Chicken macaroni soup
Copyright Fiona C Yeo @ Cartoon Lagoon 2015
Chicken macaroni soup is a very easy dish to prepare but I find that there are more pots and bowls to wash! As with any pasta dish, you need to boil the pasta and then drain it. That alone is a large pot and a colander to wash! I have a separate pot for the chicken broth and a smaller pot to boil the chicken and blanch the vegetables. Lots 'o washing but such a simple dish to make. Cut chillies dipped in soya sauce is a must!
The boy returned home from his first day of exams in time for dinner. He however, does not like macaroni (see what I mean about how difficult it is to satisfy the whole family's palate?). He requested for instant noodles as he said he had been craving for it the whole day. How was I to disappoint him? He wanted my dry 'specialty'. It takes me about 5 minutes to prep and I was happy that he was happy.
After dinner, the girl got into packing mode for her return to uni hall to stay for the rest of the week. While the very tired husband sank into the sofa to watch TV, I washed the dishes, cut up new lemons and cucumbers for our detox water, cleaned the kitchen, brought the garbage out, walked the dog, jumped on my rebounder and took a bath!!! Thought I could relax during the drive to the other end of the island but hubs told me to drive instead as he was very tired!
Used lemon and cucumber slices for detox water (minus the mint leaves)
Copyright Fiona C Yeo @ Cartoon Lagoon 2015
It's a common sight to see me discarding sliced lemons and cucumbers in the sink. Of course I throw away immediately, lah. Just showing you for picture taking sake. If refrigerated, I find I can use them for 2 days. I used to make a jug for the room too but the ingredients didn't last a day unrefrigerated so I only bring in the water itself into the room. I have a habit of drinking water first thing in the morning, even before I brush my teeth. I find that it flushes out the overnight urine better if I drink before I hit the loo. Even a sip does the trick. I think the body is 'tricked' into believing that 'new' water is entering the body and so it is okay to release the old water. That's probably why people say if you do not drink enough, you will get water retention!
New lemon and cucumber for detox water (minus the mint leaves)
Copyright Fiona C Yeo @ Cartoon Lagoon 2015
Here's a wonderful thing that occurred after the family started drinking the detox water (excluding the boy who hasn't taken to it). The girl, who used to survive on soft drinks, has started making and drinking detox water at her uni hall! She said she doesn't crave for soft drinks anymore. Hubs says it has made him drink alot more water because it tastes so refreshing! I concur. The detox water probably doesn't make me lose any weight but it seems to 'clear' me up by making me feel refreshed!
Somewhere in between taking out the garbage and driving, I had insisted I be able to do my rebounder routine. I knew that if I hadn't, I would have been tired and sleepy during the drive to the girl's uni and back.
I managed to rebound intensely for a good 30 minutes, took a bath and felt really refreshed during the long drive to and fro. Didn't feel sleepy at all. Hubs commented that it was really good that I was now looking forward to exercising. I agreed. I didn't see it coming but I really do. In fact, when I was walking the dog, I was staring at the loooooong pavement in front of me and thinking that I could easily run that distance now and know that I won't feel tired.
I've been jogging on my rebounder for longer periods at a go, trying to build up my stamina. I can now do jumping jacks / star jumps for 10-15 minutes non-stop and feel really good doing it. I've also started to do stomach crunches. Horribly tiring but no pain no gain. It felt so good after the routine. Out of curiousity, I took my BP immediately after getting off the rebounder while my heart was still pumping like mad. 156/101. Took it a second time immediately and it read 152/88.
I owned a relatively costly digital weighing scale before. It broke cos my son had stepped on it at a wrong angle and it had slammed down onto the floor. Thereafter, I relied on our old cheapo IKEA weighing scale which seemed to do the job since the measurements were similar to those from the polyclinic.
Hubby had surprised me with a new budget-priced, digital weighing scale last night.
New weighing scale from hubby
Copyright Fiona C Yeo @ Cartoon Lagoon 2015
I stepped on it and was horrified that my weight had gone up! I asked him if it was accurate. Instead, he asked me how he was supposed to know? He said even if he had weighed himself at the store, he wouldn't have known how accurate it was (that IS true) and even if he brings it back to the store, the store would probably ask how we knew WE were accurate. He said if the calibration was off, then just minus the kgs each time I stood on it. Alamak!!!
Anyhow, I've decided to use his from today onwards because firstly, it'd be a waste not to, secondly, being digital, I can see the gram digits go up or down! Besides, it's good to err on the side of thinking I am heavier than lighter. By the way, I am seeing subtle differences in my shoulder blades. Firmer and less flabby. Must be the results of all the jumping jacks. Not complaining! Hoping for more changes! By the way, in a previous post, I had mentioned about 'fats turning into muscle'. I must clarify that there is no such thing. It's just a short cut way of saying that you lose the fats but you build up muscles. Quite a mouthful so people often say 'fats turning into muscle'! Fats are fats. Muscles are muscles. They do not turn into each other. But if you had a pound of fat, you'd be more flabby than if you sported a pound of muscle. So your weight may remain stagnant but you will probably look more toned. But please tell that to the BMI print out please. At my last check up at the polyclinic, the printed slip post weigh-in said I should be ideally 43kgs. WHOA! That's like my honeymoon skinniness you're asking for! I'd welcome it if I knew where to find it!
When I got home after sending the girl, I took my BP again (did not rest prior to that), and it read 142/80. Hmmm....not good. I have a theory that my BP spikes whenever I take a lot of soya sauce and that it does not when I take fish sauce instead. I'll have to test this theory out more comprehensively.
Here's a funny thing. Hubs had blasted Bon Jovi loudly in the car as we were reaching home and THAT really made me wanna jump on the rebounder again! However, I thought about the bath I just had and how troublesome it would be to take another bath and shoved the idea aside. Actually, I'm beginning to find the long hair a chore to take care of with this exercise routine in place. How nice to just have short hair and shower every day and have it dry quickly. Hmm....just when I decided I'm a long hair girl, I'm seriously having thoughts of chopping off my locks, again.
I am thinking that not long from now, I won't be surprised if I will want to rebound in the morning before work and in the evening after work! I hope to see the day I am obsessed with clean eating and clean living!!!
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