Chicken wings mmmm

Thursday 9th November 2023

Cats tried to get in my room and woke me at 3ish but I was having none of it, I managed to snooze on and off till half five.  Been there since just after 8 last night and slept well.  

Food yesterday wasn't the healthiest I won't lie, things got in the way!  Breakfast was okay, 

Leftover tinned tomatoes on an actifry toastie, the toast was cooked but the tomatoes weren't hot so I'd microwave them beforehand next time.

After our morning huddle, I finally got to the gym!  30 minutes on the recumbent bike (10km) and 3 sets of 12 on 3 upper body machines and I was done.  Took advantage of the showers and then instead of going back home, I decided to waste a couple of hours before my dentist appointment. 

I had a walk round Lidl's, wasn't in the mood to pay attention to stuff so just got what I needed, a bag of spinach, broccoli, carrots and milk.  I also bought the Lidl version of the cheap garlic bread to compare to the Aldi one.  

With still an hour to waste, I clocked a chip shop so decided to have some chips, £2 for a cone which isn't a cone, it's a small bag.  Obviously I couldn't weigh it so I tracked it as a 'small' portion.  I fancied a pie but when I saw they were £6 each, I was like, I'm not paying £6 for a pie, that's ridiculous!  

My dentist appointment went well, he did say one of my fillings had a fault so he fixed it whilst I was there, saying if that didn't hold it'd have to come out and be replaced in the future.  I don't think he charged me for more than the check up though thankfully, especially as I have a scrape and polish at the same time with the hygenist so my bill was £67.80 anyway.  

Home by half four and Aryn had sorted his own food out, he'd had more of that pasta dish and a couple of spring rolls, which meant I didn't need to cook.  I've fancied chicken wings since I mentioned them in the blog so I cooked what was left in the bag.  I was good though I only had a portion, left the others on the plate for today.  These were lush...

  

They're in the 3 for £10 offer in Farmfoods and I highly recommend them.  A fakeaway night which includes these, some garlic bread and chips is a bargain in comparison to a chippy takeaway and quick to cook too. 

As you can see not the healthiest of days!  Where are the veggies?  Oh yeah I had tinned tomatoes - whoop whoop - not good enough.

I went over my calorie goal yesterday by 172 but I easily earned that at the gym thankfully and I'm in credit.  The point of tracking isn't perfection, it's to make me more aware of my eating behaviour.  

I enjoyed a glass of whole meal before bed, partly because it was going to be out of date and I hate waste but also because I've realised I can enjoy the things I like, a glass of milk is less calories than a glass of milk.  I drank a litre of water too, if I can keep that up - happy days.

We're having that gammon today because it's use by today and the freezer is full, it's an easy dinner too, I'm part thinking if I did it in a sauce with a pastry top, I could hide veggies in it for him to eat, make like a gammon pie, but I could also just serve it with green beans for him.  I'll see how I feel lunchtime, I need to pop to the shop for a couple of things for Aryn so maybe I'll get pastry too.  

I'm sat here wasting time I don't have so I better get on with the day! 

Mwah, luv ya

Love me xx

Tasty pasta bake...

Wednesday 8th November 2023

Another day in the bag, it's interesting noticing how differently I behave when I'm writing it down!  I managed 1.5l of water yesterday which I haven't been doing and I didn't have any muscle cramps in the night last night - connected?  I think so!

I opted for bacon and tomatoes on toast for breakfast, the tomatoes were lush but I felt overfull for a good couple of hours afterwards.

The huddle chat helped me and will do all week to keep me focused on the tracking, get me back into a routine.

For dinner I used up Sunday's chicken leftovers and made the tastiest pasta bake, I'm seriously considering having a pot for breakfast but I should put it in the freezer really! 

I started with the leftovers , chopped the chicken and carrots up, spooned out the bottom of the tray which had the jelly and garlic in mmmmmm

  

Next I added a block of Boursin and a can of sweetcorn.

  

A good lot of spinach as it wilts down.

   

Stirred in pasta and some parmesan cheese.

   

Put in an oven proof dish and topped with cheese, then grilled. 

Delicious!

Served with a couple of slices of Aldi's essentials Garlic Baguette which is the best I've had in a long time and only 37p!  

This meal was amazing and a bargain!  The chicken had already been costed but if it hadn't we used 1/2 chicken so say £2, 240g white pasta, (20p if you buy Asda essentials pasta).  Boursin was on offer for £2, usually £2.75.  Sweetcorn 45p, Spinach about 80p, 100g cheese 75p, parmesan about 50p, 37p garlic bread  £7.07 total so £1.78 a portion oh so good, I suppose if you didn't have leftover juices and garlic, that's a few more pennies for a bit of stock, I used some pasta water to loosen it up.

I love food I do!  But it is becoming a costly game isn't it.  I mean if you have a family of 4, even these cheap meals averaging £2 a head, that's £56 a week just for the main meals! 

I didn't make it to the shops to get veggies but I will do today, need to up my intake, fancy some broccoli.  Not sure what we're eating today but I'm feeling a need for chicken wings from the freezer.

Ooo I might freeze one portion of the pasta and we can split the other one on our dinner as a side with chicken wings some broccoli and maybe a handful of curly fries.  A real snacky dinner when he gets back from school and he can have a bigger portion than me.  I love that I can eat normal food whilst counting calories. 

There's just not enough meals, calories and room in my stomach to eat all the food that goes through my mind :)

On that note I'll go make me a cuppa.

Mwah, luv ya

Love me xx

Back to basics

Tuesday 7th November 2023 

"Getting back on track!"  That was what I decided this weeks huddle topic would be because I for one needed too do just that and I know members who need to also.  

I started with this breakfast and I know if I hadn't been tracking, that breakfast would've been a hell of a lot different!  I enjoyed it though, that egg cooked perfect for my tastebuds, steamed almost! 

I didn't make the gym as I needed to be at home all day, but thankfully I wasn't needed in the end. 

I tested the stewing steak tins, my results were, don't waste the extra £1 on Princes as the Asda one at £2.35 is the best, the Asda essentials one is actually better than the Sainsburys.

I mixed them all together and I've frozen some portions.  

  

Fried 500g sliced onions in 30ml vegetable oil, added the 3 tins and 3 oxos, would've added more oxos but I was out so put a bit of Bisto granules in.  Mashed my spuds, no butter or milk added, I don't mind it without and had ketchup

 

Good, tasty, cheap meal £2.35 for the stewed steak, 25p for the potatoes, 10p for the oxo, 10p for bisto, so my portion was £1.40 plus 30p for peas and my ketchup that was a free sachet, I have to say Hellman's ketchup is really good, but I've been having own branded stuff for 70p bottle. Hellman's is £2.15 in Tesco, I'm tempted as I don't eat a lot of it and I could hide my bottle from the boys lol :) 

Aryn had his with leftover Dauphinoise potatoes and the rest were frozen with the stewing steak.

Today I'm going to make a pasta dish I think with leftover chicken from Sunday and this; 

It was on offer for £2 when I bought it, looking forward to that later.  But first I think a bacon sandwich for breakfast as there's an open packet in the fridge, I sent himself off with a bacon sarnie Sunday, I took the medallion part of the back bacon for him and I'll have the tails and track it as streaky.  

So this was my day in full, I treated myself to a Be Happy Owls journal, there was a glass of white wine left in the fridge from Sunday so I drank that, then later had a glass of red, I still finished my day at 1200 calories which is crazy because I had full fat milk in my tea too.  

It shows that I can do it with a little thought, I don't skip a meal on purpose, I'm just not hungry some days.   Tracking also shows me where I need to work, I'm not drinking enough fluid, my fruit and veg is very low.

As you can see the wine glass mark is on the page because the book is open on the coffee table, no hiding the book :) 

Busy day but I'll make sure I make time to eat properly, I'm thinking if I cook some tinned tomatoes, that would add one of my five to the bacon sandwich.  I can put sweetcorn in the pasta bake, I could actually chop up some frozen green beans and add that too.  We have spinach too, I can have peas on the side (Aryn doesn't like peas).  A banana maybe as a snack, I can eat them but I'll be eating it for the sake of it as I probably won't be hungry, just eating it to get one of my 5.  We'll see. 

Trying to use what I have in the kitchen as I don't really want to shop for more food but may give in and get fresh veggies, Aldi 6 has 250g mushrooms for 69p, I've just looked and their broccoli is 75p, 500g carrots 33p so may nip in for those.  Mixed peppers are £1.59 for 3, I could make stuffed peppers.  Yeah I can get some veggies cheap.

Time to shower and wake my body up fully, here's to a great day and taking care of me.

Mwah, luv ya 

Love me xx

All rested, so let's get stuff done.

Monday 6th November 2023

Lazy week over, half term done, I'm going back to the gym today, I can't continue with the lazy for the rest of winter or I'll be gaining a lot of weight!  I did really enjoy my week of rest though I won't lie.

I went to bed incredibly early yesterday, I'm talking half five as it was warmer in bed and I was on my own, we had a chat on the phone, then I fell asleep and I've got up just before half five this morning, amazing sleep, I'd accidently left the heating to click on at 17 and I think that helped to keep me asleep, as I don't normally have heating on at night.  Hopefully my body clock is back to normal after the clocks changing.

I did get my cook on yesterday and I really enjoyed it, after the Aldi Dauphinoise potatoes success with Aryn, I decided to have a go at making my own Dauphinoise potatoes recipe - BBC Food used this recipe, very easy and very high in calories but I didn't have loads and I will mess about in the future with ways of lowering the calories.  I did sprinkle a bit of parmesan on the top too.  When I looked at the ingredients on the Aldi version, it wasn't just cream, it had milk and cheese in, hence the lower calories. 

I'd like to do something similar but with layers of onions in it, but Aryn doesn't like onions, so maybe I do two smaller dishes.  It was absolutely lush though and there's loads left, gonna have some today with stewed steak (gonna compare the two versions) then freeze the rest for himself to take away. 

Then there was the chicken, oh my days delicious!  I know a roasted chicken is easy to do but I used this recipe as a basic idea Foolproof slow roast chicken recipe | BBC Good Food  we find chicken can be dry and boring so this was cooked slower, I didn't add the potatoes because I'd made those other ones.  I didn't add the lemon or thyme neither, just put the garlic and I added an onion halved.   I did spread garlic butter on the chicken, white wine and chicken stock in the pan and boy did it make it delicious!  

This was a delicious plate of food, the Yorkshire pudding wasn't needed but oh it was a welcome addition for 55 calories.  The skin on that chicken was amazing, a little of the juice over the carrots, oh my days!  Yes it was high in calories but I didn't eat another meal yesterday, that was it.  When I pried it in yesterdays blog, ingredients from Aldi, it worked out at £8 for a meal for 4 including frozen peas, carrots and roast onions.  

 

I do love roasted garlic too, one of my favourite tastes when it comes out perfect. 

We did so well collecting for the food bank last week, I do hope people continue, just buying one thing each week makes such a difference and it's not so noticeable on your shopping bill.  A selection box or treat for the kids for Christmas would be a great addition too as the kids shouldn't suffer, you can get them for a quid at the minute. 

Time to get stuck into this weeks chat topic for our huddles whilst my brains fresh, then I can get on with the easier parts of the day.

We finished the walking dead finally, worked it out 177 episodes in 12 weeks, that's some viewing, but we enjoyed it and I get to spend time with Aryn which gets him out of his room, win/win!

I'd like it noted right at this moment, I have an empty laundry basket, oh yeah I'm impressed, I know that will change in an hour but I'll enjoy it whilst it lasts.

Monday morning, shall we crasp the day with both hands and get stuff done?  You in? 

Mwah, luv ya

Love me 

 

All snuggled up this morning.

 Sunday 5th November 2023

How cool would that be if it was possible!  Up at 5 this morning, he's had to go to work so I'll have a quiet day chilling on my own today although I have a feeling Aryn and I will have a Walking Dead session because we only have 3 episodes left - woo hoo.  

Sundays are meant for relaxing, recharging, roast dinners, yeah the best plan to have on a Sunday is to have no plan at all.

No roast dinner today as he's not here but we did have our lamb chops yesterday and they were superb, but I have to say the rest of the plate gave them some competition, Aryn straight away said 'these potatoes are really good', so they get a thumbs up £2.19, they say serves 2 and they do only serve two, I pinched a little to taste and gave the majority to the boys.  

I have to say this Aldi garlic bread for 37p is the best I've had in a long time, it actually had garlic butter in it and wasn't all bread and crunchy, yeah I'd defo buy this again. 

I finished the meal off with fine green beans, absolutely delicious.  Now what to make for dinner today! 

I wished I'd defrosted some meat cos I slightly feel like a cooking session, but that feeling could wear off easily :) I want to compare those two tins of stewing steak but I feel like we've overdone the meat the last few days.  I've never made potato dauphinoise and I have a lot of potatoes to use up.  I've just looked at a recipe only need cream and garlic, so heavy on calories but it would be the only main meal I had today.   Could do it with a roast chicken, then there's leftover chicken for sandwiches for school tomorrow.  Might nip over the Co-op when it opens.  We'll see, I'm all very indecisive this morning, no commitment.

This recipe Dauphinoise potatoes recipe - BBC Food would cost £4.45 if you get the ingredients from Aldi, a chicken 1.59kg is £3.89 and some carrots 33p for 500g, you could roast them at the same time, maybe roast some onions too, 95p for 1kg (I already have a bag of these I need to use).  a 700g bag of frozen peas 99p.

A really good filling meal for 4 for £8.31, £2.08 per person and you'll have leftover onions and peas for another day, so under £2 a portion.  Trip to Aldi anyone?  Other supermarkets are available and I strongly believe they're all similar now some have one thing cheaper, no one is the cheapest.  The Which 'cheapest supermarket' is based on a shopping basket of food, if you're not buying that specific food, then it's not really the cheapest.  

That Dauphinoise potato recipe would do two days for us, be nice with beans or spaghetti in tomato sauce I think, or it'd freeze.  I'm hungry now :) OOo 

I'm sat watching The Voice, can see it being a lazy Sunday for sure, it's that time of year isn't it, cosy nights in front of the tv with comforting food.

No housework today, it can all wait till tomorrow, I'll wash up if only so I can get to the cooker :) but that's my lot xx

Whatever you have planned, enjoy xx 

Mwah, luv ya 

Love me 

Food, glorious food - never gonna be thin am I :)

Saturday 4th November 2023 

A typical Friday yesterday, nothing much happened, I did enjoy this meal, it was leftovers from our roast dinner (parsnips, mash, green beans) I chopped it all up and fried with 2 slices of back bacon diced up, absolutely delicious and once again proving food doesn't have to cost a fortune.  Parsnips are in seasons at the minutes so only 50p for 500g, I'd cooked them in the actifry when I cooked the pork.  Aryn had the last bit of pork with spaghetti and chorizo and some tomato paste, it was tasty too.

Someone posted this in an airfry group showing you can cook your turkey crown in there this year; 

We went over the pub for a couple, we were home by 9 and had chippy, this is my donor kebab, I love all that salad, I had 5 chips lol, I did't eat all the meat because they'd put too much mint sauce on it for my liking, that's the first time they'e gone that mad with it. 

I need to make this salad with the white cabbage, lettuce and onion, its so good.

Today we have lamb chops, they've defrosted in the fridge overnight, I bought garlic bread from Aldi when I nipped there yesterday, 37p each, I'll let you know if it's any good. Asda and Sainsbury's have their own cheap version, 37p Asda, 36p in Sainsburys.  

I've bought potato dauphinoise for £2.19 too and will do some frozen peas for us and beans for Aryn.  

Lamb chops aren't the cheapest meat I know but I bought them on offer from butchers as a treat a few weeks back.  If I was trying to get 'cheaper' option, I'd have sticky chicken wings which we all love and Farm Foods do a fab one in the 3 for £10 range, I like the bbq ones the boys like the hot and spicy.  

 

I could just eat some of them right now ;) yeah I'm never gonna be thin am I!  

Told ya it was a none happening kind of day in the household, just how I love it. Catch up with ya Monday, if not tomo x

Mwah, luv ya 

Love me

Gotta love a Friday morning

Friday 3rd November 2023

What a wet, grim weather day it was yesterday!  I got home at lunchtime and made me a second pork dinner with the leftovers from the day before, just added a couple of Yorkshires, it was once again delicious. 

I've a bit of mash, parsnip and beans left so I'm gonna do a bit of bubble and squeak this morning.  

Me obsessed with food - I won't have it said :) 

The weather and half term made for a quite day at our huddles but we still enjoyed it and it's always good to get positive feedback which we did, we're talking budget food and saving money this week.

We're collecting for the food bank continuously so I knocked this together yesterday morning, an idea for you to make a difference but anything donated is always appreciated.  Plus you can do it this month rather than December so the food gets used over Christmas. 

If we donate one thing a week it adds up and the own branded stuff is cheap.

I managed to stay awake till just after 9pm so getting my body clock back, slept till just before 5am.

I've not much to say this morning as not a lot happened yesterday, I can't go and make a cuppa as I've just been taken over by cats so I'm stuck here until they move ;)

Have a great day, I'm going to, I've just decided.  I'm feeling full of gratitude for my life this morning. 

Mwah, luv ya

Love me 

 

I'm easily pleased!

Thursday 2nd November 2023

What a difference 24 hours can make!  I got home from work after nipping the shops yesterday, walked in the kitchen and Aryn was cleaning the hob and he'd already washed up which was what I was planning on doing.  To say I was pleased doesn't even come close, especially as I hadn't asked him to do it or dropped a hint, he'd even changed his bedding too and told me his room is still tidy from when he did it at the weekend.  

This meant I'd got time to cook us a lovely pork dinner, the pork I'd bought in Sainsbury's on half price offer, so a 1.5kg joint with cracking for just under a fiver - bargain!  I already had all the other ingredients and it was delicious, all done in the air fryer, too less than an hour in all and I've fancied a roast for a couple of weeks now.  We'll still probably have one on Sunday as I want lamb and we have both a leg or chops in freezer from when I had that delivery from Facebook the butchers. 

Oh I love Yorkshire puddings and gravy I do!  Filled me up for the rest of the day it did.

I saw this on Pinterest this morning and it made me smile because it's so true isn't it.

We have leftover pork to use, I know Aryn will have it in wraps, I might make me another dinner with the leftover mash, parsnips and gravy, that's my dinner sorted.  I'm not that hungry this morning yet so will make me a sausage sandwich with the leftover sausages in the fridge, I had the same yesterday and I can take that with me, they were part of a Gousto meals we didn't make, the other packet I'm freezing. 

I'm really looking forward to making some basic meals over the next few weeks, I'm really enjoying this weeks topic, the reminder of all those easy to cook, tasty meals that don't have to cost a fortune but are filling and delicious. 

Yep I need some liver and onions in my life, corned beef hash (although tinned corned beef ain’t so cheap anymore!), Daragh likes a spag bol, I could make that for Saturday with the packets of mince from the Gousto box that we didn’t use either, yeah I think I will.  Spaghetti at 28p a packet is a bargain! 

But for now, I'm gonna go make another cuppa, put a load in the washer, do the washing up from last night and get ready for work. Have a wonderful day!

Mwah, luv ya

Love me 

"NO" vember....

Wednesday 1st November 2023

A new month, the last one of autumn, I'm not a fan of this time of year, dark, wet and miserable, it hurts my joints too, not good for arthritis at all.  I don't mind cold, crisp days but not this grim weather, not for me! 

I've slept a bit longer though and the cats behaved, so it's 5am and I'm up, a car alarm went off about 15 minutes ago which was the thing that woke me or at least the thing that got me to give in and get up.  

I love this idea of "No" vember,

But when I read it I thought, ooo say no to the gym :) that drains my energy lol but it doesn't really does it, it does make me feel better when I've done it, even if it makes me ache and heightens my pain somewhat but over time it's building my strength so worth it in the long run.  That's my belief and I need to remember that!

Yesterday I started my day with scrambled eggs on toast they were lush and I put my winter warm clothes on so yep the scales told me I'd gained 2lb, I'm okay with that, I'd had a wonderful weekend living not losing obviously plus the weight of the clothes and eating, it's all good.

I came home at lunchtime and obviously because it's half term, I have an hungry teenager in the house so I started cooking a Gousto meal, which was delicious.  Fish finger hot dogs and chips, he ate this whole plate, I struggled with the one bun, they were big but delicious.  Not a fan of brioche buns but the fish fingers were amazing and so simple.  

To make get some white fish, watch the 'whoopsie' counter as they often have it reduced.  

 

Slice your basa (or other white fish) fillets in half lengthways.  Add a handful of flour to a plate and a splash of milk to a small bowl

Add panko breadcrumbs to another plate with a generous drizzle of vegetable oil and mix together (this will make your breadcrumbs golden!)

Season the basa strips with salt, then coat them in the flour, tap off any excess, then add them to the milk and finally press them into the breadcrumbs firmly to coat evenly

Add the coated basa to a baking paper-lined baking tray (or two!) and put the tray[s] in the oven for 14-15 min or until cooked through and golden – these are your basa fish fingers

Tip: Your fish is cooked when it turns opaque and flakes easily.

Yeah really tasty, Aryn actually said, that fish is really nice and he's not a massive fish fan usually.

I was so full from that, I didn't eat again when I got back from the huddle, I went to bed just after 8 and it wasn't long before I fell asleep.

I remember walking in at lunchtime feeling tired from lack of sleep but also from the weather, (it's draining driving round in the rain), that drabness and thinking to myself, 'I'd love to walk in and someone had cooked my dinner and cleaned the house'.  Dream on ay, but how many of us think that often.  

There's always washing in the laundry basket and dirty dishes on the side, part of life I know but there are days when you think 'REALLY!'.  

Hark at me being all 'poor me, poor me' lol, I'm over it now and thinking what shall I eat today?  That's a much more important question :) 

I have a Gousto sloppy joe recipe but it was supposed to be on ciabatta but the sent pittas instead and they won't be the same in that way, so I might make the sloppy joe mince mixture and the pitta nachos from a previous recipe which I really liked.  Sorted that's an easy lunch, or we could have it with mash because mash makes everything in the world better.

On that note, I'll go make me another cuppa and start my day!

The one good thing about waking up silly early is I get to watch last nights Big Brother, sad I know but I enjoy it, now I'm going to watch Big Brother late and live to see the eviction chat.  What a life I have ay, I bloomin love it 100%.  

What are you going to say NO too this 'No' vember?

Mwah, luv ya

Love me x