Thursday, 06-03-25

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.

It's weigh in tomorrow and I don't hold out much hope after a couple of slips this week.  I certainly won't have dropped into my target zone, sadly.

I'll let you know.

What I ate today:

I stewed some apple, added sweetener and stirred in a tsp peanut butter powder (so tasty) before folding it into some yogurt and topping it with raspberries and blueberries.

Half a syn for the PBP

Later on, I had an apple and two tiny easy peelers.

I used some dried soup mix and chicken stock as a basis for this soup with added pulses and edamame beans before freezing in single portions.    This morning, I added some water and some chicken stock powder, some of the puy lentils I opened yesterday and a cheese triangle.  Instead of croutons, I really fancied marmite on toast.  It went really well with the soup.

Two syns for the soup, one healthy extra B and a bit of a healthy extra A.

For dinner, I couldn't find any salmon so I had smoked haddock instead, baked it with slices of lemon on top and added some cheese for an A.

Two syns for evoo to roast the veg, two syns for some mixed seeds and one healthy extra A for the cheese.

I had some strawberries for afters.

Summary:

one and a half healthy extra As

one healthy extra B       

six and a half syns

Tomorrow's plans:

B:  mushroom omelette with tomatoes on the side

L:  cheese sandwich, fruit

D:  unknown

Exercise:  aqua class and Groove

Wednesday, 05-03-25

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've heard from the surgery that they want me to have a 'medication review' which means a blood test too.  So I guess I will find out soon whether the measures I have put in place have helped reduce my bad cholesterol - or not.

What I ate today:

I realised very early that it was going to be a difficult - aka hungry - day.  I had an apple and a pear early and they didn't hit the mark so . . .

. . . so, after dithering about toast and marmite, I went for this - Cook's prawn noodles with mango and coconut (an odd breakfast, I know) and, you know what - it was just perfect.  Not a huge portion and absolutely delicious, it really hit the spot.

Three syns (or 229 calories)

The chicken, leek and barley soup from Pinch of Nom (out of the freezer) really is a most delicious soup.  This time, I added some puy lentils from a pouch and one light cheese triangle melted in and it was just so good.  
(The rest of the lentils went into the freezer in single portions for another time/times)

I had some grapes and an easy peeler for afters.

One and a half syns for the soup, one B for the croutons and a bit of an A for the triangle.

The chickpea burgers (link posted in yesterday's [post) were absolutely delicious.   I just made the burgers themselves, not the other bits, and will definitely make hem again.  They were served with grated carrot, softened red onion, a few air fried chips and a basic salad plus chutney.

I had an orange for afters.

One and a half syns for the chutney and half a syn for a bit of flour I used when shaping the burgers

Summary:

a bit of a healthy extra A

one healthy extra B

six and a half syns

Tomorrow's plans:

B:  fruit, yogurt and mixed seeds

L:  soup (another from the freezer), croutons, grated cheese; fruit

D:  lemon baked salmon on a bed of roasted veg; fruit

Exercise:  SET online

Tuesday, 04-03-25

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.

What I ate today:

Well, it is pancake day!

Syn free, half a B

Leftovers are so delicious, aren't they?   This was just lovely.

Afters was an orange, a sweet juicy orange, and a small pear that was just ready for eating.

One healthy extra A and one syn for the sauce, two syns for dressing and one syn for mixed seeds although I could call it part of my healthy extra B.

You can't really see what's going on here with the [pizza chicken.  I flattened half a chicken breast fillet, seasoned it and spray fried it on both sides until cooked.
Over it I spread some tomato puree, sprinkled over some grated cheddar, topped it with softened onion, pepper and mushroom, put it all one a tray and air fried it for about six minutes so the cheese had melted and everything was piping hot.  It was really nice.

One healthy extra A for the cheese.

Summary:

two healthy extra As

one healthy extra B(pancakes and seeds)

three syns

Tomorrow's plans:

B:  fruit, yogurt and seeds

L:  soup from the freezer, croutons; fruit

D:  grated carrot and chickpea burgers (without the roll), vegetables or salad; fruit

Not a ready meal this week as circuits is in the morning rather than later afternoon and I found the recipe here
https://realfood.tesco.com/recipes/grated-carrot-and-chickpea-burgers.html

Exercise:  Personal Training

Monday, 03-03-25

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.

What I ate today:

Not a great photo in the late winter sunshine but you get the idea.  Strawberries, raspberries and blueberries with chia seeds in the yogurt.  Lovely!

One syn for the chia seeds.

I enjoyed this - a conventional choppy salad topped with turkey, chickpeas, croutons and the rest of the lemon-Dijon dressing.

I had a couple of little easy peelers for afters.

One healthy extra B and four syns for the dressing.

Dinner was the last portion of the cheesy white bean sauce with fusilli mixed through and spooned on top of some savoury mince that I did in the slow cooker today.
What you see on the plate is half of the portion and it was plenty so I have the other half for either tomorrow lunch or to go in the freezer.

I added more cheese to the sauce and it made it perfectly cheesy and delicious.

The sauce was one A and one and a half syns.  The rest was speed and free.

Summary:

one healthy extra A

one healthy extra B

six and a half syns

That's more like it!!

Tomorrow's plans:

B:  fruit, yogurt and seeds

Edited - I forgot what the day is - it has to be pancakes, of course.  Pancakes, yogurt and fruit

L:  leftover cheesy mince pasta bake with a side salad: fruit

(it was going to be soup)

D:  pizza chicken with veg; fruit

I saw this on our local SW Facebook group.  Basically, you flatten out a chicken breast fillet, cook it and top it like a pizza and then pop it back in the oven for the topping to cook/melt/whatever.  It looks really nice

Exercise:  Groove and the walk there and back.

Sunday, 02-03-25 and what's in my freezer

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 know I waffle on about using up stuff and thought I would list what I actually do have in my freezer.  

My freezer really is my Best Friend as far as eating healthily and easily goes.  It's quite organised nowadays after years of playing lucky dip and wasting stuff.
It is organised into bags - I have five bags, two metal baskets that came with it and a fast freeze compartment and it's out in the shed part of the garden room which seems to suit it just perfectly.  I've got used to running through the raindrops when I need something and even keep some cheap clogs by the back door to make it easier.

Bag 1 - meat and fish.
This consists of raw stuff - various fish and varied meats - chicken, mince, sausages, that sort of thing.  Nothing cooked.  It's all either individually wrapped or open frozen and then bagged.

Bag 2:  Specials
I keep stuff for specials in here so it was pretty full before Christmas.  I also keep roasting joints in this bag - let's face it, nowadays a roasting joint is a special!

Bag 3:  home produced ready meals, etc
The 'etc' includes things like stock, pastry, home made butter, passata, garden tomatoes, etc, etc.  There isn't much in the way of ready stuff at the moment apart from soup.

They are along the bottom.  Then, sitting on top , , ,

Bag 4:  frozen fruit

Just what it says, bought or home frozen, it all goes in this bag

Bag 5:  bread products

Pittas, wraps, bread crumbs, sliced loaves, bagels, muffins, etc.

Basket 1:  veg

This is crammed full of veg - peas, corn, broccoli, avocado (not a veg, I know), peppers, etc, etc, etc

Basket 2:  ready meals

This is where the Cook's ready meals go

Fast freeze:

Apart from the obvious, this always has a bags of ice, the ice blocks and some flour (keeps well and kills those flour bugs) as well as acting as an overspill, if really needed.

Organising it like this keeps things really, really easy for me and, when it is defrost time, I just lift out those bags, cover them up while the freezer is defrosting and then just lift them back in again.  So, so easy!

Works for me!

What I ate today:

After the Let's Dance class, I didn't want that much so had this fruit.  Grapes are free and the other two are speed.
No syns.

A very nice roast dinner.  One and a half syns for the chutney.

Any ideas for using up cabbage - I seem to have made way too much?  Not bubble and squeak though!

And then I nibbled and picked my way through the afternoon, darn it!

As a result, I wasn't hungry so just had the toastie.

One and a half As, one B and one and a half syns

Summary:

one and a half healthy extra As

one healthy extra B

Unknown syns.

Not the best day ever.  :-(

Tomorrow's plans:

B:  fruit, yogurt and seeds

L:  turkey and chickpea salad; fruit

. . . to use up the leftover turkey, leftover chickpeas and left over lemon-Dijon dressing.  😇😇

D:  cheesy mince pasta bake, side veg or salad; fruit

Exercise:   circuits

Saturday, 01-03-25

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.

Doesn't this look nice?

It's not a sourdough loaf, It's far to early in the starter's life for that, but I wanted to practise the sourdough style loaf.  I think it's called a boule.  Anyway, it worked, the house smelled wonderful and I wasn't remotely tempted because I'm giving it to Beth tomorrow.

Win win!

What I ate today:

Breakfast - raspberries, blueberries and grapes with the yogurt and chia seeds under the fruit.

One syn for the chia seeds.

This was the cheesy white bean sauce used to make a macaroni cheese with cauliflower under.

This time, the sauce came out of the freezer and the only difference I noticed was that the cheesy flavour was a bit diminished.  I sprinkled another half As worth of hard Italian cheese over the top and that helped but I will remember - more cheese next time.

Half a healthy A and two and a half syns for the sauce plus another half A of grated cheese.  Also, two syns for dressing on the salad.

Later, I measured out some nuts for my healthy extra B

I found a recipe, downloaded it and now can't remember where I found it, so sorry.   It is chickpea and avocado salad with lemon-Dijon dressing.

The dressing had the usual things with lemon juice as the acid and sumac as well as the usual seasonings.  Nothing sweet though - no honey or maple syrup.

The salad consisted of chickpeas, tomatoes, roasted red peppers, cucumber, red onion, avocado and parsley and mint.  I added some shredded lettuce to the mix too.  I had no parsley but the mint is starting to send up mini leaves so I nipped out a few of them - it won't hurt, even I can't kill mint once it is properly established.
The avocado was two and  half syns, four syns for the dressing and I think that was it.

Summary:  

one healthy extra A

one healthy extra B

twelve syns.

Tomorrow's plans:

B:  fruit, yogurt and seeds

L:  roast turkey dinner; fruit

Beth and Alex are round for lunch so it has to be a good old roast.

D:  cheese, turkey and chutney toastie, quesadilla or pitta - I will decode later - plus a side salad.  Then fruit

Exercise:  a dance/groove online thing.  As Lindsey has said:

"FREE live online Groove taster for “Let’s Dance”. Join me for a 30 minute energy boost as part of this national event hosted by Angela Rippon.

Friday, 28-02-25

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.

A bit disappointing at SW this morning - I actually gained half a pound.  Not sure why  as, apart from last Friday evening, I have been on it 100% but there you go - some you win and some you lose so I carry on paying for now and, with hindsight, should have taken a six week countdown.  I didn't so no point bewailing it - just continue and enjoy the whole journey.

  

What I ate today:

I decided to toast some oats and some mixed seeds and have them on yogurt with fruit on the side.

Half a healthy extra B and one syn.

This was both tasty and filling.  I made the waffles in my electric waffle maker using 20g wholemeal SR flour (which I call a B - this was half a B), some grated hard Italian cheese and some milk which made up one A, an egg, some salt, pepper and mustard powder.  Most of the cheese went in the waffle mixture and a bit went into the scrambled egg.
One last bit of smoked salmon and some spray fried mushrooms and tomatoes and it was a super-filling lunch.

One healthy extra A, half a healthy extra B and no syns.

Later on, I had an apple.

Dinner was simple.  I put some chipped potato into the air fryer with spray oil and seasoning, I cooked some fillet steak and rested it in the oven while the chips finished.

The chips were free, the salad was speed but the dressing was two syns and I realised I had another healthy extra A so I sprinkled grated cheddar over the fries - and they were lovely.

I guess the photo sort of epitomises the Mediterranean way - the salad and the evoo based dressing takes pride of place.

Summary:

two healthy extra As

one healthy extra B

Only three syns.  That is pathetic for Eat Your Syns Friday but I have eaten well and am totally satisfied.

Tomorrow's plans:

B:   fruit, yogurt and seeds

L:  cauli-mac and cheese, side salad; fruit

D:  chickpea salad with avocado and lemon-Dijon dressing

Exercise:  I'm shopping so a bit of a walk.

Thursday, 27-02-25

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.

Weigh day tomorrow.  Will I or will I not lose that pound?  I have absolutely no idea and have stayed off my scales this week.

What I ate today:

I was busy and not hungry this morning so just skipped breakfast - and didn't miss it.

Lunch was the Greek chicken with butterbeans and feta and I added some peas and corn for colour and some olives for flavour.  It was really very nice and filling too.

So - one A for feta, one syn for olives, one syn for evoo - I think that's it.

The lighting was terrible and I have over-brightened this in editing - sorry.

Another I had to brighten as it was just a dark lump.
This is how I made some 'garlic bread ' to go with the above.

I measured out two tsps garlic infused olive oil (for two slices of bread, one slice each), brushed it over one side and then toasted both sides until crunchy.  Really nice and dead easy too.

One healthy extra B and two syns.

Because I had my healthy B at lunch time and because I really wasn't that hungry, I changed dinner plans to a mushroom and chia omelette with feta.  It was really tasty.

I had an easy peelers for afters.

One healthy extra A and one syn for chia seeds.

Summary:

two healthy extra As

one healthy extra B

five syns

Tomorrow's plans:

B:  fruit, yogurt and seeds

L:  I might have waffles with fruit and yogurt - haven't had them for absolutely ages.

D:  probably steak, chips and salad

Exercise:  Rest day.  

Wednesday, 26-02-25 and stuff about bread

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.

Do you make sourdough?  I've tried on several occasions and have rarely got beyond a starter that begins well but then dies a nasty and painful death, poor thing.  When I did achieve a decent starter, the loaves were rubbish!
Every time, I vow and declare that there's no way I will ever try again - and each time, after a suitable gap, I get the urge to have another go.
So there is, currently, a second day starter sitting in my kitchen - and I haven't killed it - yet.

I've done some research - well, watched videos on YouTube - and there's such a lot more info out there now than there was last time I tried so never say never, eh?  I even found a formula called Baker's Maths - 100% flour, 60-80% water, etc.  I tried so hard to find something like this before.

IF it works this time - big if - I will have to think of a name.  I gather people name their sourdough starters.  Any ideas - the punnier the better (that's not a typo).

As an encouragement, I also made one of my normal loaves - a delicious, SW friendly loaf made with wheat, rye and spelt wholemeals with added seeds for crunch and flavour.  It always works, never fails (touch wood) and it is now sliced and in the freezer.  It will see me through until the third week of March, maybe longer.

(I made one before Christmas that had added chopped olives, sundried tomatoes and crumbled chestnuts and it was lovely - but that's for special occasions . . .)

Finally, for Sooze and anyone else, here's the link to Roy's video showing how to make the white bean sauce again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzrRGQe7Mi8&t=418s

What I ate today:

I'm really pleased that, again, each meal used something from the freezer - using what I already have is great and I don't want to go food shopping until Saturday, if I can help it.

Breakfast was the usual.  The fruit was the last of a bag of mango chunks, the dregs of some tropical mix fruit from Lathcoat's and some blueberries.

One syn for the chia seeds and one syn for some mixed seeds.

I got a container of soup base mix (that mix of dried grains and pulses that you boil up) and some fresh (ie. real) chicken stock from the freezer and added to it some left over salad from last night because why not.  The leaves act like spinach and the rest is just veg while the dressing adds flavour.
The soup base is two syns and I am going to add one syn for the salad (it was four syns and there's less than a quarter left - it was a VERY big salad!).  The croutons were a healthy extra B and the grated cheese a healthy extra A.

I had an apple a bit later.

The Cook's sweet potato katsu curry looked super-beige but the flavour - wow.  Not too hot but  good hit of spice and so many different vegetables and some seeds too.  Definitely getting that again when I next place an order - which probably won't be until April.

Afters was a some grapes.

Four and a half syns for the curry.

Summary:

one healthy extra A

one healthy extra B

nine and a half syns

Tomorrow's plans:

B:  just some fruit as I have a busy morning and can eat that on the go.

L:  I have my friend, Val, round for lunch and I am trying a recipe from the new SW recipe book, One-Pot Magic.  If you have the book, it is on p 64 and is Greek chicken with butter beans and feta

D:  toasted bagel with scrambled egg and smoked salmon.

Exercise:  I'm just doing the Strike part of the SET class online as I have plenty to do and not a lot of time.

Tuesday, 25-02-25

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'm well pleased that every meal today has used something from the freezer.  

It's the 'batch and leftovers' bag in the freezer that bothers me the most - all sorts of random bits and pieces from portions of soup through stocks, butter, pastry, etc, to some savoury crumble topping.

Today's usings are some apple puree (not synned), some soup and some bean chilli that provided the base for the lasagne.

I'm now low on home made ready meals but I have a selection from Cook's so that's OK.  I don't want to do any more batch cooking for a while as I have so much meat, veg and fish to use.
It's fortunate I love cooking.

What I ate today:

I folded the stewed apple into yogurt flavoured with cranberry skinny syrup and chia seeds and had fresh fruit on the side.  
One syn for the chia seeds.

The soup was a portion of the chicken, leek and barley I made from the Pinch of Nom recipe and it was lovely.

One and a half syns for the soup and the croutons used one healthy extra B.

I was a bit uncertain as to how the white bean sauce would behave in a lasagne.  I didn't want it baking too long and, anyway, I needed to cut the lasagne to fit the dish so I did what I usually do now and soaked the lasagne sheet in water for a while.  It then cuts easily and also it shortens the cooking time.

The 'red sauce' was actually a portion of mixed bean chilli, not really lasagne vibe but nice, all the same.

I made a big old salad - three syns for evoo and one for mixed seeds.

This was the cooked lasagne . . .  one healthy extra A and two and a half syns for the cheese sauce with mozarella on top and two syns for the chilli (the evoo in it).

And this was what it looked like inside.

It was really, really good and, with a proper ragu sauce, it would be even better.
Definitely one to make again although I think the next effort using the cheesy white bean sauce will be cauli-macaroni cheese.

Summary:

one healthy extra A

one healthy extra B

eleven syns - all for seeds and evoo

Tomorrow's plans:

B:  fruit, yogurt and seeds

L:  soup again plus croutons; fruit

D:  Cook's ready meal - I am finding these extremely handy when I have come home from a personal training session and want something tasty, nourishing and easy -and SW-friendly.  The Cook's meals are processed, of course, but not ultra processed.

Exercise:  personal training