Living My Life But(t) N.A.K.E.D.

Shoe_Gal

Sounds like you are doing really well :j

EssexHebridean

well done on making lasagna from scratch Swinstie - now just think how much better for you (and cheaper!) that must have been than using the jars of sauce? I love lasagna I must say - it features regularly on the menu in this household! I batch-cooked bolognese sauce today - 5 lots for the freezer and one for tea on Tuesday night now in the fridge!

edinburgher

Congrats on all the cooking from scratch - you're firmly entrenched in domestic goddess territory now

What did you put in your lasagne sauce (the red bit)? We tend to use onions, garlic, celery, chopped tomatoes and loads of herbs (with some Lea and Perrins for good measure). Normally use the chopped tinned tomatoes, but am somewhat unimpressed with the lack of flavour in them these days and may consider blanching/dicing whole tomatoes for future...

Swinstie73

I'm more like a domestic oh my goodness, than goddess!

The red sauce was all of the above plus peppers and half a pint of beef stock, must admit it wasn't as tasty as the Ragu sauce (which I later found in my cupboard) but I saved myself at least £2! Tesco are selling both red and white sauces for £1 each. I will use the Ragu I found but will be making my own from now on. Any good recipes for chilli/bolognaise??

mooomin

Swinstie73 wrote: »

Any good recipes for chilli/bolognaise??

This is how I do my bolognaise:

Ingredients

Peppers (As many as you have)
Mushrooms (If available)
Onion x 1
Lazy garlic/fresh garlic
Tinned tomatoes x 2
Beef stock cube
500g mince
Italian herbs
Tablespoon plain flour

Put a wee bit of oil in a pan, add the lazy garlic and sizzle for half a minute (I usually use half a teaspoon of lazy garlic, but that's quite a lot I think!)
Add the onions (If you then sprinkle with a wee bit of salt this stops them getting brown) and the peppers, cook until soft.

Add the mince and herbs and cook until brown.

Add 2 tins of tomatoes, as much stock as the stock cube needs (third of a pint???) and the plain flour - my mum swears this thickens the sauce. Add mushrooms and simmer for about half an hour, stirring regularly.

I also throw in a handful of porridge oats and a handful of red lentils to bulk it out a bit.

This will do around three meals for two, as Mr Fresian likes big meals. I'm sure it could do more, but it's fine for us.

I only do chilli in the slow cooker but can give you the recipe I use if it helps.

kaz665

Swinstie,

Again well done on all the cooking and healthy eating. Unfortunately your talk of yummy banana bread prompted me to raid the cupboards for ingredients and make chocolate cupcakes with chocolate orange icing on Friday. I'm supposed to be doing Slimming World and was was doing great until Christmas but am finding it hard to get back on the bandwagon (although thankfully I don't seem to have put on more than a pound). To top it off OH appeared with the grocery shopping on Saturday with a huge packet of Smarties for me and you know what it's like once those are open!!!

So from today no more snacking!! Thankfully all the goodies seem to have disappeared out of the cupboards so no excuse and as I've got a day of wallpaper stripping ahead I suppose I can count that as exercise!

Keep up the good work.

missymoo81

Well done on the home cooking hun, I had to do it once and never looked back, I always make lasagne from scratch now.

You are doing brilliantly

Keep it up hun
x

Swinstie73

Thanks for the bolognaise recipe F_F, the chilli one would be appreciated too (I usually buy Swartz packet mixes), but realise it's probably easy to make.

Sorry about the chocolate cupcakes Kaz *wipes away dribble from chin*, I've got ingredients to make tiffin and truffles and so trying not to. I might make them later in the month and freeze for a daily treat once I lose more weight.

Well had a healthyish lunch today, thought it looked loads but I did eat it all and also a litre of water. Must increase this though. Tonight it is chicken fillet, think will marinade again, sweet potato (think I am addicted to them), and the rest of my veggies before they go bad. Really need to clean the kitchen then it will be relaxing the rest of the night. Pondering whether to book into Body Balance tomorrow night, I hate this time of year, makes you want to snuggle down and stay warm, not go out to the gym!

Swinstie73

Got my butt in gear and been cleaning the kitchen, can't believe how bad it is, still not finished but just taking a well deserved break. OH is staying Wednesday night (he usually goes home) as he has the doctors on Thursday now instead of Wed. Will need to mind write him a wee list of what to ask, as he'll probably forget something.

Can't be bothered doing anything tonight but if I can at least get the kitchen finished, I will be happy. The house was so tidy before Christmas and has gone to pot a little, must start writing lists or go on the Flylady thread again (moves to fast for me to keep up though), I'm probably better working at my own pace, even if it is that of a snail.

Swinstie73

Morning all,

Managed to get my butt into gear and phoned to book my gym classes this morning, however, it is the launch night tonight so Body Balance isn't on, can you tell I'm excited :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

I did bring my gym gear in preparation to go but secretly wanted to go home and finish the kitchen and get the rest of the house sorted. I have booked for this Thursday, Saturday and next Tuesday, so feeling good about that, it's a start. Haven't been for about 2 months and if I've any hope of losing weight I better start exercising. Thursday class is an hour early, Saturday's same time as usual and Tuesday 45 mins later, think will maybe stop at my mum's on a Tues & Thurs cos if I go home I won't want to leave again.

Need petrol today and have road tax/insurance/car maintenance money to give my sister tonight so will need to work out how much I can lift from the bank. The next 2 weeks are going to be very tight, got loads of food in though so that should help.

Lunch packed for today and dinner tonight will be sweet potato (again), cabbage and a turkey escalope. Have some peppers and onion to use up so will make some tuna pasta for lunch tomorrow and Thursday. Will probably be Ryvita and philly on Friday, which reminds me, need to put the houmous I bought in the freezer as didn't get it all used up. If I can get lunch sorted all week, it means I have successfully brought lunch to work for 2 weeks, that's great for me.

Have just turned down a hot roll and a coffee (team meeting), was desperate for it too, but I am being good