Quick turnaround

So over the weekend before last, I was in the office 2pm Friday to 7am Saturday, then 4pm Saturday to midnight.  Then again (on the phone from 7am, but then) 10am Sunday to 6pm Sunday.  Needless to say, food was tricky and I only got one bit of cooking done.  There was a wrinkly, sad looking  beetroot in the fridge and some leftover goats cheese from Christmas.  Lo and behold, the Abel and Cole cookbook delivered again: beetroot and goats cheese salad.  It's quick and simple and made me feel loads better on Saturday lunch time.  Annoyingly, I was called back in to the office just after the second forkful.  *sigh*

Beetroot and goats cheese salad
serves 1 (435kcals, 17g protein, 21.6g carb, 30.8g fat, 3.5g fibre, 3.3 fruit & veg)

• 1 large beetroot
• 100g  goats cheese
• 100g lettuce, or other salad leaves
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1tsp fresh thyme leaves
• The juice of 1/2 a lemon

Dice the beetroot, toss in most of the olive oil and the balsamic vinegar with the fresh thyme leaves.  Season with salt and pepper and place into an oven-proof dish.  Cover with foil and roast for 30 minutes.  Remove the foil and roast for a further 10-15 minutes.

Remove the bowl from the oven and allow to cool a little.  Roughly chop the lettuce and mix in with the beetroot, making sure you get all of the juices from the roasted beetroot.  Crumble the goats cheese over the top, squeeze the lemon over, drizzle the remaining olive oil over the top and season with freshly ground black pepper.   Serve and eat immediately.

Cycle Superhighways - sort of pointless

"Barclays Cycle Superhighways are new cycle routes that run into central London from outer London to provide cyclists with safer, faster and more direct journeys into the city. The new routes are clearly marked and easy to follow. There are new signs and road markings, as well as information about journey times and links to other cycle routes. Brand new cycle lanes and bold road markings will increase awareness among other road users, and make it clear that the route is used by many cyclists." (see here for more information from TfL)

So, right, there are no actual rules.  It's not like a bus lane where there are times when other vehicles aren't allowed on the blue bit, it's just there for "awareness" and route finding.  WTF?  So we're just lucky that other road users seem to mostly stay out of it.  Mostly.  When it suits them.  And it seems to sort of mostly work in the morning, and earlyish in the evening, but in the middle of the day or after about 6pm, it utterly does not work in the slightest.  Delivery vans, parked cars etc. park in the lane and either simply obstruct it completely or open doors into traffic without checking for oncoming vehicles regardless of the amount of flashing, bright lights, fluorescent clothing, reflectors...  Oi!  Boris!  Sort it out!

Weight Watchers Pro Points recipe books

For those WeightWatchers Pro Points fans, from Weight Watchers:-

"Oriental Express, is available to purchase from 28th February. The Seriously Satisfying cookbook was released in January. The Oriental Express cook book  is available at meetings and through At Home on 08456 788 999"

 So you can get the shiny new Oriental Express one now!

What CS7?

This week I've been cycling home really rather later than usual and it's a real surprise what a huge difference it makes to the journey. There are So Many cars and vans parked in the cycle lane that it isn't possible to cycle in it. I'd come across this one weekend on the way back from the North and I'd assumed it was a weekend thing, but apparently it's an evening thing too. Which really sucks. A lot. It did take "only" 44 minutes to get home tonight, including a stop to chat with someone and lend them my lights (well, give, I'm not expecting to get them back) but if I'd been able to cycle in the cycle lane it could have been quicker and a heck of a lot safer.

I don't know what the rules are about the cycle lanes, who isn't allowed to be in them and if there are time rules. I need to find out. And I need to be able to leave work at a time which means I can be a bit more protected from a reasonable proportion of traffic.

Mrs Crimbles Choc Orange Macaroons

NOM!  I just got given a pack of orange macaroons to try and they are absolutely gorgeous!  As you know, I'm not really one for the sweet foods that much, never really been that fussed about cakes and biscuits but do indulge on occasion with home-made carrot cake, apple cider pound cake and fruity malt loaf so it's a very rare occasion that we have this sort of thing in the house.

They're marketed in the "free from" aisle in the supermarket, being free from wheat in this case.  And to be honest it really doesn't matter that there's no wheat in them, they're really really nice.  Opening up the packet and you're greeted with a waft of orange zest smell with a hint of coconut.  Biting into one and it's moist, light, coconutty and orangey; exactly what you'd want from an orange macaroon.  The only problem is that you can't have just one or two... but at 81kcals a pop, they're not all that bad.  I'll be more than tempted to buy a pack next time I'm in the Sainsburys Local down the road that has quite a few Mrs Crimbles products in there at the moment (it's all very middle class and the aisle ends are usually full of Food Doctor and speciality/ethnic foods rather than sweets, batteries etc.).  Probably after the next sprint tri :o)