Sunday evening, 06-10-24, seasonal changes and a slow cooker collaboration on YouTube.

Good evening, everyone!  

Isn't it funny how meal plans change as the seasons move on.
I've just been looking for recipes to make in the next few weeks or so and inclinations have changed from loads of salads to warmer, heartier versions like soups, casseroles, etc.  Still similar content (lots of veg, legumes, etc) but in a very different format.
It keeps me interested, engaged, open minded - it all helps to keep me on a healthy maintenance track.

Do you find your meals change significantly in character (if not in balance/vibe) as the seasons change?  

What I ate today

I found a couple of small portions of rice pudding in the freezer so I got them both out, reheated them with some p-lum chia jam, added some yogurt and popped some warmed up chopped apple and a few blackberries underneath.  It felt very cosy and autumnal as well as delicious.

One healthy extra A for milk.  I know because it said so on the freezer pots.  Also half a syn for chia seeds in the jam.

As I said yesterday, after reheating the lamb shank, I took off as much off the sauce (and fat) as I possibly could which resulted in a kind of 'pulled' effect.  I had some of the puttanesca sauce left from yesterday evening so I added that with some leftover chopped tomato instead of making a gravy and it was really nice served with loads of vegetables - runner and dwarf beans (pretty much the last from the garden, I think), broccoli, sprouts and carrots.  I do so love my vegetables.  In the end, I didn't fancy any roasties so I didn't make any.

And later on I had a couple of plums.

I am saying two syns for the meat, right or wrong.  Lean lamb is syn free but there was bound to be some residual fat in the fibres.  

I sort of made the panzanella salad although, to be honest, it probably wasn't a panzanella at all by the time I had finished..  I used the bread (focaccia, not ciabatta) and not-oil spray  to make some croutons, I added some mixed seeds to the salad veg, some 70% light salad cream to the tuna (because I love it) and the inevitable home mixed dressing.  Oh, and one As worth of crumbled feta

So -  one healthy extra A, one healthy extra B, four syns for dressing, one syn for salad cream, and one syn for the mixed seeds.
Not totally Med-healthy, I know, but it was lovely, despite what I said above!

I finished off the day with an orange.  

Summary:

two healthy extra As

one healthy extra B

eight and a half syns

Quite a traditional, old fashioned Slimming World day really.

My meal plans for tomorrow:

B:  fruit, yogurt and seeds

L:  Spanish chicken and chickpea salad; fruit

D:  mixed beans with tomatoes and anchovies

Exercise:   circuits at Shimmy Studio

The Extra Bit

Some of my favourite YouTubers have taken part in a collaboration called Cooking Things Slow - each YouTuber showcased one slow cooker recipe and they all went live at the same time.

Some really nice recipes which are adaptable.  I already have a few thoughts.  :-)

Anyway, here's the links, starting with Kim's, who 'hosted' the collaboration. Do click over to YouTube and take a look, maybe like and subscribe . . . it is free to do so (but you do get ads!)

Kim's Hawaiian BBQ Pulled Pork  

Roe's Giambotta   

Stephanie's Sausage Casserole  

Nicky's Lamb Stew

Roy's Cheesy Chicken and Rice