No shame in a maintain!

1^st October 2017

What’s meant to be will always find a way.

The first of the month and we’re well into autumn, if needed have you turned over a new leaf?  I’ve weighed and I’ve stayed the same this week, I’m 2lb under that stone bracket I wanted to be in so I’m happy, if I can work on those other 12lbs this year I’ll be over the moon.  I am aware I’m not 100% on plan, it’s not always been easy through September with all the work going on in the house and all the extra work I’ve been doing for WWers but I’ve done what I can.

Take yesterday for example, I couldn’t really cook anything because I had workmen in my kitchen till gone six, we had sandwiches from the Co-op, I had an Onion Bhaji sarnie, it was lush for 12sp!

I was just looking on my pc for my white sauce recipe and this popped up, mmm sounds lush, great if you’re no count, you could change the rashers for medallions.  I’d be tempted to swap the bacon for chorizo maybe, just mess about with the points for counting.

Bacon and white bean soup (total 15sp)

1 tsp olive oil (2sp)

2 lean smoked bacon rashers, chopped (fat trimmed 2sp)

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 onion, chopped

3 thyme sprigs

2 x 400g cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (11sp)

850ml/1½ pints vegetable stock

2 tbsp chopped parsley

freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the bacon, garlic and onion and fry for 3-4 minutes, or until the bacon begins to brown and the onion softens.

Add the thyme and fry for a further minute. Add the beans and stock to the pan and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Transfer the soup to a blender or food processor and blend with the parsley and pepper until smooth.

Return the soup to the pan and heat through, then ladle into 4 bowls and serve immediately.

 Then I found this yummy recipe;

Asian-inspired meatballs

SERVES 4 ~ Prep time 10 mins ~ Cook time 20-22 mins

SmartPoints 5 per serving ~ No Count

1 green pepper, quartered 1 egg white

1 tsp ground ginger

2 garlic cloves, crushed

4 tbsp dark soy sauce

500g skinless chicken breast, chopped finely

Calorie controlled cooking spray

2 tbsp artificial sweetener

2 tbsp cider vinegar

1 bunch spring onions, sliced

225g water chestnuts, drained and sliced

Boil the pepper for 8 mins, drain and chop. Meanwhile, combine the egg white, ginger, garlic and 1 tbsp of the soy sauce. Add the chicken and pepper.

Mist a frying pan with cooking spray. Divide the mixture into 24 balls and fry for 8-10 mins. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Combine the remaining soy sauce, sweetener and vinegar with 125ml water. Add to the pan, boil for 3-4 mins. Add the spring onions and water chestnuts, then return the meatballs to glaze.

I found the white sauce recipe too, we were talking about it in one of my meetings, when everyone was saying how they like lasagne, so here it is.

White Sauce

Serves 4, at 4sp each

40g low fat spread (5sp)

40g plain flour (4pp)

450ml skimmed milk (6sp)

1 bay leaf

Throw it all in a pan, it won’t look good, place over a medium heat and cook, stirring all the time until the sauce thickens and comes to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes.  Remove bay leaf.

To make it cheese sauce add cheese, how much you add depends on how many points you can spare, you could use Protein cheese.

Anyway, I’m going to try and get some stuff done in kitchen before Mark comes to get on with his work in there.

Enjoy your day, make it a good one, start the month as you mean to go on.