June: Meals, Miles, Books and Looks

Wow, June has felt like quite a short month.

Meals

Lots of hearty winter meals in June and because I've been making more of an effort with my cooking, I've been finding ways to make the most of leftovers too.

1) I finally found a jar of sauce for pasta bake where you don't need to cook the pasta first, you just add dry pasta, the jar of sauce, a jar of water and then bake.  After a while you add the cheese, bake a little more and it's done - really delicious too!

2) And because I was clearly in a cheese mood and had a cauliflower to use up I made some cauliflower cheese with some roast veg.

3) Vegetarian Quorn mince with mashed potatoes and veg.

4) Vegan roast beef with vegetarian Yorkshire pudding and lots of veges before I covered it all in gravy!

I don't want to waste any veges so now I just roast them all up in one batch and save them in the fridge to heat up for the next meal.

1) Homemade vegetarian steak pie using leftover stew

2) Vegan stew made with TVP chunks

3) Grilled heirloom tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, rocket, cajun salmon, garlic and basil ciabatta and some potato wedges - I was worried it wasn't going to be a substantial meal and I ended up making too much food!

4) A giant Yorkshire pudding filled with mushrooms in a vegan pepper sauce with mashed potatoes and veges.

1) Our midwinter Christmas meal of vegan turkey, roast veges, mixed veges, brussel srpouts and roast and boiled potatoes.  This picture was taken before I went crazy with the cranberry sauce and gravy.

2) After Eights mint chocolates I had been saving for months for this occasion!

3) The steak pie I made using the leftover stew.  It looks great but it was difficult to get out of the pie tin and then I had to divide it between us.  I think I might purchase some individual pie dishes for the future.

4) Leftover mince on toast for lunch - this is a common kiwi lunch.

1) Sherry and cranberry nut medley - a perfect accompaniment to any TV show!

2) Kanes homemade egg muffin - better than a McDonalds one :)

3) Starbucks Christmas blend coffee - again something I've had in the cupboard for about two months just waiting for the right time!  Its everything I hoped it would be :)

4) Something new I found in the supermarket - its a tea concentrate that you just add hot water to.  I got the lemon, ginger and honey one to try and its a perfect winter blend.  I'm tempted to add some whisky to it :)

One thing I like about doing this monthly recap of meals is that by taking photos of my plate I get to see just how much food I eat at one sitting.  Portion control is a challenge.  I'm starting to learn to put a more reasonable amount of food on plate with the option of going back for more if I'm still hungry and usually this means I have more leftovers to make into other meals.

Miles: 26.5km

Despite not having a very high mileage month, my running has been going very well.  I did two trail races this month (one was a mud bath the other was dry and had the best long downhill stretch) and in my training I can now run for 20 minutes non stop.  I am so happy to have achieved this as I see it as a real milestone.  I have the first race of series I did last year on the 12th July.  It's 2.5km and last year I had to take walk breaks - this year I want to run it all and hopefully improve on my time too.

Books

I haven't been much of reader for several years now so I set myself a Goodreads challenge to read 12 books this year (aiming for one book a month) and I'm so surprised that I've completed this challenge in only 6 months.

I finished reading Double Knit Murders by Maggie Sefton which are two murder mysteries in one volume.  I love the silly puns in the titles - the first book is Knit One Kill Two, and the second one is Needled to Death.  They are light entertaining reads akin to an episode of Murder, She Wrote.

I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of all the yarn in the shop and the creations that main character and her knitting friends very making.  The main character is new to knitting and at the end of the books there are knitting patterns for what the main character was making and also a recipe for something that was eaten in the book.  Such a fun genre of book!

//from Goodreads

The other book I read this month was A Viking Moon by TM Rowe.  I read this because I know the author and saw it was available at the library.  It's the authors first book, a self published childrens book and as such it reads a lot like a first draft.  There were spelling and grammar mistakes but it was also the use of language that was just a little off, a little amateurish.  Having read Lois Lowrys books last month, the difference in the quality of writing was quite marked.  The story is a time travel historical adventure and I think it could be really good with a little reworking and an Editor.

//from Goodreads

Looks

I've looked through my phone photos and its all of food, sports games and our mini vacation.  I didn't even buy anything new this month.  I have however started on a new skin care regime. 

I'm finally getting a good bedtime routine in place where I thoroughly cleanse my face with Simple moisturising foaming face wash, I brush with Colgate optic white, then twice a week I apply Skinfood mud mask and then after that's washed off I follow up with Neutrogena night moisturiser.  I'm not sure if there is any difference in my skin but I certainly feel like I'm taking better care of myself.

What was your favourite Meal, Workout, Book or Look for June?