Changing Tastes

Over this week i have noticed that my tastes have changed with certain things which isn't unusual. I've been at my BFF's for the last couple of days which has been great. For years i've always had semi skimmed milk and thought that skimmed milk was just watery but yesterday i tried some and it was really nice so i'll be getting some in from now on.

I also don't think my body can take cake any more (well with real cream and sugar in) as after having some the other day i was ill. As i have found lots of recipes for low syn cakes i can still eat it when i fancy it. This is not a bad thing and i'm glad that i found out now rather than later. It has also made me wonder what will happen when i have any alcohol as i haven't had any since i've been on this journey so that will be interesting, not sure that i'm looking forward to that one lol.

This weekend i have been corrupted by my BFF. She loves to cross stitch and has now got me at it and i'm all ready about half way through a bookmark she gave me to do. I also have a couple of things to do after i've done this so my life will slightly different but good. When i move on to the bigger projects i'll post them here.

Right i'm off as my foot is going numb and i need to move. Take care and happy slimming

Beetroot Risotto with Rocket

I'm posting this recipe tonight as a lady called lisa on facebook asked for it after i said that i was having it for my dinner.

Serves 4----------------------Free

Fry light

1 red onion, finely chopped

2 celery sticks, peeled and finely chopped

13oz (369g) dried risotto rice

2pt (1.1l) hot vegetable stock

250g pack cooked vacuum-packed beetroot, cubed (reserving the liquid)

salt and freshly ground black pepper

To serve

A very small handful of fresh dill, finely chopped

4oz (113g) wild rocket leaves

Parmesan cheese, grated (optional, 1 1/2syns per tbsp)

1) Heat a deep frying pan sprayed with fry light. Cook the celery and onion, covered for 10 minutes until softened. Add the rice and cook for a minute

2) pour the stock into a saucepan and keep hot over a low heat. gradually add the stock to the rice pan, stirring frequently, adding more stock as the stock becomes absorbed. This will take about 20 minutes.

3) Add the beetroot and juice to the rice after about 15minutes of cooking and stir well. To see of the risotto is cooked, check the stock has been used up and the rice is tender , but al dente. Season to taste.

4) Divide the risotto between large shallow bowls and sprinkle with dill. Add a handful of rocket and cheese (if using)

This is a slimming world recipe (i think it was a magazine that i got it out of). I hope that you enjoy it coz i did.

Take care and happy slimming

Sweet Craving

Tonight i've had a massive craving for something sweet but not chocolate. I had some quark in the fridge and mixed it with two tubs of muller light and some sweetener. It was sweet and creamy and so nice. I ate some with a chocolate snack-a-jack but the craving is still there. I did some searching on google and found that this could be turned into ice cream so its now in the freezer and in an hour i have to take it out and mix it. This should become a creamy ice cream and syn free.

I'll let you know how it turns out.

Take care and happy slimming

Sausage and Potato Salad

Now i have to admit that i'm not really a salad person as i don't like lettuce. But then i was introduced to rocket and i've not started to eat salads.

With alot of vegetables in the fridge i thought i'd have one for lunch today as put of my new healthy lifestyle. So here is my salad

Sausage and Potato Salad

Serves 4-------------------2 1/2 syns per serving

Charlotte potatoes, sliced and as many as you like

2 sticks of celery

1/4 cucumber, diced

1/2 pack radishes

1/2 tin sweetcorn

1 pack rocket, spinach and watercress salad

3 spring onions

mushrooms, sliced and as many as you like

10 cherry tomatoes, quartered

8 cumberland sausages, sliced (i used tesco low fat ones)

8tbsp fat free fromage frais

1tbsp extra light mayo

1tbsp wholegrain mustard

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1) Cook the potatoes and sausages and then allow to cool

2) Chop up everything and toss in a bowl

3) Add the rocket salad and potatoes in the bowl ans toss

4) Divide the sausages between serving plates and add the salad to the top

5) Drizzle the dressing over the salad and serve

Remember that the dressing is where the syns are (apart from the sausages) so use as much or as little as you want.

After eating this i'm really full and i have lots left so i'll be eating it for ages. You don't have to use the dressing that i did. After i go shopping on tuesday i'll have some syn free salad dressings to use and i can't wait.

Now i'm just wondering what to have for my dinner tonight.

Will be back soon so take care and happy slimming

Lamb Bolognese

Tonight for my dinner i had Lamb Bolognese. I got this from my bff and her weight watchers recipe book. The first time i had this was a few weeks ago when i stayed at her house. It's nice and spicy and very filling.

Serves 2-----------------1 1/2 syns per serving

fry light

1 onion, chopped

185g (6 1/2oz) lean lamb mince

2 large garlic cloves, chopped finely

1 tsp dried thyme

200ml (7fl oz) passata

100ml (3 1/2fl oz) vegetable stock

25g (1oz) dried apricots, chopped into small pieces

75g (2 3/4oz) canned cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

a few splashes of Tabasco (optional)

a few fresh coriander leaves

salt and freshly ground pepper

1) Heat a lidded non stick saucepan, spray with fry light and cook the onion for 5 minutes, covered stirring regularly until softened. Add the lamb and cook stirring regularly to break up any lumps, for 5 minutes until browned all over.

2) Stir in the garlic and thyme, then add the passata, stock, apricots and cannellini beans. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer over a low heat for 15 minutes. Add a splash of Tabasco, if using then partially cover the pan and cook for a further 15 minutes until the sauce has reduced and is thickened. Season to taste.

3) Serve with a jacket potato or mash potato

This is really worth trying and i hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

I need to have a reasonable night tonight as i have to be up early in the morning to go and help out at my consultants thursday groups.

Take care and happy slimming

Diet Coke Chicken

Now this recipe sounds really weird but the smell when it was cooking was lovely and buy the time it was ready it was looking just as good. I served it mash potato, broccoli and cauliflower but you could have it with anything really. This turned out to be a very yummy meal and best of all it was syn free which is always good. I will be having this again and think it will become a family favourite. I have heard that some people have done this with fanta instead and that does sound just as interesting.

Diet Coke Chicken

Serves 4--------------------Free

4oog sliced chicken breast

1 onion, diced

330ml can diet coke

6tbsps passata

Dash of worcestershire sauce

fry light

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1) Heat a large frying pan and spray with fry light

2) Add the onion and chicken and fry until starts to colour

3) Add the remaining ingredients and bring to the boil

4) Simmer until the sauce thickens and reduces down to about half its volume about 30minutes

This is a really easy recipe to do and so worth it. It tastes like barbecue sauce and so good and you have to give it a go

Tomorrow is weigh day and i'm looking forward to finding out what i've lost this week (as long as its more that 1 1/2lbs), yes i did say looking forward. I feel that i'm still doing well so it can only be good news tomorrow.

I'm borrowing my bff's yoga dvd to give it a try before i go and buy my own. I keep hearing how good it is for weightloss and i can't see what i have to loss by giving it a go. If i get used to doing it now as i get smaller and even when i get to target i'll be used to doing it. I'll let you know how i get on.

Take care and happy slimming

Yummy Roast Chicken Dinner

Tonight i had a roast chicken and it very yummy but the main thing was that it was syn free which is really good. I did have roast potatoes and roast parsnips. How i hear you asking, well i cooked them in fry light so it was really dry roasting which is how i have always done my chicken. But today i sprayed some fry light over the chicken and as i type this i'm cooking chicken stock from the carcass which i'll use for a couple of my dinners this week instead of using stock cubes. I've never done this before but i've seen my bff do it when i've stayed at hers so i thought that i'd give it a go as it doesn't cost anything to do.

Now i don't normally do a roast that often but when i was doing my menu for this fortnight i had just been staying at my bff's for the weekend and they always have one on a sunday so i thought why not. There was a lot of chicken left over but i have plans for it during the week like a chicken, lemon and garlic casserole tomorrow and curry or stew on tuesday.

Cooking all my meals from scratch means that i know everything that's in them so i can count the amount of syns that is in everything that i eat. I'm the first to admit that i was a big ready meal junkie and i'd eat a couple of them a week and even polish off a whole 12inch pizza by myself. Doing that at least once a week isn't really a good idea is it but i enjoyed it so i thought why not. But my biggest weakness has to be ice cream, i just can't get a enough of the stuff and really doesn't last long as i'll eat it as soon as possible and then spend a couple of days regretting it. So i've spent some time online looking at the slimming world website and it has a syn free ice cream recipe which i can't wait to try. That wasn't the only recipe that i found on there and to be honest there was loads and i will be trying them. The casserole that i'm having tomorrow is from there. Not that that is the only place that i've got recipes from, i've got several from weight watchers recipe books which i have worked out for their syn value which is quite good. My favourite so far has to be the sausage and pear hotpot which was so yummy and only 4 syns per serving. Next time i have it i'll post the recipe.

That's enough for tonight so take care and happy slimming