Rhubarb and asparagus - 10 / 10 club sparkly Spring thread

[FrannyandZooey]

All welcome - for anyone who wants a boost to their general health. The suggested goals are:

EAT 10 PORTIONS OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLES EVERY DAY - if you don't usually eat much fruit and veg I would build up gradually or you could upset your digestion.

DO (AT LEAST) 10 MINUTES OF EXERCISE EVERY DAY - can be yoga, stretching or something more energetic. The plan is that the idea of doing 10 minutes is not too daunting, and having started you may well find you want to do more.

There are no restrictions on what you eat, so long as you get your 10 fruit and veg as well. The focus is not on weight loss, but on improving our energy levels and hopefully our general mood and well-being. Sign up below and post here to tell us how you're getting on and how you are feeling.

Basic guidance on what constitutes a portion of fruit and veg here and you can download more detailed information here (follow the link at the very bottom of the page)

SauerKraut that rhubarb recipe is making my mouth water - I may just do that and have it with some yogurt, what do you think? I don't really LIKE crumble very much - my mother's only puddings as a child were crumbles with scary orange custard with a skin on (took me till I was about 25 before I could dare try eating custard) and some seriously dry chocolate cake. Oh plus shitey yellow taste of nothing ice cream from a block

oh wow!

very good, very good

It's lovely with plain yogurt- the kids also love it on muesli and porridge. We were lucky lucky lucky with puddings as kids. That rhubarb recipe is my mum's! Happy memories...Queen of puddings, pineapple upside down, chocolate puddle...

[apprehensive]

how do you know when it is done?

(god that drives me MAD when dp asks that - "taste the ruddy thing ffs!"

Keep prodding! when the chunks are soft all the way through, or even when it starts to disintegrate into a beeyootiful mush, like a compote sort of thing.

Ooooh lovely

ETA?

Depends big time on how old the stuff is. Can take 20 mins or so- the other day we were given some just cut from my our neighbour's garden and it was done in 10.

Fankoo

Any time! Good night fruity ladies, I am an hour ahead and am off to bed. Enjoy your rhubarb! ( and asparagus, but please not with hollandaise sauce, yuk)

nope, goos old fashioned salt and pepper and lemon juice here

FrannyandZooey, I think you may need to blow your whistle at me, I have had a Very Bad Day. Rather not talk about it, but it involved crisps, easter eggs and very little fruit. I did go to the gym, and I will get back on the veg wagon tomorrow. On a more positive note, I tried on some trousers that I haven't been able to fit in to since I had my DD, and they FIT!!!

Cazee that sounds like a very GOOD day to me

and anyone who still has Easter Egg left can't be all bad (or bought FAR too many in the first place)

I will wave my whistle at you menacingly tomorrow if you don't pull up your socks on the fruit front, though

Ok, trainers from a running shop are not necessarily made by orphans. My running shop trainers are by Saucony , who you can see by that link, have an ethical policy, so are at least making an effort.

I mean, they're obviously not a real sport shoe company as a) i've never heard of them and b) they don't appear to have a famous spokesperson/model/fish but the shoes are actually quite nice, and weren't pricey at all.

My day has been completely bonkers, though.

Not enough fruit and veg, I'm sure. Muesli (1), veggie food at co-op (spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes, kibbe, hummous) (3), lots of watermelon (2).

Dinner was fish and chips.

But I did walk all over, and go 'swimming' and bike quite a bit. DS1 is very impressed with swimming, which means I might get to do some tomorrow. (And, more importantly, he is no longer dreading swimming lessons at school, which start this term.)

We went swimming with a friend who somewhat exasperates me (but who doesn't?), and then I had a committee meeting which someone was at who I used to sorta be friends with but who I am now avoiding ... so that was fun.

And tomorrow will be worse. I have to sort out the motorbike (i.e. call and book it)

I have committed to a wide range of things at the committee meeting last night, only I probably don't remember what they are.

It's a morning with me for DS1, which should be fun for him, we'll probably go swimming? Or biking and running. Then time in the park, then collecting a random child etc etc.

oh thank christ mine are also saucony, the pink ones

they came in a nice sturdy box that doubles as a project for winesteins still unfininshed clanger

Oh, no, I don't care if they're Saucony, pink shoes are evil. Dyed with the blood of orphans, absolutely. [butch]

I didn't buy them meaning to buy ethical, and am still at the idea of a sport shoe company that doesn't advertise all over the place, or even seem to ... oh wait, they do sell clothing. Including a "Motion Sensor Bra" . WTF is that?

Their clothes do look nice. Wait, they don't seem to have big logos on them.

Cappucino - oh yes please to a horse photo. Would be lovely

FMV - Samuel Pepys? Really? Have you read his wife's diary?

Okay, foodwise, have had... tomatoes, mushrooms, shallots stirfried with veggie sausages and leftover pasta. Cauli greens, onions and carrots cooked with brown rice. Sort of risottoesque but probably less glamorous. Mango. Orange. Oh, and I put a banana in my rather nice molassesey ginger cake.

oooh I have excelled today, went to the gym for what I thought was a step class, teacher from hell had put her back out so only did half a class followed by half and hours circuit training. hardly anybody standing at the end of the class. took me about 3 hours for the reddness in my face to die down. but it did feel good afterwards.......
and on teh eating front hold your breath.. 2 lemons, lettuce, red peppers, garlic, blueberries, strawberries, banana, raisons, onions, brussels, carrots, mushrooms, courgette, pumpkin, silverbeet, tinned tomatoes and broccoli - am stuffed to bursting.
am glad joined this thread have seriously upped my intake to what it was a few weeks ago by having to write it down..it's great. Tomorrow is a bank holiday here, so with DH at home will try to go for a run or swim - depends on weather - good = swim, not so good = run

avi are you away now?

nqc do tend to agree that pink is a but post femninst. Don't mind nice deep approaching burgundy shades but do rather hate the baby pink "oooh i'm just an innocuous little girl" shades on adult women.

i am particualr re running shoes so go here run and become who have always sorted me out nicely, they make you run and comment on "roll" and so forth and then identify the one single pair of shoes that will be most comfy for you (which this time, for me, was girly pink ffs)

I do think womens running shoes have become more pink over the years

avi have mailed you, pick up pls...

Re: pink shoes, I am not a huge pink fan and also not a very oestrogeny person (despite NQC mocking me for being femme all the time), but when I was pregnant I suddenly went berserk for pink. I mean I wanted to wear it all the time and I dyed loads of my clothes pink

made me think it was not just a social construct thing but I haven't got any further with my theorising about this.

Filly is that a running shop in London? Dp went to one recently where they video your feet and all that. Very entertaining. He also came out with a shocking looking pair of trainers but apparently they have fixed his dodgy knee.

Sibble you are just soooo the star pupil. What is circuit training? I have always been intrigued but too scared to turn up and find out for myself.

Avi I hope you are doing something nice - we'll miss you in the meantime

NQC have we the final decision on the outfit? I know the cut out top, but which skirt?

Have eaten strawberries, pear, apple, raisins for a total of 4.

Oh and TooTicky! Fab food - any chance of ginger cake recipe?