Monday 18 March 2024

Monday evening, 18-03-24

Good evening, everyone. 
I know what I said but I have just made another b atch of rice pudding, four portions, for the freezer.  I checked and you can happily freeze rice pudding.
Half a healthy extra A per portion.  Nice!


What I ate today on Slimming World:

I took advantage of the comparative warmth and sunshine to have my first outdoor breakfast of the year.  Come the summer, it is one of my biggest small pleasures to get up, open the French windows and have coffee basking in the warmth of early sunlight in the garden.   While it is nowhere near summer warmth yet, it was lovely this morning so I decided to make the most of it.
I made the bubble and squeak mixture and cooked everything together on my teppanyaki - I haven't used it for ages and it was nice to give it an airing.
The mixture made seven 'cakes' so I had the three smallest ones and the others will go in the freezer (oh, dear) and be planned into two more meals, maybe breakfasts, maybe not.  The egg broke but that was OK - it still tasted great!
A third of a healthy extra B - slightly awkward but I can add some milk to my soup at lunch time.

When I looked, the soup was not broccoli and cauliflower, it was broccoli and butterbean.  Absolutely lovely - creamy textured and tasty with added cheese triangles and a splash of milk.  
I love croutons with soup too.
Two thirds of a healthy extra A and one B.  Syn free.
Dessert was an orange and a few hours later I had a couple of plums.
When it came to it, I didn't bother cooking and shredding an omelette to add to the nasi goreng, I just splashed over some soy sauce.
I had some bits of salad left from yesterday so I just added leaves and tomatoes and dumped the lot in the bowl.
Really good, very filling and satisfying.  No room for any dessert.
Two syns for the rice and one for salad dressing.

Summary:
one healthy extra A
one healthy extra B
three syns


Tomorrow's meal plans:

B:  crumpet thin, h m guacamole, egg, mushrooms and tomatoes
SW:  two syns for avocado, three for the crumpet thin

L:  cassoulet, croutons, cheese; fruit
I can't remember how thick this is but I'm treating it like a thick soup anyway
SW:  one healthy extra A for cheese and one B for croutons

D:  mild lamb curry, rice, maybe some veg; fruit
I seem to remember this really was very mild but maybe the flavour has developed in the freezer.  I not, I could add a pinch of dried chilli flakes, maybe.
SW:  should be syn free

Exercise:  Groove class, a walk there and back and then I'm off to Beth's to help with some clearing which will p4robably involve plenty of walking bending, lifting, etc.

Sunday 17 March 2024

Sunday evening, 17-03-24

Good evening, everyone.

I've done my planning for the week and it doesn't look as if I will have much cooking to do after using the freezer readies.  Annoying because I like cooking but, on the other hand, I won't be spending as much for a while which has to be a Very Good Thing and it keeps me out of the kitchen.

So my planning grid for the week is all filled in, no gaps, and the list of what I need to use up is attached so I can cross things off as they come out of the freezer.  I do like a bit of organisation and, after yesterday's blow out, I need all the help I can get.

What I ate today on Slimming World:

Breakfast was a bit (lot) chuck it all in together but it was still very nice indeed so no complaints./
Half a healthy extra A.

I made some half and half rolls and, of course, had to test one - because you just do.
Half a healthy extra B and three syns; the other rolls are in the freezer now.
A nice old roast dinner for lunch.  The pork fillet cooked really nicely in Nellie - if anything, it was a bit overdone so I'll try to remember to make it a bit shorted next time.  There was plenty - really I could have cut in into thirds and it would have been plenty which makes it even better value.
One and a half syns for a bit of oil and a bit of sugar as part of a marinade and one syn for some pork gravy I found in the freezer.

Later on, I had an orange.

Dinner was some pasta bake with a bit of extra cheese on top and a lovely, choppy side salad.  All delicious.
I had an egg white left over from the other day so I made some frozen fruit fluff for dessert.  It looks absolute loads but it just some frozen fruit, some sweetener (I used some skinny syrup) and an egg white with lots and lots and lots of air bubbles.  Surprisingly filling and very burpy!
One and a half healthy extra As and one syn for salad cream.

Summary:
two healthy extra As
half a healthy extra B
six and a half syns
Tomorrow's meal plans:

B:  bubble and squeak, egg, mushrooms on the side
I have loads of mushrooms after winning that raffle on Friday and leftover veg from yesterday because I always do!
SW:  one syn if I have brown sauce

L:  cheesy broccoli and cauliflower soup, croutons; fruit
SW:  one healthy extra B for croutons and half an A for cheese triangles

D:  nasi goreng, side salad; fruit
Cooked using the Simply Cook kit that made loads more than I expected.
SW:  two syns plus one if I have salad dressing

Exercise:  Circuits group, maybe a walk

Sunday morning, 17-03-25

Good morning, everyone.

Ooops, I was so tired yesterday evening, I didn't post.  So you will get double dose today - what I should have posted yesterday and then today's which will be live this evening.  Really sorry.

I seem to have accumulated rather a lot of portions of leftovers in the freezer so I went through what I had and - er - yup, embarrassing!  So, for the rest of this month I'm going to try to use up something pretty much every day, either for lunch or for dinner.   Allo the stuff I need to use up is listed and in a separate bag so I can find things without too much hassle.

This happens intermittently because most recipes, even when cut down to one portion, actually make more than one portion so, what with batches and all that sort of stuff, the extra portions do build up fairly quickly.

Wish me luck!  :-)

What I ate yesterday on Slimming World:

Just one photo yesterday.
Breakfast was rice pudding, yogurt and mixed fruit and it was really delicious.

I was out for lunch.  Beth took me and Alex took Beth for a late Mothering Sunday treat and, good intentions to the contrary, I went somewhat off plan.  No photos, just verbal description so, if it would trigger you, just skip this next bit.
We started with a nachos sharing plate which we lovely.  Then I went for a smaller plate fish and chips.  I do like their smaller plate options - they're not all that small, just pretty much when I would give myself at home really.  Anyway, it was delicious.
This last bit was naughty - I had a triple choc sundae which was rather the last straw as far as staying close to plan.  Oh, well, it was so nice and it doesn't happen often although I could knock up something with yogurt, fruit and light squirty cream, I suppose.

A lovely meal, thank you Beth, and by the time we emerged it was nearly three o'clock.  I wasn't that hungry for ages but managed do make and down a cheese sandwich later on which was not the idea at all.
Oh, well - line drawn again and on we go!

Today's meal plans:

B: rice pudding, fruit and yogurt
The other half of the rice pudding I made on Friday - definitely making more soon, it was really nice and, made with sweetener and omitting the butter, kept it on plan.
Also, making it in Thermione and doing the self clean afterwards was so, so easy.
First time, I just made it plain, but it would be nice with nutmeg or cinnamon added.
SW:  half a healthy extra A for milk; the rest is syn free 

L:  air fryer pork tenderloin, apple and onion sauce, roasties, a selection of veg; fruit
These can be good when you're cooking for one.  Unit priced, they're not cheap but they're small so not that costly.  I think I will cut the one I bought in half and freeze the other half for something like pork and apple another time.
I looked it up and it appears that tenderloin does really well in an air fryer so win-win.
SW:  I am estimating around four syns for a simple glaze, maybe a bit more.  I don't syn cooked fruit.

D:  pasta bake (from the freezer), side salad
Made a week or so ago when the girls were round for dinner.
SW:  one healthy extra A

Exercise:  rest day.

Friday 15 March 2024

Friday evening, 15-03-24

Good evening, everyone.  Good news - I lost two and a half pounds this week.  Three cheers.  More cheers because I won one of the raffles (again!!)  This time it was all stuff I will use - pitta, various veg, some mixed Italian herbs, a can of corn, tomato puree - that sort of stuff.  Definitely worth winning!

What I ate today on Slimming World:

I changed breakfast and just had some fruit as I didn't want much else.  No photo.

Chicken, apple and cheese toastie with a fresh, choppy salad and it was really nice - deffo doing it again.
One and and half healthy extra As and one B plus one and a half syns for chutney

I had a lovely, juicy orange later on.
The Peshawari style baked chicken thighs were totally delicious.  It's from Pinch of Nom's Enjoy, p 112 and, yes, it is a bit of a faff to make but worth it - so, so worth it.
I cut it down but it made enough sauce for two (I cooked two chicken thighs and ate them both) so it's now in a lidded pot, labelled and ready for the freezer.  Another time, I can stir-fry some chicken and veg and add it as the sauce.  The salad is the same as lunch - I made plenty!

Working out the SW values is a bit tricky.  I used mango rather than sultanas and some coconut drink powder rather than the actual liquid (because that's what I had) and I think it comes to six-ish syns.

No dessert.  I was very full up.

Summary:
one and a half healthy extra A
one healthy extra B
seven and a half syns, maybe a bit more - if it is more, that's not a problem.

Tomorrow's meal plans:

B:   rice pudding, fruit and yogurt
. . . because I fancy some and made a two portion batch yesterday
SW:  half a healthy extra A

L:  chicken pasta (from freezer), salad; fruit
Later edit - no I won't, I forgot that I'm having lunch out with Beth and Alex.  I'll move it on to tomorrow.  :-)
SW:  one healthy extra A for cheese, one syn for dressing

D:  steak, mushroom sauce, chips, salad; fruit
SW:  half a healthy extra A for cheese triangles (for the sauce), one syn for salad cream

Exercise:  Set class online

Thursday 14 March 2024

Thursday evening, 14-03-24

Good evening, everyone.  Weigh day tomorrow; fingers, eyes and toes are all crossed.  I can't have another gain, can I?  

I turned a bit bakey this morning.  It's been my friend Chris' birthday today. Usually we just have coffee together on Thursdays but I made a small  batch of flapjacks for the occasion.  I put the recipe in Nutracheck and it came out at 109 calories per flapjack or five and a half syns.  However, it contains oats, which are a healthy extra B which brings the syns down a bit.  Only a quarter of a B, I know, thirty-ish calories but it takes it down to around four syns plus a quarter of a B.
One could (I could, anyway)  make it up to a complete B with one and a half tbsp pumpkin seeds.

The other bake was a wholemeal loaf.  The house smelled amazing all morning!  Tomorrow, I will sl;ice it (it slices better second day) and pop it all in the freezer.



What I ate today on Slimming World:

OK, first, the elephant in the room.  Here's the flapjacks, made for Chris' birthday coffee and chat.
I had one, just one, OK?  Chris has one and she took the rest home for here and Steve to enjoy later.
I really did enjoy it.
Five and a half syns (because I had my B for lunch).

If you're interested, I used a 3-2-1 ratio (oats, butter, sugar) and baked at 160C for 15 mins followed by 5 to 10 minutes at 200C.  If you want them soft, stay at 160C and give them about 25 mins-ish.

Apologies for the awful light.  This was breakfast - I decided to go minimal after the flapjack.

Syn free

It's so much better when I can take photos in the sun.

Viking toast is really a glorified Welsh rarebit and very, very tasty.
One healthy extra A and one B.

Later on, I had some fruit.

This really was very nice and this is what I did.

I mixed a dollop of Greek yogurt with a level tbsp low fat peanut butter powder and a dash of water and stirred it well together before setting it aside.

I spray fried some thinly sliced onion and half an apple, cored and cut into thin segments, until the apple was browning and set that aside too.

In the same pan, I aspray fried some chicken breast, sliced thinly and some sliced mushroom.
When the chicken was cooked, I added back the onion and apple and brought up to a nice sizzle.

To that, I added half a tsp chicken stock powder and a splash of water to incorporate it all.
I took it off the heat and as soon as the bubbling died down (so the yogurt wouldn't split), I poured in the yogurt and peanut butter and stirred it all well.  I added a milling of black pepper and that was that.
Really nice, served with some boiled broccoli.
I was full so nothing for afters
One and a half syns for the peanut butter powder and that was it.

Summary:
one healthy extra A
one healthy extra B
seven syns - including the flapjack.

Tomorrow's meal plans:

B: breakfast bake with egg on top
SW:  I think this should be syn free unless I add some brown sauce for one syn

L:  cheese and apple toastie, side salad; fruit
SW:  the rest of my healthy extra As, one healthy extra B, one syn for salad cream

D:  peshawari style baked chicken, broccoli; fruit
A Pinch of Nom recipe.
SW:  a bit of a healthy extra A and four syns - I think.  Of course, I will check properly before making it.

Exercise:  a walk

Wednesday 13 March 2024

Wednesday evening, 13-03-24

Good evening, everyone

What I ate today on Slimming World:

Breakfast - the home made guacamole was really tasty and I think I'll do that more often.  I just added chopped tomato, chopped onion, a few chilli flakes and lime juice.  No leaf coriander - yucky stuff.  Oh, and a bit of salt and black pepper.  With an egg and some watercress and tomato, it made a lovely, fresh meal.
Two syns for the avocado.

Later on, before the Beat the Street walk, I had a banana and a tbsp pumpkin seeds.  That was three syns

Lunch was later than usual because of the walk.  I'm glad it was pretty quick because I was hungry!
One healthy extra A and one healthy extra B
The Spanish cauliflower rice was good.  Cauli rice is nothing like real rice, I don't care what anyone says, and I think it would be a great recipe made with proper rice or even orzo.  Chicken instead of prawns (which I didn't have) worked fine and, perhaps, made it a bit more filling and I threw in some extra veg because that's what I do, isn't it?
Having said all of that, actually, it was jolly tasty and I'm glad I gave it a go.
Two syns for some chorizo (not as much as the recipe asked for) and two syns for one tsp olive oil.
I finished the day off with a lovely, juicy orange - and had to wash my hands afterwards.!

Summary:
one healthy extra A
one healthy extra B
nine syns
Tomorrow's meal plans:

B: fruit salad and yogurt
SW:  syn free

L:  Viking toast, salad; fruit
From PoN Enjoy, p 34
SW:  one healthy extra A, one healthy extra B, one syn for salad dressing

D:  chicken, peanut butter and apple casserole, green beans, broccoli; fruit
SW:  peanut butter powder is half a syn per level tsp - so maybe one syn, I think the rest is free because I don't syn cooked fruit

Exercise:  SET class online

Tuesday 12 March 2024

Tuesday evening, 12-03-24

Good evening, everyone.  

What I ate today on Slimming World:

The other two ham, bubble and squeak patties, delicious with an egg and a lovely, filling breakfast on a most miserable and wet day.
Two syns for cheese.

This was scrummy - the nasi goreng portion (two more to go) from the freezer, properly reheated, with shredded omelette and just a choppy salad - no dressing, no seeds.

Two syns.

Later on, I had a couple of pears which were starting to go a bit too soft.

I changed the recipe rather for dinner.  Instead of cottage cheese, I used cheddar.  I baked the potato in Nellie, halved it, scooped out the inside and mashed it.  Then I added some grated cheddar and one egg yolk (reserving the white for fruit foam for dessert).  I chopped the bacon and the spring onion, cooked both in a pan, spooned them into the potato skin shell and put the potato on top.  When it was dinner time, I just reheated the stuffed skins in Nellie before adding some more grated cheddar and giving it a bit more heat to melt the cheese.  I served them with h m coleslaw and more choppy salad.
It was so, so delicious.  Simple things are often the best, don't you think?
Two healthy extra As (it didn't need 60g; I nibbled the rest!), one syn for salad cream and one for pumpkin seeds in the coleslaw.

Then I use Thermione to make fruity foam fluff using some fruit from the freezer, some skinny syrup and the egg white.
Syn free (the fruit is blended but, as with cooked fruit, I choose not to syn it).

Summary:
two healthy extra As
no healthy extra Bs
six syns

Tomorrow's meal plans:

B:  crumpet thin topped with guacamole and egg, tomatoes
I thought I'd stretch out the avocado by making guacamole and what goes into it is all speed/free apart from the avo.
SW:  three syns for the crumpet thin and two for 30g frozen avocado chunks

L:  cheesy broccoli and cauliflower soup, seeds, croutons; fruit
More of the too good to waste soup from the freezer with melted cheese triangles, h m croutons and some seeds sprinkled over.
SW:  half a healthy A for two triangles and up[ to a whole B for the croutons

D:  Spanish cauliflower rice, maybe a side salad; fruit
A recipe found on the Olive site to use up some of the cauliflower rice I made earlier in the week.  It should be prawns but I don't have prawns so it will have to be chicken.
SW:  I have to work it out but, by the look of it, the only thing to syn is some chorizo and, maybe, some olive oil.

Exercise:  personal training and, perhaps, a Beat the Street walk