Saving precious time...

10th May 2016

The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.  Eleanor Roosevelt

Time-saving, I was thinking about that yesterday, I enjoy blogging and it's how I start my day every morning, for me it's my transition from sleep to my day ahead, helps to sort my mind out.  Once I've blogged and posted, I also send it out to a mailing list but most people read it directly from the web or Facebook, so I have been considering saving ten minutes and not sending it by email.  Then I received a message from a lady this morning telling me it wasn't going through clearly, so that was the decision made, I've just saved me ten minutes each morning, now to find other time-saving things as I already had a busy life before I decided to add another meeting on a Friday night :)

My Tuesday night back to back is being bought into one at 5.30pm from this week though, that's going to be much better from a personal point of view, not such a long day and not leaving mom too late on a night, that was my longest day, leaving at half 7 not getting back till after 8, now I'm be back earlier. 

Having said that I can't wait for Friday, I've got amazing members who've been helping me out delivering flyers, ones even let me put a banner outside her house on the main road through Essington which is just awesome.

Yesterday was a lovely day, after a bit of work on the morning and taking Alfie to the vets for his second jab, the afternoon was more fun, mom did the dentist, we did a bit of shopping, messed about in B&Ms, bought a tin of paint in Homebase, then ended up at Pipers Garden centre.  I'm trying to decide whether to have hanging baskets this year, they take so much watering and I also have a lot so it's a good half hour each evening, but is that time wasted or worthwhile time spent (a) I water with a can so earn points with all that lifting and walking up and down the garden (b) get to enjoy glorious flowers all summer long.  Think I know the answer really don't I! 

There's a lovely coffee shop at Pipers called Cyril's, mom tells me his coffee and walnut cake is to die for, I wouldn't know I just watched her eat it, but I did enjoy my jacket potato with baked beans, really tasty, it's becoming my new favourite eat out option - who'd have thought it!  Cyril's sells second hand stuff and I treated myself to a lovely jug covered in sunflowers.  They had an old record player playing the Platters, and mom was singing along, I'm wishing I'd bought it now, but no idea where I'd have put it, plus I'd have to buy records to actually play on it...

Finally home and I took to the garden, washed down our garden bench, it was a bit dirty, a lot dirty actually.  Once dry I gave it a first coat of its new colour, Summer Damson, we've gone for a deeper colour this year, it was pink before, thinking about the shed colour, it's going to need repainting soon too, but what colour, do we go subtle or bright orange :)

 Teatime and I made the sweet and sour chicken recipe from the new No Count cook book, absolutely delicious and quick and easy to make too - perfect combination. 

Not planned any meals today, but I do think I'll be doing a pointing day because I have an avocado I want to eat, although that could come out of my weeklies and everything else could be No Count, especially as I've got a crustless quiche being made for me for lunch, we'll see.   

Whichever way I go breakfast is going to be a giant crumpet (5sp), avocado (5sp) and egg (2sp) with tomato and lettuce.  So it won't be low in points but it will be delicious and I'll have a light lunch and think about tea, maybe cod in butter sauce.

Right got to load my car with all my boxes as in this weather the car has to be emptied, that's a task this early in the morning, but first to dress or I'll get stares ;)

Here's to making Tuesday matter, look for the magic in your day - it's there if you look!   Make sure you're drinking plenty of water, this heat will dehydrate you quickly.

Oo I need to find a recipe, hold on...

Bacon-stuffed peppers with goats cheese

SERVES 4 ~ Prep time 15 mins ~ Cook time 30 mins ~ SmartPoints 4 per serving

This delicious recipe is full of flavour and colour. Leave out the bacon for a veggie dish

85g dried couscous

200ml hot vegetable stock, made with ½ stock cube

Calorie controlled cooking spray

4 rashers Weight Watchers Unsmoked Extra Trimmed Back Bacon

4 spring onions, chopped

150g tomatoes, chopped

50g medium-fat goat’s cheese, chopped

1 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

4 large yellow peppers, halved and deseeded

Watercress, to serve

Preheat the oven to 180°C, fan 160°C, gas mark 4.

Put the couscous in a heatproof bowl and pour over the hot vegetable stock.

Cover and set aside for about 5 mins until the stock is absorbed. Fluff up the grains with a fork.

Meanwhile, mist a pan with cooking spray and fry the bacon for 2-3 mins.

Cut it into pieces, then stir into the couscous, with the spring onions, tomatoes,

goat’s cheese and parsley.

Divide the couscous and bacon mixture between the pepper halves.

Put in a roasting tin, mist with cooking spray and bake for 25 mins, until piping hot.

Serve 2 pepper halves per person with the watercress on the side.

That looks tasty and Goat's Cheese just one of the many reasons I'm glad we have Smart Points as well as No Count! Don't forget all these recipes are transferred to my www.happyowls.co.uk website.