Trying to be healthy
A few months ago in a #WOYP post, I mentioned taking steps to eat more healthily – well I did that for three months and made good progress and it feels like I’ve just undone all that good work in a few short weeks!
What you too??
What happened?
Yes you guessed it – Christmas, holidays, temptations galore – I fell off the wagon. I’m disappointed in myself in that I let go of the reins too easily and now need to start all over again.
Excuses Excuses Excuses!
The holiday feeling, the festive food, being away from home, being with family, not having a strong will, eating out – it was hard to continue my usual routines when out of normal surroundings.
But at least I know I can do it – again!
This month I’m just going to share some food photos that were a big hit over the holidays and say they were worth every calorie!
We’re home now and some routine has returned!
So for this month’s WOYP I’m sharing photos of what took my fancy while away on holidays. I even forgot to take photos of food I was too busy either buying it or eating it! We ate out a few times, cooked on the BBQ, cooked meals at our Airbnb and basically enjoyed what holidays are for – relaxing!
Jo’s Lemon Curd Pavlova
This was Jo’s Lemon Curd Pavlova, I’m sure she’s going to write about it and maybe even give you the recipe, but we were lucky to have her cook it especially for us!
News just in – Jo’s shared her recipe and the story of the pavlova here in her WOYP post.
Jo (And Anyways…) and her husband Grant, as opposed to my husband Grant, kindly brought some supplies for a shared lunch at our Airbnb, not that far from where they live. They also brought lactose free whipping cream (my husband is lactose intolerant) to decorate the pavlova shell but we couldn’t find any beaters in the well stocked kitchen!
My nephew who works with dairy items and actually produces said cream, stepped in and hand whipped the cream with a whisk – it didn’t take him long but I don’t think I could have done it – all that upper arm action! We had another pot of cream to use later and he whipped it for us too. Thanks Chase!
Jo and Grant set about decorating the pavlova with topping suggestions of raspberries and flake chocolate. Combined with the sweet lemon curd under the cream it tasted sensational!
How good does it look?
I love this photo I snapped of Jo and ‘her’ Grant.
Wagyu Beef Burger
We were driving home over the New Year long weekend so not a lot was open but we struck it lucky in suburban Canberra at a cafe/bar serving a range of Thai meals and other yummy things.
Among the offerings was this Wagyu Beef Burger with grilled bacon, beetroot (a winner for me), avocado, lettuce, homemade onion relish, rocket and BBQ sauce on a tasty crunchy bun. It was simply delicious, maybe the fact it was 2pm and we’d driven all day with barely any sustenance made it all the more yummy! I did take a photo 🙂 Grant had the Salt and pepper Calamari and enjoyed it too.
Oh I see there were chips on the side as well?? I wonder what happened to them?
Something else that landed on my plate – completely unrelated to food
I have been mentioned in Kathy’s post (SmartLIVING365.com) featuring her best websites and blogs for Retirement, Positive Aging and SMART Living! how cool is that? Kathy is a US blogger with insightful and thought provoking posts on a range of topics so it’s an honour to be included in this post. She’s broken her list into three sections – Blogs and Websites for a Positive Retirement, Positive Aging No Matter What Your Age and Other Favourites. My blog is listed in the Positive Aging No Matter Your Age section 🙂
In Kathy’s words:
It’s that time again! For the last five years I have considered it a privilege to scour the internet to find what I consider to be the best blogs and websites I can find. Like SMART Living 365, these are personal blogs and not commercially driven websites to make money. I tend to focus on the topics of positive aging and retirement but I decided to include all my favorites this year. Why not? And while my list certainly doesn’t contain all the sites available on these topics, I think that they are noteworthy and offer thoughtful, creative and provocative insights
Deb’s World A blog about midlife, travel, adventure – and all things in between. Enthusiastic, energetic and always seeing the positive, Deb’s goal with her blog is to make readers smile, inspire each other and connect.
The good thing is that I recognised many of the other blogs mentioned and agree they are fabulous! You can click on this link to read all Kathy’s recommendations.
I’m thrilled to be included along with Donna’s Retirement Reflections, Janis Retirementally Challenged, Suzanne’s Picture Retirement, Leanne’s Cresting the Hill, Terri’s Second Wind Leisure Perspectives & Deb’s The Widow Badass – plus many others! There’s always room for more blogs to follow isn’t there?
Empty Plate
These empty plate photos are from a post in July 2016 The Cherry on top was missing and I couldn’t help but use the licked clean plate photo in my new header for all things What’s on Your Plate. I also sent the kitchen a message ‘Deb..Yum’ on my empty plate 🙂
Hopefully as I explore different things this year I can lift my game in participating in this monthly challenge. Last month I wasn’t too good either!!
Feel like joining in?
It’s always fun joining Canadian bloggers Donna and Deb for their What’s on your plate challenge series each month. These posts go live on the first Wednesday of each month and you can join in too with a food related post, just by adding your post to their linkup.
I’m also joining Denyse for her Wednesday’s Words and Pics – another fun linkup which makes its welcome return this week for the first time in 2023.
Hope to see you soon 🙂
Deb xx
Recent posts:
- Tackling the Kokoda Track (again)
- Earth Day and a Sculpture Walk #SundayStills
- An update on my 52 Book Club 2024 Reading Challenge #WOYBS
- Tell Us About…Your Personal Style
- Tell Us About…Linkup Info
You can also find Deb’s World in lots of other places – stay in touch by clicking any of the buttons below.
Everyone has a story to tell!
Deb is a young-at-heart & active 60+ blogger/retiree, after being made redundant from her 22-year career managing education programs in a men’s correctional centre (jail). She now spends her time reading, blogging, riding her ebike and travelling. Deb was awarded a Bravery Award from the Queen when she was 17 after a tragic accident – a definite life changing moment! She is married with 3 grown-up daughters & has 4 grandchildren. You can read more of Deb’s story here
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Deb's World 
Congratulations on the blog mention and being part of a great group. I love it when blogging friends can catch up in person (us, one day, right?) and how cool that the two Grants did as well. I have Food Envy at times such as Christmas as I have so many food tastes, textures and memories from my past..Mum’s cooking and so on. Sadly, with my mouth the way it was reconstructed, and some gut issues that still happen from time to time. I just have to stick with what I can manage. I admit it was great to eat 4 prawns on lettuce with seafood sauce on 2 halves of a small white bread roll on Chrissy Day at our daughters. Thank you so much for returning to Wednesday’s Words and Pics Link Up in 2023. I look forward to continuing the blogging community connection this year. May your year go well. Denyse.
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Thanks Denyse! Yes one day we WILL meetup 🙂 I can imagine your food envy at special times Denyse, it must be hard for you but you seem to understand your body and it’s limits. I’m so pleased you enjoyed Christmas with your family. x
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Thanks for joining in the fun, Debbie! The food looks delicious and I’m looking forward to Jo’s pavlova recipe. The holiday time is definitely one for indulgences and special meals with friends and family, and I am sure you are already back to healthier eating already!
Deb
P.S. pity us in the Northern Hemisphere…not only do we have the seasonal celebrations that encourage us to eat more, but we have the biological urge to put on extra…ahem…”meat” to get us through the cold, dark weather. 😉
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Thanks Deb, the pavlova recipe is up on Jo’s blog and well worth trying! I’m back to my more usual fare and doing well, the heat here is helping to quell the urge to eat too much unlike the winter weather – I get it!!
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Right before I read the “what you too?” I was literally thinking “me too!” LOL. We had so much temptation lying around the house all holiday season. But I have been making great strides to pull myself back onto that wagon and have been enjoying more healthy meals now that life is returning to normal.
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Oh that’s too funny Joanne!
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That pavlova looks incredible… and well worth the calories. I’m a firm believer of allowing oneself some leeway while making life changes.
Congrats about your wonderful blog being included on Kathy’s list!
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Yes Janis, I agree we have to allow ourselves some leeway especially at special times of the year. I’m glad to share the honour of bing on Kathy’s list with you 🙂
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Congratulations to being on that blog list, Debbie! Well deserved!
The Pavlova looks amazing but super sweet. I don’t eat a lot of sweet stuff anymore but for Christmas I did, too much. I realised I don’t even like it a lot anymore and that it wasn’t worth it – and I felt out of shape for a week afterwards. Next Christmas I might just buy a small packet of chocolates and that’s it.
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Thanks Susanne, it makes me smile to be recognised sometimes 🙂 I know what you mean about feeling out of shape, it’s so easy to overindulge!
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All looks delicious Debbie and nothing better than a burger when you’re starving, a lucky find. I’m always off the wagon so no point climbing back on, enjoy everything in moderation 🙂
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I like that Ali, always off the wagon, and yes to everything in moderation!
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Congratulations on being mentioned in Kathy’s round up post of influential blogger – what a great acknowledgment of all the hard work you put into your blog. I also loved the look of all the food on your plate. Don’t stress about not being healthy over Christmas and your holiday. Food is to be enjoyed with family and friends. As you say, you’ve swapped to eating healthier once, you can definitely do it again. I’m looking forward to following what’s on your plate for the rest of the year.
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Thanks for the words of encouragement Janine, I’m back on track and the hot weather we’re having is helping as I don’t have much appetite when it’s hot! Lots of water though.
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Warmer weather does help make eating salads easier and yes – lots of water is important. I’ve just had a cold, damp day which made me succumb to making self saucing chocolate pudding comfort food!
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That burger looks delicious!
Good luck getting back into your routine.
I am still trying to figure out what day of the week it is.
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Oh I know that feeling all too well. The most asked question in our house is ‘what day is it again?’ The burger was so good!
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How special do I feel to be included in this post?
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It was a very special pavlova Jo and a lovely time spent with you and Grant.
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Like you, I fall off the wagon far too often. And like you, all those fries would disappear. Fortunately, I kept exercising and practiced some self-restraint, which is highly unusual for me over the holidays.
100% going to make that Pavlova of Jo’s in the summer for our dessert club! Bernie
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I’m back exercising Bernie so should be fine in a few weeks! Well done to you for continuing your exercise over the holidays, we still walked and rode our bikes but not with the same intensity! Hoping Jo shares the pavlova recipe 🙂
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Having dogs makes me get outside every day and the grandkids as well are so happy to be outside. It’s summer where I struggle because I quit lifting weights and doing intense cardio. Bernie
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The pavlova looks amazing – and the burger if the beetroot was removed for me 🙂
Congratulations on your recognition from SmartLiving365 too!
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So you’re not a beetroot lover Barbara?? It really added that certain something to the burger but I was so hungry I could have eaten anything.
Thanks for the congrats on making Kathy’s list too, very surprising, given I’m a little old blogger here in Aus.
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Happy New Year Deb. I’ve been drooling over that lemon pavlova. It looks amazing. I made a pretty fabulous pav over Christmas, but just mixed berries. There was nothing unusual about it but it looked very yummy. Unfortunately I didn’t get a photo before it was demolished. Thanks for the link to SMART365 I’ll definitely check it out
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Thanks Jen, I can confirm the pavlova was amazing! It’s hard taking photos of food at Christmas as it gets demolished so quickly and other things take our attention – quite rightly!
Well done on your news too, fabulous!
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Hi, Debbie – Thank you for linking up to What’s On Your Plate. Your post is extremely relatable. I pride myself on cooking and eating healthy foods but I fell off this wagon first in August/September with our crazy Travel+Covid summer and then this holiday. I agree that travel-family-restaurant eating and holidays make it almost impossible to eat as healthy as we would like. I still have one more holiday family visit so I will resume my healthy eating once that trip is done (she says with confidence).
Congratulations on your recognition from SmartLiving365. Very well deserved!
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Oh and I forgot to mention Jo’s pavlova. That looks absolutely DIVINE!
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It was soooo good Donna!!!
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Thanks Donna, I was hoping I wasn’t on my own and now I know I’m not!! Good luck for you last family visit but I’ve decided life’s too short.
It was lovely to see your blog listed on Kathy’s post too, well done.
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Hey there and enough with the tempting foodie shots. I too am trying to be healthy and these are too yum. 😂 Popping over from Denyse Linky today. Lovely to meet you. Wishing you a happy, healthy and still delicious 2023. Caz
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Nice to meet you too Caz, I’ve been over and read your post so welcome aboard! The food over the festive season is hard to say no to, my downfall is chocolate sultanas…enough said – there are no more in the house!
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Hi Deb, congratulations on being on the Smart Living365 list of Best Retirement Blogs- it is very well deserved. Like you I let my healthy eating lapse over the holidays and I didn’t care. There is always TIME to enjoy all manner of food. So pleased you could catch up with Jo and Grant and her pavlova looks delicious. xx
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Thanks Sue, it was a surprise to see my name listed but a happy surprise! No I’m back on track now with eating and exercise so I’m pleased to know I can break out every now and again. Time is going to feature in so many posts – I love it! Jo’s pav was great 🙂
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That pavlova looks so good – you can always rely on Jo to deliver the goods! We too are trying to be a bit more healthy after a very indulgent festive season! Wishing you a happy, healthy and delicious 2023!
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Yes Sammie, I’m learning that Jo certainly knows what she’s talking about! I enjoyed reading your Taking Stock post and catching up on all your news over there in UK land. Happy 2023 to you all x
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