Treating Yourself

It's very hard when you're dieting to find things that are treats that don't put on the pounds. I got a tip from a lovely woman during a conversation at WW meeting - butternut squash crisps. Butternut squashes are a completely guilt free vegetable, therefore, you can eat as much of it as you like. It's Saturday night and my treat is some wine and there's nothing nicer with a glass of wine than some 'pickage' food, as I like to call it. I can't have peanuts, I might as well be pouring lard straight back my throat. Conventional crisps - the same. I'd rather keep my points for wine. So to make these crisps all you need do is cut your squash into thin slices, lay on baking parchment that's been sprayed with no cal spray oil on a flat baking sheet. Place the thin slices on top then spray with more oil and season with salt and pepper. Tonight I sprinkled some chilli flakes on top. Bake in a hot oven (approx 180-190C) for around 15mins until they are crispy. They may be soft in the centre but that's ok. I'm eating them while I type and I tells ya they are delicious and satisfying. I'll defintely be making more of them during the week for when I'm feeling nibbly!

ROASTED PEPPER SOUP

Serves 4

• Halve 6 peppers (a combination of red, yellow or orange but not green), remove seeds & stalks, then cut each half into 6.
• Cut a medium sized red onion into 8 wedges.
• Use either 10 cherry tomatoes, left whole, or quarter 4 normal sized tomatoes.
• Use 1 garlic clove but leave it whole, just remove the outer papery skin.
• Throw the whole lot into a roasting tray.
• Drizzle with some olive oil, about 2tbsp. Or if you want to be healthy sprinkle with 1tbsp of water or spray on some Light spray oil.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Sprinkle on dried or fresh herbs of choice.
• If you like a bit of heat, sprinkle on some chilli flakes or roughly chop up a red chilli and add to the mix.
• Give the whole lot a good stir.
• Roast in a preheated over at 180C/fan 160C for 30-40mins until the peppers are slightly charred and the other veg are soft.
• Remember to give the mix a stir every 10mins or so in order that it doesn't stick or burn. If it looks like its burning cover with tin foil for the remainder of the cooking time.
• In the meantime, make up approx 1 litre of stock with 2 chicken or veg stock cubes. Don't use beef cubes. If you've got it, and even better, use your own homemade stock.
• Bring to a gentle simmer.
• Once the veg are done, add them to the stock and blitz the whole lot in a food processor or with a hand blender.
• Return to the saucepan, check if it needs more salt and pepper. Then serve.
• This is nice with a crusty roll or even garlic bread.
• And better still, if you leave out the olive oil its calorie free so you can eat as much of it as you like!!

A New Start

Well it's been a while since I updated this blog but life took over and laziness became an issue after Christmas. So the realization finally hit me that I had to do something about my weight or more correctly my excess weight. Weightwatchers was a success for me before so I decided to give it a go again. I joined up at the end of January and now 7 weeks later I've lost 11.5lbs. So far so looking forward to going downwards. Needless to say, this endeavour at weight loss has led me to try and find alternatives to the fatty, gorgeous food I've been used to without losing any of the flavour. Soup has been a saviour and is a major tip when it comes to losing weight. It's filling and satisfying and that full feeling lasts a lot longer when you need it. So now my little blogeen has to be become a diary of my journey towards my final goal of approximately 9.5 stone. So that means I've another 45.5lbs to lose. You work out the stones, because I still don't want to say it out loud - its going to take some time.

Christmas Menu has been Decided

Well its going to be a simple but filling affair this year:

Starter
Spiced Carrot soup, with brown bread

Main
Roast Turkey (of course), Honey Roast Ham, Roast Potatoes, Honey roast Carrots and Parsnips, Buttered Peas, Onion Gravy, Stuffing balls wrapped in bacon (saw this on RTE website this evening its Richard Corrigan recipe), Bread Stuffing & Potato Stuffing.

Dessert
Traditional Trifle - made by the venerable Mr. Chops!

The shopping list has been written and the agreement to keep the shopping sane has been made! The cleaning of the house has begun also, its gonna be a hectic week. And Doggie Chops needs a quick short back and sides as well for Christmas. More as the week goes on.

Prawn Salad with Dipping Sauce

Simple supper tonight. Prawns tossed in tandoori masala mix then quickly stir-fried. On a bed of crispy salad leaves including lambs lettuce and rocket. Adorning the middle of the dish was a little bowl of Hot and Spicy Sweet Chilli dipping sauce, I used Blue Dragon because I think its the nicest. Tasty and snack like supper, hit the spot though.