Wednesday, 31-08-22

  Good morning, everyone.

Yesterday's meals:

Breakfast

Black Forest overnight weetabix.

Lower syn than planned because I was out of 2% yogurt so used 0% and one tbsp. choccy sauce was plenty.

A fair bit earlier, I had an apple before I went into town.

Lunch

Sticky chicken salad.

I will be making this again.  So quick, so easy and so delicious.  Ten mls each of honey, balsamic vinegar and soy sauce.  Mmmmmmm.

Later on I had some squishy berries that really needed using up pronto.  So I did!

The syns that I saved at breakfast, I spent on three Smidgins and tonics, one syn for the lot.  Very nice.

Dinner

Spanish vegetable rice and I added some fresh cooked chicken.  The rice was a bit overdone after a spell in the freezer but it was all very tasty and satisfying.  I'm not complaining.  I also had the last of the slightly tatty broccoli.

There was no room for dessert.

Yesterday's steps came to just over 1200 - much better!

Today's plans:

B:  bacon, egg and tomatoes

SW:  all speed/free/protein

L:  baked salmon salad; fruit

I plan to bake the salmon in the sir fryer with a marinade of agave nectar, grain mustard and lime or lemon juice - exactly the same as the salad dressing I make.

SW:  I'm just using one tsp each of the grain mustard and agave nectar so it will come to one syn.  The rest should be free, mostly speed.

OR

L:  sushi, salad; fruit

. . .  because, I don't know if you remember but ages ago I waffled on about trying to make sushi myself.  I didn't get very far, buying a few ingredients but then shelving the idea.  However, now I have everything, the rice has been washed and is soaking for thirty minutes and I have some simple fillings - smoked salmon, pepper, cucumber, spring onion and carrot - so I'm having a go.
Fingers crossed
SW:  tricky to work out syns because I'm a bit vague about how much it will all make but one sheet of nori is half a syn (you use half a sheet at a time) and you add some sugar to the rice, one syn for the whole lot I am making (based on 250g sushi rice) so that's one and a half syns.  I'll have to see how many portions this makes; at the moment I have absolutely no idea whatsoever.

D: Mexican pork one-pot, broccoli; yogurt

I don't know how many syns this is; it's leftovers from a Simply Cook kit and it looks like I didn't write the syns (if I ever knew them) on the pot.  It really can't be all that bad though.

SW:  half a syn for the yogurt but total syns unknown.

E:  Lindsey's YouTube clip, maybe a walk

Summary:

hmmmm - no healthy extras, oh, well!

one and a half syns planned (if I have lunch no 1) plus whatever dinner is.

All a bit vague today but it will be OK, I am reasonably sure and I am totally sure it won't be above maintenance calories anyway.

Tuesday, 30-08-22

 Good morning, everyone.
We're over the Bank Holiday weekend, it's nearly September and the start of a new season and this month hasn't been too bad really.  I started on a gain from the month before but am five and a half pounds down from then so I'm very happy with that.  At my age and with not an awful lot to use, progress is slow but at least there has been progress this last month and, on the way, I have enjoyed some delicious meals, discovered a few new ideas and found a healthy place to eat out.
All reasons to be very happy with things.

Onward and Downward!

Yesterday's meals:

Breakfast

The usual berries and yogurt and very nice it was too!

Lunch

Leftovers of Moroccan chicken with veg in a pitta.  It's surprising how filling things like that can be.

Then I had a nectarine and, later on, an apple.

Dinner

This is how I used the chicken that I had strained off from the white sauce.  In the end, I turned it into a rather tasty risotto rather than using pasta, with onion, pepper, mushroom, peas and corn, 20g dry weight of risotto rice, a small pot of home made chicken stock (from the freezer - tick) and about 25g not-Parmesan plus some rather tatty, must-be-used-up broccoli on the side.
I really enjoyed it.

Them for once, I had the planned yogurt.

Not many steps yesterday - just under 4000.  Ooops

Today's plans:

B:  black forest overnight weetabix

I saw this on a vlog and it sounded so good.

Basically, the night before, mush up a couple of choccy weetabix with just enough milk to soften and smooth into the bottom of a pot or container of some kind.  Spread some Greek yogurt over the top (which can be flavoured if you want and then pop over some frozen cherries.  Cover and pop in the fridge until wanted.  Add some choccy sauce before eating.

SW:  one healthy extra B, half a syn for 2% Greek yogurt and a tbsp of the Groovy Food Co choccy sauce is one and a half syns (may not want a whole tbsp, it seems to go a long way).  The milk can be part of a healthy extra A

L:  sticky chicken salad; fruit

The sticky chicken is a SW thing and is, basically, honey, balsamic vinegar and soy sauce.  The thought makes my mouth water.  Yum.  

I might use agave nectar instead of honey - or maybe maple syrup.  I love it all!

Some of the chicken breasts I have in the freezer are pretty large so I will defrost one and split it between lunch and dinner.
SW:  it says two syns per portion.  The rest should be speed/free/protein.

D: Spanish rice and veg with chicken; yogurt

I cooked the Spanish rice without chicken so I will also cook some chicken breast and either mix it in or have it on top - might dust it with some smoked paprika or some fajita seasoning first.
SW:  the main should be protein/speed/free and the yogurt will be half a syn

E:  a walk and some Lindsey exercise clips.

Summary: 
one healthy extra A (breakfast milk and café au laits)
one healthy extra B
four syns

Monday, 29-08-22

  Good morning, everyone.

Yesterday's meals:

Breakfast

pork patty with tomatoes and mushrooms.

I added some fajita spice and black pepper to the mushrooms and tomatoes.  Nice.

Just one syn for the chutney - one dsp was just the right amount.

I have to say it again, guys, this pork and sausage mix is a real game changer for me.  The pork mellows the onion and rosemary sausages which can be quite 'strong', the sausages lighten the pork mince which can end up quite dense and the seasonings just work.  

Here it is again:

• 100g 5% pork mince (protein)
• two Aldi onion and rosemary sausages (free)
• 20 to 30g wholemeal breadcrumbs (30 g is half a healthy extra B or three syns but by the time you've sectioned it out, it hardly counts so call it half to one syn depending).  Don't try to leave them out, they matter to the overall texture.
• seasonings - I use black pepper (no salt), half tsp garlic granules, half tsp fajita spice mix and a good dollop of soy sauce

I also use a little plain flour for dusting my hands as the mixture can be quite sticky

Just throw everything but the flour into a bowl and squidge together - I use my hands.

Section and use.  So far I have made the egg and pork pies, meatballs and patties but I want to try scotch egg and to use for the base of a quiche like thing, burger, sort of kebab round a skewer (maybe with different spices), meat loaf and . .  whatever else comes to mind.
If I wasn't trying to reduce what's in the freezer a bit, I'd make a batch today but, as it is, I will wait until the next time I need it and then batch the leftovers.

Moving on . . .

Lunch

Just the leftover lasagne, the portion that didn't go in the freezer, with a simple side salad.  The perfect amount - I felt full without being stuffed and I left the fruit until later on.

I will do lasagne that way again (if I remember).

Dinner

And so to Itsu and it was simply delicious.  Clean, fresh, un-oily and so many flavours and textures.  I absolutely loved it.  Beth had a sushi platter and that, also, looks so good.

I'll definitely be going back there again soon - there are so many dishes I want to try.

When we got home, I made up a jug of my favourite not-Pimms and we enjoyed that while laughing ourselves silly over really old Morecambe and Wise Christmas Specials (Beth's request).

Today's plans:

B:  fruit and yogurt

As always . . . a great favourite at this time of year.

SW:  speed and free

L:  Moroccan chicken pitta, salad; fruit

From the freezer, one of the portions of Moroccan chicken.  It's a bit of a hefty syn load but I can 'afford' it.  I can shred it, maybe add some pineapple or nectarine (yum) and stuff it into a pitta with lots of shredded leaves and some cucumber.  Nice.

SW:  one healthy extra B and four and a half syns for the chicken

D:  chicken and rice, broccoli; yogurt

I have the chicken I strained off the can of chicken in white sauce.  I think I will just add plenty of lovely veg and have it either on pasta or rice - perhaps I could do a sort of risotto type rice thingy, that might be nice.  I have broccoli to have with it.  Lovely stuff - and leftovers (sort of).

At the moment, I'm finding that the main is filling me up so the yogurt is optional!

SW:  I've already 'paid' the syns for the chicken but I think, maybe, I will say half a syn, just to be on the safe side.  One healthy extra A for some not-Parmesan if - IF - I do a risotto-ish style rice.  Half a syn if I have the yogurt.

E:  I was going to have a swim but remembered that it will probably be very busy because of Bank Holiday, so I'll do something at home, I think.

Summary:

up to two healthy extra As (depending on how many café au laits I have)

one healthy extra B

five and a half syns

Sunday, 28-08-22

 Good morning, everyone.

I'm really looking forward to going to Itsu with Beth this evening.  I've looked at the menu online and t gives the calories which is helpful.  I have to say, it all looks extremely delicious AND healthy - it would be great to find an eating house that does properly healthy food, not just smaller portions of the same fatty, carb laden, chip heavy pub grub (with inflated prices to match).
Mind you, I have no ideas of cost but Beth and Alex go often so it can't be so bad really.
Exciting!

Have you ever eaten at Itsu?  What did you think?

Yesterday's meals:

Breakfast

The usual four berries with some flavoured yogurt - I used vanilla essence and some Sugarly.

Much more filling than it looks.

Lunch

These egg and pork pies were absolutely gorgeous.  One would have been enough!

The outside is 100g pork mince, two onion and rosemary sausage, 30g wholemeal breadcrumbs, pepper, garlic granules, fajita spice and a good shake of soy sauce.  This made enough to make both pies plus a patty for breakfast tomorrow.

Just oil two holes in a muffin tin and press in the mix, bringing it up up above the top - if does stay there.

The inside was two eggs, beaten, with about 7g finely grated cheese, garlic granules, mustard powder, salt and pepper plus a small amount of finely chopped and softened onion, red pepper and mushroom.
Pre-cook the shells, then pour in the egg and veg, top with half a little tomato (which sinks down into the middle to add a burst of juice and sprinkle on the rest of 15g finely grated cheddar.  Then bake until done.

So good and would be great for a picnic.

Dinner

The lasagne and the question is did my idea of using the canned chicken sauce work?  Well, sort of.  It went rather thin so as well as the Primula light, I also added a few thickening granules - not that they did much thickening but it all helps.  It all tested rather good, even though the sauce split, strangely.
It actually made three portions so that's one yesterday, one for today and one for the freezer, annoyingly!  I also have the strained chicken, still in a bit of sauce, plenty for one portion and I will have that on Monday with some pasta, I think.
That was it for the day - I was too full for anything more.

Today's plans:

B:  pork patty, mushrooms and tomatoes

When I made the egg and pork pies yesterday, there was just enough of the meaty mix to make a not-terribly-big patty.

SW:  I counted all the syns yesterday and it's so little anyway, it would hardly count.  One syn for a dsp of chutney on the patty

L:   leftovers of lasagne with salad; fruit

. . . and very nice too!

SW:  half a healthy extra A and let's call it two syns to be on the safe side - I don't think it is, being just a third, but no worries

D:  something at Itsu

It should be healthy, work with SW and be really delicious.
Here's a link to the menu - I have no idea as I've never been, but the chicken'low looks gorgeous!

https://www.itsu.com/menu/

I've looked on the SW site and, while it doesn't give the syns for many meals, it does for some and none of them break the syn bank at all so that's great!

SW:  I don't know yet.  It all looks great and look at those calories - very little that is too high!

E:  a walk

Summary:

one healthy extra A (I shall have a couple of café au laits to make up the other half healthy extra)

no Bs

one and a half planned syns which leaves me plenty of leeway for this evening.  I'm sure to stay within syns, given the nature of the food

A week in meals

 Another week of meals - just the mains, not the extra fruit, yogurt, etc.

Saturday

spiced plums and yogurt

ham and couscous salad

Spanish chicken and rice

Sunday

a banana for breakfast

shakshuke

steak, veg and sweet potato chips

Monday

tomatoes on toast

topless toastie and salad

Mexican chicken one-pot

Tuesday

spiced plums and yogurt

hm tomato and roasted red pepper soup with croutons

fish and chips

Wednesday

bacon, egg and tomatoes

chicken salad

meatballs and pasta

Thursday

cooked breakfast

meatball stuffed pitta

too full - no dinner

Friday

spiced apples and yogurt

cheese and onion toasties, salad

I forgot to snap dinner which was a curry from the freezer

And that's it for this week.  If you want any of the recipes, please ask in the comments below and, if I can, I will . . .

Saturday, 27-08-22

Good morning, everyone.

Well, weigh in was better than feared; I lost half a pound.  Not much, I know but infinitely better than the gain I rather expected so no complaining and Onward and Downward!

This morning the bloating has gone, thankfully.  

Yesterday's meals:

Breakfast

Because eating apples don't really release juice when cooked, the sugar spice mixture turned pleasantly crunchy rather than syrupy.  It was very tasty.

And the 2% Greek yogurt is really very smooth and creamy.

Earlier, after weigh in, I had a banana.

Lunch

I do love a cheese and onion toastie.  This look all my healthy extras plus wo syns for chutney. Well worth it.

Later on, I had an apple

Evening was the chicken makhani but I totally forgot to photo it, so sorry.  Curries seem to improve with time, don't they, even in the freezer!

Yesterdays step were just under 8,000

Today's plans:

B: fruit, yogurt

I've got quite a lot of berries to eat up.

SW:  half a syn for 2% Greek yogurt

L:  egg and pork pies, salad; fruit

I saw this recipe on the SW site and though 'I have to try these' although I will cut down on the amount of mince needed and top up with the onion and rosemary sausages (because I like it)  If you have access to the site, here's the link.  I will most likely add some grated cheese to the egg mixture.

https://member.slimmingworld.co.uk/recipes/egg-and-pork-pies

SW:  the 'pies' are free, half a syn for some spray salad dressing, one healthy extra A for the cheese, half a healthy extra B for some wholemeal breadcrumbs

D:  sort of lasagne, salad; yogurt

This came to me during the SW meeting as Jen was going through the Slimmer of the Week hamper.  One of the items was a can of chicken in white sauce from Aldi, the contents of which are OK but short on chicken and rather bland - but just one syn!

I thought maybe one could strain off the chicken (to have in another meal) and use the white sauce as a lasagne white sauce.  One could add some soft cheese to the mix and sprinkle some grated cheese over the top.  
I have some cooked mince in the freezer that I can use so that's sort of working with the leftovers challenge, although it's not really leftovers, it's batch cooking.  The effect is the same though..
Anyway, I am going to give it a go and it will probably make enough for two portions so that's tomorrow sorted out too.

SW:  the can of chicken in white sauce is one syn, the mince is speed and free, I will use one healthy extra's worth of cheese and, perhaps, melt some Primula light into the white sauce for two syns for 25g

E:  a Lindsey clip on YouTube

Summary:

one healthy extra A

half a healthy extra B (for wholemeal breadcrumbs in the lunch - not in the recipe)

Friday, 26-08-22

Good morning, everyone.

Weigh day today!  I'm not expecting miracles after Tuesday night and I have felt very bloated all week anyway, goodness knows why, but I will be thrilled not to have a small gain.  The rest of the week has been good so - well, let's hope.

Fingers crossed, everyone!

Yesterday's meals:

Breakfast

Those turkey rashers may be processed but they're OK with good tomatoes and mushrooms.  I enjoyed this breakfast

Lunch

This was delicious.  Stuffed down into the pitta is some lettuce and cucumber and I heated up the meatballs and added half an As-worth of Primula light soft cheese which I stirred round until it had melted into the sauce.  Mmmmm, definitely one to do again before long.
Next time I make the meatballs, I might use beef mince or I might use turkey/chicken mince and some grated chorizo for some oomph.

I had an orange and a few little plums later on in the day.

Dinner time came and went and I simply wasn't the least bit hungry.  Nothing to do with being lazy as it was already made, I just didn't want to eat.  I had a yogurt and called it a day.

And this morning I'm still fine, not unusually hungry.  Just one of those things.

Steps were just over 7,000

Today's plans:

B:  fruit and yogurt

I might try some spiced apple today, like the plums of the other day, perhaps using one of those very attractive rosette apples I bought from Lathcoats.

SW:  I will use the Fage 2% Greek yogurt, 170g for one syn and one syn for two tsps demerara sugar

L:   cheese and onion toastie, salad; fruit

As often made . . .

SW:  up to two healthy extra As, one healthy extra B and one and a half syns for onion chutney

D:  chicken makhani, konjac rice; yogurt

I found some konjac rice that must be used soon.  It's not as nice as real rice but then it has no carbs and is low calorie (although it has to be synned) and I have it in to use!  I might knock up a simple quick pickled tomato and onion salad thing for the side.

(all copied straight from yesterday as I didn't have it then)

SW:  one syn for the konjac rice, two syns for the chicken makhani, half a syn for the yogurt

E:  a walk

Summary:

up to two healthy extra As

one healthy extra B

six syns

Thursday, 25-08-22

Good morning, everyone.

The 'official' start of leftovers week today and I have beside me the printout of what I have in just one freezer drawer to use up.

It doesn't take long, does it, to build up a fair old supply of stuff.

Yesterday's meals:

Breakfast

Yum!

Lunch

A plain old chicken salad and very nice too.

Dinner.

The meatballs were lovely.  100g under 5% pork mince, two Aldi onion and rosemary sausages, 20g wholewheat breadcrumbs, garlic granules, fajita spice, pepper and a good splash of soy sauce.  It made sixteen neatballs - eight in this meal, seven tomorrow and one to taste because you have to, don't you.

I think it would be lovely with some grated chorizo in as well.  MUST remember that for next time.

Today's plans:

B:  turkey rashers, tomatoes and mushrooms

I found these turkey rashers in the abovementioned freezer drawer, just a few, and, as SW tells me they are free, I'll get them used up.  I'm still inundated with tomatoes.

SW:  two syns for some olive oil for the tomatoes.

L:  meatballs in tomato sauce, pitta, side salad; fruit

I thought I would reheat the meatballs in sauce and have them on shredded lettuce in a pitta with grated cheese on top.  Sounds lovely, doesn't it?

SW:  one healthy extra A for grated cheese

D:  chicken makhani, konjac rice; yogurt

I found some konjac rice that must be used soon.  It's not as nice as real rice but then it has no carbs and is low calorie (although it has to be synned) and I have it in to use!  I might knock up a simple quick pickled tomato and onion salad thing for the side.

SW:  one syn for the konjac rice, two syns for the chicken makhani, half a syn for the yogurt

E:  a walk, weather permitting (it might be round the shops but it is a walk, all the same!

Summary:

one healthy extra A

one healthy extra B

five and a half syns

Wednesday, 24-08-22

Good morning, everyone.

I had a little look in the freezer and emerged with a fair old list of home cooked leftovers to use up before I do any more Simply Cook meals.  I had planned today's dinner before deciding to do a leftovers week but that's OK, I will enjoy it and it works with SW so no problem.  Leftovers week starts properly tomorrow.

Of course, typically, as soon as I had decided this, I read my Sainsbury's magazine and found several likely looking recipes I would like to try.  It's always the way.  Well, they will just have to wait!

Yesterday's meals:

Breakfast

Deelicious!  There was a bit of spiced sugar left so I added it to the yogurt and it was very nice indeed!

I'm going to try the spiced sugar on apples - eating apples because cookers would take too much sugar.

Lunch

I haven't made soup for months because  you know - weather and so on.  This tomato and roasted red pepper soup was lovely with a hint of spice from the Henderson's relish I added.
And the home made croutons hit the spot like a bag of crisps does - crunchy and satisfying.

I'm glad I have some soup left to form the basis of a sauce for the meatballs for dinner today too.

I was really full after this.  They say blended soup fills you up more than chunky soup, I gather.  I kept my fruit until later on when I had an orange.

Dinner

This was fish and chips, not a child's portion as that wasn't available.  The fish was not large, it was what I would call a sensible amount and I enjoyed that very much.  It tasted so good.

I didn't eat all the chips.  I guess I left a good half of them.  See the halo?

This was a bit naughty, I suppose, but the scoops were pretty small, I didn't go for seconds and it was very nice.

Hopefully, with the lighter meals I had earlier, I didn't go too high in calories yesterday.

Back on track now anyway.

Steps were just over 8,000.

Today's plans:

B:  bacon, egg and tomatoes

The tomatoes are still coming thick and fast and it is no hardship to overdose on them.

SW:  two syns for one tbsp. olive oil to cook the tomatoes in.

L:  chicken salad; fruit

The chicken is leftovers from the last time I had a roast chicken.  Some of it is on the bone so it isn't s much as it looks but, anyway - chicken - no problem.

SW:  one syn for some salad dressing

D:  pasta and meatballs, side salad; yogurt

I plan to make meatballs using a couple of onion and rosemary sausages, 100g either pork or beef mince and maybe some other bits and bobs, including, probably, 10g wholemeal bread crumbs which really does lighten the meatball texture and make them less 'solid'.  The sauce will be the lovely tomato soup leftovers from yesterday with added veg - onion, pepper, mushroom, softened in a tsp oil
I'm hoping to have leftovers for tomorrow's lunch.

SW:  the mince is under 5% so free and protein, the sausages are free, the soup was free, ditto the pasta.  If I add some cheese on top, that will be a healthy extra A and the breadcrumbs aren't enough for any kind of B so one syn.  Also half a syn for some yogurt.

E:  personal training today - lovely!

Summary:
one healthy extra As and I will probably indulge in a couple of café au laits for half an A (unofficially)
no healthy extra Bs  
four and a half syns

Tuesday, 23-08-22

Good morning, everyone.

I'm going to be very careful most of today because, this evening, we're having another Girls' Night, in J's garden, a fish and chip supper this time.  Can't wait - the last time I had fish and chips was at Southwold in May. 
Syns?  What are syns?  :-)

I seem to be building up quite a stock of frozen leftovers meals.  Next week, I think I will have a week where I base most of the main meals, if not all of them, on using up those leftovers.  It's all lovely stuff and no hardship - quite the opposite, in fact.  The hardest bit is remembering to take them out of the freezer in good time!

I used the Fage 2% Greek yogurt on my one-pot last night.  It's good, very nice.  Not as creamy textured as the 5% but not that far off.  I've never seen it in Morrisons so I might have to go over to Sainsbury's fairly regularly - oh, the hardship!

Yesterday's meals:

Breakfast

Tomatoes on toast and a couple of small apples.

I just have to show you this.  I went over to Lathcoat's, our local PYO.  They specialise in apples (which aren't PYO) and their earlies are now in the farm shop.  This is a Rosette apple and it's a delicious pink all the way through, flesh as well as skin.  Most attractive, both in looks and in flavour.

Lunch

Yummy.  Basically cheese on toast with a salad and it was lovely.

Later on, I had some plums.

(I have a lot of plums, most of which are now halved, stoned and frozen.  Nice for winter.  Spiced plums and porridge - lovely!)

Dinner

This was the Simply Cook Mexican pork one-pot and it was absolutely gorgeous.  I did add onion, pepper and mushroom, as planned, and I used the whole two portions quantities which has made three good portions.  It wasn't overly spicy - I might add a bit of chilli puree when I reheat the leftover portions.
I really don't know how it works with Slimming World but all the ingredients were speed/free/protein and it was all spice mixes and stock, not syrup of any kind so it really has to be OK.

It was very filling.  I didn't eat all the tomatoes and I didn't want any yogurt afterwards.

Definitely one to get again.

It was a very red/orange day yesterday, wasn't it.  I blame the tomatoes!

I didn't wear my watch so have no idea of steps.

Today's plans:

B:  fruit and yogurt

I have plenty of plums after picking some at Lathcoat's yesterday so maybe I will do those spiced plums again.

SW:  I don't syn cooked fruit if it is speed/free when raw (ditto for puree-ing fruit).  The sugar spice topping is one syn (a bit less in fact but let's call it one).  The rest is speed and free (I shall use the 0% yogurt)

L:  home made tomato and red pepper soup, croutons; fruit

Trying to keep the meals low but tasty so this evening doesn't do too much damage.  I'll make the croutons in the Ninja, as usual.

The soup is tomatoes, red peppers, onion, carrot and chicken stock, plus seasonings, all boiled up together and then blended and pushed through a sieve to get rid of any remaining pulp.  Simple and really tasty.

SW:  the soup is all speed/free, the croutons will be one healthy extra B 

D:  fish and chip supper with the girls

I'll just have to choose very carefully, won't I?  Fortunately, I can't eat nearly as much as I used to be able to so that will help.

SW:  not the foggiest.  It will be over syn but, hopefully, the calories will be OK, especially as breakfast and lunch are pretty low.

E:  Groove aerobics

Summary:

off plan because of dinner - however . . .

no planned healthy extra As

one planned healthy extra B

one planned syn

This gives me reasonable leeway, doesn't it?

Monday, 22-08-22

Good morning, everyone.

I'm going to start using just a bit of good oil in my cooking - olive or rapeseed - because my skin is getting very dry and my hands in particular have dry, slightly sore patches so I'm just wondering if my diet is too low in oil.  As long as I syn it, it's worth a go.

Yesterday's meals:

I'm afraid I skipped breakfast, more or less.  By the time I got home from shopping, it was half past eleven and I really wasn't hungry.  I had a banana, just in case, but no photo!

Lunch

Shakshuka and it was lovely.  All fresh garden tomatoes with onion, pepper, mushroom, tomato puree, garlic, spinach and a bit of chilli puree with salt and pepper plus the egg, of course.
I saved some of the tomato mix for dinner.

I was full so had some fruit later on, after my walk.

Dinner

The steak was a bit disappointing.  The upper side looked lovely but when I turned it over, there was a lot of fat which I managed to mostly cut off.  There were some bits of the cooked steak that I couldn't eat (I don't really like animal fat unless it is very crispy) although, to be fair, most of it was very nice.  You don't get that on an Aldi steak!

Instead of roasted Med veg, I just did some sweet potato fries in a spice mix because the tomato mixture from lunch had plenty of other veg in it.  Any more would have been too much. I finished off the whole day with some berries under a Mullerlight toffee yogurt.

The steps for the day came to almost 12,000.  That's OK, isn't it?

Today's plans:

B:  tomatoes on toast; apple

Got to use those garden tomatoes somehow!  Such hardship!

SW:  half a healthy extra B for one slice of bread

L:  topless cheese and onion toastie, salad; fruit

Just what it says.
SW:  one and a half syns for onion chutney, one healthy extra A for cheese, half a healthy extra B for the other slice of bread

D:  Mexican pork one pot (Simply Cook kit), possibly a side salad; yogurt

I like the look of this - it uses pork  mince, black beans (or other pulses), basmati rice, apple and spring onion with soured cream (I will use yogurt) and lime juice. It asks for sugar; I will taste and add some Sugarly if I think it is needed.

I think I will also add onion, pepper and, perhaps, some sweet corn to extend it to three portions.

SW:  no idea about the syns although all the ingredients are SW free, one way and another so I don't think it will be too high.  I will use a bit of olive oil for three syns (half a tbsp) and the yogurt will be half a syn

E:  circuits and a swim

Summary:

one healthy extra A

one healthy extra B

five planned syns plus whatever the one pot is.