What to order - decisions, decisions...

27th April 2016

Until you're ready to look foolish, you'll never have the possibility of being great.  Cher

Good day at the meetings yesterday, two of my members achieved their goal, always great when that happens, Graham joined 12 weeks ago and is now 28lb lighter and feeling amazing, as is his wife who's not far behind him getting to her goal!  Tracey has lost 55lb since August last year, she joined with a health issue and thanks to weight loss she's reversed that condition and won't have to take medication now - how fab is that! 

I enjoyed my curry yesterday, as did mom, but I made Iranian Vegetable Stew on the afternoon (one of the Simply Cook kits) and it's not for me, I think its the Ras el Hanout spice I don't like the flavour of, although it can only be the all spice as there's no other ingredient I'm not keen on, or maybe it's just the combination of them all together, but I choose to have the leftover bit of stew for my tea instead. 

Off for breakfast at Wetherspoons after meeting this morning, so to decide to I go for the Eggs Benedict at 18sp, I think I may, I'll have a bit of fruit this morning then hang out till half 11 and have brunch.  Might go for the Eggs Royal for 19sp with Smoked Salmon mmm.  Although I'm also tempted by the Smoked Salmon, cream cheese and rocket bagel for 12sp.  We shall see!  Planning is key to success though, there has been a blue card points card posted in my Facebook group for Wetherspoons, I've just checked a couple of meals on there and sadly their ProPoints not SmartPoints, it does say in small writing on there somewhere if you look carefully enough :( which is a shame, but the good news is, most of them are on the app if you spell Wetherspoons correctly and also all the nutritional info is on their website if you click on Dietary Information under the meal.

The Skinny 8oz rump, with side salad from Wetherspoons is 18sp with Sirloin it's 19sp, the 80z sirloin main meal is 30sp, so the chips are costing you that bit extra - sometimes worth it.  For No Count though you could order rump steak and jacket potato with peas (no butter) or a side salad and enjoy.  Now that does sound good!

Anyway, I shouldn't be this engrossed in thinking food before 6am '-) especially when I'm not having brunch till gone 11!

I have enjoyed No Count since Friday but if I go with the Eggs Benedict today, I'll have to Smart Point, decisions, decisions.

But for now, moms just woke so I'll go make us both a nice cuppa tea and get on with my day, people to weigh, smiles to share.

Have a great day beYOUtiful, today's No Count recipe would make a great Friday Fakeaway and can be made veggie with quorn fillets.

No Count Sweet and Sour chicken

Total 13sp ~ serves 4 ~ 3sp per serving ~ with Quorn 2sp per serving

6 skinless chicken breast fillets, very thinly sliced (10sp) or 6 Quorn Fillets (6sp)

6 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced

2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tbsp light soy sauce (2sp)

Low calorie cooking spray

1 tbsp dark soy sauce (1sp)

2 tbsp sweetener

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp paprika

½ tsp Chinese 5-spice powder

100ml passata

Spring onion slivers and lime wedges, to garnish

Place the chicken in a shallow ceramic dish. Sprinkle over the spring onions and garlic, season well and pour over the light soy sauce. Toss to mix well, cover and marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Spray a large non-stick frying pan with low calorie cooking spray and place over a high heat. Add the chicken mixture and cook for 5-6 minutes and then add the dark soy sauce, sweetener, vinegar, paprika, 5-spice powder and passata. Stir to mix well and bring the mixture to the boil.

Reduce the heat and cook gently for 3-4 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Check the seasoning before serving garnished with spring onion sliver and lime wedges to squeeze over.

I'd be tempted to throw in some pineapple chunks too for extra sweet!

You can also make this recipe with pork 500g = 20sp. Add rice for 6sp per 60g dried weight or cauliflower rice for zero.

Takeaways don't have to mean a bad weekend!

26th April 2016

One may walk over the highest mountain one step at a time. John Wanamaker

Made it through another day of No Count, it's helped me this week as it's been one less thing to think about too much, I bought a few No Count ingredients and made a couple of recipes and I've been sorted.  I enjoyed my overnight oats yesterday but they didn't keep me satisfied for as long as my usual breakfast of eggs does, so I'll be going to back to them today.  I had beef hotpot for lunch and slow cooker curry for tea, I did have a crumpet just before going to bed too, just fancied it.  The scales will tell on Friday, I've still had my usual consumption of alcohol, so it will be interesting to see the scale results.

I am ready to have a couple of Smart Point meals though as I have those Simply cook meals to cook, although I have one that's all No Count ingredients so I might have a go at that today.

I've just seen a post in my group about going off track at the weekend, takeaways etc, so how can you have a takeaway and still stay on track?  If you're anything like me, takeaway can go hand in hand with over ordering and overeating, so the secret is not to get carried away by the menu, we turn into eating monsters, get all excited by the choice and forget that it's just one meal not an all you can eat buffet!  Remind yourself that if you were cooking a meal it would be one plateful of food and the same should go for a takeaway!  What are the better choices?  Don't be afraid to throw some away if the portions are massive or maybe ask to share the tray of rice etc.  Do you need a starter from the takeaway or can you go straight for a main, would you have a starter at dinner time any other night?  From a Chinese, opt for something like Chicken chop suey, prawns in black bean sauce, beef with brocoli, or prawns with Chinese vegetables, not forgetting the Chow mein, a favourite with my members.  Opt for boiled rice over fried rice, maybe try something new like Chinese Greens in oyster sauce.  It's one meal and one meal does not have to undo all your good work.  You could offer to cook a fakeaway and save a fortune as well as losing pounds, it doesn't have to take a long time, my chicken chow mein recipe on my website www.happyowls.co.uk takes ten minutes tops and you can use all precooked ingredients.

Indian takeaway, well you're looking for tandoori chicken or tikka pieces, maybe a sashlick, they're all the equivalent of chicken breast with a couple of extra points for any seasoning or oil.  For a guide on other stuff, Wetherspoons do a curry club which you could use as a starting point.  You don't really need a Onion Bhaji for 6sp do you?  Or do you?  That's your choice!  They do a chicken Jalfrezi for 29sp, I'm guessing that comes with rice, I can't get on their website for some reason this morning.

So you can eat a plate of takeaway niceness and still lose weight, Chippy has been covered in a previous blog.

http://wwbevsworld.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/maybe-you-fancy-smart-point-chippy.html

I also did another blog on Chinese http://wwbevsworld.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/yes-you-can-still-smart-point-your.html

So come on let's take back control, don't see the weekend as a washout when you enjoy a takeaway on a Friday or Saturday night, look at how you can balance it out, could you walk off some calories and earn a few Fit Points, can you have a salad the next day or a No Count day.  I have lots of members successfully eating takeaways and eating out, the difference is they don't then carry on eating for the hell of it afterwards.  Remind yourself why you joined.

Right I'm off to get ready for work, let's focus on our reasons, we can do this BeYOUtiful. 

Here's a No Count Paella recipe.

Paella NO Count (9sp per serving on a counting day) serves 6

1teaspoon saffron threads

2cubes Vegetable or chicken stock cubes, dissolved in 1.2 litres boiling water

Calorie controlled cooking spray

1 cloves garlic, crushed

1 large onions, chopped

1 medium red peppers, deseeded and chopped

350g Brown Rice, dry, brown or wild

225g squid, raw, rings

350g king prawns, Raw, in shells

350g roast chicken (breast)

2 tablespoons parsley, fresh, chopped

1 tablespoons lemon juice

50g petit pois, boiled, or garden peas

1 pinch salt, and freshly ground pepper

Add saffron strands to hot stock. Infuse for 10 - 15 minutes.

Heat a very large frying pan or wok. Spray with low fat cooking spray. Add garlic, onion and pepper. Cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes, until softened.

Add rice to frying pan or wok and stir-fry for 1 minute. Pour in stock, bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add all remaining ingredients, stirring well. Cook gently, without a lid, for about 20 minutes until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender, stirring occasionally. Add a little extra liquid if needed.

Check seasoning, then serve.

I think the words content...

25th April 2016

Keep smiling, because life is a beautiful thing and there's so much to smile about. Marilyn Munroe

What a lovely day we had yesterday, took ourselves to Croome for a good walk and it was perfect, the views were stunning, the weather was dry and the tea was strong.  Alfie had me running with him through the fields whilst mom laughed at us and when he finally stopped we continued our walk enjoying the bluebells, cowslips and other wildflowers, just a delightful place.

I stuck with No Count for another day, had egg, bacon medallions and tomatoes on crumpets, I'd forgot to buy mushrooms, and I've just remembered I have frozen I could've used - DOH!  I had beef hotpot with asparagus when we got back from our drive, then later on I had a chicken salad sandwich, made a sauces by mixing natural yogurt with a bit of tomato puree and garlic sea salt - it did the trick.  I'll have my curry today and I've done overnight oats, need to be organised because I've got a busy day, car needs taking to mechanic as there's a light showing on the dashboard, I've got my pay day pressie to myself being delivered, so I have to dig a big hole in the front garden for my Magnolia Tree, I need to get a spade first, mine appears to have gone walkabouts.  Then tonight I'm off to help AnnMarie with her meeting again.

I'm looking forward to a busy week, hopefully some midday sunshine so I can have an hour in the garden each day as I won't need to cook because I've mostly got meals ready, followed by another awesome weekend, love my life I do, mom and me are having fun and lots of giggles.

Here's a No Count recipe for those of you having a go this week, remember it's not compulsory - it's just another choice that's part of an amazing  plan!

No Count quick chicken cacciatore with rice

Prep time:10 min  ~ Cook time:30 min ~ Serves:2 ~ 

If you're counting, one portion is 6 SmartPoints per serving.

This Italian-inspired recipe is full of flavour and great for all the family.

 
80gBrown Rice, dry

4spray(s) Calorie controlled cooking spray

6medium Spring Onions, chopped

1medium Red pepper(s), halved, de-seeded and sliced

1medium Yellow Pepper, halved, de-seeded and sliced

300g Chicken breast, skinless, raw

350g Passata

¹⁄₂  Vegetable stock cube(s), or chicken, make up to 150ml with hot water

1medium Courgette, sliced

1 handful Spinach

 

Cook the rice according to pack instructions. Meanwhile, mist a frying pan with cooking spray and fry the spring onions and peppers over a medium heat for 5 mins. Add the chicken, spray again and cook, turning the chicken once, for 5 mins or until golden.

Stir in the passata and stock, cover and simmer on a low heat for 10 mins. Stir in the courgette and simmer for 2 mins. Stir through the spinach, divide between 2 plates and serve with the rice.

 Here's to a marvelous Monday!

Count? Nah not today ;)

24th April 2016

Every day holds the possibility of a miracle.

Finally got in my garden yesterday, planted some seeds in my greenhouse, so we'll see what happens but I've got to admit as much as I enjoyed doing that, it's time-consuming and I am a fair weather gardener so by the time I get out there, I want instant pretty, therefore they'll be a visit to the garden centre for help, I do love the baskets I hang each year and Pipers on the A5 by Gailey never let me down, they're reasonably priced too.  We shall see, I might still have a go myself, but I really want to make a planter, I'm sure I'll decide in good time!

Well we've been talking No Count in my meetings this week and I'm sure quite a few folk will be trying it, even if you don't follow the No Count plan, it's always good to eat those ingredients and use them in your cooking.  Yesterday I had a bit of a cooking session too whilst listening to "Pick of the Pops" and deafening my neighbours with my singing!  I made a beef hotpot thing in the oven and a beef curry in the slow cooker, there were a couple of packets of beef reduced in Sainsbury's so it'd be rude not to take advantage!  I can eat them today and tomorrow now.  All the ingredients were No Count, the only thing that needed pointing was the sachet of Colman's Slow Cooker curry which was 3sp, bargain.  I also made Char Sui BBQ pork, one of the Simply Cook meals, that cost me 3sp from my weeklies for the flavour pots, I'd use chicken if I were to do it again, pork just isn't for me, it may be my cooking skills but it was a bit tough and chewy!

If you have a Weight Watcher monthly pass and/or esource account here's the link to find the No Count list https://www.weightwatchers.com/uk/m/cms/article/no-count-food-list it's also in your Eat Book don't forget, page 110. 

I'm feeling poached eggs on crumpets for breakfast I think, then I'll have stew or curry later, if we do go out and moms tempted by cake, I may join her and have a jacket with beans as I really enjoyed that the other day.  I'd also be tempted to carry round my own little jar of low fat spread or low fat mayo, those little jam jars you get when you have cream teas would be ideal to have in your bag for when you want to eat out but not waste your points on butter!   Daft as it sounds they don't always do plain tuna so what's to stop you taking a little tin with a pull ring!

I also had a food find in Sainsbury's yesterday, a little expensive at £2.50 but each sachet adds the flavour of a glass of red wine for zero points.

I've just noticed that Sainsbury's tinned sardines in spring water are No Count too, I like sardines in tomato sauce, nothing to stop me adding a bit of puree to then once I've drained them, be nice on toast.  Pull ring too!  Easy to open wherever you are - I likes that idea.

I'm looking forward to next week's meetings where we can all share our finds and our thoughts about No Count, it'll be interesting.

This recipe most definitely isn't No Count, but they are worth the 5sp if you like something sweet and that's what the weeklies are for.  Or maybe go and earn yourself some FitPoints.

Coffee & Walnut Muffins

serves 12, 5sp each 

250 g flour (25sp)

3 teaspoon baking powder  (1sp)

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoon white sugar (4sp)

1 medium egg (2sp)

180ml strong coffee 

60ml skimmed milk (1sp)

85 g low-fat spread (11sp)

60g chopped walnuts (optional) (13sp)

30g brown sugar (7sp)

Put muffin cases in muffin tin

Preheat oven to 375-400^oF (190-200^oC), Gas Mark 5-6.

In a large bowl, sift together (or stir thoroughly with a fork); flour, baking powder and salt.  Stir in sugar.  add chopped walnuts

Make a well in the centre and set aside.

In a separate bowl, beat egg lightly with a fork.  Stir in milk and melted margarine.

Pour all of liquid ingredients into dry and stir just until combined, scraping sides and bottom of the bowl as you stir.  This mixing should not take more than about 20 seconds.  Batter will be lumpy, but now dry flour should be visible.  Do not over-stir.

Fill muffin cups ¾ full.  Makes 12. 

Before baking sprinkle tops with a mixture of 60g brown sugar plus ½ teaspoon cinnamon.   Bake for about 20-25 minutes.  Muffins are done when tops are lightly browned and spring back when touched.  Best served warm.

Here's to enjoying your Sunday BeYOUtiful, I know I'm going to!