Cool down without blowing your ProPoints budget!

30th June 2015

Some old-fashioned things like fresh air and sunshine are hart to beat.

This is my kind of weather, I adore this time of year and yesterday was just lovely, after doing a couple of hours work first thing, I spent the rest of the day outdoors.  Found me 2 pallets on Saturday by the side of a skip at my meeting venue, so acquired them and brought them home.  This is what they look like now;

The only thing I bought was the plants, everything else needed I found in the shed, now I can look forward to a summer full of colour and bloom, love my garden I do!

Being outdoors certainly takes my mind off food, but I have to be careful to not forget to eat, otherwise I end up living off bread and butter!  I had a good cooked breakfast which kept me going most of the day, then for tea we had chicken, veggies and grains, all good wholesome food.  We've got tuna steaks today, they don't take too long to cook so I can get my work done.

So it's going to be a very hot week, great for salads and also for ice creams, so we need to make sure we don't go crazy!  Here's a few ideas to keep you on track! 

Lollies	ProPoints
1 (65ml) Solero Mojito ice lolly	1
1 (35ml) Wall’s Mini Milk	1
1 Weight Watchers toffee fudge mini pot swirl	2
1 (80ml) Wall’s Mini Calippo	2
1 (55ml) Oreo ice cream sandwich	3
1 (90ml) Wall’s Strawberry Cornetto	4
1 (53ml) Snickers ice cream bar	5
1 (70ml) Nestle Nobbly Bobbly	6
1 (100ml) Haagen-Dazs pralines & cream	7
1 large Mr Whippy 99 cone	8
1 (110ml) Magnum double caramel	9

Remember the old fashioned Jubbly's, they're zero ProPoints!  So I'm assuming a couple of tip tops would be too as they're just frozen squash really.  Of course you can make your own, what about zero pp banana ice cream, now I've just found this version, all versions are similar but this one sounds about right;

One-Ingredient Banana Ice Cream

(found at http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-creamy-ice-cream-with-just-one-ingredient-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-93414)

Makes 2 servings, about 1 cup

What You Need

Ingredients
1 large ripe banana

Equipment
Knife
Cutting board
Airtight, freezer-safe container
Small food processor
Spatula

Instructions

1.    Start with ripe bananas: They should be sweet and soft.

2.    Peel the bananas and cut them into coins: It doesn't matter what shape or size the pieces are in, as long as they are chopped up into evenly sized and somewhat small pieces.

3.    Put the bananas in an airtight container: A freezer-safe glass bowl like this one is fine, or you can use a freezer bag.

4.    Freeze the banana pieces for at least 2 hours: Freeze for at least 2 hours, but ideally overnight.

5.    Blend the frozen banana pieces in a small food processor or powerful blender: Pulse the frozen banana pieces. We've found that a small food processor or chopper works best.

6.    Keep blending — the banana will look crumbly: At first the banana pieces will look crumbled or smashed. Scrape down the food processor.

7.    Keep blending — the banana will look gooey: Then it will look gooey, like banana mush. Scrape down the food processor.

8.    Keep blending — the banana will look like oatmeal: It will get smoother but still have chunks of banana in it. Scrape down the food processor.

9.    Watch the magic happen! Suddenly, as the last bits of banana smooth out, you'll see the mixture shift from blended banana to creamy, soft-serve ice cream texture. Blend for a few more seconds to aerate the ice cream. (If adding any mix-ins, like peanut butter or chocolate chips, this is the moment to do it.)

10. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze until solid: You can eat the ice cream immediately, but it will be quite soft. You can also transfer it back into the airtight container and freeze it until solid, like traditional ice cream.

Recipe Notes

• Food processor vs. blender: We've found that a food processor works best for this, with enough room for the banana to get fully creamy and a little bit aerated. Some people do make it in a blender, but be careful; make sure your blender is powerful enough to process the frozen bananas.
• Making a bigger batch: Yes, you can make a bigger batch with more than one banana! Just make sure your food processor is big enough (and powerful enough).

Mix-in Ideas (remember to add any ProPoints if you do!)

While the one-ingredient aspect of this ice cream is a big part of its charm, we don't think that loses much when it becomes two- or even three- ingredient ice cream. Here are a few favorite mix-ins to make it even more awesome.

·         Spoonful of peanut butter

·         Drizzle of honey

·         Handful of chocolate chips

·         A few almonds

·         Dollop of Nutella

·         Scoop of cookie butter

·         Tablespoon of cocoa powder

·         Half a teaspoon of cinnamon, cardamom, or ginger

Well I'll leave you thinking about ice cream :) have a great day!

Yee Ha! Let's have another week.

29th June 2015

You will obtain your goal, if you maintain your course.

I had a perfect Sunday yesterday, slow start to the day, playing on internet, then a drive round 3 garden centres, followed by a few hours in my garden messing about, listening to Lionel Richie at Glastonbury on the radio.   This was one of the things I did whilst out there;

I can't wait for those plants to spread and cascade down the ladder.  Hopefully the weather will stay dry again today for me to finish off out there, I have two pallets that are now painted but need to put plants in them.

I obviously left my brain at home when I went to the garden centre, bought a couple of pots a Dobbies before going to Pipers Nursery for the plants, I think they have better plants at a better price.  I spent ages in there before paying where I found out I'd left my credit card at Dobbies in their card machine!  What a plonker I am, luckily when I went back they remembered me and let me have it back - phew! 

Mom and I sat out there chatting for a bit longer till the sun had gone over then came in, we watched a programme about 80s tv which made us laugh, oh how times have changed. 

I love the summer when you I spend time in my garden with my mom, me doing, her watching, sunshine always seems to make everything better, it really does.

Yesterday was one of those days that food was some I ate just because I should, I enjoyed yet another curry, chicken this time, made by my lovely member - it was a bit on the hot side for me but still tasty.

So after a ridiculous 4.5lb gain last week, which I felt I didn't anywhere near deserve, yeah I'd expected a gain but not that much - behave!  Anyway I've lost 2 of it this week thankfully, I've got this maintaining down to a fine art, it's just the wrong goal weight!  I was listening to Radio 2 last week and heard Steve Wright say something about a study had shown that women would rather be 21lb over their ideal weight and be able to eat anything they want to, than diet for the rest of their lives!  I think I agree with that, oh to not think about what the scales say!

I'm on course for a good week as my fridge is full of healthy food that was delivered Saturday afternoon, I will make sure I eat properly today and not skip lunch because I'm in the garden, actually I didn't skip it, I just had a slice of bread and butter instead.  My body is screaming for some vegetables, bit of broccoli and maybe a few carrots with fish or chicken.  How long would leftover beef stew keep in the fridge anyway, I never know the answer to how long food keeps, it rarely stays in our house long enough to go off!

So here is to a fabulous week, no dwelling on any 'bad moments' from last week, focus forward, smile at how fabulous life can be when you make that decision that it's going to be.  Focus on the healthy and happy - eat well, feel well.

Have a great day BeYOUtiful.    

Here's to a chilled out Sunday

28th June 2015

The past is a good place to learn from but not to live in.

Sunday morning, no rushing, no having to be anywhere = bliss!  I've been awake a while just chilling in bed, reading and looking for recipe and garden ideas on the internet, gotta say I do love to start my day this way.  I'm hoping this rain isn't staying for the day as I want to get outside!

Another cracking week in my meetings, 445lb lost at those scales, just brilliant!  We all got to take home a Weight Watcher challenge snapper to make, although they seem to have lots of different names, consequences, Chinese fortune tellers, call them what you will, I remember playing with them when I was a kid, and my bestie and I had the best giggle making one out of a napkin in a pub once.  If you fancy your own, here's the link to download and make one www.happyowls.co.uk/WWsnapper.docx - enjoy!

Oh ma'an my internet connection ain't playing this morning, it keeps kicking me off!  That doesn't help with the playing and looking for ideas, or uploading my blog once I've written it.  Hey Ho!

Mmm this recipe sounds cheap, quick easy and tasty, everything I like about my food!

Tuna hash

serves 2, 15pp per serving.

2 medium potatoes, cut into 2cm cubes (500g = 10pp)

2cm cube butter (30g - 5pp)

1 tablespoon oil to fry (4pp)

1⁄2 red onion, sliced

185g can tuna, drained of oil (9pp)

1⁄2 x 340g can sweetcorn (3pp)

1.    Put the potatoes on to boil for 8–10 minutes, until they are tender. Drain and return to the pan. Add the butter and gently stir around.

2.    Heat a little oil in a frying pan and fry the onions until they begin to brown

3.    Add the potatoes, sweetcorn, and tuna to the pan and gently stir.

4.    Heat on a medium heat and allow the hash to brown and then stir in the brown bits. Repeat twice. Don’t keep stirring the hash or the tuna will go mushy.

5.    Serve

You can easily make that lower in ProPoints if you wanted to change and cut down on some of the fat in the recipe. 

Anyways I'm gonna get my paperwork done, then I'm feeling a trip to the garden centres coming on!  Whatever you're up to today - enjoy!  Who knows I might convince mom to come along and we can have coffee and I can watch her eat cake!  Stay focused and on track, a soggy Sunday can lead to a day of sod it syndrome - don't be catching it!