Sunday 11 December 2022

Sunday, 11-12-22: Christmas challenge day 11

  Good morning to you!

More healthy habits for Christmas
The Good Food article has finished but I've looked around and picked up more healthy habits/useful hints and tips to share
Don't give up on exercise
What with all the 'special' stuff going on, it is easy to shelve regulars such as exercise classes, etc.  Keeping up the exercise as everything around you is going bonkers will help to keep you grounded and punctuate your week consistently.
Yesterday's meals:
Breakfast was just fruit, taken before our walk.  
The walk was lovely; around country lanes in the frosty sunshine - just perfect.  Instead of the Writtle Tearoom, we stopped off at Robyn's Nest, a small, independent place and, as it was the last one before Christmas, we all treated ourselves.  I had a stilton and walnut scone and it was probably the best scone I have ever tasted.  Freshly cooked, still steaming, and served with, not butter, but a generous pot of home made caramelised onion chutney.  It was worth waiting for, I can tell you!
So I didn't have any lunch when I got home.  It won't have balanced either calories or SW but that's OK.

This was absolutely delicious and real comfort food.
If you see the cranberry and sage falafels in your Aldi, please do consider getting some.  They are lovely; not overly sage-y, just a hint of the herb.
What I did was prepare a small sweet potato and parsnip in chunks, peeled and wedged a small onion, sliced some mushroom, halved half of the falafels and some little plum tomatoes.

Into Nellie the Ninja went the sweet potato and parsnip with some spray oil, some fajita spice and some garlic granules for 20 mins on 200, air fry.  After ten minutes, I added the onion and the mushrooms, shook it all up and continued cooking.  With two minutes to go, in went the tomatoes and the falafels with some salt and pepper, I gave it all a very gentle shake and finished it off.
I grated 30g cheddar and piled the roasted mixture into the pitta, layered with the cheese.  There was just a bit too much so the rest went on the side of the plate.
Rarely have I enjoyed a simple, easy meal so much.

Today's plans:

B:  potato blinis with philly and smoked salmon, tomatoes and mushrooms
Sounds posh, doesn't it.  It's a SW recipe that I want to try out as a possible for the taster Christmas Party at group on Friday.  basically, you mash cooked potato, stir in egg yolk, whisk egg white and fold it in and then fry spoonfuls in spray oil.  The recipe sounds a bit under-seasoned so I will be considering that.
I was going to spread them with Philly light but, annoyingly, I have just checked and it's off so it will have to be primula which wasn't really the idea but there you go!
It's low-speed so I'll add some mushrooms and tomatoes to the plate.
SW:  the Primula is one healthy extra A, the rest is all syn free, even the (sort of) blinis.

L:  chicken cordon bleu, roasted vegetables; fruit
Another posh sounding one!  I saw the Frugal Queen make this on her vlog and it looked so nice.  Basically, you flatten out a chicken breast fillet, layer it with ham and gruyere cheese, roll it up, egg and breadcrumb it and fry it in oil and butter before finishing it off in the oven.
My adaptations are to use cheddar, bacon medallions (I don't have any cooked ham to use), wholemeal breadcrumbs (not white or panko) and to bake it rather than frying it first in Nellie.  I'll make a foil 'nest' so I don't loose the cheese.
I could make it more festive with dried cranberries and crumbled chestnuts and perhaps I will make it again closer to the The Day, but I reckon its very poshness makes it festive enough.
SW:  one healthy extra A and up to six more syns for the cheese, two syns for the breadcrumbs (I won't use enough for a B) and I think the rest is syn free.  I won't use enough flour to count it

D:  marmite beans on toast; yogurt
I need to balance the poshness (hopefully) of breakfast and lunch so beans on toast is perfect.  I spread marmite on the toast before popping the beans on top - very tasty!
SW:  one healthy extra B and half a syn for the yogurt

E:  Some Lindsey YouTube clips today.

Summary:
two healthy extra As
one healthy extra B
eight and a half syns


2 comments:

  1. I'll try the falafels next time I go to Aldi. I don't remember seeing them last time ... are they chilled or frozen section please?

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    Replies
    1. Chilled - but I believe they can be frozen and I'm going to get some more for the freezer because they are a 'limited edition' thing.
      Maybe they are just in - I've not seen them before either. xx

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