What’s In Your Cupboard?

I am thinking about converting my under-stairs cupboard into a pantry and in the process thinking about what I would want to stock up on and store. Obviously it would need to be foods that I use all the time in various recipes and that are also Slimming World friendly. This got me wondering what would you stock up on? What do you use all the time in your cooking?

Some of the things I want to stock up on are:

• Chopped tomatoes
• Baked beans
• Passata
• Corned beef
• Tinned salmon
• Sardines/skippers
• Jacket potatoes (in appropriate storage)
• Pasta
• Spaghetti
• Noodles
• Rice
• Pudding rice
• Supernoodles, Pasta and Sauce, Savoury Rice etc
• Sugar free jelly
• Stock cubes
• Sugar free pop and squash

The Dream (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Looking at the list it doesn’t look like all that much so I’m sure I am missing a lot of stuff so I was wondering what would you stock up on?

 

My name is Vicky and I am addicted to weighing myself!

I can’t help it! Every morning I have to wake up and know what effect the previous days food has had on my weight-loss. Sometimes it has a negative impact when I have been super good and it doesn’t seem to be working. But on the flip side of the coin when I see that my eating is having a positive impact it is a huge motivator. It also helps me to see how badly I need to get back on track after a weekend of sheer indulgence. I know it is wrong to weigh myself most days but I can’t help it. A couple of weeks ago I went away for the week and I it nearly drove me crazy not knowing what was happening with my weight. But it did help me to break some of the weighing habit so now I have managed to only weigh myself every couple of days. You never know some time soon I might manage to only weigh in once a week in class. That will probably be about the time that I get to target some time after the wedding and honeymoon (I am probably going to end up gaining that week).

Anyway, onto other news…today’s food plan is as follows:

Breakfast – Shreddies (HEB), Semi Skimmed Milk (HEA) Banana (Superfree)

Lunch – Supernoodles (Free), Jelly and Mullerlight mix (0.5 syns)

Dinner – Spaghetti Bolognese (Free) MullerLight (Free)

Sunday 25th November 2012

I’m going to try for a really low syn day today. Although I had a reasonable good day yesterday (if you conveniently forget about the 5 chocolates I ate). It means I really need a low syn day today, so here is the plan:

B – Fruit

S – MullerLight

L/D – Roast chicken

Roast potatoes

Veggies

Gravy 2 syns

S – Wholemeal Toast (HEB)

Margarine (HEA)

It should be a yummy scrummy food day if I can just Say No! On the positive side husband to be has decided to lose a few pounds and so it following it as well. As you can imagine this is a huge help as it means that he is unlikely to want all of those ‘naughty foods’. This week I really want to lose 1lb. I realised today that I have 1lb to lose until my 1.5st award. I would love to get that certificate to display on my fridge.

To help me stick to my diet plan I plan on keeping myself busy through crafting for the wedding, doing some college work, visiting Dunelm Mill to pick up some curtain hooks and of course cooking dinner.

Rice Pudding

Rice Pudding

I thought this tasted lovely but it was really sweet. I was wondering whether using milk instead of Cream Soda would take away some of the sweetness. I also couldn’t help but serve it with a blob of strawberry jam.

Ingredients

• 1 Pint of sugar free Cream Soda
• Half a mug of Pudding Rice
• 1 or 2 spoons of Vanilla Mullerlight

Method

Put the 1 pint of sugar free cream soda and half a mug of pudding rice and boil until all the Cream Soda is absorbed by the rice. Then mix some Vanilla Mullerlight (you dont need a whole one, a few spoon fulls to taste). There is no reason to stick to just vanilla Mullerlight, for example you could use toffee or strawberry.

 

 

Syn Free Pizza (using your HEA and HEB)

Well, it’s a great alternative to pizza and chips. I had some left over bolognese and there just wasn’t enough to make a meal for both me and husband  to be and as I HATE wasting food I flat out refused to throw it away. So I decided to turn it into a meaty pizza!

Pizza and Chips

I used 1 untoasted whole meal pitta bread (HEB) for the base. Spread a spoon of the syn free bolognese  over the pitta and then sprinkled it with 45g mozzarella cheese (HEA). This was then put into a preheated 200degree oven until the cheese is melted and going brown and then served with slimming world chips.

It really was lovely and it has quickly become one of husband to be favourite left over meals! Next I’m going to try it with chilli!

Chinese Slimming World Style

Tonight I am indulging in one of my favourite foods…chinese! I love chinese and look forward to it whenever I eat it. I haven’t had it in a good few weeks though due to the fact I have found that since starting Slimming World and cooking from scratch more I feel horrible afterwards. I’m not talking about that dreaded guilt trip I tend to go down whenever I ‘cheat’ but in myself I feel terrible. It is like my body is punishing me for putting something as fatty as prawn crackers, bbq ribs, egg fried rice and sweet and sour chicken (battered) into my body. It is like I just can’t handle it and to be honest I have now decided that it simply is not worth it. So tonight I will be really strict with myself and I will certainly not be indulging in the ‘really naughty’ chinese foods. Another added bonus to this is the fact that I will be saving a ton of syns. I looked up the syns of some of favourite chinese orders:

• BBQ Spare Ribs = 8.5 syns
• Prawn Crackers = 1.5 syns for 5 and you can guarantee that I could eat 10/15 in a meal so you looking at 4.5 syns
• Egg Fried Rice = 4 syns
• Sweet And Sour Chicken (battered) = 17.5 syns

So for my old chinese takeaway that made me feel terrible is a whopping 34.5 syns! I can’t believe I used to put that into my body and think nothing of it. It really is no wonder I used to feel terrible after that.

This time it will be a completely different story. I intend to not eat any prawn crackers or appetisers and will instead be ordering boiled rice (FREE) with chicken in oyster sauce (4.5 syns). Yum Yum and with this menu choice hopefully I wont be feeling half as bad as I did last time.

What Is A Healthy Weight Anyway?

After weeks of debating I have finally set my target weight this week but the whole target weight setting process has got me thinking about 2 questions. What is a healthy weight? What does a healthy weight look like? In truth I don’t have a clue. I’m not a big magazine reader but everyday I am still bombarded by images of  other women (and men) that are at their so called ideal weights and are the pinacle of beauty. Now, I’ve been using my BMI to help me calculate a good time to stop losing weight and it works out at 7lbs less than I am now. However, I also know that this is not a huge amount of weight and wont change my appearance dramatically. When I lose this weight I will not have a body like so many of the so called celebrities.

While doing a quick scan of the internet I came across this across this post on a site called skinny vs curvy. This article is basically about how Miley Cyrus is underweight and even goes as far as saying her so called weight and height stats. I am 26 and consider myself to have a certain level of intelligence but when I look at this image I think I am looking at the image of a woman that is healthy and fit. I have even seen simliar on the front of fitness magazines. I believe that I am looking at something that I should be.

Source: http://skinnyvscurvy.com/miley-cyrus/touch-miley-cyrus-underweight-100-pounds.html

But then you read and find out that (if the stats are correct) that she is 5ft 4in and weighs 100lb. According to the Slimming World BMI calculator this would make her underweight with a BMI at a mere 17.2. This challenges everything I have been ‘programmed’ to think. It also challenges my ideas of what is beautiful, which can only be a good thing.

Now I’m not saying that everyone that has that body is underweight. I can’t say that because it turns out that I have absolutely no idea what a ‘normal weight’ is. What I am saying is that as I come to the last half stone of my weight-loss I intend to not only work on my outward appearance but also some of the wiring inside. I am going to start to change my thinking about what body beautiful is and try to be more satisfied with my body. I have got a long and happy future ahead of my which involve getting married, eventually having children, watching said children grow up and then have children of their own. To enjoy this I need to be fit and healthy  and at a normal weight that is healthy for me and not what tv and magazines try to tell me is healthy.

Spiced Plum Clafoutis

Taken from the Slimming World magazine October 2012.

Serves: 6

Ready in about: 45 minutes

Syns: 4 syns all choices

• Fry Light
• 500g fresh plums, halved and stoned
• Finely grated zest of 1 orange
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• A pinch of ground cardamom seeds
• A large pinch of ground allspice
• 6 tbsp sweetener
• 2 eggs, separated
• 3 level tbsp plain flour, sieved
• 1 level tbsp ground almonds
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 70ml skimmed milk
• 1 level tsp icing sugar, to dust
• Fat-free natural fromage frais, to serve

1. Preheat your oven to 18oc/fan 160c/gas mark 4. Lightly spray a shallow 20cm-diameter baking dish with Fry Light.
2. Put the plums, orange zest, cinnamon, cardamom, allspice and 2 tbsp sweetener in a mixing bowl and toss well. spoon the mixture into a baking dish.
3. put the egg yolks and remaining  sweetener in another bowl and beat, using an electric hand whisk, until pale and fluffy. fold in the flour, ground almonds, vanilla extract and milk.
4. put the egg whites in a clean glass bowl. beat with an electric hand whisk on a medium speed until they form soft peaks when the blades are lifted. fold the egg whites gently into the batter.
5. Spoon the batter over the fruit and bake in the middle of the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the batter is puffed and golden. Allow the clafoutis to cool slightly, then dust with the icing sugar and serve immediately with a dollop of fromage frais.

My First Slimming World Friendly Baking Experience!

Today I have done my first bit of Slimming World friendly baking since I started slimming world in February. I do enjoy baking and always find it difficult to watch programmes like the Great British Bake Off without drooling and wishing that I too could bake such amazing cakes that contain that amount of butter without getting fat. Alas, I cannot. In fact, while we are on the subject, why is it that you have these slim celebrity chefs cooking plenty of fatty delights but still manage to stay slim? I am convinced that they must not eat the food they cook! This is something I do not have the determination for. It just isn’t an option for me. If I have spent an hour or two slaving away in the kitchen making some sort of baked delight you can bet your bottam dollar that I WILL be trying it!

Anyway I have done my first bit of baking today and I must say it was a success. I made the yummy looking Spiced Plum Clafoutis from the most recent Slimming World magazine. It really was scrummy and the best thing about this lovely pud is that it is only 4 syns a slice! Yes you heard right..4 syns a slice! Don’t mind if I do! If you too would like to make this little delight you can find the recipe in the most recent Slimming World magazine or HERE on my blog.

It wasn’t too hard to make and the instructions were so easy that even me (who NEVER bakes apart from the really simple stuff :-p). The only thing I struggled with was trying to describe my eggs as pale and fluffy. No matter how much I beat them and whisked them they did not look pale and fluffy so I gave up and went to the next step. It doesn’t seem to have made a difference though.

Anyway, to the important numbers. Todays diet diary is as follows:

Breakfast Fruit and Fibre (HEB + 1 syn) Milk (0.5 HEA) Mango (SUPERFREE)

Lunch Chicken and Herb Low Fat Supernoodle (FREE) Sardines (FREE) 2x peaches (SUPERFREE) Muller Fat Free Greek Style Lemon Yoghurt (0.5)

Dinner Left Over Sichuan Pork (1 syn) slimming world (FREE) 1 slice of plum Clafoutis (4 syns)

Total syns = 6.5 syns

As I have had a few syns today and yesterday I will be going to the gym with my partner once he finishes work. It is much more interesting going to the gym when you have someone to go with. Not that we have the same routine 😛  .

Classic Beef Burger

Taken from the Slimming World Extra Easy Cookbook.

Serves: 4

Syns: Free on Extra Easy, 8.5 on Original, 13 on green

Ready in about: 40 minutes

• 794g extra lean mince beef
• 8 tbsp very finely chopped shallots
• 4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

1. Place the minced beed, shallots, Worcestershire sauce and garlic in and bowl an,d using your hands, combine the thoroughly.
2. Season well, divide into four and shape into flat burgers.
3. Spray the burgers with low cal spray, place under a hot grill (or BBQ 😉 and cook to your liking.