THE TWELVE: Week 4

Good evening guys and welcome to another instalment of THE TWELVE. Today we hit the one third mark of this series and I was able to weigh myself properly for four weeks. I am pleased to say that I have lost weight! I won't reveal the details and intricacies of my weight loss until the last post of this series however it's really motivated me as it shows not only that what I am doing is working, but I am on the right track with my cooking. Unfortunately I wished to have a great addition ready for this weeks post however, due to a delay in receiving some equipment I was unable to. I still hope to bring something new for next week, so follow CCC on Instagram @chrissyscookingchronicles and keep your eyes peeled!

(Monday - Sunday)

Breakfast: 

Cornflakes with Soya Milk, Tea with 1 Tsp. Honey & Soya Milk (330 calories) (not

 pictured) 

Belvita Blueberry Soft Bake,a bunch of Grapes, Tea with 1 Tsp. Honey & Soya Milk (330 calories)

Spinach, Tomato and Onion 2 Egg Omlette with 1 slice of Danish Loaf Toast, 1/2 small Avocado and Tea with 1 Tsp. Honey & Soya Milk (456 calories)

Quaker instant Oats, with Light Soya milk and 1 Tsp Sugar (184 calories) 

Lunch: 

Tuna Sweetcorn Mayo Sandwich, Barbecue Popchips (352 calories)

Sainsbury's Be Good to Yourself Chicken Salad Sandwich with Skinny Popcorn and an Apple and Grape Snack Pack (467 calories) 
Vapiano Insalata Reef n Beef Salad (698 calories) (I really didn't realise how many calories this salad had and thought I was making a healthier choice at lunch. It was only after I googled it at home to fill it in my meal tracker that I discovered it was so heavy and consequently only had a bag of plantain chips for dinner. Thank God I didn't finish the salad and to be fair I was still very full from it that evening but it goes to show that not all Salads are "healthy"). 

Dinner:
Wholewheat Fusilli Pasta Bolognaise with a boiled Egg, Sweetcorn and Broccoli (534 calories) 
Ginger, Garlic and Soy Chicken Breast on a bed of Spinach Tomato and Chilli with Boiled Sweet Potato Wedges (497 calories) 
Chicken and Prawn Pad Thai (546 calories) 

The Twelfth Star: 

Spinach and Kale Stuffed Chicken Breast with Sweet Potato, Carrot and Parsnip Puree and a Chilli Tomato Salsa (500 calories)

Ingredients: 

• 1 Small Chicken Breast 
• 1 Handful of Spinach chopped finely 
• 1/2 Handful of Kale chopped finely 
• 2 & 1/2 Clove of Minced Garlic 
• 1/2 Small Onion chopped finely 
• Salt & Pepper to Taste 
• 1 Tsp Garlic Powder 
• 1 Tsp All Purpose Seasoning 
• 1 Small Sweet Potato Cubed 
• 1 Small Carrot Chopped
• 1 Small Parsnip 
• A Splash of Milk 
• 1/4 Bunch of Coriander Chopped finely 
• 1 Salad Tomato Chopped 
• 1/2 Chilli Pepper Chopped finely
• 1/2 Stalk of Green Onion Chopped
• Rapeseed Oil as needed

Method: 

1. Season the Chicken Breast with Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder and All Purpose Seasoning. 
2. In a bowl, mix together the Spinach, Kale, Onion, and 1/2 Clove of Garlic, then season the mix with Salt and Pepper. 
3. Cut a slit in the middle of the Chicken, creating a pocket and stuff it with the mix from step 2. 
4. Place the Chicken on a tray and bake it in the Oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 20-25 mins or until cooked through. 
5. Whilst the chicken is cooking, boil the Sweet Potato, Carrot, Parsnip and 2 Cloves of Garlic seasoned with salt until soft and easy to break apart with a fork. 
6. Drain the water and in a blender with a splash of Milk, blend together the Sweet Potato, Carrot, Parsnip and Garlic until a smooth puree is formed.
7. Mix together the Tomato, Chilli, Coriander and Green Onion with a drop of rapeseed oil and season with salt and pepper to form a salsa. 
8. Plate as desired and enjoy! 

  Exercise

This week once again, I was able to go to the gym 4 times. I've increased my cardio and incorporated 2 mins of running on the treadmill into what used to be mainly a fast walk as I didn't previously have a lot of stamina. I've found that adding 1 min intervals of running has really helped to improve my stamina and I now find that I can run for longer than 1 min. I will be increasing this slowly as the weeks go by to build my stamina and resistance in an attempt to improve my health overall. Although my gym days are Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, I've found myself preferring to swap out my Tuesday gym day and go on a Monday instead as I have more energy at the start of the week (depending on the weekend prior!). 

Spiritual Reflection of the Week

Matthew 15:11 "What goes into someone's mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth is what defiles them."

I really have realised over the past couple of years that there is so much power in the tongue. I see it everyday when people speak their hopes and dreams into existence and it comes true, or in a more sinister turn, in speaking out what they want, their enemies use it against them and spoil their goals. What I rarely however tend to see, is a real appreciation for the way in which we speak and what exactly we say. There are ways to communicate to everyone most especially the people we love, but the way we speak to others often tells a story of our own character. Have you said something this week that has defiled you? Did you mean to say those words in that way? In all our dealings we represent Him, so the challenge for me, and the challenge I put to you this coming week is to seek forgiveness, no matter how hard, for the things we've said or how we've said them and use the words that come out of our mouths to uplift and not defile us. 


This week it's been a particular pleasure and I've found real comfort in writing this post. Once again, I hope you all have a blessed and fruitful week ahead. 

- CCC: Releasing your inner chef.