50p a day til Christmas - healthily?! Weezl's next challenge...

Plum_Pie

munchki wrote: »

cw18.... that is exactly what I said to the GP, guess she is just very worried about my bp at the moment which has been very high. Certainly going to be a challenge to saythe very least EEK!

Learning some meditation techniques from a library book really helped me lose weight (and deal with stress in general!) Maybe you could look into that?

Softstuff

Just a curious question, so many people post how much they do and bake, I'm wondering what our regulars do for a job and how many hours?

I'm a manager of a retail store and work anything from 40 (ha!) to 80 hours a week, so feeding me and the OH relies a lot on me having developed speedy methods for things (batch cooking, cooking too much one evening and freezing leftovers, multipurpose dough). As for growing our own, I don't stand a chance really timewise, it's enough keeping my herbs alive.

newlywed

foxy-tigger wrote: »

I DO stuffed peppers with couscous and "things" !!!!! :Di put alsorts in it! pop in half peppers in oven for 10 mins then fill with couscous and "stuff" to top with bit of grated cheese and bake for bout 20 mins. it brill! My hubby loves it! Tho he luv's anything I do he great! :rolleyes: he says he will eat same things twice? For next night?! esp if it saves in £!!!!!!! He loves Pasta and italian esp. he sooooo like me :p tho I try to vairy my menu if I can..... :rolleyes2

My OH loves stuffed peppers too - I do them with pearl barley and veg and bits in. Chuck em in the slow cooker all day. OH would eat them every day I think :rolleyes:

In fact the man who runs a veg shop I've just found thinks I'm mad as I got 22 red peppers for £2 (some of those he gave me free as they were slightly knocked etc)!!

naturally_2

Softstuff - I suppose I enjoy cooking, which helps as its "me time" to unwind. I work "8-5" (to coin your phrase - ha!:rolleyes: ) and normally get in at 6.30-7ish, and I usually spend anythign between 15-45 mins cooking. I am at a disadvantage in that I don't have a freezer any bigger than an ice cream tub (which housemate usually nabs FOR an ice cream tub!:rolleyes: ) so I generally make too much and have the leftovers for lunch or dinner the following day. I usually spend about 30 mins in the kitchen, longer if I am cooking lentils or pasta bake etc, but then I'm going off and doing things while thats cooking. (what?! Flaking out in front of the TV *is* doing something, honest!:p)

newlywed

Softstuff wrote: »

Just a curious question, so many people post how much they do and bake, I'm wondering what our regulars do for a job and how many hours?

I work mon-fri 9-5.30 with half hour travelling each way. I do my food shop at lunchtimes to get it out of the way (unless I'm doing internet shop of course).

I love my slow cooker and sometimes use it so there is a meal ready waiting for us - plus it keeps warm till we want to eat if we do get home early. I often use it to cook a batch of chilli and then serve in wraps instead of with rice (as would have to wait for rice to cook). I freeze the extra for other days.

I don't use the slow cooker every day though as I'm not a morning person and so to have to get up a bit early to cook isn't always appealing (even if it does mean I get an evening off)

I always do shep pie/lasagna mix in the slow cooker - even at a weekend when I'm in - as then I don't have to bother watching it - just layer it up or top with mash and bake for 20 mins when I'm ready.

Mostly we get home about 6 and eat between 6.30 and 7 - fish and veg, gammon steaks and veg, baked chicken breasts etc are easy to do. For us, weekends are for things like baking cakes, roast dinner and things that take more than half hour to cook.

But my biggest tip is don't sit down when you come home - start cooking straight away (and then sit down while waiting for it to cook). If I sit down, I don't wanna get up again to cook

ceridwen

MRSMCAWBER wrote: »

Ohhh a question.. Has anyone here been on a "foraging" course? Im sooo tempted to look into it when we move back..so i can take full advantage of the wild foods... or does anyone have a really good book they would reccomend ? just so i don't poison us :rotfl:

right i will get that dough in its tin..
have a great afternoon all

Well...thanks for the sausage recipes...Mrs M...I am just catching up on my fave threads now - as I have just come back from a foraging course. I've been in Lostwithiel, Cornwall - making our weezl and Acetate Monkey hugely envious (as they were both hoping to come with me - now that 'twoulda been interesting - as I have not yet physically met any of my "virtual" friends - but were unable to in the event) (note to our weezl - yep - you woulda liked the course on t'one hand and had absolute hysterics about the price of eating a meal out in Lostwithiel on t'other hand! errm....cough! Apparently Lostwithiel was hoping for the unofficial title of "foodie capital of Cornwall" or summat a coupla years back...so there's some very nice (and not exactly cheap!) restaurants there - £15 average main course and easily possible to pay £25 for a main course - cor our Weezl could eat for a month or so for that thought me - but I found a couple of cheaper alternatives.

So - he knew his stuff our Weezl - and I'll send you an email with fuller details later. I might put a post on it in my blog too. There is a lot of precautionary info one needs to know before trekking off hopefully on a forage - which Marcus has repeated often enough to us (ie me and the 2 others on it) that I should think i've got that bit off by heart by now:D

So that's where I was:

www.countrylovers.co.uk/wfs/index.htm



ISOM - Hope things are working out for your operation okay!!

Plum_Pie

I work Mon-Fri, 9-5. I'm single, have no kids and don't care for any elderly relatives or similar. I do a fair bit of voluntary work but basically my time is my own. Considering the frequency of my visits to OS, my flat should be a tiny palace of HM food, crafts and plants. In fact, I have a lawn a foot high, a bathroom floor which would enrage Kim and Aggie and whoopsied bread in the freezer.

B*gg3r it though, I don't feel guilty. I just had a lush lentil-based lunch concocted with my own hand and I know what the processes are, should I ever increase my responsbilities.

I have the greatest respect for OS parents and carers though. You do so much for so many!

Edit: Gawd, I sound useless, don't I? I bake my own cakes and biscuits, always. I have a massive monthly batch cooking session. I meal-plan most of the time and have a simple paper freezer and cupboard inventory system for efficient shopping. I grow herbs and salad as they are pricey to buy and can be wasted easily if you live alone. I started foraging this summer with a friend as I love going for walks, reading and freebies, and foraging combines all three!

BASHFUL_2

Hi...just popping in to wish ISOM a problem free op and a speedy recovery x x

Money_saving_Diva_2

Can't remember who posted about the little blue fat stripping diet pills but I have had a long long battle with obesity which I am not winning and my Dr refused to put me on those pills because in all the studies he had read they really didn't make more than about 1/2 a lbs difference in weight loss between taking them and just following a low fat diet and so he doesn't believe in them. Plus as someone else said - losing 3 1/2 lbs a week is a BIG ask unless you are a man or extremely large! I am not trying to put you off taking them, just that the results may not be amazing.

and I just wanted to pop in and say good luck to ISOM. *hugs*

With the OH being so poorly, I am living off sandwiches - thank god we had plenty of cheese and bread in the house!

hugs to all

Diva.x

munchki

Softstuff wrote: »

Just a curious question, so many people post how much they do and bake, I'm wondering what our regulars do for a job and how many hours?

I'm a manager of a retail store and work anything from 40 (ha!) to 80 hours a week, so feeding me and the OH relies a lot on me having developed speedy methods for things (batch cooking, cooking too much one evening and freezing leftovers, multipurpose dough). As for growing our own, I don't stand a chance really timewise, it's enough keeping my herbs alive.

Hi Softstuff

I am very lucky as I work full time from home in Marketing and as a PA to our company directors. I dont have to go into the office very often, once every couple of weeks or so, sometimes less. I have found that sometimes I work way more hours from home, especially when DH is away other times I work less hours.:rolleyes:

I have a few pots with veggies in them, not very successful with it but learning as I am used to a proper veg garden where I lived before. Eventually the toms will turn red! As for meals and cooking, it is generally pot luck but mostly comes out of the freezer and is generally always homemade. :j Like most here, I make ahead and freeze when I remember to do the cooking before I freeze the meat when I have the chance to batch cook, generally remember after the fact! :mad: I keep thinking that I need to meal plan but just never seems to happen as things tend to change here on a daily basis. Even harder now that I have to watch every single thing I eat now, prime example is it is now nearly 2pm and for the past 2 hours I have been trying to figure out what to have for a very low fat lunch Will just not bother soon.

hmmmm I think I am really starting to ramble now!! :eek: My apologies!

Hugs all around and luverly cups of tea to everyone

kath x