Posted by Sylvia on December 31st, 2007 — Posted in Tips
Did you make resolutions for the new year? “Lose weight” has never worked for me and “lose 5 pounds” sort of backfired when I lost 5 and gained 15! So this year, I’ve gone for a different sort of resolution.
Dance more.
Losing weight is a question of changing your lifestyle and there’s no question that I’ve become much more sedentary as time goes on.
I like to boogie when no one can see me although it’s not something I have ever thought of as “exercise”. But why not? I mean, a good track (especially something from my teen years) can have me bouncing all over the room and panting for breath at the end of it.
So I’m making myself a play-list of songs, called BOUNCE, which I’m filling up with tunes that make me want to dance. I was planning to borrow my son’s ipod to play the songs while I’m doing the housekeeping or cooking, although he’s just informed me that dancing to the B52s “Loveshack” while I’m waiting for the kettle to boil is not motherly behaviour, so maybe that’s out. I can always use the laptop, anyway.
Help me out! Recommend songs that are guaranteed to get these toes tapping and I, uh… well, I promise to update Endiet with my dancing escapades. What a deal 
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Posted by Sylvia on September 27th, 2007 — Posted in Tips
Tis the season to gain weight: traditionally we’d be making the best of the harvest to put on a bit of fat to get us through the winter. That may not be necessary for most of us anymore, but there sure is a glut of good food to choose from. There should be no problem at all getting your 5-a-day servings of fruit and vegetable during this wonderful season.
My favourite food in the whole world is in season right now: mushrooms! I had chanterelles at almost every meal during a recent trip to Germany, if you can find these small wild mushrooms, I highly recommend them. iVillage has posted ‘Shroom 101: The shopper’s guide to mushrooms with three pages of helpful tips and tricks, followed by a set of mushroom recipes. Go get inspired.
And then there is another favourite of mine: artichokes. Steam them gently and then just serve, letting everyone dip the leaves in home-made mayonaisse or just plain melted butter for a good and fun starter.
Fennel is an oft overlooked autumn vegetable: slice it thin and serve it in salads, cut it into chunks and add it to your soups, braise it whole or even roast it alongsie the root vegetables: it’s very versatile and gives a lovely accent to any meal. Squashes are starting to appear which you can roast or mash or even grill. Leeks and onions are in season now too and late season sweet corn is, in my opinion, at its sweetest and juiciest right now. Don’t get the shrink-wrapped stuff, find it fresh, still in the husk. I love to eat this off the barbecue: pull of the husk and remove all the strings, then wrap the cobs back up in the husks and put them on the coals (or under the grill) for 10 minutes. Yum!
My least favourite food is in season this month too, just to balance things out: parsnips. These are commonly roasted and sometimes cut into squares to allow the unsuspecting guest to believe they are roast potato. Cruel practice, and I recommend none of you do such a thing. I’ll concede they aren’t bad in a stew, but that’s all.
This is also a great time to go out and pick your own: blackberries, damnsons, elderberries and greengages are all ready for picking and often you can find them there for the taking in the English countryside.
This is also the time to stock up on apples. Leave them lying around as a tasty and healthy snack. As the weather starts to get a bit chillier you might find yourself inspired to make hot apple pie - especially if you take a look at this American site about making the perfect apple pie.
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Posted by Dom on August 23rd, 2007 — Posted in Links, Tips
Here’s a few good tips for dieting and losing weight from healthadel.com.
Probably the most useful one is not to obsess over the numbers. Concentrating on making small changes to your lifestyle that change the way you feel is far more effective than worrying about what the bathroom scales are telling you.
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Posted by Sylvia on August 17th, 2007 — Posted in Tips
We’re really waiting for September to arrive now with the autumn harvests and time of plenty. Meanwhile, you want to be watching those blackberry bushes for fruit and keep an eye out for new potatoes. Personally, I’ll also be checking the corn on the cob for sale locally! The best (juicy) sweetcorn has a very brief season so I want to make sure not to miss it.
Hands up: how many of you have never had fresh peas. Although frozen peas are very convenient, you really should try them straight from the garden! This is the time to buy fresh peas and cook them only briefly - fry them up quickly with a bit of bacon or boil them for just one minute — you will know they are ready when they turn a brighter green.
Meanwhile, get your fill of peppers: chopped in salads, roasted for a sweet side dish or stuffed to make a full meal! Tomatos and aubergines/eggplants should still be readily available — if you are dreaming of holidays in the sun, maybe you should try some Greek recipes.
You might also consider heading out to a Pick-Your-Own farm for the summer berries — seasonal and a fun day out for all ages!
Once a month not often enough? Get a tip for a seasonal food every week from www.eattheseasons.co.uk
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Posted by Sylvia on July 5th, 2007 — Posted in Tips
The weather in Britain has been anything but summery, but now that July is here perhaps we can hope for balmy evenings eating al fresco. I love barbecues and picnics and a lot of our meals will be planned around hearty salads. Take advantage of the preponderance of fresh herbs available now: basil, chives, dill, mint, parsley and tarragon all bring an unexpected zing to a mixed salad.
Fennel comes into season and I recommend trying this as a for a wonderful salad on its own: sliced very thinly and served with parmesan shavings and just a touch of olive oil. Or if you find the anise flavour too strong, mix thin slices in with your green salads to add extra bite and a touch of coolness. Then head over to GoodFood for six pages of recipes, both with fennel as the star and in a subsidiary role.
Tomatos are deep red and juicy now. We could eat them all week: served in salad, sliced with garlic and oil, pureed into gaspacho, chopped up into a light sauce for pasta. We love them although sadly it’s quite clear that not everyone agrees. 
You can still go mediterranean this month though — with a focus on the beautiful purple vegetable. Whether you know it as aubergine or eggplant, you will find it a tasty and versatile addition to your meals. Simply brush slices with oil and grill for a quick and healthy side dish or try one of the 3000+ recipes over at Ashbury’s Aubergines.
For afters, you are spoilt for choice with berries: strawberries and raspberries are naturally sweet this time of year: eat them on their own or with just a touch of double-cream. Red currants are lovely added to fruit salads or made into a sauce. Cherries are juicy and lush and will bring smiles just by putting out a bowl full of them for people to grab.
Get the family involved. The Woodcraft Folk have written up an activity called Eating seasons with worksheets for the UK to test your knowlege of local foods and seasons.
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