Monday, 30-11-20

 Good morning.  Welcome to the last day of November!  Yesterday was totally off plan although I did take the opportunity to try a different recipe for apple pancakes.  Not a howling success, sadly - I will stick to my own recipe in the future - much nicer.

So no photos but I am back on plan.

B:  fruit  
SW:  free

L:  cheese and onion toastie; fruit
I might have some tomatoes on the side too
SW:  one healthy extra A for cheese, one B for the bread, three syns for some onion chutney.  

D:  slow cooked meatballs, pasta, green veg on the side; ygurt or kvarg
This should be interesting.  I'm taking part in a Zoom cooking demo, making the same dish as the demo leader.  Looking at the recipe, it really doesn't look SW unfriendly and it says it makes 20 balls so five each, but we will see.  I will work out the syns retrospectively.
SW:  let's assume five syns in total plus half a syn for dessert

Body Magic:  Probably some step and balance stuff

Summary:  One healthy extra A, one B and eight and a half syns

Sunday, 29-11-20

 Good morning.

Day three of Being Strict and Totally Sticking to Plan went really well.  Phew.

Not a particularly inspiring picture but it was jolly tasty and enjoyable.

I make the topping for the jacket potato with a can of tuna (spring water/drained), a couple of tbsps of super light mayo, 45g half far cheddar, grated, and, yesterday, a little bit of horseradish.  It works well.

Instead of waiting until the potatoes are nearly done before starting with the steak (and therefore not having enough resting time), I did the steak straight after I'd started off the actifry and let it rest in a warm oven for over twenty minutes and it was melt in the mouth tender.  Must remember that one for the future.  I had the peas because they were leftover from Friday.

No plans for today - or none that I want to admit to - as it's Christmas Tree Day and we're having all sorts of festive munchies.

Back on plan tomorrow, I promise.

Saturday, 28-11-20

 Good morning.  It's the last weekend in November and, truly, where has the time gone?  

Yesterday's meal photos.

Porridge - perfect on a cold and frosty morning.

Followed by a warming mug of tomato soup for lunch.  Mmmmmm.

Finishing the day off with fish cakes, peas and mushrooms and, instead of sweet chilli sauce, some caramelised red onion chutney, made earlier on in the day and so good.

It was a good day, all on plan.

Today's plans:

B:  poached eggs on toast

SW:  one healthy extra B for a couple of slices of toast and two syns for some half fat butter

L:  cheesy tuna jacket potato and a bit of salad - whatever I have in the fridge really; fruit

SW:  Up to two healthy extra As for cheese, one syn for some mayo

D:  steak, chips and veg of some kind; yogurt or kvarg

. . . plus some caramelised red onion chutney I made yesterday because it's so good!

SW:  two suns for oil for the chips and three or four for the chutney, one for mayo and half for dessert

Body Magic:  probably a walk, weather permitting.

Summary:  Up to two healthy extra As, one B and up to nine and a half syns

I won't be posting any plans for Sunday as it's a day off plan.  However, I will post today's photos and I'll be right back on plan again on Monday.

Friday, 27-11-20

 Morning, one and all.  Let's get the confession over - three pounds on this week and all my own fault.  Moving on . . . Sunday is going to be off plan so I'm going to be very strict for three days (Thursday, today and Saturday) and then straight back on it Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.  Maybe I can pretty much undo the damage.

Yesterday's meals:

Breakfast was nice and simple.

There was some chopped tomato left after I made dinner (I made it before lunch) so I added some to the soup, gave it another zizz and heated it up and it was most satisfying.

And here's dinner.  The chicken with peppers was absolutely delicious and I'm so glad there's another portion, with a portion of rice, in the freezer for another time fairly soon.

Today's plans:

B:  porridge and fruit

I think I will flavour it with cinnamon and add some grated apple - that would be tasty.

SW:  one healthy extra B and half an A

L:  bean and veg soup; fruit

More soup from the freezer, just a rubble soup really but it came out well.  I find these chunky soups are satisfying and filling..

SW:  free

D:  salmon and cheese fishcakes, peas, mushrooms; kvarg/yogurt

These are the non crumbed ones from Morrisons and they are really rather tasty.  I might try them with a bit of sweet chilli sauce.

SW:  four syns for the fish cakes and two for two tbsp sweet chilli sauce plus half a syn for dessert

Body magic:  a rest day

Summary:  one healthy extra A (I'll use the other half for milk in cuppas) and one B plus six and a half syns

Thursday, 26-11-20

 Good morning, everyone.
This week has been somewhat disastrous and I'm rather dreading weigh in later on.  Oh, dear.

Yesterday's photos:

Breakfast porridge in another Christmas Tree bowl.  Very filling and very satisfying.

As I put on the container - very tasty veg soup.  Much nicer than it looks.

And the chilli and rice.  Tasty and filling.

Today's food plans:

B:  boiled eggs, toast and marmite

Nice and simple

SW:  one healthy extra B

L:  tomato soup; fruit

The soup is from the freezer, not a huge portion so I might add some chopped tomatoes.

SW:  one healthy extra A for some grated cheese in the soup

D:  chicken with peppers, rice, veg; yogurt or kvarg

This is a new recipe for me but doesn't seem too much different to one I sometimes make.  It has a lot of oil which I will cut down on significantly and use spray oil as well.   Chicken and peppers are both from the freezer (still making inroads into the frozen supplies!).  The rice is from yesterday when I made what I thought would be two portions (today and yesterday) but which turned out to be three.  I'll have to freeze the rest.

SW:  up to six syns for oil (1 tbsp), half a syn for cornflour, half a syn for dessert

Body Magic:  balance and step exercises - at personal training yesterday my balance was so much better; it's definitely worth the practice, especially as I'm not getting any younger

Summary:  one healthy extra A, one B and seven syns

Wednesday, 25-11-20

 Good morning.
Yesterday's photos . . .

A lovely breakfast.  The tomatoes are garden tomatoes that I froze.  They look a gloopy mess, I know, but they were absolutely delicious!

The square thing is the 'fried' bread underneath and then a one and a half egg omelette, cooked in my little square egg pan, on top.  I had made some mince pies (now in the freezer) and I had loads of egg wash left over.  Waste not!

For a while I have been wanting to use my small selection of Christmas themed chine.  I have very little and it's all random, nothing like a matching set; just a few bits and bobs I have picked up over the years.
I gave in, hence the tree shaped bowl!

This was the last of the lamb tagine and it was even nicer second day.

And then the day fell apart, food wise, so we will draw a veil over the last meal.  Suffice it to say, no photos were taken, Jen would have a fit and the chilli is still untouched!  Ooops.

Today's plans are:

B:  porridge with fruit

Good old fashioned porridge to which I will add some flavour of some kind plus some fruit from the freezer.  

SW:  half a healthy extra A and one B

L:  veg soup; fruit

From the freezer, good and thick and I wrote on the box 'tasty' so it must have been a delicious one as I don't usually do this.

SW:  half a syn

D:  chilli con carne, rice, green veg; yogurt/kvarg

Just like yesterday.  I will cook the rice early (and chill it quickly) and prep the veg so I really do have it this evening.

SW:  one healthy extra A for grated cheese, half a syn for the chilli and half a syn for dessert.

Body Magic:  an hour of personal training

Summary:  one and a half As, one B and one and a half syns

Tuesday, 24-11-20

 Morning, everyone.
After a not very good or healthy weekend, I was most relieved that yesterday was spent back on plan again.  I'm just hoping for a maintain in Thursday now.

Yesterday's photos.

Why does the egg yolk never stay in the middle?    Never mind, it was absolutely delicious!  Goodk, oldfashioned egg on toast, taking me back to childhood with eggs from the local 'egg farm'.

Squashy lamb and lettuce sandwiches.  The drizzle of mint sauce finished them off beautifully.

Lamb tagine.  This was very ad hoc but it was absolutely delicious and this is what I did.

I spray fried half a red onion, sliced, until softening before adding half a red pepper (from a jar, in brine), two mushrooms, both sliced and some diced sweet potato from the freezer.  After about five minutes I added the rest of the leftover lamb and 50g soft dried apricots (one healthy extra B or six syns).

I stirred in two good tsps ras el hanout spice mix (one syn) and a squeeze of garlic puree and cooked it out for a minute or so.  Then I added some passata (made from garden tomatoes) and the stock that came off the lamb when it was roasting (I removed all the solidified fat), brought it up to a gentle simmer, covered the pan and let it gently mellow for about an hour before tasting, seasoning and adding some frozen peas.  That was pretty much it and wow!

It made two portions so that's lunch tomorrow sorted out.

Today's plans are:

B:  a cooked breakfast - bacon, egg, tomatoes, mushrooms, fried bread

I 'fry' the bread by spraying one side with fry light and crisping up in the pan.

SW:  half a healthy extra B for the bread

L:  leftover lamb tagine

A good portion of the lamb and there was also a small amount of couscous.

SW:  half a healthy extra B for dried apricots, half a syn for the ras el hanout spice mix

D:  chilli con carne, rice, green veg; yogurt/kvarg

The chilli is from the freezer and the rest will be cooked fresh.

SW:  one healthy extra A for 30g grated cheese, half a syn for the chilli and half a syn for dessert

Body Magic:  maybe a walk, weather permitting

Summary:  one healthy extra A and one B plus one and a half syns

Monday, 23-11-20

 Hi, everyone.

Yesterday's photos

My fruit choices for breakfast - and very nice they were too.

No lunch photo but imagine beans on toast with some grated cheese sprinkled over and you'd be right on the money!

I treated myself to some slow roasted lamb for dinner plus what you can see on the plate. The blobs on the lamb is mint sauce.

It was lovely and there's plenty of lamb left over for today

Today's plans

B:  egg on toast; fruit

Nice and simple, a spray fried egg and one slice of toast

SW:  half a healthy extra B and one syn for light butter

L:  shredded lamb and salad sandwich; fruit

Just what it says really.

SW:  one healthy extra B, one syn for mint sauce, one for some mayo, two for light butter

D:  something with leftover lamb - biryani, tagine or curry and I haven't decided yet but whatever it is, I will be adapting it for SW

Body Magic:  Step

Summary:  one and a half healthy extra Bs and five syns plus whatever I choose to have for dinner.

Sunday, 22-11-20

 Good morning!

Yesterdays photos:

The gingerbread waffles went down a real treat, topped with strawberries, blueberries, grapes and kiwi and what was left of the gingerbread yogurt.  I indulged in half a tbsp agave nectar as well, just because.

I finished off the smoked salmon trimmings by making this dip - Philly lightest (which I rather illegally called my A choice), the salmon, a dash of superlight mayo, lemon juice and some dried dill.  

No-one could say this lunch was short on speedy veg, could they?

It's just as well I had plenty of speedy veg for lunch because I didn't fancy another salad so I lazily plonked some tomatoes on the plate.

This is the burger version of hunter's chicken.
I cooked the burgers in a pan with spray oil.
In an oven dish I layered some sliced mushroom and laid the burgers (yes - two of them, bad me, but they were M&S skinny burgers so SW free).  Then I spread over some sauce that I made by mixing some tomato puree, garlic and onion granules, soy sauce, Henderson's sauce, sweet chilli sauce, bbq sauce (both Crucials) and a squeeze of super light mayo, all mixed well together.  It's my go-to sauce for anything that needs a tomato-ey based sauce.
Then I baked it at 180C for ten minutes before adding 30g grated cheddar and giving it another ten minutes.
Really nice.

Today's plans

B:  fruit

I don't feel like much so will have a selection of fruit

SW:  free

L:  cheesy beans on toast; fruit

Beth is coming round so no leftover beans afterwards.

SW:  one healthy extra A and one B

D:  roast lamb, roasties, veg, mint sauce; yogurt/kvarg

When I was in Aldi, they had some nice looking lamb joints not terribly expensive (cheaper than the happy chicken I bought last week anyway!) so I'm treating myself to slow roast lamb, a great favourite and rarely enjoyed because lamb is so costly.  It's part of a leg so not too fatty.  I think I have one parsnip left to use up so I will roast that and maybe posh it up with some maple syrup as well.

SW:  one syn for one level tbsp mint sauce, two for one tsp oil on the roasties/parsnip and half for dessert.

Body Magic:  Not sure yet but definitely some balance exercises

Summary:  one healthy extra A and one B plus three and a half syns

Saturday, 21-11-20

 Morning, everyone.

Yesterday's photos.

The smoked salmon and mushroom omelette was nice but would have benefitted from a bit of cheese on top, I think.

The bubble and squeak slice was lovely but the sweet chilli sauce didn't really go.  BBQ sauce would have been better - I will know next time.

After umming and ahing about whether to cave real rice or cauliflower rice, I decided I didn't really want either!  So I didn't.
I made up one portion of the Mayflower curry sauce and to it added the sweet chilli sauce I didn't use much of at lunchtime and some tomato sauce I had made for the hunter's chicken and didn't use then or with the steak the day before.
It made a really delicious curry sauce!

Today's plans:

B:  waffles, fruit and yogurt

I haven't had waffles for ages, not since I found a space in my cupboard to put the waffle maker away.  It's about time to get it out!
I use the same recipe as for the pancakes but without adding water to slacken the mixture and I think it will be gingerbread flavour again, simply because the gingerbread Mullerlight won't be around after Christmas.

SW:  one healthy extra B for the wholewheat flour and half a syn for the yogurt

L:  Smoked salmon dip, vegetable batons; fruit

I will make the dip the usual way, zizzing smoked salmon up with some soft cheese (which I will count as a healthy A choice (it isn't really so a bit of a cheat), a bit of mayo, lemon juice and dill.

SW:  one healthy extra A, two syns for mayo

D:  cheesy burger, chips, salad, coleslaw; yogurt or kvarg

Not a burger in a bun but I will cook the burger, pop it in a dish, cover it with onion, pepper, mushroom, tomato sauce and then grated cheese and bung it in the oven for the cheese to melt and go gooey.

SW:  one healthy extra A, one syn for dipping mayo, two syns for oil and half a syn for dessert

Body Magic:  Not sure today

Summary:  two healthy extra As, one B and around six syns

Recipe: chicken pasta bake

 

Chicken pasta bake

I used:
one tsp oil (two syns) and/or spray oil as needed
one smallish onion, peeled and sliced
half a small sweet potato, peeled and chopped
one chicken breast fillet, cut into chunks
half a yellow pepper, sliced
three mushrooms, sliced
some passata from garden tomatoes and half a can chipped tomatoes (you could use a whole can
instead)
garlic puree, tomato puree and mixed herbs
one tbsp chicken stock powder
70g pasta – I used wholemeal spirals
one heAs worth of cheddar, grated 

Heat the oil/spray oil and soften the onions in the oil.  Add the sweet potato and continue sizzling.  Then add the chicken and brown all over before adding the mushroom and pepper.  Turn the heat right down, cover if possible and let it gently sizzle for around ten minutes, stirring occasionally.

While this is going on, cook the pasta, drain it and set it aside.

Turn up the heat, add the tomato, the garlic, the tomato puree, and the chicken stock with some black pepper and salt if needed.  Bring it all to a boil, stirring, then turn the heat down again and leave it to bubble gently as the sauce thickens. 

Heat the oven to around 180 or turn on the grill.

Finally, check the seasonings and adjust, stir in the pasta and spoon it all into an ovenproof dish.  Sprinkle over the grated cheese and melt it either in the oven or under the grill.

 

It makes lots and is very SW friendly with one healthy extra A, two syns and loads of speedy veg.

Friday, 20-11-20

 Good morning.
I very pleasing loss at weigh in yesterday.  Another two pounds down and I'm back in my zone again.  You're 'allowed' to be three pounds above or below to be a free member and, given the price is going up in January (for the first time in eleven years, I gather, so one can't complain - it's been tough for them this year), now is a good time to get back into ones zone.  

Yesterday's meals.

It was a bit 'all change'.  I simply wasn't hungry so I skipped the planned breakfast and had some easy peelers instead.

This was lunch - some sushi and some salad, followed by more easy peelers.

I'm not sure what I think of sushi really.  It seems a big kerfuffle over a very small thing!

I changed the afternoon snack.  Because I'd had no breakfast, I used all of a healthy extra B and decided to have cheese on toast instead of babybel lights.  It was simple but, oh, it was lovely!

I thoroughly enjoyed my steak and chips.  

Today's meal plans:

B:  smoked salmon and mushroom omelette

I have some smoked salmon scraps to use.

SW:  free

L:  bubble and squeak slice with some sweet chilli sauce, salad; fruit

I shall use one of the sliced of bubble and squeak I made last Monday.

SW:  half a healthy extra A for cheese in the slice, one syn for the crucials sweet chilli sauce

D:  chicken curry, rice (maybe cauliflower rice), broccoli; yogurt

I have some Mayflower curry powder that everyone seems to be talking about, one portion being four syns, so I'll give it a go.  It's supposed to make a Chinese style curry which I quite like and haven't had for years and years.  I can pack it out with plenty of speedy veg to make a nice big portion!

SW:  four syns for the curry powder and half a syn for the dessert.  If I use oil (and I might very well), it will be two syns for one tsp.

Body Magic:  Some step and balance exercise.  My balance (never very good) was much better at PT yesterday so obviously the practise is having a positive effect.

Summary:  half a healthy extra A and seven and a half syns.  Hmmm - bit low but never mind.  Once in a while won't hurt.

Thursday, 19-11-20

Good morning.
Another day on plan yesterday which I was really pleased about as it was what I call a hungry day - that is not proper hungry but more emotionally hungry.
I had more easy peelers than I can remember but, given that there's non-SW friendly food in the house (gifts and my Christmas stash), I am rather pleased with myself in a fairly smug sort of way!

Yesterday's meals (not everything, just what I photograph - I rarely take photos of fruit and yogurts but I have them each day as planned).

I enjoyed this simple breakfast.  Two boiled eggs and two slices of toast with half fat butter (two syns) and marmite (free).

To the last of the chicken and veg soup, I added some fairly new out ryvita, protein, linseed and nigella seed.  Four slices is one healthy extra B so I ended up having one A and two B choices yesterday.

Hunter's chicken for dinner.  

I know my plates look rather loaded at the moment but I'm trying hard to up my veg intake  The only things on that plate that were not speedy were the chicken (free/protein), some bacon (ditto), thee sauce (mostly speed with a few syns) and the cheese (one healthy extra A).  

The sauce was chopped tomatoes, onion, yellow pepper and mushroom, plus some sweet chilli sauce, some bbq sauce, some tomato and garlic purees, some soy sauce and some Henderson's sauce.  There's some left over for today so I counted it as one syn.

Today's plans:

B:  bacon, egg, fried bread and mushrooms

The fried bread will be made by spraying oil over one side of the bread and crisping up just that side - it's how Mum used to make fried bread when we were little and money was very scarce.  It works!  I might use my square pan for the egg so it fits nicely on the bread.  :-)

SW:  half a healthy extra B for the bread

L:  Sushi, salad; fruit

I bought a smoked salmon sushi snack in Aldo the other day.  You don't get much, do you, but it's one syn and it quite tasty.  I've only recently had sushi and this is only the second time so I feel quite adventurous!

SW:  one syn for the sushi

Afternoon snack:  three babybel lights and marmite on toast
I rarely have much in the way of a formal snack, preferring to grab an easy peeler, if reaqlly necessary.  However, meal timings are out today for various reasons and there's a long gap between lunch and dinner so . . . snack!

SW:  half a healthy extra B for the bread and one syn for a tsp light butter, one healthy extra A for the babybels

D:  steak, chips and salad; kvarg or yogurt

Not a frugal effort this evening, but never mind.  I will use up the rest of the sauce I made for the chicken yesterday to go with the steak.

SW:  two syns for oil (for the chips), one for some mayo, one for the sauce and half for the dessert

Body Magic:  an hour of personal training

Summary:  one healthy extra A and one B, six and a half syns

And it's weighday with Zoom SW in the evening.  I will weigh just before personal training as Jen needs the results before midday.  Fingers crossed.

Wednesday, 18-11-20

 Morning, everyone.

Yesterday's photos:

I should have overnight oats more often; they are so comforting and filling.  This was gingerbread - some ginger spice, a gingerbread yogurt and some gingerbread skinny syrup - and it went down a real treat.

This was a most delicious chicken and veg soup and I'm very glad I have another portion with chicken in and two more portions that I can add beans to.  Using 'real' stock makes such a difference.

(do you like my new Christmas mug?)

Chicken pasta bake.  It used to be the kids' favourite when they were little and I still love it now.

Today's plans are:

B:  Marmite on toast, boiled eggs

SW:  one healthy extra B, two syns for some half fat butter

L:  chicken and veg soup; fruit

Same as yesterday as there are leftovers.

SW:  one syn

D:  hunter's chicken, broccoli and sprouts; yogurt or kvarg

SW:  one healthy extra A, half a syn for dessert

Body Magic:  step and balance exercises.  It should be personal training but Lindsey has moved it to tomorrow.

Summary:  one healthy extra A, one B and two and a half syns

Tuesday, 17-11-20

 Good morning!

I was going to have a full English breakfast but when I made the bubble and squeak mixture, it made such a lot that I ended up getting five portions.
I mashed up the root veg (potato, carrot, sweet potato and swede), added the shredded or chopped green veg plus an onion, chopped and softened and some of the chicken, shredded.  I stirred in 60g (two heAs) of grated cheese and a beaten egg plus garlic granules, cajun spice and pepper (no salt).
With that I made three patties for dinner (photo below) and pushed the rest into a cake tin to bake for about 30 mins in a medium oven.
When it came out, it smelled so good, I decided to have a slice of that for breakfast instead pf bacon and egg, with the beans that were leftovers.   It was delicious.
The total healthy extra As stays the same as planned because each portion is a bit under half a syn.

Lunch was a sort of roast dinner quesadilla.  It had some grated cheese, shredded chicken, sliced stuffing ball (one and a half syns) and some sweet chilli sauce (half a syn) and that combination worked really very well.

I slightly changed dinner.  I had the bubble and squeak patties (so good) and the veg but I made some marmite mushrooms, something I saw on a Facebook Group.  You cook the mushrooms in spray oil and then they are done, add a splash of water and some marmite (to own taste but too much will make it very salty.  When the marmite water is bubbling, add one healthy extra As-worth of primula light and stir it in.  It makes a gorgeous umami-ish sauce which would also work well with steak.  I had used both my healthy extra As so called it six syns in my food diary.

Today's meal plans are . . .

B:  gingerbread overnight oats

SW:  one healthy extra B, half a syn for yogurt and half a healthy extra A for milk

L:  chicken and veg soup

I will use leftover chicken from Sunday, plus some lovely stock from the boiled up carcass and assorted veg plus, probably, some orzo.

SW:  should be free

D:  chicken pasta bake; yogurt or kvarg

Lots of chicken right now, I know, but I have some roast chicken to use up and I don't really want to freeze any.  I will use onion, mushroom, red pepper, peas and sweet corn with passata (made with garden tomatoes and frozen in the summer), wholewheat pasta and grated cheese.

SW:  one healthy extra A and half a syn for dessert

Body Magic:  probably a walk, weather permitting.

Summary:  one and a half healthy extra As and one B.  One syn.