Sunday 30 June 2019

Sunday, 30-06-19

Good morning!

Yesterday's food wasn't nearly as 'good' as Friday's but, oh my, it was delicious!
Breakfast was yogurt and fruit in the garden, out in the morning sunshine, already pretty hot . . .

After that it went downhill.

We had lunch in a little cafe in Petworth and I had a chicken and bacon club sandwich while Suzanne had a brie and cranberry melt (there were no SW healthy choices) and when they arrived, our jaws dropped.  They were HUGE!
They were also delicious.  I left quite a lot of the bread though. 

Dinner was the remains of the salad from yesterday topped up with green beans, more tuna and some avocado.  Again, it was gorgeous and light enough as we were not feeling particularly hungry after such a lovely lunch.  The naughty bit was two (very small) glasses of wine and a G&T afterwards while munching on fresh cherries.  No snacks though and no supper needed.

Today I have breakfast here (probably fruit and yogurt again) and then set off for home so lunch will probably be another salad and I will get a steak out for dinner as that is pretty simple.  I'll accompany it with some of the peppercorn sauce I froze and either some cooked veg or more salad, depending on how I feel.  There will probably be a few strawberries to pick or I might make a frozen yogurt dessert.  It should all be SW friendly.

And then back to normal again tomorrow and I will check out what damage has been done on the scales.  Not much, fingers crossed.


Saturday 29 June 2019

Saturday, 29-06-19

Good morning.  After saying I wouldn't be around for the weekend, here I am!  There's wi-fi here and I have time so thought instead of plans, I would tell you what I had yesterday instead - a retrospective thing.

I had planned to have a sustaining cooked breakfast but when it came to it, I couldn't be bothered to make more washing up so I had some fruit instead, nice and easy!
For lunch, Suzanne made a tuna and olive salad with tuna and olives (obviously), lettuce, tomato, pepper, boiled egg and various other bits and bobs.  It was very tasty.  Then we had some strawberries I had brought over with some of my yogurt.  I said I would bring the yogurt and the berries would be over by the time I got home again so they came too.
Dinner was salmon with some green beans and a stir fry of courgette and red pepper with sumac and oregano.  Really delicious.  It was a bit too high fat for SW perfection but pretty healthy all the same.  With it we had a small glass of wine, perfect for al fresco eating!
No supper and no snacks!
We had spent an hour or so before hand walking around the Devil's Punch Bowl, a NT site not too far away, so I definitely got my bit of Body Magic in.

Today, I have no idea about breakfast, lunch is eating out at Petworth (another NT property) and dinner is leftovers of yesterday's salad with added leftover green beans, some feta and maybe a few other bits and bobs while I will certainly got my Body Magic with a lot of walking (how much depends on how hot it gets).

No chance to be bad with food this weekend.  Three cheers!




Friday 28 June 2019

Friday, 28-06-19

Good morning.
I remembered photos yesterday
It was two meals, not three, because I didn't want anything to eat first thing and after I came back from Infant Sports, it was so almost lunch time that I waited and had the planned breakfast for lunch and the planned lunch for dinner.

Lunch was two waffles, some strawberries and some natural yogurt.









Dinner was pasta bake leftovers with a nice, crunchy salad.















And dessert was gorgeous.
The other two waffles, cherry and toffee frozen yogurt and sweetened natural yogurt with a little drizzle of caramel syrup.  Half a healthy extra B and half a syn.
Oh, my word!!!















Today's plans are minimal.
B:  a cooked breakfast
Bacon, egg, potato waffle, tomatoes and mushrooms
SW:  two syns for the waffle

After that I'm not eating at home and am not doing the cooking.

Don't worry if there are no posts tomorrow and Sunday.  I will be back!  :-)


Thursday 27 June 2019

Thursday. 27-06-19

Good morning.


Long entry alert - if you want just the meal plans, they're at the bottom!

Thank you to everyone who was so kind as to make comments on yesterday's grumble and for all the concern and helpful advice.
I've had a good think and . . .
1.  I have invited Dad over here for some of our weekends and he's all for it.  We'll arrange some dates when I'm next there which won't be for just over a fortnight.  There won't be anything like the tempation here . . .
2.  Exercise - yes, Eileen, you are right, specific exercise HAS taken a back seat although I am loads more active than I used to be before starting to lose weight.  I have gym membership so really MUST get the momentum going again.  I can't go swimming today but maybe could do an early morning swim tomorrow.  As a slightly longer term thing, maybe I could ask for another healthy assessment and a programme for the gym rather than just using the pool.
3.  I'm going to keep to the 'if I eat it, I write it down' thing going for some weeks.  It really does make me think twice
4.  Having said that, I think my portions are creeping up again so it's definitely something to watch.

So:  more time at home, exercise, write it down, reduce portion size . . . anything else anyone can think of?
I will, of course, carry on with SW, with the planning, keep the water intake up, add beetroot to my snacks (I'd like to cut out snacks entirely at some point), work on my mental attitude, keep an eye on how much cheese I have in case any extra little bits creep into the measured amount and I have subscribed to the 'winning loser' blog.  
Thank you all so much!

I had an email from Suzanne, the friend I am visiting soon.  She knows I am on a diet and asked for specific info about what I can/shouldn't have so she can provide the right sort of meals.  Now that's what I call a friend, bless her.  So that's off my mind and I can focus on my time at Southwold.  I'm self catering there and intend to be very active, with loads and loads of walking - it is that sort of place.

Last night's weigh in wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been.  I've clawed some weight back (or off) since before last weekend and was just one pound up.  Even so, it was up, not down, so not great but I'll accept that with considerable relief and move on.

Today's plans:
B:  oat waffles with fruit and yogurt
. . . because I love them.  However, as you know, the waffle maker creates a circle of four 'quarters' which is actually quite a lot so I shall have two pieces for breakfast and save two for a dessert later on.
SW:  all together, that will be one healthy extra B for the oats, half now and half later

L: pasta bake, finger salad
Bearing in mind the thing about portions, I had about two thirds of the pasta bake last night and the other third is for lunch today with carrot and celery sticks, pepper and tomato
SW:  one healthy A for the cheese

D:  chunky steak (M&S can), runner beans, another speed veg, cherry toffee ice cream on oat waffles
I have plenty of speed veg so can load up the plate with it, if I want.
The dessert isn't nearly as evil as it sounds.  The waffles are the other two quarters from breakfast and the ice cream isn't really ice cream at all, it's frozen cherries zizzed in my mini blender with a Mullerlight toffee yogurt.  The frozen cherries semi-freeze the yogurt and it is lovely!  It's soft at first but if you want it a bit firmer, pop it into the freezer for a short time but beware - it freezes very, very hard.  No soft scoop there!  So - waffles, ice cream and maybe a tbsp of Monin caramel syrup which is sugar free and SW free (and, in small amounts, I rather like it, despite not really having a sweet tooth).
SW:  The main course is free; dessert is the other half of my healthy extra B and half a syn for the Mullerlight.  Mullerlight has recently cut out all sugar from their yogurts so the syn value has dropped.  I'm wondering if that's in response to SW taking the product off their 'free foods' list last year.  Anyway, no complaints from me!

Ss:  free fruit and veg, sparkly water

BM:  a walk and I will be on my feet all morning at the Infants Sports Day at school which has to be a good thing.

Thanks for bearing with me as I ramble on.  Maybe it will help someone else; it has certainly helped me!

Wednesday 26 June 2019

Wednesday, 26-06-10

Morning!

Today's plans are:
B:  Fruit and yogurt
SW:  free

L:  frittata and salad, apple
Great for using up odds and ends!
SW:  one healthy extra A for 30g grated cheese

D:  chicken, bacon and vegetable pasta, yogurt and fruit
This is from the freezer and I will have a bit of grated cheese on it.
SW:  the pasta is free, the cheese is the other healthy extra A and it's one syn for the yogurt

Tonight is weigh in and, after not being able to go last week, I know I've gained so am not looking forward to it one bit.  The damage was done the weekend before last at Dad's and I've lost some but not enough to show a loss or even a maintain.

Despite all the planning, etc,  I am struggling,  By now I should be at target and I'm still a stone away from it so it's a bit demoralising (sorry).  I don't know how to control myself with all that food around and without that, I'm a bit stuck.  Not going to Dad's is absolutely not an option - I'm elsewhere this weekend and feeling so guilty about it, you wouldn't believe it!

The only thing I can think of is to keep a diary as well as the planning - keep it with me so that anything that I eat, food and drink, gets written down.  A bit of a drag really but it might help - having to write it down might make me think twice.

Any other ideas, please.  I feel a bit desperate.
(and sorry for the whine)

Tuesday 25 June 2019

Tuesday, 25-06-19

Good morning!
No photos from yesterday.  It was a busy old day and I just forgot when I should have remembered and remembered when it wasn't needed!
I changed my plans for lunch.  By the time I got back from school (at about 2:15), I really didn't want soup as it was a very hot afternoon so I had a ham roll instead so that was my healthy extra B plus one and a half syns for a cheese triangle instead of butter.  It was very nice!

So, straight on to today's plans.
B:  cooked breakfast
I am bacon-wealthy at the moment (special from Morrisons) so it will feature in my meals for a while, not to mention a lot going into my freezer - yes, the one I'm supposed to be running down!!
So that will be bacon, egg, tomatoes and mushrooms and very nice too.
SW:  free

L:  asparagus and butterbean soup, melon
MUST have the soup today and I will probably stir in a little dollop of quark for extra creaminess (and protein).  I treated myself to some melon so I will enjoy some of that as well.
SW:  free

D:  egg wrap canelloni with either a salad or some roasted veg, depending on how I feel.
I will make a couple of egg wraps, get some cooked spicy turkey mince from the freezer, roll it in the egg wraps, spoon over some tomato sauce (home made, of course), add some grated cheese and bake it.  Yum.
If I have the roasted veg, it will be onion, squash, sweet potato, mushroom, pepper, tomatoes and baby corn - just a little bit of each, sprayed with oil and popped in the oven for half to three quarters of an hout.  I might sprinkle in some fajita seasoning or something similar.
SW:  two healthy extra As for the cheese

Ss:  yogurt, fruit, sparkly water

Body Magic:  probably nothing in particular so I will need to be more energetic as I move from place to place.

Monday 24 June 2019

Monday, 24-06-19

Morning, everyone.

Breakfast worked out really well; very delicious and healthy too!














This is what I used to make the soup - the snapped off stems, one onion and some bits and bobs of salad left over from yesterday, plus some butterbeans from the freezer (used because I know they impart a lovely, silky, creamy texture to soup).
It made two good portions, one for lunch today and one for the freezer.  Maybe the asparagus wasn't so extravagant after all.







Lunch - the last egg wrap with a cheese, ham and mayo filling.













Dinner: steak and roasted veg pitta - absolutely gorgeous!









As was the 'sort of trifle'.  Terrible photo, sorry.























Today's plans:
B:  fruit and yogurt
SW:  free

L:  asparagus soup, fruit
As above
SW:  free unless I have something to dunk which will be my healthy extra B

D:  hunter's chicken with assorted veg
Easy peasy and delicious.
I've taken to steaming a lot of my veg.  It's good because it only uses one ring and, now I am used to little or no salt, I think the veg taste better steamed as well.
SW:  two healthy extra As for a nice cheese hit.

Ss:  fruit and sparkly water

Body Magic:  a walk.



Sunday 23 June 2019

Sunday, 23-06-19

Good morning!

Breakfast wraps are definitely on the list of things to make again . . .
Two eggs, a splash of milk and a bit of quark plus seasoning actually made three 'wraps' and it would have been four if I hadn't poured too much in to make the first one, because there was just not quite enough to make the fourth.
OK, thought I, that third one will do for tomorrow (see below).

However, they are more filling than they appear to be and I could only manage one comfortably so I wrapped the other up so it held its shape and had it for lunch instead of ham and cheg, with melted cheese on top and a salad on the side.

Now that's what I call frugal!

Needless to say, it was tasty and will be even more tasty when the rather watery tomatoes I used are replaced with my own garden grown and freshly picked ones.  I can't wait.


This was lunch.  It was lovely.   I just reheated the breakfast wrap in the microwave for about half a minute, carefully lifted it into a sprayed oven dish, sprinkled some grated cheese over and popped it in a 170C oven for about fifteen to twenty minutes.















Dinner was more ordinary but still very tasty with lots of speed veg.
















Today's meals:
B:  boiled eggs with asparagus dippers.
OK, asparagus is not frugal but I'd heard this was nice, Aldi had some and I will be using the snapped off stem bits to make a soup tomorrow, so that does make it a bit better.  I'm not sure how many the soup will serve but I do hope it is more than one.
I will steam the asparagus tips.
SW:  free

L:  egg wrap and salad; fresh fruit
OK, so I had an egg wrap (basically just a thin omelette, like a crepe) left over from yesterday.
I will mix some finely chopped ham with some mayo and 30g grated cheese, spread it over the wrap and roll it up.  Simple.  The salad will be lots of crunchy things like radish, cauliflower, carrot, cucumber and pepper with some shredded lettuce.
(it was originally going to be a slice of frittata but I think the wrap will be just as nice and easier too)
SW:  one healthy extra A and one or two syns for mayo

D:  steak sarnie with assorted roasted veg; sort of trifle
Actually, I will probably use a pitta and one of those sizzle steaks I told you about yesterday.  Open the pitta, lay over the cooked steak and a bit of the leftover peppercorn sauce from Friday which I have frozen in little pots, then pile over the roasted veg, close the pitta and eat it very carefully (and, probably, very messily).
The trifle will be some fresh fruit in a sugar free jelly and the topping will be some of my natural yogurt with some stevia and some vanilla paste stirred in to make it taste custardy.  and a bit more fruit on the top or perhaps a little drizzle of Monin caramel syrup (or both!)
SW:  one healthy extra B for the pitta and about half a syn for the dessert as the fruit will be free, as will the topping and sugar free jelly is one and a half syns for the lot.  I ought to have it more often really.






Saturday 22 June 2019

Saturday, 22-06-19

Good morning.  It's back on SP for me after a rather scary scales experience this morning.

Despite BBC weather telling me it was raining, I had breakfast out in the garden and it was lovely.
(they changed the forecast soon after).  Not having waffles very often has made them a real treat and it's hard to believe that apart from a healthy extra B, the rest of the ingredients are all free foods (not calorie free, mind you!).  I wondered if my waffle maker would be one of those back of the cupboard gadgets but it really isn't.
(here's the recipe for the waffles)

Dinner was equally tasty (so was lunch actually, but a photo of a bowl of soup isn't all that interesting) and in the end I simply roasted a variety of veg and it was very colourful.  I ought to do that more often.


So - back on SP and here's the day's hopes.
B:  Full English wrap
Basically, you make a wrap with egg - just a very thin omelette, and fill it with brekky stuff although I will probably use ham instead of bacon because I bought some ham 'bits' in Aldi and they need using up.
I'm using ham, chicken sausage, mushroom, tomatoes and some yellow pepper.  Nice!
SW:  free - the sausage is a quarter syn so I'm not really bothering!

L:  ham and cheg salad
Cheg stands for 'cheese and egg' and it is devilled eggs, more or less.
SW:  one healthy extra A for the cheese and one syn for some mayo that you mix into the egg yolk and cheese

D:  Cuban beef, broccoli, cauliflower and carrots
The Cuban beef is from the freezer - still using stuff up and there's a way to go yet because I will keep adding to it!
SW:  free

Ss:  fruit, sparkly water


I know that the steak looks extravagant and so it is at £2, but not as bad as it looks.  It's actually half of a bashed out sirloin steak from Aldi and makes a perfect treat for me.
When I was there yesterday, I saw that they have Aberdeen Angus 'sizzle steaks'.  I've never seen them before - they are thin cut and just £1.00 each so I got some.  Steaks are lovely on warm, summer evenings or in a sarnie and, at that price, it's not dreadfully naughty either.  Hope they're OK.
Have any of you ever tried them?  What did you think?


Friday 21 June 2019

Friday, 21-06-19

Good morning.

I changed things a bit yesterday.  I didn't have breakfast because I wasn't hungry, just some fruit for elevensies.  So at lunch I ended up having the beetroot burger in a roll after all and very nice it was too.  So colourful.
I'm still a bit peeved about the syn value of the burger so I have looked around and found a recipe that uses half a healthy B per burger so I might give it a whirl and see.

Dinner had to be speedy and the chick pea/veg curry and rice looks beige and boring but it was really tasty.


Today's plans:
B:  Waffles with fruit and yogurt
I'm being very good at not having waffles everyday but I'm looking forward to these no end
SW:  one healthy extra B

L:  turkey and veg soup
Just what it says and it's from the freezer..
SW:  free

D:  steak with pepper sauce; SW cheesy chips, tomatoes and mushrooms
And very much looking forward to this!  It's the last day on the main plan - from tomorrow I'm going SP but did want my Friday chips first.
SW:  I shall use both my healthy extra As on the cheese.  Luvverley!  As the oven will be on for the chips, I'll probably cook the veg in the oven too, just spraying them with fry light first

Ss:  Water, fruit

Body Magic:  I ought to have a swim but I'm saving that for tomorrow (being lazy, in other words)


Thursday 20 June 2019

Thursday, 20-06-19

Morning!

Today's plans are . . .
B:  egg and bacon roll, tomatoes; strawberries
What it says on the label.  A toasted roll with bacon medallions and a fried egg (done the SW way which I will describe below) and I have just picked the strawberries!
SW:  one healthy extra B for the wholemeal roll

L:  beetroot burger (no roll) and salad; fruit
I saw this in Aldi and thought they were worth trying although, when I got home, I looked them up and found they are four and a half syns each.  Ah, well, could be worse.
SW:  four and a half syns and whatever I have for some mayo.

D:  chickpea and veg curry; strawberries and yogurt
I need something quick this evening and this is from the freezer so just needs re-heating
SW:  all free

Ss:  water

Body Magic:  maybe a walk, bit of gardening.



Frying an egg, SW style.
You need a very small, egg-sized, non stick pan - well, you don't 'need' but it makes life a lot easier - and something to cover the pan.  I use a lid from a larger pan that just works!
Spray a bit of fry light into the pan and heat it to about three quarters full heat.
When it has heated completely, crack the egg into the pan and then cover it immediately.  Just leave it; the heat and the steam will cook the egg through and when the top has turned white, it's done.
It's better to heat the pan first but it can be done from cold, you just don't get that 'fried' bottom to the egg.
And the reason for the small, egg sized pan is because you get a nice, round, contained shape to your egg, not all sprawled out.  That's all.  So if you want it to look more free flowing, use a normal small pan, not an egg sized pan.

Wednesday 19 June 2019

Wednesday, 19-06-19

Good morning!

Today's plans are:
B:  breakfast omelette
This will contain bacon, a SW pork, sage and squash sausage, mushroom and some cooked kale left over from yesterday and with tomatoes on the side.  I will do my usual mixing in of some quark into the egg as it works really well.
SW:  free

L:  cheeseburger, salad
The burger will either be a M&S skinnyburger or a home made cajun spiced beefburger, both of which are on the free list.
SW:  one healthy extra A for 30g grated cheddar, one B for a wholemeal roll and one syn for some mayo

D:  jacket potato with steak, carrots and roasted parsnips
I will open a can of M&S chunky steak which is a free food and have it on a small-ish jacket potato with some grated cheese.  I have parsnips in the fridge so I will roast them with spray oil and, thinking about it, I might roast the carrots at the same time, seeing as the oven will be on anyway.  It takes just a few sprays of oil and maybe some of my chips seasoning.
SW:  the cheese will be my other healthy extra A

Ss:  water and fruit

Body Magic:  a gentle walk, weather permitting.  The back is still ouchy but getting better and I don;t want to make it any worse again!

As I have a longer block of time where I can follow SW uninterrupted, more or less, I'm doing the Extra Easy plan for a few days to get me back into routine after the weekend before going on to SP for three or four days.

Tuesday 18 June 2019

Tuesday, 18-06-19

Good morning.
I'm back home now and raring to go again after one of the worst weekends, SW-wise, I have had in a long while as I said yesterday.  It wasn't half delicious though!

Yesterday's dinner was nice.  I bashed out a chicken breast, dusted it in a Moroccan spice mix I made a while ago.  I found the recipe online just by googling.
I made a tomato/veg sauce by slowly spray frying some onion, red and yellow pepper and mushrooms untoil soft before adding chopped tomatoes, garlic, a bit of chilli, seasonings and tomato puree.
I spray fried the bashed out chicken, then popped it in an oven dish, covered it with the tomato mixture and topped it with grated cheese before baking it at 170C for around half an hour.  Very tasty!

I now have a straight run of four weeks before my next weekend with Dad.  That's three weeks at home and one on holiday (which is self catering so it shouldn't be an issue).  In a fortnight, I am going to a friend for the weekend but that won't be anything like having a free access to Dad's loaded larder!

So - off I go.  Totally determined and ready for action.
Having said that, for the first time ever, I can't make SW this week.  It is just one of those things but never mind, it won't stop the momentum and I will monitor things on my own scales.

Today's plans
B:  fruit and yogurt
I have a load of home picked strawberries that HAVE to be eaten (how tragic!) and plenty of gorgeous yogurt so that's breakfast sorted very deliciously and frugally.  Strawberries are great to grow.  Once you have one or two plants, you never need buy any more as they are extremely generous in giving you thousands of baby plants after fruiting each year.  All they require in return is a bit of feeding now and again and some slow release granules do the trick nicely plus a bit of liquid tomato feed while fruiting.  The height of frugality!
SW:  free

L:   Tomato soup, roll and soft cheese; fruit
I got the tomato soup out yesterday but never had it so today I must.
SW:  half a healthy extra A for two triangles of light soft cheese and one B for the roll itself

D:  turkey tomato pasta bake, carrot, kale; frozen fruit yogurt
I have some of the tomato sauce left over from yesterday and I have some little pots of cooked turkey left over from last Christmas so . . . put them together, mix with cooked wholewheat pasta, top with cheese and lo and behold, a pasta bake.  I can even make it this morning, when I have the energy, and finish it off with 30 minutes in the oven at dinner time.  Works for me!
I have carrots and kale in the fridge so that's what I will have to go with it.
SW:  one and a half syns for 45g grated cheddar.  Also, if I were being totally SW, I'd have to syn the frozen fruit I will use for the dessert just because it gets zizzed but I've already given my opinion on that particular little quirk so won't be synning it, so there!  :-)

Ss:  strawberries, sparkly water

Body magic:  not much because of an ouchy back but I'll try to move 'energetically' as much as I can.

And now I am off to plan meals for three weeks plus a holiday!
I see no reason to change what I do while I'm away on holiday in Southwold.  I enjoy what I eat and will have total control so, at the moment, I plan to stroll down to a local butcher close to where I am staying each morning and choose something for the evening meal plus, maybe, some cold meat for  a packed lunch.
I should get plenty of exercise as there's loads to visit, see and do within walking distance, weather permitting.
So here's hoping that the next four weeks are fantastic!

Monday 17 June 2019

Monday, 17-06-19

Goiod morning!
The weekend has been a disaster where SW is concerned but, dear me, I have enjoyed it very much so no regrets and, if I show a gain this Wednesday, I will know why.

Yesterday, I did a steak dinner for Dad (for Father's Day).  I was very impressed with some Aberdeen Angus steak I had bought from Aldi for under £4.  Not expensive for a big bit of sirloin than, when battered out, fed the two of us very nicely indeed.  We both like our steak battered out thinly and it is certainly easier not to overcook it.  With it I made the Pinch of Nom pepper sauce that I have made before.  It was just as tasty this time as last time and I really do commend it to you.  It's syn free which is a bonus, and would be nice with other meat - sausages, chicken, pork, etc.
Here's the link.  http://pinchofnom.com/recipes/syn-free-creamy-pepper-sauce-slimming-world/

Today's plans:
B:  fruit and natural yogurt
SW free and the last opf the strawberries I brought nto Dad's with me from my garden.

L:  SW tomato soup, bread roll; apple or banana
I made a batch of this soup some days ago so it's just a question to defrosting it and heating it up.  I'll probably add a dollop of quark for extra creaminess but will have to be careful not to let it boil as the quark splits.
SW:  one healthy extra B for the bread roll

D:  a sort of hunter's chicken with side salad; natural yogurt
I'll batter out a chicken breast and make a vegetabley tomato sauce with onion, pepper, mushroom and chopped tomatoes.  The  healthy extra As will provide the cheese.
SW:  both healthy extra As and one syn for some mayo with the salad.

Ss:  just water

Body Magic:  a walk.


Saturday 15 June 2019

Saturday, 15-06-19

Good morning!

Today's plans are:
B:  yogurt and fruit
Perfect for a bright sunny morning!
SW:  free

L:  no idea as we will visiting some relatives, but I'm hoping it is just a sandwich or two.  They have been warned!

D:  Ribs with rice and, probably peas; fresh fruit salad
The ribs are from Aldi and I saw them and thought 'Dad'll like those'.  I have absolutely no idea whatsoever how many syns they are as they don't seem to appear on the SW list, so tough!

Ss:  water

E:  a walk

So not a particularly organised SW day with too many variables for comfort but I will do my best to control amounts and have accepted that when I stay with Dad, things go a bit to pot.

And, of course, given that he's paying for everything, it's the ultimate in frugality!

Friday 14 June 2019

Friday, 14-06-19

Good morning.

Today's plans are a bit vague in places
B:  fruit and yogurt
I find this light and surprisingly sustaining.
SW free

L:  turkey keema
Odd for lunch, I know, but it's in the freezer and has lots of added veg and I just fancy it today.
SW free

D:  The reason for the lighter meals is because Dad and I are eating out at the Millstream.  We might share a meal (one meal, two plates) as the portions are big and shouldn't and Dad mustn't have a huge meal, me because of weight and him because it stops him sleeping properly afterwards.  So I'm saving my healthy extras (I can hppe) and my syns.
However, we don't have starters or desserts so that's good.
No SW values for this one.

Ss:  none

Body Magic:  a walk

Recipe: barbecue relish

This is for Chris and the full recipe can be found here.  It looks as if it has been freely reproduced in various places so I don't feel too bad about reproducing it here too. especial;ly as it has changes.
http://slimmingworldrecipesblog.blogspot.com/2016/02/bacon-burger-with-bbq-relish.html
The bbq relish is useful to make on its own for all sorts of things and here it is, adapted to reflect what I actually did.

You need:
Low cal cooking spray
1 onion, peeled and chopped (I actually sliced mine very thinly)
1 tsp mild chilli powder (I used chilli puree) - or you could use a bbq spice mix, that would work well.  Schwartz does a nice, syn free one.
a squidge of garlic puree (not in the original recipe but how can you make a bbq sauce without garlic?)
225g passata (or use chopped tomatoes, blend and sieve out any seeds)
sweetener (it says 3 tbsp - I added to taste as it seemed rather a lot)
4 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp mustard powder
salt and pepper
about 2 tbsp tomato puree (not in the original recipe)
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (optional and not in original recipe)
and I also added some soy sauce just because I like it!

Method.
Cook the onions slowly in some spray oil until going soft, then add the chilli and garlic and cook for a bit longer to 'cook it out'.
Stir in the remaining ingredients (I didn't add the sweetener until the end so I could taste and add, taste and add, until it was 'right'), bring to a boil and let it simmer gently until it all thickens and goes gooey.  It tends to splat and I used my anti-splash guard - it keeps the hob cleaner!

Check the seasoning (and sweetener) and adjust as needed.  I reckon a splash of lime juice might be nice too and I'll try that next time.

Use hot or cold and it keeps for at least a week (mine got finished off by then) in a jar in the fridge.  I reckon it will last longer than that but can't be 100% definite without trying.

The whole recipe with coleslaw and SW cooked chips; you can't really see the relish but I could certainly taste it.  Yum!

Thursday 13 June 2019

Thursday, 13-06-19

Morning!
First of all, the good news - two pounds off.  Happy!

Yesterday evening, after group, I had the Jackburger defrosted so I quickly fried that in spray oil, then popped it in a little single quiche dish , spread over the last of my onion and tomato relish that I made last weekend (must make some more, it's been so useful) and then topped it with 30g grated cheddar and into the oven for about twenty minutes and it was lovely.  Obviously not a huge portion and a salad would have worked well with it, or chips and cooked veg, but it was enough given that I'd spent some syns of some hi=fi bars and had dessert of strawberries and natural yogurt all ready so I didn't want more.
It really did zip up a beanburger that is already pretty tasty anyway.

Today's meals.
B:  a cooked breakfast of home made baked beans, egg, bacon, mushrooms and tomatoes.
I'm using the last of the YS bacon that I had in the freezer so need to look out for some more.
Home made means simply getting a handful of haricot beans from thye freezer and mixing up a sauce from chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, garlic and onion granules, a bit of Lea and Perrins and a bit of soy saucw with a pinch of stevia, should it be a bit 'bitter'. 
SW free and SP friendly

L:  ham salad, apple
Morrisons had some lovely lean ham on the deli counter so I bought two slices and will have them with a salad.
SW:  just one syn if I have mayo (I may or I may not, it depends how I feel) and it's SP friendly

D:  fish in breadcrumbs, cheesy sweet potato fries and garden peas.
I will make the flour by zizzing 20g oats and the breadcrumbs by zizzing one slice of wholemeal bread.  I have fish (pollack, I think) in the freezer and the peas will be a picking from my little pot of peas in the garden.  Quite a frugal meal and very tasty.
SW:  one healthy extra A for the cheese and one B for the oats and breadcrumbs and this meal isn't SP friendly as the sweet potato and peas don't count as speed food.  I don't care - it's garden peas.  From the garden, picked, podded and cooked.  As fresh as you can get.  Lovely.
And I've just remembered - a few syns for the seafood sauce; five syns for two level tbsp and worth every penny!

Ss:  water, strawberries

Body magic:  I had planned a swim but I seem to have done my back a bit so I won't.  Hopefully, I can go tomorrow.  Perhaps a walk, weather permitting.


Wednesday 12 June 2019

Recipe: lentil tortillas

I was intrigued by this after someone mentioned it on Facebook, looked up the recipe via Google and had a go.
They are gluten free, low fat and high in protein and fibre so I thought them worth a go.  I'm glad I did.

Before I start, a word of Slimming World caution.  My readers will know that I take certain elements of SW with a rather large pinch of salt.  Tweaks, for example and this whole thing of pureed fruit not counting as free because you might 'eat too much of it'.
This recipe involves zizzing soaked lentils to a batter.  SW says that because of this, they need to be synned.
I say what a load of old . . . er . . .  I mean, how remarkably silly!  Providing you are having a measured amount, and you are in this recipe, then there should be no problems and a couple of wraps contain fewer lentils than a portion of my carrot and lentil soup which has been blended and still counts as free.

See what I mean?

So, I've done the maths and the 150g of lentils that I used and which made eight tortillas of around 6" diameter, works out at 65 calories per wrap.  That means two of these tortillas for the calorie equivalent of one wheat-based wrap, pitta or wholemeal roll.  
Given that lentils are great for fibre, I'm being even more rebellious and counting two lentil tortillas as a healthy extra B.
But don't tell my group leader!

Here's what I did.  The recip itself is at the bottom without all my extra comments.  Just highlight it, Right click over the highlighted portion and select Print to print just that bit (should you want to).

You need 150g cup of split red lentils, 300mls water and a bit of salt and bit of pepper

Soak the lentils in the water and the seasonings for at least four hours.  I left mine all day.
When you are ready, pop the whole lot in a food processor and blend it at highest speed until the batter is completely smooth and has gone a bit pink and foamy.  Cover and leave for a short time.

To make, you need a very non stick pancake sized pan.  Each tortilla uses about a quarter cup (40 mls) of batter and I have a very useful little ladle that delivers exactly that.
Heat your pan up really well.  My hob settings range from 1 to 6 and I had it on 4.
When it's ready, spray with a bit of oil which should sizzle immediately.  Pour one ladleful of batter into the middle of the pan and gently circle the back of the ladle to spread the batter out to the edges.  It will start setting while you do this but that's fine.  If you get any holes, just plug them with a bit more batter.
Then be patient.  If you try to turn it before it's ready, it is the devil of a job to get your fish slice underneath and it will likely tear.  Gently lift it around the edge with a spatula before carefully inserting the fish slice and working it through.  If it seems to stick, stop and give it a bit longer.  It's hard do describe but all I can say is when it's ready to turn, the slice will go right under fairly easily and you can lift and flip it.  The cooked surface will have gone a gentle brown, a bit like a pancake really.
I was a bit nervous with the first one but quickly got into the swing of it and had no problems.  You just have to give it time.
Place the finished tortilla on a plate and cover it to stop it drying out.  I used easyleave.  Spray the pan and start the next one.

I've tried one, just spread with dairylea (bit of a healthy extra) and folded into a semicircle and I thought it was very tasty indeed.  It has a sort of nutty flavour and could be enhanced with spices.  It's fairly neutral so I will try one with fruit at some point.

No photos yet as I've only made them once, but they will follow and I intend experimenting with other flavours/additions.  I reckon anything you would make with an ordinary wrap/tortilla, you can make with this, flavour permitting.

To recap:
Ingredients to make eight tortillas
150g split red lentils
300mls water
(or a ration of 1:2)
salt and pepper
spray oil

Method:
Soak the lentils in the water and seasonings for at least four or five hours, or overnight.

Pour the lot into a blender and blend until the batter is smooth, a bit pink and foamy.  Leave to rest for half an hour.

Heat a non stick pancake pan well.
Spray with oil and add 40 mls of the batter, flattening it our with the back of a ladel n a gentle circular movement.

Use a spatula to loosen the edges and then carefully insert a fish slice, gently working it through to theother side.  If it stick, stop and give it a bit more time.  When it comes away, flip it over and cook the other side (won't take long).
Remove from the pan and cover to prevent drying out.  Repeat until batter is used up.

Use straight away or wrap and freeze.



Wednesday, 12-06-19

Good morning.

Breakfast bake.  Really tasty!  It would also be fine for other meals with suitable sides too.














Today's plans
B:  porridge with yogurt and fruit
Back to an old favourite today as it's dull and a bit chilly out there.  Nice and frugal as oats are dead cheap, the strawberries are from the garden and the yogurt is home made with milk from Aldi!
SW:  one healthy extra B for 40g oats and half an A for milk

L:  yogurt and fruit
My usual weighday lunch and very nice too
SW:  free

D:  Jackburger with salad, the rest of the onion relish I made at the weekend and coleslaw; caramel yogurt
This is what my family and I call the famous Jack Monroe carrot, cumin and kidneybean burgers (nothing to do with jackfruit!) which we like very much.  This is also a very frugal meal - Jack's recipes are known for their economical nature, after all.
The caramel yogurt is a bit of a cheat - my home made yogurt with some Monin calorie free caramel syrup.  Lord only knows what it has in it to be calorie free, I haven't looked, but it is quite powerful and a little goes a long way in yogurt.
S:  half a syn for a little bit of flour in the burger and one syn for super-light mayo in the coleslaw.

Ss:  just water today

Body magic:  A walk and, weather permitting, some gardening.

After reading something yesterday, I am trying out some 'lentil tortillas'.  I started the batter off yesterday and finished them half an hour ago.  They are now cooling.
If they're nice, I guess they will become part of my healthy eating long term and I will post about them.  If not, then I won't!

SW group this evening.  Fingers crossed!


Tuesday 11 June 2019

Tuesday, 11-06-19

Good morning.


I was pleased with lunch yesterday.
I had leftovers of the pork chilli and half a can of chopped tomatoes.
To the chopped tomatoes, I added garlic and onion granules, some Lea and Perrins and some soy sauce, then b;lended it and pushed it through a sieve.
I heated up ther chilli and rolled it in a wrap which I cut into three pieces, not the usual two.  I lay them in a sprayed oven dish of the right size, poured over some of the sauce, added some grated cheese and baked it in the oven at 170 for around 20 mins.
It was very tasty.

Dinner was nice too.  It was just a frittata with prawns, a bit of left over smoked salmon shreds, onion, mushroom, pepper, a bit of broccoli, some slices of courgette and some kale (because I didn't have spinach).  The eggy part was egg,( obviously), quark and grated cheddar, seasoned with some garlic puree, mustard powder, salt, pepper and some dried parsley.
Very tasty and very filling and I have half of it left for today!  I'll try and remember to take a photo.

Today's plans:
B:  breakfast bake
. . . which is remarkably similar to frittata and includes eggs, bacon, SW sausage, mushrooms, home made baked beans (haricot beans and some of the spicy tomato sauce I made t'other day) and some quark with seasonings.
SW:  free and SP friendly

L:  seafood frittata and coleslaw, orange
Yesterday's leftovers
SW:  SP friendly and one syn for coleslaw

D:  cheeseburger with salad, strawberries and yogurt
One of the cajun spiced burgers I made on Saturday with 30g grated cheese and salad leaves plus a nice mixed salad that might unclude some edamame beans as I am getting rather fond of them.
SW:  one healthy extra A for the cheese and B for the roll plus one syn for some mayo.  SP friendly

Ss:  water

Body Magic.  Nothing organised but I will be running up and down stairs quite a lot through the day.

A bit of an unbalanced day today with lots of eggy things but I have stuff to use up and it all works out in the longer term.



Sunday 9 June 2019

Monday, 10-0619

Good morning.

Breakfast was lovely.  It was warm enough to sit out in the garden and I'm sure it tasted twice as nice as indoors!









Lunch - the salt and pepper chicken - was also extremely tasty eaten outside. . .












. . . but by dinner time it was warmer inside.  The smoky pork chilli was great although I did modify as I didn't have certain ingredients.  Insted of kidney beans in a chilli sauce, I used kidney beans from the freezer, chilli puree and some tomato puree.  I'm very glad there's some left over for tomorrow's lunch.







Today's SP plans:
B:  fruit and vanilla yogurt
Plain and simple and very satisfying
SW:  free

L:  pork chilli wrap, salad
Just the leftovers from yesterday's dinner, wrapped up in a - wrap!
SW:  one healthy extra B for the wrap and I will add some grated cheese as well for an A

D:  prawn and vegetable frittata from the SP book, broccoli; fruit
I was encouraged by how good the chilli was so am looking forward to this.
SW:  free

Ss:  water, fruit

Body Magic:  a swim and a walk (weather permitting)


(If you're not sure what SP is, this link explains it quite well.
https://basementbakehouse.com/2016/04/easy-extra-sp-explained-slimming-world/  )

Sunday, 09-06-19

Morning!
I loved yesterday's dinner.

A burger made with lean mince, spring onions, parsley and I also added some of my cajun seasoning.  The coleslaw had added dried apricots for a few syns and the chips were cooked the SW way.    I enjoyed it so much!

Today's non-SP plans are:
B:  souffle omelette with tomatoes on the side
To make it go souffle, all you do is separate the white and whisk it well, then fold it into the yolk and any fillings.  Then it cooks in a frying pan, finished off under the grill.
I beat a bit of quark into the egg yolk - it adds protein and I'm quite liking the taste now.

L:  salt and pepper chicken with a side salad; melon or strawberries
This is a Pinch of Nom recipe  - if you look, do remember to scroll down past those irritating adverts.
http://pinchofnom.com/recipes/syn-free-salt-pepper-chicken-slimming-world/
SW:  free, although I will syn any mayo I have with the side salad.

D:  smoky pork chilli, sweet potato fries, tomato salad; custardy yogurt
This is the first recipe I am trying from the SP recipe book I got free when I took out a countdown (which is pre-paying for twelve meetings for the cost of ten plus a freebie)  I'll let you know.
SW:  I will sprinkle some grated cheese over the chilli for at least one healthy extra A and syn any mayo.  The super-duper light mayo is half a syn a level tbsp.

Ss:  fruit, sparkly water

Body Magic:  an early morning swim

I shall be making some salt and pepper spice and I must also make some more cajun spice; I've used it such a lot.

Although it's not an SP day today, it's pretty close.  I think it's just the sweet potato that stops it from being totally SP.  Not so shabby!


Saturday 8 June 2019

Saturday, 08-06-19

Good morning!
I enjoyed yesterday's food very much.
Breakfast was my favourite home made waffles.  This time, I followed the recipe exactly, using almond essence instead of my usual vanilla and they were really very nice indeed.  Combined with strawberries fresh picked from the garden and home made yogurt, it felt like a feast fit for a queen!  Frugal as well.  Win-win.






Lunch was tomato soup and in the evening I had tuna pasta, using the things I won in the raffle on Wednesday.  It was a typical pasta dish - cook the pasta, soften the veg, add the meat (if using), add chopped tomato, cook, season and combine!
I changed it a bit, adding a bit of bacon that needed using up, extra veg (red pepper and mushroom) and extra seasonings in the form of a squidge of garlic and a spoonful of veg stock powder.  Also extra was the grated cheese on the top.
It was very, very tasty and I'm glad I have more for today.




Today's food.
B:  cooked breakfast, melon
I'm having the usual - bacon, egg, mushroom and tomato and spending a few syns on a toasted potato waffle.  The melon is a weekend treat.
SW:  two syns for the Morrison's potato waffle.

L:  tuna pasta bake, apple
Using yesterday's leftovers, adding grated cheese and heating up in the oven.
SW:  one healthy extra A for 30g grated cheddar

D:  bacon burger with bbq relish, SW chips and a salad, cherry frozen yogurt
The burger and relish is a recipe from Lifeline Online (the SW site) whch a friend posted about on out local SW Facebook group, saying it was really nice.  It's an SP friendly recipe (without the chips, obviously) so I bought a pack of mince and will make five burgers, freezing four of them for SP days.
SW:  one healthy extra B for the wholemeal roll and perhaps two syns for some mayo.  I won't be synning the fruit for the dessert, although it will be blended!

Ss:  strawberries, sparkly water

Body Magic.  Not sure - it doesn't look as if the weather will be all that great and I might just go for running/jogging indoors as I go from room to room and up and down stairs.

Friday 7 June 2019

Friday, 07-06-19

Good morning!
Lunch yesterday was delicious!  I had the house salad with bacon, stilton and walnuts and lots of other bits and bobs.  Very tasty, very satisfying and not the least bit SW friendly but I'm not fussed.
Dinner was nice.  Using oat flour to flour, egg and crumb some pork worked pretty well; not totally the same as 'real' flour, but OK and I enjoyed the escalope very much while the couple of mouthfuls of peas were just gorgeous.  I totally forgot to make the mushroom sauce though!



Today's plans:
B:  waffles with fresh picked strawberries and vanilla yogurt. 
Being a bit posh here with the strawberries but it is nice to go out and pick your breakfast!
Here they are . . .

SW:  one healthy B for the oats to make the waffles

L:  tomato soup, apple
Some of that SW tomato soup to which I will add a dollop of quark for extra creaminess (and a bit of protein).  I just have to be careful not to boil it after adding the quark as it then splits.
SW:  free

D:  tuna penne, side salad; fruit and yogurt
I have to, really, don't I, after winning the raffle?  I'll halve the recipe (which is for four) and have one portion tonight and the other for lunch tomorrow.  I intend to sprinkle some grated cheese over it tonight because I like it!
SW:  one healthy A for the cheese and a couple of syns for some mayo on the salad.

Ss:  sparkly water

Body magic.  Well, it was going to be a walk and some gardening but the weather forecast is none too good so I may end up running up and down stairs and jogging around the house rather than walking!

I've been very good and planned the whole week's food up to next SW group which should really help to keep me on the straight and narrow now that yesterday's lunch is over.  Fingers crossed.

Thursday 6 June 2019

Thursday, 06-06-19

Good morning.
Sorry, no meal photos from yesterday
So here's a photo of my non-speed peas, fresh picked and podded for dinner tonight, just to provide a bit of colour.

However, I have posted the tomato soup recipe in a separate post - Chrissie, this is for you!

 I was being so busy working on positivity, I forgot to take any photos!!!  You know - trying to develop a potitive mind set while knowing weigh in was going to be pretty ouch.

I was right, it was ouch.  Two and a half pounds on - eeeeek.
BUT
1.  I know why (that always helps)
2.  I know what to do
3.  It was a jolly, chatty meeting with lots of laughs which is always cheering
4.  Jennifer was very understanding and didn't push to see my menu.  She knows I plan and that I know what I'm doing.
4.  I won the raffle.
I seem to be winning raffles quite a lot at the moment.  I won a prize last Saturday evening as well.  This one was a good prize.  On the SW site this week it focuses on recipes for pasta and the prize was all the ingredients needed to make tuna penne:  a bag of pasta, two onions, one courgette, a pot of dried mixed herbs, a tube of tomato puree, two cans chopped tomatoes, one can sweetcorn, two little cans tuna and a bunch of spring onions.
How's that for a prize, eh?  All foods I will use (except for maybe the pasta which I will give to Beth because I'm trying to go wholegrain with rice and pasta) and the gaps in my cupboard are now filled again.
5.  I got the new SP Sensations recipe book because I have taken out a twelve week 'Countdown' and it was a freebie.

So , , , I know what to do and it's a new week!  Move on!

Today's plans:
B:  fresh fruit and h.m. vanilla yogurt
The fruit is strawberries (from garden plus a few bought yesterday), blueberries and easy peeler segments while the yogurt is just 0% natural yogurt with some vanilla essence and a bit of stevia
SW: free

L:  out with a friend
Not a great start to the new week but this is Real Life and I have no time for any sort of plan that cuts one off from the usual ups and downs of daily life.  The place we're going to doesn't have their menu online so I will see when we get there.  Wouldn't it be great if someone opened a Slimming World friendly eating place nearby?
SW:  not known

D:  pork escalope with mushroom sauce, peas and broccoli; frozen cherry yogurt
OK, so the peas aren't actually speed food but my little pot of peas in the garden has some to pick - the first picking - and I'm not wasting them, no way!
I will have half oats and half bread to make the flour and the breadcrumbs for the escalope (a pork steak, all fat removed and hammered out thin) and will use some dailylea for the mushroom sauce
The frozen yogurt is easy.  Some frozen cherries, a dollop of natural yogurt and some stevia in a mini-zizzed.  As it whizzes round, the frozen fruit freezes the yogurt and you end up with a soft yogurt ice.  It's really nice!
SW:  one healthy extra B for the oats and wholemeal bread, one healthy extra A for the mushroom sauce and . . .
. . . well, this next is a bone of contention!
In the handbook it says:
"Pureed and cooked fruit loses it's filling power and becomes very easy to over-consume - keep count of the syns or swap to something free"
I kind of see what they mean.  It's dead easy to load a smoothie with mountains of fruit. for example.
However, fruit - most fruit - is free and much is speed.  One of the main foci of SW is that you can have as much as you want of free food.  But that aside, when I make a dish, I measure out amounts as it's just for me anyway.  There's no risk of 'over-consuming' and, in the case of what I'm having for dessert, I'd probably eat more if the fruit was fresh and loose.
So I don't care what SW says, I'm not synning the little bit of pureed frozen fruit I have on my dessert.  So there!   :-)
(but I needed to say that as I don't want to mislead and I know people do read this daily and get ideas for meals, etc)

Another long entry today - sorry!

Recipe: tomato soup

This is for Chrissie and anyone else intrigued by yesterday's mention of pickled onions in a tomato soup.
It hit the SW scene a while ago now and caused a great sensation, partly because it's dead easy and partly because it really is pretty tasty and many reckon it's just like Heinz tomato soup.
It's been reproduced so many times all over the Internet so I have no qualms about posting the recipe in here.


Tomato ‘just like Heinz’ soup

Ingredients to make about six portions (depending on how big they are)
2 cans tomatoes
1 can baked beans
1 can carrots, drained
3 or 4 pickled onions
A good spoonful of stock (like Marigold) 
half pint of water

My modifications
squidge of garlic puree
tomato puree

Method
Put everything in a pan, simmer for 15 mins, blend and push through a sieve (this last is my addition - I always push tomato soup through a sieve to get rid of the last little fibrous bits and make it perfectly smooth).
Check seasonings and adjust if necessary

Jazz up with some milk, lea and perrins, etc, if you like.  To make it taste really creamy, add a lump of quark and mix in (or blend in) well - but make sure you don't then reheat to boiling as the quark will split.

Slimming World free, suitable for those doing SP, dead easy and it freezes well too.  And it's pretty good value too, especially in comparison with the bought cans of tomato soup;  all the more so if you use value versions of the beans, tomatoes and carrots.  You can even get value picked onions!

Wednesday 5 June 2019

Wednesday, 05-06-19

Good morning.

The smoked salmon and broccoli quiche looked good when I cooked it earlier in the morning . . .


















. . . and made an absolutely delicious lunch.  Definitely a do-again-er.












Dinner was OK-ish.  The broccoli was nice, as were the runner beans and the sauce.  However, the meatballs were dry and bland, even with the sauce, and I've decided I don't like roasted butternut squash very much. 

What's left won't waste;  I will use the lattices in casseroles and soups.



I'm now out of the bbq-ish sauce so I think I will be making more soon.



Today's food plans:
B:  bacon and egg roll, tomatoes and mushrooms
One healthy B for the roll

L:  it's damp and dull and none too warm so I shall make a batch of the SW soup - the kind out of cans and pickled onions that sounds awful but tastes great.  I'll add some quark to today's portion for protein and to make it taste 'creamy'
SW free.

D:  Jackburger, salad and coleslaw
This is the famous Jack Monroe carrot, cumin and kidney bean burger of which I have several in the freezer.  Topping it, I will make a sauce of onion, pepper, mushroom and tomato with a bit of balsamic vinegar.  Veg will be a salad and some coleslaw.
A couple of syns for the mayo and half a syn for the flour in the burgers.

Ss:  sparky water

Body Magic:  a walk (if I feel like it)

Tuesday 4 June 2019

Tuesday, 04-06-19

Good morning.

OK, so lunch wasn't the most beautiful-looking thing in the world but it sure was tasty!

I cooked some mushrooms in fry light.  Then I beat up two eggs, a dollop of quark, some salt and pepper, some garlic granules and onion granules and a pinch of mustard (not too much of any of them) before pouring it over the mushrooms, cooking underneath, sprinkling 20g grated cheddar over the top and finishing it off under the grill.
Mmmmmm.  And filling!




And dinner.  Also looks a bit scruffy but it didn't half taste great.

















Today's plans:  second day on SP and I'm focusing on Using Stuff Up

B:  cooked breakfast
It will consist of bacon, egg, mushroom and tomato and very tasty too.
A while ago I found some nice back bacon on special - I cut out the medallion part and froze in twos and that's what I'm having.  I was very good and also cut out the other lean bits to freeze for casseroles, omelettes, etc and those I have already used.
SW:  free and SP friendly

L:  smoked salmon and broccoli quiche, salad
Bits of salmon trimmings are not cheap (and you can't always find them nowadays) but also not terribly costly and I have some in the freezer that were left over from An Occasion ages ago.  Time they were used, I think.  The rest of this recipe uses broccoli, quark, spring onions and seasonings so well within the frugal budget and I think I will add some grated cheese (I need to use a bit of my healthy extra A)
SW: SP friendly and one healthy extra A

D:  Skinny turkey meatballs in a creamy tomato sauce, butternut squash lattices, broccoli, runner beans
I'm using a Lisa Riley recipe for 'Skinny turkey burgers' and shaping the mixture into meatball sized bits.  I already have lean turkey mince in the freezer from a time when it was greatly reduced in Morrisons (shared into 200g portions and frozen) and the other ingredients are spring onions (I will use up all my wrinkled spring onions today). garlic, tomato, parsley (I will use dried), thyme (from the garden) and a bit of spray oil.
The sauce will be the last of my syn free bbw sauce (must make some more) with a dollop of quark stirred in.  I just have to be careful it doesn't reach boiling point and that's where Thermione comes in - set her to heat to 95 and she will do the job perfectly.
The runner beans are last year's garden produce and really I need to eat the last bagsfuls up before the new harvest comes in
And finally, the squash is another YS find - 7p a bag - so, obviously, I got some and froze them.  Time to use some of them up and squash is a speed veg so fits in nicely with SP, sprayed with fry light and baked.
SW:  free and, as far as I can tell, SP friendly.  Also, loads and loads of vegetables.

Ss:  water

Body magic:  None actually planned today

Here's the recipe for the turkey burgers - I'm using spray oil and I'm not doing the celeriac chips!
https://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/recipes/lisa-riley-honesty-diet-skinny-turkey-burgers

And here's the recipe for the quiche:
http://pinchofnom.com/recipes/syn-free-smoked-salmon-and-broccoli-quiche-slimming-world/

I stepped on the scales today after the weekend jaunt and ooops, how embarassing!  However, you may be glad to know that I am giving up panicking for June except on very rare occasions and will just stay on track and bite the bullet tomorrow at group.
I think I am reconciled to the fact that I am unlikely to show a gain after my visits to Dad but I now know that it's not the end of the world and that getting straight back on plan again sorts things out.  It slows me down but it's a question of managing real life situations and that's always good to be able to do.

And one last thought.  I have some beetroot in vinegar.  I could use the vinegar left in the jar to pickle other veg, couldn't I?  I'm going to try it with a bit of shredded cabbage and grated carrot and see.  I know it's only vinegar really but every bit of reusing is a good thing.

Sorry, I seem to have gone on rather today.  If you got to the end without falling asleep, well done and thank you!  :-)


Monday 3 June 2019

Monday, 03-06-19

Good morning!

After a bit of a food disaster yesterday, the line has been drawn and the next four days are SP days anyway so that will sort that one out.

Mondays are always a bit awkward as I am helping out in school at one o'clock which is where I would normally have my lunch.  I just have an apple at about twelve thirty and then fit in an easy lunch once I get home and before I pop off to my bit of tutoring.

So:
B:  fresh fruit and yogurt
Opportunities for different breakfasts are a bit limited when one is away and I like this.  Fruit will be strawberries, blueberries and easy peeler segments.
SW:  free

L:  Mushroom omelette
What it says on the box.  Some mushrooms, cooked in a bit of fry light, two eggs and 30g grated cheese on top.  Yum.  I'd make it a souffle omelette but I won't really have the time.
SW:  one healthy extra A for the cheese


D:  cheese and bacon burger, salad
The burger will be an M&S skinny burger which, I think, are actually very nice and I will team it with a bacon medallion and 15g grated cheese plus some dairylea instead of butter and a dollop of my home made bbq sauce.  The salad will be the usual plus, I think, a bit of home made coleslaw as I know I have all the necessary stuff.
SW:  one healthy extra A for the cheese and one B for the wholemeal bun.  Two syns for the mayo in the coleslaw

Ss:  apple, sparkly water

Body Magic:  I will walk to school and back and ditto for tuition.  Not that much but better than nothing.  I might need to fit in a bit of weeding too at some point.