Thursday evening, 31-10-24 and soup

Good evening, everyone!  

I've been a bit of a homey girl today, ending up with three portions of hearty chicken and soup mix soup, all thick and tasty and healthy and two loaves of bread, one the usual seeded wholemeal and the other with added garlic, cheese, olives and sun dried tomatoes (all chopped into bits.
So delicious!

Two portions of the soup and both the loaves, sliced, are now in the freezer and one portion of soup is in the fridge for tomorrow.

What I ate today

It was so nice to get back to porridge this morning after a summer without.

One healthy extra B and one syn for mixed seeds.

Later on, I had an apple.

What a messy plate and what a terrible photo but it was delicious!

Four syns for the hummus, one and a half As for the feta and one B for the wrap (I can have two Bs as a target member - actually, I can anyway but you know what I mean!

Later on, I had a couple of easy peelers.

This was delish.  Chicken, leeks, onion, pepper and mushroom with chicken stock, lighter creme fraiche and a bit of thickening granules.

I had planned to have bulgur wheat but found a portion of puy lentils and quinoa in the freezer so had that instead.

I have half of the sauce left but less than half of the rest but that's OK, I can put in lots more veg nd have it all tomorrow.

Three syns for evoo, two syns for thickening granules and two syns for the lighter creme fraiche

Dessert was a pear.

Summary

one and a half healthy extra As

two healthy extra Bs.

twelve syns

My meal plans for tomorrow:

B:  porridge, fruit, yogurt, seeds

L: chunky chicken and veg country soup with a good hunk of bread; fruit

D:  leftover chicken casserole with extra veg added, chips (definitely chips); fruit

Exercise:  Not much, I expect.  Classes start again next week.

The Extra Bit

Soup

One of the most powerful weapons in a slimmer's armoury.

It can be:

• very frugal  
• great for using up all sorts of leftovers
• really nutritious
• as varied as the world is round!
• a complete meal
• easily digested, comforting and warming
• herby, spicy, deeply savoury - packed with flavour
• suitable for all kinds of diet structures
• a great way to stay hydrated and full
• an easy way to stay nourished when you're feeling under the weather
• very freezable so you've always got a speedy meal when needed
• chunky or smooth - your choice
• a delicious way to get your fruit and veg

I could go on . . .

Do you make your own soup?  

Wednesday evening, 30-10-24

Good evening, everyone!  

What I ate today

The fruit today was apple, nectarines and plum, all stewed with a bit of sweetener and some mixed spice.  No, I didn't syn the fruit but the seeds in the yogurt was one syn.

That's the end of the soup and the weekend ham and it was delicious.

One healthy extra B and a bit of an A (the bread has cheese in it.

WHo planned salmon for dinner without checking that she actually had any?  Me, that's who.  So I had a bass fillet instead and it was nice.

The roasted veg were red onion, pepper, sweet potato, pepper, mushrooms and asparagus and I added some feta too.
All done in Nellie!

I had an orange for afters.

One and a bit healthy extra As or feta, four syns for evoo and I think that was it.

Summary:

two healthy extra As

one healthy extra B

five syns

My meal plans for tomorrow:  

B:  porridge, fruit and mixed seeds - I'm starting to ring the changes with breakfast as I want to include a few more oats in my diet - for soluble fibre.

L: hummus salad wrap, side salad; fruit

 - using the hummus I made a few weeks ago and froze.

D: creamy chicken and veg casserole with bulgur wheat or quinoa

Exercise: Probably not much

Tuesday evening, 29-10-24 and well done, Nicky!

Good evening, everyone!  

What I ate today

The usual!  Fruit was strawberries, raspberries and blueberries and the seeds were one syn.

Pretty much exactly the same as last night except that I had to make a new salad dressing and this time used balsamic vinegar - very nice too.

So . . . one A for cheese (melted in), half a syn for oil used in the beany mix, one syn for seeds in the salad and four syns for evoo in the dressing.

I was so full . . .

Much later on, I had an orange.

I did change dinner and I am so glad I did because this was so full of flavour.

I made some bread yesterday and to the basic wholemeal dough I added mixed seeds, grated cheddar, garlic and softened and chopped onion and wow!!
So I toasted that, spread over some churtney, the added the ham and finally popped the considerably overcooked eggs.
It looks like not a lot of tomato but actually it is several, cooked down with a bit of evoo - and still garden tomatoes, amazingly!

Afters was a pear.

One healthy extra B for the bread plus a bit of a healthy A or the cheese.  Half a syn for the seeds, one and a half for the chutney and two for the evoo to cook the tomatoes.

Summary:

a bit of a healthy extra A

one healthy extra B

ten and a half syns

My meal plans for tomorrow:

B:  fruit, yogurt and seeds

L: The last of the soup with the last shreds of the gammon ham added, hunk of bread for dunking; fruit

D:  salmon on a bed of roasted vegetables; fruit

Exercise:   probably not very much!

The Extra Bit:

A call out to my friend, Nicky from Nicky in a Vlog.  She has just come back from a Disney holiday where she has vlogged about what she ate (quite a lot) and how much walking she did (an awful lot - often over 20,000 steps a day).

Now she is home again and, at her first weigh in, got on the scales with great trepidation, expecting a pretty substantial gain.

Two pounds on.  Just two pounds.  That's fantastic and she is so very pleased.

Do pop over there and share in her delight.  Here';s the link to her last vlog but go back to get a sense of her food choices through her holiday.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHoWQjGdZ3U&t=161s

And while you're there, why not like and subscribe?

 I think all the walking has made all the difference - well done, Nicky, and I hope you feel loads better very soon.

xx

Monday evening, 28-10-24 and ham, lentil, butterbean and broccoli soup recipe

Good evening, everyone!  

What I ate today

It's not been a good day for photos, so sorry.

Breakfast was an apple.

Lunch was a leftovers soup (see below for recipe) but I went into town with a friend and when we got home I invited her to stay and share bread and soup.  No opportunity to take a photo.

The soup was syn free and the bread was my healthy extra B

Dinner was a right mish mash of leftovers.
I use some leftover bean and veg mix from Beth's savoury crumble, two leftover sprouts, leftover gammon, the rest of the butter beans (see below) plus some fusilli and some grated cheddar and it made two portions of cheesy pasta bake - so that's lunch tomorrow sorted out!
The side salad was just leaves, cucumber, pepper, tomatoes and mixed seeds with my sesame oil dressing.

No afters - I was so full!

one healthy extra A, one syn for seeds, half a syn for using evoo in the crumble bottom yesterday, four syns for evoo in the dressing.

Summary:

one healthy extra A

one healthy extra B

five and a half syns.

My meal plans for tomorrow:

B:  fruit, yogurt and seeds

L: leftovers of the cheesy beany pasta bake with a side salad.

D:  ham, egg and chips, fruit

Not very Meddy, I admit, and I might rethink this one . . . any ideas?

Exercise:  more walking and an online something.

The Extra Bit:

The leftovers soup recipe.

Ham, lentil and broccoli soup.

(caution:  ham stock can be very salty - always taste and dilute, if needed)

On Sunday, I cooked a gammon joint in the slow cooker, ending up with a very good (albeit a bit salty) stock.

I also had a broccoli stalk (loadsa flavour) and I always have red lentils in the store cupboard because - who doesn't?

So I chopped half an onion and the broccoli stem and tossed them into Thermione - but you don't need a fancy-pants gadget, a saucepan on the hob does just as well.  Or a soup maker.
To them I added some red lentils, the stock, some water, some garlic granules, a small pinch of chilli flakes and some pepper - but NO SALT!

I let it all simmer until everything was soft and then blended it into a lovely, smooth, creamy textured soup.
It was a bit salty still so, as I didn't want to add potato, I added some butterbeans from a can (about half of them) and blended it all again and that did it.  I love butterbeans in soup. (I love can cooking too!)

At lunch time, I reheated the soup and ladled out a portion for me and one for my friend who was having lunch with me.

I have one more portion of soup for another day. 

Sorry I don't have any photos.

Sunday evening, 27-10-24

Good evening, everyone!  

What I ate today

I'm a bit wary of buying strawberries now - they seem all style and no substantial flavour.  I got some from M&S on Friday and actually they are quite nice.  The other fruit is raspberries and blueberries

Half a syn for chia seeds and one syn for mixed seeds

A really delicious gammon dinner.  I have a bit left and grandson Alex went home with four substantial slices.
I really do recommend Sainsbury's Be Good To Yourself gammon.  It is lovely.

One syn for oil in the roasted potato, onion and parsnip (and I gave one potato to Alex because I was full!)

I love toasties as I have often said.

One A and one syn for cheese, one B for bread, two syns for dressing and one syn for seeds.

Summary:

one healthy extra A

one healthy extra B

six and a half syns

My meal plans for tomorrow:

B:  not sure because I will be in town with a friend.  I might just skip breakfast

L: gammon and salad  Edit - I'm making a soup with ham stock, red lentils and broccoli stalk - fingers crossed.

D:  cheesy beany pasta bake, maybe side salad; fruit

Exercise: no Lindsey classes this week bit I am going into town so the steps will be OK.  xx

Saturday evening, 26-10-24 and planning strategies for Chr*stm*s (sorry)

Good evening, everyone!  

Apologies for the naughty word in the title . . .  

What I ate today

Breakfast was a couple of apples eaten when we stopped for coffee on our walk.  I didn't take a photo.

Syn free.

Lunch was ever so much nicer than I expected.  I mashed a can of sardines in tomato sauce (syn free, I believe) and added a bit of tomato puree and a pinch of chilli flakes.
I toasted pumpernickel bread for my B, piled on the sardine mix and topped it all with one As-worth of grated cheddar before popping them under the grill.
The salad was just leaves, peppers and tomatoes with some seeds and a bit of my salad dressing.  So although it doesn't look terribly Meddy, it does fit the style - oily fish, seeds, fresh veg, fibrous bread evoo in the dressing . . ..

One healthy extra A, one healthy extra B, one syn for seeds, two syns for dressing.

Later on, I had a very juicy pear.

Dinner was the last of the bean and barley soup.  To it I added half an As-worth of Seriously Lighter and some cubes of smoked basa.  The cheese melted in and the fish cooked quickly.  Then I topped it with cheese that came to half an A and one syn (no point in chopping that bit off and putting it back in the bag).

And it was delicious!

Half a healthy extra A and one syn

Summary:

two healthy extra As

one healthy extra B

(see my SW halo!)

four syns

My meal plans for tomorrow:

B:  fruit, yogurt and seeds

L:  roast gammon dinner (Beth and Alex are round); fruit

D:   cheesy gammon toastie with salad; fruit

Exercise:  rest day

The Extra Bit:

I know it is still only October and we're not over Halloween and Bonfire Night yet but, having safely negotiated my holiday, thoughts are turning to Christmas strategies.
It hasn't helped that the new SW mag is full of festive stuff.

So I need to start thinking about how I am going to manage Christmas this year.  Last year, I was on a cruise and it was amazing . . . fully inclusive and wow!!  

But . . .

Now I don't want that for me this year.  I want to enjoy my food, sure, but I don't want to scoff loads of rubbish stuff that is bad for me in terms of blood pressure, cholesterol and gut biome.

So it's time to think, time to research (and by that I mean look up stuff on Google and in magazines, etc) and gather lovely and healthy recipes into my folder.

As we say

Forewarned is forearmed

and

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail

People also say 'nothing tastes better than being slim feels' - but, believe me, you CAN have both, you really can.

So watch this space.  xx

Friday evening, 25-10-24, Stuff The Syns Friday and Tip 6.

Good evening, everyone!  

Well, well, well.  I was very pleasantly surprised this morning when I got on those SW scales and I was half a pound lower than the last official weigh in so still under target and in my happy zone.

Then I went shopping and ooops!!  lol  Just as well it is Eat Your Syns Friday although, to be honest, it's probably more like Stuff The Syns Friday this week.  Not to worry, back on it tomorrow.

What I ate today

The usual.  The fruit was a pear and an apple.

One syn for mixed seeds.

This is NOT what I planned and not SW friendly and I have absolutely no idea of syns.

When I was in Aldi, I saw a pack of two pieces of focaccia and thought ooooh, bread and cheese, lovely.

And it was although, to be fair, it was much more holey and lighter than the focaccia I make but it didn't taste half as good.

With it I had a bit of cheddar, a bit of feta and some churney.
The cheese is probably both my healthy extras.

Here you go - fish (fingers) and chips and tomatoes instead of peas.  Very nice too.

I had other bits and bobs too so it wasn't the best day but no worries . . . as the infamous Scarlett O'Hara said, tomorrow is another day.

My meal plans for tomorrow:

B:  fruit, eaten half way round our Saturday walk, weather permitting.

L:   the last bean and barley soup with some added smoked fish; fruit

D:  sardines on toast with salad on the side; fruit

Exercise:   a walk

The Extra Bit

Don't focus on what you can't do (or have), look at what you can do (or have).

That's it . . .

Lifted almost directly from the new SW magazine that I picked up in group today./

Thursday evening, 24-10-24

Good evening, everyone!  

Weigh in tomorrow, the first one since before the holiday.  Fingers are crossed and hopes are high!

What I ate today

Breakfast was just some fruit (an apple and a pear) so I didn't photo it.

Lunch was just one of those 'bowls' that means just chuck in whatever you fancy.  The feta was an A, four syns for dressing and three for the olives.

Later on, I had an orange.

The cauliflower gratin was your classic SW way of making a cheese 'sauce' with yogurt, mustard powder, egg and grated cheese that ends up a bit like a runny quiche but, to be fair, it was nice.  I added mushroom to the mix.

Half a healthy extra B for the breadcrumbs, one and a half As for cheese and two syns for evoo.

Summary:

two and a half healthy extra As

half a healthy extra B

nine syns

My meal plans for tomorrow:

B:  fruit, yogurt and mixed seeds

L: waffles plus more fruit and yogurt

D:  fish, chips, peas; fruit

Exercise:  rest day

Wednesday evening, 23-10-24 and tip 5: Keep It Tasty

Good evening, everyone!  

How's it all going for you?

What I ate today

I had a dental appointment at the time I have breakfast so I had the yogurt and seeds before hand . . .

Part of a B for the seeds

And some melon when I got home afterwards.

The soup was still lovely and afters was an easy peeler.

Two syns for a small piece of chorizo.

Later in I had some cheese for both my healthy extra As and some almonds for almost two healthy extra Bs.

After reading through the recipe, I really didn't fancy what I had planned for dinner so I just air fried some potato, cooked the thawed cod in some spray oil and polished off some tomatoes

Not the best meal I have ever had but filling.  

Two syns for some oil.

Summary:

two healthy extra As

two healthy extra Bs

four syns

My meal plans for tomorrow:

B:  fruit, yogurt and seeds

L:  bulgar bowl with salad, feta, olives, dressing, etc.; fruit

D:  cauliflower gratin; fruit

Exercise: SET class online

The Extra Bit

Tip 5:  Keep It Tasty

This is so obvious and, really, it is part of the 'make it work for you' ethos.

Obviously, there are guidelines (rules?  No!) for whatever plan or way we choose to follow and if we divert from them we need to accept that there may be repercussions but given this . . .

There is so much delicious food available to us in the First World.  We are so very lucky.

We're much more likely to stay on track and see positive results if we enjoy our plan or way.

Assuming we're not on a very rigid and inflexible plan (and I truly wouldn't advise them), we have plenty of options.

We have information and recipes at our fingertips, thanks to the internet, search engines, etc.

We can access support groups such as the lovely Slim Win Group on Facebook, recipe and ideas vlogs, informative and encouraging podcasts.

We really do have it all, don't we.  So why on earth go for stuff you don't particularly like, just because a recipe, a fad or someone else says so?

Slimming World has its fads and fancies, like most plans, etc.

When I first started with SW it was all about quark.  Didn't like it much.

Then it was spinach.  Every recipe contained spinach.  Spinach flavoured rice pudding, anyone?  (no, not really!).  Don't like spinach much.  I have tried, honestly I have, but no thanks.

I'm not terribly keen on lower fat versions of things like cheese either.  I accept that it has its uses but, for example, lower fat cheese doesn't melt as well and the mouth-feel and flavour are just not so good.  And I always wonder what they put in to replace what they take out. 

And let's not think about the effect sugar free sweets can have on our insides, OK?

 I use lower calories/fat versions at times, don't we all, but only if I like them, not just because they are lower calories, syn free or whatever.

So I substitute, when necessary, to avoid things I don't like or want to use.  It's dead easy.  SW calls it food optimising and it's quite a cornerstone of the whole plan.  Don't be afraid to adapt, substitute, change ingredients,use your syns to enhance your meals.  The more you do it, the better you get at it.

Keep it tasty!

Tuesday evening, 22-10-24

Good evening, everyone!  

What I ate today

Breakfast.  Today, the fruit was all out of the freezer - mango, nectarines and raspberries.

Part of a healthy extra A for the seeds.

Lunch was rather like a cooked breakfast really.  Toast, scrambled egg, with smoked salmon and tomatoes and mushrooms on the side.

Half a healthy extra B for the bread and three syns for some evoo that I cooked the veg in.

I didn't have anything later on.

This is the second time I've made this and it really is very delicious.  Mushroom and broad bean carbonara and I added some onion too the other veg and the chopped bacon.

Afters was a couple of easy peelers.

One healthy extra A and two syns for evoo.

Summary:

one healthy extra A

most of a healthy extra B

five syns

My meal plans for tomorrow:

B:  Fruit, yogurt and seeds

L: bean and barley soup again, this time with some added chorizo - and maybe some mushrooms too as I have some that need using up.

D:  baked cod stew with crispy potatoes (from my old SW Mediterranean Magic cookbook - Eloise, how are you getting on with yours?)

Exercise:   personal training.

No Extra Bit this evening - it is late and my brain is refusing to cooperate.  :-)

Monday evening, 21-10-24, an unofficial weigh in and Bean and Barley Soup

Good evening, everyone!  

It truly is very autumnal now.  The it's colder, damper, mornings are darker, the evenings start earlier and my thoughts turn to filling, delicious and nutritious soups.  I love soups - they are so very easy and you can just use what you have.

When I was working, I regularly made what I called either Saturday Soup or Fridge Rubble Soup which mopped up all the bits and bobs before I did my weekly shop.

Some were outstandingly delicious, some were - well, edible, and all were frugal and prevented waste.

It doesn't have to be Saturday nowadays - every day is a weekend day now - but in autumn and winter I still like to toss into my slow cooker vegetables, stock, maybe meat and maybe beans/pulses for protein, grains and seasonings so that five or six hours later I have a hearty and balanced SW friendly meal.

Sometimes I blend, sometimes I mash, sometimes I have it just as it comes out of the pot..  

Sometimes I have it several times in a row, sometimes I freeze portions.

It's always win-win!

Changing the subject completely, I got on my own scales this morning.  They are pretty accurate and I seem, to get identical results from the SW scales as from my own scales.
I have put on one pound from my last home weigh in just before my holiday which puts me slap bang on my target weight.  I am so, so happy with that and it has never, ever happened before. 

What I ate today

Fruit, yogurt and seeds as usual.  Two plums and a pear and it was delicious.

One syn for the seeds.

Lunch was bean and barley soup, made through the morning in my slow cooked.  It was warming, filling and made three generous portions!  Recipe is in The Extra Bit.

Syn free.

I had nothing else through the afternoon.

(apologies for the bad light)
For dinner, I made a pared down version of spicy chicken fajitas.

I used 2 tsp evoo for the onion, pepper and chicken - four syns.

The 'soured cream' was 0% Greek yogurt - free.

The guacamole was mashed avo with finely chopped onion. lime juice and avocado topping (Just Spices) - two and a half syns
The 'tortillas' were two of those Mission mini wraps, not officially a B but . . . one B and three syns.

I've just realised I forgot the cheese.  Drat.  Oh, well . . .

It was most satisfying anyway!

Summary:

no healthy extra As

one healthy extra B

ten and a half syns

My meal plans for tomorrow:

B:  fruit, yogurt and seeds

L: toasted bagel, egg, smoked salmon, tomatoes and mushrooms

D:  mushroom and broad bean carbonara (I have mushrooms to use up)

Exercise: Groove class and the walk there and back.

The Extra Bit

Bean and Barley Soup

Recently, two of my favourite vloggers, Roe and Nicky, featured pearl barley in a soup recipe. 

I can't find the exact link to Roe's specific vlog so have given you the general link to her channel instead.

I've made a big effort to widen the range of 'ancient grains' I use recently so I thought I'd have a go at including some barley in a soup too.  This is what I used and it is dead easy.

Ingredients:
one small to medium onion, chopped

one medium carrot, washed and chopped

one 400g can chopped tomatoes

one 300g can of mixed beans, drained but no need to rinse

two slightly heaped tbsps. pearl barley

salt, pepper, garlic granules, a pinch of chilli flakes, some Old Bay seasoning - actually, whatever you fancy!

a splash of water and some chicken stock - I used stock powder, ot use veg stock to make this meat free.

some cubes of frozen sweet potato, butternut squash and peas (or whatever you fancy)

A slow cooker.  Yes, it could be done on the hob but the glory of this is that you put it on overnight or first thing in the morning and there's your lunch!

Method:

Put all of the first group of ingredients in your slow cooker, mix it up well and cook for as long as you want  - I used the auto setting.

After about two hours, add the frozen sweet potato and squash (if using fresh, add them at the start).

Around half an hour before eating, add the frozen peas.

Check and adjust seasoning, if necessary.

Enjoy!

(and the house smelled warming and delicious too)

This made me three very generous portions.  I had one and the other two are for another time.

If I had planned to have a hunk of bread and some grated cheese on top, It would have made four portions - what I had kept me full all afternoon.

I've scheduled one portion for Wednesday or Thursday and I think I will add a bit of bacon or some chorizo for a different flavour.

Perhaps, for the third portion, I could add some fish, maybe smoked fish.  Heat the soup to simmering, add chopped up fish and it will cook in about one to two minutes.

Watch this space . . .