Weigh In + Kung Fu Grading

So today Saturday, its been an awesome day and I'll tell you why

I had weigh in this morning and after being stuck at around the same weight for a good 5 weeks (well sometimes going up a little and then back down again) I had a huge loss of 1.6kg this morning at weigh in! So stoked! I had previously felt like I had lost my mojo and this week I definately found it again.  I tracked, made great food choices and walked 3 day- clocking up 13km, and trained Kung Fu for 2 days.  I am now weighing in at 113.2kg.  I have planned my meals for the week and training and I will make it another great week!!

This afternoon I had my grading for Kung Fu, I got to the Kwoon at around 1.45pm, thought I would get there nice and early and get warmed up and seemed like everyone else had the same idea!! I would say about 50% people were already there warming up, but I figured 45 minutes would give me plenty of time to warm up and run through a few things.  Then came 2.30pm and we were ready to go, Sihign Ben took us through a form of Tai Chi to calm us down and any nerves we had, then it was time to break off into our grading groups.  

Us white (now yellow sashes) went off with Sihign Ben for our grading and he was brutal to say the least!  We went through all the things we learnt in class, so lots of horse stance work, blocks, snap kicks, kick lunge punch, Wushu 1, self defence, and some sparring.  We got through all the horse stance work, kicks, blocks and Wushu 1.  Then it was time for sparring, now I've only had minimal exposure to sparring, being during class, so when I saw one of the other guys I was starting to grade with start sparring with Sifu I started to panic a little! I started to worry that I wouldn't be able to hold my own and I might fail, but both Sifu and the black sash's were great, they coached me through and gave me some tips for future competitions and gradings.  

I have to admit, I did screw a couple of things up, like defending on the kicks with Sihign Ben and screwing up my sparring a little, but otherwise I think I did okay.  Well I must have done well, because I past and left with my new yellow sash!  Awesome- can't wait til Tuesday now and learn some new things!

New Yellow Sash!

Now, just needing to recover.  I am feeling it my thighs- especially from the horse stance work.  Time for epsom salts, massage and rest

FOUND- MY MOJO

In the words made famous by Austin Powers - "I've found my mojo baby- yeah!!"

The last few weeks (well let's be honest about the last 6!) I have been plateauing big time, haven't really tracked, made not the best food choices, and hardly exercised - and have just been stuck on 115kg.  I went to my meeting and had a chat to my meeting leader - who to be honest wasn't all that helpful with this situation.  But after I got weighed in and lost 0.4kg, something clicked for me I don't know what and how, but I felt motivated to commit 100% to the journey. 

I know myself pretty well and I know that before I had lost my MOJO for 6 weeks I would have gone backwards and come off track and probably gained around 7-10kg, but this time I actually managed to maintain and have come back to commit to the program and commit to myself to making a happy and healthier life for myself

I went home, planned meals for this week, did a big healthy shop of lean meats, cheese and salads and I have trained everyday since Sunday and have clocked up 13.74km in 3 days, which I'm happy with due to injury and also focusing on the Kung Fu as I have a full stripe grading on Saturday.  

Now I will remain focused for the rest of the week and track all my food and exercise and actually look forward to weigh on Saturday and then my Kung Fu grading on Saturday afternoon!

Baked Vanilla Cheesecake with Caramelised Pears

Baked Vanilla Cheesecake with Caramelised Pears

7PP per serve- Serves: 8- Prep: 20 minutes- Cooking: 50 minutes + 30 min refrigeration + 1 hour cooling

Ingredients
150g light pecan and caramel flavored biscuits
60g Weight Watchers Canola Spread
250g light cream cheese
250g Weight Watchers Cottage Cheese
1/3 cup (75g) caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs
4 (600g) Corella Pears, thinly sliced

1.  Preheat oven to 180 degrees or 160 fan forced.  Lightly spray a 20cm round springform tin with oil.  Line base with baking paper.  Place biscuits in a food processor and process to form crumbs.  Melt 50g canola spread in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Remove from heat, then add biscuits and stir until combined.  Press biscuit mixture evenly over base of prepared tin and right up to the edges.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes.  

2.  Place cream cheese, Weight Watchers cottage cheese, 1/4 cup of the sugar and vanilla extract in a food process and process until smooth.  Add eggs and process until combined.  Pour mixture over prepared base, then bake for 50 minutes.  The cheese should still be wobbly in the centre.  Turn off the oven and leave cheesecake to cool inside, with oven door slightly ajar for 1 hour.  Place cake on a wire rack to cool completely.  

3.  Meanwhile melt remaining canola spread in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.  Add pears and remaining sugar and cook, stirring for 5 minutes or until golden and softened.  Serve cheesecake topped with sliced caramelised pears.  

White Chocolate Rocky Road

2PP per piece- Makes 20 pieces- Prep: 15 minutes + 20 minutes refrigeration- Cooking: 5 minutes

Ingredients

150g marshmellows, quartered
2 tbs flaked almonds, toasted
1/4 cup (35g) dried, sweetened cranberries, chopped
1 tsp icing sugar
180g white chocolate melted

1.  Draw a 20cm x 30cm rectangle on a large sheet of baking paper, then place paper marked side down onto a large baking tray.

2.  Combine marshmellows, almonds, cranberries and sugar in a medium bowl.  Reserving 1 tablespoon melted chocolate, spread remainder over prepared baking paper.  Sprinkle over marshmellow mixure and gently press into chocolate.  Drizzle reserved melted chocolate over rocky road.  Refrigerate for 20 minutes or until chocolate has set.  Using a sharp knife cut rocky road into 20 even pieces.

Tip- When cutting marshmellows, dip kitchen scissors into icing sugar to prevent sticking.  To toast almonds preheat oven to 200 degrees C or 180 degrees fan forced.  Spread almonds evenly on baking tray, then bake for 3-5 minutes or until golden.  To melt chocolate, break up into squares, place in a microwave safe bowl and cook on high for 20 seconds or until completely smooth when stirred.  

 

Lamb and Feta Meatballs

Lamb and Feta Meatballs

1PP per meatball- Makes 30 meatballs- Prep: 15 minutes- Cooking: 10 minutes + 5 minutes standing

Ingredients
1 x 35g wholemeal bread, crust removed, chopped
1 medium brown onion, grated
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
500g extra lean lamb mince
100g reduced fat feta cheese, crumbled
1 cup (260g) arrabbiata pasta sauce

1.  Place bread in a large bowl.  Add 2 tablespoons of water and stand for 5 minutes or until bread has softened.  Squeeze out excess water with hands, then combine bread, onion, herbs, mince and feta in a large bowl.  Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Shape mixture into 30 even meatballs, using 1 level tablespoon for each ball.  

2.  Lightly spray a large non stick frying pan with oil and heat over medium - high heat.  Cook meatballs for 3-5 minutes or until browned all over.  Add pasta sauce to pan and simmer, turning meatballs occasionally, for 3 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through.  Serve lamb and fetaballs with toothpicks and cocktail napkins

3rd Stripe Tonight!

Tuesdays and Thursdays - my 2 favorite days of the week (and of course Fridays!) but why you ask?  Because its Kung Fu days!!  

Since I started at Emerald Dragon Martial Arts I have been training and working hard to pass all my stripe grades in preparation for my grading to the next colour sash - Yellow - next Saturday the 19th of November.  

I was lucky enough to earn my 3rd and final sash for this grade making me eligiable to grade next week- now to just keep on practising!

Beef, Red Wine and Mushroom Pies

Beef, Red Wine and Mushroom Pies

11 Propoints, Serves: 4, Prep: 15 minutes, Cooking Time: 1 hour 15 minutes + 10 minutes cooling, Suitable to freeze

Ingredients

500g lean beef chuck steak fat trimmed, cut into 2cm pieces
2 tbs plain flour
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tbs olive oil
1 large brown onion, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
250g button mushrooms, quartered
2 tbs tomato paste
1/2 cup (125ml) dry red wine
1/2 cup (125ml) beef stock
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 sheet frozen reduced fat puff pastry

1.  Toss beef in combined flour and paprika to coat.  Heat 3 teaspoons of olive oil in a  large saucepan over medium high heat .  Cook beef in batches for 2-3 minutes or until browned then transfer to a plate.  

2.  Heat remaining oil in same pan over medium heat.  Cook onion, stirring for 3-5 minutes or until softened.  Add garlic and mushrooms and cook, stirring for 2-3 minutes or until softened.  Add paste, wine and stock and bring to the boil.  Return beef to pan, add fresh rosemary, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered for 1 hour.  Uncover and simmer for a further 20 minutes or until beef is tender and sauce is thickened slightly.  Cool for 10 minutes, then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.  

3.  Preheat oven to 200 degrees or 180 degrees fan forced.  Lightly spray four 1 cup (250ml) capacity oven proof dishes.  Spoon beef mix into prepared dishes.  Cut pastry into 4 squares.Top each dish with pastry and trim edges.  Press edges to seal, cut 2 slits in pastry tops, then bake for 12-15 minutes or until pastry is puffed and golden.  Serve