Monday - always a good day to get on it like a car bonnet!

5^th November 2012

Baby, you’re a firework, come on let your colours burst !

 

Today is officially bonfire night, I know most of you have already done the bonfires and fireworks but I haven’t, so in memory of my childhood I think I might have hotdogs today with onions and rolls and pretend I’m stood outside in the wet freezing cold ;-)  I do like a hotdog that’s for sure and I’m know mom does too.

 

I had a lovely day yesterday, scrapbooking in the morning then after a very little bit of housework, we chilled in the afternoon, scrapbooking really passes hours for me, the time just flies by and I really lose myself.  So I’ve left all my stuff out – the office looks like a bombs hit it but I can shut the door if need be, will try and do half hour here and there, it really chills me out and gets my creative juices going, and the longer I do it the better I get, because when I leave it for a long time I forget.  Might start making a few cards again too, that’s a good one and uses the same stuff I already have.

 

So Monday morning, start of the week, a great day to refocus – I actually woke up this morning thinking to myself, “okay, lets have a healthy week this week Bev, maybe a little detoxing of the body, in anticipation of the oncoming festive season”, now I didn’t have that thought because I feel guilty about overindulging at the weekend like I once would, nope I had that thought because its something I feel I would benefit from.   So I’ve already moved the wine that was delivered on Friday out of the hallway and put it away, and I will mostly be drinking water this week I think, at least until Friday night, I mean we don’t want to be too radical do we now!  I’m thinking plenty of water and some good healthy foods, (If you’re reading this Lynne – you’re on it with me!)  ok today will include hotdogs but then after that, lots of veggies, I may not even have the hot dogs, might have gone off that idea by lunchtime, I can be fickle and I don’t have bread rolls – yep gone of that idea already.  I have some liver I want to cook, I’m going to marinate it in sherry (oops that’s alcohol, but it’s to be used in cooking so not the same I’m sure!), I could do it without the sherry and use that recipe another time I suppose, you can’t beat liver and onions with mash potatoes and veggies – nom nom.  I know a lot of you will be cringing at the thought of liver but I love it.

 

I want to make a mushroom tart like the one my friend posted on facebook last night, it looked lush, veggies are so under-rated and yet make some of the tastiest meals there are.  I’m going to use the cauliflower in the fridge and make macaroni & cauli cheese, that’ll spread the ProPoints further giving me a bigger meal.

 

Me – obsessed with food!  I’ll not have it said ;-)

 

So Veggies, what’s you’re favourite veggie recipe?  If you have one email it to me, I haven’t had this for a while but it’s defo a good one;

 

Leek and mustard bake Serves 4 total 25pp – 6pp each

 

700g baby leeks (wash & cut in half lengthways)

50g low fat margarine (5pp)

50g plain flour (5pp)

600ml skimmed milk (6pp)

100g low fat soft cheese with garlic & herbs (4pp)

1 tbsp wholegrain Dijon mustard (1pp)

50g low fat cheddar cheese (4pp)

salt & pepper

 

·         Preheat oven to Gas Mark 5 / 190^oC.  Steam leeks for 5-10 minutes or until softened.

·         Meanwhile, melt margarine in a non stick saucepan and stir in the flour to make a ball.  Remove the pan from the heat, add the milk and whisk until the roux ball is completely broken up into the milk.

·         Return to a low heat and whisk until the sauce thickens. Add soft cheese and mustard, season to taste.

·         Place the steamed leeks in the base of an ovenproof dish.  Pour over the sauce and sprinkle with the cheese, then bake for 15 minutes until bubbling and golden.

 

 

Oh and my rissoles worked out really well, certainly shall make them again, used this recipe;

 

Beef Rissoles (Makes 6 – 4pp each)

 

225g leftover beef joint - cooked (11pp)

1 small onion

40g breadcrumbs(4pp)

Egg, beaten (2pp)

Salt & pepper

I also added some herb and garlic mix from a asda grinder mill

 

Flour for coating (2pp) and oil for frying (4pp)

 

Either mince both the onion and the meat through the finest blade of a mincer, or else chop them finely in a food processor (I grated the beef!). Then place them in a mixing bowl and add the rest of the ingredients.

 

Now just mix and mix until everything is thoroughly blended. Divide the mixture into six portions, and shape each into a round cake shape with your hands. Then coat each rissole all over with some seasoned wholewheat flour.  All this can be done in advance, and the rissoles can be covered and chilled in the fridge. When you're ready to cook, heat some oil in a frying-pan and when it's very hot fry the rissoles for 5 minutes on each side.

 

On that note I better get moving, I have work to do, I can’t sit here talking about food all day! 

 

The Weight Watcher cook books are all on half price from today for November, if you haven’t already bought them now’s the time – the Complete Kitchen is a great covers everything kind of cook book.