Quick Easy Biscotti Recipe

I have the sweetest mother-in-law. Since I can remember she's always baked biscotti. She loves to feed them to me and to be honest I could quite frankly eat them all day long. Imagine Homer Simpson and his drooling face - that's me. She always sends me away with a goodie bag of them! Bless her.

If you don't know what biscotti are, they are a kind of 'biscuit' which can also be known as cantuccini, that originate from Italy. Biscotti are usually twice baked making them quite a hard biscuit. I personally don't always bake them twice usually, because I'm too impatient and want them NOW! You can make biscotti how ever you like, just keep the main ingredients the same - I'll highlight the main ones with a *.

I like to double up my recipe to make a shed load of biscuits and if you make too many you can actually freeze them. Winner. Right, let's crack on. Before you get started turn on your oven to gas mark 3 or 180℃ fan.

First, all you need to throw into a large bowl are the dry ingredients which are;
225g/8 oz - Plain flour*
150g/5 oz - Caster sugar*
1/2 teaspoon - Baking powder*
Pinch of Salt*

Once these are combined and mixed together, pop in...
75g/3 oz - Nuts of your choice (pecans, pistachio and almonds work well)
50g/2 oz - Candied peel (I do a mixture of candied peel and glacé cherries)

Now you need to add the wet ingredients. Just make a well in the middle of the mixture.
3 medium eggs* (2 whole eggs and one yolk)
1 teaspoon - Vanilla extract

Mix everything together with a wooden spoon. When you're happy pop the dough on to a oven tray covered in grease proof paper - shape it like a log. Make sure they are reasonably big trays, as the mixture will spread once it heats up.

Set your timer for 45 minutes and go and make yourself busy until the buzzer goes off. When the buzzer on the oven does ring, bring out the tray and check the biscotti are a golden brown. Leaving it on the tray, take a big sharp knife and cut them into slices. Lay them out on the tray and you can then if you wish after cutting them up - put them back in to the oven for 5 to 10 minutes to twice bake them. This will harden the inside of biscuit. You can leave them to cool on the oven tray or pop them on a wire cooling rack.

Like I said above, you can switch up ingredients in the recipe. You can add extras like fennel seeds, orange or lemon zest/juice, you can dribble dark chocolate on them or half dip them in it too. If you don't want to use caster sugar, coconut is a excellent substitute.

I will say at the time I was baking these I did plan to pop pecans in the mixture however, but it turns out they were mouldy. Rather than poison myself I decided to go without and add extra candied peel instead. Problem solved. Et voilà.

Now, if biscotti doesn't sound like something you'd be into, (cannot see why) then why not try these short bread biscuits or banana oat cookies which I have made previously.

Enjoy.

Angela x

Tomato Butter Bean Cod Stew

It's officially Autumn now and as soon as it strikes I want to pig out of soups and stews. I always find them so warm and cosy and perfect for this time of the year. Usually I eat stews containing meat, but last night I opted to make mine with white fish as thats what we had in the fridge. This is nothing I've ever attempted before, so I was not sure how it would turn out. Eek!

The meal took no longer than 30 minutes to prep and cook and can easily adapted. If you don't have butter beans, you can use another type or don't have a green pepper - use a yellow one! So what you'll actually need for this is...

A fillet of white fish - I used cod

Cherry tomatoes

Butter beans

Green pepper

Olives

Passata

Salt, pepper, smoked paprika for seasoning.

I've given no measurements, as I am the type of cook who likes to wing it and throw in anything that I think will work. Luckily on this occasion it worked! So heres what you need to do...

Grab a big old frying pan and soften your chopped green pepper. Turn the heat down and then throw in passata, rinsed butter beans, the cherry tomatoes and your herbs and spices for seasoning. Let this simmer and give the passata a chance to thicken up. Just remember to stir now and again so it does not stick to the pan.

You can cook your fish any way you like, if you want to oven bake it or fry it in a shallow oil - then its up to you. I cooked mine in tin foil in the oven at the same time I was prepping and cooking the stew.  It was just easier than keeping an eye on two pans at the same time.

Once your fish is cooked you can now add it to the wet dish. Depending on your preference, you can either flake it, cut it into chunks or just lay it on top. Give it all a stir and let it sit for a while so the fish can take on some of the flavours and thats it. You're ready to dive in and enjoy. 

This is nice and healthy and not too stuffing like a classic stew. You'll certainly get your five a day with this dish.

Angela x

Food Temptations And How To Avoid Them

Whenever it was someones last day at work, it seemed like the tradition was to buy cake and lots of it. I know from personal experience it can be very difficult to avoid temptation when they, aka naughty treats are literally put under your nose. What I usually do which - sounds very weird is I sniff the food.  Doughnuts, cakes, chocolate, biscuits whatever is, I'll take a deep breath through my nose...I take in the smell of it and that's enough for me. Strange I know, but there is no calories in sniffing, only when you eat it! True story. I'm quite lucky to have a strong will power most of the time, but I know others can struggle... here are some of my tips for you to avoid temptation.

The Bigger Picture
There is a very good saying... A moment on the lips, a life time on the hips. Just guesstimating, but I think you'll need to do approximately 500+ burpees to burn that slice of cake off.  You fancy doing that really? No? Then put the spoon down my friend! If you eat it then remember have to burn it off!  Keep in mind the bigger picture, don't let one piece of cake ruin it for you... If you eat it you might cave and want more bad things!

Do You Really Want It?
Just because it's there does not mean you have to grab a fork and start digging in. If it was not there, would you rush out to the shops to buy something similar?? If the answer is no, then you don't really need it do you.  Just walk away. Yep just keep walking.

Visual Trick
I like this trick where I visually change what the naughty food looks like.  Instead of seeing cake for example, in my mind I just see a big bowl of sugar with a spoon. Seem very advertising now? Not really hey. No one would eat sugar with a spoon on its own would they?? Technically that's what cake is.... Just think about it.

And finally

Have Some...
...but have a very very small portion.  If you cannot keep the craving at bay or you've been healthy eating for a while then have a small piece and I mean SMALL!! If you've gone without sugar for a long time, it'll be out of your system.  You might only be able to manage a small amount of cake, as you'll find the sugar in it too sweet and your stomach has reduced in size meaning you'll fill up faster.  Afterwards you might think why did I bother?!

If  you had some did you enjoy it?  Was it really nourishing food?  Naughty treats never are.

I hope these tips help someone. Do you have any tips??

Angela x

Can You Eat Out And Stay Healthy?

The simple answer to this is yes. It is all about making better and wiser choices. Plus having the meal out with someone who understands your journey, there is nothing worse than peer pressure to eat a Banoffee Pie - true story!

If you're leading a healthy lifestyle there is nothing worse than temptations, especially if you're someone who can easily cave in to it. Here are a few helpful tips.

Plan
If you're going out for a meal, plan ahead. Agree a restaurant which has healthier options on the menu. You can even pick the meal before you step foot in the restaurant. This way you won't be looking at everything on the menu. Don't put temptation under your nose!!

Avoid The Bread Basket
I, like the next person loves a chunk of bread with balsamic and olive oil. However most restaurants give you the white bread option. Go for olives instead as they contain healthy fats. Plus you'll be saving yourself from the bread basket bloat.

Drinks
These days I'm all about the water. I rarely have soda/pop/fizzy (whatever you call them) drinks at all. However with a meal I may have the occasional glass of white wine - when not pregnant obviously! If you're going down this road have water too, as it's all about balance. Plus water fills you up.

Ask
So your dying for a steak, but the only options on the menu is they serve it with chips and covered in sauce. Ask your waiter if you can swap items over or have the sauce on the side. Restaurants are quite accommodating these days and are more than happy to chop and change chips or French fries for let's say a jacket or boiled potatoes. If you don't ask, you don't get!

Share
If you're dying for a side dish of chips then have them, but perhaps share them with who you are with. You won't feel like you have to eat them all if you're sharing with a friend.

Two Out Of Three
When you're at a restaurant there is normally the traditional of starters, mains, dessert. Well my friend just have two... either starters and no dessert or indulge in dessert but skip the starters. Less is more.

Hope this helps and inspires.

Angela

Long Time... No See!

Last time I blogged here it was November 2016.  Lol... just a little while ago.  Well let's say lots of things have changed from then till now I can tell you.  If there is anyone still out there, then that’s great!  I’ll be very interested if there was anyone still there!

A lot has happened in the six months since I last blogged.  To be honest I’m not going to make excuses, but I’m not really sure what actually happened for me to stop in the first place.  But any-ho - for the past few weeks I’ve felt the urge to write again.  Primarily my little space on the internet was a wee dictation to my Slimming World journey and the random post here and there for recipes or advice.  I’ve decided I want to expand my horizons and cover more subjects.  There is so much more to life isn't there?

If you see at the top of the blog I've added some new buttons.  The obvious one being BABIES!  I almost do not want to write anything about it as I feel like I might jinx myself.  But I'm just going to write it.  We're having a baby.  This is obviously one of the biggest changes of our lives.  I'm currently 6 months gone and to be honest I thought this was something that my hubby and I would never be blessed with.  More posts to come on our journey. 

There have been other changes too, especially with my work.  I will go into that in another post in the future, as my experiences over recent months may be of help to others.  My fitness, food, Slimming World journey has not really gone to plan this year since finding out about our little bubba.  It was all going so well, then surprise you're having a baby! Lol.  I do hope to still write about the subjects in the future however.  I also want to write about travel, life and the odd beauty post.  I just want to turn my little place on the net to almost an online diary.  We'll just see how it all goes.

Anyway speak soon!

Angela

Balance

After the gym the other night I had wine.

Wine not I thought... hahah 😭  Sorry a tad lame, but please don't judge me.  When I got home I did have a good dinner of oven baked chicken breast with yummy selection on vegetables.  I then reached for one of my mini bottle of white wine.  I don't do this all the time - probably once a month if that, so hardly an addiction to be concerned about. Tonight I thought what the hell - I had basically earned it at the gym.

I don't like the terms good, bad, naughty treats, however I always find myself saying it.  I try to reframe from calling this a 'naughty treat' because it really is not.  It's called balance.  I went to the gym, I boxed, I swang kettle bells and medicine balls around - I worked hard and sweated so much I looked like I'd been the shower.  My reward is a little glass of wine.

I do not reward myself all the time as I don't want it to become a habit. I will only do so when I feel like I want to.  If it's not wine then I might have two pieces of dark chocolate or a yogurt with a sprinkle of my home made granola on it.  I try to vary it and make it not be a massive amount of calories I'm consuming.   Don't want to undo all the hard work do I? 🙂

What little indulgence do you like to have?

Angela x

Smoothie. In A Bowl?

I keep seeing the whole concept of a smoothie in a bowl everywhere on the internet.  I've never really been that bothered to giving it a go, as to be honest I thought it sounded a bit weird.  I mean who really wants to eat a smoothie with a spoon - I'm a straw kinda girl if you get what mean.

It was the weekend and I really fancied a smoothie, so I thought it would be the perfect time to experiment as on the weekends I have the time to play around. I would of loved to throw on granola to give it some added crunch, but I didn't have that to hand unfortunately. Note to self I need to make some soon 😀

Instead I picked out what I had to hand from the kitchen cupboards which was ...

// Kellogg's All Bran 40g
// Flaked Almonds 15g
// Chia Seeds 10g
// Linseed mix 10g

For the smoothie itself I used the Tesco tropical smoothie mix which has kiwi, pineapple, mango and coconut. I had some left over blueberries which I threw in too just to make use of them. I then added fresh mint from the garden, a small Yeo Valley low fat yogurt and a cup of water. If I had my time again I might of added a banana instead of the blueberries or perhaps less water as it made my smoothie quite a watery consistency. It would be perfect for straw drinking but for a bowl it needed to be thicker I think personally.

I popped on my toppings in no particular arty fashion and that was it. It tasted good and kept me full for quite a while as I had the added toppings. I think this is something I certainly want to try again and experiment with.

Have you ever tried a smoothie in a bowl? Got any receipes that you could recommend?

Thanks gangs!

Angela x

Eat Well Move Better Feel Awesome

I love the title of The Lean Machines first book. It makes you feel upbeat just reading the front cover.  I've been a John and Leon fan for years on YouTube where they are called The Lean Machines.  Both guys are trained personal trainers and are how shall I put it ... ennasy on the eye lol - and a joy to watch. They are not big headed obnoxious personal trainers, they are very down to earth and make the idea of getting fit fun. 

Yea getting fit can be fun!

When word started to spread that they would be releasing a book, I knew before I'd even flicked through it that I'd love it. The book itself is not just a cook book. There is a whole sections dedicated to working out with step by step illustrations and there is also an educational section talking about fats carbs and protein and much more in depth topics.  The Lean Machines want to get you fit, but they also aim to educate everyone on how the body works and the foods it does and doesn't need.  That's what a real personal trainer should be like. Healthy mind, healthy body is how I put it. 

When it comes to to the food recipes, there is a real good mixture.  Breakfast, lunch, dinner, dips and dessert and even cookies!  There are everyday meals which don't use weird and wacky ingredients that we cannot even pronounce. It's real food. They do use ingredients like coconut oil which could be easily swapped for fry light if you want to make it Slimming World friendly. Another great fact about the recipes is they all show calorie/fats/protein/carb information in case you want to know the nitty gritty details about the food your about to eat. So helpful. 

I hope you pick up your own copy as I think it's really worth the buy.  Click HERE
you where can pick up your own copy.

Angela

PS. The oat cookies are amaziiiing!!  Just saying.

Scrap booking

I must admit I can be quite the magazine hoarder sometimes. I'm trying to be better and not collect them, but I can't promise it will be a forever thing that I'll stick to. 

Over the summer I have been taking the time to go through all my old slimming world magazines and the few fitness magazines I own and I've been snipping out the recipes.  It's very easy to forget when and where you find a recipe and I've been meaning to cut all the recipes I want to recreate. 

I thought it would a fun idea to pop them all in a pretty ring binder (I got mine from Tesco). I also got plastic wallets to protect the cutouts.  I know this technically is not 'scrap booking' as per say but I think the title is catchy. 

Now I can recycle all the left over magazines and declutter my home a little with these gone now. Happy dance. 

I hope you take this idea and use it in your home. 

Enjoy!

Angela 

Nachos on Slimming World

I love Slimming World meals that resemble 'bad/naughty' versions of the same foods.  If you read my ramen receipe a few posts back then you'll see I created a healthy ramen which is SWF*.

Today we have 'nachos' and a healthy dip.  Now sorry to say there are no nachos chips in this recipe, however we do have their super healthy yummy cousin.... the sweet potato wedge.

Instead of naughty chips just swap those for a large potato chopped in to wedges.  Now you're on to a winner. Everything with this recipe is syn free with the exception of the cheese.  The recipe asks you to use your healthy extra A choice however you  could syn that if you wish to.  So basically it's syn free if you want it to be. Choice is yours!

All you need:

// For the nachos
Large sweet potato
Fry light
Paprika
Salt and pepper

// For the toppings
Canned corn
Mixed beans or just kidney beans
Jalapeños (optional if you don't want it a bit hot)
Cheese (syn this or use your healthy extra A choice)
Seasonings: I used a taco mix which is 3 syns for the entire pack however I only used a tsp amount.
Salt and pepper

// For the dip/sauce
Plain fat free yogurt
Paprika
Lemon juice
Salt and pepper

If you click HERE you can follow along with my video!

Enjoy!

Angela

* Slimming World Friendly

Less is NOT more!

Weight loss.... that thing pretty much 95% of the planets population are trying to achieve.  Well let me let you in to a secret ... when it comes to weight loss you have to eat.

True story!

It is driven in to us to cut this, cut that out of your diet and you will lose weight, it will fall off and you will live happily ever after. Well this is not the case my friend - it's a big fat lie.  If you want a quick fix then go ahead and starve... it won't work. Realistically we want our weight loss journey to give us a lasting life long results right?  And the only way that will happen is if we take the correct and healthy path.  How do you think you will survive without food any ways??  You can't.

The truth is the little you eat, it confuses your body... which in turn makes your body go into starvation mode.  It slows your metabolism as your body tries holds on to everything.  Your body will wonder when it will receive its next meal. Basically this kind of eating will screw up your metabolism and sometimes I may struggle to recover from it. 

The key to successful wait lose is to eat a balanced diet of proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Yes you NEED to eat carbs and fats - they are essential.  I will probably approach this in another post. 

Strangely enough you have to eat food in order to lose weight, but the most important thing is to eat the correct foods to begin with.  

Enjoy!

Angela

What I Eat In A Day

Hey everyone.

Last week was my first week back on plan (well kind of). On bank holiday Monday I decided to film a what I ate in a day video and here it is.  This includes all three main meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and even dessert. 

There aren't many snacks as usual, as I was running around my house decluttering and tidying up when I got back from holiday so I was pretty occupied by that. 

I read Marie Kondo's book whilst away about decluttering which is making me do it all to be honest.  That book is a amaze balls!  I totally recommend it if you need help with decluttering your life... I think it's a life changer. 

Any way hope you enjoy.  What do you like to eat in a day whilst on Slimming World??

Enjoy!

Angela

Survival Guide: The Cinema

I love going to the cinema the hubby. We always make an evening of it, perhaps a nice meal before hand then a good old VIP seat with lots of pic n' mix, popcorn or even Ben and Jerry's ice cream.  Lots of sugary 'goodness' - NOT!  The meal definately, but not the sweets.

All these sweets can play havoc with your results when it is time for your weekly weigh in and we don't want that do we??  Yes you can treat yourself as ultimately that is what syns are for, but let's do it in controlled fashion instead of a fully loaded blow out. 

This is my mini guide on how to survive a night at the cinema and what nibbles to take if you're going.

Firstly my main and best advice is to avoid the cinema treats entirely and bring your own. This is where you'll need a big hand bag ladies, as cinemas don't obviously want you to bring your own lunch box of goodies. They want you to spend your money with them - business is business and you're their money maker ... so be discreet. 

In your hand bag pop in...

// Popcorn

This is a given really isn't it??  I like the Lightly Sea Salted ones by ProperCorn (pictured) as a 20g bag is only 4 syns. Compare this to a small carton of popcorn you get at the actual cinema that is soooooo big it'll fit over your head well I think the ProperCorn is a million times better!

// Mikado

Whether you go for milk, white chocolate or the Daim version these are 1/2 a syn per stick. If you save up your syns for the day you could nearly eat a whole packet if you wanted to. Yay. 

// Pick n' Mix

Might sound strange but you could make you're own pic n' mix.  Grab a small zip lock bag or Tupperware pot and pop in a few Harbios and marshmallows. Both of these are usually 1 syn each, so like above if you save up your syns you could have quite a hand full. 

// Fruit 

Not your traditional cinema treat but what about fruit sticks or a pot?  I've done this before as there is an Marks and Spencer's next to my local cinema and they sell great pots of fruit. I brought melon and pineapple slices/sticks and they were rather yummy. 

The trick of bringing your own goodies is you know you are only consuming a syn value you know instead of guessing.  Once you start guessing it all starts to go down hill. 

Enjoy!

Angela

Tacos, Body Magic, Kitchen Gadgets

Me again.

So whilst I'm giving my pale untanned white body its yearly outing in the Med, I thought I'd share details of my new video which went live yesterday with you.

In the video I talk to you about my kitchen gadgets which I think are rather handy to have. I also do a little body magic dog walkies with my Mum over our local country park. This is where our four legged friend Chelsea sees horses for the first time.

If you're a fan of Mexican, then you'll be pleased to know I also cook up some healthy homemade 'tacos' from scratch excluding the synful taco shells.  They might not look too appealing but they certainly hit the spot if you're craving something that feels naughty - but it really isn't.

Enjoy!

Angela

Travel Snacks

Everyone needs a lovely holiday, whether it be heading to the slopes, the family caravan in Devon or the beaches of hotter climates than England.

Holidays are time to relax, unwind and to have fun with family and friends. However some people take this time as a cue to let go and and relax a little too much, especially when it comes to what they eat. Relaxing the rules or binning the rules completely and eating whatever they feel like.

The thing is, ask yourself this... who says the healthy eating has to stop once you're in holiday mode??  It's all about the choices we make and balance. 

It's all too easy to eat a heavily syned breakfast at Frankies and Bennys whilst waiting in departures for example. Hot chocolates, croissants, bacon butties are just a few meals you can munch on and we know they are not good for us - and that's before we get on the plane!  Yes food is all part of the holiday adventure and it can be costly - not just with the syns but the price tag attached to airport foods. 

On my flight to Portugal on Monday I took snacks with me on the flight.  I was the passenger who flipped down their tray table and spreads out a banquet of food on it. My banquet was all fresh fruit however.   

By taking a mini lunch box of pre-selected foods with me, it basically stops the temptation to buy something.  Wasting my money on cheap fatty foods restaurant chains charge sh*t loads of money for which are not worth it. Taking foods with me means I won't go hungry and I know exactly what I'm eating. Plus I have to eat it all to get rid of the weight in my hand luggage!

On my table I had fresh water melon slices, strawberries and bananas.  I also packed two Jaffa Cake Alpen Light Bars and an apple in my hand luggage (not pictured). I will admit also to packing a further two apples in my plane hold case. I would of thrown a box or two of Alpen bars, but the hubby and I were only limited to 15kgs and to be honest I thought my shampoo and clothes deserved the space more. 

Basically the moral of this story is to be prepared. Your holiday doesn't have to be end of the healthy eating. Yes you can have an ice cream and let your hair down slightly, but don't have the attitude of 'screw it, I'm going to eat everything'. You will feel like crap afterwards if you over indulge too much.  Reward yourself but rememeber the end goal and why you started your journey. 

Enjoy!

Angela

Aubergine / Eggplant Tagine Stew Recipe

Nothing makes me more happy than buying a new recipe book.  I love getting new ideas of things to create in the kitchen and I go as far as using little stickers on my favourite pages.  Geek.  My hubby is usually the 'cook', but as he has been away on business with work I've really enjoyed having the freedom to how can I say it... to express myself with my cooking a little more.  My hubby is a kitchen hogger and he knows it, but I know he loves to cook and create too so I cannot get too mad 😄

After watching a fellow YouTuber Anna (ViviannaDoesMakeup) make a meal in one of her recent videos (see the video HERE) I picked up the book where she got the recipe from straight away on Amazon.  I was desperate to make it myself as it looked (a) really quick and easy and (b) OK for a Slimming Worlder to munch on. Plus it did look pretty darn yummy in Anna's video.  

So here it is, this is Madeleine Shaw's aubergine / eggplant tagine stew from her book Ready Steady Glow.  The recipe does call for coconut oil to be used, but I just switched to fry light, so trust me that you can make her recipe very Slimming World friendly indeed.  Happy days. 

I won't go into details on how to make this as its not my own to share... got to be respectful right?  However the recipe only uses a hand full of ingredients and spices. The dish mainly consists of aubergine/eggplant, onion, garlic and chopped tomatoes and that's it. 

It only takes 25 minutes to cook and there is plenty for left overs for the next day or the freezer for a rainy day. I completed my meal with a little cous cous and feta cheese (my HEXA choice) and some pomegranate seeds in the centre.  I also poured some plain fat free yogurt over the stew itself.

I certainly recommend Madeleine's books as they are jam packed with delicious health conscious recipes. 

Enjoy!

Angela x

Ramen Takeaway

We all love a syn free meal that kind of resembles a cheeky takeaway don't we?  Today I have a new Slimming World friendly meal for you. It is a recipe for those of you who love a good old bowl of ramen. Wagamama style! Unfortunately Wagamama meals can have a high syn value due to fresh noodles and oils being used. However this recipe has got your back covered!

The receipe can be adapted, swapping out the chicken for beef, prawns, Quorn or tofu if you wish. However you just have to remember to account for any necessary syns if you do.  Plus you can make it as hot and spicy as you like or not if you're not a fan of the hot stuff.

Here is what I used to make my bowl of ramen:
A good tasty stock - I used the Heston for Waitrose chicken stock which is syn free
Dried noodles
An egg - I've gone for boiled with a slight runny centre, but you can add a fried version chopped up into pieces if you want.
Skinless chicken breast/strips
A good mix of vegetables; I used spinach, spring onion, pepper, bean sprouts
Seasoning: salt, pepper, chili flakes
Sauce - Soy and Worcester sauce
Optional sprinkle of sesame seeds can be added but these have syns. 

The method you need to use...

1// Grab a big cooking pot and fry your meat with fry light and any of your chosen seasonings. 

2// Once it's cooked, remove it from the pot and put to one side.  DON'T wash up the pot just yet as we still need it next. 

3// In the pot pour in your stock of choice. The stock will get mixed with the left over juices from the cooked meat and this will add to the favour. 

4// Heat your stock through and add your sauces and chillies and let this get nice and hot. 

5// If you want to add an egg, start to cook this (in your desired way) in a separate pot or pan. 

6// If you plan to add noodles, add these to your stock so they start to soften.

7// Next it is time for your vegetables choices.  For me it's spinach, bean sprouts, pepper, some sliced spring onions. 

8// The final leg is re adding your meat to warm through again. Once this is happens your ready to serve. 

9// Grab a big bowl and spoon, add your ramen to the bowl and pop your egg on top. Dust with chilli flakes and sesame seeds and you're done. 

The very cool thing with ramens they become what ever you like. You can throw in any thing you want and every time you make the dish it will be slightly different. It's a new experience every time 😀

With ramen you could add other things like fresh ginger, steamed broccoli, pack choi, cabbage, mange tout, mushrooms, a slice of lime. With a dish like ramen it is very adaptable and versatile.  All you just need the basic foundation ingredients of a good stock, protein and noodles then you can pop in what you like.  You could even swap out the noodles for courgettie if you fancy.  Options options options.

Let me know if you try this dish out.

Enjoy!
Angela x

Parsnip Chips Anyone?

You know when you fancy chips, but you just do not want to indulge in the syns and have real chips?  

I feel ya.  

It's been a while since I had the real deal from the chip shop and I have been trying to create a slightly different alternative.  A healthier one.  I do love sweet potato wedges which is the well know healthier alternative to fried chips, but there is only so many times you can eat them until it feels like your going to morph into one. 

When I was in the supermarket the other day and I spied the good old unloved parsnip.  I love parsnips.  At Christmas my mum makes a smashing parsnip dish - coated in Parmesan cheese. De-licious!!  

As it seems parsnips are not used from January to November, I thought I could attempt to give them more love and attention and make parsnip chips.  Obviously it would not be as fantastic as the real deal, nothing is - however these wouldn't be deep fried.

Here is how I made my 'chips' 😀

1// Pre-heat your oven or grill.  I had my oven on about 220 fan.

2// Peel and chop the parsnips into a chip like shapes.

3// Pop them in the microwave for around 4 to 5 minutes with about a tablespoon of water.  This will steam them slightly.  You'll know they are ready when you poke them with a knife or fork and they will feel soft inside.

4// When ready, put them into an oven dish and spray with fry light and season with salt, pepper and cumin seeds.

5// Place in the oven or grill for about 10 to 15 minutes.  Keep and eye on them in case they burn.

6// Once they start to brown - turn them and re-spray with fry light.  And leave them once again for a couple of minutes.

With the 'chips' it all depends on you and how brown you want them to go.  As they are already steam cooked you are merely popping them in the oven to darken the outside and make them slightly crispy.

I hope you like this usual recipe and give it a whirl.

Enjoy!

Angela

Iceland Mini Food Haul

I'm not generally a lover of the ready meal.  Years ago in my younger days I would of been happy to chow down on a few. However roll on my various stints with Weight Watchers and Slimming World, I now have the know-how of what brands actually throw into these time saving alternatives.

The time saving aspect has been replaced by too much salt and fat.  Also after the horse meat scandal are we sure we know what we are really eating?  I just steer clear of the ready / microwave meal shopping aisles. Now days I get far more enjoyment from prepping meals myself from scratch, but that is a whole entire post on its own.

Not too long ago when I re-joined Slimming World a couple of months ago I found out they had created their own line of ready meals. It took me a long while to pop to Iceland to pick some up, as I thought they wouldn't be that good to be honest. But I have eaten my words and now tried a few which I really do enjoy.  I don't eat them all the time but they are handy to have as backup meal in case of an emergency. The burgers and sausages are especially good as you can be eating them within 25 minutes.  How's that for speed??

The great thing is Iceland (the only place you can by the meals) also have offers on. I took the opportunity yesterday and picked up three ready news and got a bag of frozen fruit for free. We all need a bag of frozen fruits in our freezers ladies and gents as they are so handy. Especially for over night oats I find.

Nip on down to your local Iceland. You maybe surprised what you can buy from the Slimming World range. Heathy curry anyone??  They sell it. Also everything is SYN FREE!!  Sweet!

Enjoy!

Angela x

Sunday Fry Up!

I used to love going to a dirty cafe on a Sunday morning to have a good old greasy fry up with my hubby.  We usually went after a long early morning bike ride and it was kind of a treat for us both after the hard work of the bike ride. Now however when I think of them I feel a bit sick and horrified about the crap I was eating.  I hate to think how many syns I was putting into my body.  Never again.  

Realistically a fry up does not have to be full of syns.  What you see above is a syn free (Yes SYN FREE) slimming world friend breakfast.  I admit after I took the picture I did pop on a TBSP of ketchup, which was only one syn.  When you think about it, one syn is nothing.

To make this I used:

Slimming World sausages from Iceland

Turkey bacon

An egg fried is fry light

Peppa pig shaped beans (way more fun to eat trust me)

Grilled pepper and tomatoes from speed foods.

This was such a filling breakfast that I had no room for my usual morning snacks which was a bonus.  You might think this might not be as fun as going down to your local cafe, but trust me your body with thank you for not swamping it in nasty syns which you don't need to.  Just some simple adjustments and you're on to a winner!

Enjoy!

Angela