The Brave Babes Battle Bus - Starting the Summer Filled With Luscious Mocktails.

[Mouseface]

Hello, I'm Mouse and I used to drink far too much. Too much vodka to be exact, then too much wine, then too much cider....... you can imagine how it went.

This Bus is full of people like me, and people like you actually. Sober people, drinkers, a few not surers, and those who are simply 'somewhere'.

The one thing that we have in common is that we can/do/did/will abuse alcohol.

Some for a number of years, some months, some for their entire adult (and before) lives.

The support here is for everyone. Those in AA, those who are taking medication to help, those going it alone, those with the support of others. We're all here for the same reason.

Why not come and say hello? We are all so very different in our every day lives but we all have a common theme.....

And, for those who want to see where all of this began 2 years ago, HERE IS a link to all of the past Bus rides.

Back to the diet....

DINNER =

1 STARTER = veg soup (recipe to follow)

PLUS 1 PORTION OF PROTEIN (as lunch)

PLUS 1 VEGETABLE OR SALAD SIDE DISH

PLUS 1 SMALL PORTION OF CARBS = 1 Ryvita or handful (15g) of croutons (recipe to follow)

PLUS 1 PORTION OF DAIRY (as lunch)

PLUS 1 PORTION OF FRUIT (as lunch)

Again, mix it up but stick to the allowances.

TREATS - exchange ONCE only per day......

Swap 1 piece of fruit for a SMALL glass of wine OR 3 squares of chocolate or 1 slither of cake, not a giant cake, a normal cake

Okay, recipes - veg soup -

Chop into small cubes - 200g leeks, 50g carrots, 200g courgettes, 100g of onion, plus a chicken or veg stock cube to pan and just cover with water, bring to the boil and then simmer for 45 mins, season (add dried herbs if it tastes shit, not my recipe ) and save left over in fridge for other days/meals as this serves four.

Croutons - 15g of French bread with a garlic clove, lightly toast and then cut into small bite sized chunks.

Rustic Salad - 2 hard boiled eggs, chilled once boiled, cut into slices, 200g of cherry tomatoes, chopped, add lettuce, 125g of ham and mix together.

Vinaigrette - 1 tbsp of oil, your choice, 1tsp of mustard, vinegar and herbs, mix together and use for salads.

Red Fruit Meringue - Preheat oven, 190c/375f/gas 6, then scrape 1/2 vanilla pod to collect the seeds, mix with 200g of red berries, and half a sachet of sweetener (half a tsp) and put in baking dish. Next - beat 1 egg white until stiff (ooooo- errrrr missus!) whilst adding the rest of the sweetener (another 1/2 sachet or tsp) then spread over berries and bake for 5 minutes, take out and grill to brown the meringue. Yum!! Serves 2 but up to you if you share

Crudites With Goats Cheese Dip - Melt 40g fresh goats cheese, add 2 tbsp of reduced fat cream, add a splash of soy sauce (lite) in a small saucepan, over a low heat, once melted together, take off heat and cool, put it in the fridge. Chop carrots, cucumber, anything you like really.

Okay, that's me for now..... starting wait 10st 6lb (put six on since losing it all on Atkins so going to give it a shot)

Let me know if you have any questions. Night Babes - be back for updates tomorrow xxxxx

Bproud - Thanks, it's early mornings/late nights and a different routine that upsets him.

Big hugs to those who need them xxxx

daisy a pinot grigio is my favourite too! I would go with elderflower instead... except that the weather has been so bloody awful lately that my new drink of choice is Waitrose dark, velvety hot chocolate I get tucked up in bed with my book - and unlike wine I never want another after finishing the mug.

Hi

Long time lurker, occasional (rare) poster as I have limited access to internet so find it difficult to interact. One drink for me is one too many so one day at a time is my method of keeping life on track.

Lovely to dip in and out and read posters old and new, support always present.

If you are looking for alternatives to the demon booze (white wine in the main for me) I have tried the many varieties of Elderflower and most prefer the Bottlegreen Pemegranite and Elderflower. Also, if you are not too keen on sweeter drinks - some of the 'Scicillian Lemon with sparkling water ' options are OK.

However, my reason for posting is the suggested 'N' and T or nothing and tonic. I have been partial to a Gin and Tonic (or 3) back in the day and have avoided drinking just tonic until recently. A revelation - it's great over ice with a squeeze of fresh lime. It's a long time since I had a G&T and I can honestly say that just the 'T' is perfect. Indeed, the first time I had an N&T out, I spent all evening wondering if they had mistakenly given me a G&T, but no, just the virgin version, so clearly the 'T' was taste enough for me. I resorted to checking the bill when we got home just to reassure myself.

Keep on keeping on.

babyjane welcome. Isn't it scary how the couple of glasses can soon escalate to the whole bottle - and then find that it's not enough. So what do you want to do from here? Cut down? Stop? Or just enjoy today and tomorrow knowing that you will wake up sober and feeling good about your decision not to drink?

Joey and any others thinking about drinking for birthdays / holidays etc. I totally agree with faire these are times when 'normal' drinkers let go a little and relax and have a few too many sherberts. But hey! do you notice many 'normal' drinkers on here? (and I do know that some of you have managed to do normal controlled drinking, so please excuse me here). None of us started posting on here because we drank 'normally' - we all came on here because something in our deepest heart of hearts told us that things were not right. So I'd be wary. Very, very wary. My own experience has told me how sublimely easy it is to slip smoothly back into that habitual groove. If you know the groove is still there then why risk it - just to get stuck in that same old record. over and over again waking up in the morning 'promising' to change, and by 5pm sitting with the first (or 2nd or 3rd.....) glass of wine in your hand.

"The only one not drinking" ??? or maybe the only one who can enjoy themselves without having to have a drink ( or if you discover you're not enjoying yourself - to go off to bed and read a good book); or maybe the only one who is up in the morning actually enjoying the brightness of the morning sunshine (rather than hiding under the stinking covers); or maybe the only one who comes back from holiday happy and healthy and shining with vibrance (rather than needing another 4 days off to recover from the alcohol induced frenzy).

And on the weather.... oh so crap and disappointing, grey, drizzly, torrential, cold, thunderous, endless..................

But I also know (from spending time with my relatives in long-term drought stricken parts of Australia) that I'd rather be in some of our miserable, cool 'dreich' weather with fresh water to drink, than parched in the heat of an arid landscape in the sun (and perpetually worries about the reliability of the water source).

Off to bed in a minute, sober again on day 7

Who said tonic and lime? That's exactly what I poured myself and yes it did do the trick!

My eldest son has been on at me for ages to rebuild his lego black pearl. His little brother stood on it and had taken so many bits off, it's been lying in pieces for months. Tonight, we got the instructions out and it's taken pride of place on a shelf in his bedroom. He gave me the biggest hug and said "you're the best, mum" when I tucked him in tonight. Certainly better than the empty bottle of pinot grigio.

Thanks babes X

Thanks to everyone for advice about my birthday. We're getting rid of the DCs on Saturday night, so may go out for a meal... not sure.

JWIM I think it was you who first told me where the bus stop was, gave me a timetable and told me just to hop on. Thank you so much, it has been a great ride.

just popping in. off on holiday tomorrow to the West of Scotland with DH, 3 DCs, ond friend of DCS and one nephew.
Wish me luck

Ma my lovely friend, where have you been, packing?

Perhaps I've missed you, as I have only popped in and out in the last couple of weeks.

On the subject of packing.....check Dh's to make sure there are no furry holiday handcuffs treats in there for you .

Have a wonderful time with your family.
Lots of love
xxx

Blood tests came back normal. I'm so tired and fed-up I just want to burst into tears. The GP didn't mark down to check some things that should be tested because of my bowel condition, so the results are meaningless. Yes, they may be fine but until I have yet another test we can't rule it out.

I have made another doctors appointment, will be late into work on Monday again and am generally pissed off. Not a good idea to have a birthday glass of wine, is it? Not that I feel like celebrating. [frustrated]

Sorry to hear that Joey. Happy birthday, all the same.

Thanks greyhound I should be grateful that its not thyroid or something more serious, I'm just very run-down...

On a positive note... last night while fretting about the bloody test results, I got a sudden panic that I had to go and DO something. I rushed off to Sainsburys to get some Powerade thinking this might help my electrolytes.

Half-way out the door, and some subconscious part of the brain went ?Oh! An emergency trip to Sainsburys ? must be desperate for wine!? In fact, the reflex was so strong I actually thought ?while I?m there I might as well buy some...? Wow it is amazing how the habits are ingrained!!

I did not get wine. Still felt the need for a treat, so I got some socks. Powerade and socks. You know sometimes you feel the need to do something, buy something? But it doesn?t have to be alcohol. A bunch of flowers might do the trick, a magazine, some bubble-bath?

so sorry for going on and on about me...

Did you manage to sort out your rogue dog, greyhound ?

Happy Birthday Joey,

I'm glad your blood tests came back normal, if what they've checked are ok, that must be a good sign? I don't know about these things though, although my sister has a condition that means she has to have bloods every 2 weeks, and I know how debilitating it can be, along with medication all the time.

I am really tired today, I don't know if it's because I've wound down over the last couple of days, or the attempts at excercise (shouldn't that do the opposite?), or if as I suspect I'm just degenerating into a big blobby blob of blobber.

Gah, first week of the holidays and I miss work already

Happy Birthday Joey! Is it today or tomorrow? xx

at Thurso and the furry handcuffs!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOEY xx xx xx

Evening, tis me, mouse

Good news on the bloods Joey

Hi Brave Babes, everyone here always seems so positive, it always cheers me up. I'm not feeling great this evening but still not drinking so that's a positive I guess. I came to believe all my problems were rooted in alcohol (and many are) but I suppose I just want to feel better now that I'm not. Am having a lot of relationship stress have started a separate thread in relationships as I don't want to pour my misery on this shiny positive thread. Just wondering if you ladies have and experience of rebuilding a relationship in the aftermath of problem drinking. I feel so alone with this

skippy no good advice but I just wanted to give you a hug. I suspect many of us drink to hide from the real problem, and when you stop drinking you have to face up to things. Well done for not giving in to the booze though!

Good morning all babes old, new and somewhere in between. I just wanted to say that I won't be posting regularly anymore but will still be reading and checking in from time to time.

I haven't had a drink since May 17th and will stay on the Antabuse for the next couple of months at least I reckon. I certainly don't want to be tempted to have a drink (not even one) when I go on holiday at the beginning of August. I don't miss drink AT ALL and for me (who was a regular binge drinker, a bottle plus on more than half the days of the week) this is simply amazing. I'd always thought that alcohol enhanced my life and that I couldn't live without it but I've broken the habit (which is key) and replaced it with new things, like a dog (Alfie is well and truly part of the family and we love him dearly), initiating changes at work and making new friends. For those who are struggling, it can be done.

A big thank you to you all (I hope you know who you are) and to say I couldn't have done it without you. Talking everyday to other women who understand has been key in getting me sober. No doubt I'll wobble in the future but now I know how I can get myself standing upright again. With love and gratitude xx

(((((Lovely Soma))))) xxx

Morning, tis me, Mouse

Soma

I will miss you so very much but completely understand your reasons for posting less. I hope that you will keep in touch though and give us the odd update from time to time?

What YOU have achieved is amazing and I hope you will read back from when you first got your ticket for the Bus, and smile knowing that from that very first post (and all the times in between when you though 'feck it'), you have actually come a hell of a long way.

Alfie is welcome to pop back for a run around with Seth and I promise I won't let Seth sneak into Alfie's bed!

You have been a real support to so many, sharing your ups and downs, giving advice, showing that it can be done if you really want to stop, and you know I mean REALLY stop!

A huge well done to you lovely lady. Big mwahs and {{{{{{hugs}}}}} from me, mouse xxxxx

Mouse I'd love Alfie to meet Seth one day and I'd love to meet you too! Just think of me as quietly snoozing on the back seat and occasionally popping my head up and saying something deep and meaninglessful.

Mia massive hugs to you too, and will keep in touch.

And much love to everyone else xx

My strikethough didn't work!