Hurrah for the weekend! What’s everyone up to?
Work has been crazy lately. Looks like I’ll be in Reading for longer than expected. This is a bit of a pain as the commute is so long. But I’m loving what I’m doing so I can’t complain too much. I just get sick of the same roads and the same traffic. Anyone have a helicopter I can borrow for a few months…? No? Damn.
Friday was a pretty good day. My dad and me work together so we’re sharing the commute to Reading (take that as a plus and a minus 
) and I persuaded him to stop at Starbucks just before we got to the office. He treated me to a hazelnut syrup Americano and a HUGE mince pie. First one of the season, wheeee!
It brought some light amusement of watching my dad drip coffee all over himself as I drove the last mile and a half back to work. This was just ten minutes after him telling me he had put his newly washed beige chinos to look smart…whoops
The mince pie was deeeelicious. I was chuffed for this as my Graze box didn’t arrive (*sobs*) and I needed something to fuel my run at lunchtime.
Speaking of my run, though in my last post I mentioned I was a bit dubious about it as it’s always weird running with people you don’t really know – and work with. Anyway, it was great! There were five of us in total and they took me on a great 4.5 mile route around some lakes and fields. We got covered in mud and at times it was more splashing than running but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
There was a range of running ability and this was great. One guy was super speedy – we’re talking 6 minutes a mile at his best! I started off fairly easy going running with the woman I knew and then I ventured out to run with a guy who ran at my usual pace (not the 6min a mile guy!!). This really pushed me to keep up. With the rough terrine and the speed of the run, I was pooped by the end!
It’s funny because after showering and basically inhaling my lunch afterwards, I went to stand up and my calves were aching already! I’m guessing this was the crazy terrine as I’m used to plain old roads. Anyone else find this?
Saturday morning I had my Pilates class.
I thoroughly enjoyed this. It’s not a class to get sweaty and out of breath in but you definitely feel it in your muscle the next day. The class was quite small with a total of six of us. But it was a lovely friendly atmosphere and instructor is so attentive and ‘hands-on’. That sounds weird, but it really helps if she sort of guides your leg or foot or whatever to the right position as it can be quite complicated.
The rest of the day was filled with chores and looking after an unwell Ben. He does not have a simple cold, oh no. Nor is it flu. How foolish to think it would be something quite so simple. He has…Man Flu. Full on, at death’s door, incapacitated, can’t do anything Man Flu… He is currently a pathetic human being. We’re talking blankets, Lemsips, and constant sofa attachment. I am trying to be the caring and loving wife but it’s tricky as I’m not naturally sympathetic and, ladies, we all know about this Man Flu business. It’s a cold. Joking aside though, I am looking after him and he does have a waiver for all chores. Fun for me.
I did a bout of baking as well. Apparently one of Ben’s work friends finds the idea of banana bread crazy and Ben has enlisted me to change his mind. I mean, who doesn’t like banana bread??
It got rid of some dying bananas as well and it was fairly easy to whip up.
Banana bread (based on THIS recipe)
- 75g (1/3 cup) butter, softened
- 2 eggs
- 4 ripe bananas, mashed
- 110g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
- 125g (1 heaped cup) plain flour
- 100g (1 level cup) wholemeal flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
- 1 tsp. mixed spice
– Preheat oven to 180C.
– Combine butter, sugar, eggs and mashed bananas.
– Sift flours, baking powder and spices together. Then fold into the banana bread and stir until combined.
– Bake in a loaf tin for 50 mins (until a tooth pick comes out clean).
My little loaf tin struggled to contain all the loaf so I had to make mini banana loaf muffins as well. What a shame
Then we headed to Ben’s mum for dinner. We brought along Alfie as well (which is always a bit worrying as Alfie is Alfie and Ben’s mum’s house is pristine).
Apart from an accident on the carpet he was good as gold (this was mainly our fault anyway as we hadn’t let him outside before going out as it was raining so much so we weren’t angry at him).
How could I be mad at that furry face? And Alfie too
The meal was so good. We had honey smoked mackerel to start (apologies, no photo I was too busy gobbling it up). And then we had roast chicken for main with a whole host of veggies and stuffing:
Definitely a winner! Made up for enviously drooling seeing all those delicious Thanksgiving meals on many blogs this week.
And then fruit salad for pudding. Again no photo, but imagine a HUGE bowl of pineapple, melons, grapes, blueberries and strawberries. I love having meals at Ben’s mum’s house as she and I have similar tastes (big fruit & veggie fans). It was a lovely and relaxed evening.
So now it’s Sunday and I’m just watching the world go by while looking after the poorly husband. Well, as much as I can do while he plays on the XBox…
Hope you’re having a lovely weekend and for my fellow Britains, I hope the rain stops soon!!
You have got me craving banana bread now! Yum!
Hehe it is pretty good!
Shame about such a mission of a commute, and I can imagine what you mean about it being a plus and minus going with your dad!
That banana bread looks fab and I hope you’re not trying to say that men just suffer more with colds; Man Flu is far, far more serious than anything we get… 😉
Haha yes indeed, man flu is practically life-threatening. Us mere women have no idea hehe.
That banana bread looks lovely- and that picture of the mince pie has made me fancy one.
Glad your run went OK- it sounds a lot like the Sweatshop runs I do- there are people of different abilities/ speeds, and people vary who they run with during the run, but it is very social too, and good fun.
Mince pies are one of my favourite Christmas foods. I try to make them but they never turn out as good as the deep thick pastry ones you can buy from places like M&S.
Yeah I definitely enjoy running in a group of people than on my own now. You get a lot more motivated and there’s a nice supportive feeling all round. And it does trigger my competitveness as well which pushes me further.
Ah the dreaded man flu, oh no! That banana bread looks very good, I’m going to try making some gingerbread soon!
Ohhh gingerbread is so good too. I’ll look out for that recipe for definite 🙂
Hope Ben feels better really soon! Yum, that banana bread looks so good!
Thanks, bless him he’s recovering slowly…man flu is very tricky to get over 😉
Your mackrel sounded good- I haven’t eaten that in ages! Hope your hubby feels better and the rain has stopped!
I haven’t had mackeral in ages so it was nice to have, it’s a very fishy fish if that makes sense!
Mmmm banana bread is one of my favorite things!!!
Yep it’s definitely one of my favourites!
That banana bread looks awesome!! Hope Ben feels better soon!
He’s dragged it out quite a long time. He’s only just starting to feel better… *rolls eyes*