Upper Fourth at Celery Towers - 10 / 10 club - All welcome

[FrannyandZooey]

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 by following the link at the very bottom of the page

Tights, especially the woolly variety, were a big no-no at my school. Come to think of it, I was a big no-no at my school.

pppssshhhaw!!

Greensleeves, how do you make good hummus? Mine is always either bland or over-garlicky.

Talcy, your cake looks lovely

Thanks......not really though, does it?

It isn't the same as the shopbought stuff. I am always surprised at how much oil it takes - I also add lemon juice and some water to stop the consisteny from being too tight. Also it needs a fair bit of salt to make it taste nice.

...and don't use tinned chickpeas, they taste of hospitals

Yeah but, Talcy, you made it, right? And it looks appetising. And sticking bits on isn't anything clever, it's just fun. Think of all the people who buy immaculate looking cakes that taste like shite.

I still have nightmares at the memory of my home-made hummous

Ah, salt. I tend to be a bit salt shy. Are tinned chick peas that bad? Even organic ones placed individually into hand-drawn mountain spring water? I can never get beans and things to cook convincingly.

Whaddya mean you can never get them to cook? Just boil the bastards

I am a bit narked about the salt thing too, the whole point of making my own was to try and sidestep the salt, but frankly it just tastes bad if you don't use any at all. I still think mine is much less salty than the commercial ones. And the lemon juice helps.

But when you have boiled them for several hours...what then?
I wish I could suddenly become a bean genius. I want my dcs to eat them but they won't

Well, when you've cooked them until they are soft, you mash them, or you could blitz them in a mixer with the olive oil/salt/water/lemon juice/garlic/whatever you're adding. I use a hand-held blitzer to do about half of them, and then crush the others a bit more roughly so there are still lumps.

cheers TT!

Thanks Greensleeves. Perhaps I'll try again.

Am eating sandwich with mixed leaves, cucumber and apple. The filling is about an inch thick.

Have been on the bike to music group

neighbour said, "Oh, off to music group? What instrument does he play?" Erm, he is 4

I forgot to say last week, one of the guys who owns the farm delivered our veg box, instead of the usual delivery man. He said "I just wanted to come and see what you were doing with all this fruit." We have two of the large family size fruit boxes [yum]

I used to take mine to music group, they loved it. I hated it. Everyone was so earnest, and I can't sing

I expect I will take Lo though

Talcy- meant to say your cake is also beautiful, and like Tooticky's, very large! How long do they last in your house?

not long, mrs carrot,not long

and thanks....you so kind...lol!

Have you have huge storms this pm?
Started at 3.00 just finished!

yes, there have been batches of terrible rain, I quite like the storminess though. Although DH has my coat and umbrella in the car and I resorted to dd's which has circumference of a dinner plate and is adorned with fairies. I looked a sight pushing the pram with an elbow holding that I'm sure.

liking the storms too....all ready for a power cut now!

Hello hello

Think I am bottom of the class again... I must try harder

TT love the pics

MrsC, this one is not earnest

I also do my own one and that is SO not earnest

[panic] well I don't think it is

I've just eaten almost a whole watermelon