SW Macaroni & Cheese ..

This is a variation of mac and cheese I found. The whole dish serves 4 and is 3.5 syns if using your HeA for the cheese. It was gorgeous and creamy just what I needed, I put a little bacon, mushroom and sweetcorn in to make it a little different. It's a real feel good meal. Here's how I made it.

 

 

Ingredients:

300g macaroni

150g Philadelphia extra light

185ml semi skimmed milk

100g reduced fat cheddar cheese

300g bacon, fat removed and cut into squares

200g mushrooms sliced

half a can of sweetcorn

Frylight

 

1. Preheat oven 190c.

2. Cook the macaroni according to packet instructions, while doing this fry the bacon and mushroom in some Frylight until the bacon is golden and the mushrooms are cooked.

3. Mix the Philadelphia with the milk and half the cheddar cheese.

4. Drain the pasta and return to the pan, stir in the Philadelphia mixture, bacon, mushrooms and the sweetcorn, then transfer to an oven dish.

5. Top with the remaining cheese and bake in oven for 20 mins until cheese has gone golden.



Chicken Goujons ..

Just come back from an hours workout at the gym, getting ready for another great week. Didn't majorly push myself this evening, it was just a good workout. And I feel great for it.

 

Before that I had an easy meal of chicken goujons, SW chips and peas.

 

Ingredients:

4 portions of mini chicken fillets (about 16 pieces)

1 egg, beaten

25g golden breadcrumbs

A few potatoes, cut into chips

Fry Light

 

1. Preheat oven to 190c.

2. Spray a baking tray with Fry Light, place chips on baking tray and lightly spray again over the top.

3. Dip each mini fillet in the beaten egg and lightly coat with the breadcrumbs, place on another baking tray sprayed with Fry Light and pop both in oven for 30 mins turning once halfway through.

4. Serve with veg or a crisp salad.

 

This recipe serves 4, and is 1.5 syns each serving.

I have worked out that 25g of golden breadcrumbs is 4.5, so this dived by for and rounded up would be 1.5. If you want it syn free you can use wholemeal bread blitz in a food processor to make breadcrumbs and use this as your Healthy B choice.



On It Like A Car Bonnet ..

Just come back from a great work out at the gym with Gareth, broke a personal best! I go on the treadmill for 30 min's at the start and my record has been 8 minutes of collective running, today I did 9, and couldn't be prouder of myself, ha ha. I seriously had to push myself and get motivated but I did it. After that it was bike and cross trainer then onto the weights, we called it a night after that, feeling much better for what we had done!

 

Also food intake has been brilliant today. For lunch I had leftover chicken curry on a jacket potato, fruit for afters and for dinner I had gorgeous cheese salad, getting my Healthy A in. Now I'm just going for an after workout snack of a Hi-fi bar to get my Healthy B in. My head is really in it this week. I have completely changed my attitude and I'm ready for the scales next week.

Steak & Mushroom Casserole ..

Tonight I had a gorgeous steak and mushroom casserole, at just 2 syns per serving. This one pot serves 4 and really easy to make. 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

600g lean steak, all visible fat removed, cut into large bite-sized pieces

300g mushrooms, roughly chopped

1 level tbsp cornflour

1 large onion, peeled and sliced

1 large carrot, peeled and cut into large bite-sized pieces

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

300g passata

100ml red wine

100ml beef stock

seasoning

 

1. Preheat oven at 180c/Gas 4.

2. Toss the steak in the cornflour to coat evenly then place in the casserole dish. Add the mushrooms, onion, carrot and garlic and toss to mix well. Pour in the passata, wine and stock and season well.

3. Cover with a lid, bring to the boil then transfer the casserole to the oven and cook for about 2 hours or until the meat in tender.

4. Serve immediately with potatoes and veg of choice.

 

A truly great low syn meal, and you could also substitute the mushrooms for the same amount of kidneys to make a great casserole take on a popular pie.



Achievement Unlocked ..

So today's meal was a simple but tasty syn free steak and chips. I made the SW syn free chips, grilled the steak and served with dry fried mushrooms and peas. Lovely.

 

Also this evening I went to the gym with fellow slimmer Gareth and Joanne, started off on the treadmill and did 30 mins on there. I ran today a collective number of 7.5 mins, that's 30 seconds more than I have ever done so that is an achievement to me! Then moved onto the bikes and rowing machine and once again ended on the weights.

 

Always feel much better after going to the gym and now its time to write my meal plan for the coming week.

Back To The Gym ..

 

 

It was back to the gym tonight with Gareth, I've missed a whole week of exercise so it was slow going tonight, plus the stitch didn't help. Tonight I only did 2 and a half mins of running, 30 mins on treadmill, 10 mins on cross trainer. Then I went onto the bikes and rowing machine. Lastly we finished up with some weight and ten mins of hilarity of Gareth trying to sit ups with the weight ball. He succeeded in the end but the trying was amusing. I feel better now I've been to the gym, feel like I have actually done something to help with my weight loss and can't wait to get back there on Friday evening.

 

Before I went out I had cooked home made lasagne. Just 1 and a half syns per serving. I put mine with chips and peas.

 

 

 

Ingredients:

397g/14oz extra lean minced beef

2 onions, peeled and finely chopped

200g mushrooms, roughly chopped

4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

400g can chopped tomatoes

397g/14oz passata with herbs and garlic

2 tsp dried mixed herbs

seasoning

511g/1lb 2oz fat free natural yoghurt

2 eggs, lightly beaten

a pinch of nutmeg

Fry Light

12 dried lasagne sheets

4 level tbsp grated Parmesan

 

1. Place a large, non-stick frying pan over a high heat. Add the mince, onion, mushroom, and garlic and stir-fry for 6-8 mins. Add the tomatoes, passata and dried herbs, season well and cook for 12-15 mins, stirring often.

2. Meanwhile mix together the yoghurt, eggs and nutmeg until smooth. Season well.

3. Preheat oven to 200c/Gas 6. Spray a medium-sized lasagne dish with Fry Light. Spoon half the mince mixture into the base and top with half the lasagne sheets. Spread over half of the yoghurt mixture and top with the remaining mince mixture. Top with the remaining lasagne sheets, spread over the remaining yoghurt mix and sprinkle over the Parmesan.

4. Bake in the oven for 25-30 mins or until the top is golden. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

 

You can also build up the superfree by adding courgettes or peppers, or to give it a kick some chili's.

Now the lasagne is beautiful but the yoghurt topping didn't really go with my taste palette, so I have been looking at alternatives. Tesco white lasagne sauce is 11 syns for 200g, this divided by 4 servings is 3 syns, so all in all a serving with jar of white sauce on top will be 4.5 syns. This I am still happy with and I believe it will taste creamier. Also I have to point out that with this recipe I added 500g of mince to bulk up the meat, and I could actually serve 6, so the lasagne was actually 1 syn each serving.

 



Frozen Soup Cups & Bolognese ..

 

I made gorgeous SW syn free mushroom soup today, I had plenty left over so had to freeze some. My friend and Slimming Worlder Gemma informed us of this great idea of pouring the soup into flexible silicone muffin trays, then putting these in the freezer, once frozen pop them out. I put mine into freezer bags, and put back into freezer. 2 cups should be enough for a bowl, so just heat up when you want. Such a great idea.

 

 

 

This soup recipe is really easy and tastes delicious.

 

Ingredients:

2 Onions, peeled and chopped

500g Mushrooms, finely chopped

2.5 pints Vegetable stock ( I used a little less for a thicker consistency)

Seasoning

200g Low fat fromage frais

 

1. Fry onions and mushrooms until softened.

2. Add stock and bring to the boil.

3. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

4. Remove from the heat and blitz with a hand blender or food processor.

5. Add the fromage frais.

6. Blitz again, and serve.

 

 



 

 

Tonight for dinner I tried a new recipe of Bolognese Pasta Bake, and I'm glad I did because it was delicious! Really tasty and filling. This is 2.5 syns on Extra Easy. Unless your using your Healthy A for the cheese. I had mine with a Weight Watchers petit pan (free if using it as your Healthy B) but you could have some greens instead, or it can be a great meal on its own. Here's the recipe.

 

Ingredients:

250g dried pasta shapes

1 onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 celery stick, finely chopped

1 medium carrot, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced

250g mushrooms, roughly chopped

500g extra lean minced beef

400g can chopped tomatoes

250ml beef stock

1tsp dried oregano

seasoning

110g reduced fat mozzarella cheese, diced.

 

1. Preheat oven to 180c/Gas 4.

2. Cook the pasta until al dente (tender but still retaining a bite). Drain well.

3. Place the onion, celery, carrot, garlic, mushrooms and minced beef in a large non-stick frying pan and stir-fry over a high heat for 6-7 mins.

4. Add the tomatoes, stock and oregano and bring to the boil. Season well, cover and cook over a medium heat for 20 mins, stirring occasionally.

5. Remove from heat.

6. Spoon half of the bolognese mixture into the base of a medium-sized baking dish and top with the cooked pasta. Spoon over the remaining mixture and sprinkle with cheese.

7. Bake in the oven for 25-30 mins or until bubbling. Remove from oven and serve.

Weigh In, Pizza! ..

 

So yesterday was weigh in day, no point going around the houses to tell you I maintained. Which is much better than gaining but I was half a pound away from my 2 and a half stone award. It's frustrating but its my own fault, I had too much bread this week, I know this. I have to cut down on it, not to  mention them cheeky snacks. Last week my motivation was shot. Sometimes you just get those weeks, the weeks that are harder than others. I needed a boost, some sort of shot of inspiration. Today is a brand new week, and I have my inspiration. I have made before and after pictures for my friends and a couple of others but never for me, I didn't think there would be any difference, but today, with my inspiration gone I thought why not? So here it is, my inspiration to keep going!

 

 

 

So the weigh in came and went, and it was time for something to eat, Tuesdays I always say is treat night, I like to have a bit of chocolate or something, but with my maintain I by passed that and went straight for my dinner (another treat). Pizza, garlic bread and chips, now I know what you're thinking, 'one slice of take-away pizza is 25 syns!' But don't worry I had a full plate of these things and it was only 7 syns!

 

I had a gorgeous homemade chicken pizza, SW chips and petit pan garlic bread.

 

 

To get this meal to 7 syns I have to use both my Healthy A and B. Also you can't eat the whole pizza, I have a quarter, or if you can have half for 12.5 syns, which still is acceptable. Really easy as well, all takes under 30 mins.

 

Ingredients:

 

150g basic pizza base

tomato puree

any free toppings you wish

reduced fat mozzarella ball

Weight Watchers petit pan

1 tbsp of Flora Extra Light

1 tsp garlic powder

1.5 tsp mixed herbs

couple of big potatoes, peeled and cut into chips

Fry Light

 

To make the pizza spread the tomato puree on the pizza base, add topping of choice and cover with sliced mozzarella. Put in oven at 170c for 10-15 mins.

For the garlic bread mix the Flora, garlic and mixed herbs in a bowl. With a knife make slits in the petit pan and spread a little of the garlic butter in each one. 1 tbsp is 1.5 syns so make sure you don't go over. Bake this in the oven with the pizza for 10 mins or until browned on top.

To make the chips I spray a small baking tin with Fry Light, add the potatoes and spray Fry Light on top, put in oven at 170c for 20-25 mins, then raise temp to 190c for 10 more mins to brown them a little.

 

Here's how I work it out because I think a few people will be a little dubious.

 

Quarter of the basic pizza base is 5.5 syns.

I use my Healthy A for the cheese.

My Healthy B for the full Petit Pan.

A tbsp of Flora Extra Light is 1.5 syns.

 

All together a healthy option for a take away night and a very satisfied Charlotte!

Meal Plan for the Week ..

 

So, normal Sunday protocol today. I had a scrummy Sunday lunch of chicken, veg, small Yorkshire pudding and gravy. I've done well with my snacking today, I chose grapes instead of anything fattening. I unfortunately couldn't get any exercise in today so I'll have to push myself tomorrow at swimming.

 

There is something I have tried different today and that is a meal plan, I have set out meals for the week and worked out the syns for each meal.

 

 



 

 

Sometimes when it comes to dinner I haven't thought of anything and I'm rushing to find something or I throw something easy together that I didn't really enjoy, and then that is when I snack on something that isn't good for me, so hopefully this will help with that, and working out before will give me some knowledge of what I can have for lunch or as a treat/snack. 

Pushing It In The Gym ..

I've just got back from the gym, my arms are quite tied but I'll try and get through typing this!

Me and Gareth did an hour work out tonight, mainly cardio with 10 mins of weights at the end. We both want 2lbs, I want it to get in my new number and to get a new award.

 

I think I pushed harder at the gym tonight. Anyone who knows me, knows I am not a runner, but tonight I ran for a collective 6 minutes. I know it doesn't sound like much but it was for me. An achievement almost. Before that it was 10 minutes to warm up, then after 15 cycling. I also like to get some rowing in there as well, I can always feel it on my arms. Then the weights to try and built some muscle since I have no strength at all.

 

I got through it and now I feel much better for it. Before going to do any sort of exercise I have this internal groan and question if I really have to, but as soon as I'm working out the rush of adrenaline gets to me and I feel amazing afterwards!

 

Before I went out I made dinner. This is what I would call a nice stomach warmer; Rich Banger and Bean Casserole. This is the first try for me and I can definitely say I will be having it again and not because there is leftovers in the freezer. ha ha.

No its really nice and just completely warms you up. Easy to make, all in one pot. As you can tell by now I love my one pot recipes, so easy but so flavourful!

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

 

Fry Light

8 Quorn Sausages

6 large shallots, peeled and finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

1 tbsp finely chopped fresh sage leaves

500g pumpkin flesh, cut into large bite-sized pieces

1tbsp white wine vinegar

400g can chopped tomatoes

400g can cannellini beans

300ml vegetable stock

salt and pepper

4 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

 

1. Preheat oven 180c/Gas 4.

2. Spay a large casserole dish with Fry Light and place over a medium heat. Stir-fry the sausages for 4-5 mins or until golden brown all over.

3. Add the shallots, garlic, sage and pumpkin and fry for 3-4 mins.

4. Increase heat to high and add the white wine vinegar, tomatoes, beans and stock and season to taste.

5. Bring the mixture to the boil then transfer the casserole dish to the oven and cook for 1 hour, or until the sausages are cooked through and the pumpkin is tender.

6. Serve sprinkled with the flat-leaf parsley.

 

Great meal, really easy and only 2 syns per serving (serves 4). I just boiled up some carrots and green beans that I had left over to put some more superfree in there. Also I didn't have pumpkin so I substituted it with potatoes and it worked just as good. You could also have low fat pork sausages instead of quorn, just remember to syn them correctly.