Will a 'creamy' KSFL lasagna help beat the day 11 blues?

It's been a tough one here today, actually, it has been for the last few days really. My other half has dropped 9lbs in as many days and was beginning to feel quite unwell, lethargic and weak. With no need to lose any more weight (I'm the porker of the pair) my beloved has started to introduce good carbs with every meal. Sitting down to eat next to someone who is eating things you'd love to, but can't for now is extra tough, but at least I'm no longer worried about their health.

I am really struggling with my mood and my energy levels though. I am having several periods in the day when I could just fall asleep where I stand and I haven't yet managed to pinpoint a pattern with regards to mealtimes. I was under the impression that now my blood sugar is no longer leaping up and down like a hyperactive rabbit my energy levels would be more consistent and raised overall. So far I haven't found this. I need to add here that I am living with two small children, both of whom have had coughs and a persistant viral thing that has left them slightly off colour for weeks, so they are both more whingey than normal and we've only had one unbroken night of sleep so far this year. I have managed to fit in a few lie-ins and naps to make it up, but still, I feel knackered!

My bowels are not behaving normally on this diet and although they are moving it's sluggish, slight and inconsistent. I'm now over a week late for my period so have been feeling premenstrual pretty much the whole time I've been on the plan. Admittedly this might account for some or all of my bad mood but I have no way of knowing until my cycle decides to get going again. Again, I can't necessarily blame all of this on KSFL because I'm not the most regular of women but nine days is pushing it a bit.

I'm interested to know how others are finding things, and I know there are lots of you reading this now. Is anyone else going through similar experiences? Have you found any magic cures?

So that's my grump, or grumps. Today I am not having a happy KSFL day, for the most part. I say for the most part because there is one aspect of KSFL that really is working for me, and that's the workouts. I am LOVING it! Because of our timetables with work and kids it's really tricky to do the workouts first thing so I'm now getting into the habit of doing them in the evening. This works out fine except the only time my mood seems to lift is after them! Or rather, from about 30 seconds into them. And because I'm enjoying them I'm not just doing the ten minute workouts. Oh no no no. That wouldn't give me nearly enough workout pleasure. I'm doing a 30 minute one. Every day. For fun.

Now that is something I wouldn't have believed I'd be saying two weeks ago. The jury is still out on whether I'll stick with some or all of the diet aspects of this plan long term (I imagine I will with some) but I can already believe that my exercise habits will be changed monumentally by it. And thinking that does lift my spirits.

That's enough rambling from me about feelings. There is much more important stuff to talk about: Food!

I'm going to skip over the two days I missed because I mostly used recipes I've already covered (or variations of them) and I didn't take any photographs. Today though, I was back on track.

Breakfast was my Sunday morning treat. Last week I loved my banana omelette so much that I swore it would be a weekly treat and it was that time of week again, except this time I really pushed the boat out and scattered a few blueberries over it as well. Oh my goodness, it was amazing! This is definitely one to go for when you need to feel like you're treating yourself.

And I have a lovely photo of it too but it's refusing to upload right now so you'll just have to wait for that one. :)

And dinner was lasagna. Rachel Holmes posted a really lovely looking lasagna recipe a few days ago and it really turned me on to the idea of eating lasagna, and soon. For me a lasagna just wouldn't be the same without the contrast between the meaty and the creamy layers and it gave me an excuse to try something I've read about a few times but not actually tried yet: making a creamy sauce out of cauliflower.

Now I've tried it, and by gum, it really works! Honestly, its not the same as a really creamy, thick, cheesey bechamel, but for something made out of basically just cauliflower and squash it's amazingly good, and it actually has the right kind of flavour! It's fabulous. This is something you just have to try. I used courgette as my fake 'lasagna sheets' instead of the butternut squash that Rachel used, only because I used butternut in the creamy sauce. They worked well but I think lightly fried slices of aubergine might work even better. So if you try this, go with whichever one tickles your fancy most.

KSFL Lasagna (Carb and dairy-free)
 

 

 

 

Serves 4 generously
 
Ingredients
 
For the meat filling:
 
1 tbs coconut/olive oil
800g minced beef
2 onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic (finely chopped or crushed)
4 celery sticks, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
half an aubergine (finely chopped)
8 large mushrooms, chopped
Two 400g tins chopped tomatoes
1/2 tsp dried oregano
 
For the 'creamy' sauce:
 
1 large cauliflower, chopeed into chunks
1/3 a butternut squash, shopped into chunks
Water
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
 
For the 'lasagna' sheets:
 
2 large courgettes, sliced into approx 4mm slices
OR
2 large aubergines, sliced and lightly fried in coconut/olive oil
OR
1 large butternut squash, sliced

Put the cauliflower and butternut squash for your sauce into a pan of water and set off to boil. You want it to be well cooked and soft. While it's boiling, prepare the other elements.

For the meaty filling, fry the onion and garlic in the oil and add the mince to brown. Then, add the rest of the ingredients and leave to simmer for 20 minutes or so, uuntl the liquid has reduced and all the veg is cooked through.

Prepare your 'lasagna' sheets - whichever option you go for, then when the cauliflower and squash are soft, prepare the creamy sauce. Drain the cauliflower and squash but reserve some of the water, then pop it in a blender along with the salt and nutmeg and mix with as much of the cooking water as needed to give it a thick, creamy consistency.

When all the elements are ready, assemble your lasagna in a large oven-proof dish with a meat layer first, then the 'lasagna' sheets, then the 'creamy' sauce and repeat until you've used it all, making sure you finish with a nice thick layer of creamy sauce.

Pop into a preheated oven for 25 minutes at 180c and serve with a nice big portion of steamed greens. Yum!