Not a sunday dinner

That's right no Sunday dinner today as my wonderful mother is not there to feed me. She has however prepared a healthy spaghetti bolognese which I'm sure will be just as beautiful.

How dare she not be there I hear you all cry, well today it's allowed as Daisy and Molly are both dancing today at the Gala theatre in Durham. Which I'm sure will be an amazing spectacular just because Daisy and Molly are in it.

After the munch
Munch is all gone well all except 1 spoon full of bolognese sauce... Well me and Hayleigh were very hungry. Megan Evan munched through enough spaghetti bolognese to fill a small house... She was starving...

Now to find a small cow for Laura to eat as she has been hard working earning the pennies to fund the diet :P

... Chilli ...

Ok it isn't the left over chilli but if you look closely you will see the baked potato also garden peas gammon garlic mushrooms and a poached egg.

You have to blame Laura for the change in menu as she phoned and wanted gammon.

Everything according to my menu plan is free as mushrooms were dry fried with garlic salt, gammon was fried using fry light and the peas and potato were free.

A of a risk was an egg in my belly but fingers crossed all will be good... If not oh well I know for next time.

Chilli and soup

Another day another 4 miles walked while on breaks. I'm really loving this walking thing again I'm really going to make an effort to keep the 4 miles a day up. Not sure how I'll manage this on Sunday when I got the kids at my mams, pretty sure Hayleigh won't want to do that she only just managed the 2 miles last week.

However, back to tonight looking forward to my left over chilli even if it was hot *note to self less spices next time* think I'll also bang some jacket spuds in oven and get them nice and crispy. Question is what can I add to take some of heat out of it?

The rest of todays diet has matched yesterday's bananas and yogurt for breakfast, carrot and coriander soup and fruit at work. It's a good job I love bananas as I'm eating two a day.

Day 2 in the slimming house

Made a chilli today the slimming world way. Basically removed normal oil in place of fry light and used extra lean mince.

Lunch comprised of the carrot and coriander was bleeding beautiful looked a little like baby sick but was still beautiful.

Also had a shed load of fruit as you'll see from my food diary.

The First Day.

Well first day over and done with.  Well not really as that started around 7th Jan 2011.  Today didn't feel any different to any of other days in January other than now I had to log every I have eaten today.

So here you go here is a list of all I've eaten today yes this is the lot nothing missed from the list and I don't feel hungry or the need for anything else to eat.  I didn't have both of the Alpen Light bars or the full 250ml's of milk.

That must be a good thing as I feel great about it even after walking 4.9 miles today.  Yes that reads 4.9 Miles today I'm aiming to do that at least trying to do this every other day if not every day.  Tomorrow for lunch will be carrot and coriander soup and I'm really looking forward to it.

The Weigh In...

There you go weigh in is over and done with.  I do love the scales at slimming word as with them I'm not as fat as my scales tell me I am.  So no turning back I have every intention of keeping this up so I can loose weight.


As I've said previously I really don't have a a real target other than to loose weight feel fitter and healthier in myself.


Today Laura and myself went into town just for something to do.  I had intended to walk to town but Laura didn't think she could make it so we didn't.


Eating out is a bit of a git while your thinking about SYNs and free foods but we managed to get a jacket potato with beans and salad.  Tea tonight was a lot later than planned but that was due to going to slimming world to register and weigh in however Laura managed to make the Cod with Tomato and Chorizo and it was yummy as can be.

The big weigh in is coming

Tuesday 25/01/2010 is the day. The day I find out from slimming world how fat I really am. My Own scales weighed me in at the 125kg and since the 07/01/2011 I've lost nearly 2kg.

Other than poising some of my weight I don't really have a goal. We I suppose that's a little lie as I know I've got a pair of jeans that I haven't worn that I would like to wear again. Other than that I'm really only doing this to loose weight and to feel better in myself.

Next update from me will be after the weigh in... I may be happy or I may be really down in the dumps if my scales have lied.

Monday PIE

After the sneak peak on Saturday I thought I better complete the information on the Pie.

For the pie I followed another slimming world recipe this on was for a Steak & Mushroom pie.

Ingredients
1 medium onion
681g/1½ lb lean cubed braising steak
1 level tbsp cornflour
2 bay leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper
284ml/½ pt beef stock
227g/8oz closed cup mushrooms
3 x 22½g sheets filo pastry
1 medium egg, beaten

Method
1. Peel and slice the onion and place in a pan. Remove all visible fat from the steak, toss in the cornflour and add it to the pan with the bay leaves and seasoning. Add the stock and about 142ml/¼pt water to just cover the beef. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 1½ hours until the beef is tender. Cool, then discard the bay leaves.

2. Preheat the oven to 220°C/Gas 7. Quarter the mushrooms and place in a 1136ml/2pt pie dish. Add the beef and onions using a slotted spoon, and pour over about 200ml/7floz of the cooking liquid to come halfway up the dish. The meat will come to the top, but once the mushrooms cook down the level will sink.

3. Brush each sheet of pastry with egg, lightly scrunch up and place on top of the meat, pulling the sheets out to make sure all the meat is covered. Brush generously with egg and bake for 20 minutes. Lower the heat to 180°C/Gas 4 and continue to cook for a further 20 minutes until golden and hot. Serve with green vegetables.

Now this may sound strange but at 10:30am this morning it was beautiful with some green beans and peas. Yes dinner at 10:30am reason being I'm working till 8pm and after that is to late to eat for me and my chrones disease. Don't worry I won't be starving I'll be eating an Alpen Light breakfast bar around 6pm and that will do me till tomorrow.

Sunday Dinner... yes proper Sunday dinner

Yummy, arrived at my mams withe the kids after a 1.2 mile walk guess what is on the menu today... Roast Beef and all the trimmings all done in the slimming world manner, roast potatoes roasted with fry light and Rosemary and garlic, mushy peas green beans.

Extra special for Hayleigh and Megan a Yorkshire pud none for me though.

Also got Fruit Salad al a Pops for desert .

So pleased I had my healthy breakfast of banana's melon and a little Alpro low fat yogurt.

Sneak peek

Yesterdays Jammon

Unlike Moss we did not throw it all away like Yesterdays Jam. Lean trimmed gammon with poorly baked sweet potato and yet more dry fried garlic mushrooms. Tom is a great lover of Gammon, garlic and mushrooms so I do love to treat him (especially when its free!!)!

Tom picked 4 tiny sweet potatoes so we made it easier for baking, but yet it still was a wee bit al dente, it was still very tasty as usual. No sweet ... which is my biggest pitfall, I have a very sweet tooth but I am lactose intolerant - making things a little more difficult.

Between us eating out is a pain in the butt! Tom can't eat eggs and I can't eat diary! Oh well Valentines is coming up and I expect that to be our epic treat day! Hoorah! I always get excited about that ... not sure why. Already planning none the less!

No pictures today as everything was eaten very fast as it was very late as we met up with a few friends down at the local - don't threat, there was no alcohol only diet coke! Tomorrow Tom is cooking up a pie and off to Sue's for another Sunday Roast. Am gutted to be at work but its all pennies!! I've lost 1kg so far this week which is pretty good!

Tempted to splurge on something nice to get me motivated - smexy dress to go with my new hair perhaps? Riri Pinkish Red is on the cards!

Saturdays Mediterranean Haddock

You may have noticed that I've been cooking a little bit fish and today is more fish. What else can I say other than I love fish both living and for eating.

Today's adventure started out as a lazy Saturday but I got bored and went for a walk to buy ingredients for dinner. The walk was tracked using EndomondoI was only going to walk to the local supermarket but thought I could go a little further. What a great walk it was 4.23 miles managed to listen to Pinks greatest hits and most of live lounge 5 cd 1. But enough of that the adventure is for the kitchen.

So Mediterranean Haddock lets start with the ingredients.

1 small onion
½ small green pepper
142ml/¼pt vegetable stock
200g can chopped tomatoes
a pinch of dried oregano
salt and freshly ground black pepper
170g/6oz chunky skinless cod fillet
Fry Light

I think everything on the ingredients list was free of SYNS. Now for what I done





1. Peel and finely chop the onion. Deseed and finely chop the pepper. Place in a pan with the stock, bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

2. Stir in the tomatoes, oregano and seasoning. Bring back to the boil, cover and simmer for 2-3 minutes.

3. Preheat the grill to a medium/hot setting. Wash and pat dry the cod. Season on both sides and place on the grill rack. Spray lightly with Fry Light and grill for 5-6 minutes on each side until lightly golden and cooked through.

4. Serve the fish with the sauce and rice.







The recipe did say serve with green veg but I thought rice would be better.

Broccoli Blue Cheese Soup

Tom's kitchen adventure this evening involves a small selection of ingredients, they are mainly Broccoli and Yorkshire blue cheese. I know cheese isn't free but it will last me 2-3 days over 5 servings so when you split down the syns it isn't that bad.





So I'm going to turn the above into something that resembles this recipe Good Food Broccoli and Blue Cheese Soup. Standard substitution fry light for that nasty olive oil.





So what you think... I know what I think as I tasted it as the chief in charge of cooking and let me just say OM NOM NOM. Any one from work want any and I'll bring some in tomorrow just ask nicely.

Wednesdays dinner

Right work over now I got time to write up last nights dinner. We attempted something new from the slimming world little book of tricks. We had Bacon Rosti with Grilled Chestnut Mushrooms and Cherry Tomatoes. I was a little concerned with the recipe at first not being sure that it could be 100% SYN free but hey how wrong was I.

Yes that's right what started out as potatoes bacon and onion was completely free to eat. Laura started by setting some potatoes to par boil while waiting for them off she went trimming ever mm of fat from a packet of smoked bacon and chopping some shallots as they are a little sweeter. Bacon in the pan with fry light to crispin up, potato grated and onions added to pan to brown off.

All mixed together and shaped into individual rosti there was enough mix to make 10 Rosti







Once all prepared left to rest a short time and again in fry light fried until golden







Needless to say mushrooms and tomatoes came next, just under the grill until ready for you. Personally I love my mushrooms a little on the raw side as I think you loose too much flavour when overly cooked.







Again the chipped plate... Not had time to go buy new ones... Soon I promise new plates all chip free.

Wednesday and the doctors

What an eventful day. Well that's a lie went walking on breaks so if you call that eventful then it was an eventful day.

I managed to cover 4.91 miles over 4 walks, a little knackered after the last one but felt good for it.

Also had my doctors appoint yesterday. The stupid doctor wanted to give me tablets that have been known to make people have accidents in there pants. Now come on my guts are messed up enough with the chrones disease. So needless to say I asked them not to be described having second thoughts now as apparently they are worth a few quid to other people.

Will put last nights dinner on in a but but first I must work.

Tuesday Dinner

So here we go. "Mixed pepper and Chicken bake"

It all started like the picture below.  3 Chicken breasts, 4 Peppers de-seeded and sliced, 1 Large Onion sliced, 4 Cloves of garlic finely chopped, Zest and juice of 1 lemon, 2 tbsp of poppy seeds & 142ml of chicken stock.

Pretty simple to prep just lots of slicing and chopping.  Then again with a wrist in a cast it's a little hard to chop and slice as it bloody hurts! easiest part was putting poppy seeds on the chicken.

 All ready for oven now, just need to wait the 25 minutes for it all to cook, meanwhile new potatoes in boiling.  Not decided if i should add some peas to the mix too.  Decided that peas were the way forward as peas are great, so here is the final dish.

I think next time there will be a few changes, Less fluid, less onion, less peppers, more different veg to add variety such as Sweet potato, squash, parsnips.  I think make it like a roasted veg (in fry-light off course).

Monday blues!

Yes I know it's Tuesday but to me it's a Monday as it's the first day back at work after 4 days off. On the up side it's only a 4 day week.

The real Monday was nothing too eventful. Slimming wise I replicated the Sunday salad as it tasted that good, I did replace the chicken with nice lean pork leg steaks.

Tonight I'm planning on trying something new going for a slimming world recipe of "Mixed Pepper and Chicken Bake" only 1 SYN will also need to make some soup for work tomorrow also think if will be carrot and corriander. Unless anyone feels like inspiring me to a different receipe.

The Dinner is gone

After 1 1/2 hours of crying and screaming Kian finally calmed down by playing games on the iPad, I know a bloody expensive baby toy... No it was all under supervision so screen is intact the battery however is completely flat so that's now on charge ready for round two as he's just starting to stir after sleeping on the floor.    Not sure if Sunderland AFC had an early dinner seen as they only managed a 1-1 draw.

As for the dinner what more can I say other than NOM NOM NOM.  It all started with the Chicken cooked with skin on but the skin was fed to the sea gulls.  No it really was the if I had been quick enough with the camera you would have seen it munching away.

Threw together some Lettuce (mixed varieties), Celery, Beetroot, Radish, Peppers, Red Onion and Spring Onion whites.

Topped it off with some Boiled Egyptian New Potatoes, Cherry Tomatoes and some pickled onions.

Now to think of something for Laura's dinner when she's finished work.

Forgot to say salad was dressed with Balsamic Vinegar so every thing you see above was a free healthy feed on the Slimming World Super Easy diet.   Wonder if i can get the canteen at work to do nice food like this when I work weekends!

The Sunday Roast take 2

Ater an fun trip through the city where I was treated to a nommy cup of coffee from Laura, i've just arrived at my mams only to find out we arn't having a full Sunday roast.

Instead we are having a roast chicken and salad. I'm not that bothered missing the other bits of the roast as I know from past experience my mans salads are amazing.

Was looking forward to spending some quality time with Kian my son whilst at my mams but seen as he hasn't stopped crying since I arrived. I hope he calms down soon.

The Sunday Roast

Like most other people in the UK I hope to enjoy a Sunday roast. Now the problem lies in that not only are roast potatoes and yorkshire puds bad for you but so is the gravy. 

Thankfully I'm not the person making the dinner that privilege falls to my wonderful mother. She has done so well on her own slimming adventure that she will ensure that anything we have today will be good for us all.

On a side note some local team of 11 is playing a game against another team of 11 so they will be 42,000 people who don't get there roast at the right time. Oh well i'll make sure I really enjoy mine and let you all read about it here later.

After a Long Day ...

Needless to say I love coming home and smelling whatever my beloved happens to be cooking when I step through the door, one of my favourites this week has to be one of my recipes which I pinched from Good Food yet again.

This time it was Cod with Tomato and Chorizo, which smelt wonderful and tasted just as good Chorizo was bulked out a little and could be replaced with smoked bacon rounds if preferred but it needed that slight extra spice in my opinion - will definitely be having this one again.

Served this on a simple brown rice, I did think about chickpeas but we did have a fairly big fillet of Cod so didn't bother with it really. Little to say it was lush and I was impressed with my efforts, generally when I come from work I don't like to do anything other than collapse on the sofa and curl up but on this occasion it was a day off and I wanted to try something new and close to very few syns. The last few days I've been struggling because I've been feeling very hungry but this one did hit the spot!

Let the adventure begin

Sorry the title is a little bit of a lie.  The adventure didn't really begin today it began the 1st January 2011.  Over the the course of the last 14 days we have cut down on the crap.  Yes all the junk food and Fatty food is out and in with the new healthy approach.

We'll be following the Slimming World Super Easy approach.  That reminds me go the doctors appointment for my referral on Wednesday evening.

Well back to today for dinner Tom decided to use some mackerel that I've had in the freezer a while and follow the Good Food Mackerel Risotto recipe removed the Butter from the recipe as Butter is BAD! replace smoked mackerel for the regular line caught mackerel we had in the freezer.  Left the wine in... Come on it was only 100ml.

When I make this again I think I'll not use a whole onion as I think it was a little much perhaps even replace the onion for shallots as I think they will be even better.

The finished product please excuse the chipped plate next time I'll use a better one.