Sunday, 02-02-25, broccoli and butterbean soup and some sad news

Hi, everyone!  Welcome to my blog where I talk about my ongoing Slimming World and associated health journeys.  At present, I am working to reduce my 'bad' cholesterol through diet, particularly using the Mediterranean way of eating.

I made a lovely and simple soup today.
Two broccoli stems

Bit of onion and a bit of carrot

Chicken stock (could use veg)

half a can of butterbeans

seasonings to own taste.

I just boiled up the chopped vegetables in the stock and seasoning, adding the drained butterbeans near the end.  Then I blended it all down, checked and adjusted the liquid and seasonings and bobs your uncle, three thick portions of soup which I will probably dilute down with some milk or yogurt when I actually use it.  For now, they are in the freezer.

Nothing radical, nothing different but using what might otherwise be thrown away and some fresh chicken stock I had in the freezer.  Also, butterbeans give a lovely, creamy texture without actually using cream.

Very satisfying all round.

And I am using the rest of the butterbeans in a feta, olive and butterbean salad in a few days.

What I ate today:

This was really tasty - smoked haddock fried is just a tiny bit of butter and a poached egg that, surprisingly for me, was cooked just right!

Two syns for the butter.

I served it on some watercress and mixed leaves.  I do love watercress so looked it up and it really is very good for you.

There's lots of info about watercress on the Internet.  Here's a link to one.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/285412#benefits

My favourite sort of roast.  Bit of lean meat, a small potato roasted, some sauce and loads and loads of vegetables - parsnips, carrots, onion, sprouts and broccoli - although we will not notice how 'rusty' the broccoli is, OK?

The chicken was part of a pack of sliced chicken from Morrisons and it was really nice.  There's a tiny bit of homemade cranberry sauce that I had to use up for ages to go with it.
No gravy - I can take or leave most gravy.

A nominal half syn for the sauce - made with sweetener, I doubt it is even that but better safe than sorry.

I was quite low on syns so I decided to spend six on another slice of bread so I could have more toastie.  Really filling with a scruffy old salad on the side.  

One and a half syns for some chutney, six syns for the extra bread, one syn for some seeds and half for some commercial dressing (UPF but needs using up and I don't want to waste it)

Summary:

two healthy extra As

one healthy extra B

eleven and a half syns

Tomorrow's plans:

B:   fruit, seeds and yogurt

L:  wrap pizza, salad; fruit

D:  loaded fajita chicken chips and a side salad; fruit

Exercise:  circuits

Today, the news came through that Margaret Miles-Bramwell, the founder and guiding light of the whole Slimming World business passed peacefully away this morning with her family by her side.  

Obviously, I had no direct connection with Margaret but the work that she started and oversaw for so, so long has made a huge difference to my life and, for that, I am so very grateful.

RIP, Margaret, and condolences to her family, friends and colleagues.

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