Fun - Getting the most out of life

G'day all,
We all have the dreaded T2 and we all have to keep an eye on our BS and most of us have to lose weight but do not forget the most important thing of all.

We need to have fun and get the most out of life.

So I started this thread so T2s can post how they have fun while at the same time control their BS and keep their weight headed in the right direction.

The basics are
Going gourmet so food is never boring
Going lo-carb
Going modern so food is easy to prepare
Going sporty to whatever level you can handle
Going social

• For gourmet and lo-carb I search the net for lo-carb recipes and convert my own using nut flours and pretend sugar
• For modern I use microwave oven, flat sandwich press, electric pie maker and a timer.
• For sporty I play lawn bowls
• For social I ride a motorbike and belong to a men's shed.

What do you do?

notned said:

You make me feel old! In my day it was 'going'

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Thanks NN I was gowing poetic licence I will fixit.

I am 71 gowing on 72.

gorillamark said:

Couldn't agree more.
Are pie makers any good? I've been thinking about buying one particularly as I've been having a fair bit of luck with low-carb pastry. I'd add a slow cooker to your list.

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Hello GM
I bought it to make pies but I use it to make cakes with filling, cake mix not pastry and less filling. I tried the microwave for the cakes but they are better in the pie maker.

I spoon in some cake mix then some filling then more cake mix. I have used mixed berries, apple, and when I am feeling adventurous 1 1/2 glace cherries plus one dark cooking chocolate button (a bit of carbs) I have started icing them with cream cheese and sweetener and lime juice it is very nice indeed. and I use them to make a" trifle " with diet jelly. and cream. (I can get away with that)

The pie-maker works good for the cakes but takes about 20 minutes to cook 4. I use spray oil to release them and they are ready when they shrink away from the sides.

I am interested in your pastry what can you tell me about that.

A slow cooker sounds good, I will check it out - have you got any slow cooker recipes?

Thanks GM - brilliant, a real keen cook. there should be more of them.

I am just a battler in the kitchen and when I do cook I have a limited repertoire. My Doc prescribed a Lo-carb diet so I have been doing some experimental cooking.

Our house was flooded and while we rebuilt we used appliances and not a stove and then my wife smashed her shoulder and I had to do the cooking and anyway we still don't use the stove much.

Our adult son is staying with us for a while (so there are 3 adults to cook for) and he likes to cook and uses the stove but I lately he has "seen the light" and uses the appliances.

Yes please for pastry recipes.

Slow cook recipes will be good and we like spicy food. We are not big on offal or Pork or shellfish because I get gout (purines cause gout attacks.) What should I look for in slow cookers.

gorillamark said:

OK so recipes for one that can easily be expanded to two and recipes for two. And recipes to deal with three adults. Spicey no pork or shellfish.
Will do give me a day or two and I'll post a few recipes for slowcooker and pm you.

I'll do a separate one for pastry

I'd get a good cheap one to start off with I regularly cooked for four in a 3.5 Litre one still do use both my 3.5 litre ones a lit and the brand I've standardised on is Von Shef. Dirt cheap at Amazon and in my experience good quality. As a bonus I got a little cookbook with my shef slow cookers as a freeby it's a bit conventional but quite good as a start point and inspiration although obviously I have to do things like substitute turnips for spuds.

Link to: Amazon UK search "Von Shef:slow cooker"

There are heaps of slow cookers around again a search on Amazon: Link to Amazon UK search "Slow cooker"

And you can buy them pretty well anywhere I use Amazon because I live outside the UK but you can buy them in Tesco, Lakeland, and so on. Digital ones are handy but its not essential.

Other varieties: You can get ones that the ceramic pot it uses can be put on the hob for browning and morphy richard have ones that you can saute in directly first. To be honest I now rarely bother browning stuff though having seen a Jamie Oliver program in which he said it wasn't really necessary. After years of browning everything I was dubious but tried it and he's right I almost never brown stuff if it's going into the slow cooker I just bung it in .Once you're happy with it you might want to get a big one say 6.5Litres for roasting larger birds - slow cooker roasted chicken is amazingly juicy and tender. and and a small one for soups and so on. But a cheap 3.5litre one as a starter you really can't go wrong.

Recipe postings in a day or so. I'll send you a PM when I put them up.

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Thanks!

Have you any experience with the non powered (insulated) thermal pots. They are more expensive but save on power.

izzzi said:

• For social I ride a motorbike and belong to a men's shed.

That sounds really like good healthy fun, What make of bike do you ride and is it expensive to keep on the road these days.
Also the mens shed looks like a get out clause (like it)
You have made very good points and I could not agree more. ( I also like the way you say "prepare food " which is not the same as processed food )
Keep up your good healthy ideas ,

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Thanks izzzi,
I ride a Suzuki Boulevard 50 cubic inch (800cc) I bought it new about 9 years ago it has done 50,000 ks trouble free not many big trips in recent years.(I am now 71) Bike registration is about $260 per year and the insurance is about the same.

I used to belong to the Historic Motorcycle club and I did social rides once and twice per week plus weekends away. These days it is an occasional ride with the old showmen Sideshow Operators, my mate is in the Showman's hall of fame. I am supposed to go on Thursday for a 200k run to from Brisbane to Queen Mary falls probably over 200 k return. The "scenic rim" around Brisbane has got some great twisties If you are interested search for videos on motorcycles Mount Glorious Queensland it is about as good as it gets. Australia has some extremes across the Nullarbor Plain there is a 90 mile straight without a turn.

Bikes are dangerous here too so I try not to ride in peak hour traffic or nights or in the wet.

Men's sheds got formalised in Australia by Beyond Blue and we have about 1000 registered sheds. There are no rules what Men's sheds do or do not do but we get grants for tools and equipment because it is recognised that Men's sheds prevent male suicides and they do a lot of community work.. Our shed has about $40,000 tools and equipment and our men bring in personal projects or help out with shed projects when they are on. Our average age is 65 and Ireland is now starting new sheds at the rate of 4 or 5 per week with an average age of 35. NZ has a lot of Men;s Sheds and there is one in France I heard of..

My current men's shed project is making a forge out of a gas bottle we got most of it done but now we have to fit it to a bench.

notned said:

It's cheating to go back and edit it you know

When are you 72 - mine's December...

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July
I actually do a lot of different things but I do not do them all at the same time.

Here is my online art gallery http://www.paintingsilove.com/artist/colgriffin
I have built houses, boats and a car.Some figures (statues) and a ventriloquist dummy. (Tad Trendy is top left)
I have kayaks and a mountain bike and a Rat fink cruiser push bike http://www.electrabike.com/bikes/cruiser/rat-fink-3i
We recently sold our motorhome and I did pretend hunt archery for years. And the list goes on.

The new superbikes bikes just hisss but they still get up around 300KPH the noisy ones are are all show,

I am too old for a new bike but I like the Ducati Monster it has a kitchen chair sitting position and is built as a commuter.

Everything that is fun has its drawbacks.

I will buy a slow cooker in the next day or two, Just a cheapie methinks will fill the bill.

We have found plenty of lo-carb support for slow cookers.

My lo-carb arsenal will be
Microwave
Flat sandwich press
Electric pie maker
Gas BBQ/ with hood
AND Electric slow cooker

We just tried cauliflower rice and cauliflower as a thickener, I did not expect much but it is really good.