Broccoli & Leek Soup

BROCOLLI & LEEK SOUP

Here's my recipe. I was going to use one I found online but my terrors hid my phone so I had to make it up. I have to say it turned out quite nice.

2 leeks

1 decent head of broccoli

3 cups chicken stock

1 clove minced garlic

1/2 cup coconut milk (or cows milk/cream or both if no allergies)

Chop leeks and saute with garlic for a few minutes, add the broccoli and saute for a further 3 minutes.

Add your stock and cook until broccoli is soft but not mushy (we don't want mushy!)

Blend with a stick blender or food processor/blender.

Stir in milk.

Serve.

Some nice parmesan bread would be perfect with this. 

It's healthy, allergy safe (for most common allergies) and tastes delicious.

One of those days

You know the days I mean, the ones where you want to crawl into a hole, the kids are driving you bat shit crazy and it's taking all your strength to just not flip your shit.

 The twins were sick last night so we got very little sleep.  Jackson has taken to biting his brother. The crying, the tantrums, the throwing and destroying things.  How am I ever going to make it to bedtime? I really have no idea how we will. All I want is sleep. The house is so so messy because all my energy is focused on them and the other will destroy things while I am calming the other and vice versa.

Lovely Ballarat weather has it so we can't play outside today nor can I get much washing done with all this rain. 

Is it even normal to feel petrified of the day? 

I know once bedtime comes around I am going to be very grateful.

Don't get me wrong I love my kids, I love them more than I can tell you today is just one of those really, really hard days.

It will get better, it will get easier.

Flowers

Today I bought myself a bunch of flowers. A few reasons why, I loved the colours, hubby never buys them for me and as motivation.
How can flowers be motivational? Because tomorrow I have to clean my dining room, I am sick of the clutter and how nice will the room look with no clutter, no mess and a pretty bunch of flowers, so that is why these flowers for me will be motivational.

Aren't they pretty?!

I love fresh flowers (my hayfever doesn't quite love them as much as I do!)
It felt good too to buy something to make the house look nice, I know they won't last long but I made myself smile and that is a big thing.

Car Rental Nightmare

I was in such a happy place this week, I was going to see family friends who are over from the UK, my car is currently in need of repair so I jumped online and booked a car through a hire company, I read the terms and conditions and booked in one to suit us and thought that was it. I was wrong. I received a phone call this morning (on a sunday) to confirm my booking and was then told that they have a $300 deposit needed to be taken off my card that day, I don't have that kind of money on the spot and nobody to help me either, I'd love to have $700 to give to them (hire costs plus this new found deposit) if I had that though my car would be fixed.
I am beyond upset, nowhere on the website or whilst booking did it mention this deposit and to let me know on a sunday less than 24 hours before I am due to pick it up is beyond a joke.
So now I don't get to see our friends who have flown over from the UK or spend St Patricks Day with my parents where my mum has made costumes for the kids, I feel horrible. We don't have to direct train route either, there is literally nothing I can do.
I haven't cried this much for a very long time, I was motivated by the fact we were going, excited, things were getting done. Now that's all come crashing down because a company failed to communicate with its customer.
I want to curl up in a ball for the rest of the day, the kids are playing quietly, its not often they see the uncontrollable tears, usually I hide away to cry, today has been all too much.

Quick update

Just a very quick update to let you all know I'm still here! I've been quite busy planning things and getting organised but I'll be doing a proper post tomorrow.

We have been eating well, exercising regularly and starting to feel better (amongst the bad days and the days where I want the world to swallow me up!) 

Brighter Days

A massive leap forward, something I have been brave enough to admit. I need help. It has taken a lot of arguments with myself and others, a lot of behaviour I am far from proud of, a lot of confusion to come to this decision, I must go to the doctors and go on medication for my bi-polar, it is destroying me and my family without it. Medication doesn't mean I am weak, it doesn't mean I am broken or pathetic, it means I am strong enough to admit I can't do this alone, I have tried for so long.

On top of the medications I will be trying other things too that I have learnt help bi-polar, I don't know if any of these actually work but it can't hurt to try.
- Omega 3 & Folate supplements (or foods richer in these)
- Regular exercise to boost those happy hormones
- Lepidolite - a crystal containing natural lithium which is a common medication for bi-polar
This is all I have at the moment but as I learn I will add more. So whilst this may not be a long or glamorous post it is an important one.

Clean eating meal plan Jan 25th - Feb 8th

I don't really have the energy to write this so please excuse how simple it is.
I've done our meal plan and will hopefully get some recipes and pictures up as we cook this week. Most things I'm making in bulk not only to feed us 6 but to freeze for next weeks meals to save time and money.

Saturday 25th
Breakfast - Peanut butter & apples
Lunch - Fish nuggets & sweet potato fries
Dinner - Kale, pumpkin & potato soup

Sunday 26th
Breakfast - Breakfast parfait
Lunch - Chicken salad sandwich
Dinner - Free meal since we won't be home

Monday 27th

Breakfast - Mango & banana smoothie
Lunch - Chicken salad with apples
Dinner - Sweet potato gnocchi
 

Tuesday 28th
Breakfast - Boiled egg with vegemite toast
Lunch - Banana boats
Dinner - Balsamic steak rolls

Wednesday 29th

Breakfast - Breakfast parfait
Lunch - Turkey, brie & apple sandwich
Dinner - Mushroom & spinach omelette 

Thursday 30th

Breakfast - Berry crumble
Lunch - Egg salad wrap
Dinner - Cashew chicken

Friday 31st

Breakfast - Boiled egg with vegemite toast
Lunch - Salad & hummus wrap
Dinner - Spinach & feta quinoa cakes with a lemon & dill yogurt sauce

The following week will be repeats of these in a different order.