Another birthday and FYM challenge week 8

Seriously too much birthday cake, I have literally exploded! As much as I tried to make them supportive....I didn't really succeed this year! I figure we eat clean 80-90% of the time, we really need to enjoy these special moments even though I am determined to bake a choc zucchini/carrot cake next time! With no sugar of course. 

Yes, Adrian's birthday was another success in the cake department. I went with a lemon butter cake heart theme this time with his favourite lemon icing.

Adrian really loves lemon tasting desserts especially lemon meringues!!! Me not so much but I must admit I do enjoy putting lemon in most of the dishes I cook these days. It just adds zest and such a good flavour! My Mum puts it in almost everything!!! So I simply mixed some lemon rind in the butter cake mixture (didn't use as much sugar! and made my own self raising flour with baking powder and plain wholemeal flour) and did the lemon icing as well. There were 2 pieces left over, that's how delish it was!!

Here we all are, trying to squeeze into the picture.

For dinner, I made something quick and easy. We had left over steak rump which I shredded and added all the ingredients I had left in the fridge and pantry that would make a kinda Mexicana beef taco style dish. So here it is....

Dinner

Mexican beef taco's in cos salad shells

Ingredients
Olive oil
Shredded cooked beef steak
1 finely diced onion
2 sliced/chopped carrots
1 cup of sliced mushrooms
1 can corn
1 can peas
1 jar of Mexican salsa
handful of olives
cos salad

Method
Gently fry onions, carrots and mushrooms until soft in olive oil. Add beef, salsa sauce and corn, cook for a further 5 minutes. Just before serving add cooked peas and sprinkle olives in the mix. It's done, super quick as most things are cooked except for the onions, carrots and mushrooms.

Instead of the greasy taco shells (even though I do love them dearly) it was so fresh and crisp tasting serving them in the cos salad shells/cups!

I didn't buy these specific ingredients to make this dish. I simply go through my left over fridge/pantry ingredients when we have a low budget food week (and I promise I will share my meal planning ideas with you REALLY soon) and I google for ideas, inspiration or through the years I have learnt what flavours work together. This meal would have been under $15 for the 6 of us and with left overs the next day.

Today I managed to fit in a run with my gorgeous life saving friend Celeste (who I borrowed the love heart shape tin to make within the hour!) and ran 3kms with a slight stitch but not that severe! Perhaps it's more in the mornings that I get the stitch and my body not warming up? Who knows? I am still working it out. Keep you posted!!! I am really determined to complete a marathon now, even though the back of my mind I'm still thinking why am I doing this? Because I love it! There is something about running that is kinda cool (still could be doing other cool stuff within that time, mind you) but you know what I mean. Once I set my mind on something, there is no stopping me!

FYM Workouts

My FYM challenge ends in a couple of weeks (on Oscar's birthday in fact 11/11) so I have been quite good with my nutrition however limited with my workouts as my neck hasn't been quite the same. Also with my lower back after the 6km run on Sunday, something with the stitch and lower back muscle isn't gelling. Having said that, it's only my body not used to this type of fitness.

I am taking things easy and only doing what my body can do, at this stage. Still happy following the program and linking with my beautiful FYM girls!!! Love them dearly!

Sending you all my love and hope all is well with you and your families. I look forward to touching base with you real soon and love reading your comments. IT MAKES MY DAY!!!

Xx Dani