x

October Favourites 2015

So October is upon us, it has visited, frozen us, scared us, entertained us, thrown us back in time by one hour and departed. Here's all the things I was loving in October:

Primed and ready

Favourite beauty product: 
I recently purchased this primer from Max Factor and I have really been loving it. It gives a really smooth finish to the skin before foundation. I tend to do my makeup on the train on weekday mornings, and this has firmly come as part of my morning routine. I put this on first thing as soon as I get on the train, then take 5 mins to scroll through Instagram and let it all settle in.

Favourite music:
I found a band I could really fall in love with this month. Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats released their self-titled album back in August, but it didn't come on my radar til this month. It is phenomenal. Nathaniel (I'm guessing that is the lead singer's name) has an amazing, husky, rusky voice with so much soul. The album is a perfect blend of new and old styles, and has a couple of great, catchy tunes. S.O.B is the first single to be released from the album, while my favourite is the first track I Need Never Get Old.

Favourite TV show:
This month we have been getting back into The Americans, watching the second season. We watched the first season a few months back, and really loved it. It is fast-paced and gripping, and I love me some historical fiction. I would recommend a lot!

Favourite movie:
The Martian, for sure. Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, space. Has it all. See my review posted earlier in the month.

Favourite book:
Shock of the Fall - I enjoyed this unsettling book quite a lot, review to follow - stay tuned.

Favourite article:
I read a great article in National Geographic this month, which talked about the recent discovery of a new species of human ancestor - which has been named Homo naledi. I found it fascinating that the discovery of these bones in South Africa has changed the face of human evolution once again, reminding us how far we have come and how small we are.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/09/150910-human-evolution-change/

Favourite new recipe:
The rugby world cup featured heavily in our house this month. Poor Ireland. But during one of their Sunday games, I had family over and made this epic Guinness stew. We won that day. I am not saying we won because I made the stew, but when I didn't make it we lost, so...

http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/beef-recipes/beef-and-ale-stew/#xmYX5E80dDViFwBV.97

Favourite moment:
Getting unexpected praise for a good job on an article at work. When you work hard and it's noticed, there is no better feeling.

Favourite random thing:
Autumn walks have delivered this month, keeping me and my pup very happy, in nice scenery, wrapped up and dry. Plenty of colourful changes. Love this month.

Learned this month:
Losing your way, giving up on any goal nomatter how small, makes you feel pretty shitty.

Most proud of this month:
The start of the month, I was very very focused on everything.

Looking forward to most next month:
Visiting Oxford and seeing my brother :)

Slimming World weigh in - Week 12

Well hello there, stranger.

No, it's me. Yeah, we used to be friends, SW. Til I cheated on you with every bad food in the world.

It's been a hectic couple of weeks, and really that's an excuse I've been bandying about. I have been awful. I haven't followed the plan, I haven't been exercising, I've been going out. I've not been taking care of myself. Which really isn't cool.

So I fully deserved the 2lbs on that I had last week. Slip ups happen, only this week isn't going too much better. There's a lot of stuff going on as we try to secure a mortgage to build our house at the moment, and I've really let the slightest thing get on top of me. Which is my main issue, and probably why I ended up overweight in the first place. I need some kind of intervention! Send help, and fast.

This week's loss: +2lbs
Total loss in Christmas challenge: -2.5lbs
Aim for next week: STS at this rate!

Recipe post - BBQ pulled pork

Halloween is the epitome of autumn. It's often chilly, dark and there's a magic electricity in the air. Ghosts and ghouls lie around every corner waiting to pounce. So.. don't go out. Stay inside, by a cosy fire, put Strictly on and enjoy this absolute treat of a meal - which isn't too sore on the purse either. This recipe is free on the Extra Easy Slimming World plan, and the wholemeal roll to serve is HEB.

Ingredients:

Sauce doing its thang

• 1.5-2kg pork shoulder, all fat removed
• 5 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp mustard powder
• 500g passata
• 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 3 tbsp sweetener
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

2  In a small bowl, mix passata, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, mustard powder, garlic, sweetener and seasoning. Transfer to a small pan and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.

Fat removed, waiting for sauce

3. Once ready, pour over pork joined in a deep baking dish, well lined with tin foil. Make sure all of the meat is covered.

4. Cover the entire tray with tin foil, leaving space between the foil and the top of the joint. Slow roast for approximately 3 hours (check packaging for exact cooking time required).

5. Once out of the oven, shred with forks, the meat should come apart quite easily. Stir in among the sauce on the tray. Serve with wholemeal rolls (HEXB) and a crisp spinach salad, seasoned and drizzled with balsamic vinegar.

This recipe was originally for a slow cooker from the Slimming World website, however I have adapted it for a shorter cooking time in the oven. I am SO ANNOYED with myself that I forgot to take a picture of the shredding and the finished product. It really looks (and tastes) great.