What I Eat - Working Edition with an Easy Lunch Idea )

I'm home now, and back to sunny Bognor Regis! (here is the most accurate and hilarious description of my hometown)

Sunny Bognor....on an actually sunny day!

Since I am home now, I have a clean kitchen to work in, and fridge and freezer space, which I have been using to full advantage!

While I have been at university, my mum has been on her own (with our dog Penny of course!). She doesn't cook for herself, so the fridge has been full of ready meals with questionable contents. Since I have been back, we have been eating plant based and vegan, with me cooking real food.

This is Penny, everything is Penny's bed

I have also been back at work. I am a waitress at  a lovely little pub/hotel/restaurant in Pagham, The Inglenook.  My shifts never have a definitive end time, and there is very rarely time to stop and have a break. (I did a wedding shift recently where the only time I stopped during my 9 hour shift was to sit down was to pee......)

Because the shifts are so intense and require me being on my feet for long periods of time, I have to ensure I carb up before and have a big dinner waiting for me when I get back!

For lunch, I had roast aubergine with bulgur wheat and salad. This was a big lunch and here's the recipe....for one....I like my food, people

Roast Aubergine and Bulgur Wheat (for one)
Ingredients
For the Bulgur Wheat

• 100g Bulgur Wheat
• 1 tsp Vegetable Stock 
• Enough water to cover the grain (and yes, that is the scientific measurement) 

For the Aubergine 

• 1 Whole Aubergine 
• 2 tsp Smoked Paprika (1 tsp for each half) 
• 1 tsp salt
• Liberal sprays with the Fry Light Cooking Spray 
• Sriracha Sauce (to serve) 

For the Salad

• A Handful of Watercress
• 2 Cooked Beetroots
• 5 Slices of Cucumber 
• 4 Cherry Tomatoes 

Method 

1. Chop the aubergine in half, and score the flesh (cris cross)
2. Spray the aubergine with the spray oil, and rub in the salt in smoked paprika 
3. Pop the aubergine in the oven at 200 C for 20 minutes 
4. While the aubergine is roasting, add boiling water to the bulgur wheat and veggie stock and simmer until all the water is absorbed (about 20 mins)
5. While all that is getting on, chop of the salad stuff 
6. When cooked, add sriracha to the aubergine if you like the spicy stuff and enjoy!  

Bulgur wheat is perfect for these long shifts as it is chocked full of fibre to keep me full! (fibre.....nature's broom......). It has roughly 345 calories per 100g dried and has almost 55% of your daily manganese! 

This whole lunch took only 20 minutes to make, and was really tasty and filling! Give it a try and let me know what you think! Lots more quick, lazy, cheap recipes to come so stay tuned! 

Whoops, a Little Bit Late....and a Little More About Me

So exams did finish, a month ago, but I have still been a bit naff about writing regularly here.

Once exams were finally over, I kind of spent the first 2 weeks in a state of panic over results. Also, my "boyfriend", who is an exchange student, was getting ready to go home..... So that trauma took up a lot of my time. (argh, that is a scary word for me, but meh, we'll have to try out this long distance lark)

I do also suffer from anxiety and depression, and I am recovering from an eating disorder (but I currently do not believe that I require drugs/treatment for these issues, I have them under control with the help of my family and friends).

I did however have a particularly bad episode after exams, which meant that I was of no use to anyone, and I certainly wouldn't have been able to produce the loving and fun content that I want to produce here. I had a series of very dark days, with very little sleep (3 to 4 hours a night). This made the depression seem more unmanageable and the anxiety louder and harder to deal with)

Veganism, to me, is an act of self love. It preserves the values of peace and love that I believe to be core to my truest self. Since becoming vegan, (for the animals, to live a life without suffering and pain), I feel like I am living for my beliefs. I no longer want food, or self loathing to fill my head and become all encompassing. I now know that I have so much more to offer, and if you could please bear with me, I want to take you on this journey with me.

I want to create a safe space for people here, so if you don't have anything loving to contribute, please, don't bother with trolling (and I check all comments anyway)

Right that was a bit of a downer, but the next post will be a recipe.... and will feature my naughty dog, Penny.