2020 weekly - week 38 (26th week of confinement)

13/09/2020, Sunday

My physio routine this coming week.

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Looks like today and tomorrow are going to be Indian Summer for us so I made the grilled lamb and carrot pilaf last night. The cumin scented carrot slivers brings out an earthy flavor, different and reassuring. This combo of lamb and rice always conjures up a vast Mongolian mountain plain for me. 

15/09/2020, Tuesday

Decided to take the plunge by taking French B1 again. My first ever online class by Zoom. Worked out  much better than I expected. We can be broken up in smaller groups, in any number. The teacher can drop in and out of the mini groups and check the progress. Highly impressed. I'm going to have fun!

16/09/2020, Wednesday

Discovered a blog which uses Greek yogurt for many baked goods. Why is it special? Because in most cases, it eschews the need of fat. Was I intrigued? Yes. Was I doubtful? Absolutely. Did it work? Perfectly! I couldn't believe it. The texture is not gummy nor dense. Tastes like normal banana bread to me (the recipe I chose). It won't be the last!

17/09/2020, Thursday

The main meetings are behind me. Time to go back to the park!

Total running distance: 5200 meters
Longest non-stopping distance: 2000 + 2000 meters

19/09/2020, Saturday

Woke up to a sad news, one of my heroes passed away. Such a fighter and inspiration. I will remember you forever, RBG.

2020 weekly - week 30 (18th week of confinement)

19/07/2020, Sunday

My physio morning and afternoon routines for the coming week.

I've reduced to three days per week for the afternoon exercise, but still doing the morning routine every weekday.

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Found a mouse-like creature in the back garden. Seems injured as it's not moving much. Hubby moved it to a place with shades hoping that it would recover better. :-(

20/07/2020, Monday

One of my dental implants seems to have come loose. The gum is swelling and painful. The crown feels loose when touched by finger. So I've made an appointment to see my dentist tomorrow. 

It's not the first time I wonder about this but does feel like my body is having a go at me starting from the ankle injury. Big or small things keep popping up. And I only wrote a fraction of them here. It has made me realize how lucky I was before, health wise. I will continue to fight and get my health back again. 

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Another Monday Magic!

Total running distance: 4800 meters (new record!)

Longest non-stopping distance: 2800 meters (new record!)

21/07/2020, Tuesday

Feeling frustrated after the dentist's visit. Problems identified and temporarily treated. But the underlying cause is worrying. To be monitored in 3-month's time. 

What's wrong with my body? 

22/07/2020, Wednesday

The every fortnight afternoon meeting has become quite therapeutic for me. These people from the other side of the continent are just about my favorite people to work with. They are competent, smart, scientifically curious, friendly and not judgmental. What more can I ask for? Cheers.

Total running distance: 4400 meters 

Longest non-stopping distance: 2400 meters

24/07/2020, Friday

Mask-must starting today in England. Better late than never, I suppose. 

Total running distance: 4400 meters 

Longest non-stopping distance: 2400 meters

2020 weekly - week 28 (16th week of confinement)

05/07/2020, Sunday

My physio morning and afternoon routines for the coming week.

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Pubs and restaurants are allowed to open starting yesterday. Also, after three weeks of enforcing a long list of quarantine countries due to oversea travel (most if not all are doing much better than UK), the UK gov is opening up suddenly. Now those countries do not require self quarantine. Three weeks really make the difference, right? This gov continues to amaze me in its whimsical fashion handling COVID-19, except this is no laughing matter.

06/07/2020, Monday

Must be Monday Magic.

Total running distance: 4400 meters

Longest non-stopping distance: 2000 meters (new record!)

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Blackberry jam. I have misunderstood you all my life! The only two memories I had with blackberries are that they smell lovely in the summer heat in the wild but they don't taste much when you pop them fresh in the mouth. 

But jamming of blackberries is a whole different experience. First, those dark jewels smell just like walking in the countryside on a hot summer day when I mash them gently at the end the sugar maceration stage. They are fruity, sweet, a little bit floral with a background note of woody. When they are gently heated on the stove to dissolve the sugar completely, they come to alive. Aromatic enough to make my smell-blind hubby pop in asking me what I was doing, and definitely more fragrant than I've ever expected them to be. Blackberries have more subtle smell than it's more flamboyant cousins. It reminds of a ripe orchard full of delicious smells but I can't figure out which one is which. 

So that's why I am now properly smitten by this pot of glistening black gold, made from 300 g of blackberries, 200 g of sugar and some lemon juice. Tastes like summer condensed in a jar and can be enjoyed in the cool shades.

09/07/2020, Thursday

Total running distance: 4400 meters

Longest non-stopping distance: 2800 meters (new record!)

2020 weekly - week 27 (15th week of confinement)

27/06/2020, Sunday

My physio morning and afternoon routines for the coming week.

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Good news, starting from last Friday, I have been able to walk down stairs 95% normally! It's taken me almost 7 months to do so, one foot per step. Still a bit stiff but I can pretend that I can finally descend normally. Small (perhaps nothing to you) achievement but I am beyond happy. To see that my body still responds to physio, that reassures me.

01/07/2020, Wednesday

July is here, can you believe it? I've spent most of 2020 at home so far. Not so bad, if I am being honest. More productive with work and more efficient in time usage.

Total running distance: 4000 meters

Longest non-stopping distance: 1200 meters

02/07/2020, Thursday

One more meeting tomorrow and my week shall be done!

03/07/2020, Friday

Total running distance: 4000 meters

Longest non-stopping distance: 800 meters

2020 weekly - week 26 (14th week of confinement)

21/06/2020, Sunday

My physio morning and afternoon routines for the coming week.

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My right hip joint pain is almost gone. Good news. I went out without my keys. Bad move. The age is catching up with me.

Picnic at home, summer solstice 2020.

22/06/2020, Monday

A week of 25+ centigrade is waiting ahead. Sweating!

I surprised myself by having a rather a good run at the park today. It's warm but breezy, plus today is the first day of the exercise week.

Running: 4400 meters

Longest non-stopping distance: 800 meters

23-26/06/2020

Crazy week before the main meetings. And yes, it's 28C inside at the moment.

2020 weekly - week 25 (13th week of confinement)

14/06/2020, Sunday

My physio morning and afternoon routines for the coming week.

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I probably hurt my right hip joint during one of the exercises last week. I started to feel pain when I was doing getting up/down from a chair exercise. Thought it would recover the next day but no. Whenever I need to maneuver myself up from a sitting position, I get hip joint pain. I can still do some of the exercises but not the squat type or the chair ones. Well, I just have to wait for my hip to recover. Needless to say, frustrating.

15/06/2020, Monday

Running: 4000 meters

Longest non-stopping distance: 450 meters

17/06/2020, Wednesday

Rediscovered overnight oats. It's particularly good during hot weather days. You could prepare a batch of overnight oat for a week or use a jam jar every night before going to bed. Either way, I soak porridge oats with water and a squirt of lemon juice (1/4 cup oats per serving). I put some chia seeds in sometimes. Let it sit in the fridge and enjoy it in the morning with greek yogurt, fruits (dried or fresh) and peanut butter.

18/06/2020, Thursday

Must be the post-rain coolness. I had a pretty good run at the park today!

Running: 4400 meters (new record!)

Longest non-stopping distance: 800 meters

Hip joint pain is easing, probably 10% left. Doesn't affect me running though.

19/09/2020, Friday

The head quarter offered us a day off today. I was really in the mood of baking so I made quiche lorraine and scones. Soft scone dough is so much easier to work with especially with the help of cling film. It reshapes well and bakes marvelously tall. My 2.0 scone recipe is going to be my ultra favorite!

I make - Quiche Lorraine With Crème Fraîche Pastry

I started to realize one thing (finally), "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". Or rather, don't mess with it. All these years I've tried to minimize the fat content of my pie crust. The fact of the matter is, the less fat you add in , the more difficult the dough is to work with. Also, the less the ingredients, the easier it is, in all aspects. So I am slowly reverting back to the traditional pâte brisée recipe, with twice as much flour as fat by weight. It's easy to remember and flexible enough to tinker (yes, I know what I just said in the beginning).

Crème Fraîche Pastry

- 200 g gluten-free flour blend

- 1/2 tsp xanthan gum

- 1/4 tsp baking powder (optional)

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 1.5 tsp sugar

- 80 g cold butter (butter spread works well)

- 4 tbsp cold crème fraîche* + 1 yolk, plus extra crème fraîche if needed

- a large piece of cling film

- an egg white, beaten to brush the par-baked crust (optional)

Quiche Lorraine Filling

Combine flour, xanthan gum, baking powder (if using), salt and sugar in a large bowl. Mix to combine. Weight in cold butter and use a pastry cutter or flexible bench scraper to cut the butter into flour mixture. I prefer butter spread because it's easier to work with without much loss of flavor. When large bread crumbs are formed, spoon in 4 tablespoons of crème fraîche mixed with a yolk. Use a rubber spatula to mix to form a cohesive dough. If the dough is still crumbly when squeeze between fingers, add more crème fraîche, one tablespoon at a time. Alternatively, you could just use crème fraîche to form the dough. The yolk is for additional richness.

Lay a large piece of cling film on the working surface where you can tip out the pastry dough. Use cling film to gather the dough together to form a round dough shape. You will need to gently press the dough a few times for this. When a dough is formed without any loose crumbs, wrap the dough completely with the working cling film and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes. This allows the flour to be hydrated further. 

Preheat the oven at 180C. Roll the dough out to fit your pie dish. Because it's gluten-free flour, it's bound to break easily. Just handle delicately. It helps to roll between two pieces of cling film (or nonstick baking paper). With more practice, you will be able to shift the rolled-out dough onto the pie dish without too much patch work afterwards. Pierce the bottom of the pie crust with a fork or tip of a knife. Line the top of the crust with a large piece of baking paper and cover with ceramic baking beads. That's the only way to prevent crust shrinking for me. Bake for 15 minutes at 180C. Carefully remove the baking beads and the paper and put the crust back for another 8 minutes. After this, the crust is ready to be filled. I like to have an additional step to brush with the beaten egg and bake another 5 minutes but it's optional.

During the crust is baking, prepare the quiche filling as previously described. Turn the oven to 200C. Fill the crust as follows: first scatter some grated cheese to cover the bottom of the quiche, then the lardon/onion mixture, pour the custard in and finally more grated cheese on the top. Bake the quiche at 200C for 30 minutes, rotate the quiche 180 degrees half way through.

*Note: crème fraîche can be replaced with cold milk mixed with vodka. Vodka brings the dough together like water but it's alcohol evaporates during baking which gives a crispy crust. Start with 2 tablespoons of the liquid mixture before adding more. 

2020 weekly - week 24 (12th week of confinement)

07/06/2020, Sunday

My ankle circumference seems to reach a steady state right now as the measurements have not changed for a month or so. I also feel my physio routines have been maximised enough for my recovery. Therefore, I will not repeat the same measurements or routines again here. I will just refer back to the last week of May. 

My physio morning and afternoon routines for the coming week.

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I finished Killing Eve Season 3 two days ago. I think the portray of Villanelle is just remarkable. It's not just the character but the clothes, the eyes, every inch of her body move. Totally bewitching to see. Story line, on the other hand, does not feel it's getting better and better with the character Villanelle. The stories are still good or at least entertaining but without Jodie Comer's acting running through, I am afraid my attention span would not have lasted that long.

Season 3 also feels like a personal quest for Villanelle, a self exploration journey. She stops being a killing machine (for a moment) and starts to ponder what else is there for her. Even psychopaths do that. Imagine that!

08/06/2020, Monday

Running: 4000 meters

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Ever since I saw the sight of gluten-free puff pastry, I have always wanted to try it. So I made a family-size sausage roll on Sunday and the GF puff pastry did not disappoint! The dough seems easier to work with than the conventional one which gets sticky very quickly. The GF version does not and to my surprise it does not tear either (under normal working condition). And the best is the taste! For whatever reason, I managed to make a sausage roll whose crust tastes more flavorful than the filling (sausage meat with browned onions and mushrooms). No Matter. We had a nice meal and good impression with Jus-rol GF puff pastry.

12/06/2020, Friday

Running: 4000 meters

2020 weekly - week 23 (11th week of confinement)

31/05/2020, Sunday

Last day of May. It seems that times flies just as fast during the lockdown.
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Ankle circumference (tape going on top of tibia/fibula pointed parts):
left widest: 23cm
right widest: 24cm

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Morning routine:

0. Rucksack on with 4 kgs (2 big bottles of laundry liquid)
1. Warm up
    a. Alternating toe and heel walk: 5 minutes
    b. Calf raise on the stairs: 5 minutes
2. Alfredson Protocol: (15 reps on the right leg; 15 reps on the left leg)x3
3. Single leg calf raise: (1 minute on the right leg; 1 minute on the left leg)x3
4. Get up and sit down in a chair: (10 reps with left leg forward; 10 reps with right leg forward)x3
5. Split (stationary) lunges: (10 reps with left leg forward; 10 reps with right leg forward)x3
    5b.Backward lunges: (10 reps with left leg back; 10 reps with right leg back)x3
6. Arabesque: 8x3 (standing on the left leg), 8x3 (standing on the right leg)
7. Sumo squats: 10x2


Afternoon routine:

0. Warm-up: Body-weight squat+heel-raise: 20x4
1. Split (stationary) lunges: (10 reps with left leg forward; 10 reps with right leg forward)x4
2. Walking lunges: 4 minutes
3. Jogging on the spot: 2 minutes
4. Knee-high jumps: (45-sec on + 15-sec off)x4
5. Jumping squats: 10x3
6. Jacks: (Star 10 reps; Scissor 10 reps)x4
7. Standing Abs: cross-elbow, chopping, side leg-raise, front leg-raise
8. Side lunges with arms pushing out
9. Butt kicks: 10x3
10. Push-ups: 10x3

Also, I run three times a week during the afternoon routine, 1200 meters or more in several chunks depending on how I feel on the day. When I run, I just do half of the afternoon routine.

Discovered pan-fried chickpeas recently. It's such a nice side dish for roasted vegetables or any meal. I melted some butter in a pan and pour in cooked and drained chickpeas. Pan fry the chickpeas until the liquid is almost gone and season with cajun spice, garlic powder and sweet chilli sauce. Adjust the seasoning with salt and lemon juice. Serve! 
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01/06/2020, Monday

Feeling pretty meh today. Too hot? Maybe. just have no motivation for most things. Did my morning routine, no afternoon one. Went for an evening walk, starting to feel better.

02/06/2020, Tuesday

After a rather dispirited day yesterday, I am glad to say I feel more up this morning with more energy and drive. Did both morning routine and ran 4000 meters today in the park. Feeling content with what I did.

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Today, I may have the biggest cooking surprise: soy milk made from soy flour! I got a bag of soy flour for gluten-free bread making. The smallest bag I could find is 500 g and I only need 15 g each time for making bread. Knowing that I need to find other ways to use up soy flour, I chanced upon making soy milk from soy flour. What a revelation! I considered myself as knowing what a proper soy milk should taste like and let me tell you soy flour derived soy milk is pretty close. The flavor is 90% similar to the milk made from soy beans, which I am quite pleased to find out. And there is no hassle of grinding and filtering the bean mush. The soy flour is fine enough that its milk tastes pleasantly smooth without filtering.

Here is what I did: Mix 1 cup of soy flour in 4 cups (1 liter) hot water. Bring the pot to boil and reduce the heat to simmer without lid for 20 minutes. That's it! No sieving and you get to enjoy the whole soy beans. Stir or shake the soy milk before drinking. The soy milk is good as is. For variation, I like to add a big dollop of molasses to the soy milk when it's simmering. It's not traditional but provides a nice brown sugar background to the milk which I like.

03/06/2020, Wednesday

I have become a wimp when it comes to warm weather. I simply melt when the temperature is above 20C. After two weeks above 22 degrees, today it cooled down to 18C. Feeling marvelous, especially during the afternoon exercise in the park. Thoroughly enjoyable today.

During my evening walk today, we discovered two take-outs which serve gluten-free fish/chips and pizzas! It almost brought me to tears to see that my dining out (almost) life may not be as bad as I thought.

04/06/2020, Thursday

There was some maintenance work going on in the park so I couldn't do the proper laps. I started with some foot pain but after doing more warm-up seemed to help. In the end, I did roughly 2400 meters. 

Friday, I can't wait.

2020 weekly - week 22 (10th week of confinement)

24/05/2020, Sunday

Ankle circumference (tape going on top of tibia/fibula pointed parts):
left widest: 23cm
right widest: 24cm

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Morning routine:

0. Rucksack on with 4 kgs (2 big bottles of laundry liquid)
1. Warm up
    a. Alternating toe and heel walk: 5 minutes
    b. Calf raise on the stairs: 5 minutes
2. Alfredson Protocol: (15 reps on the right leg; 15 reps on the left leg)x3
3. Single leg calf raise: (1 minute on the right leg; 1 minute on the left leg)x3
4. Get up and sit down in a chair: (10 reps with left leg forward; 10 reps with right leg forward)x3
5. Split (stationary) lunges: (10 reps with left leg forward; 10 reps with right leg forward)x3
    5b.Backward lunges: (10 reps with left leg back; 10 reps with right leg back)x3
6. Arabesque: 8x3 (standing on the left leg), 8x3 (standing on the right leg)
7. Sumo squats: 10x2


Afternoon routine:

0. Warm-up: Body-weight squat+heel-raise: 20x4
1. Split (stationary) lunges: (10 reps with left leg forward; 10 reps with right leg forward)x4
2. Walking lunges: 4 minutes
3. Jogging on the spot: 2 minutes
4. Knee-high jumps: (45-sec on + 15-sec off)x4
5. Jumping squats: 10x3
6. Jacks: (Star 10 reps; Scissor 10 reps)x4
7. Standing Abs: cross-elbow, chopping, side leg-raise, front leg-raise
8. Side lunges with arms pushing out
9. Butt kicks: 10x3
10. Push-ups: 10x3

Also, I run three times a week during the afternoon routine, 1200 meters or more in several chunks depending on how I feel on the day. When I run, I just do half of the afternoon routine.
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25/05/2020, Monday

Hello, Bank holiday. Looks like another week of sunshine awaits. I planted one white geranium today, after looking at them in the supermarket for 2 weeks. To my surprise, plants from the three pots on the terrace all came back this year. One begonia, one dahlia and one mysterious plant which I still can't figure out. My orchid also blooms non-stop since January. Nature is full of surprises.

The locking feeling is pretty much gone from my ankle. Now my ankle/foot does not need a "transition" moment when I need to change movement. And I can "almost" manage walking down stairs like before. It's almost 6 months after the surgery back in end of November. Even though I was not prepared for miracle, I am still surprised by the amount of time (and efforts) it takes to be back.

26/05/2020, Tuesday

Time to get back to the physio routine. Was.Hard. That being said, I am quite proud of myself never having a week off since starting the physio in January. I hope to continue like that as long as I can.

Tuna salad today for post workout lunch. I stirred in a little bit of onion chutney just before eating. It brightens up the flavor so much that I have to write it down and do it again!

28/05/2020, Thursday

Running: 4000 meters (new record!)

29/05/2020, Friday

Running: 3200 meters (I blamed the heat)

2020 weekly - week 21 (9th week of confinement)

17/05/2020, Sunday

Ankle circumference (tape going on top of tibia/fibula pointed parts):
left widest: 23cm
right widest: 24cm

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Morning routine:

0. Rucksack on with 4 kgs (2 big bottles of laundry liquid)
1. Warm up
    a. Alternating toe and heel walk: 5 minutes
    b. Calf raise on the stairs: 5 minutes
2. Alfredson Protocol: (15 reps on the right leg; 15 reps on the left leg)x3
3. Single leg calf raise: (1 minute on the right leg; 1 minute on the left leg)x3
4. Get up and sit down in a chair: (10 reps with left leg forward; 10 reps with right leg forward)x3
5. Split (stationary) lunges: (10 reps with left leg forward; 10 reps with right leg forward)x3
    5b.Backward lunges: (10 reps with left leg back; 10 reps with right leg back)x3
6. Arabesque: 8x3 (standing on the left leg), 8x3 (standing on the right leg)
7. Sumo squats: 10x2


Afternoon routine:

0. Warm-up: Body-weight squat+heel-raise: 20x4
1. Split (stationary) lunges: (10 reps with left leg forward; 10 reps with right leg forward)x4
2. Walking lunges: 4 minutes
3. Jogging on the spot: 2 minutes
4. Knee-high jumps: (45-sec on + 15-sec off)x4
5. Jumping squats: 10x3
6. Jacks: (Star 10 reps; Scissor 10 reps)x4
7. Standing Abs: cross-elbow, chopping, side leg-raise, front leg-raise
8. Side lunges with arms pushing out
9. Butt kicks: 10x3
10. Push-ups: 10x3

Also, I run three times a week during the afternoon routine, 1200 meters or more in several chunks depending on how I feel on the day. When I run, I just do half of the afternoon routine.
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I am having a sort of cooking fatigue. Two cooked meals a day for two, plus clean-up afterwards, it's getting tiring after 8 weeks. As UK government continues to act like cowboys and prioritise economy over everything else, I am not very hopeful that the pandemic would be under control that soon.

18/05/2020, Monday

Soup for the week: Cauliflower and yellow split pea soup
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Running: 3600 meters

19/05/2020, Tuesday

Ironically we have one of the most marvelous springs this year, endless sunshine and body kissing warmth. I felt so special and privileged this morning when I had time to water my plants (begonia and dahlia came out surprisingly) and to read by a sunny window in the afternoon.

Can I say that I don't want the lockdown to end?

20/05/2020, Wednesday

Properly tired of cooking, yes. BBC has this good idea of creating fast food at home. It turned out that the nation is a lover of Egg McMuffin. Yes, I am also a lover of McMuffin, with all its variations. The eternal egg, cheese and ham combo, what's not to like? I made mine with smoked cheese. What a satisfying meal!
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Must be mad to make jam in the hottest day so far this year. We reached 26 degrees here today! Good that my apricot jam turned out golden and sticky. Can't wait to try this weekend!

21/05/2020, Thursday

Embarrassed to say that I skipped the afternoon exercise yesterday because it's so hot. The warmth stays on but I feel good this morning so I decided to give it a go. After two laps round the park, I started to wonder why I was the only one running!

Running: 3200 meters
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Made burgers today. I really like how the patty turned out this time so I decided to write down what I used: 500 g 5% beef mince, 3 tbsp grated Grana Padano, 3 tbsp porridge oats, 2 tbsp ground linseeds, 2 green onions, handful of fresh coriander, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tbsp ketchup, garlic powder, ground black pepper (needs 1 tsp salt next time). Because I was worried that the patty will be dry and hard, I added some milk (< 2 tbsp) and a small squirt of olive oil (< 1 tbsp) in. Perhaps the worry was unwarranted because the patty turned out flavorful, tender and moist. Not sure whether it's the oats or the linseeds which made it tender. Perhaps it's both. It's good to know that I don't need breadcrumbs to make burgers anymore.

22/05/2020, Friday

Already? End of the working week? We seem to get a small break from the relentless sunshine (can't believe such description is possible in the UK). Good day for the exercise in the park.
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Made pickled cucumber today, Swedish style with 3 tbsp vinegar + 2 tbsp sugar + wholegrain mustard + dills. They are chilling right now and should be ready for the next few days when sunshine picks up its pace.

Running: 3600 meters

2020 weekly - week 20 (8th week of confinement)

10/05/2020, Sunday

Ankle circumference (tape going on top of tibia/fibula pointed parts):
left widest: 23cm
right widest: 24cm

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Morning routine:

0. Rucksack on with 4 kgs (2 big bottles of laundry liquid)
1. Warm up
    a. Alternating toe and heel walk: 5 minutes
    b. Calf raise on the stairs: 5 minutes
2. Alfredson Protocol: (15 reps on the right leg; 15 reps on the left leg)x3
3. Single leg calf raise: (1 minute on the right leg; 1 minute on the left leg)x3
4. Get up and sit down in a chair: (10 reps with left leg forward; 10 reps with right leg forward)x3
5. Split (stationary) lunges: (10 reps with left leg forward; 10 reps with right leg forward)x3
    5b.Backward lunges: (10 reps with left leg back; 10 reps with right leg back)x3
6. Arabesque: 8x3 (standing on the left leg), 8x3 (standing on the right leg)
7. Sumo squats: 10x2


Afternoon routine:

0. Warm-up: Body-weight squat+heel-raise: 20x4
1. Split (stationary) lunges: (10 reps with left leg forward; 10 reps with right leg forward)x4
2. Walking lunges: 4 minutes
3. Jogging on the spot: 2 minutes
4. Knee-high jumps: (45-sec on + 15-sec off)x4
5. Jumping squats: 10x3
6. Jacks: (Star 10 reps; Scissor 10 reps)x4
7. Standing Abs: cross-elbow, chopping, side leg-raise, front leg-raise
8. Side lunges with arms pushing out
9. Butt kicks: 10x3
10. Push-ups: 10x3

Also, I run three times a week during the afternoon routine, 1200 meters or more in several chunks depending on how I feel on the day. When I run, I just do half of the afternoon routine.
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The weather was glorious yesterday with the temperature hitting 23C! Today it has crawled back, 10C at the moment in the early afternoon. Typical British weather, I would say.

11/05/2020, Monday

Soup for the week: Celery and Stilton soup
Dish for the week: Pork and beans

No vavavoom today. Was supposed to run but couldn't even finish a third of a lap! Too cold (~10C), overly windy or not properly warmed up? Who knows? I did (almost) the whole routine instead.

12/05/2020, Tuesday

My body is not working with me this week, still feeling a bit lethargic. I finished the morning routine, took a bit longer than usual. Let's gather some strength for the afternoon!

Running: 2000 meters
Warming up properly definitely helps me run. Don't skip warm-up exercise again before running.

Iso-baking: cheese scones

14/05/2020, Thursday

Running: 3200 meters

Yes, my body is working with me now. The morning routine feels harder than the afternoon one, odd. But I just need to keep at it.

Iso-baking: crème fraîche scones (weekend breakfast is set!)

15/05/2020, Friday

Running: 3600 meters (a new record!)

I make - Gluten-Free Crème Fraîche Scones

It seems that everyone is making scones these days. Well, it's my turn!

For gluten-free scones, I noticed that the texture is lighter and much less doughy when the scones have cooled completely to the room temperature. Warm ones are still good but the cooled ones are better in my opinion.

Depending on how decadent you want your scones to be, I specify a range of amount to choose from for certain ingredients. For most luxurious scones, it has to be made with crème fraîche and highest amount of butter. You won't regret it!

Crème fraîche scones

200 g gluten-free flour* (with xanthan gum added)
1 tbsp ground golden linseeds (optional)
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
60-80 g cold butter (depending how rich you want your scones to be)
60 g crème fraîche/yogurt/buttermilk
2 tbsp marmalade (or 20 g honey or 1 tbsp sugar)
1 medium egg, beaten and save 2 tbsp aside for brushing the top
50 g porridge oats or 1/2 cup soaked/drained sultanas (optional)

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, ground linseeds if using, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt. Use a whisk to mix the dry ingredients. Cut the cold butter in very thin slices, as thin as you can (<0.3cm), and add to the flour mixture. This is my favorite way. Some grate the cold butter into the flour mixture. It's up to you. Then use a bench scraper (a curved and flexible one works best in a bowl) or a rubber spatula to "cut" the butter in. When big breadcrumbs are formed, use fingertips to rub the crumbs into finer ones. Stir in oats/sultanas if using.

Make a well in the flour bowl and pour in crème fraîche, marmalade/honey and all but 2 tbsp beaten egg. First mix the liquids in the bottom of the well. Then use a rubber spatula to incorporate the flour mixture into the liquids,  until everything is well combined. If the dough is too dry, spoon in some crème fraîche/yogurt/buttermilk, 1 tablespoon at a time. You should not have more than a tablespoon of dry flour at the bottom of the bowl.

Tip the crumbly mixture out to a lightly floured surface. Knead into a dough with as little strokes as you can. Roll out the dough into a rectangle. Cut into three equal parts and stack them on top of each other (like the picture below). Roll the stacked dough out to a thickness of 2.5cm. This stacking method helps build the layers in the scones.

From https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/bas-best-buttermilk-biscuits

At this stage, you can rest the folded dough wrapped in cling film in the fridge (for 1-2 hours) or bake it straight away.

For baking, preheat the oven at 200C. Roll the dough out to a thickness of 2-cm. Use a 5-cm or 6-cm cutter to cut out as many scones as you can (I get 14 scones with a 5-cm cutter and 7 scones with a 6-cm cutter. See the top picture). You will need to gather and re-roll the dough a few times to complete the task. Brush the scone top with the beaten egg. I put another tray under the scone tray as my oven runs a bit hot from below. Bake the scones at 200C for 15 minutes.

*I sometimes use 175 g GF flour + 25 g ground almond for more tender texture
For variations, lemon and poppy seeds or orange and cranberries are both great. I add the citrus zest to the flour mixture when making variations along with the poppy seeds or cranberries.

I make - Cheese Scones

Four weeks on since the lockdown, I increasingly find it hard to have a regular/usual dinner. We now have a bigger lunch because, well, we are at home and just come back from exercise. The lunch is still soup based but with bread and some ham (for hubby), and cookies for me (one can never have too many cookies). We normally finish with a piece of fruit each by 15:30. I guess it makes dinner at 20:00 more difficult as there is not enough time to digest. I can push the dinner time by 30 minutes late but need to think about the amount and type of food we eat. Hence, a savory cake (cake salé) with some ham and salad serves us well the other night. Tonight I am thinking that cheese scones with cream cheese and onion chutney and sweet chili sauce may just do the trick.

Gluten-free cheese scones, adapted from Felicity Cloake's recipe

200 g gluten-free flour blend of your choice*

1/2 tsp xanthan gum
3 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard (or 1 tsp English mustard powder)
50g cold butter
85g grated mature cheddar, split into 70g and 15g
1 tbsp finely chopped green onions (or dry onion flakes)
120ml cold yogurt/buttermilk
1 egg, beaten and save 2 tbsp for brushing the top

A large piece of cling film

Put the flour, baking powder, salt and mustard powder into a large mixing bowl and whisk together until smooth and well combined.

Grate in the butter, then rub it in with your fingertips until it looks like wet sand. Mix in 70 g cheese and the green onions (or dry onion flakes), and then stir to combine.

Mix yogurt/buttermilk with all beaten egg except 2 tbsp. Drizzle first the 100ml of liquid into the flour mixture until the dough just comes away from the edge of the bowl; don’t handle it any more than is necessary. If the dough seems dry, drizzle in the remaining liquid, 1 tablespoon at a time. 

Lay a large piece of cling film on the work surface and tip the dough on it. Use cling film to gently work the dough into a rectangle about 2.5cm high. Rest the dough in the fridge, at least 30 minutes up to a few hours. This allows flour to hydrate better. 

Heat the oven at 200C. Remove the dough from the fridge. Unwrap the dough and cut out individual scones with a fluted cutter on the cling film. I prefer smaller savory scones so I use a 5cm wide cutter. The number of scones can range from 9-12 depending on the thickness of the dough, reshaping as necessary with the help of the cling film.

Lay the scones on a baking tray and brush the top with the saved beaten egg. Scatter the remaining 15 g cheese over the top and bake at 200C for about 15 minutes until golden. I put another tray under the scone tray as my oven runs a bit hot from below. Allow to cool slightly on a rack before splitting open.

*I sometimes use 175 g GF flour + 50 g porridge oat for more texture.

I make - Cake Salé with Basil, Cheddar and Pine Nuts

This cake salé simulates the flavor of pesto. Wonderful for aperitif, picnic or a light meal.

Cake salé with basil, cheddar and pine nuts

150 g gluten-free flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt (optional)
1 tablespoon sugar (optional)
3 eggs
45 ml oil
150 g plain yogurt (or 125 g milk)
100 g grated cheddar cheese
1/4 cup basil leaves, chiffonade cut
Optional add-ins total 1/3 cup: olives, cranberries, sun-dried tomatoes
2-3 tablespoons of pine nuts

Preheat oven at 180C. Grease and line a cake tin.

I use all-in-one method here because there is no gluten in my flour. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar. Mix with a rubber spatula.

Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture, put in eggs, oil and yogurt. Mix everything well with an electric beater. When the batter is smooth, use a rubber spatula to mix in cheese, basil leaves and additional add-ins if using (I use olives and cranberries). Pour the batter into a cake tin. Scatter the pine nuts on top. Bake at 180C for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. My cake is done at 38 minutes.

Cool to room temperature before serving.

2020 weekly - week 19 (7th week of confinement)

03/05/2020, Sunday

Ankle circumference (tape going on top of tibia/fibula pointed parts):
left widest: 23cm
right widest: 24cm

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Morning routine:

0. Rucksack on with 4 kgs (2 big bottles of laundry liquid)
1. Warm up
    a. Alternating toe and heel walk: 5 minutes
    b. Calf raise on the stairs: 5 minutes
2. Alfredson Protocol: (15 reps on the right leg; 15 reps on the left leg)x3
3. Single leg calf raise: (1 minute on the right leg; 1 minute on the left leg)x3
4. Get up and sit down in a chair: (10 reps with left leg forward; 10 reps with right leg forward)x3
5. Split (stationary) lunges: (10 reps with left leg forward; 10 reps with right leg forward)x3
    5b.Backward lunges: (10 reps with left leg back; 10 reps with right leg back)x3
6. Arabesque: 8x3 (standing on the left leg), 8x3 (standing on the right leg)
7. Sumo squats: 10x2


Afternoon routine:

0. Warm-up: Body-weight squat+heel-raise: 20x4
1. Split (stationary) lunges: (10 reps with left leg forward; 10 reps with right leg forward)x4
2. Walking lunges: 4 minutes
3. Jogging on the spot: 2 minutes
4. Knee-high jumps: (45-sec on + 15-sec off)x4
5. Jumping squats: 10x3
6. Jacks: (Star 10 reps; Scissor 10 reps)x4
7. Standing Abs: cross-elbow, chopping, side leg-raise, front leg-raise
8. Side lunges with arms pushing out
9. Butt kicks: 10x3
10. Push-ups: 10x3

I now incorporate running in to the afternoon routine, three times a week, 1200 meters or more in several chunks depending on how I feel on the day. When I run, I just do half of the afternoon routine.
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I went for test drive this afternoon. I felt quite confident before I went and after driving for 10 minutes I feel really good. I am back on the road!

04/05/2020, Monday

Soup of the week: Nigel Slater's split pea tomato soup
Dish of the week: Sausage ragu
Dessert: Loaf tin cheesecake

Running: 3200 meters!

Jumping has become more natural for me. Two weeks ago it felt as if my ankle was not supposed to do jumping, you know the funny feeling but not painful. After practicing for two weeks, it feels more natural to jump. Good to see that my body continues to respond to the physio.

06/05/2020, Wednesday

Running: 3200 meters!

Made a sharing creme caramel today. It's super easy and tasty. The custard base is two eggs with 300 ml milk (1 egg: 150 ml milk ratio seems to work wonder). 160C for 25-30 min in a water bath and it's done. Couldn't be easier.

07/05/2020, Thursday

Did an online yoga session with colleagues today, after my morning physio routine. And it would be followed by my afternoon routine. Pretty packed day for exercise.

My work PC died again. Went to the office to tinker with the power lead. Nothing works. Was put on a replacement machine. Let's see how long it will take our oh-so-great IT team to fix it.

08/05/2020, Friday

The Early May Bank Holiday has changed to coincide with the Victory in Europe Day (VE Day) this year which is today. Sunny, warm, still in lockdown, the country celebrated under the necessary constraints. Selfless people sacrificed themselves so that we the current generation can live in peaceful time. Never forget.

Running: 3200 meters!
Can't believe that I did three 3K runs this week. Although today I have to say it took me longer to complete, I am so glad that I willed myself to finish it. Nice way to finish the week.

I make - Loaf Tin Cheesecake

It's a revelation to discover cheesecake baked in a rectangular loaf tin. The amount is just right for two people and it's much easier to store in the fridge as it does not take up the whole shelf. Needless to say, I use this opportunity to try various cheesecake recipes. Here are two of my favorites, Mr Cheesecake from Tokyo famous shop and Basque burnt cheesecake which has taken the internet by the storm. Being a scientific nerd, I made a comparison chart. I scaled down the BA's recipe to use the same eggs as Mr. Cheesecake. And here is how they compare:

Ingredient		Mr Cheesecake		Basque burnt cheesecake
Cream cheese		200 g		300 g
Sugar		100 g		100 g
Eggs		2		2
Sour cream		180 g		n/a
Cream		100 g		150 g
Greek yogurt		50 g		n/a
Cornstarch		20 g		20 g
White chocolate		50 g		n/a
Lemon juice		9 g		n/a
Vanilla extract		1 tsp*		1/3 tsp

*my inclusion.

As you can see both recipes are actually quite similar. Basque burnt cheesecake has more cheese per recipe whereas Mr Cheesecake uses more dairy products (both in type and in quantity) other than cream cheese. Both are easy to whip up and great base for adaptation. I do find Mr Cheesecake's recipe a bit too sweet for me, probably because of the white chocolate. My favorite variation is to add raspberries which not just provides color pop but also lends acidity and flavor to the final product. I am still working on the baking temperature and time in order to have the silky smooth texture. So watch this space!

Mr Cheesecake's cheesecake with raspberries

I make - teff oatmeal cookies

Since becoming gluten-free, snacking has become less straightforward. Most shop bought products are out of bounds. And the Free From aisles only offer limited choices. I suppose I should use this opportunity to get my snacking habit under control but do I really want to? I feel that I have been restricted enough in food and I don't want food to take over my life. Another control issue, eh, you said. Well, let's just say I know the theory.

Teff oatmeal cookies

110 g butter spread (or 80g butter with 3 tbsp oil)
1/2 cup | 100 g brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon orange extract
1 cup Teff flour (I used 3/4 cup | 100 g Teff + 1/4 cup | 27 g tapioca)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups porridge oats
1 cup raisins, soaked and drained (or other dried fruits, even chocolate chips)
3 tablespoons nuts/seeds (optional)

Method

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 180C. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.

2. Melt butter in 20-cm pot over medium-high heat and turn the heat of when 80% of butter has melted. Add granulated sugar to the melted butter and whisk until combined. Stir in egg, vanilla and orange extract. Whisk until mixture is smooth. Using wooden spoon or spatula, stir in flour mixture until fully combined, about 1 minute. Add oats and raisins, if using, and stir until evenly distributed. The dough is malleable with 1 1/4 cup of oats. You can increase the oats to 2 cups and the mixture will be stiffer.

4. Divide dough into 20 portions, each about ping-pong ball size. Arrange dough balls 2-cm apart on prepared sheets. The cookies do not spread much. Using your damp hand, press each ball into 0.8cm disk. You can rest the dough for 1-2 hours or bake straight away.

5. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until cookie edges are set and lightly browned and centers are still soft but not wet, 8 to 10 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Let cookies cool on sheet on wire rack for 5 minutes; using wide metal spatula, transfer cookies to wire rack and let cool completely.

2020 weekly - week 18 (6th week of confinement)

26/04/2020, Sunday

Ankle circumference (tape going on top of tibia/fibula pointed parts):
left widest: 23cm
right widest: 24cm

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Morning routine:

0. Rucksack on with 4 kgs (2 big bottles of laundry liquid)
1. Warm up
    a. Alternating toe and heel walk: 5 minutes
    b. Calf raise on the stairs: 5 minutes
2. Alfredson Protocol: (15 reps on the right leg; 15 reps on the left leg)x3
3. Single leg calf raise: (1 minute on the right leg; 1 minute on the left leg)x3
4. Get up and sit down in a chair: (10 reps with left leg forward; 10 reps with right leg forward)x3
5. Split (stationary) lunges: (10 reps with left leg forward; 10 reps with right leg forward)x3
    5b.Backward lunges: (10 reps with left leg back; 10 reps with right leg back)x3
6. Arabesque: 8x3 (standing on the left leg), 8x3 (standing on the right leg)
7. Sumo squats: 10x2


Afternoon routine:

0. Warm-up: Body-weight squat+heel-raise: 20x4
1. Split (stationary) lunges: (10 reps with left leg forward; 10 reps with right leg forward)x4
2. Walking lunges: 4 minutes
3. Jogging on the spot: 2 minutes
4. Knee-high jumps: (45-sec on + 15-sec off)x4
5. Jumping squats: 10x3
6. Jacks: (Star 10 reps; Scissor 10 reps)x4
7. Standing Abs: cross-elbow, chopping, side leg-raise, front leg-raise
8. Side lunges with arms pushing out
9. Butt kicks: 10x3
10. Push-ups: 10x3

I also try to run three times a week during the afternoon routine, 1200-2000 meters in several chunks depending on how I feel on the day. When I run, I just do half of the afternoon routine.
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I've been taking iron supplements for a month and it turned out that I've been taken it wrong! It should be on empty stomach and I've been taking it during meals. This iron supplement is really finicky, has to be on empty stomach and not with dairy/eggs/soy/wholegrain. Not gonna lie, I do feel some frustration with my body at some moments, such as this one.

27/04/2020, Monday

Running: 2000 meters
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Soup of the week: celery and blue cheese soup (this one is always a winner)
Dish of the week: teriyaki salmon and steamed rice

29/04/2020, Wednesday

Running: 2400 meters

The weather was not good today with wet ground and grass. So I mostly did running with a very shortened exercise set.

30/04/2020, Thursday

Not sure whether it's the weather (been raining and cold this week) or what, I totally lost the motivation to work. Even for my physio I had to muster some will today. But I did everything again, with gentle push from me and the hubby.

01/05/2020, Friday

Got a call from GP informing me about the blood test results. The numbers are going at the right directions, a big relief, despite having taken the tablets sub-optimally. It looks like I need to continue with the tablets for next three months and another blood test to confirm.

Can't ask for a better birthday gift today.

I make - gluten-free buckwheat sandwich bread

I'm moving into gluten-free bread. One good thing with gluten-free baking is that you can mix the dough as much as you want without any worry. Because there is no gluten, it's impossible to toughen the dough. I am still adjusting my mind set when it comes to baked goods. Gluten free (GF) is different, period. You can't expect GF to have the same texture as the wheat based products. That aside, I am learning about other types of flour. Buckwheat is a very nice surprise. A wholegrain gluten free flour produces nutty sweet aroma when baking. This buckwheat bread is a delight.

Buckwheat sandwich bread

Wet mixture
15 g psyllium husk powder (3 tbsp for me, 5% of the main flour)
15 g honey (or sugar) (5% of the flour)
6 g salt (2% of the flour)
400 g water

Dry mixture
300 g buckwheat flour (I use 260 g buckwheat + 40 g tapioca)
15 g soya flour (5% of the main flour)
15 g chia seeds (1.5 tbsp for me, 5% of the main flour)
1.5 tsp fast-action yeast
1 egg
45 g mixed seeds/nuts (optional)
30 g butter at room temperature (10% of the main flour)

Grease and line a sandwich loaf tin.

Prepare the wet mixture by mixing psyllium husk powder, honey/sugar, salt with 400 g water. Stir to make sure psyllium husk powder is well dispersed. Set aside while preparing the dry mixture.

Combine buckwheat flour, soya flour and chia seeds in a big bowl. Scatter in the dry yeast and the mixed seeds/nuts if using. Mix everything well. Add in the wet mixture (it should now look like a gel) and 1 egg. Use a rubber spatula or a machine to thoroughly mix the dough. The dough looks rather like a very thick batter which is normal. Check the bottom of the bowl to make sure all dry ingredients are well mixed in. Then beat the soft butter into the batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared tin. Let the batter rise in a warm environment until the volume has doubled (45-60 minutes). Preheat the oven at 190C.

Spray water thoroughly the surface of the risen dough and bake at 190C for 45-50 minutes.

My sandwich tin gives me 17 1-cm slices, each slice has 103 kcal.

Variation 1: 200 g buckwheat + 60 g teff + 40 g tapioca + corn oil: the buckwheat nutty flavor is reduced, same nice texture