(Well, four days and then the whole of the following week, starting on Monday).
This started because I was flicking through the new Slimming World magazine and thinking (as I always do) what a lovely lot of recipes there were and then realising that I always say that but rarely make many of them. And that's plain stupid as they are designed specifically for the SW plan.
Also, being a bit of a foody mag addict, I sometimes see recipes that could easily be adapted (optimised is the word SW uses, I think) in other magazines too. I usually get Good Food, Olive, Delicious, Easycook and sundry others and, while some generally have very fancy-pants recipes, there's usually something.
So I thought I'd rootle around the most recent magazines and base a week's eating around them.
Delicious and Olive were no good (but still good to read!). I found a few in Good Food, loads in Easycook (which is another BBC mag) and most in one or other of the last three SW magazines.
So I set to and created a table listing all the recipes I wanted to try and where they could be found amd I got a whole page of them. Plenty to choose from there!
The guidelines (not rules - you know what they say about rules)
No buying loads of one-use ingredients. You know what I mean - those things that get used for one recipe and the rest ends up at the back of the cupboard/fridge/freezer, never to be used again! I'll do what I always do and substitute, using what I already have.
A reasonably frugal ethos with the occasional splash out. Just like now.
One meal a day to be a 'magazine meal'. Maybe more than one, although the list is big on main meals and short on breakfasts and lunches.
Anything that's not a SW recipe will be 'optimised'. In many cases, this mainly means using spray oil instead a great big glug of oil - how these magazines do love their oils!
And, of course, I will report back.
Sounds interesting. I know what you mean about some of the one off ingredients. WW use the weirdest things in some. When you finally hunt it down its like 5 quid for a small jar!
ReplyDeleteI refuse to buy things like that unless absolutely essential. Google is my best friend in this situation - there's usually something I can sub.
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Ooooh I like a challenge. Looking forward to seeing what you make. If I buy an unusual ingredient for a particular recipie, I'll Google other recipes containing it so that I can use it up. On the whole though, I will make a substitution wherever possible. I love Delicious Magazine, and also like the BBC Good Food one. I like reading recipe books too. Do you think that being an SW food optimiser makes us a bit obsessed with food? My big problem is that I love experimenting and making cakes but we can only eat so much!
ReplyDeleteCould be, Eloise! Or could be beacause we are obsessed with food, we need Slimming World. Who knows, eh?
DeleteI've given up making cakes. It's just me and if I don't eat them, no-one will. Not good really.
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Husband eats most of the cake. I save a piece for myself for Monday evening after weigh - in. I sometimes make them and give them away to family of a friend. I like cooking far too much :(
DeleteMe too, Karen, so I really sympathise. Giving them away must be a very satisfying experience though.
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I love your posts, they are so full of common sense and enterprise.
ReplyDeleteIt's good to know that someone else still uses the old fashioned way of assessing whether food is fit to eat, ie smell, looks, touch and finally taste.
You are inspiring me to tackle the 1/2 stone I’ve put on recently because of the drugs I’m on.
I'm under the overweight guideline but don't feel right so it has to go. Sue
Oh, indeed, yes! Dates are not a substitute for good old common sense judgement. For example, as I make my own yogurt, there are no dates anyway, and it lasts a good long time. Even if it's quite 'old' it's still good for soda bread or scones (not that I make scones much but you know what I mean).
DeleteBe careful with the weight loss (you must be fed up with people saying that) but I know BMI is not an absolute standard and needs interpreting. Do let me know how it goes and good luck.
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