When I was in high school, my mother discovered Italian food, in the way of Italian Spaghetti . . .  which meant . . a tin of catelli spaghetti sauce, stirred into a pound of browned hamburger and heated through.  This was considered a real Italian treat.  I never liked the meat in the sauce, but was quite happy if she kept a couple of tablespoons of the sauce out for me to have on my spaghetti, meat free.

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One of my favourite places to go is London.  Now that we live up in the North West, we don't get to go very often, but when we were down in the South East, we went fairly often.  There is so much to see and do in London . . .

 

Not to mention a virtual world of choice when it comes to eating . . .  but it can be a hit and miss unless you really know where you are going.  That's where a lovely book like the one I was sent just recently comes in really handy!



Eat Like A Londoner by Tania Ballantine, an insider's guide to dining out is a great resource when it comes to finding a place to eat in the big smoke!

This generous pocket-sized book is a run-down of about a hundred restaurants and eating establishments dotted around the capital of various shapes, sizes and styles. Restaurants are arranged in terms of categories, with chapters covering cult classics. late nights, ‘small & buzzy’, and so on. There are other lists that further segment places by geographical area, places that are more forgiving for the last-minute diner, as well as vegetarian-friendly destinations.


It is well written, well presented, and contains some really lovely pictures of  stunningly delicious looking food and dining rooms.   This is a book quite honestly written by somebody who obviously knows what she’s talking about.  If you are planning on travelling to London in the near future or know someone who is,  and you want to gift them (or yourself) with a truly a lovely gift that is sure to come in really handy, I highly recommend this book.  With more than 100 handpicked places to cover every occasion from a quick meal to a full on special dinner, there is something in here to suit every occasion. 

Eat Like a Londoner
by Tania Ballantine
Published by Frances Lincoln

ISBN 978-0-7112-3679-0

RRP:
UK £9.99
US $14.99
Canada $17.99

Many thanks to Frances Lincoln for sending me a copy for review.  Any and all opinions are my own.

Cooking and eating delicious food should be fun. Sometimes when one is faced with dietary restraints you can feel a bit down . . .  and like all of the fun has gone out of eating and cooking, especially if you are a person who loves to cook.

I made the most delicious open face sandwich today.   Oh, but I died and went to heaven when I tucked into this.   The "Peat" sandwich . . .  or . ..  the Pancetta, Egg, Avocado and Tomato Sandwich.  A deliciously layered open face delight that isn't really all that bad for you!

Normally after having a turkey dinner I would be treating myself to a turkey sandwich with two slices of bread,  mayo, stuffing and cranberry sauce.   And enjoying it.   My new lifestyle means that is a no no and so today I made myself something different.   A Turkey Taco Pizza.   Sounds hedonistic, but it really isn't . . .

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my Canadian family and friends!  I hope you all have a wonderful weeend filled with lots of love, gratitude and plenty of good eats.   Family dinners, they're the best!  I've been working hard for the past few weeks to figure out a dessert recipe that I could eat that would be just as satisfying as Pumpkin Pie (traditional at Thanksgiving feasts!) and here I am down to the wire and guess what!  I figured one out and it's fabulous!

I have to say I am really enjoying my healthier eating lifestyle these days.  I have not had a piece of chocolate in over three weeks now, nor have I had any cookies, cakes, candy bars, wine gums, etc.  I have banned sugar from my life along with white flour . . . it's been a bit of a challenge, but it can be done and putting on a pair of trousers today that is two sizes smaller than I was wearing a month ago feels good.

Coming to terms with and learning to live with Type 2 Diabetes is a real learning curve for sure.   I know I am not alone in feeling somewhat discouraged at times and at a loss at others.  But I am determined to stay the course and do what is the best things to do for my health.  Healthy eating and regular meal planning is all a part of that.  No more flying by the seat of my pants!

I found a nice looking piece of Pork Tenderloin in the freezer yesterday and since we hadn't had any pork in a long time I decided to do something with it for our supper today.   Todd loves pork and as he hasn't been feeling very well, I thought it would be a real treat for him.  I love pork tenderloin.  It's like the filet mignon of the pork world . . .  so long as it isn't overcooked.  It's tender and lean and quite adaptable to most flavours.

I have to admit that prior to my recent medical diagnosis, I really wasn't eating very well.   I only ever very seldom ate any fruit and my veg intake was way down as well.  Oddly enough when I was working full time, I always got my veg and fruit in, but being retired and on a limited income . . .  I hadn't been doing very well with any of that.

This recipe is not diabetic friendly.  Todd isn't a diabetic and I can't punish him constantly for my sins.  Sometimes I have to treat him to something he enjoys.  He can't eat raw apples and we had a bumper crop from our tree this year.  He does adore cooked apple anything however, and this is a dish he really enjoys.

According to my Diabetes handbook, you need to have breakfast, lunch and evening meals each day.  No skipping, and there are really no foods that are forbidden, but one should aim to keep empty calories at bay . . .  so no snacking on potato chips, cookies, pies, etc.   But there is no reason why a high fibre whole grain muffin can't be a part of a healthy diet or breakfast on occasion.

I've always liked to pull the boat out a bit at the weekend . . .  a nice leisurely breakfast, usually something which we wouldn't have any other day of the week.   Having been diagnosed as a Diabetic I thought those days would be over, but I'm happy to say that they aren't in the least.  They're just different.

I love chicken.   Next to fish, it is probably the meat/protein I choose to eat most of the time.  Oddly enough it wasn't something we had very often when I was a child.  Maybe once or twice a year my mother would roast a chicken and as a real treat, once in a blue moon she would do her Maryland Fried Chicken, which was chicken breasts rolled in egg and cracker crumbs, and then fried in butter.  We loved it!