Curry is the best

Thursday 31st January 2019

You're a fighter, look at everything you've overcome. Don't give up now! Thursday and it's forecast snow - boo!  Thankfully not until tonight so hopefully it won't stop my members turning up to their workshops and I'll have a busy day.  I had a busy day yesterday running round doing errands, took my brother to the doctors, took Alfie to be groomed, I actually stopped whilst he was done, that was an experience, he's not a fan, yet she told me he was good compared to some!  Not a future career for sure, I couldn't do that. I did manage to cook though, I made a big pan of stew and with the leftover beef I decided yet again to try and make a beef curry, I used a jar of sauce I'm not going to lie and I put it in the oven on low as I wanted the beef to go sort, then I went to work and forgot to turn the oven off.  Thankfully it was on the lowest setting but oh my days when I got back, it was perfection, the tastiest beef curry nom nom using Patak's Saag masala (11SP for the jar). 

I'm saving it for tonight, because luckily for me, the lovely Harj had bought me some of their leftover cabbage curry - I kid you not, that woman can make anything edible, white cabbage, potatoes and peas in there, it was lush.

As ever Harj uses the same base for all her curries and add in whatever ingredients she has to hand;

Harjit’s Chicken Curry 

Serves around 6-7.

3 teaspoons Olive Oil (5SP)

4 Onions, chopped

1-2 teaspoons Salt 

3 blocks frozen Garlic, (Asda sell already frozen blocks),

2 blocks Ginger 

3 Green Chilli, (add more if you like it spicy, less if you don’t like heat)

2 teaspoons Jeera (Cumin Seeds), 

1 ½ teaspoons Haldi (Turmeric), 

½ large can Tomatoes (Blended) or ¼ carton passata, 

500g chicken breast 

1 teaspoon Garam Masala, Fresh Coriander (Optional)

1. Heat oil in saucepan and add chopped onions & salt.

2. After 5-10 mins add garlic, ginger, chilli & jeera (cumin seeds)

3. Cook for around 20 mins if onions start sticking to the pan add water.

4. Once onions are browned and softened add 1-2 teaspoons of Haldi (Turmeric), cook for around 10 mins until the colouring separates from the onions.

5. Once the above has cooked add half a tin of tomatoes and cook for around 5-10 mins.

6. When tomatoes have blended in with the onions add chicken, cook chicken for about 10 mins and then add boiled water and simmer until water has thickened and chicken is tender.

7. Once chicken has cooked add garam masala and stir and garnish with fresh coriander.

8. Serve 

still haven't got round to trying it but I really must, maybe that can be my weekend project, check I have the ingredients and if not add it to my list.  I have a new spice holder so I could make it the Harj curry pot and then it'd be ready for making anytime I fancied.  Yeah sounds like a plan. 

I had a lazy lunch earlier in the day because of all the rushing about and also because I needed to use what was in the fridge and microwave mash was one of those things, I had half the pack with some cheese grated and grilled on top, served with home made baked beans. 

Crawling back on track, Friday can be the new Monday and February can be the new January, if you've survived January on track and in control - well done you, keep it going.  If you haven't, well here's to changing that, we have 28 day's coming up, how many of those days do you plan to stay on track. 

 
If you make sure your app is updated today, you should notice Wellness Wins, which is a great reason to start tracking and earning those wins.  

Here's to making the last day of January a good practice run for February, you don't have to be 100% on it, as long as you're doing your best and not giving up.  

A great find by one of my members if you like thins are the ones in Sainsbury's at 2SP per thin, 

Right my work here is done, I'm off to get ready for work, have a very great day, 

Stay BeYOUtiful. 

'------'
(O,O)
/)__)
   ""

There's never a good time to start!

Wednesday 30th January 2019
Perfection sucks, I'd rather fail a lot trying!

Can you believe it's the last day of January tomorrow, some people will be thinking I'll start on February 1st, some will have started Monday, some will be waiting for Monday, some will be waiting till they've been paid or they've paid off the credit card bill.  If we wait till we're ready, we'll never start.  I've realised start/stop isn't ever going to work, we need to be consistent, yes there will be good days and bad days but that is life. I was so in the zone the first half of January, then life slapped us Longsden round the face and it all went a bit tits up, but I'm crawling back to healthy a little at a time, so I'm still 3lb lighter than I was at the beginning of the month, 1/2lb a week is 2 stone by the end of the year, I'll be happy with that progress.  Start every morning, start with what you've got, do what you can and be kind to yourself because as soon as you stop being kind to yourself - you've really failed. 

I posted my lidl's pizza slice for 9SP on social media, I thought 9SP was a bargain for a bit of what I fancied to be honest and it wasn't just that it was delicious, it was the fact me and my sister ate them in the car sneaky like a couple of kids marvelling at them and what a bargain they were.  Then someone commented something about how that was a lot of points and you could have a homemade lasagne for 9SP and it'd fill you up more.  Erm missing the point there I thinks, I couldn't eat home made lasagne sneaky like in the car with my sis, it wouldn't taste great cold and eating isn't just about getting full up.  If it was I wouldn't have a weight problem.  I eat because food is delicious, oh because it makes me pull that 'oooo' face, because it makes my tastebuds tingle and my face smile, it lights up parts of my brain nothing else does.  Yeah FOOD IS INCREDIBLE and who cares if pizza don't fill ya up.  Having said that, these will....

My sister made me theme yesterday, they were delicious 

The pizza in the middle of the plate worked out at 3SP

Veggie pizza slices (total 11SP) makes a lot! T

Ingredients For the pizza base: 1 head of cauliflower (approx 800g/28oz) salt and black pepper 3 eggs 
20g mozzarella 10g of grated parmesan
For topping: 20g of grated parmesan 60g of mozzarella 5 cloves of garlic, minced 1 tbs of dried italian mixed herbs

diced red/green peppers
diced red onion

Here's how to make them...

• Preheat oven to 200C / 400F (gas mark 6)
• Grate the cauliflower 
• Add the cauliflower to a clean tea towel or cheesecloth if you have and squeeze out as much liquid as possible from the cauliflower (it won't work if you don't do this) 
• Put cauliflower in a bowl and season with salt and black pepper.
• Add the parmesan and eggs and mix together.
• Line a couple of baking trays with either parchment paper or the tray liners (you can get these in WW workshops) then spray with frylight.
• Split the mixture in half and flatten them as thin a you can - my sis made her's square
• Spray again with frylight..
• Bake in oven for 30 mins.

• Meanwhile in a bowl mix together the garlic, parsley, mozzarella and parmesan.

• Remove the cauliflower bread from oven after half hour and turn over then pop back in the oven for another 10 mins.
• Now take them out and add the topping to the bread, sprinkling diced peppers and onions on top.  
• Spray them one more time with frylight and place back in the oven till the cheese is melted, the veggies are cooked and it all looks pizza like!

They reminded me of the veggie pizza slice we'd had from Lidl's and I'd definitely eat them all the time if my sister delivered them :)  Oh and leave the veg off and you've got garlic bread!

Right I've got a lot to do, Alfie's being clipped at last, I've promised to make a stew for my girls tonight, oh and then there's the work I actually get paid to do ;) 

Mom had a good sleep which in turn means I did, so all is good in the Longsden household. Here's to a very great day, what a difference a sleep can make. 

Stay BeYOUtiful!

'------'
(O,O)
/)__)
   ""

Sorry - not sorry!

Tuesday 29th January 2019
Time spent together is the greatest gift.

Awake at 2am with mom, I so wished I could make everything better for her but I can't, however once I'd got her back in bed and we'd had a cuddle, hearing her say, 'I love you, you make me feel safe' was the next best thing.  I don't function well without sleep so I'll just go to bed earlier if this is going to be happening more often, its just so sad seeing someone you love so confused, I'm crying typing this if I'm honest because my heart is breaking watching this disease take my mom piece by piece, day by day.

Right, eyes wiped, positive pants back on, hand up admitting I didn't have an 'on track' day yesterday but I'm not sorry at all, I had a lovely drive to Lidl's with my sister, we ate pizza slices in the car, I have to say though according to the WW app it's only 9SP so I'd more than happily spend those Smart Points on one again.

I then drove to Brownhills to meet my bestie for a late lunch which we haven't done in forever, it was so good to catch up and even better knowing mom was in a good mood and happy to be left for a few hours because she'd slept till almost noon!

I had done my cooking, I did the chicken fricassee recipe that I blogged yesterday but used salmon instead.  Mom ate a portion too, mine will be eaten today now, it should reheat okay.  I didn't eat again after the pub lunch, I couldn't eat all that if I'm honest.

Yeah yesterday was a good day and I had a little chat with my brother on the phone, it would've been a longer chat but mom started to get moody with me being on the phone, once again dementia doing it's dirty.  I know her patterns now and can see what's happening before it's too late most times which helps.

I do solemnly swear that today I will eat within my Smart Points daily allowance, I'm thinking egg and beans for breakfast, that salmon thing for lunch and chicken fried rice for tea.  Sorted.

Here's hoping the rain is stronger than any snow that tries to land locally, I want a busy day of workshops and wonderful members. January is almost over, meaning we're getting closer to Spring YAY.

 Stay BeYOUtiful!   

'------'

(O,O)

/)__)

Fundraising in my brothers name!   

Hello Monday

Monday, 28th January 2019
If you do not go after what you want, you will never have it.  

Good morning, Happy Monday BeYOUtiful, be a rebel find a reason to enjoy today! 

Of course I love Mondays because they're sort of a day off, yes I'll do some work in my office but I don't have to get dressed up and go to work, plus I've had Sunday off so my energy levels are restored which is always a good thing.  I've already started putting that energy to good use by stripping my bed, moms next (when I get her out of her pit that is).  

Well yesterday proved hormones amongst other things play a massive part in appetite, this week I haven't been able to fill myself up, there just wasn't enough food but yesterday I had a slice of toast for my breakfast and apart from picking at a bit of chicken this was the only meal I ate, I just wasn't hungry at all yesterday. 

That is a cauliflower waffle made by my sister, the beans were made by my bestie (ain't I spoilt). This is how Anne made the waffle;

"I cooked a whole head of cauliflower for 10 mins then roughly mashed it. I whisked 2 eggs. 50g of grated mozzarella. 30g Panko breadcrumbs. Mixed it all together with 1tsp of Cajun spice, then put 3 ice cream scoops in a waffle iron and cooked for 6 mins. You could shape them into pancakes and fry them in a pan. It made 4 waffles in my machine at 2SP each"

It was delicious and a decent size for 2SP I have to say.  I think she made then on Friday so they keep a couple of days as I ate it yesterday, I warmed it through in the frying pan I cooked the egg in.  Now to get her to make me some more!  I remember her making cauliflower garlic bread which was also very good.  

Today's menu is going to include salmon as I have some defrosted in fridge, maybe in a creamy sauce, maybe this but with salmon instead of chicken.

Chicken Fricassee

Serves 2, 7sp per portion

100g brown rice (10sp)
low fat cooking spray
2 x 165g skinless boneless chicken breasts  
300ml chicken stock (use 1½ chicken oxo cubes) (1sp) 
110g carrots, peeled and cut into thick chunks.
150g button mushrooms, sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
75g low fat soft cheese (2sp)

Bring a pan of water to the boil and cook the rice according to the packet instructions. Drain well and leave to cool. Meanwhile, lightly coat a deep, lidded, non stick frying pan with low fat cooking spray and heat until hot. Add the chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes until browned all over. Add the stock and carrots. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes until tender. Meanwhile, lightly coat another small non-stick frying pan with low fat cooking spray. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes until the juices have been released and evaporated. Add the garlic and rice and cook for a further minute, until hot. Divide between two plates. Remove the chicken and carrots with a slotted spoon, reserving the stock. Place the chicken and carrots on top of the rice. Keep warm. Return the pan with the stock to the hob. Boil quickly for 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Stir in the soft cheese. Pour the sauce over the chicken. 

Could even use a microwave packet of rice to save cooking if you wanted to make it even simpler, but as I have a massive bag of rice, I'll cook it.  

I've also got some cooked chicken breast left so I could make some fried rice with that, cook double and then got two meals prepped, 

Chicken Fried Rice

Serves 4, 2sp per serving

250g chicken breast 
2 tbsp oil (8sp)
2 eggs (beaten)
350g cold cooked rice (best cooked a day before in advance) (15sp) or use microwave rice
50g peas  
½ tsp salt 
1 tsp dark soy sauce 
1 tsp sesame oil (1sp)

Heat wok until hot. Add the oil and heat until slightly smoky. Add the chicken and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the egg and stir fry until cooked. Add the boiled rice and stir-fry for 5 minutes. Turn to low heat and add the salt, and dark soy sauce. Stir in well and stir-fry for another 2 minutes. Finally add the peas and sesame oil. 

Tip. Cook the chicken by blanching in boiling water. Allow to cool before slicing into thin strips. This will stop excessive sticking when stir-frying. 

Yes you could use spray light but honest using oil adds to the flavour, I want that now, can add other ingredients if you want to, throw in anything you fancy.

Well that's my meals sorted, might do a live video in my group whilst I'm making them, socialise without leaving the house ;) 

Ooo just found another one I need to feed on; 

Chicken, bacon, peas and mash

Serves 2, 6 Smart Points per portion

Salt & pepper
2 x 165g skinless chicken breasts  
low fat cooking spray
2 slices chopped lean back bacon (5SP) or 4 medallions (4SP) (100g = 2SP) 
4 chopped spring onions
150ml stock made with ¼ chicken oxo stock cube
100g frozen peas  
1 little gem lettuce

Boil & mash 300g potatoes (7SP) to serve with the following;

Season chicken breasts, spray a non stick frying pan with spray and brown the chicken for 1 minute. Turn chicken and add bacon to the pan – fry for 1½ minutes. Stir in spring onions & cook for 30 seconds until bright green, then pour in the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Cover then pan, reduce heat & simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in frozen peas and lettuce, re-cover the pan and cook for 3-4 mins until peas are tender & lettuce has wilted.

Anyway, I need to get on, I could sit here all day if I'm honest, love my office, it's my sanctuary.  I won't though, I'll go get things done, need to nip and get a few ingredients if I intend to make any of the above but first to finish my water, make a cuppa and catch up on Facebook.

Enjoy your day, I intend too.

Stay BeYOUtiful!   

'------'
(O,O)
/)__)
   ""

Food & Mood

Sunday 27th January 2019
Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.

Have I mentioned I'm not a fan of January, I don't really like winter at all and I know it affects my moods, yesterday was no exception but to be fair I think a lot of things affected my mood yesterday, the last two weeks worrying about my brother, my moms behaviour and her not being very well in the night.  I don't function well without sleep at all.  Then to top it off my hormones have been raging, all the wonderful (NOT) symptoms that I get, they've been happening all week and finally yesterday came the tears and the pain, so hopefully by Monday some sort of normality will be resumed.  My brother who came to see my mom yesterday  must have through 'FFS Bev, I'm the one with cancer get a grip woman!'   I convinced mom an early night was in order, so we went just before 8, I didn't have a good nights sleep at all my stomach made sure of that but at least I was lying down.

Here's to a better atmosphere all round in our house today, Alzheimers, dementia and peri-menopause hormonal women are not a good mix!

Having said that, there's always something good that comes from everything, after waking up yesterday feeling completely poo, I had a chat with Karen whilst we were setting up, she's a brill listener, shed a few tears, then enjoyed a lovely workshop with my members.  I had already thought about it before leaving the house but having spoken to one of my members at the scale, I suggested we both look at keeping not just a food diary, but a mood diary as well.   Why?  Because let's be honest are we not the most complicated of creatures, we wake up one morning all gung-ho and ready to take on the world, we'll go to our workshop and leave thinking 'YES, let's do this', our mood is high and we feel like we can conquer the world, lose our weight and never eat another chocolate biscuit again in our life.  Then BAM, mood slips, changes, flips, something happens and we're not just eating a chocolate biscuit, we've had a starter of Pringles followed by a hot chocolate or a glass of wine thinking 'sod it, I'll stay fat!'  Yeah we're definitely complex.  How would keeping a food/mood diary help?

It'll help us identify and observe our moods and patterns, it's normal not to be 'happy and motivated' all the time, we wouldn't have all those emotions if they weren't meant to be felt.  Feeling those strong emotions though, they take their toll on our body, who's ever felt really tired after watching a weepy film, being sad is exhausting isn't it - I was shattered yesterday.

Life affects our mood, lots of things do don't they, but if we can identify if what we're eating is also contributing to those moods, maybe we'd be more inclined and motivated to make food changes and realise those biscuits and crisps aren't helping, they're actually hindering our progress and affecting how we feel.

I personally need to see that there is a relationship between the two because I think that could be the decider for keeping me on track.  I know when I go off track, I get the 'sod it, I'm okay with my weight, I don't feel any better when I'm thinner so I may as well overeat and enjoy something in life'. Yeah that is how my brain works at the moment, especially on days when mom is playing up and being a nightmare.  But if I could prove that overeating is making my situation worse, I think it would help and a food / mood diary I believe is going to do that.

It might help us understand ourselves a bit more too, who's gone to bed feeling awful but got up the next morning feeling better, or those days you just don't want to get out of bed but when you force yourself to and get out and do stuff, your mood lifts.  I always feel better after a good rant on the phone with my bestie - I don't always feel better after a bottle of wine and a few bags of crisps!

A food/mood diary might help you realise you have more good days than bad!  One bad day does not make a bad life.  We know food journals are fantastic tools for weight loss success, mood journals on the other hand are often used as a way to learn more about yourself and your emotions.  Together, well it goes without saying, I reckon it'll help you feel better, you'll see any correlations, patterns and things you could work on changing.

Yeah I'm definitely going to give it a go and I won't be buying a posh new notepad, a pukka pad will do, or I may just use my laptop as I do prefer typing to writing, I can then make notes on my phone throughout the day if I don't have my laptop to hand.  Will I use a chart, I don't know. I've had a look at a few options, I'm still deciding.  Use google and search food and mood journal for some ideas.

Anyway, I've woke up in a much better mood than I was yesterday, I had two good meals yesterday,

There are 2 slices of wholemeal bread and spread (4SP) hiding underneath those eggs so adding the 1SP medallions makes this a delicious 5SP breakfast, you'd have thought that would've filled me up but I could've happily eaten more and only just resisted the slice of toast I was offered later! 

because I had suede and butternut squash instead of potato, I had a leg instead of a breast, delicious dinner. 

Now to relax today with mom, she's in a good mood so far, we've had a cuddle this morning already, ten minutes on her bed, I love the mornings, my house is a much nicer place the first half of the day than the second ;) 

Here's to aiming for a very, great day, I still want pizza but I need to get to M&S for one of their thin ones, they're the business and when I do have it now, it'll be because it's delicious not to cheer me up! 

Enjoy your Sunday, stay BeYOUtiful.

'-----'

(O,O)

/)__)

   ".

You in control?

Saturday 26th January 2019
Today do not stress over the things you cannot control.

Well that's been one of the longest weeks of my life I have to say, well it's felt like it anyways.  Woke up to see a photo on my phone of my brother sitting in his own chair at home so that's a great start to the weekend.

So many things have been outside our control in the Longsden family this week and as much as I've tried to control my appetite, I've failed so I'm ready to sort that out.  I'm tempted to use today as my birthday because it was a rubbish one last Saturday, might get a pizza to share with mom, not a huge one, or I may make one myself, we'll see.

But talking about control, let's things about some of the things we can control -
your beliefs, attitude, thoughts, perspective, behaviour.

You're in control of who your friends are - choose wisely because they make a massive difference to your world, I have the best I really do.

You're in control of what you eat and whether you exercise - this will make a difference to how you feel, I've noticed this week I don't have the energy I've started the year with.  I've hurt more physically this week too.

You have control over how kind you are to others and of course yourself, remember to say I love you, thank you, express those feelings - you can control them too!  Practice gratitude, patience, smile lots you are the one person who can do that.

Take control, put effort into the things you do, focus on the future not the past, don't worry about what might happen, handle what is happening.

Appreciate the things you have, let's work on taking control of the things that are important to us, I know I need to again, "my sod it syndrome' has really kicked in at times.  So no, I won't be having a pizza today, I have a fridge full of food I will be consuming - obviously not all of it in a day!  I think I might make a roast chicken dinner, that way we all get fed including Alfie, if mom doesn't want a dinner, I can make her a sandwich.  Yeah I'm back to it today, damage limitation, practice what I preach.

Yesterday was a very, lazy day with mom, we spent the afternoon watch old movies, Pretty in Pink and Pretty Woman.  Then she needed some criminal minds and CSI murder rubbish because I finally got to get an early night, I needed sleep, to be honest I would've got at 7 if I could've but it wasn't worth the fight with mom.

So here's to surviving the weekend food wise, mom wise and life wise,

Have a great one.

Let's do the day justice

Friday 25th January 2019
worrying is stupid, it's like walking around with an umbrella waiting for it to rain. 

Just had a brilliant half hour chatting to my brother on the phone with mom, the another 20 minutes with the other one in Corfu, seriously they talk more than woman over a fence!  I'm now at least an hour behind getting everything done so I can get on with my day off.  Seriously though the upside to cancer is family make the time for each other.  Mark makes a good point when he says no one talks about cancer and what it entails, well we should, it shouldn't be that word we're scared to use, he's using the cancer card to get two puddings with his dinner in hospital and I don't blame him!  The NHS once again have shown nothing but amazing service to my family and I will forever be grateful for all the staff of the NHS at New Cross, just amazing. Day 5 of his radiotherapy today, then to hear what next...

My world well I'm not gonna lie, I was shattered yesterday but I've managed a good nights sleep till almost 6am, I need to get my eating back to 100% healthy, I'm doing my best honest.  The homemade beans have helped massively with breakfast and I had a delicious tea thanks to the lovely Harj, who gave me some chick pea curry, I have to say they chick peas were smaller than usual and they reminded me of grey peas, tasted a bit like a Black Country grey pea curry - blinking lush it was.   One day I will master the curry, maybe kidnap Harj and Su and make them stay with me until I have it nailed.

My members were wonderful as always yesterday, lots of giggles and weight loss, I think we've all agreed this week if our biggest problem in this world is being overweight, it's all good!  

Anyways, my very favourite #Enjoyingthelittlethings moment yesterday was this video on Facebook - 

Makes my heart smile as well as my face

Not only is this wonderful and sweet to watch but it's brilliant that a dad is happy to dress up in a dress and dance round the room with his young son, it just warms my heart and some wonderful comments on there too, my fav being "where do you get an adult male Elsa dress (asking for a friend)" just brilliant. 

Right I'm off to do the day justice, I've got a massage this morning which I believe is already paid for courtesy of my bestie Vicky, last Saturday was such a crazy day I can't even remember if I thanked her, so I will again.  This is my second birthday massage gift, I'm a very lucky lady.

Here's to a very great day!

 Stay BeYOUtiful!   

'------'

(O,O)

/)__)

Fundraising in my brothers name!

Full of beans!

Thursday 24th January 2019
always find time for the things that make you feel happy to be alive.

Well I'm not one for wishing the days away but I must say I'll be glad when it's Friday, I don't like waiting and my brothers on day 10 according to him, I think its 11, not that it's important but we're waiting for results and until we get them it's all in the air. neither result is welcomed to be honest but we know he has cancer so we just want the facts, then we can move forward with what next.  Today will be day 4 of Radiotherapy on his spine to try and get him mobile, he's being a warrior that's for sure!  I was told how painful the hormone injection he's had was (not from him) and yet he's never mentioned that, just said I've had an injection that's gonna make me grow boobs and cry a lot ;) 

I'm trying so hard to eat well but I'm not going to lie I just can't fill myself up, I don't think my hormones are helping, at least it's mostly healthy food, if too much.  I did have a handful of Pringles last night cos mom left them on the side but everything else was healthy.  

My breakfast was 4SP 
I had this loaf of bread from the Co-op and made a video bread & scales
Made my own baked beans, 

All you need is haricot beans, pasta and WW zero BBQ sauce from your WW workshop

empty entire can of bean including juice into pan 

cover with passata, I like juice so I add quite a bit of this.

then add the sachet of sauce and salt, pepper & sweetener to your tastebuds

simmer for half hour and voila, they are better than Heinz for me now, I opened some Heinz the other day warmed them up and left them as they seemed tasteless.

All of this for 4SP which was the bread. 

Then I had 2 chicken breasts that needed using because of their use by dates and no room in my freezer so I asked my members what I could make with them, got some great suggestions check out the post ideas for chicken breasts better still go add your suggestions and maybe I can do a blog dedicated to those ideas.

I ended up doing this 

I stuffed the chicken with the last bit of St Agur (5SP) and the last chorizo (4SP), threw in 10 olives for (1SP) and covered with breadcrumbs (2SP) so they worked out at 6SP each and 20 minutes in the oven and they were delicious, Alfie helped me eat them, so there isn't any left!   Butternut squash chips are my new thing, I peel and slice the whole squash and it's keeping in an airtight tub in fridge all week.  

So that was my food day, below are just a few of the good things from yesterday...

#Enjoyingthelittlethings

I had a lovely cuddle with mom yesterday morning and a giggle making a new product video moms video

Working from home in my PJs with a cuppa.

I smashed a wine bottle making a mess, then had to sweep, hoover and mop all down stairs which I hated doing but I did love how good it all looked afterwards - focusing on the positives.

Alfie was being a little nightmare so I picked him up and put him on the chair next to me, he usually sulks and goes to sleep but he started to play and I took this photo which reminded me of some of the pics I've taken of him, so I sat for 5 minutes scrolling through some of them and smiling. 

I was looking for this one to do a comparison, almost 9 years apart these two photos, we used to say he looked like a cute Ewok, he looks more like rough Chewbacca now!  He's still a lovely nightmare though. 

I have to say any time I find myself being grumpy I remind myself where my brother is and mentally say 'get a grip'. 

If all we have is excess fat - how lucky are we!

Have a very great day, enjoy the little things, appreciate the good in your world, start focusing on the positives.  I haven't told you the yucky stuff that happened yesterday because you don't need to know and I don't need to relive it, that makes sense doesn't it, let's focus on the GOOD!

 Stay BeYOUtiful!   

'------'

(O,O)

/)__)

   ""

Enjoy the little things...

Wednesday 23rd January 2019
Life is best when life is simple.

Simple eggs on toast for breakfast yesterday and the most delicious liver and onions with mash and peas for dinner - so good.  

Then it started to snow and well that can just go away straight away, I severely dislike SNOW! 

The only thing I hate more than snow right now is cancer!  I've just had a half hour chat with my brother, he's in good spirits and fighting, then I had a cuddle with mom and Alfie on her bed and showed her the silly pics that his daughter had sent us of him being moved to his own room on a new ward.

My bro was saying how it's the little things he wants to get out and do, we should all live for the little things in life, the 5am sunrises and the 5pm sunsets where you see those amazing colours in the sky that are usually there.  The road trips, the bike rides, that walk in the woods.  Those days when you're surrounded by your very favourite folk who make you realise how amazing your world is.  That song you hear on the radio that brings back a thousand memories.  A pint of lager on a hot day.  Those giggles that follow that pint because you drank it on an empty stomach.  The view you once enjoyed with someone you love.  The time you broke down in the middle of nowhere but because you were with someone else you passed the time waiting for the breakdown man by being ridiculous!

The little things are what make you realise life is an incredible thing. 

Let's all find the magic in all the little things in life. 

As if I forgot to add FOOD to my little things, I adore food, I love to eat and I will not make any food type the enemy which is another reason I love WW because I don't have to when following their plan, everything is truly on the menu. 

Laughter really is the best therapy and has a very lovely lady posted on FB last night, being negative only makes a difficult journey more difficult. So true. 

I have the best tribe, it goes without saying my family are my world, but my extended family and friends - my tribe, well they are just off the fabulous scale, they're all so supportive and full of love.

My friend and WW member Mel yesterday told me she'd seen and signed up for Fitness February 

Why? Well because not only will it help her on her WW wellness journey but she also wanted to do something productive to help and support me and my family at this time, which is just so lovely.  

This is her fundraising page, be amazing if everyone who read this donated a pound; 
https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/page/melanie-takes-on-fitness-february-6?d=ede05ae6-85a3-47e0-aa1a-b352d25d2d60

If you're up for getting active, this is a great idea to sign up for and raise a few pounds, even if you only raise a fiver, or donate a fiver, every penny helps doesn't it.  All you have to do is sign up for the the 28-day exercise challenge this February, then Push yourself to your limits this February. Get sponsored to take on the ultimate fitness challenge, exercising every day of the month to help beat cancer.  Run, squat, swim, cycle, you decide. Fancy it Fitness February - Cancer Research

Anyway, here's to a day of enjoying the little things, I might start using #Enjoyingthelittlethings it'll make me pay more attention to all the good stuff that's still happening out there, SNOW not being one of them! It looks lovely but it's not.  

#Enjoyingthelittlethings that I can remember from yesterday/this morning;
Eggs for breakfast - eggs are just my fav food.
Oh and that liver, it was so good!
Cuddle on the settee with Alfie this morning
Chatting with my bro and giggling
A lovely message from my nieces mom 
Looking at this photo from Monday's visit

There are of course so many more but because I didn't make a note at the time, they disappear from memory so here's to observing and recording them because they matter.

Have a very great day

 Stay BeYOUtiful!   

'-----'

(O,O)

/)__)

   ""

Deep breathes

Tuesday 22nd January 2019
love is putting someone else's needs before yours.  But love is also not forgetting you have needs too.

So my brothers first round of radiotherapy went well, here's to the rest throughout the week and more results and information towards the end of the week.  Poor mom's poorly too, we've not had a good night at all but you don't need those details, no pleasant.  So to be honest the fact the scales didn't smile at me, they more scowled isn't worth my worry, I'm back to healthy now, had my little blow out and it'll come back off.

I did make the effort to cook some healthy food yesterday, in 20 minutes I knocked together two meals which will last me a few days.  Plus I used up the stuff that was gonna go out of date or die from a veggie point of view. 

Meal one - Minty mince
I diced and fried onions and carrots, then added 5% beef mince and frozen peas, for flavour I opened and emptied a packed of Flava-it garden mint marinade.  It really worked, proper tasty.  you could use turkey or chicken breast mince and it would bring the points down too. 

Meal 2 - curry mince

I diced and fried onions then added the turkey breast mince, frozen peas and a couple of tablespoons of curry paste, I just used what was in the fridge open.  Quick easy meal.  

I ended up with two pans of goodness;

I had the beef mince for my tea, it went down a treat. 

Walking round the hospital helped me hit my ten thousands steps, so there's another positive. 

Anyway I've got to go, mom needs looking after xx

Here's to making today the best you're able. 

 Stay BeYOUtiful!   

'------'
(O,O)
/)__)
   ""