Did I or didn't I????

Sooo frustrated but still going for it!! So close but yet... I lost 1lb so that's good and we are going in the right direction, however I have 1 lb to go now and I really really really really want it now. I am scared when I am there and I can see myself saying "Now what???" I know I have to stick to this for life and I love the food but staying within the lbs and not losing or gaining is going to the biggest difficulty I think!
I am still on Superspeed soup for lunch YUM! I have another tikka masala to look forward to. I have some quorn bbq sticky fillets and linda mcartney red onion and rosemary sausages and some linda mcartney vegetarian burgers which were both free, oops better check hang on... yep still free, so my week is sorted and we will go shopping for next lot of recipes which I am working on ;)
Hope you are all doing ok with you weight loss too. Just found out if you add white chocolate options to fat free yogurt you get a really yummy dip. So had this with nectarine and banana YUMMY, thanks Lia for that tip :)

Will I or won't I?

I am both excited and very nervous... Have I done enough to get to target or will I be nearly but not quite? If I get to target, what do I do when I get there? I have kept a tight reign on what I ma eating this week and trying really really hard. I know I am nervous as I am now forgetting things such as getting the chicken out to make chicken tikka masala for the second day in a row. So had to make an impromptu chilli con carne with baked beans instead of kidney beans. It tasted ok still and was v yummy. Here is the bowl of leftovers for tomorrow ready to be put in the fridge.
I had it with green beans 1/3
superfree and rice with fromage frais on top to cool the spiciness. Such a warming dish when it is like this outside. I have to say that many people complain they need bad food when it is cold but I think if you search recipes i.e. curry heaven or soups book or even the latest magazines especially the comfort recipes, you can find loads of warming recipes. I love the super speed soup I will be continuing to eat next week, all frozen and butternut squash soup too.
So after all of this will the last 2 lbs have escaped or is there the odd pound 1/2 pund lingering???? We will have to wait and see ;)

mmmm curry

I love warming foods and have to say this was the easiest and yummiest dinner. We had chicken tikka masala along with spinach and rice, poppadums and raita dip.

It was warming and had a yummy flavour too.
Serves 4 syn free cooking time 25 mins prep time 20 minutes

4 skinless chicken breast fillets
Frylight
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large shallots, peeled and finely grated
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely grated
½ tsp crushed cardamom seeds
½ tsp turmeric
1 tbsp tikka masala powder or tandoori spice blend powder
4 tbsp passata
150ml chicken stock
100g fat free natural fromage frais
To serve
Fat free fromage frais

Chopped coriander
lime wedges

1. Spray the chicken with the low calorie cooking spray and season well. Place under a preheated hot grill and cook for 15-20 minutes, turning once until cooked through. Remove and, when cool, cut into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
2. Spray a large non-stick frying pan with low calorie cooking spray and place over a medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic along with the crushed cardamom seeds, turmeric and tikka masala powder. Stir-fry for 1 minute before adding the passata.
3. Add the chicken and stock and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat, stir in the fromage frais and season to taste.
Drizzle over fromage frais and coriander. Have with superfree veg of choice

Raita
fat free fromage frais/natural yogurt
sugar free mint sauce or chopped fresh mint (better)
chopped/diced cucumber
mix and serve with poppadum
 

Super speed soup

How do you make super speed soup?

Well looking at blogs and forums it turns out there are lots of ways. I will have to try a few of them but found this one and have made it...

2 carrots
1 leek
1 turnip
1 onion
handful of frozen broccoli
1 tin mixed beans
1 tin baked beans
2 tins chopped tomatoes
handful lentils
1 1/2 pints beef stock
(NOTE I added some ground cumin and ground coriander for an extra something plus salt and pepper as I felt it was a little bland)

It's really easy to make- just chop up the veggies- throw them in a big pan with the beans/tomatoes and stock. add more water- to cover all veggies and bring to the boil
Boil the lentils in a separate pan for about 5-10 mins, until soft, and add to the soup pan.
Leave to simmer until the veggies are soft.

I found the recipe from here and more recipes besides
This is my attempt and I blended it as I want a thicker taste. Smells and tastes yummy

Sounds so yummy!

Really want to have a try at this, I told you I like collecting recipes which includes online too. I got the last pizza recipe from minimins and this recipe from twinkleeyes EE on facebook. Be warned though you really need to check syns  for yourself as items change and may contain more for less fibre and then no longer become a heB or He A or the amount of syns change for instance the syns in quorn sausages changed due to the ingredients changing (this was about last year I think?)
But before you panic Rocky road is still available from SW clubs and is still a HEb it's just up to you if you have this or something else as your half HEb ;)
Now I have some frozen berries in the freezer but do I have rocky road hifi's Errmmmmm oops next week it is then ;)

ROCKY ROAD MESS (2 1/2 syns & 1/2 HEb)

1 sw rocky road bar (1/2 HEb or 3 syns)
1 sainsburys 8pack meringue or tescos finest 8pack (2 1/2 syns)
strawberries
blueberries
muller light yogurt

Crush up the meringue.
chop up the rocky road into small pieces.
chop up strawberries.
Put all the ingredients in a dish and stir. Ready to serve. YUM!

target? Not yet

Well have I reached Target no but I am 1lb nearer. Am I worried or stressed no and I am I going to reach target OH YES!!!
I figure that I enjoy the food and I don't feel deprived and I am enjoying cooking the different food. Am I the only one that has a thing for recipe books???

I mean I even went to the lengths of buying the daily mirror throwing away the newspaper (used for cat litter actually) and keeping these very small leaflets which have some yummy recipes in them. I love being inspired to cook and try out new recipes I hate doing the same thing week by week so I have no trouble with changing the food around a bit. I am also like my mum pictured here just before Christmas we LOVE fruit and veg and have no problem eating lots of it.
I love having cooked breakfast on a Saturday it's like a treat but is fine to have as all of it is free except the tomato ketchup. I love having a roast dinner again its free with dry roast potatoes and skin of chicken or fat cut of the meat... you can do my speciality roast beef recipe (see earlier posts).
I tried smash pizza for the first time ever yesterday, I kept putting it off thinking it was too strange....but YES it is lovely and there is loads of it. I loved it as an alternative to normal pizza knowing it was generally free with the exception of cooked pineapple which I must ask Lia how many syns it is...
Here is my attempt and here is the recipe...

88g dry weight of Smash Original
garlic granules
300ml of hot water
Low fat cheese, grated
Tomato purée
Pineapple
ham
Oregano
Frylight

Method:
Preheat the oven at gas mark 8. Mix up the Smash with 300ml of hot water & garlic granules stirring well until it makes a nice doughy like mixture.
Once it has cooled down cover with clingfilm & roll out onto a tin sprayed with Frylight then peel off clingfilm spray the top with abit of Frylight so it can brown well. Put in the oven on the middle shelf for 30 minutes or until golden brown.Now spread the tomato purée to the edges of the pizza, then top with your pineapple, ham, cheese whatever topping you choose (remember pineapple is cooked it will be syns)
Put back in the oven for a further 10 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling Mmmmmmm

Mmmmmmm chocolate brownies

Mmmmmmm! Who doesn't love brownies??? They are one of my favourites and before going to my friends up north or as a treat before Slimming world I used to make them and would have lovely feedback. Such as "you need to make more when you come back next time" or "these are really yummy you can make them for me anytime".
Well in Chessington we had a 'new year new you party' and had to bring something to eat buffet style. Well as I am now known to be the person who makes and bakes I felt a little pressured and they had tasted some of my creations so what to bring????
I was trailing through sites until I came across this little gem....
on minimins forum

3 Syn chocolate brownies

Ingredients:
3 eggs - separated
113g Tate & Lyle Brown &stevia Light at Heart
200g fat free yoghurt
1 1/2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil
175g Self Raising Flour
75g Chocolate Options

 Method:
Preheat oven to 190c/Fan 170c/375f/Gas 5, brush a 30 x 20cm tin with oil or line with non stick baking paper. Mix egg yolks, sugar, yoghurt & oil together, sift in the flour & options & stir until smooth. Whisk egg whites to soft peaks, add a spoonful to the mix and stir well to loosen the mix, gently fold in the rest, pour into the tin & bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
Cool for 5 minutes then turn out onto a rack to cool.

Now I have changed the recipe from the site to make sure it was 3 syns and that splenda brown sugar no longer exists so this you use half the amount and still get the sweetness without the sweetener taste. I think as someone else suggested upping the amount of options would make it more chocolatey but check syns before doing so...
here is the end result and they were eaten by all and Lia my consultant said I could make them regularly for Mondays so I think they may have come out okay ;)