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)

I make - gluten-free no-yeast bagels

First attempt to make gluten-free bagels. The same recipe which uses equal weight of flour and yogurt is also the base for flatbread, dough balls, pizza crust. I added some linseeds and psyllium husks to the dough. Not only did they add some fiber and nutrients, but also they make the dough easier to handle.

No-yeast gluten-free bagels by Sarah Howells

Ingredients for 4 bagels
200 ml natural yoghurt
200g self-raising gluten free flour (for DIY version see note)
1 tbsp ground linseeds (optional)
1 tsp psyllium husks (optional)
1/2 tsp salt (optional)
1 tbsp sugar (optional)

For the topping:
1 medium egg (beaten)
1 tsp sesame seeds
1 tsp poppy seeds
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic granules

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 200'C/ 180'C fan/ Gas 6. Line a baking tray with a sheet of baking paper and set to one side.

Add everything (except for the topping) to a large mixing bowl. Use a spoon or spatula to start to mix the ingredients together - as it thickens into a dough, use your hands to bring it all together into a dough.

Split the mixture into four pieces (weighing around 100g each) and shape into a ball in your hand. Flatten the ball slightly and use your thumb to shape a hole in the middle.

Place the four bagels on a baking sheet. Brush with beaten egg. In a small bowl mix the seasoning together, then sprinkle generously over the top of each bagel.

Bake for 20-22 minutes until golden on top. Cool on a wire rack before cutting in half and topping.

Notes
This recipe is based on using FREEE by Doves Farm self-raising gluten free flour. If your flour mix doesn't contain xanthan gum you'll need to add around 1/4 tsp of this to the bagel mixture too.

If you only have plain gluten free flour you will need to add 2 tsp of gluten free baking powder per 100g of flour to create self-raising flour.

Tasting note: Since I deviated from the original recipe, here is how the modified recipe tasted. It's not good. Dense and hard. Not to the level of cookie but just tasted dry and dense. Some say when it's in the form of flatbread, it's better. The key is to roll very thin, though. May give the flatbread version a try. As it stands, no repeat in the bagel form.

I make - Gluten-Free Banana Bread

I always like banana bread. It's a great base with all sorts of add-ins and flavorings, chocolate, nuts, candied ginger or dried fruits. I've tried them all. As much as I like the combo with candied ginger or with thyme, the vanilla version is the one I make the most. I just love the simple unadulterated banana flavor and texture. This is one of the first recipes I converted when I became gluten-free. For me, a good banana bread is like what life should be, unfussy and pure pleasure, gluten-free or not.

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

I make - gluten-free shortbreads

Shortbreads have more butter in proportion than shortcrust pastry. That's one thing I discovered today after looking up recipes. The traditional shortcrust pastry has two parts of flour with 1 part of butter. Shortbreads have more than 50% butter, usually around 60% and above! Well, look away dieters.

Gluten-free shortbreads

200 g gluten-free flour (30 g cornstarch + 30 g teff/rice flour + 140 g all-purpose GF flour)

110 g butter (55% of the flour)

50 g sugar

1/4 tsp xanthan gum if not included int he all-purpose GF flour

optional flavoring: vanilla extract, orange/lemon zest

Beat butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in flour and xanthan gum. The mixture may need a couple of minutes to absorb the butter but it will. I sometimes add a tablespoon of liqueur (e.g. amaretto) to add some flavor without too much water.

Roll out the dough to a pie dish, or a rectangle on a baking tray. Chill the dough for 20 minutes in the fridge. Preheat the oven at 180C.

Remove the dough from the fridge, cut the dough into wedges or small rectangles. Dock the surface with a fork. Bake 18-20 minutes (the thickness of my shortbread is about 0.7cm). If thicker, bake 20-25 minutes.

When the baking is done, remove the shortbreads out of oven and cut again immediately along the cutting lines made before baking. Let the shortbreads cool on the baking dish completely before moving to the wire rack.

Bessine's Gâteau au Yaourt

Despite making it so many times, I only tasted the authentic French yogurt cake once made by my mother-in-law. It was so long ago that I actually didn't remember much, except for the nice dome shape she always created for all her cakes. During one of our trips to France while staying in a B&B, I tasted again le gâteau au yaourt véritable. Initially I couldn't figure which recipe it was because the cake was so tender and the crumb so fine. It was perfumed with just a smidgen of vanilla but the flavor was incroyable. The cake just reminds me what it means to have good quality of eggs, butter and flour and nothing else. Pure pleasure. This cake tasted buttery, light and every bite just bringing a satisfying smile to me. I was totally under its spell. I asked the B&B owner at the end of our breakfast and he told me it's gâteau au yaourt. I told him how much I liked the cake and I could see that he made the cake every mornings for the remaining of our stay. How very sweet.

Needless to say, I have been wanting to recreate the gâteau au yaourt since I came back. As much as I like my tried-and-tested yogurt cake recipe, the texture is different. It tastes buttery without the heaviness of butter. Also, I noticed that despite being a household cake/recipe, the ratio of yogurt, flour and eggs does vary from recipe to recipe. The recipe can be proper cake-like to more muffin type (flour heavy). As with any family recipe, everyone has a preferred taste. No doubt that they all make lovely gâteau au yaourt, but I am looking for my Gâteau au yaourt de Bessine. 

The recipe below produces a nice and light cake, good for breakfast and for dessert. Is it close to what I was looking for? Not exactly but 80% close. Perhaps my memory was playing a trick with me, but this cake will not.

Le gâteau au yaourt de Bessine

3 medium eggs
1/2 cup sugar (2 tablespoons more if for dessert)
60ml sunflower oil
pinch of salt
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup gluten-free flour
1/4 cup ground almond (or use flour instead)
2 tsp baking powder
zest from 1 lemon or orange
Optional: lemon syrup (1 tbsp lemon juice + 2 tbsp sugar) to brush the baked cake top

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

In a bowl mix eggs, sugar and salt with a whisk for 3 minutes. Stir in oil and yogurt. Mix again.

Sift in flour, ground almond, baking powder and citrus zest into the egg mixture. Stir to combine.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin. Bake the cake at 180C for 30 minutes. When the cake passes the toothpick test, remove it out of the oven and brush the top of the cake with lemon syrup, if desired (like the top picture).

Variation 1: orange and walnuts
Variation 2: lemon and poppy seeds
Variation 3: apples and cinnamon

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!)