YAY, it's Friday!

24^th October 2014

Don’t forget that you’re human, it’s ok a to have a meltdown – just don’t unpack and live there!  Cry it out and then refocus on where you are headed.

So it worked, deciding yesterday to enjoy my day instead of disliking the weather and time of year all day meant I had a much better day, so my one positive thought this morning is, I’m going to have a wonderful day which will last all the day until I go to bed not until I decide I’m shattered about 3pm, nope I’ve got enough energy to keep me going for as long as I want it to.

The clocks go back this weekend and we’ve discussed this week in meetings what we could do with that extra hour, use it to plan meals, cook meals, maybe get a bit of exercise, I’m going to use mine to sort my house a little. 

We also had a bit of fun with it, I asked if I was to give them an hour, money no object, distance no object and they had a tardis so they could time travel, then how would they spend their hour – it still had to benefit their weight loss efforts though.  We had the expected, spa treatment, liposuction, surgery, an hour on a beautiful beach, you can imagine.  The one that was said that really made me think came from two ladies on different night and they were jumping in the tardis and going back to their younger self to have a word about this weight problem they are going to have in the future!

That really got my attention and imagination, what would you say to yourself if you could go back in time?  What age would you go back to?  Would it be you, that you’d be having a word with!   I think I’d go back to my 18 year old self and say ‘if only you could see how fab you actually look, when you’re 44 you won’t give a stuff about your looks because you love just being you, embrace this youth Bev with both hands, don’t stress about your weight ever, just eat healthy as possible.  Oh and sleep around A LOT, no one will no in the future, because you’re going to move to another area and never see these lot again!”

Yeah I took everything very seriously back then, I was always striving for perfection and I now know that “perfect” is really “pure fiction” because there is no such thing as perfect in the way I used to see the word anyway, I’m perfect now but only because I’m happy with everything I have, I suppose some would say perfectly imperfect!  I just know I love being me now and if I could’ve got that 18 year old version of me to feel the same – WOW we’d have had an absolute ball!

What would you say, that’ll keep your mind occupied this morning on another autumn day.

I’m looking forward to doing my meal plan this week because we’ve discussed some great meals this week and I’ve been reminded of food I haven’t eaten in a long time, including the chicken and bacon casserole I love so much;

Chicken & Bacon Casserole serves 4, 12pp each or F&H

calorie controlled cooking spray (for F&H use your daily allowance of oil) 

4 x 200 g (7 oz) skinless chicken legs
1 large onion, chopped                                                    

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
4 rashers Weight Watchers Extra Trimmed Unsmoked Back Bacon, chopped (use bacon medallions for F&H meal)
250 g (9 oz) carrots, peeled and chopped
300 g (10 ½oz) parsnips, chopped
150 g (5½oz) dried brown rice
500 ml (18 fl oz) chicken stock (make using 3 oxo cubes)
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put oven on gas mark 4ish

Spray a lidded ovenproof casserole dish with the cooking spray and place over a high heat. Season the chicken legs, add to the dish and fry for 5 minutes, turning, until browned. You may need to do this in batches. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Spray the dish again with the cooking spray, add the onion, rosemary and bacon and fry for 5 minutes until starting to soften. Return the chicken to the dish with the carrots, parsnips, rice and stock. Cover and pop in ovne until the chicken is cooked through and the rice and vegetables are tender. Divide between four warmed plates, and serve.  Freezes well too.

And last weekend we were talking about beef chilli fry half & half that we used to get from Indians all across Wolverhampton, so that reminded me of this recipe my sister put together which isn’t bad;

Beef Chilli Fry

200g frying steak cut into strips (6pp)

1 onion sliced

200g tomato puree (4pp)

2 heaped teaspoons curry powder

1 heaped teaspoon chilli powder

1 heaped teaspoon garam masala

1 beef oxo

§  Brown onion in spray oil.  Set aside.

§  Cook steak in spray oil.  Set aside.

§  Combine tomato puree, curry, chilli, garam masala & oxo in a pan with half a pint of water.  Bring to a simmer stirring all the time.

§  Add beef & onions and cook through.

Note: Alternatively make with 300g chicken breast

I’m looking forward to liver and onions too, mmm delicious.  I had spaghetti in tomato sauce yesterday, haven’t had that in forever and I was shocked that it’s only 3pp for half a can, I expected it to be higher.

Oh see I’m hungry already now and it’s not even 6am, food glorious food, Oliver would have had nothing on me! 

Here’s to a fantastic Friday, pay day for me too which means a delicious lunch with my bestie.  Enjoy your day too BeYOUtiful and focus on being the best version of you possible. x