Yay it's Thursday!

23^rd January 2014

The past cannot be changed, forgotten, edited or erased… It can only be accepted.

Thinking about my bestie this morning, she’s got a tough day ahead of her and I wished I could be with her, however I know both herself and the rest of her family will be ok xxx

We all go through tough times and life changes don’t we and we have to cope because the alternative sucks!   Lovely people keep asking me how my mom is and she’s the same, she isn’t going to get better until they’ve done the operation which we have to wait for, so she’s being as positive as she can be, which isn’t easy when you’re in pain and uncomfortable all the time, but as she says “what’s the alternative?”

Anyway enough of this doom and gloom, not the best way to start a day is it, I’ve just nearly jumped through the ceiling when my alarm went off, for some reason the volume was high – really high!  So I’m really awake this morning, a little shocked and startled but full awake ;-)

Last day of my working week today, I haven’t planned my meals – that’s not a good sign!  I need to get my thinking cap on now otherwise it could all end badly, I’m already over for the week because of my Birthday so unlikely to get a loss tomorrow but I don’t want to do anymore damage.  Yesterday I made those fish fingers they were great, and we had cheese and potato pie for lunch, I earned 7pp on my pedometer to cover the cheese.  We ate the leftovers for tea. Not got much going on in the kitchen haven’t shopped this week and don’t get paid till tomorrow so trying to use what’s in, I know there’s some soup in the freezer that I made last week, that could be one meal, crumpets for breakfast I thinks with eggs, then maybe Actifry chips with curry sauce, yeah  maybe, or I may have something else in freezer – need to go investigate, mmm I know I’m going to be hungry today, need to be prepared!  

I’ve just seen this recipe on facebook from another leader that might be worth a try, made me smile as I had a new member last night keep asking, “Can I have my Chinese?” and I suggested she try making her own;

SWEET & SOUR CHICKEN

Serves 4 (7pp per serving, or uses 3pp from weeklies on F&H)

4 Skinless chicken breasts (16pp)
1 carrot
60 baby corn
1 courgette
4 spring onions
60g mange tout
1 red pepper
Fresh coriander
100ml rice vinegar
100g caster sugar (11pp)
1 orange
1” piece ginger (grated)
1 chilli
Soy sauce

Cut chicken into bite-size chunks before colouring lightly in a large, hot frying pan with a spray of oil and some seasoning. Once nicely coloured remove from the pan and set aside.

Slice the carrot, courgette, pepper and spring onions. Add these to the same pan as before along with a little water, to stop from sticking. Also add the ginger and chilli. Then add the mange tout and baby corn. Gently cook the vegetables until they have started to soften before adding the browned chicken back to the pan.

In a small bowl, mix together the tomato ketchup, the rice vinegar and the sugar. Add this to the pan along with a splash of water. Once the sauce has started to boil, turn down the heat to a gentle simmer.

Once you are ready to serve, add a small splash of soy sauce and the juice of an orange.

Serve immediately with rice and garnish with a sprinkling of coriander.

Wonder if you could use sweetener instead of sugar, it’d be totally Simple Start / Filling & Healthy then!

I’ve also just been asked for an old recipe from an old WW book so may as well share it with you all, I remember them being scrumptious;

Raspberry Breakfast Muffin

Makes 12 large muffins, 5pp each.

Prep time: 10 min, Cook time: 15 min

250 g White Self Raising Flour    (22pp)

125 g Light Brown Sugar    (14pp)

1 pot(s) Weight Watchers Summer Fruit Yogurt, Raspberry    (1pp)

100 ml Skimmed Milk    (1pp)

4 tablespoons Vegetable Oil    (15pp)

1/2 teaspoons Salt   

1 teaspoons (level) Bicarbonate of Soda   

150 g Raspberries   

 2 eggs (4pp)  

Place 12 muffin cases into muffin tins. Preheat the oven gas mark 6 /300oC/fan oven 180oC. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, salt & bicarbonate of soda. Stir in the sugar. in a large jug, beat together the yogurt, eggs, milk and oil. Pour this into the dry ingredients and stir briefly to combine. Be careful not to over mix or the muffins could become tough. Fold in the raspberries and spoon the mixture into the cases. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until risen and golden. to check that your muffins are ready and have the perfect squidgy texture, gently press the top - there should still be some 'give' they are best served warm, but can be frozen or kept in an airtight cake tin for 2 days. Top tip - if you prefer you can make mini muffins. The mixture will make 36, Just make sure that when you put the mixture into the muffin cases there is at least 1 raspberry in each case, and then reduce the cooking time to ten minutes. The PP value for two mini muffins will be 3pp.

Now I wish I had the ingredients to make them for breakfast, oh and the time of course :), I’m going to make them tomorrow though I’ve decided, or maybe Sunday morning when we have visitors to help eat them!

Have a great day, try to smile even if you’re not feeling that great, fake it till you make it I reckon xx

Eat Gorgeous - BeYOUtiful - And realise your awesomeness because you my lovely are something else. Xx