Cauliflower Cheese Patties

January 11, 2017Rahema Leave a comment

I had a tub of cauliflower rice that needed using up and normally I only ever make pizza (see full recipe here) with it but thought I would try something else to have with the chicken we were having.

I used pretty much similar ingredients to cauliflower pizza but made patties out of them. I didn’t measure anything out, just added everything randomly! This is what I used:

Tub of cauliflower rice with parsley
Garlic granules
Chilli flakes
Salt & pepper
1 egg
20g light cheddar cheese (half healthy extra A choice)

I dry fried the cauliflower rice in a large frying with the spices for about 5 minutes. Once done, I removed it from the heat and transferred to a mixing bowl and let it cool. I left it for about an hour as I had gone out! Once back home I added the egg and cheese and mixed it altogether. In the frying pan I sprayed lots of fry light and added a couple of spoonfuls of the mixture making a round shape. I used a ring on top of the frying pan so I could get a perfect round shape. I cooked the patties for about 5 minutes on each side. And that was it!

This is what I had it with!

Cauliflower Patties with Piri Piri Chicken & Salad

Asda Shopping Haul

January 10, 2017Rahema Leave a comment

I don’t tend to stick to one supermarket when shopping but one of my favourite has to be Asda. I am more likely to pick up what I use most in an Asda rather than any other supermarket, so it is always my first choice followed by Aldi then Tesco!

I went to Asda this morning to pick up my essentials and this is what it looks like!

Asda Shopping Haul

My favourite fruit includes raspberries, banana and pear. I am obsessed with clementines at the moment though, I’ve lost count on how many I have in a day! I picked up a melon and some strawberries and apples to vary my fruit a bit.

We eat a lot of pasta in our house. We go through a lot in a week and I tend to buy a big bag. We never run out of pasta in our house!

Passata is an absolutely essential store cupboard item for us slimmers. I use it to make pasta sauces and curries.

Eggs is another food item that I buy often! I usually make 5 or 6 boiled eggs in the morning so I can snack on them whenever I am hungry throughout the day. That amount usually lasts me a couple of days unless my youngest daughter and hubby decide to have some too! I’ve seen Asda and other supermarkets sell a couple of boiled eggs with some spinach leaves for £1 or so, I wouldn’t pay that much for it. You can get a box of 6 free range eggs for less than £1 and make your own in minutes!

I always buy packet salads for convenience as I am the only one that eats them at home and add cherry tomatoes, jalapeños and any other pickles I have in my fridge to it.

I bought leeks and celery today as I intend on making a soup with it in the next couple of days, or I might make a Homity Pie with the leeks! I am not too sure yet.

Kia Ora is our family favourite sugar free cordial, we don’t like any other brand.

It is the first time I bought best of both milk, it was on offer for £1 instead of £1.50 so why not? You can have 300ml as a healthy extra A choice. It is supposed to taste like semi skimmed milk but has a lot less fat in it. I also bought the Low Low cheese for the first time. Not sure if it a healthy extra choice but it is handy for my girls to sprinkle on their pasta!

I bought the teas for my members at groups. I am not a fan of tea, I prefer coffee. I like to offer my members a variety of drinks to choose from to enjoy in group.

We love baked beans in our house and it has to be Branston. I only buy Heinz baked beans if it’s the chilli ones.

Lastly on my shopping is the halal turkey slices. Perfect protein rich snack to enjoy anytime or as part of a meal.

What are your essentials? Comment below with your favourite items x

Piri Piri Seasoning

January 10, 2017Rahema 3 Comments

You can buy ready made piri piri spices or make your own. I love making my own when I have the time but if I am pressed for time my go-to piri piri spice is the Schwartz Perfect Shake one below.

Piri Piri Blend

Making your own doesn’t take much time to be honest but I sometimes get a little lazy!

If you want to give it a go making your own, all you need to do is mix together the following:

2 tsp paprika (regular, never smoked)
2tsp chilli powder
1 tsp dried oregano
3 tsp garlic salt
3 tsp onion granules
2 Maggi seasoning cubes, crumbled (optional)

Maggi Seasoning

For more (or less) heat, you can adjust the amount of chilli and paprika. And that’s all there is to it! I buy the Maggi seasoning from my local Asian greengrocers but I have seen it in Asda on their ‘World Foods’ aisle.

When I want to marinade chicken (or fish etc) in piri piri seasoning, I will use the above spices and add a couple of tablespoons lemon juice to it and keep it marinating for as long as I can before cooking it.

JD Seasonings

January 10, 2017Rahema Leave a comment

I recently bought some spice mixes from an online company called jdseasonings.co.uk after seeing so many people using it and recommending it. I must admit I was not impressed with their piri piri seasoning. As soon as I opened the little pot all I could smell was smoked paprika. It had a strong odour, it was really off putting but I did use it hoping it would taste better than it smelled, but it didn’t!
That’s just my own personal view, I know there are a lot of people that love their products. I am not one of them, not with the piri piri seasoning anyway. I’ve used their chips and wedges rub which was nice but I think I would happily just sprinkle my chips with salt and chilli only. I also bought the fajitas blend and steak rub. I am hoping I will love one of them!

Selection of JD Seasonings

If you’ve bought anything from this company, do let me know what it was and what you thought of it.

I can’t fault the company’s service though. My order arrived within a couple of days of ordering and it was very easy to order.

Pea & Mint Soup

January 10, 2017Rahema 5 Comments

This is one of the easiest soups to make – ever! It is packed full of flavour too.

Serves: 2

Syns: FREE

Time Taken: 25 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Pea & Mint Soup

Ingredients

1 large potato, peeled and chopped

1 large onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

750ml (or more) vegetable stock

400g frozen peas

Handful freshly chopped mint

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Put the vegetable stock in a large saucepan with the onion, garlic and potato. Cook for around 15-20 minutes till the potato is done. Blitz.

Add the frozen peas and the mint and cook for a further 5-6 minutes before blitzing again. You can add more boiling water/stock if you find the soup is too thick, I prefer a thicker soup. Season to taste.

Sneaky Syns & Crucials!

January 9, 2017Rahema 2 Comments

I am not a huge fan of sauces but when I do have them I’ve got to admit I tend to forget to count them and try to guesstimate how much I had! To really be in control of your weight loss, measuring those sneaky syns will be greatly beneficial to your success. Below are just some average syn values, be aware that different brands may have different syn values, it is always best to check the Slimming World website or app for yourself. Let me know what your favourite sauces are below.

Extra light mayo – 1 Syn per level tbsp

Reduced cal salad cream – 1 Syn per level tbsp

Ketchup – 1 Syn per level tbsp

Brown sauce – 1 Syn per level tbsp

Salt ‘n’ vinegar – Free

Tartare sauce – 2.5 Syns per level tbsp

Mustard (made with powder) – Free

Mustard (from jar) – 1½ Syns per level tbsp

Horseradish sauce – 1 Syn per level tbsp.

I have recently come across some Crucial Sauces which are sooo tasty! I get them in my local Farm Foods but I believe you can also buy them in B&M bargains. I haven’t tried the whole range yet, only the BBQ sauce and the Mint sauce.

Crucials Sauces

Here are the syns for some of their sauces:

BBQ Sauce – 0.5 syn per level tbsp

Hot Salsa – 0.5 syn per level tbsp

Mint Sauce – 0.5 syn per level tbsp

Brown Sauce – 0.5 syn per level tbsp

Burger Relish – 0.5 syn per level tbsp

American Mustard – 0.5 syn per level tbsp

Chilli & Garlic Sauce – 0.5 syn per level tbsp

Curry Sauce – 0.5 syn per level tbsp

Garlic Mayo – 3.5 syns per level tbsp

Getting back on track after a gain!

January 8, 2017Rahema Leave a comment

It’s that time of the week again – shoes off, feet on the scales, and a crucial number blinking back from the display. If that number is more than you were expecting it can be disappointing, but how you deal with it is key to seeing those pounds coming right back off.

Shed the guilt

When we go off track, our tendency, as human beings, is to beat ourselves up about it. We might tell ourselves that we’re ‘useless’ and that we may as well forget Food Optimising – we’ve blown it now! If we let it, it could sabotage our success from there on.

Having a weight gain now and again is normal – we’re all human after all! Knowing how to put it behind us is key to learning lifelong healthy habits.

Imagine your week like a bunch of seven beautiful roses. If one (rose/day) dies are you really going to throw out the whole bunch? Don’t let a bad day ruin your whole week. By making a better choice as often as possible the pounds will creep away. But be KIND to yourself!

I’ve had my fair share of weight gains on my journey, had I given up at the first instance I would not have reached my target!

Weight Gain

Where did it go wrong?

The key to getting the scales moving downward again is to look hard for something you might be missing. That doesn’t mean blaming yourself or telling yourself you’re a failure. It should be a positive process, which leaves you feeling stronger and more confident.

Think about:

What time of day do you find the most tricky
Which day-to-day situations do you struggle with
Is there anything you’ve done differently from your first week (or another great weight loss week)
Speed Free Foods – do your meals contain at least a third of a plate
Are you measuring your Healthy Extras
What Syns do you enjoy and are you counting them (all of them)

How you can get back on track. Below are some suggestions from fellow slimmers

Stay to group, measure yourself (a good Non Scale Victory), go back to basics, plan, write a food diary and enjoy lots of Speed Free Food.
Get rid of any guilt. If you fall ‘off plan’ get right back on it (rather than thinking ‘I’ve messed up today, I’ll start again tomorrow’). Always stay to group; it’ll help you stay focused on the week ahead.
Stick a before & after photo on your fridge – it’ll remind you of how far you’ve come!
Try new foods and recipes packed with lots of Speed Free Foods.
Do a food diary and give Body Magic a go!
Ask your Consultant if you can join in the New Member Talk. You may think you know it all but you could be doing something wrong without realising.
Remind yourself of how far you’ve travelled on the road to a slimmer, happier life, and how much closer to the destination you are.
Make a commitment to yourself; decide here and now that no matter what, you’ll Food Optimise 100% for the next week. Next time you step on the scales, you’ll see just what Food Optimising can do for you and you’ll feel fabulous.

Perfect Scrambled Eggs

January 8, 2017Rahema 2 Comments

I love eggs, scrambled, poached, boiled, fried, chocolate! Any type, I am not fussy. I always struggled to get the perfect scrambled eggs though, my eggs would always stick to the bottom of my frying pan and I would end up with a mess on my plate. This method of making them is by far the easiest and you are guaranteed to have scrambled eggs cooked to perfection every time.

Serves: 1

Syns: 1 syn

Time Taken: 2 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Scrambled Eggs on Wholemeal Toast

Ingredients

2 eggs
2 tbsp milk

Method

Crack the eggs into a mug with the milk and mix. Pop the mug in the microwave for 40 seconds. Take it out after that time and mix well. Pop it back in the microwave for a further 30 seconds. Mix again and that is it! If it is slightly runny, don’t worry. The eggs will continue to cook in the hot mug. I like my eggs slightly soft, if you overcook them they will taste quite rubbery.

Top Tips to help you stay on track

January 8, 2017Rahema 2 Comments

Losing weight can be challenging for many of us, we all have our own daily trials to overcome as well as trying our very best to eat well too. Luckily with Slimming World you can eat generous amount of food! For many slimmers who have not yet found a Slimming World group, they may be out there still struggling with and battling their weight loss demons. If you think you’ve tried EVERYTHING and Slimming World is just another ‘diet’ you’d be so wrong. If you want to maintain a weight loss forever then understand this; Slimming World is a lifestyle change, not a ‘diet’.

I hate that word – DIET. To me it sounds like I have to give up eating real food, be confined to no social life and be miserable for the sake of losing a few lbs that might give me temporary happiness until all the weight lost (and usually more on top of that) piles back on again. It’s like a vicious circle, a yo-yo of ups and downs.

I am so glad I found Slimming World when I did. If I can lose weight, so can you. Trust me!

I’ve compiled some top tips I have picked up along the way from my own experience and I have added some from my members as well in hope this can help you too. The best way to get the support to your weight loss journey will be by going along to a SW group, and not just weighing and going! You can do that at home yourself! You’re not paying just to get weighed at a group, you’re paying for the support and help from a room full of people who are on the same mission as you – to lose weight. I hope you find the tips below useful, if you have any of your own you would like to share or add to this list, please comment below.

1 Batch cook, then you always have a Free or low-Syn meal to hand!

Be organised. Make Monday’s lunch on Sunday night and freeze home-made soups/spag bol/chilli/curries for when you need something filling but don’t have time to cook from scratch.

2 Measure your Healthy Extras – ALWAYS!

It is so easy to guesstimate the amount of cereal you have or the milk you put in your tea/coffee. Just 50ml (that is two dashes) extra in your tea or coffee every day could add 10.5 syns per week! An extra 25g of porridge oats can add an extra 31.5 syns per week!

3 Plan for your ‘danger’ time of day and find something Free or low-Syn that will satisfy your craving

Mine is once I’ve got the kids to bed and I have some time in the evening to chill out. I like to save my syns for then so that I can enjoy them without being disrupted! A little of what you fancy is fine so you do not feel deprived and binge – that is what Syns are for!

4 Include at least 1/3 Speed foods to every meal

Speed foods are absolutely vital for your slimming success. The more speed foods you have, the better your weight losses on the scales. Slimming World do recommend us to have at least 1/3 speed foods with every meal, if you can have more, even better! Sometimes it might not make any sense to add any speed foods to a certain meal, for example a free food soup. You don’t have to eat some speed food to make up for it, unless you are hungry! There is no point in adding extra calories when you don’t need it.

5 Plan meals

All of us know the importance of planning meals. You might not like to plan a whole week in advance, that is ok! You don’t have to. You can plan your food day a day in advance, that way you will be in control and there will be nothing stopping you from a weight loss.

6 Drink plenty of water

You hear that a lot from many people. Water is great for our bodies and some of us are great at keeping hydrated, others not so good. The good news is that if you drink tea/coffee that can count towards your fluid intake, as can sugar free squash. You only need 6-8 glasses a day. No need to go overboard by drinking 3-4 litres a day! It is not necessary. I think I would be forever sat in the toilet if I drank that much!! Drinking water does not aid to weight loss may I add, if you didn’t drink any water you would not gain weight or not lose anything. Fluids are important for good health.

7 Stay to group

Stay to IMAGE Therapy rather than getting weighed and leaving. I can honestly say that every week (even though sometimes I don’t feel like it!) I’m always glad I stay. I always learn something new, get inspiration from the other members and have fun, too! I sometimes hear people say image therapy is boring or the same topics are discussed every week. Well, are you doing anything to make it inspiring? Are you sharing your ideas and supporting others when they need it? If the answer is no, then if a room full of people thought the same as you then group will be boring! You make it as exciting and fun as you want. You need to let the group and your consultant know what help you need (if any) or if you are a superstar at losing weight, then share what works for you with the rest. Sharing is caring!

8 Keep you fridge and food cupboard well stocked with Free snacks like fruit salad, veggie sticks and Free yogurts

So important to make sure you have all the right food in so that when hunger strikes you do not reach for the high syns alternatives.

9 When you buy something with a Syn value, write the Syn value and portion size on the packet

This can stop you reaching for a flapjack or a biscuit (or the whole packet!).

10 Stock up on herbs and spices

These will add so much flavour to all your meals. Whether you buy fresh or dried herbs, your food will not lack in flavour. Just be careful if buying spice mixes as not all are FREE.

11 Don’t take other people’s word for Syn values, always remember to check for yourself

With so many different social media out there, information can sometimes be passed on incorrectly or can be out of date. For your weight loss success, always check syns for yourself. Download the slimming world app or visit the Slimming World mobile website – it’s so useful when you’re out shopping.

12 Don’t think of it as a ‘diet’. It’s a change in eating habits – enjoy it

So many times I get asked the question by new members if I still follow Slimming World! Well, of course! Even if I wasn’t a SW consultant, what I learnt with SW will stay with me for life. I have completely changed the way I cook. If you’ve had a bad day it doesn’t mean you have to make it a bad week – just start fresh the next day.

13 Have a visual reminder of your long term goal and keep it in the kitchen

This can work well for many. For me personally, I put up a picture of myself of how I looked at my largest and every time I opened the snack cupboard or the fridge, I would see the photo of my larger self and that would make me think twice before putting anything in my mouth! Of course sometimes I do not have the will power to stop, I am human and nobody is perfect. But don’t let little setbacks stop you looking at the bigger picture of where you would like to be.

14 Don’t compare yourself with other people’s progress

This is your journey and it will be as unique as you are – follow Food Optimising and you’ll feel amazing in no time! Stay positive, believe in yourself and remember it’s not always about the number on the scales but how you feel on the inside. Some people take the fast route and some people take the slow route – but they both reach the finish line. If you give up you won’t reach your target weight but even if you continue on the slow route you’ll get there eventually.

15 Once you reach your target, don’t think you can go it alone!

Remember when you reach your target weight, coming to SW each week is FREE! Even if you can’t attend every week, try to go to a group at least once a month and stay to IMAGE Therapy to re-inspire you and keep you on track. Make the most of your group and all of the lovely people in it. We’re all going through exactly the same feelings, having the same thoughts, fears and emotions. Support is the best tool on our journey – use it often!

16 Enjoy regular walks

Or any other sort of Body Magic. It will help you feel so much better. Walking is my favourite, I can do it anytime I want and it is FREE!

17 Keep a food diary

Online, diary sheets, photos. Whichever suits you. Keep counting and be honest on the diary – even if you go over your Syns! You are only cheating yourself by not being honest on the food diary.

18 Take your body measurements when you start

What better incentive to keep going than when you check your measurements and you’ve lost inches as well as lbs! I took my measurement when I first started as a member every 2-3 months. It really helped me stay on track especially on the weeks I didn’t see a weight loss on the scales.

These are just some of our tips, do share what works for you in the comments below.

Dessert Ideas

January 5, 2017Rahema Leave a comment

I’ve collected some really quick, easy and Free or low-syn ideas here to help you enjoy your pudding and stay on track for a weight loss. Please do share your favourite free or low syn sweet treats.

Quick tips

Alpro Go On Pot

If you fancy custard but without the high syns, gently heat a bowl of Aldi Brooklea Light Fat Free Banana & Custard Yogurt in the microwave for 10 seconds! Quick custard for 0.5 syn only!

For flavoured sauces without the syns, use fat free fromage frais, fat free natural yogurt or quark, and flavour with the desired essence or flavouring – coffee, coconut, vanilla – the choice is yours! (Remember, if you use the real thing rather than essence, you’ll need to keep track of the syns.) You can get a variety of flavourings from baking shops.

Another way to get your sweet fix is by mixing a low-Syn hot chocolate sachet (eg Options) with quark and pile high with fruit.

My all time favourite dessert is an Alpro Go On pot (1.5 syns for the passion fruit flavour pictured) topped with raspberries. It is simply delicious.

Quick and easy recipes

How about a low-syn toffee ice cream with a twist… Crush a 19.5g bag of Maltesers, and stir into 2 Toffee Aldi Brooklea Light Fat Free yogurts and a large tub of fat free fromage frais. Pop it in the freezer for a couple of hours, stir occasionally, and hey presto a 5 Syn sweet snack for the whole tub! Try it with other flavours of Free yoghurt and add chopped fresh fruit.

For a low-syn crumble, use stewed fruit as a Healthy Extra ‘b’ choice, and top it with a couple of crumbled malted milk biscuits (2 Syns each). If you fancy custard too, warm a Banana and Custard yogurt for 10 seconds in the microwave!

How about an Eton Mess? Here’s a low-syn version, which is just as delicious… Pile strawberries and raspberries (fresh or frozen) into a sundae dish. Pour over your favourite syn free yogurt, and then crumble in some broken meringue nest pieces. Repeat and enjoy! (1 meringue nest is, on average, 3 Syns).

I love Cadbury’s Freddo (19g bar is 5 Syns) and they’re delicious melted and enjoyed as a dip for fresh strawberries and banana or for drizzling over fruit.

Make up a knickerbocker glory using fresh or frozen fruit pieces and frozen yogurt of your choice instead of ice cream. If you fancy a bit of sauce, puree a small portion of fruit and count the Syns. A huge portion topped with 50g pureed raspberries is just ½ Syn – how tempting is that?

On a similar theme, how about a banana split? Cut a banana in half lengthways, and scoop frozen free yogurt of your choice on top – banana, vanilla and chocolate go really well together! If you have a Healthy Extra ‘b’ choice left, why not ‘go nuts’ and sprinkle 6 crushed walnut halves on top!

Thread fruit onto Mikado sticks – only ½ Syn per stick! Or if you prefer Matchsticks count 1 syn each,