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Recipe: Slimming World Mixed Kebab Fakeaway

October 10, 2014, 12:24 pm
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A cheeky mixed kebab is one of my favourites, which of course means that it is full of syns!!  Lamb and chicken tikka goes so well, and taste so naughty! This version is only 6.5 for the lot, including lashings of garlic mint sauce, if using a HEB pitta bread (double check which those are, I believe it is Asda and Waitrose!)  For best results marinate the chicken over night.



You will need:-

Lamb Donner

400g extra lean lamb mince (less than 16% fat- 6.5 syns per 200g)
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp dried Thyme
1 small onion finely diced, leave some over to cook the lamb on
1 garlic clove finely crushed
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper


Chicken tikka

140g fat free natural yogurt
5 tbsp tikka curry powder
Juice of 1 lime
500g Chicken breasts diced

Sauce

Fat free yoghurt
1 tbsp mint
1 garli clove finely chopped

Method:-


Mix the lime juice with the yoghurt tikka curry powder.  Pour the yoghurt mix over the chicken and leave to marinate over night for best flavour, or at least a few hours.

Combine the onion, garlic, oregano, thyme and pepper.   Add the the lamb and mix well.

Knead the lamb well well until there are no air pockets and shape into a loaf

Place on an oven proof dish on a bed of chopped onions to stop it from sticking and cook for an hour on a medium heat, turning half way through.

Half way through the lamb cooking time, put the chicken in the oven and drizzle with any left over yoghurt marinade. Cook for 20 mins or until the chicken is cooked through

Serve in a healthy extra 60g wholemeal pitta and plenty of salad.  Mix some mint and fat free yoghurt together for a tasty sauce.

L x

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Review: Stur Water Enchancer

October 11, 2014, 12:08 am
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Since starting my journey on Slimming World I have made a really concious effort to make sure that I am drinking at least 2 litres of water a day. Partly because it helps with slimming but also because your body needs at least that to keep hydrated, and previously I barely drank anything.  Forcing 2 litres of water down my neck often feels like a chore and there are only a few squash brands that are free to drink.

Stur was created by Neel Premkumar for his wife when she was pregnant as a healthy way of staying hydrated. It has grown to be the number one all-natural water enhancer in the US that offers a healthy, innovative and more ‘grown-up’ alternative to existing UK brands.


Every bottle of Stur makes 30 servings when added to 200ml of water. It comes in six delicious flavours using natural fruit juices and extracts: Orange Mango, Blackcurrant Apple, Green Apple, Cranberry Pomegranate, Real Brewed Tea & Peach and Real Brewed Tea & Lemon.

The box boasts that each capsule is 100% of your daily vitamin c, 0 sugar, calories and fat but lightly sweetened with natural Stevia.   Each capsule is the perfect size to put in my handbag and carry with me to work or anywhere I go.   I make up a 1 litre bottle of drink at a time so I can manage what I am drinking so I needed 5 shots to flavour it fully.  The taste was really nice, sweet but not chemically tasting.  The orange & mango was really refreshing and one of my early favourites.  Nick took the blackcurrant apple to work and really enjoyed it.  The green apple was really interesting as I have never had apple squash before.  I added it to some soda water and it tasted just like a leading fizzy apple drink, but without the calories!  I don't really like cranberry but with the Pomegranate it actually made a really tasty drink, almost reminded me of a fruit cocktail.  I was really intrigued by the tea flavours as I love ice tea, but buying it bottled means lots of sugar! The peach is my absolute faviurite and is miles better than the leading brand bottled stuff!  I happily drank loads of this.  The lemon flavour was really refreshing as well and made me forget that I was just drinking water and Stur.

Upon closer inspection I noticed that on the back of the pack, it says that each squeeze contains 5 calories...not exactly calorie free.  One squeeze is 200ml, I am drinking up to 2 litres a day which is a total of 25 calories.  While this may not seem a lot that actually equates to 1 syn on Slimming World.
When I enquired as the the reason that it says "0 calorie" everywhere, this is the response I got:-

"Because the calorific content is less than 4kcal per 100ml of diluted Stur, and because these trace calories come from natural fruit juices (rather than processed sugars, for example) UK Trading Standards state that Stur can say the juice contains 0 calories."

These 6 bottles of Stur make 180 glasses of drink which could cost up to £90 in bottled fizzy, so at £19.98 for a box they are nit only delicious but great value for money.

L x

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Review: Harrry's Restaurant Exeter

October 11, 2014, 12:10 am
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We have been fans of Harry's for a long time, even before I started this food blog.  I have reviewed both Harry's restaurant and grill bar and loved it each time, so was excited when the restaurant invited me back for a review to celebrate my blog ranking.

The Pounds family opened Harry's Restaurant in 2003 and serve good quality, honest food at affordable prices and have grown to be one of Exeter's most popular restaurants. The menu offers a massive variety, from Mexican, American and classic steaks. It is a really nice venue that has a great atmosphere, as it was a Friday night it was packed and buzzing with activity.

To start with I went for some classic nachos - corn tortilla chips, refried beans, cheese, jalapeños, salsa & sour cream.  It was a generously sized portion, probably enough to share between 2 people, but I enjoyed it all to myself!

 Nick obviously went for his trademark calamari! They were served with a lovely sweet chilli which is a refreshing change from a standard tartar or garlic mayonnaise. Another generously sized portion and the calamari was cooked well without any chew at all.

We both seemed to decide on a burger, after much deliberation!  I went for The Italian Job- chicken fillet, pesto, mozzarella & tomato served with fries and coleslaw.  The fries were amazing, lovely and crispy- just how they should be.  The 'slaw was fresh and crunchy and had a good bite.  The chicken burger was sadly a little plain and a little burnt around the edges. Nick tried some and agreed that it was nice but lacked something.  He was surprised when I told him there was pesto in it, because you couldn't really tell.

Nick went for The Hombre burger- cheddar cheese, jalapeños & salsa. Apologies for the fact that Nick put ketchup his plate before taking a picture!  As you can see the burger was stuffed with chillies which gave just the right amount of heat.  The chillies were all fresh and you could tell because they all had flavour as well as heat.  Nick really enjoyed it, but our appetites have shrunk so much since eating healthily that he could barely finish it!



Food **** Service ***** Atmosphere *****

L x
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Week 15 Weigh In

October 14, 2014, 10:19 am
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Another week of Slimming World and I have finally started to realise that Christmas is not that far away. Christmas is the time for partys, little black dresses and fun.  I have set myself a mini target of losing another stone before Christmas.  If I hit this target, then I am going to give myself the entire Christmas period off plan to properly enjoy myself.  Only 10 more weigh ins until then!

Back to this week and I have been good all week.  I also had a sickness bug or something for most of Monday  :(.  It has been a great week for the blog too with lot's of views and messages from SW members that have been trying my recipes out!  I love this, I love seeing pictures and still can't quite believe that over 100000 people have read my humble blog!

Here are some of the meals that I have eaten this week. 

White Chocolate Icecream


Smashing Garlic Bread

Salt Beef Salad

Mixed Kebab

Bacon, Egg, Mushrooms & tomatoes on toast!

Creamy Chicken Hot Pot

After my gain a few weeks ago I was hoping for a loss, and I was another 0.5kg down (1lb)!  I'm happy with that!  I have made a batch of super speed soup up to help me this week and I am determined to lose as much as I can between now and Xmas!

Loss This Week- 0.5kg (1lb)  

Total Loss So Far- 16.2kg (2.55 stone)

L x


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Review: Kettle Chips Salsa & Mesquite

October 15, 2014, 10:22 am
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After a 7 year hiatus, Kettle Chips are re-releasing their hugely popular Salsa & Mesquite seasoning. A quick search for the flavour online shows that Facebook groups have been created to campaign for the return, as well as people selling the flavour online at elevated prices and there is even a song dedicated to it!  The flavour was one of Kettle Chips originals from 1988 ( the year I was born!) and it is due to this extreme popularity that it is now making a comeback.

This has to be one of the very few flavours of Kettle chips that I have never actually tried, so I was looking forward to receiving my sneaky sample.  Kettle  never add any artificial flavours, colours or msg to their products, and like the rest of the range these are made from the finest potatoes and hand-cooked in batches, using sunflower oil.

Salsa & Mesquite combines tomatoes, chillies, peppers and the aroma of barbecues.  I opened the bag to "try a few" but the bag didn't stick around long as we both demolished it!  I thought it was a really nice and different flavour of this type of crisp, and will definitely be adding it to my Christmas shopping list.  They aren't at all spicy but have a really nice tangy flavour that makes them incredibly moorish! I think that they should come with a warning explaining it will be difficult to limit yourself to a few!

They will be coming to a store near you soon with an RRP of  £2.19 for 150g bag

L x

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Recipe: Slimming World KFC Style Chicken

October 18, 2014, 12:23 pm
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KFC is so bad, but so very good! As you can imagine southern fried chicken and chips is pretty high on the syn scale!  There are lots of recipes around that use either smash or cous cous, but that is technically a "tweak" (using food not in the way that it was intended....potentially adding more calories in addition to your main meal).  This is a completely syn free way of getting that great KFC taste, as long as you use the wholemeal breadcrumbs as you HEB allowance, add 6 syns if not!  I don't like chicken on the bone but this recipe can easily be adapted for chicken wings or legs.  This recipe served 2 of us.



You will need:-

2 large chicken breasts (or cuts of chicken of your choice)
4 slices of 400g wholemeal bread 
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon ground sage
1 teaspoon basil
1 teasppon pepper
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon garlic salt
2 eggs

Method:-

Slice the chicken breasts into mini fillets or to the size of your liking

Blitz the bread until fine breadcrumbs in a blender.  Put into a bowl and add all of the seasonings and mix until everything is blended together to create your coating.

Crack the eggs and mix together.  The chicken needs to be dipped in the egg and then to the breadcrumb mixture and repeated to get an even coating.

Bake the chicken in the oven for 20-25 mins on a medium heat, until cooked through.  Cut one of the thickest bits to make sure it is cooked in the middle.

Serve with SW chips, syn free coleslaw and some corn on the cob- perfect fakeaway!

L x


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Recipe: Syn Free Roast Potatoes

October 19, 2014, 3:18 am
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Sundays are made for roast dinners. My favourite part of any roast has got to be the roast potatoes. Cooked in oil they can be synarific (yes it's a word, I just made it up!). This is a syn free way of getting perfect crispy roast potatoes that are full of flavour. Every time I've cooked them for friends they have earned great compliments, and that's before they even know they're Slimming World friendly!

The cooking time really varies on that potato, so you will have to keep an eye on them! You can see my full 2 syn roast dinner recipe here


You will need:-

Good quality potatoes - as many as you can fit in your tray
2 stock cubes made up with a pint of water (flavour the same as the meat you're cooking) 
Fry light 
Salt & pepper 

Method:-

Peel the potatoes and chop to roast potato size

Par boil for 5 minutes

Drain the water and shake the pan to fluff the potatoes up

Put potatoes on a roasting tin and pour about a pint of stock over the potatoes (cubes made up with water is fine) ensuring they all get a covering. The stock should reach half way up the potatoes. Spray the tops with fry light and sprinkle salt and pepper

Put them into the oven at 190 degrees. Add another spray of frylight half way through. You will know they're ready because there will be no stock left in the tray and the potatoes will be crispy, but keep an eye on them, cooking times vary but is usually around 30-45 mins. 

L x


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Review: Ugo Goats Cheese & Beeetroot Fiorelli

October 20, 2014, 6:14 am
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As you may have guessed from the blog title, pink is my favourite colour! Not only is it an amazing colour, but it also the colour used to show support for Breast Cancer.  There is a vast variety of special pink products on the market that all help to raise funds to a brilliant cause.  You can have a browse at some of them here 

One of the many companies getting involved in the pink fund raising is Ugo Foods, one of the UKs fastest growing manufacturers of fresh pasta.  Especially for breast cancer awareness month they have created Goats’ Cheese and Beetroot Fiorelli.  A  combination of goats' cheese and beetroot marinated in a pomegranate and mint relish.  This not only sounds amazing but 10p from every pack sold goes to Breast Cancer Care, so you are helping to raise money by buying it!




They taste really good, the balance of the cheese and the mint relish is a perfect blend.   Of course I love the fact that they are pink and it is also good to know that by buying a pack you are supporting a great cause. 

They are priced st £3.49 and available in Waitrose and Ocado.

L x

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#CurrysStudentHacks - Student Food Hacks!

October 20, 2014, 6:25 am
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University; for most students it's their first real taste of freedom:- You're away from your parents, old enough to buy alcohol legally and get a real taste of having to budget and make the tricky decision between buying food or alcohol!  If you look on the internet there are hundreds of tips and tricks for budgeting, saving money, making sure your work gets in on time and how to stay up on the all nighters. This being a food blog, I am going to focus on the best food hacks on offer!

1. When you cook a main meal make double the amount that you need.  That way you have lunch sorted for the next day, or even the next few days! It is great, especially with the freshers flu!! Bringing in your own lunch not only saves you money, but stops you pigging out on takeaways. You can also freeze any leftovers, perfect for reheating a few days later and tastes better than most expensive shop bought meals!


2. The first time living on your own can often be a bit of a shock.  You have to do your own washing, cook your own food and pay your own bills. BORING.  Here are 3 images that will quite literally change your student life in halls. 


A bulldog clip keeps your beers stacked - more fridge space without the fear of your pyramid collapsing!!


A slice of cheese, on the bread, in the toaster and you have cheese on toast in 4 minutes! Remember that most toasters pop up....don't leave the toaster unatended!


No more fighting over the microwave, a jam jar or glass makes enough room for 2 bowls at a time!

3. Keep an emergency stash of goodies.  Whether you are trying to pull an all nighter or just need a sneaky pick me up, a box full of sweets or chocolates stashed in a place that only you know about is not only comforting, but is a great way of saving money and stopping frequent trips to the vending machine! Also makes for a great bribery currency, your fellow students will probably do anything for sweets with a hangover - cups of tea delivered on the hour every hour is just a few sweets away. 



Have you been to Uni?  What are your top life hack tips? Send them into @CurrysPCWorld with the hastag #CurrysStudentHacks to be in with the chance of winning 1 of 3 laptops, read more about the competition here!

L  x




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Week 16 weigh in

October 20, 2014, 7:31 am
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Another week has passed!  I fell as though my progress has really slowed recently and it just a pound a week. I know that this is actually a really good rate of loss but the impatient part of me really wishes it would hurry up!  I really hope it does so that I can hit another stone loss by Christmas!

Here are some of the meals I have eaten this week:-

Steak and SW chips

KFC style chicken

Chicken Breast & potatoes

Banana Porridge

Heck sausages

I really wanted a loss that was more then 0.5kg (1lb).  I am very pleased to say that I was 1.1kg down (2.42lbs)! Only another 5Kg (11.58lbs) left of my stone by Christmas target!

Loss This Week- 1.1kg (2.42bs)  

Total Loss So Far- 17.3.kg (2.72 stone)


L x


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Recipe: Syn Free Hasselback Potatoes

October 20, 2014, 8:48 am
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It's been a while since I have been able to make myself a tasty fresh lunch that I don't have to share or reheat in the microwave before eating!  I decided to try something a little different- a twist on a normal jacket potato. The name Hasselback Potato is derived from the restaurant where they were first introduced in the 1940s, Hasselbacken in Stockholm.

Hasselback potatoes are a simple dish- whole potatoes cut in such a way as to resemble a fan or accordion when roasted. The outside of the potato becomes crisp and brown while the inside is soft and creamy.

Traditionally lots of oil or cheese can be used in the cooing process, but these are just as delicious without.   I served mine with fat free cottage cheese and a home made salsa, making it totally syn free.


You will need:-

Medium sized potatoes (however many you are cooking for)
Salt and pepper to taste
Fry light
Fat free cottage cheese

For the salsa-
4 cherry tomatoes
1 pepper
1 onion
Handful of sweetcorn
Lime juice

Method:-

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees

Slice the potatoes across at about a cm thickness or as thin as you can. (if the potato is placed in a large spoon the edges of the spoon will prevent you from slicing clear through the potato).

Spray the potatoes with fry light and massage into the skin

Place on a baking tray and cook for 45 mins

Finely chop all the salsa ingredients and mix together in a bowl.  Add a squirt of lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.

Remove potatoes from the oven and (without burning yourself!) put a knife in the slices and spread them open.  Add another spray of frylight and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Add some fat free cottage cheese and sprinkle the salsa over the top.

L x


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Review: September Degustabox

October 21, 2014, 9:53 am
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I was excited to receive another Degustabox after not having one last month.   Their popularity has grown and I was intrigued to see how this was reflected in their boxes. Being on a diet I knew there would be stuff that I couldn't have, but this just meant more for Nick.   I noticed that they have changed courier again and now use parcel force.  They notified me via email that I would be receiving a package and the due date anBBBd also gave me the option of changing the day, delivering to a neighbour or to the nearest post office.  I selected to deliver to a neighbour but it was actually sent to my nearest post office (I assume maybe nobody else was home?)  This was quite annoying as I work 08:30-17:30, the exact times it is open!  When I eventually got the box it was damaged, which caused a few things inside to be broken, and the entire contents of a bag of crisps was lose inside!



Burts are a company based quite locally to me in Devon.  They are well known for their delicious potato chips so I was pleased about their inclusion.  These crisps however were actually Lentil Waves, crisps made from lentils!  They had a really nice light texture and packed with flavour, just a shame that one of the bags had been damaged and the contents was completely stale!

Nick was very excited to see these and billed them as "the original BN biscuit" Pick Up are a thick Chocolate slab, sandwiched between two crisp biscuits and are individually wrapped in packs of 5.  They are definitely mourish and very tasty, perfect for lunch-boxes.  They also come in black and white- white chocolate bar sandwiched between two crisp chocolate flavour biscuits which tasted like an Oreo!

 Being on Slimming World I am consuming lots of salads.   It is always nice to have something a little different to go with it, and these Righteous salad dressings are just the thing.  You have lemon & Mustard, raspberry & sweet basil, mild English blue cheese and cider.  I found it mouthwatering just reading the packet and they didn't disappoint!   The handy pots are just the right serving for 1 person.

Some good old Crabbies were included too.  After going to Bestival I fell in love with the raspberry flavour due to their bus being close to our tent. Light and sweet with just a faint hint of ginger.  The lemon is really refreshing and tasty and I really like how subtle the ginger is.
This month Degustabox have chosen a "product of the month" and this month it goes to Little Miracles. I am not one for energy drinks as I find them overly sweet and the caffeine buzz is far too much for me.  Little Miracles are a blend of organic tea and super fruit juice with carefully selected panax ginseng in its purest form and açaí.  This provides a natural pick me up at any time of the day.  The flavour of the drink is also really nice, a far cry from sugary energy darkness.

I love marmalade on my toast and La Vieja Fabrica claim that their fruit spread, made from a 170-year-old recipe, can transform an ordinary occasion into something truly special.  This Seville orange is the perfect blend of bitter and sweet and goes really well with toast.

Probably known best for their condensed or evaporated milk, Carnation included some cooking milk. I was very intrigued by this as it says it contains half the fat of ordinary cream giving a much healthier option.   I used this recipe to make some delicious healthier cheese twirls!


This has to be Nicks favourite thing in the box.  Elizabeth Shaw products have been included a few times in the boxes, but this was something different.  A lovely fresh mint flavour with dark chocolate.  The box didn't last very long and I even had a few myself!  I sometimes find that mint chocolates can taste very artificial, but that was not the case with these.

Another great Degustabox with tasty treats inside.  Did you know that Degusta is the Spanish word for taste? Pretty self explanatory of the box!  

As always Degustabox have given a discount code for all Sugar Pink readers:- 6HB90

Follow them on Twitter, Facebook and check out their website!!

L x


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Built In Kitchen Appliances By MyAppliances

October 22, 2014, 1:20 am
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What would your dream kitchen be like? Big, techy or basic? I am used to my relatively small kitchen, just the right size to fit me in and enough space to move around and cook.  Sometimes I wish I had more cupboard space for storage and a part of me would love to paint all the cupboards pink!

The main focal point in most kitchens are the oven and hob.  I have an electric oven and a separate gas hob and after having a look around online I was amazed at some of the different options available!  I have been having a look at some of the best built in cooker appliances from My Appliances.

Range Cookers. If you have a bigger kitchen then a range cooker may be for you.  Sometimes when cooking a Sunday roast I think that 4 hobs just aren't enough! A range cooker is a very large cooker, usually with two or more ovens and six or more burners.  I would love one of these, but sadly there would have to be even less cupboard space than I already have!

MyAppliances offer a wide selection of Double Electric Ovens or Single Electric Ovens with nicely weighted chunky controls and handy programmers with added touch sense control system. What's more, double ovens like this are easy to clean and offer a new level of sophistication for the kitchen and the home. Perfect for those big meals.

If, like me, you have a very sensitive smoke detector (I swear it goes off at the slightest hint of any food cooking!) then you will need to have a decent cooker hood and extractor fan.  The latest design trend is for headroom hoods that gently slope away above the work surface, giving the best space above the hob and these can be complimented with a stunning glass splash back to complete the look. I couldn't live with mine, especially with my smoke detector! Also available are the chimney cooker hoods. The buttons on the front control the three speed settings and also the light function, making it a doddle to operate.


Aside from the fact they are extremely easy to use; the really great thing about ceramic hobs is how simple they are to clean- just use warm soapy water and remove any food splatters and stains in an instant.

Something a little special and a little different is an induction hob.  I had never heard of this until my parents got one and since seeing it in action I am amazed! Significantly more economical than ceramic, electric and gas hobs, induction hobs offer great value for money and have a smooth surface for easy cleaning following the evening's meal. Simple to control, hobs like this have a range of power levels to ensure instant heat at the touch of a button using a magnetic field to generate heat.  This means you can turn water from cold to boiling in about 30 seconds and when you take the pan off the heat the hob is still cold to the touch!

Which is your favourite? What is your kitchen like? Leave a comment below!

L x


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My first video tutorial... 1.5 Syn Scotch Eggs

October 22, 2014, 2:19 pm
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Today I made, edited and posted my first video tutorial video!  Have a look and let me know what you think (be nice, it's my first one!)


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Competition: Win a Dualit Toaster with Argos

October 23, 2014, 7:10 am
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Let’s face it, it’s winter. No more hiding behind the illusion of an Indian summer. It’s cold outside, we have started wearing knitwear and even cracking on the heating to make us toasty in the evenings.

When the seasons change we automatically want to change everything in the home to match this seasons ‘must have’ look. Thanks to Argos I have this 4 slice Dualit Toaster in red to give away worth £78.49 – a stunning addition to your winter kitchen.


This luxury toaster comes in bright red, a great festive colour for this season. It can handle four slices of bread and incorporates a handy bagel function, so making Christmas breakfast should be a doddle! The practical finish on this Dualit toaster stays cool to the touch and the Peek & Pop function allows you to check the bread while it’s toasting.

To be in for a chance to win this prize, simply enter through Raffelcopter below.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Terms & conditions:

By participating in this prize draw you are deemed to accept these terms and conditions.

The prize draw is open to customers and non-customers aged 18 or over who are UK residents. Draw is not open to employees of Argos, their families or anyone associated with this draw. Proof of eligibility must be provided on request.

Winners will be drawn at random at the end of the promotion. The prize is not transferable and there is no cash alternative. The promoter’s decision is final in all matters and no correspondence will be entered into. 

The promoter reserves the right (a) to add to or waive any rules on reasonable notice (b) cancel or postpone the promotion at any stage in the event of circumstances beyond its reasonable control, or (c) in its reasonable discretion to substitute a prize of equal or greater value.

The winning entry will be selected by an independent judge and the judge's decision is final. No correspondence will be entered in to.

No cash alternatives will be substituted for the prize. The promoter reserves the right to offer alternative items/activities of a greater or equivalent value should unforeseen circumstances require it.

If a prize remains unclaimed after reasonable efforts have been made to contact the winner the promoter will be entitled to dispose of the prize as it sees fit without any liability to the winner for having done so.

The promoter reserves the right to alter, amend or foreclose the promotion without prior notice. 

L x
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Video Recipe: Syn Free KFC Popcorn Chicken!

October 23, 2014, 1:14 pm
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This is a delicious syn free version of KFC popcorn chicken (if using breadcrumbs as your HEB)




L x
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Chocolate Syns

October 25, 2014, 6:49 am
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Who says you can't have chocolate if you're on a diet?


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Recipe: Choc Shot & Sweet Freedom Treats

October 25, 2014, 9:16 am
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Anyone who has ever been on a diet wants to know how to have their cake and eat it. Well, eat their cake and not put on weight to be precise.  Most of us have a love of chocolate but know that it is high in calories or syns.   In my search to find an alternative I discovered Choc Shot, the liquid hot chocolate that's not just for drinking as well as sweet freedom.


It boats some impressive points-

100% natural
Sweetened with our magic ingredient, award winning Sweet Freedom
Only 14 calories per teaspoon
Low GI / GL - no energy highs and lows
Suitable for diabetics as part of a healthy diet
NO artificial colourings, flavourings or preservatives
GM, dairy & gluten free
Suitable for vegetarians and vegans

It's secret being that it is made using sweet freedom,  the all natural fruit based sweetener that tastes and sweetens just like real sugar. Some other branded 'fruit' sugars are made from sugar beet and are 100% processed fructose, which isn't the best.  Sweet freedom is produced using a water process with no chemicals or enzymes used so it is much better for you.  They asked me to create some tasty recipes, I love a challenge!

The first thing I wanted to see if I could make was a salted caramel sauce.  Traditionally made by caramelising sugar and adding butter and cream.  As you can imagine the calorific and syn values don't bare thinking about.  The good news is, I made a salted caramel sauce that is just as delicious and with only 3 ingredients.   This recipe makes a decent amount so you can use it over icecream, cakes or whatever you want!  You can keep it in the fridge and heat it up when you want to use it.

Salted Caramel Sauce

This works out to be 2 syns per tablespoon

You will need:-

5 Tbsp of Sweet Freedom
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 tbsp fat free fromage frais

Method:-

Add the sweet freedom to a saucepan on a medium heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula.

Allow to bubble away and caramelise, be careful as it will be super hot!

Take off the heat and add the fromage frais, continuing to stir in until it has all dissolved

Add the salt and stir through.  Allow to cool down, it will thicken as it cools. 

Salted Caramel Cookies

What to do with the delicious salted caramel sauce?  Use it to top a healthier version of the chocolate chip cookie, each one works out to be 2.5 syns each on Slimming World.


You will need:- 


Makes 12 small cookies
50g lighter than light butter
2 tablespoons Sweet Freedom 
100g plain white flour or gluten free floour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
25g dairy free chocolate chips (optional) 

Salted caramel sauce for drizzling 

Method:-

Preheat oven to 175 C / 335 F / gas mark 3.5

Whisk together the wet ingredients and, with a fork, stir them into the flour.  Use your hands to pull and mix the dough together

Stir in the chocolate chips

Take teaspoons of dough and roll into small balls between your hands and place them on baking tray lined with baking paper. Press each one down a bit flatter to form a cookie shape.

Bake for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Let them stay on the baking tray for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Drizzle the salted caramel sauce on top and sprinkle with a little extra salt for decoration

Chocolate Porridge Bars

You will need:- 

100g unsalted butter
175g Choc Shot
260g oats
grated rind of 1 orange
25g pecans, chopped


Method:- 

Preheat the oven to 180 C / 350 F / Gas mark 4. Grease a 20cm square tin.

Melt together the butter and Choc Shot in a medium sized pan, stirring to mix them.

Add the remaining ingredients and mix together well.

Spoon into the prepared tin and smooth out, making the top level.

Bake for 18-20 minutes.

Remove from the oven, leave to stand for 5 minutes before cutting into 16 squares, then leave to cool completely in the tin.

Store in an air-tight container.


L x
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Week 17 Weigh In

October 27, 2014, 1:43 am
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Time for another weigh in! I have been mostly good this week, BUT my oldest friend is going off travelling so we had one last evening together which of course meant LOTS of wine! Wine is bad.   Here are some of the meals that I have eaten this week.

KFC Popcorn Chicken

Scotch Eggs

Salted Caramel Cookies

Hasselback Potatoes

Breakfast

I was super excited to see another loss of 1.1kg (2.42lbs)!!  This means I FINALLY get another award (it feels like so long!) and I am now really close to a 3st loss all together!  Roll on Christmas, fingers crossed for another stone to be gone by then!


Loss This Week- 1.1kg (2.42bs)  

Total Loss So Far- 18.4.kg (2.89 stone)

L x
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M&S Food - Adventures In Imagination

October 28, 2014, 1:48 am
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Have you seen the new M&S Food advert?  Oh...my...god...it makes me hungry!



Their new season and adventures in imagination sees over 100 new ideas every month. I previously reviewed their taste adventure range with flavours from all over the world.  They kindly gave me a selection of food to try from their new range including a delicious Autumn recipe.

First I tried some "posh dogs".  American-inspired, meaty and smoky hot dog style sausages served in one of their delicious flowery buns.



I am really not a fan of cheap hot dog sausages but I knew that M&S would make the best possible quality!  They were really delicious and went perfectly with ketchup and American mustard.  I made a beef chilli to put on top of one of them to make a posh chilli dog- it was delicious!  Perfect reminder of summer BBQs and also a look forward to bonfire night with smoky hot dogs and toffee apples. 

Cajun Pork Steaks & Crushed Potatoes

I love steak but have to admit I am only used to beef.  These cajun pork leg steaks are made using only the finest cuts from butchers that they trust.  They are ready to pan fry for a delicious spicy taste. I served mine with crushed potatoes, mushrooms and veg.  They are SO succulent and delicious, M&S really know what they are doing!



Crushed potatoes:-

You will need:-

1kg peeled or scrubbed new potatoes
3 tbsp olive oil
4 spring onions, sliced

Method:-

Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for about 15 mins until completely cooked through. 
Peeling the potatoes isn’t essential, but gives a smoother finish to the dish.

Drain, tip into a bowl, and crush with the olive oil until broken but not mashed. 

Stir through the spring onions and the olives, then season to taste and serve.

Duck Breast & Plum Salad



This recipe sounded amazing and it tastes even better!  I always think about duck as being quite fatty but the breasts from M&S were superb!

You will need:-
2 tbsp olive oil
4 duck breasts, skin removed
8 plums, halved and stoned
1 star anise
3 tbsp port
2 tbsp soy sauce
125g rice noodles
Thumb-sized piece root ginger, peeled and cut into matchsticks
½ x 25g pack fresh coriander, leaves only
½ x 25g pack fresh mint, roughly chopped
4 handfuls rocket leaves

Method:-

Heat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius / 375 degrees Fahrenheit / gas 5 (170 degrees Celsius for fan ovens). In a small, ovenproof frying pan, heat 1tbsp of the oil. Season the duck breasts and fry for 2 – 3 minutes each side, until starting to brown. Transfer to the oven for a further 15 minutes, then remove and set aside.

Meanwhile, sit the plums, cut side-up, in a small roasting tin with the star anise. Drizzle over the port and soy sauce. Roast for 10 – 15 minutes, adding a splash of water to the tin if it becomes dry. Set aside.

Cook the noodles according to packet instructions, then drain and refresh under cold water. Heat the remaining oil in a small frying pan and fry the ginger for 2 minutes, until golden. Drain on kitchen paper.

Toss the noodles with the herbs and rocket. Divide among 4 serving plates and add the plums. Slice the duck breasts and arrange on top with the fried ginger, then spoon over any pan juices from the plums.

L x


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