Tuesday, 31-01-23: low spend/no spend January

Morning, everyone!

It's the last day of low spend/no spend January and it's really gone quite well, thanks to the embarrassingly large stockpile of stuff I had at the start of the year.

Did I stick totally to the 'no spend' part.  No, not entirely, but I'm happy with how it went anyway.  I spent so much less and used up loads.

I've done a thorough sort out and audit of all my 'stuff' and there's still so much to use up so I'm going to continue with a low spend vibe which means that I'm still focusing just on buying essentials and very little else although I'm wondering about that delicious red pepper and chilli jam I had last week.

There are a few 'no spend' items I need to get so the focus through February is on low spend, not no spend.  If I find it getting a bit out of hand, I'll go back to no spend again.  I really don't need any more clutter.
In fact, I am pondering about making every other month as much of a no spend as I can manage.  Just having that focus helps me

Also, this month I want to keep everything food related good and organised after spending a fair amount of time sorting things out.  I want to keep all the audits up to day, all the cupboards tidy and to continue to have a clear knowledge of what's there to use.

This will all continue to make my Slimming World journey much easier.  I can forward plan, work out combinations of ingredients and just know where I'm going and with what.  The aim is to lose a bit of weight, of course, but also to make use of what I already have responsibly and to stay healthy

Low spend February - bring it on!!

Yesterday's meals:

The yogurt was really nice with stewed apple and cinnamon folded in.

I'm not sure chicken curry has much of an affinity with pickled baby beets but I enjoyed lunch anyway.

Later on I had an apple and two easy peelers.

Good, old fashioned spaghetti and meatballs and it was delicious.
I had jelly to finish.

Today's plans

B:  fruit and yogurt

I will have a banana before Groove class and the rest afterwards

SW:  2% Greek yogurt will be half a syn

L:  cheesy meatballs, side salad; fruit

Leftovers from yesterday evening.

SW:  one and a half syns for three meatballs, half a syn for the sauce and one healthy extra A for cheese.  No spaghetti added today.

D:  corned beef hash jacket potato, green veg; jelly and yogurt

I saw this in a Facebook group I help to admin and it looked so very good.  Basically, it's a jacket potato halved, the potato scooped out and fried with onion and corned beef to make a hash, then back into the potato skin, sauce of choice added, topped with some cheese and heated again until the cheese melts.  The last bit can be in Nellie so no need to turn on the oven.

It sounds nice, doesn't it?

I will have one half of the potato tonight and the other half for lunch tomorrow.

SW:  one healthy extra A for cheese, the corned beef (the lean kind) is two and a half syns for half the can (100g) and sauce (probably Crucials brown sauce) will be one syn (for two tbsps).  The last of the jelly with some yogurt is one syn.

Ex:  A Snippet and Groove class

Summary:

two healthy extra A

no healthy extra Bs

seven syns

What do I mean by low spend?

February is going to be a low spend month.

Through January, I have spent very little on non essential food and other items.  The idea was to spend nothing on non food things and I didn't quite achieve that but I was happy with how it went, all the same.
I was so pleased to be able to make some charitable donations as a result; it's so nice to see positive outcomes.

'Essential' means  food such as fresh fruit, veg and dairy/eggs and other essentials including things like cleaning products and toiletries although I think I am fine for the latter, plus anything necessary that comes up through the month

As for all other spending, there are a few items I need but not an awful lot so I'm really hoping it will also be low spend.

(Of course, all regular bills, direct debits, etc, will still be paid as usual)

Monday, 30-01-23: low spend/no spend January

Morning, everyone!

This week, pretty much all the meals are using up freezer leftovers/second portions.  My original plans involved making some kits up, etc, but that will make more stuff to go into the freezer and, useful as that is, it's not going to be my aim this week.

Yesterday's meals:

Breakfast - very nice.

A delicious roast dinner . . .

. . . and leftovers.

I spread hm coleslaw (cabbage, carrot and mayo) over the wrap, laid thinly sliced roast pork down the middle, added some apple sauce and folded up the wrap.  It was really nice and surprisingly filling.

then I had one of the jellies (no yogurt) and three easy peelers.

Today's plans

B:  fruit and yogurt

I have some apple sauce leftover from yesterday, from the freezer and made with some apples my friend Chris gave me from the tree in her mum's garden.  Absolutely delicious!

I'll fold that into the yogurt with a pinch of cinnamon and have extra fruit on the side.

SW:  one syn for some sugar in the apple sauce but I won't be synning the cooked apple.

L:  left overs of Balinese chicken curry, side salad; fruit

Maybe an odd mix but the curry will be in a separate bowl so it will be fine.  The flavours in the curry should have developed nicely.

SW:  five syns for the curry

D:  spaghetti and meatballs, side veg; jelly and yogurt

I have seven Muscle Food meatballs and some roasted red pepper pasta sauce in the freezer so I can use both of those with added veg for speed food (SW jargon!!) and some grated cheese over the top.  I also have ricotta so I wonder about stirring some into the sauce - would that work, I wonder.  I might try with just a bit and see.
There will be enough for tomorrow's lunch as well.

SW:  the meatballs are half a syn each so two syns, the sauce is one syn (no idea why but that's what I wrote on the lid) and the cheese and ricotta will be around one and a half healthy extra As.  The dessert is one syn in total.

Ex:  the Monday Snippet and circuit training.

Summary:

one and a half healthy extra As

no healthy extra Bs

ten syns

What is low spend, no spend?

All I will buy through January is essentials - and by that I mean food such as fresh fruit, veg and dairy/eggs.  All other foods will come out of my existing supplies and, to be honest, that may not be much of a challenge.  Also included in any low spend essentials are cleaning products and toiletries although I think I am fine for the latter.  
Also anything else essential that I won't think of until it lands!
That is the low spend part.

Everything else, unless it is either a regular bill/payment/commitment, will not happen.  No sneaky little Amazon purchases, no 'bargains' from the supermarket, certainly no clothes . . .
That's the no spend part.

A week in meals

   These photos show most of the meals I have had over the last seven days, excluding desserts, snacks, naughty things, etc.

22-01-23

B:  a cooked breakfast

L:  soup and toastie

D:  lemon salmon pasta and veg

23-01-23

B:  fruit and yogurt

L:  past leftovers from previous night, med veg

D:  sticky beef stir fry and noodles

24-01-23

B:  boiled eggs and toast dippers

L:  chicken and veg risotto, salad

D:  peanut butter chicken pasta

25-01-23

B:  fruit on the run - no photo

L:  leftovers of peanut butter chicken pasta

D:  butter bean and feta burgers (not a good photo - sorry)

26-01-23

B:  fruit and yogurt

L:  leftover butterbean and feta burgers with a salad

D:  falafels and roasted veg in a pitta

27-01-23

B:  fruit platter

L:  mini cottage pie, veg

D:  bangers and mash

28-01-23

B:  two apples - no photo

L:  brunch - sausage, egg, potato waffle, mushrooms and tomatoes

D:  Balinese chicken curry, rice

And that's last week's food from Sunday to Saturday.

Sunday, 29-01-23: low spend/no spend January

Morning, everyone!

Most SW consultants will tell you that one of the keys to making SW work is to plan, plan, plan!

For the first four weeks, you have to either fill in a planning sheets you are given or (what I did, being a bit independent/awkward) make your own template and fill that in.  It's changed a bit over time but is still, essentially, a grid.  If it's for handing in, I go into all the details on the grid - As, Bs, syns are all recorded.

Nowadays, I have the grid for the next two weeks started off because so often I come across a recipe and think 'yes!' but then don't remember what or where it is.  So I just jot it down in the grid, complete with link, if appropriate and, a few days before, I can fill any spaces for the next day.
All the As, Bs and syns are recorded in this blog.

It sounds a bit long winded but it really isn't.  It's all on screen, saves paper, meals are easy to shift around and - well, it just works well for me.

Do you plan much in advance?

Yesterday's meals:

Breakfast was just a couple of little apples - I didn't take a photo of two little apples!

I know it looks like breakfast but I had it at lunch time - my lunchtime, which is around two p.m.

I'd planned bacon as well but when I opened the container, it smelled decidedly iffy so out it went.  Ouch!

A bit later, I had three little easy peelers.

The Simply Cook Balinese chicken was so good.  As planned, although I didn't add any more chicken (what the recipe said was plenty for four of my portions), I did add red pepper, mushroom and baby corn to bulk it out and it made not three but four portions.  I'm going to call each portion six syns - an estimate but I don't think I am that far off.

So that's one last night, one for lunch tomorrow and two for the freezer.  Poor freezer!

I made some sugar free jelly and added blueberries and raspberries.  For a topping I mixed Greek yogurt with vanilla essence and sugarly and it tested a bit custardy.  A nice dessert for half a syn.

Today's plans

B:  fruit and yogurt

I really like this as a default breakfast.  It fills me, satisfies me and is good for me.

SW:  I've finished the 0% Greek yogurt and am on to the 2% so half a syn

L:  roast pork, roasties, veg; fruit

Beth and Alex are round for lunch today which gives me a jolly good reason to use up one of the joints in the freezer as well as one of the vegetarian things.
With it, I will; make apple and onion sauce (one has to, right?), roasted potatoes, parsnips and sweet potatoes, carrots and sweet corn.  Dessert is apples and oranges

SW:  I won't be synning the apple sauce as I will use sugarly, all the roasted veg will be in spray oil and it looks as if this roast dinner is, therefore, syn free.

D:  pork and apple wrap, finger salad; jelly and yogurt

This is leftovers, of course.  I'm hoping Alex will take home most of the leftovers, leaving me just enough for this meal.
I haven't decided whether to add coleslaw in the plate or in the wrap - maybe in the wrap because I like adding apple to coleslaw.

SW:  one syn for the dessert - half for the jelly (the pack made four portions) and half for the yogurt

Ex:  More or less a rest day today - just a short stretch session and, perhaps, a walk.

Summary:

no healthy extras

one and a half syns

What is low spend, no spend?

All I will buy through January is essentials - and by that I mean food such as fresh fruit, veg and dairy/eggs.  All other foods will come out of my existing supplies and, to be honest, that may not be much of a challenge.  Also included in any low spend essentials are cleaning products and toiletries although I think I am fine for the latter.  
Also anything else essential that I won't think of until it lands!
That is the low spend part.

Everything else, unless it is either a regular bill/payment/commitment, will not happen.  No sneaky little Amazon purchases, no 'bargains' from the supermarket, certainly no clothes . . .
That's the no spend part.

Saturday, 28-01-23: low spend/no spend January

Morning, everyone!

Half a pound off yesterday which is fine by me.  I hit a self-set mini-target so I was pleased with that.

Also - again - I won the raffle!  It was a 'celebrating healthy extra Bs' prize so I got a loaf of wholemeal bread, a pack of wholemeal pittas, a pack of WW wraps which are a B choice and a box of the new hi fi bars.

I'd already bought a box of the last because I wanted to try them so now I have more than I wanted - I'll save some to take with me next weekend, I think.  I already have all of the other items in the freezer - now I've got more.  It's all good for the frugal thingy!

Yesterday's meals:

A nice, simple fruit platter breakfast.  I know I always plan some yogurt but I don't always have it and I didn't yesterday.

The mini cottage pie was from the freezer, thawed and Ninja-ed while the veg was one of those useful steam bags you do in the microwave.

It filled me up nicely.

I think I said yesterday that I had really been craving some bangers and mash and this was just gorgeous.  I gave the chipolatas ten minutes in the Ninja, then added the veg (mushrooms, tomatoes and red pepper) and gave it all another ten minutes and it was just right.
The mash was one potato, cooked, mashed and with 60g grated cheddar mixed in, then browned off in the other side of the Ninja.  Perfick!

The onion gravy was one onion, finely sliced and slow cooked (in Thermione, but it would be fine on the hob) in some spray oil.  Then I added some water and some chicken sti=ock granules, bisto, marmite, soy sauce and Henderson's relish and it was so good.  I have two thirds left, split into two single portions, for other meals.  Good old freezer!

The new hi-fi bars were rather tasty too and I also treated myself to a couple of Becks Blues (alcohol free) which were two syns each.

This means yesterday's syns were much higher than usual but still OK - just!

Today's plans

B:  fruit and yogurt (if I want it)

SW:  syn free or half a syn for the yogurt

L:  A full English; fruit

So . . . bacon, sausage, egg, potato waffle, mushroom and tomato although I might not have all of that.  I will see how I feel when the time comes.

SW: the sausage would be two syns and the potato waffle two as well

D:  Balinese chicken, rice; jelly and yogurt

This is very problematic - it has coconut milk and the three flavour pots are not going to be syn free.  I'm using light coconut milk, I'm not adding the cashew nut garnish and I will load it up with speed veg in the hopes that it will actually make three portions.

I do wish SW synned more Simply Cook meals.

I'll probably add some fruit to the jelly so it's a sort of trifly thing.

SW:  OK, so assuming three portions, the coconut milk will be five syns-ish (ouch) and I'm going to estimate two syns for the flavour pots - that is per portion.  The jelly will be half a syn and the yogurt half too

Ex:  today's Snippet is a full SET class - Strike, Energise and Tone, fifteen minutes of each.

Summary:

no healthy extras planned today

twelve syns

What is low spend, no spend?

All I will buy through January is essentials - and by that I mean food such as fresh fruit, veg and dairy/eggs.  All other foods will come out of my existing supplies and, to be honest, that may not be much of a challenge.  Also included in any low spend essentials are cleaning products and toiletries although I think I am fine for the latter.  
Also anything else essential that I won't think of until it lands!
That is the low spend part.

Everything else, unless it is either a regular bill/payment/commitment, will not happen.  No sneaky little Amazon purchases, no 'bargains' from the supermarket, certainly no clothes . . .
That's the no spend part.

Friday, 27-01-23: low spend/no spend January

Morning, everyone!

A lot of the lunches this week have been using up leftovers from the night before.  It's good that they are used up but it means I'm not using up freezer stuff.  I often find it is very hard to cook little enough for one person.  Are you in the same boat?  What do you do to get round it?

SW group and weigh in this morning.  We will see . . .

Yesterday's meals:

I had time to have a proper breakfast yesterday - kiwi, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries with yogurt and it was lovely!

The butterbean and feta burgers were very nice second day.
While tidying my pull-out cupboard in the kitchen, I found some sachets from my Hello Fresh days, one of which was a little pot of red pepper and chilli jam and it was absolutely gorgeous with the burgers.  It's a Tracklement product and I am sorely tempted . . .  maybe when February starts, using a bit of the money saved this month.

One tbsp is two syns but this was more like two tsps so around one and a half syns.

A tasty dinner too - chick pea and broad bean falafels and roasted veg in a pitta and I made a sauce using yogurt, mint sauce and lemon juice.  Yum and very filling!

No room for any pud.

Today's plans

B:  yogurt and fruit

Just what it says

SW:  syn free (plain yogurt)

L:  mini cottage pie, assorted veg; fruit

The mini pie is one of the things I have had in the freezer for a while and the veg is one of those microwave steam things - very handy and very easy.

SW:  two and a half syns for the pie

D:  bangers and cheesy mash, onion gravy, Med veg; hi fi bars

I've been craving this all week!!  A couple of Morrison's Cumberland chipolatas and I have saved my cheese up to make a really cheesy mash - haven't had that for ages.  In the Bad Old Days, I'd have loaded it with butter too but not any more.

The onion gravy will be bisto-ey and marmite-y and very umami and I will either spray fry or air fry the veg - pepper, mushroom, onion, tomatoes.

The dessert is because there's a new hi fi bar out and I got a pack.  If I don't plan them in, I will eat them anyway!

A bit of a self indulgent day but still well within plans

SW:  the sausages are two syns each so let's say six syns (might be four), the mash is both my healthy extra As, Bisto will be two syns and the hi fi bars will be my healthy extra B

Ex:  a Shimmy Snippet and maybe a walk in the park, weather permitting.

Summary:

two healthy extra As

one healthy extra B

ten and a half syns - I thought it would be more.

What is low spend, no spend?

All I will buy through January is essentials - and by that I mean food such as fresh fruit, veg and dairy/eggs.  All other foods will come out of my existing supplies and, to be honest, that may not be much of a challenge.  Also included in any low spend essentials are cleaning products and toiletries although I think I am fine for the latter.  
Also anything else essential that I won't think of until it lands!
That is the low spend part.

Everything else, unless it is either a regular bill/payment/commitment, will not happen.  No sneaky little Amazon purchases, no 'bargains' from the supermarket, certainly no clothes . . .
That's the no spend part.

Thursday, 26-01-23: low spend/no spend January

Morning, everyone!

After the emotionally and Slimming Worldily (I know - not a real word) satisfying audits of freezers and kits/sachets/etc, I decided to take a look at my shelf stable stash (try saying that after a couple of pints) and get that itemised too.  This isn't something I intend to try to use up as that's not what it is for, but I do need to check dates and actually get some idea of what I have (or don't have).

So now I know -  and it does feel good.  Satisfying to know, if you see what I mean.  There's some 'stash' and some is kitchen overflow!

Yesterday's meals:

Breakfast was just fruit, eaten on the run, so to speak.  No photo.

 The pasta leftovers had rather dried out - one of the few meals that I would say did not improve second day.  It was OK though, perfectly pleasant and edible.

I had a couple of easy peelers for afters and later on had a couple of very small apples.

Not the best photo and very beige, but the bean burgers were really nice and I'm glad I have some left for today.

Today's plans

B:  fruit and yogurt

. . . and I will have a banana before SET class

SW:  syn free

L:  left over bean burgers from yesterday, salad, chutney; fruit

They were nice and I'm glad I have leftovers.  

SW:  one healthy extra A for feta - less, in fact but I'm counting it as one and, having made the burgers, I'm counting two syns for various bits added like flour.

D:  broad bean and chick pea falafels in a pitta with roasted veg and minty yogurt dressing; yogurt

Another recipe from Cookidoo, here's the link in case you can access it.

https://cookidoo.co.uk/recipes/recipe/en-GB/r117569

I've never made them before but they do sound nice so fingers crossed.  I'm cutting the sesame seeds as I don't have any but might add a tbsp peanut butter powder for one syn.  I won't be frying them, I'll be spraying and air frying them and I'll reduce the recipe to half amounts.

I was going to have this with salad in the pitta but I remembered how tasty roasted root veggies were so I will air fry some squash, sweet potato and parsnip chunks with some chilli flakes, maybe, and some lime.

It sounds a bit complicated but it's simple in my mind.
SW:  one healthy extra  B for the pitta, one syn for peanut butter powder and half a syn for yogurt

Ex:  A SET class online today

Summary:

one healthy extra A

one healthy extra B

I think it is three and a half syns

What is low spend, no spend?

All I will buy through January is essentials - and by that I mean food such as fresh fruit, veg and dairy/eggs.  All other foods will come out of my existing supplies and, to be honest, that may not be much of a challenge.  Also included in any low spend essentials are cleaning products and toiletries although I think I am fine for the latter.  
Also anything else essential that I won't think of until it lands!
That is the low spend part.

Everything else, unless it is either a regular bill/payment/commitment, will not happen.  No sneaky little Amazon purchases, no 'bargains' from the supermarket, certainly no clothes . . .
That's the no spend part.

Wednesday, 25-01-23: Low spend/no spend January

Morning, everyone!

As I mentioned a couple of days ago, I was pretty disappointed in Iceland's beef stir fry strips (way too chewy for a stir fry) and intended using them for a slow cooked casserole.  I got that started yesterday evening and this morning the house smells wonderful!

This was the recipe I used, a basic casserole recipe although I didn't really weigh out things.  It's come out absolutely delicious, the only slight thing being as the beef was thin strips to start with, there aren't any big chunks of meat, just lots of little ones.  However, it is lovely and tender, just what I hoped and, with added vegetables, makes a perfect SW dish.  

It made three portions at two syns per portion as I used a tbsp oil.

They're going in the freezer as soon as they are cold - I know I'm trying to use up freezer stuff but this takes the beef one step closer to being used and I wouldn't use it in stir fry so that's OK.

Yesterday's meals:

Good old boiled eggs for breakfast and very yummy they were too.

I'd already had a banana before Groove class and I had a couple of easy peelers around midday.

I didn't need any more cheese on the risotto; it was very nice just as it was.

This was the SW peanut butter chicken pasta dish and, like pretty much all SW recipes, it made a large portion. I have around a third left for lunch today.

I had a yogurt to finish off the day.

Today's plans

B:  fruit and yogurt

SW:  syn free

L:  leftover pasta from last night, salad; fruit

I was going to have a toastie but I have leftovers instead.  I can live with that!

SW:  half a syn for the peanut butter powder in the pasta sauce

D:  butterbean and feta burgers (no roll), chips, veg; yogurt

This is another recipe from Cookidoo to make in Thermione.  I don't think it is accessible but here's the link in case it is.
https://cookidoo.co.uk/created-recipes/en-GB/01GQ71WZWK4QT9YP66KGNYNG8T

I have some burger sauce left over from a few days ago so I will use that up.  If it doesn't go with the burgers, it will be nice with the chips.

SW:  one and a half syns for breadcrumbs, half a healthy extra A for some feta, half a syn for flour, one syn for mayo in coleslaw, two syns for the burger sauce and  half a syn for yogurt

Ex:  A snippet and personal training

Summary:

half a healthy extra A

no healthy extra B

six syns

What is low spend, no spend?

All I will buy through January is essentials - and by that I mean food such as fresh fruit, veg and dairy/eggs.  All other foods will come out of my existing supplies and, to be honest, that may not be much of a challenge.  Also included in any low spend essentials are cleaning products and toiletries although I think I am fine for the latter.  
Also anything else essential that I won't think of until it lands!
That is the low spend part.

Everything else, unless it is either a regular bill/payment/commitment, will not happen.  No sneaky little Amazon purchases, no 'bargains' from the supermarket, certainly no clothes . . .
That's the no spend part.

Tuesday, 24-01-23: low spend/no spend January

Morning, everyone!

Yesterday's meals:

Fruit salad and yogurt for breakfast - all fresh fruit yesterday

Leftovers of the lemon salmon pasta and the other is tomatoes, mushrooms and red pepper, spray fried.  Delicious.

Then I had a couple of easy peelers

The sticky beef stir fry was good.  Not all that sticky (not enough sugar) but tasty.  The sauce was a tbsp each of agave nectar, soy sauce and lime juice with garlic, ginger and chilli flakes added.
I decided to spend four syns on some toasted sesame oil instead of spray oil.  Seeing as I didn't have any healthy extras, it won't damage the calorie bank, nor did it take me above syns.

The only let down was the beef strips (from Iceland).  They were tough and chewy and I won't use them for stir fry again.  They won't be wasted - I will use them for a slow cooked beef casserole and they should be very nice for that.  I might get that done in the next few days, in fact.

For once, I had some yogurt afterwards.

Today's plans

B:  boiled eggs and toast dippers, banana

I do love boiled eggs, even though getting the eggs absolutely right is very chancy.  I will do my usual spray toast for extra crunch.  Lovely!

The banana is for before Groove.

SW:  one healthy extra B

L:  chicken and veg risotto, side salad; fruit

The risotto is from the freezer so could be rather 'solid' but should taste fine.  I might add some cheese to it for more yumminess.

SW:  half a healthy extra A for the cheese in the risotto and perhaps another A for 15g grated cheese on top

D:  peanut butter chicken pasta, small side salad; yogurt

This is a recipe from the now SW recipe book that I will get free when I get a six week countdown on Friday.  In the meanwhile, someone posted this on her vlog so I took a screen shot.  Obviously, it asks for peanut butter which I don't have (far too dangerous and tempting) but I do have some peanut butter powder which I can use instead.

SW:  one and a half syns for the amount of powder I will be using and half a syn for the yogurt

Ex:  Groove class and a Snippet today

Summary:

one healthy extra A

one healthy extra B

two and a half syns

What is low spend, no spend?

All I will buy through January is essentials - and by that I mean food such as fresh fruit, veg and dairy/eggs.  All other foods will come out of my existing supplies and, to be honest, that may not be much of a challenge.  Also included in any low spend essentials are cleaning products and toiletries although I think I am fine for the latter.  
Also anything else essential that I won't think of until it lands!
That is the low spend part.

Everything else, unless it is either a regular bill/payment/commitment, will not happen.  No sneaky little Amazon purchases, no 'bargains' from the supermarket, certainly no clothes . . .
That's the no spend part.