Food for the Weekend

Weekends are all about trying something new and different in the kitchen - for ages we used to have 'freaky friday' in our house, where we would pick a new recipe, and just give it a go! It definitely made us more adventurous, and gave us some great recipes to add to the binder. We lost our way a tad, and so this weekend we decided to try a new recipe, and push the boat out with our meals again.

Our weekend meal was Saucy Beef Stir Fry. It was super easy, and really delicious.
We put together two recipes, from Good Food and goodtoknow.co.uk and it turned out great.

Saucy Beef Stir Fry

Ingredients
500g Beef Strips
2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
2 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
Small bunch spring onions (chopped diagonally)
1/2 - 1 Carrot (cut into thin strips)
1/2 Red Pepper (cut into thin strips)
1/2 Green Pepper (cut into thin strips)
100g Sugar Snap Peas
100g Beansprouts
2 Bundles Rice Noodles

Directions
1. Marinate the beef strips with the balsamic vinegar, soy sauce and worchestershire sauce for 20 minutes, or overnight if you have the time.
2. Heat a wok over a high heat and add the beef and marinade. Also add the spring onions. Stir fry for 2 minutes.
3. Pour boiling water over the rice noodles and leave for 5 minutes. Then drain and pour over cold water.
3. Whilst the rice noodles sit, add the vegetables to the beef, and heat for 2-5 minutes, depending on how crispy or soft you want them.
4. Before serving add the rice noodles (drained from cold water) and stir into the mix to cover in sauce and heat.

This served 3 people, however there was a large amount of beef, so adding more vegetables and another bundle of rice noodles would easily serve 4-5.
The vegetables can easily be substituted or swapped to suit your fancy! You could also serve it with boiled rice, or even in a tortilla wrap instead of rice noodles.

The Strength of Research

I've recently been looking at research about Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and it's amazing how much I felt that I could relate. It made me feel less alone, and that others feel exactly the same way, and that more was being done for our cause. However, whilst I was researching I found a shocking statistic, that made me incredibly frustrated:

"At least 1 million Americans have CFS, more than have lung cancer or MS; yet more than 80% go undiagnosed."

Another fact I found (unfortunately I can't find the source now!) showed that many people with CFS suffer more than those in final stages of other illnesses, yet the research is so limited, and lacks major funding! However, some new research is promising and is really capturing what it is like to be chronically ill. Here are a few glimpses of research I found that really summarised how I feel, and what I go through.

CFS Patients Strive To Remain Active:

Prior to illness patients were energetic. “When this pattern was interrupted by illness, participants attempted to maintain their previous level of occupational engagement. Negative associations and emotions were described in response to the concept of doing nothing or limited activity. A recurring cycle was reported of increasing activity levels when symptoms improved, followed by post exertional symptoms… patients expressed negative feelings and beliefs towards the concept of doing nothing and therefore sought to push their activity levels … ” (Pemberton & Cox)

“Not being able to be with friends, or attend school, made the adolescents feel different and forgotten. They felt alienated in their own bodies and were struggling to be visible to themselves and to their surroundings. Spending less time with friends and more time with their parents constituted a threat to independence and development. Yet they managed to envision a better future despite all the difficulties.” (Winger et al.)

2013

• 2013 was an extremely challenging year for me, and I'm glad to say that I have made it through, and am proud of the things I achieved. I found this set of questions and thought that it would give everyone an insight into things that happened over the past 12 months, and would put the year into review for me. So here goes...
• 
  
• 1:What did you do in 2013 that you’d never done before?

I took a huge leap of faith, and went out to live in America for over 3 months - I lived with family in Maine, and interned at UMaine in Food Science to give myself a greater depth of knowledge about the subject and whether it is my path to follow. This adventure was the biggest part of my year, in my eyes, and really gave me unexpected results. Pretty much everything went completely opposite to how I had expected, and unfortunately my trip was cut short due to my illness worsening, when I had hoped greatly that the time there would have the opposite effect.

        On the contrary to the negatives, I grew so much as a person whilst being there, and my bonds with my family, and new friends grew stronger. I have learnt to think of it now not as a failure, but as a lesson - I may jumped in too deep, but by jingo I have some stories to tell, even if they aren't the stories I expected!

A-Levels - At the beginning of 2013 my attendance for sixth form was below 30%, and teaching myself at home was becoming more difficult due to my health. I am a constant worrier, and I continually worried that I wasn't doing enough, or that I would forget absolutely everything I had taught myself. I was concerned I wouldn't be able to take the exams - one exam did take me 4 hours to complete - let alone get a grade at the end of it. To my utter surprise I passed, and even more shocking I gained two A's and a B. I taught myself A-Levels, woah!

Only a small thing, but I flew by myself.. went through the airport and everything successfully by myself. It all went rather well until I had a brief moment of near fainting, oopsy.

• 2:Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I never really made any new year's resolutions in 2013, and this year instead of resolutions I have made goals. They may be only small things to everyone else, but to me they would be amazing to achieve. Here are a few:

• Build up my strength.
• Regain the independence to do daily tasks, such as getting up or making food.
• Visit a friend at university (this one will be a toughie, I'll definitely need to build the strength first!).

• 3:Did anyone close to you give birth?

My cousin's wife gave birth to their second child, a little girl named Kitty.

• 4:Did anyone close to you die?

No one close to me died - my Nan's partner sadly had a stroke, but he's been pulling back ever since!

• 5:What countries did you visit?

This past year I visited Spain and America - 3 states to check off my bucket list, yay.

I went on a post-exam, relaxing girls holiday to Spain, and then off to New York to start my few months across the pond, lovely jubbly. I can definitely see why millions of people travel to New York and want to live there, it really is a truly amazing city.

• 6:What would you like to have in 2014 that you lacked in 2013?

Oo this one's a toughie… maybe a bit more of a clue to what I'm going to do as the next step in my life.

• 7:What dates from 2013 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

Definitely my last day at sixth form, and Summer Ball - they were both great and it was just lovely to spend time with everyone before we all went our separate ways, and we don't get to spend as much time together. The day I got my results from my parents over Skype is etched in my mind; it was so nerve-racking having them open the paper on camera! My parents had their 25th anniversary this year so that was a super important day! Finally, of course, the day I landed back in England and got to see my sister and parents at the airport, I've never been so relieved.

• 8:What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Oo this one I'm going to have to tie two achievements for first. They are, as you may have guessed my A-Level results (can you tell I'm still super happy about them?), and living in Maine for a wee while, trying new things, meeting new people, and of course, starting this blog, hehehe.

• 9:What was your biggest failure?

There were no major failures that I can think of in 2013, although for a while (and occasionally now) I saw my trip to America as a huge huge failure, as it had turned out completely not how I wanted, and things were not how I expected them to be.

• 10:Did you suffer illness or injury?

In 2013 I did not suffer any new illness or injury, but continued to be weighed down by my M.E (also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome). With symptoms fluctuating, everyday was difficult to predict, and everything I did had to take into account how it could affect me. It affected huge portions of my life, including sixth form, for which I barely attended, and socially. Not being around my friends at school meant that I was less likely to be invited to things outside of school, and if there was something I was invited to, well there was only a slim chance I could go, or I wouldn't stay long - it was extremely difficult and wearing as many did not understand and still don't now.

        The last part of 2013 was my worst period of illness, and I could barely do anything without the help of my parents (whom I am extremely grateful of). Since then I have improved slowly, but improved I have.

• 11:What was the best thing you bought?

Oh goodness, these questions are really making me think, I have no idea?!

• 12:Whose behaviour merited celebration?

I could list so many people for this, so I'm gonna have to cut the list down. At the top of the list, of course, are my parents and sister, everything they have done over the past year I could never in a million years thank them enough.

        Oo there are just too many people that I think deserve celebration, family, friends, the air stewards on my plane, even the nurse who stopped me freaking out at my blood test… I could go on forever with this question! This question really shines light on the good people in my little world.

• 13:Whose behaviour made you appalled?

I'm not going to go into this question, but over the year there have been people whose behaviour I have questioned, but hey ho.

• 14:Where did most of your money go?

In my bank account - boring answer!

• 15:What did you get really, really, really excited about?

• Going to New York!
• Meeting my family at the airport after 3 months!
• Getting to see Hannah after 5 months!
• Achieving incredible results, against all odds.
• Going on holiday with my friends.
• Seeing Mumford & Sons in concert again!
• Finally deciding on a dress for both Summer Ball and Charlie & Anna's wedding - it's the little things!

• 16:What song will always remind you of 2013?

Oh geewizz my mind has blanked all possible music, okay let's think… probably something by Ben Howard!

• 17:Compared to this time last year, are you: (a) happier or sadder? (b) thinner or fatter? (c) richer or poorer?

a) Happier. b) Probably the same? c) Probably the tiniest bit richer, but that's mainly due to gift vouchers haha!

• 18:What do you wish you’d done more of?

I wish I'd been able to go into sixth form more, and spend more time with my friends, but unfortunately that couldn't be changed! 

• 19:What do you wish you’d done less of?

Worry, panic, get upset.. the usual for me really.

• 20:How did you spend Christmas?

I've been meaning to write about Christmas, so I will do that sometime soon. Christmas was spent with my parents and Nan on the 25th, and then Leanne and John joined us on the 26th and stayed for about a week. We had a lot of good food, gifts, games and company over the whole week, and as exhausting as it was, it was lovely!

• 21:Did you fall in love in 2013?

Nope.

• 22:What was your favourite TV program?

My ongoing favourite programme is still The Big Bang Theory - you just can't go wrong with it.

Other than that, Broadchurch was probably up there, it was such a teasing, need to know who did it programme. The Mindy Project has also been a winner for me this year.

• 23:Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

Sadly I do, but I've started to put it behind me as I know that there is no point letting it get me down still, so I'd say that hate would be too strong to describe my feelings at the minute.

• 24:What was your greatest musical discovery?

Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros - I saw them live at the Olympic Park and their songs were so happy and upbeat!

• 25:How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2013?

Relaxed, preppy, comfy and cute.

• 26:What kept you sane?

Family and friends.

• 27:Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Josh Hutcherson & Usain Bolt.

• 28:Who did you miss?

I miss seeing my Uncle, spending everyday with him and then not seeing him is definitely weird! I also miss Brianna and Katie, I felt really close to them just before I left. I also miss my friends that have gone to university, they're kind of in a 'uni bubble' which is sad and I haven't seen them for ages.

• 29:Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2013.

No matter what you're going through, you can still achieve things, no matter how small.

Family and health come before everything.

• 30:Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

"Keep your head up, keep your heart strong."

        - Ben Howard