sharonsiff

It's as though someone turned the sense of smell button on, isn't it? I imagine you'll notice your food taste better too as I leaned that taste is a combo of smell and taste buds.. You have so many benefits coming your way...so excited for you.

Have seen Tracey has given you fabulous advise and hope you are feeling ok. The skin though! Isn't it amazing how quickly the skin recovers and starts to look fabulous? That's one of the first things I noticed a couple of weeks in after my improved sense of smell, taste and that my morning clearing of throat cough had gone. I have no doubt you'll notice a difference in the texture of you hair soon, my hairdresser could tell I'd stopped smoking as my hair hair felt less brittle and dry. So many benefits......

Ha ha... ;) No we live miles from family so don't get out alone, at all, for an evening meal. Don't get me wrong we love taking the girls out for a monthly meal but it's different gravy when it's just the grown ups... I really will appreciate and enjoy this. Oh Marti... The legs! Am hoping for the Cheryl Chole look.. She wears it on X factor.. But I'm probably going to look more like the Norha Batty look...rofl... ;)

Thank you... And just think tomorrow a meal out... Four of fives years down the line a cruise ;) I can see some very fun times on the horizon.

I'm going to add a no fail Yorkshire Pudding recipe, as it does what it says.. No fail. I saw this on Jamie Oliver's Great Britain food series... The book is very good too. So you get a clean empty jam jar and a marker pen. You crack 3 eggs and add them to the jam jar. On the outside of the jam jar you just marker pen a line on where the egg ends. Tip your eggs into a bowl. All you do then is use that marker guide as to first how much milk, tip out, then how much flour, tip out..that you use. Add a good pinch of salt to the ingredients in your bowl and whisk and then bake as you would in your pudding tray that has your smoking hot oil in. Used this recipe for 3 years and have never had a no fail pudding since.

Remember JC all you'll get is that hand to mouth and routine out of it. It will cost you money as well, cut up a straw. As you say it might lead you going to cigs as it honestly doesn't have in it what your body is used to having, even the nicotine ones don't...trust me. You would be wasting both your time and money.

Our girls are attending a sleep over, which is a miracle as they normally don't like to sleep over anywhere...proper home birds. So this means Lee and I can go out! Omg... Can't believe it! So are hitting a fabulous Bistro, have nipped together for our lunch club sessions, but never at night! Means I can put on a fancy dressed up outfit, get my body bling leg shimmer on.. Oh and do my eye make up. Can't tell you how excited I am, feels like I'm in my twenties again. Can you imagine the fun I'll have when they turn 17 and feel comfortable having nights out, just Lee and I...good times ahead ;)

Jenn they are beautiful in the flesh. I had to purchase a stamp last week and was given the Alice one... Really beautiful. Glad you've got a set sorted.

I hear you JC. Ok so you're struggling? No matter what your mind tells you, as you approach the shop, the only reason you are struggling is because you once smoked, not because you now aren't, but because you did once smoke. Try and drum this logic in your mind... It saved me many a time. What would you have spent today on cigs? Maybe treat yourself to some self care and spend that on an actual treat for yourself? You deserve a treat JC as you have stopped putting that crap in your body that is now making you feel like this. So logical thinking... ;)

She's smiling... Fabulous to see. Here's to her speedy recovery.

I will make sure Lee is definitely home! ... Lol ... Our Lucy has jumped in, via Netflix, and has spent the last 3 evenings watching AHS season 2... She loved it! Our Megan will not touch it with a barge pole Jen ;) she nearly had a heart attack a couple of times watching The Stalker.. She feels anything with the word horror in it is a step too far.. Creased up Jen, I literally creased up. I tell you what was a step too far for me when I was pregnant The Blair Witch Project. Now I grew up on Freddie Kruger, Poltergeist so am quite able to tolerate horror, gives me a thrill if I'm honest. But that really affected me, must have been my hormones from the pregnancy? I was ok that night (Lee was home) but for a good few nights after I honestly felt like someone was watching me... Sounds so silly now, I know. I cried a few times as I was sending myself silly with it. I avoided any more horror films through the rest of the pregnancy...lol Has a film ever affected you?

Tonight I made steak pie in our house. No sign of any kidney, or mushrooms as the girls don't seem to have developed a pallet for either yet.. Groan ;)

Scott have you seen this link for flavour combos? http://nouveauraw.com/raw-recipe-templates-and-development/flavor-prfiles-that-pair-well-in-recipes/ Also I can imagine you loving this book http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Flavour-Thesaurus-Niki-Segnit/dp/0747599777it's one of my favourites Scott, have enjoyed booth reading it and the fabulous recipes it contains.

I saw Neil last night, and his doll... Omg Jen, omg is all I'm saying! Just glad my two 15 year olds have no dolls in their room anymore! Lol

We watch it at night.. Phew, we do jump a few times...lol I think you are ahead of me now as I don't recognise the title. Still loving this show, very much. Mind you I don't watch it when I'm on my own and Lee's on a night shift.. No I stick to comedy then ;) I was thinking of you today, and out shows chat, and you know something that I think will appeal to your sense of humour? A show called Phoenix Nights... So very wrong, but again right ;) written and stars a comedian from Bolton.. My hometown, Peter Kay. I honestly think this will make you laugh.

Will have a read of it tonight.. Bedtime reading ;) Good on you for planning to start again xx

Sorry forgot picture of Vietnamese Chicken

Thanks for the recipe Collen and I'll add mine, for you, here too. Fabulous idea to have an actual recipe thread..we could add tips here too maybe? I only ask as I try and cook different food all the time and this thread would be a fabulous place for tried and tested recipes. Save me trailing the web ;) Anyway here is Vietnamese Chicken by The Hairy Bikers. Serves 4 *4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts *2 spring onions, white and green parts diagonally sliced. Marinade *4 garlic cloves *2 shallots, roughly chopped *1 lemon grass stalk, outer leaves removed and white tender part finely sliced ( I use a heaped tsp of jarred lemon grass) *2 birds-eye chillies, trimmed and thickly sliced (I often use a tsp of dried chillies) * 1 tbsp Thai fish sauce (nam pla) *1 tsp dark soy sauce * 2 tbsp light brown sugar 1 tsp sunflower oil Method: To make the marinade,bout all the ingredients is a small food processor and blend until everything is finely chopped as possible. You may need to remove the lid and push the mixture down a few times until the right consistently is reached. Scrape the mixture into a large bowl. Put the chicken breasts on a board and slash each one diagonally 4 times, cutting about halfway through. Place the chicken in the marinade and turn until it's all thickly coated with the mixture. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes and up to 8 hours. Line a grill pan with foil and place a rack on top. Take the chicken breasts from the marinade and place them on the grill rack. Preheat the grill to it's hottest setting. Place the chicken under the grill and cook for 6-8 mins on each side until lightly browned, charred in places and cooked throughout. Sprinkle with spring onions- make sure you have lots of green slices- and serve. Alternatively, my personal way of cooking using using my griddle pan.

I hope they are easing off for you know.

I will say Evelyn I do absolutely agree that preparation and emotions can be vital for some of us. That's why this turned out my sticky quit as I took my time as was able to keep my emotions in check. Sadly my emotions where the undoing of me in my many failed attempts. obviously we are all different, we don't have the exact same limbic brain, so will each have a different approach... Hell, as long as we all get there what does it matter how we get there. ;)

The lack of sleep must be a huge pain in the bottom Wendy. Maybe ring the clinic, you attend, and bring your appointment forward? At least then you can get her expert advise? She might be able to give you tips? Hope by the time you read this you feel a little less aggravated xx

How's things JC? I was thinking of this thread as I was drifting off to sleep and you know what hit me (takes me a while these days ;) ) that in your post not once did you think of reaching for an actual cigs, plus you didn't even want nicotine. That sounds like progress to me :) Well done for not going getting a Vape pen, you've proved you can get through the day even with tremendous temptation, whizzing round in your mind. Classy... Very classy.

I'm called mother hen in my home life, rhymes with Jen... Can that count ;)

Fabulous job... Well done :)

Wendy, with any luck it does sound like it's starting to do it's job in the background. It might not be the same, I know, but with the Zyban they started to taste stale and almost left a horrid talcum powder feel in my mouth... I took this as a sign that the magic was happening. Please keep recording your day Wendy, of course I read your points... Just post and if ness just don't respond to anything that gets your back up. Is it next Friday you go back to the clinic? Be interesting to see the difference in a week. Wendy because the cigs have started to taste stale have you noticed you are not as quick to light up? I found I went from 30 to around 8 a day, then woke up one day and none. Are you less fearful of the day with zero? How are you feeling when you think of d day? Sorry if I sound like a reporter, it's just I'm genuinely interested.