Fresh start for 2022 with Slimming World.

joedenise

Morning all.  Well done @beanielou - we all knew you could get that half stone shiny this week 👏👏👏

@FrankieM - the slow cooker comes into its own for batch cooking.  Things like stew, curry, chilli etc; anything with a sauce works well.  You can also do a whole chicken either sat on some balls of foil or some chopped veg.  You can also do jacket potatoes which freeze well - I think you can get 6-8 potatoes in an oval slow cooker, or you could just bung some in the oven when you're cooking something else.  It's worth Googling slow cooker meals and seeing what you fancy and making them SW friendly.

Today's plan:

B - breakfast hash topped with fried eggs - P; S; F
L - beans on toast - HEB; F
D - beef Stroganoff, rice (using up LO beef from the weekend) - HEA2; P; S; F

HEA1 - milk
HEA2 - Primula Light
HEB - bread

Have a good day everyone.

Jellybaby

Morning, I never thought of doing baked potatoes in the slow cooker @joedenise, thanks for the tip!  Do you need to wrap in foil or do they just go straight in?

Cold and damp here this morning and as expected I'm a bit achey after last nights exertions!  There was only half a dozen of us but the class was good fun and I've too left feet so there was much laughter.  Oh and can anyone recommend any cheap but decent quality leggings?   I'm on my last pair from Asda but already losing colour and looking grubby after one wash.

Sweet omelette with berries, banana and Kvarg pot for breakfast, more pea and ham soup for lunch and dinner is chicken 'something' not quite decided yet.

Have a good day all.

joedenise

@Jellybaby - you can either do them wrapped in foil or unwrapped, whichever you want really.  I've only done it a couple of times and I've tried both ways and it really doesn't make much difference so next time I'd just do them without wrapping which means a bit of money saving as no need to pay out for foil!  They also don't cook quite as quickly due to having to heat the foil first!  Just remember to stab the potatoes in the normal way so they don't explode!

Better get off here my hairdresser is due any time now!

maman

Plenty of ideas for batch cooking @FrankieM. I always do my Bolognese and chilli in the SC just because it means I don't have to watch it as I would on the hob. I particularly like a veggie chilli. I use the Hairy Bikers chilli con carne recipe but add 2 extra tins of various beans instead of the meat. If you freeze it in single portions then you can have it for a quick lunch on your own or double up for a group. 

As well as batch cooking, there are other quick and filling SW meals you can have. I love stir fries and omelettes. I always keep plenty of mushrooms, peppers and spring onions available and then add in anything else I've got from week to week. 

I love roasted vegetables @ruby_eskimo. We had mushrooms, red onions and red pepper strips last night with sausages. I like them in a pasta salad too. 

I've worn Primark leggings right through lockdowns so majority must be at least 2 years old @Jellybaby. I threw a pair out the other day and replaced them from Asda although I've not worn them yet. 🤔 I've been living in them so they've had loads of wear. I'm even wearing them to go dancing now. I find them more comfortable than tights and so many venues are cold because of increased Covid ventilation. 

I'm having a new cooker delivered today as the old one has been slowly dying. It's nothing fancy as it's a stop gap until we eventually (???🤔) get to extend the kitchen and have it refitted. It does have a ceramic hob though which will be new to me. Any tips?

Today's EE plan-
B- fried eggs (P), mushrooms (S), HEB toast, HEA milk
L- ham (P), fried veg and pickles (S)
D- veggie chilli (P,S), brown rice (F), cottage cheese (P)
Syns- 0

FrankieM

Thanks everyone for the food ideas.

I've put together a rolling 2 week meal plan and I'll have some other things in the freezer like steak and some slimming world ready meals for one off, feel like something different/special meals.

The less I have to think it all the better.

Still struggling to get back on the slimming world horse, but if worse comes to worse, my week begins again onFriday so only a couple of days until then  

joedenise

I've never had a ceramic hob @maman but do have an induction hob which is similar I think.  The main thing is to make sure you don't bang pans down on it!  Also it's much easier to clean than the old solid hobs you used to get!  I find food and spills clean off much easier when still warm, although it's easy enough if it does go cold.

Do you currently have electric?  If not then probably the most money saving thing is that you can turn it off a few minutes before the food is ready as the heat is retained for a while after turning off.

beanielou

Thanks everyone 

bubbs

Afternoon all

Well done Beanie and Anna 👏👏👏

Theatre was fantastic, Maman what sort of dancing do you do? It was Burn the floor with Kevin Clifton who used to do strictly , he is also an amazing singer, never knew he could sing!!
 
Well Dad is home , MRI & X-rays revealed nothing which is good but has not resolved the issue!

I am absolutely fizzing!! Bloody calor again, i emailed them last week......no reply, i then rang them Thurs will call you Friday.......no call, i rang yesterday 189th yes you read that right in the queue..got cut off after 2 hrs!! I then rang them today, 161st in the queue again got cut off after 2 hrs 😡😡 i have managed to get a telephone number for complaints ..guess what  had to leave a message no call back!!
We are down to 5% gas and it's freezing here 😫😫 be glad when shutdown is here and i don't usually say that 😂

Today i have had 3 boiled eggs on the go

Lunch i had omelette with salad and stuffed with beans

Tea i have veg and left over beef in gravy, i made syn free gravy and it tastes lovely 😋looking forward to it

Caulis and leeks are on clubcard price 49p

maman

You couldn't make it up about the gas @bubbs! ☹️ Their customer service is appalling. It seems only the other week you had the same problem.

Glad you enjoyed the theatre, hope it was warm there. 😁 It's Scottish dancing that I do, despite being a Welsh woman living in England. 🤣 It's quite energetic so good Body Magic. I'm out tonight and tomorrow. 

Yes, I'm used to electric @joedenise. I have solid hot plates now and use that tip of turning them off before the end especially when par boiling potatoes. The cooker arrived but will be fitted tomorrow as we weren't sure what time it would be delivered. Tonight's meal can be done in the microwave if necessary but the old hob still works so we're OK. 🤞

I don't feel any thinner despite being on plan and well within syns. I'll just keep plodding and hope for the best. 😊

Gettingtherequickly

Well done to the losers, great way to start your week.

Glad your Dad is home Bubbs, he will feel better there. Mum still in, yesterday she wanted to go home, today not wanting to go. Must admit, think I would prefer her to be in, as at least she will, in theory have 24 hour care, although they wouldn't give her a sleeping tablet as it needed to be prescribed. My brother dropped them off to her yesterday so at least she can take one.

Spag bol for dinner, got a truck load of veg I need to use up, so that will all go in it.