Thursday, 31-01-19

Good morning!

Yesterday's photo diary:
I forgot breakfast.  I actually forgot to have it until it was so close to lunch time that it wasn't worth having it.

Lunch

Dinner.   I had the curry with orzo rather than rice, just because I fancied it.







I also had an apple and some yogurt with grapes and blueberries.









Today's plans:
B: egg on 'fried' bread; apple
I fry the bread by spraying with oil and crisping in a pan.  It works fine and is a reasonable substitute for the fat soaked alternative although nothing like the kind fried in bacon fat!
SW:  the bread is my healthy extra B

L:  yogurt, cheese, apple, oranges x 2
My usual weigh day lunch and very nice too.
SW:  the yogurt is one syn and the cheese is one of my As (or maybe more than one)

D:  chicken rogan josh curry with orzo; yogurt
The portion I didn't freeze yesterday but kept for today.  It will be nice.

Ss:  natural yogurt, fruit


I'm having a bit of a think about healthy extra As.  It's all about calcium so, obviously, milk and cheese.  However, yogurt - nice normal natural yogurt doesn't count which, to me, is daft, especially as it's now considered 'free'.
I've looked it up and yogurt is contains calcium too - hardly surprising, as my home made is just milk and some of the previous batch so it has to really.
So I've decided that I will consider yogurt a healthy extra A if I want to and, if I don't, it will be a free food.  So if you see 'milk' anywhere in my plans, it might possibly mean natural yogurt.
In other words, I'm not fretting if I don't manage two official As as long as I am havng some natural yogurt.

Weigh in tonight.  Keeping my fingers crossed!

Personal review: SW rogan josh sauce from Iceland

Disclaimer:  I'm not being paid or rewarded in anyway for reviewing SW foods from Iceland.  I bought it myself with my own money and there's no pressure from anyone or anywhere to be overly positive (or negative).

A ready sauce rather than a ready meal.  I'd rarely buy a tomato based sauce as I like the ones I make but I do use curry pastes, etc, so was happy to give this a go.

It looked good, smelled great and all together it was a positive first impression.

Of course, being a sauce, you have to make the meal.
I used:
onion
red and orange pepper
mushroom
sweet potato
peas
kale

Plus, because I had it to use up, half a can of chopped tomatoes and a good dollop of chicken stock powder.

I fried the onion, pepper, mushroom and sweet potatoes in spray oil, added the sauce (thawed), tomatoes, stock and a splash of water, brought it all up to a simmer and let it gently bubble away, covered, for a while.
Then I added the peas and some kale (NOT spinach!!) and let it simmer a bit longer and hey presto - ready!

It made four portions, good and generous portions, two of which are now sitting in the freezer for other times, one of which I have eaten and one is destined for tomorrow after group.

What did I think of it?  Well, it's the first SW item I have tried that I will definitely get in again because it is very tasty indeed.  There was no heat in it but that's easily remedied by a shake of chilli powder, flakes or puree and it is flavoursome.  I thoroughly enjoyed dinner this evening.

(by the way, I had orzo, not rice - fusion food!)

Personal review: SW char sui pork noodles

Disclaimer:  I'm not being paid or rewarded in anyway for reviewing SW foods from Iceland.  I bought it myself with my own money and there's no pressure from anyone or anywhere to be overly positive (or negative).

I was looking forward to this and I wasn't disappointed.  For a start, the pork was plentiful, lean and tender, the Chinese veg (plenty of water chestnuts which I like) were still crunchy and there was enough sauce for the fairly substantial (for me) quantity of noodles.  You have to like five spice to like this but I do so it was good.

Yes, there was the ubiquitous spinach but not an overwhelming amount, just enough to give colour and a little flavour.

The recipe looks very straightforward and it is definitely one to make another time.

I am coming to the conclusion though, that while the instructions say microwave for best results, I wonder if they just mean 'quick' results because the one I did do in the oven was much more mellow in flavour than the three I have microwaved.  That could just be coincidence, of course, and oven cooking does carry more of a fuel cost, but I think I will try doing the next one the slow way and see.

Anyway, in conclusion, this was tasty and I enjoyed it very much.  Is it worth the cost - no, of course not, but I didn't feel I had wasted my money because it was tasty, filling and satisfying.

Apologies for the photo - I had already started eating when I remembered the photo so it's not a pretty sight!

Wednesday, 30-01-19

Good morning.

Here's yesterday's photo diary.
No photo of breakfast - it was pineapple, grapes and blueberries topped with natural yogurt

Lunch:  a wrap pizza pretending to be a quesadilla and it was gorgeous!  I also had a Mullerlight.
(I've posted the recipe separately)

Dinner:  char sui pork noodles - another SW ready meal and a Mullerlight
(apologies for the messy photo - I almost forgot and had already started the meal)


I'll be doing a review of the char sui pork noodles in a separate post




I also had a choccy drink (Options) for two syns.  Apart from that, I stayed off the snacks as the day before they ma6y have been oranges but I consider I hat too much, 'free' food notwithstanding.

Today's plans:
B:  bacon, egg and beans; apple
Using up the beans from Monday.
SW:  free

L:  two boiled eggs, pitta dippers, cheese, orange
I might defer the cheese and use it as a snack later.
SW:  the pitta is my healthy extra B and the cheese is one of my As.

D:  chicken rogan josh, rice; natural yogurt
This is not a SW ready meal for a change, it is a SW ready sauce and it will make four portions.  The recipe for the sauce is on the lid so if it is good, I will definitely use it again.  Two portions will be frozen and I'll have the fourth tomorrow after group - quick 'n' easy
SW:  free, depending on what I put in but it will most likely be chicken (obviously) with onion, pepper, mushroom, sweet potato and maybe peas - I love peas in a curry.

Ss:  Mullerlight, 2 x mini oranges

Recipe: a wrap pizza pretending to be a quesadilla

This one was delicious; definitely one to do again.

Ingredients:
one small onion, peeled and thinly sliced
a quarter or a pepper (red, yellow or orange), deseeded and sliced or chopped
2 mushrooms, sliced
spray oil
one 'free' sausage - I used an iceland SW pork, sage and squash sausage - sliced into thin circles

half a can of chopped tomatoes
garlic puree
tomato puree
dried, mixed herbs
some cajun spice
seasonings to taste

one WW wrap, cut into quarters
75g light mozzarella, sliced or torn

simple salad to garnish

Method.
Spray a pan and gently saute the onion, pepper, mushroom and sausage.
Add the chopped tomatoes, purees, herbs, and spice.  Simmer gently until the sauce has reduced and thickened.  Taste and season if necessary

Take two wrap quarters, spread over half of the light mozzarella, then the mixture, then the rest of the mozzarella.  Top with the other two wrap quarters.  Don't overfill - it will squidge out of the sides (as I found out!).

Spray a large pan and heat.  Carefully place the two filled quarters in the pan and allow to fry gently until the wrap is turning golden.  Spray the top, then gently turn over and spray the other side. *

When done, remove both from the pan carefully and serve with a side salad.

SW info:  the wrap is one healthy extra B and the mozzarella is one healthy extra A  The rest is all free food with loads of speed.

*(I expect you could spray and grill or spray and bake, if preferred)

Tuesday, 29-01-19

Good morning
Yesterday's photo diary.

A lovely breakfast and I have discovered that those sage and squash sausages are really nice fried in spray oil (rather than oven baked) and eaten with some baked beans!

Lunch:  cheesy beans on toast - simple and delicious.

Dinner  SW Mediterranean chicken risotto
(I will being reviewing the risotto as a separate post).







I also had an apple, several mini oranges, some cheese (the rest of my healthy extra A) and one Mullerlight.

Today's menu plans:
B:  yogurt and pineapple
Just what it says on the label.  The pineapple is still lasting out and it's deliciously sweet and juicy while the yogurt is home made so this is a frugal breakfast
SW  free

L:  syn free pizza, simple salad
I'm using a wrap for the base, making my own sauce with tomato puree and softening my own veg in spray oil.  I might slice and add a SW sausage too.  The cheese is 70g light mozzarella.  It might end up as a pizza or I might 'sandwich' it up to make a sort of quesadilla, adding extra spice to the sauce as I dearly love my cajun spice mix.
SW:  the wrap is a Weight Watchers one for my healthy extra B and 70g of mozzarella light is a healthy extra A.  The SW sausage is free

D:  char sui pork noodles
Another of those SW ready meals from Iceland that I am trying out.  This one sounds nice so we will see . . .
SW:  free

Ss:  Mullerlights (one syn each), fruit

Personal review: SW Mediterranean chicken risotto

Disclaimer:  I'm not being paid or rewarded in anyway for reviewing SW foods from Iceland.  I bought it myself with my own money and there's no pressure from anyone or anywhere to be overly positive (or negative).

It seems that SW Italian meals come very heavy on the basil and the spinach.  Having said that, I enjoyed it much more than the meatballs of the other day.
 
The flavour was more natural, the texture was pretty risotto-ey and there was plenty of chicken.  The sauce was a bit thin but some added tomato puree sorted that.  The flavour was OK but I wouldn't spend my money on another one although I might give the recipe a go at some point, without basil and spinach.

So not an unqualified success but not a disaster either - just not worth it!

Monday, 28-01-19

Good morning.

Photo diary.
(I've decided it takes too long to make a 'single page' for this so I'll just put the photoes straight in here)

Breakfast:  porridge, natural yogurt and fresh pineapple











Lunch was soup - no photo but it was nice.

Dinner was a SW meal - meatballs and pasta in a tomato sauce.    Please see separate review.  :-)

I also had a yogurt, some more cheese that I synned and some mini-oranges as snacks.






Today's menu:
B:  bacon, egg, sausage, baked beans; orange
The bacon was YS so does need using up and the baked beans will be a bit from the can for lunch as one can is just a bit too much for two portions. 
SW:  free

L:  beans on toast with a topping of grated cheddar, fruit (grapes or pineapple - or both, maybe!)
Always a nice, frugal meal.  I will freeze the remaining portion for another time.
SW:  the toast is my healthy extra B and the cheese is one of my As

D:  Mediterranean chicken risotto, roasted tomatoes, salad; fruit yogurt
Another ready meal!
SW one syn for the yogurt

Ss:  fruit, yogurt

Personal review: SW meatballs and pasta in a spicy tomato and herb sauce.

Disclaimer:  I'm not being paid or rewarded in anyway for reviewing SW foods from Iceland.  I bought it myself with my own money and there's no pressure from anyone or anywhere to be overly positive (or negative).

First of all I need to say that portions are mega huge!  I didn't even try to finish this one.  OK, I had a salad with it which I also couldn't finish) and a bit of finely grated cheese over the top but even so, it was far too much.  I'd be happy to have 2/3 the amount at 2/3 the price.
No, I didn't NEED to have a salad but I wanted extra speed and I didn't HAVE to have the cheese but, as it happened, I'm glad I did.

Unfortunately, this meal didn't appeal at all.  The meatballs were fine although too big and a bit solid but the sauce tasted rather nasty - over-the-top dried-herby and very synthetic.  Looking at the ingredients, this might be partly because it has basil as one of the herbs and I really don't like basil but it wasn't just that.  I also felt the sauce was too thin so I added some tomato puree.  I like my tomato sauces to taste juicy and really rich and tomato-ey and this just wasn't.  The cheese helped but didn't compensate really.

So no, not a winner for me.  However, the recipe on the back looks much more promising as I can change the herb balance, make the meatballs smaller and less dense and instead of spinach, I would prefer peppers, mushrooms and so on.

Not one I will be ever having again, unfortunately.

(I'll have the rest of the salad tomorrow - waste not . . .)

Sunday, 27-01-19

Good morning!

Photo diary

I've done a separate review of the sausages and the nasi goreng.

Today's plans
B:  porridge, pineapple and yogurt
The pineapple was a prize at SW and the yogurt is home made so this ends up being very frugal.
SW:  I'm using one healthy extra A and one B for the milk and oats respectively

L:  bean and veg soup, mini-oranges
Home made and frozen last week in single portions.  It's every so useful to have a supply of home made soups in the freezer.  I used what I had and the pulses were all home soaked and cooked before open freezing to this soup is very frugal too
SW:  free

D:  meatballs and pasta in a spicy sauce, grated cheese
This is another SW ready meal.  People have said good things about this so fingers crossed.  I shall probably cook some extra veg as well.
SW:  the meal is free and the cheese will be my other healthy extra A

Ss:  fruit, Mullerliughts (one or two syns, depending on whether I have one or two).

Personal review: SW nasi goreng

 I'm not being paid or rewarded in anyway for reviewing SW foods from Iceland.  I bought it myself with my own money and there's no pressure from an yone or anywhere to be overly positive (or negative).

Nasi goreng, the wrapping says, is an Indonesian rice dish, spicy but not 'hot'.  The whole portion is just over 400 calories and when I looked at the nutritional information, there were no e numbers, doubtful stuff, etc, rice is the first ingredient, then water, then chicken breast.  Spices include ginger, soy sauce, nutmeg, pepper, chilli, coriander and lime juice.
(the flatbread was an extra, not part of the meal)

I didn't want to microwave it so in the oven it went, from frozen so no problems with remembering to take it out beforehand.  The whole thing took 55 minutes which is quite a long time but not complicated at all with just a bit of stirring ten minutes before the end.

I thought it looked delicious (although not that colourful) and smelled delicious so it had positive impact from the start.  There was loads of chicken which was tender, and plenty of veg, much of which was onions and water chestnuts.  When I make it myself (and I will, using the recipe on the back) I will add more veg, maybe baby corn and red peppers to give a bit more colour.

From the photo I took, it looks a bit bland but it most certainly wasn't, it was full of flavour and the whole portion was so huge that I had trouble finishing it off.  I certainly didn't need the wholemeal flatbread that I made to go with it (but I did - must have my healthy extra B) and there's no way I am going to be able to manage anything else before bedtime.

I've heard mixed opinions of this dish but, to me, it was lovely and I really enjoyed it although it might be a bit too spicy for some.

So, in summary, delicious meal, large portion, easy to cook - what's not to like? 

Personal review: SW pork, sage and butternut squash sausages

I'd better start by saying I'm not being paid or rewarded in anyway for reviewing SW foods from Iceland.  I bought it all myself with my own money and there's no pressure to be overly positive (or negative).

So - sausages.  They are SW free, 123 calories per 100g and 3.1g fat

I'm a bit of a sausage fusspot.  The ones I really go for are from a butcher's near my parents' house, Bob Chapman's of Baldock.  They are made on the premises from locally sourced ingredients and they are to die for.  Normally I don't buy any others.

I had two of the SW pork, sage and squash sausages for breakfast, sprayed with a little oil and baked in the oven.
They have a fine, close texture, pretty smooth really, but not as solid as I expected which was good.  The skins are not thick so weren't intrusive.

Like most sausages, they smelled really good as they were cooking but the taste didn't live up to the aroma.  They could have done with more spice, more seasoning, more ooomph generally although they were not unpleasant, just not anything special.  A dollop of brown sauce would have helped, I expect, and I could say that about most sausages!

I reckon they will be good cut into meatball sized bits and cooked in a spicy tomato sauce or mixed with some breadcrumbs, minced onion and extra sage to make a stuffing, sliced in a quiche or on top of a wrap pizza, served in a bun with some sauted onions or in a wrap with a flavoursome chutney.

I think I will keep a bag of them in the freezer because it's a useful thing to have but I could quite happily manage without them..

Oh - and they are not cheap - 50p each!   Caveat emptor!

28-01-19  Important edit.  I have discovered that they are very much nicer fried in spray oil and eaten with some baked beans!  I really enjoyed the one I had for breakfast this morning

Saturday, 26-01-19

Morning!

I took one photo yesterday - dinner.  I simmered one portion of the turkey mince to dry it out a bit before adding some kidney beans from my bag in the freezer and it was extremely acceptable.

Today's plans are:
B:  sausages, bacon, tomatoes
The sausages are some from Iceland (my order came yesterday evening) so I'm trying them out.  Not cheap so I hope they are nice.  They're pork, sage and butternut squash sausages.  To balance that just a little bit, the bacon was on yellow sticker.
SW:  free

L:  I'm having it round Beth's and I gather she's doing roast chicken and veg so that will work well.

D:  nasi goreng, home made wholemeal flatbread, yogurt and fruit
A SW ready meal, the first one.  Hope it's nice; I'll let you know.  The fruit will be some of the pineapple I won at group last week and it seems to be ready to eat now - I hope
SW:  the flatbread will be my healthy extra B.  If I use about 40g wholemeal flour, it should be around 60g in total which is about right for a B

Ss:  milk, cheese fruit yogurt.
SW  the milk and cheese are my As and the yogurt is one syn.

Friday, 25-01-19

Good morning.  This is a bit late because I overslept!

One pound off yesterday.  I was a bit disappointed and had to tick myself off for feeling negative as it's in the right direction and that's what matters.

No photos.  I totally forgot - ooops.
However, the turkey jalfrezi was OK-ish but very bland.  I suppose that when your recipe only uses five ingredients (hence the title 'Take 5'), it is going to be a bit lacking.  Anyway, I jazzed it up with peas, mushrooms, tomato puree, ginger, garlic and a bit of chilli and it was much better.  Today's dinner is some of the leftovers and I will freeze the rest.  It made four good portions.

Today's plans:
B:  yogurt and fruit
I will use my home made natural yogurt and I'm still addicted to those lovely easy peeling mini-oranges.
SW:  free

L:  tomato soup and dunking bread
The last of my home made tomato soup so I need to make some more at some point.
SW:  healthy extra B for the bread.

D:  turkey mince chilli, rice
Some of yesterday's leftovers with a dash more chilli and some kidney beans added.
SW:  free

Ss:  cheese (healthy extra A), fruit, yogurt (one syn)  Actually, I might have the cheese grated over the chilli earlier instead.  I'll see how I feel.


It looks a simple menu but it's packed with f&v and it's all made and ready.  Nice.

Thursday, 24-01-19

Good morning.

Well, unfortunately, yesterday's plans went a bit up the creek, not in an overeaing way but quite the opposite.  It started off OK with a very nice cooked breakfast . . .

. . . and then went off to meet a friend for coffee (black - not a sacrifice, I prefer it).
When I got home I wasn't feeling brilliant again so just had some fruit for lunch.  I made dinner and was going to have it when I got home from a meeting but really couldn't face it so close to bedtime so I had my cheese (got to have calcium), some yogurt and some oranges and that was that.
So not great but there you go!
I'll freeze the lentil and veg ragu so it won't be wasted - it's very tasty.  Basically it's a pile of veg, sauteed for a while, then a bit of spice/seasoning/garlic, some passata and a tin of green lentils with some soy sauce and Lea and Perrins and let it all simmer until lovely and thick.  That's not the original recipe, it's my version with a bit of jazzing up.

And now I am wide awake with stuff buzzing around in my head.  I'm going to be shattered this evening!

Today's plans
B:  mushroom omelette, fruit
I tend to let mushrooms go a bit over so this is my effort to use some up in good time
SW:  free

L:  Mullerlight, apple, orange
The usual weighday lunch
SW:  one syn for the Mullerlight

D: turkey jalfrezi, rice (maybe); fruit
Yet another from Take 5.  I've enjoyed this week's food very much and using the book for several meals has worked really well.  I'll do this again at some point as I have several of their recipe books.
I'll make this earlier in the day so I'm not deterred by tiredness after group this evening - a heat'n'eat!
SW:  free

Ss:  I need to have all my healthy extras as snacks today so cheese salad sarnie, maybe.  It would not be good to just forget about them, especially the calcium.  I have loads of fruit and vey (usually) so I'm not so fussed about the fibre.

Weighday this evening - fingers crossed.

Wednesday, 23-01-19

Good morning!

Yesterday's photo diary.

The Mexican stew was simple and delicious.  Fry some chicken chunks in frylight spray oil until coloured all over.  Add some onion, cut into wedges, some sliced peppers (any colour) and some spice - the recipe said smoked paprika or mild chilli but I used my cajun spice mix - and fry for another few minutes.

Then add some chopped tomatoes and some water, if the tomatoes are very thick.  Mine were Savers so I didn't!  I also added some mushrooms and some garlic puree which were not in the original recipe.  Season lightly.

Bring to a simmer and allow to bubble until all is cooked and the sauce has reduced and is nice and thick, covering if necessary.

As it was nice and spicy, I added a dollop of natural yogurt as well.

You could add rice in which case it would go further, but I didn't.

(The original recipe is on p62 of the SW Take 5 book)

Today's plans:
B:  bacon, egg, tomato, mushroom
I feel like a more substantial breakfast today.
SW:  free

L:  either bean and veg or tomato soup, something to dunk
Warming and frugal.  Win-win
SW:  the soup is free and the dunking something will be my healthy extra B

D:  lentil and kale ragu.  Another one from the Take 5 recipe book
Vegetarian is almost always more frugal than a meal containing meat and, even with the kale, this one is no exception.  It help that I have a can of lentils and some passata from the prize last week  so I'm using up what I've got as well.
SW:  free

Ss:  a nibble or two of cheese for my healthy extra As, fruit yogurt at one syn per pot, maybe some mini oranges (as I'm addicted to them right now).  I might also make some crispy kale at some point as I will have half a bag to use up.

Tuesday, 22-01-19

Good morning!

Photo diary - I forgot to photo breakfast though!

The dinner recipe (curried chicken and cauliflower) was OK, nice enough but nothing special.  I jazzed it up with some yellow pepper, onion and sweetcorn, all of which needed using up, and that helped to give it more flavour.  Because of those additions, it made loads, most of which were vegetables, so I cheerfully scoffed the lot.  They say 'feed a cold', don't they?

Today's plans
B:  scrambled eggs on toast, fruit
Easy and quick and I like it!
SW:  half a healthy extra B for the toast

L:  bean and veg soup or tomato soup.  Bread for dunking.
I have both soups in the freezer in the freezer.so I will probably see which Beth fancies as she's round for lunch.
SW  the other half B for the toast

D:  Mexican chicken stew.
Another from the Take 5 book and it looks warming and spicy.  I may add extra veg and I may sub the required paprika with some of my home mixed cajun spice because it's very tasty.
Like all their recipes right now, it is loaded up with plenty of vegetables which suits me fine and which generally tends to make it better value
SW:  free

Ss:  cheese to nibble for my healthy extra As, Mullerlight for one syn each, mini-oranges

I was a bit bad yesterday.  At group, people go on about these Iceland SW ready meals and how good they are.  You may have noticed that I'm not a great one for ready meals; I enjoy my cooking too much for a start, but yesterday I made an online order up to the free delivery amount and it's coming on Friday.  That's enough ready meals to make me un-frugal but there you go.

One unusual but very good thing about these meals is that the recipe to make them at home is on the packaging so if there are any that I love, I can more or less reproduce them the more frugal way.  A slight plus point to balance the other.

They're due to arrive Friday teatime so I will build a few into next week's plans and report back.  Have any readers/followers tried any of these.  Do let me know via the comments.

Recipe: simple mushy pea soup

After opening a small can of mushy peas yesterday, I had about a third left over so I changed my plans and made a very easy soup which was far more delicious that it ought to have been.

Ingredients to make one portion
about 1/3 can of mushy peas
a bit of onion, chopped.
about two inches of carrot, chopped
about two inches of a rib of celery, chopped
about a heaped tsp powdered stock.  I use Marigold which is a veg stock but a chicken stock would be fine too and a ham stock (if there is such a thing) would be lovely.  Just add what you think will be OK as you can always add more later.
I didn't season at all.

Method
Throw the lot into a pan withy some water and boil it, covered, until everything is soft.
Zizz it in a blender or with a stick blender.
Taste and adjust water/seasonings as needed.  I didn't need to change anything.
Serve, piping hot.  It's not a pretty colour but it has a good flavour and texture.

It would be lovely with some shreds of ham added after zizzing.

Monday, 21-01-19

Good morning!

Photo diary - I remembered!  Well, mostly anyway!

As you can see, I decided on cheesy chips rather than cheese as a nibble and I'm glad I did - they were tasty!  The steak looks bigger than it really was - I had two small, thin slices that I hammered out.


Today's plans:
B:  fruit and yogurt
Good for a sore throat, I hope.
SW:   free

L:  boiled eggs and pitta dippers, fruit
I do love boiled eggs and they seem very filling.  I usually have two at a time.
SW:  one healthy extra B for the pitta

D:  curried chicken and cauliflower
This is a recipe from Take 5, a SW book of recipes that use five main ingredients.  I've not made it before but it looks OK.  I'll see how I feel about rice when the time comes.
SW:  free

Ss:  Mullerlight, tomatoes, cheese to nibble (healthy extra As)

Sunday. 20-01-19

Good morning.
I'm back at home instead of at my parents' home, feeling a bit sorry for myself but it's just a cold, I suspect, at the achy, sore throat, sneezy yucky stage before it all 'starts flowing'!  Not the sort of germs I want to share with two vulnerable people in their 90s!

When I got home yesterday, I decided to make a big pot of emergency bean and veg soup and I'm so glad I did as all I had to do is pile some into a bowl and heat it in the microwave now and again.  Great flavour, little effort and loads more left for today AND some to freeze.

It has onion, celery, carrot, potato, sweet potato, squash, parsnip, peas, sweetcorn, chickpeas, mixed beans and orzo plus vegetable stock, garlic and some seasonings. 
It will keep me going, that's for sure.

Today's plans are:
B:  yogurt and fruit.  One of the raffle contents was a pineapple but it still looks a bit green so I'll leave that for a few days.
SW:  free

L:  bean and veg soup; pitta dippers
As above.  It's a mixture of fresh, froxen and canned foods so it's also cleared a few spaces in freezer and cupboard
SW:  the soup is free, the dipper is my healthy extra B

D:  steak, SW chips and mushy peas
- assuming I feel OK.  If I don't, it'll be more soup.  I might make cheesy chips instead of plain ones.
SW:  free if it's plain chips, two healthy extra As if I make cheesy chips

Ss:  yogurt (one syn each), fruit.  If I have plain chips, I'll have my cheesy As as a snack.

No photos today, I'm afraid but I'll try and remember to photograph today's food.

Saturday, 19-01-19

Good morning.
I'm not feeling wonderful and may stay off the food today so no menu yet.
If there's no post tomorrow, don't worry, I'll be back!

Friday, 18-01-19

Good morning!

Yesterday's photo diary

plus more mini-oranged and two Hi-Fi bars

Two pounds off at group and I got Slimmer of the Week - sort of.  I wasn't the person who lost the most but first week losers are not eligible, neither is anyone who gained the previous week.  There were several of us who lost the same this week so the leader added in last week's losses as well as this week's to sort us out and that's how I got Slimmer of the Week.  No complaints from me - it was a lovely basket of goodies (including those two Hi-Fi bars which I ate as a sort of celebration).

I lost two pounds, by the way.

Today's plans:
B:  corned beef hash with fried tomatoes, apple
I have half the tin of corned beef to use up so this seems ideal!  Pre-cook some potato and some onion, cube/slice them, add cubes of corned beef, spray with oil and fry  and turn until getting crispy round the edges.
SW:  One and a half syns for the corned beef.

L:  tomato soup, bread for dunking
The soup is from the freezer and that's it, all gone now, so I will need to make some more next week.
SW:  the bread is half my healthy extra B and I will add some milk to the soup for part of a healthy extra A

D:  salmon, chips and peas; melon
Not that cheap but it doesn't matter as I'm not paying!
SW:  free

Ss:  fruit, Mullerlight yogurt (one syn), cheddar (the rest of my healthy extra As)



I won't be able to do a photo diary over the weekend but will be back with it on Monday.

Thursday, 17-01-19

Good morning.

After posting yesterday, I looked in my diary and realised I was out for lunch with a friend and I forgot to take the breakfast photo so all I have for my photo diary is this.

Not a pretty sight but it tasted fantastic!

Lunch was curried cauliflower soup and that was really delicious too.  Probably high in syns but too bad, I had it and thoroughly enjoyed it.  I've looked up a recipe and will see if I can adapt it

Today's plans are:
B:  I have to have the smoked mackerel and I'm not wasting the pasta so I'll spray the pasta with butter frylight and then mix in the flaked fish and warm it all up.  Might add some sliced tomato too.  Weird but fingers crossed.
SW:  the fish is one and a half syns

L:  yogurt and fruit
My usual Thursday lunch.
SW: free

D:  Corned beef and cheese on toast
You see, I have my healthy extras to eat and it has to be something quick so I will use half a can of lean corned beef, mushed and spread on toast and melt some cheese over the lot.  Some Lea and Perrins shaken over should pep it up nicely.
SW:  both lots of healthy extras and one and a half syns for the corned beef (more if I have more)

Ss:  mullerlight, mini-oranges

Weigh in this evening.  :-)

Wednesday, 16-01-19

Good morning.

Here's the photo diary although I had Beth (daughter) round and forgot to take a photo!

Today's plans are:
B: overnight oats with fruit (from the freezer)
 I haven't had OO for ages and I do love it.  I have added pineapple and wanted to use up some fresh blueberries too but, bad me, they had gone off so ended up in the recycling.  I try very hard not to do this but failed this time.
SW:  the oats are a healthy extra B and I will have half a healthy extra A as well in the form of milk

L:  Smoked mackerel pasta salad
The mackerel needs to be used by tomorrow and I cooked extra pasta yesterday so this will be a nice, easy lunch.  I intend to just flake the mackerel into the pasta and might add a bit of sauce of some kind - I'll see how it goes.   The salad will probably just be leaves and cucumber.  Simple.
SW:  one and a half syns for the mackerel


D:  tuna, bacon and cheese jacket potato with coleslaw and a side salad
Another one I haven't had for ages and I'm so looking forward to it.  Nice and easy to prepare in advance and great value
SW:  45g grated cheese is one and a half As and I will load up the extra light mayo with four tbsp for two syns (some for the tuna, some for coleslaw

Ss:  Mullerlight, banana, oranges

Look what I found yesterday in Morrisons.  I had one last night and it was very acceptable.  I daresay I couldn't have told you the flavour if I hadn't known but - smooth and sweet does it for me!

Tuesday, 15-01-19

Good morning!
We're half way through the month, would you believe?  Where does the time go?

Here's yesterday's photo diary.

. . . and 30g cheese!

There a few changes from the plans, mostly due to lack of time.
I didn't have a poached egg with the breakfast fish and I didn't make any croutons for lunch.  I also had a mini orange rather than an apple.
Basically I had one and a  half healthy extra As and no B.  Not a great Slimming World day but never mind - could be worse!  I was full and felt well fed and the savoury rice was delicious.  I'm sure freezing develops the flavour.


Today's SW plans are . . .
B:  marmite on toast, fruit.
Quite simple today but I just fancied some toast.
SW:  the bread is my healthy extra B and I will use some dairylea light as well because it's so tasty with marmite.  Two wedges will be half of a healthy extra A

L:  broccoli soup, more fruit
I have a stem of broccoli to use and there's no way I'm going to chuck it.  Far too flavoursome.
SW:  the soup is free and I will sprinkle on 15g grated cheddar for the other half of one of my A

D:  bacon and mushroom cheesy pasta
Just a concoction using what I've got in the fridge!
SW  four dairylea wedges will be the other healthy extra A and I'm hoping the rest is free.

Ss:  Mullerlight, carrot batons

Monday, 14-01-19

Morning!

Here's yesterday's photo diary.  It looks loads but it was all completely on plan!

Today's plans:
B:  Smoked haddock and poached egg
Yesterday was higher in meat so I want today to be lighter.  The fish isn't cheap but yesterday was pretty frugal what with using leftovers and bits and bobs so no problem.
SW:  I thought mackerel was free but I looked it up and the smoked kind carries syns - my portion will be one and a half syns which is hardly the end of the world.

L:  tomato soup with grated cheese and croutons, apple
Yes, I still have some of that tomato soup.  It really is a great value recipe.
SW:  I'll have 15g grated cheese which is half a healthy extra A and two of my three slices of crustless wholemeal for the croutons which will be one healthy extra B in total.

D:  Syn free savoury rice
Found in the freezer so I shall use it up.  No idea if it has meat in but it probably has as it's not labelled 'vegetarian' or 'meat free' and I will add some extra speed - pepper and mushroom.  It just needs heating to piping hot so an easy one.

Ss:  one slice of bread (might toast and marmite it), hot milk at bedtime (my other healthy extra A), fruit

Sunday, 13-01-19

Good morning.
I only have one photo for yesterday because
a)  I didn't have any breakfast (not hungry, no time) and
b)  Lunch was out and even had I wanted to, I didn't have my camera.
Here's dinner though.

And it was lovely!

Today's plans:
B:  sort of corned beef hash with baked beans
I have, left over from yesterday, some of the corned beef mixture, some beaten egg and some baked beans so I intend to mix the egg into the hash and fry it in a pan and have it with the baked beans
SW:  I've already counted the corned beef stuff so it's free for me but it isn't really.  I'd normally have to syn the corned beef.

L:  Pitta pizza and salad
Use a split pitta as a base, make a sauce with ketchup and puree, slap on some appropraite veg (onion, mushroom, pepper) and some bits of very lean bacon and sprinkle over some cheddar before baking
SW:  two tbsp ketchup is one syn (Morrison's ketchup is lower synned than some other), the pitta is my healthy extra B and the cheese will be at least one of my healthy extra A, maybe both.  I'll see how much I need.

D:  Turkey roast dinner
Turkey from Christmas with roasties, sprouts, broaaoli, some basic stuffing and some chanberry sauce
SW:  the cranberry sauce is one and a half syns and the stuffing is three syns as I'm not adding any butter to it when I make it up but just having it neat, so to speak.

Ss:  apple, orange, maybe a Mullerlight for one syn.

Saturday, 12-01-19

Morning, everyone.

Yesterday's photo diary:

(I also had a few more oranges and another Mullerlight)

Today's plans:
B:  beans on toast, yogurt and fruit
To use up yesterday's leftover beans.
SW:  two syns for the toast (I'm having the healthy extra B later on)

L:  Out, so don't know
I'm going to a Thermomix 'Healthy Eating and Detox' class so, hopefully, whatever there is to eat will be reasonably OK.

D:  corned beef pasty, sprouts, another veg of some kind
To be made the same way as the 'calzone' on Thursday with a filling of corned beef (the lower fat kind), onion, potato, grated cheese and something spicy
SW:  the wrap is a healthy extra B, the cheese is one healthy extra A, the corned beef is three syns and there will be more than enough so I will use the rest to make breakfast tomorrow.

Ss:  fruit, carrot sticks

Recipe: Slimming World friendly calzone/pasty

Slimming World is great if you like adapting recipes and ideas to make them work in the plan.
A real, geniune calzone is a sort of Italian pasty, laden with calories and pretty much out of reach for the dedicated slimmer most of the time.

This isn't the same, of course, but it is a tasty substitute.  It's not original - you can see the idea anywhere where SW is the focus but I'd not tried it until yesterday.

First things first - a WW wrap is counted as a healthy extra B whereas other wraps are not.  I managed to pin some down in the Tescos the other side of town and bought several packs to freeze.  If you use anything else, syn them!

The egg wash does matter - it makes the edges stick together and gives the finished thing that lovely, shine, beautifully baked look - and looks do help in food.  We eat with more than just the sense of taste.

This is what I did:

First, I prepared the filling by softening some finely sliced onion in frylight, then adding some chopped pepper and finely sliced mushroom and half a can of chopped tomatos that I had leftover from the previous day with herbs, a bit of seasoning, some garlic puree and tomato puree.  I let it simmer until it was soft and gooey and thick.

I whisked up an egg,finely grated 30g of strong cheddar (one healthy extra A) and turned the oven on to around 180C

I got the wrap and spooned the filling onto one half.  You can't add an awful lot or it just squidges out when you press round the side.  Then sprinkle the grated cheese over the filling.  Don't let any of the filling get too close to the edge.

Brush the other half of the wrap and all around the edge with the egg.  Carefully fold over the other side until it makes a semi-circle and, with the tines of a fork, press around the edge to seal it.  I had to remove some of the tomato mix which is how I know you can't use too much!

This is what it looks like at this point.  Not a very pretty sight and, yup, the tomato mix did make a bit of a mess, but it was OK by the time it was baked.

You can leave it at this point, if you are making it earlier.  Just place it on the baking sheet you will be using and cover it with easy leave or cling film.

Just before popping it in the oven, brush it all over with more of the beaten egg.  Then bake it for around fifteen to twenty minutes until the wrap has turned lovely and brown and shiny.
Like this . . .

I had it just as it was as I was tired and hungry, but a side salad would be lovely.  You could use fingers but be careful as the inside will be, obviously, very hot!

You could use any filling you fancy.  Over the weekend, I plan to make it again but as a corned beef pasty, using the lower fat corned beef, some onion, some mashed potato, a bit of cheese and maybe some spicy stuff for a bit more ooomph.
To work it out for SW, just syn/count all the separate ingredients.

Footnote:  if you have filling left over, panic not - just use it in something the next day.  I spooned the tomato/vegetable filling into a ramekin, topped it with an egg and baked it in the oven to make a scrummy and surprisingly filling (SW free) breakfast.  Waste not, want not!

(and here it is)

Friday, 11-01-19

Good morning.

I've now lost two and a half pounds of my half stone Christmas gain.  Phew . . .

Yesterday's photo diary - I totally forgot to photograph lunch but it was mixed fruit with natural yogurt and it was lovely.  I also troughed my way through several small 'easy-peelers'.

I had planned to have a salad with the 'calzone' but group went on for much longer than usual (lots of post-Christmas joiners) so by the time I got home, I just couldn't be bothered.  I'd prepared the calzone beforehand and should have done the same for the salad too.  Lesson learned!
Despite the lack of salad, I have to say dinner was absolutely delicious.  The wrap (Weight Watchers which is counted as a healthy extra B) is not pastry or pizza dough, obviously, but it does work OK.  I can have pies again!

Today's plans:
B:  baked egg
I have some tomato, onion, pepper and mushroom mixture that wouldn't fit in the calzone so I shall pop it it a ramekin, crack an egg on top and bake it.  I'll probably toast one slice of wholemeal to make dippers.
SW:  The toast will be a third of my healthy extra B

L:  beans on toast, apple or orange
Simple, healthy and delicious.
SW:  the toast is the rest of my healthy extra B and I will have 30g grated cheese on top which is one healthy extra A

D:  steak, chips, coleslaw
A Friday treat.  Very not frugal - but the rest of the day is OK so never mind.  I shall try out a steak rub I got online from a place I have just discovered and which I will ramble on about when I've tried most of what I bought.
SW:  one tbsp mayo is half a syn

Thursday, 10-01-19

Good morning!
I remembered the photo diary yesterday

And very nice it all was too!
Hopefully you can open this link to the salmon curry in a hurry - it was very tasty.  If you can't let me know via comments and I'll try a different link.
https://www.slimmingworld.co.uk/mums/recipes/salmon-curry-in-a-hurry

Today's plans
B:  bacon, scrambled egg, sausage
All stuff I have in and the eggs were a gift.
SW:  half a syn for two Heck sausages

L:  yogurt, apple and orange
My usual weigh day lunch!
SW:  free because I'm having natural yogurt rather than mullerlight yogurt.

D:  cheese and mushroom calzone, side salad
OK, so not really a calzone but . . . this is Slimming World.  I will use a WW wrap as the outside and will cook up some onion, pepper, tomato and mushroom in spray oil, spoon it onto one half of the wrap, sprinkle over some cheddar and brush whisked egg over the rest and round the edge.  Fold the wrap over to make a pasty shaped thingy and press the edges down with the prongs of a fork to seal.  Brush over more egg and bake in the oven on a non stick surface until golden brown and 'done'.  Eat straight away.
That's the theory anyway.
SW:  the wrap will be my healthy extra B and the cheese will be most of my two healthy extra As.  The rest is free.

And fingers crossed for the weigh in.  I HAVE to have lost some of the festive gain, I really do.
Pleeeeease!

Wednesday, 09-01-19

Morning, everyone.
I'm feeling encouraged this morning.  As I mentioned in t'other blog, I bought some jeans (in a sale so not too un-frugal) in the next size down which, it is to be hoped, will be my forever size.  I tried them on and not only could I get them up, I could do them up too!  OK, so they were tight and there's no way I would want to wear them for long but it's really motivated me again.

Today's plans:

B:  two boiled eggs with toast dippers, apple

This is really frugal because Dad gave me eggs to use up after the weekend.

SW:  one slice of crustless wholemeal as a third of a healthy extra B.

L:  cheese, onion and cranberry toastie, home made coleslaw

 I really love this one - as the label says, using spray oil and toasted under the grill.  I have cabbage and carrot and will use just a bit of lighter than light mayo for the coleslaw

SW:  the other two thirds of the healthy extra B (bread) and most of my two healthy extra As (cheese) plus one syn maximum for the mayo

D:  salmon curry in a hurry, maybe a bit of basmati rice; mullerlight

I've made this before and it's surprisingly nice.  It's a Slimming World recipe which really doesn't take long and I think I have a bit of frozen broccoli in the freezer (but if I don't, I have some fresh).  I'm not sure whether I will serve it with rice or not.

I know salmon isn't particularly cheap but I have taken to buying bigger bits and cutting it into portions - it is much better value that way.  Also, there were some larger bit reduced after Christmas so I got some and now my freezer is salmon rich!

SW:  free apart from the yogurt which is one syn

Ss:  carrot sticks, yogurt and frozen fruit (to make a sort of icecream thingy)

I will sit down at some point and reorganise my recipe files.  I have so many recipes now, all in plastic pockets and sorted into different sections, and I think that I need to sort out all those I haven't yet tried and put them in a separate place and choose from them when I am planning the week's meals.  Then, if it's a keeper, it can go into the relevant section.
It's a fact that the Slimming World plan is far from restrictive and I find I am spoilt for choice.  There's no way I can complain that it is dull or boring, is there?  Just look at today's plans!

Tuesday, 08-01-19

Good mornimng.
As I expected, it's a whole lot easier now I am back at home with the normal routine back in place.  Here's yesterday's photo diary.  Much better!

The homity pie was tasty and made so much that I have a bit left over for a snack today.  It's not quite enough to freeze.


Today's plans.
B:  bacon and tomato, apple or orange
As always, it's bacon medallions (the lean part of back bacon) and then the tomatoes are cooked in the same pan so they soak up any flavour.
SW:  free

L:  ham paste, cheese and salad wrap with finger salad veg (cucumber, tomatoes, etc)
I'm so glad I've found where WW wraps are sold - they are the only wraps that count as a healthy extra B and I so enjoy a home rolled wrap
SW:  one healthy extra B as mentioned above, 30g cheese for my healthy extra A, the ham paste is one syn and some lighter than light mayo will be half a syn

D:  fish (probably cod because I have some in the freezer), mushy peas, SW chips and garlic mayo
I'll bake the fish in foil with some lemon juice and make the garlic mayo with some more lighter than light mayo and a bit of garlic puree.  I'm not sure which spice mix to use for the chips yet.
SW:  all free apart from the mayo which will be one syn for two tbsp.

Ss:  Mullerlight yogurt  (one syn), 65g fake feta (lighter and not authentic but counts as one healthy extra A)

Not horrendously expensive but not the most frugal day ever as the fish sends up the total cost.  It's good for me though, healthy and works with the SW plan.

Monday, 07-01-19

Good morning

I will be home this morning where temptation is kept at a safer distance.  I think the weekend has gone reasonably OK.  There have been some slips, sure, but it's been better than it could have been.

I've decided to follow a trend.  That's not like me, I know - I generally do my own thing, but I've decided to go completely 'dry' this month.  You see, wine (and other alcohol, but it's usually wine) is a huge eating trigger and it helps to be able to say to myself not 'I oughtn't' but 'I can't - I'm dry this month'.  In fact, it has already helped over this weekend.
Maybe that sounds daft but it's a case of 'know thine enemy' and 'know thyself' so there you go.
Dry January.
And then we will see.

Two more things I am trying are to use as small a plate as I can reasonably manage (within the limits of what I have) and to eat s-l-o-w-l-y.  I've noticed I'm a bit in the habit of wolfing meals down as if they were about to disappear; I never used to and I'm not sure why it's changed but it had better change back again.
With the plates, my dinner plates look big, but the actual food part, ignoring the rim, is not huge so if I remember to stay within those limits and not use the rim, it should help.  It's all about habits.

I've not been able to photograph my meals over the weekend.  It feels bad mannered when you are eating with others.  However, I will continue as much as I can once I'm home.

So fingers crossed.

So, actually, that's four strategies to help, none of them too hard, all of them do-able as long as I remember!

Today's plans:
B:  beans on toast, apple
One slice of toast and about a third of a can of beans.  I know that doesn't sound a lot but it's all good, filling stuff which should keep me going all morning
SW:  one slice of wholemeal is half a healthy extra B

L:  tomato soup, one slice of bread for dunking, 30g grated cheese; orange
Self explanatory really.  I'm still using that SW tomato soup recipe - at LAST I have found a use for pickled onions! - and when it's all gone I will make some more.  It's really nice.
SW:  the cheese is a healthy extra A and the bread is the other half healthy extra B

D:  homity pie, sprouts; Mullerlight
Homity pie (what a lovely, old fashioned name) is a recipe from this month's SW magazine.  It's basically vegetables with a potatoey-cheesy-eggy topping, baked in the oven.  I'll share the recipe more fully if I like it as much as I think I will.  None of the ingredients are very expensive; generally vegetarian stuff is great value for money.
SW:  I'm upping the cheese to the second healthy extra A.  The rest is all free foods apart from the Mullerlight which is one syn.

Ss:  fruit, carrot sticks

Sunday, 06-01-19

Good morning.

Yesterday, I noticed that Dad still had the bit of broccoli and complete stem that I left last time so I chopped that up, added onion, carrot, potato and some Marigold stock with water and squidge of garlic, boiled it up and zizzed it down and it made a most acceptable soup.  It's been even nicer had there been a bit of Stilton to crumble in, mind you, but it was tasty just by itself.

The turkey stew was also delicious with four single portions in the freezer for Mum and/or Dad to have at some point during the next two weeks - and that's now the last of the big portions of turkey.  All I have left at home is some single portions in stock and a container of stock for next Christmas' gravy!  What I do is boil up the giblets, add the saved stock, and that's the main part of a delicious gravy done and dusted!  It saves me having to faff around on Christmas morning, cooling, removing the fat and re-heating the stock from the just roasted bird.  Time-frugality!

I will keep my eyes open for when the shops have turkey legs in as my parents do love their turkey stew!

Today's plans:
B:  Yogurt and fruit (blueberries/strawberries); apple or orange
SW:  free

L:  beans on toast, 30g grated cheese; apple or orange
SW:  one slice toast is half a healthy extra B and 30g cheese is one healthy extra A

D:  chicken Alfredo (the SW version from the current magazine), cabbage; Mullerlight
The chicken breasts Dad gets from his butchers are so big that one will do the three of us and I will use whatever pasta they have in the pantry - I know there's orzo for a start.
SW:  two, maybe three, syns for the extra light soft cheese and one syn for the yogurt

All in all, not a shockingly expensive day
Ss:  fruit, 30g cheese to nibble (healthy extra A), toast and marmite (half healthy extra B)

Have a good food day, everyone!

Saturday, 04-01-19

Good morning.

Here's today's plans:
B:  overnight oats with fresh fruit and natural yogurt
SW:  40g oats is one healthy extra B

L:  might be homemade soup and might be Mullerlight, apple and orange, depending on what the others want.
SW  one syn for the yogurt

D:  turkey stew with grated cheese on top; fruit or yogurt (depending on lunch)
SW:  the stew will be free, the cheese will be one or two healthy extra As, depending on whether I have 30 or 60 grams

No specific comments about frugality as I'm away but actually none of it is too extravagant anyway - well, maybe the turkey is but I'm using the leftovers from Christmas and the stock from boiling the carcass which is, of itself, a great way to get that little bit more from an expensive roast!  I froze it all on Boxing day, knowing I'd be using it this weekend.

It may sound daft but when I was in Morrisons yesterday, getting the salmon for dinner last night (Morrisons does lovely salmon), there were some turkey breast roasts reduced so I got one.  That's now in the freezer.  I'd have got a turkey leg if they'd had one but it was all rolled breasts.  It's a very useful meat to have around, I think.
Good luck to us all today, whatever we plan.

Friday, 4-01-19

Good morning.
Let's get it over with - last night I had gained four pounds.  So over Christmas and New Year, that's half a stone on.  No excuses although I know that a bit of that is just because I ate for England yesterday.  All day.  No idea why, I just did. 
So no sympathy needed and I'm not whinging, it's my own fault.

_________________________________________________________________

That's the line I've just drawn under it and I'm moving on.  :-)

Today's plans
B:  poached egg on toast, apple
SW:  a third of a healthy extra B for the bread - I've got some crustless wholemeal sliced in the freezer and you can have three slices for your B

L:  tomato soup with croutons, clementine
SW:  the croutons are the other two thirds of my B

D:  salmon, one tbsp seafood sauce, two veg; fruit salad
SW:  two and a half syns for the seafood sauce

Ss:  I haven't planned in any As.  I'll probably have warm milk before I go to bed.  I quite like it and find it relaxing and soothing.  Apart from that, it's a busy day and there won't be time for much snacking, I expect.

Breakfast and lunch are both very frugal and dinner is someone else's tab!  Have a great day.

Thursday, 03-01-19

Good morning.
Weigh-day today and I am seriously tempted to skip it but I won't, I will face the music (and dance!).  I am guessing at another pound/pound and a half on this week.  I'll see if I'm right!

Today's plans:
B:  natural yogurt with pineapple, blueberries and raspberries
I have blueberries and raspberries to use up, bought in a moment of temptation.  The pineapple is from the freezer.
SW:  free

L:  ham paste, cheese, salad and cranberry wrap with a finger salad, natural yogurt.
Now I have found the wraps that are approved for use as a healthy extra B (the Weight Watchers ones), I'm enjoying a wider range of Bs.  The paste makes a great background texture/flavour in the wrap.
SW:  healthy extra B, the cheese is at least one healthy extra A and might be the other one too, depending on how cheesy I feel, the cranberry sauce is one and a half syns

D:  five spice chicken, fruit
The chicken is a slimming world recipe, cooked with a sauce made from sweet chilli sauce, white wine vinegar, garlic, five spice powder and soy sauce.  I think I will get it all started off earlier and then I can just add the stirfry veg and finish it off after group.
SW  the recipe tells me it is half a syn per serving.  I think that depends on how much sweet chilli sauce I use and am thinking it's more likely going to be one and a half to two

I've cottoned on to the fact that after group is a danger time for me.  I'm hungry, there's seven days to go before the next weigh in and it's just a very tempting time.  So, fighting back, I will plan things that just need heating up, a matter of minutes.

As an effort to get back in control, for a while I am keeping a photo diary.  If I eat it, I snap it!  Here's yesterdays, plus two diet cokes left over from Christmas (and there are six more waiting to be used).

Wednesday, 02-01-19

Good morning.
Yesterday was an utter disaster so I'm drawing a veil over it all and moving on.  It's the only thing to do!  I'm really very cross with myself at the moment and it's not a good place.


Today's plans are:
B:  2 boiled eggs and pitta dippers
Boiled eggs are a favourite and I am so glad that wholemeal pittas are classed as a healthy extra B now
So SW:  one healthy extra B

L:  feta and olive salad
I suddenly fancied the saltiness of feta and have some olives that need using up, plus salad veggies that don't last for ever.  I'm using feta substitute but I've had it before and it's OK
SW:  65g lighter greek style cheese is one healthy extra A and 25g pitted olives is two syns.

D:  steak, roasted sprouts with bacon, cajun carrot and parsnip chips; the other half of the rice pudding
If you've got the oven on, may as well make the most of it.
SW:  the milk in the pudding will be my other healthy extra A and the sugar is two and a half syns

Ss:  fruit and carrot sticks

Hopefully, that is enough to get me back on track and keep me there, fingers very fiurmly crossed. pretty please!
(and please, ignore the whinge at the top - I needed to say it and will now move on)
xx

Tuesday, 01-01-19

Good morning.  Well, here we are.  New year, new month, but some things stay the same and my intention to eat frugally and healthily is one of them.

Yesterday, the carrot and parsnip chips were so good, I have posted what I did as a separate entry.  It's hardly a recipe, it's too simple, but worth a mention and it's Slimming World free!

Today's plans:
B:  I had put 'bacon', etc, on my planning sheet but I think I will go with yogurt and fruit instead as I fancy something lighter.
The yogurt is some Mullerlight on YS and the fruit is an apple and an clementine.  Nice and frugal as well as fresh.
SW:  one syn for the yogurt

L:  tomato soup, bread for dunking
Some of the soup I made the other day.  I think I will jazz it up with a splash of milk and a bit of Lea and Perrins and might make croutons with the bread.
SW:  the bread is my healthy extra B and the milk will be a little from my healthy extra A

D:  speedy beef and vegetable stir fry; rice pudding
I don't usually get packs of mixed veg as they tend to be expensive but I think that today I will wander down to Morrisons and get a bag of their chinese stir fry vegetables as you do get a nice selection and I rather fancy some bean sprouts in my stir fry.  It's a simple recipe - strips of beef, stir fry veg, extra mushrooms and a sauce made from soy, ginger and garlic.
I will use some of my syn allowance to make a rice pudding using proper sugar - how decadent is that, eh?  This is the recipe I shall use:  https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1754/a-nice-rice-pudding  and I will make half quantities and save half of that for tomorrow - but if I don't, it's not the end of the world.
Not a frugal dinner today but breakfast and lunch help to balance it a bit.
SW:  25g sugar is 5 syns so one portion will be twoand a half syns, the rice is a free food and the milk will be my healthy extra A.   Even if I scoff the lot, I will be within SW guidelines.
The main course is SW free.

Ss:  raw veg (carrots mostly), milk (healthy extra A) if I have half the rice pudding.