First week back at work

First week back at work

In the last post I mentioned that in 2018, I want to be more consistent with this diary blog. The aim is to post weekly and share the highlights of every week.

Like the first week of January for many people, it’s a quiet one. Many people are still on holiday or vacation and many workplaces use the time to prepare for the year ahead.

At the end of 2017, I was informed that I needed to relocate my workstation. I have returned to an area I’d previously worked in many years ago. I’m very happy. Normally, and I think this is true for many people, moving workstations is stressful and is a real hassle. This was no exception, but the thought of going ‘home’ made it much easier. It will be good to re-engage in some work that I haven’t focussed on for a while.

One of the nice things about my job is the regular opportunities to stretch into new areas of thinking. Health is really a great place to work.

The view from my workstation First week back Gary Lum

True Blue

To celebrate the return to work after an unexpected extended break I went to dinner on Tuesday night at the Canberra Southern Cross Club Jamison.

I went for the “True Blue” chicken schnitzel, it’s a standard chicken (breast) schnitzel with chips and salad plus caramelised onion, melted cheese, bacon and a fried egg. It’s a huge meal and the schnitzel itself is large. I also asked for a jug of Hollandaise sauce to make this a ‘Courtney’. The only thing that could make this better would be to use thigh meat rather than breast meat. I highly recommend this meal.

Chicken breast schnitzel with caramelised onion, melted cheese, bacon and a fried egg along with chips and salad and a serving of Hollandaise sauce. First week back Gary Lum
Chicken breast schnitzel with caramelised onion, melted cheese, bacon and a fried egg along with chips and salad and a serving of Hollandaise sauce.

Vanilla slice

The really big thing to happen was the publication of a vanilla slice review by Canberra media identity, Jolene Laverty. She published the review in “The Guardian” and she was kind enough to mention a Yummy Lummy vanilla slice review. It gave me a nice bump in my analytics. Please follow Jolene on Twitter @jolene_laverty

After having vanilla slice occupy my mind I was keen to enjoy one and when the opportunity presented itself at the Canberra Hospital and Health Services tuck shop (aka Zouki) on Friday when I work as an Honorary VMO in ACT Pathology.

This was a nice vanilla slice. The icing was a little thick but it had a subtle passionfruit tang to offset the sweetness of the icing sugar. The custard had a good vanilla flavour and was soft and not too full of gelatine. The pastry was fine, but because it was refrigerated and not room temperature, the pastry was a little stiff. Overall though the flavour was good and I’d be happy eating this again and again.

Canberra Hospital and Health Services tuck shop Vanilla slice First week back Gary Lum

Jolene’s kind mention of my review gave me a nice bump in views and visits.

Yummy Lummy statistics First week back Vanilla slice Gary Lum

Weight loss

My weight has fluctuated a little and it’s no surprise given the treats I’ve been indulging in like the vanilla slice on Friday plus a Guzman Y Gomez pulled pork burrito bowl after work. Then yesterday there was McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets. I asked for six Nugs and received seven of them (plus sweet mustard sauce).

Pulled pork burrito bowl from Guzman Y Gomez First week back Gary Lum

McDonald’s McNuggets ‘Nugs’ First week back Gary Lum

The nadir this week has been 79 kg but this morning it was back up to 80.4 kg. I expect that reflects not only the extra carbs but also the significant amount of water I consumed yesterday. My evening meal was super hot and spicy and super salty, plus it got to about 38 °C (98.6 °F) yesterday so I was drinking iced water all day to keep hydrated in the awful dry oven-like heat of a Canberra summer. Give me the warm and sultry tropical summers of the Top End any day.

Dobinsons Bakery Cafe Belconnen

Dobinsons has been a Canberra institution in the Canberra Centre in the CBD for many years. A new store recently opened in Westfield Belconnen. I enjoyed a nice flat white coffee there. I look forward to my tenth so I can get a piece of cake.

Dobinsons coffee and coffee card First week back Gary Lum

Dobinsons Bakery Cafe on Swarm First week back Gary Lum

Yummy Lummy

Last night I made super hot and spicy chicken wings after watching Megatoad aka Matt Stonie eat sixty-five wings of varying heat and spiciness on his YouTube channel. Some of my podcasting friends were also talking about buffalo wings so I thought I should cook wings on a stinking hot night 😂

Check out the recipe at Yummy Lummy.

Blazing hot chilli and pepper nut crusted chicken wings ready for the oven First week back Gary Lum

Blazing hot chilli and pepper nut crusted chicken wings served on stir-fried kale and cabbage salad with French mustard and cream First week back Gary LumI’ll never make it as a meal planner

 

 

Poor planning on my part led to some bizarre dinner combinations

Poor meal planning led to pork rashers, sweet corn and cauliflower first week back Gary Lum
Poor meal planning led to pork rashers, sweet corn and cauliflower
Bacon and poached eggs with pumpkin and avocado first week back Gary Lum
Bacon and poached eggs with pumpkin and avocado

Other morsels from my first week back

Celery and cheese first week back Gary Lum
Celery and cheese

Spam and eggs first week back Gary Lum

Crispy skinned baked salmon and kale salad stir-fry with French mustard. first week back Gary Lum
Crispy skinned baked salmon and kale salad stir-fry with French mustard.
Low carb lunch of roast chicken thigh and Coke Zero first week back Gary Lum
Low carb lunch of roast chicken thigh and Coke Zero

14 Replies to “First week back at work”

  1. Looked like another great week in food. Even with the poor meal planning for the week, your dishes look delicious. Congrats on The Guardian feature. Already making it as a famous food blogger 😄 It also has been very hot in Melbourne but like Canberra, very dry. We need a good dose of humid and wet 😄

    1. It threatened to rain today. There was thunder but no rain no relief. I lay here again on my bed with a fan on.

    2. Good luck with a good night’s sleep. It looks like warm weather for Canberra next week. Though it may be dry, I am jealous.

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