Llama

Llama said:
What to make though... I want something vegetarian, quick, healthy, and delicious.
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I'm sure you'll come up with something delicious, Llama.
Is Speculaas an Anglicised version of Speculoos or are they different? I often crumble a Speculaas over our fruit dessert, plus a little dry-fried coconut.
 
I think speculoos is Flemish and speculaas is Dutch, or maybe speculoos is a brand name? The ones I buy say speculoos on the package, so that's what I'm going with. The German word is Spekulatius.
 
According to Wikipedia:
Fewer spices are involved in the process of making Belgian speculoos compared to the Dutch speculaas, as the spices were much more expensive to import to Belgium as opposed to the Netherlands. Speculoos was developed in the 20th century around the area of Verviers and made as an alternative for people who could not afford Dutch speculaas. The origins of speculaas are much older. In the 2020s the names speculaas and speculoos are sometimes used interchangeably in Flanders.

Learned something new. They're all delicious though.
My casserole (a cabbage casserole I found online with pureed butter beans mixed into the pourable part for extra calories and protein) wasn't done in time for breakfast so I repeated last night's mackerel salad instead (no stomach upset at all this time) and had cabbage casserole for lunch. Quite nice, although I'm sure the author of the original had something completely different in mind.
 
The cabbage casserole sounds nice...i should try and take that extra time to make some casseroles. I find I don't have the patience to wait for things to bake but I do like baked things...
Reminds me that I was supposed to make that vegan shepherd's pie...never got to that one because yes, the extra time for baking...
 
I have a couple of small, one portion casserole dishes and they're done so much faster than when I put everything into one big one. Plus when they're done I can let them cool, put the lids on and they wait for me in the fridge or freezer ready to be put into my backpack for work or get reheated without the need for extra containers.
This is the recipe I deviated from:
https://www.agardenforthehouse.com/healthy-cabbage-casserole/

Very little digestive distress today and a bit more energy again. Gym days are better days. Plan for tomorrow:
- Bean mash wraps
- Speculoos yogurt with fruit
- Hopefully sushi. "My" sushi place was closed yesterday without a note on the door to explain it. Worst case scenario I go to the one 100m further down the street. Not as reliable with allergen avoidance but any port in a storm.
- Light cardio
- Maybe cabbage casserole, maybe quesadilla
 
Thanks Cate and Blue.

Felt euphoric last night but this morning I'm empty and can't get my brain to stop turning in circles, even though I slept ok and am feeling fine physically.
 
Work is just the best tonic some days. It forces me out of the house and gets me a 3.75 km walk before I even start, then it distracts me from my first world problems, and with a bit of luck people even feel better for it so it helps with my self-worth. Would it be better if I could do all that for myself? Sure. But this is not a perfect world.

My breakfast wraps are delicious (would quite like to eat everything in one go but I don't want to be out of my mind hungry by the end of my shift so I'll wait) but I've already had 2 l of water (it's 8:47 am) and I'm still thirsty!
 
Llama said:
Work is just the best tonic some days
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I don’t think you would have said that in your last job. I’m sure that most of your clients would value you, Llama.
I wonder why you’re so thirsty? Not enough water yesterday?
 
Thanks for visiting, Tru.

Plan for tomorrow:

- Cabbage casserole
- Cookie yogurt with airfried apple
- Something healthyish that still makes me feel the weekend has arrived... Not binging turns out to save a good bit of money in my grocery budget so I could treat myself. But what would I genuinely enjoy tastewise and not regret afterwards, either in stomach upset or the scale number? I was going to make up for last week's pierogi dinner but the friend I was going with has covid. Y'know what? I'll browse the options during my break tomorrow. Definitely not döner this time...
- Mushroom soup, don't know what protein to add yet but if I can't think of any I have eggs.
 
Cate said:
I don’t think you would have said that in your last job. I’m sure that most of your clients would value you, Llama.
I wonder why you’re so thirsty? Not enough water yesterday?
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I'm getting more and more relaxed in this job, that's true. There will probably be trouble once the boss retires so fingers crossed he'll stay on a while.
No idea why so thirsty. I drank at least another two litera of water (plus a cup of Pepsi Max) over the course of the day and it's neither hot outside nor did I work out (did for an extra walk in the afternoon, but only 3k). I'm generally thirstier than most but this morning was silly. I hope it's my gi tract trying to normalize and getting rid of the retained water because I still look quite pregnant.
 
Less thirsty and my calf (which was very upset again after a wrong step yesterday) is feeling a bit better after I finally bit the bullet and - shock, horror - asked a friend for help. Funny how I don't like to treat people I know because of the lack of objectivity but I never stop to think the same is even more true for myself.
Also: I added some storebought salsa on top of my casserole for breakfast for some brightness and it's SO GOOD together.
 
Couldn't figure out a good takeout option so instead brought some Nürnberger sausages home and tossed them into the airfryer with a portion of tiny frozen Brussels' sprouts and some Spätzle for a 10-minute hot meal. Very nice, cheap*, and healthy-ish.

* Good sausages aren't cheap but still a LOT cheaper than takeout.
 
Llama said:
Work is just the best tonic some days. It forces me out of the house and gets me a 3.75 km walk before I even start, then it distracts me from my first world problems, and with a bit of luck people even feel better for it so it helps with my self-worth. Would it be better if I could do all that for myself? Sure. But this is not a perfect world.
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That is so great to have a job that helps with all that! I can imagine just the forcing out for that walk and distraction from oneself at work would be helpful in itself, but yeah to also have a job that genuinely helps people feel better is great!
Llama said:
asked a friend for help.
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Oh good for you! Yes that can be so hard to ask for help but we all benefit from helping each other and getting help!
 
Thanks Liza, Cate, and Vic :grouphug: Life is better with friends for sure, and if you can't show your weaknesses that's not real friendship.
Forgot to make a plan for today. I'm too awake too early so I could use the extra time to fry off the button mushrooms I have in the fridge with some onions and stuff. I have some eaw eggs as well so maybe I could make a lentil loaf or something. Or a lentil/shroom casserole with puff pastry on top, if I can run to the grocery store in the 20 minutes between their opening and the start of family exercise. That with a side salad is a delicious meal and it'll be at perfect eating temperature by the time we're done.
Lunch I don't yet know if I'll be home for. Maybe I'll prep some bean mash anyway in case I am and if I'm not I'll just get a half-baguette.
Dinner's easy: another portion of that sausage/Spätzle/sprouts thing.
For a snack I'll have quark mixed with two chopped-up chocolate toffees, over an airfried apple.
 
So... my friend indulged me and joined me on my trip to the LEGO store. Frivolities fund fully empty but I am thrilled to bits with my haul :hurray:
 
:) Most things are. Also: it's so nice not having to debate myself whether or not I deserve to spend money on LEGO. It came out of the frivolities fund: I don't have to deserve it. And because it's so nice I want to have that option more often. So from now on I'll put 10€ into the fund for every week I don't binge and 5€ for every procrastinated chore I finally get done (like booking flights and making doctor's appointments). Those feel like reasonable amounts for me and they might even motivate me to keep things moving.
 
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