Slow Cooker Chilli

I got in from work tonight and really couldn't be bothered standing in the kitchen preparing a chilli, so I whacked all the ingredients into the slow cooker once I'd browned the mince and 2.5 hours later tucked into a lovely SYN FREE Chilli.

Used Muscle Food's beef mince and then pretty much made it up to how I like it.
Added onions, peppers, chopped tomatoes, passata, baked beans, tomato puree, garlic, cumin, paprika, coriander, chilli flakes, salt and pepper and a beef stock cube. It's as easy as that. And my other half loves it too which is always a bonus! Leftovers for tomorrows lunch too which is good!

200th post & a little about me.

So for my 200th post I thought I would do a little about me.

I've gained a lot of new followers on my Instagram (doylie_sw) and the views on my blog have rocketed recently and I can't thank you enough. 

I'm Alison and I'm 26 years old. I live with my other half and our two rabbits. I did Graphic Design at Uni and I love baking. I have a massive sweet tooth!

I've been following Slimming World a little over a year and I am so amazed with the results. 

I've lost 2.5 stone but more importantly I've not gone without.
I've enjoyed birthdays, Easter, Halloween and even Christmas (I somehow lost weight over Christmas).

I've had gains along the way believe me, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Taking progress pictures has really helped to keep me focused and has allowed me to see a change in myself that you don't really see day to day. 

I've gone from a size 14/16 to a size 10/12 and am oh so close to my target weight now. 

I'm part of the social team at my group too, which I find really rewarding. I've made so many friends via Slimming World that I probably wouldn't have met without.

I know I could have lost the weight a lot quicker if I had been more strict with my splurges but doing it slowly has given me the belief that I can keep it off. I lost 3 stone prior to Slimming World through basically not eating, so as soon as I went back to normal I piled 2 stone back on!

Here's some comparison photos to show what a difference 2.5 stone can make!

And here's some of my favourites things I've made, click the link to go through to the blog posts.

Salt & Pepper Chicken! - serves 2 (2syns each)
http://eatingyourselfslim.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/salt-chilli-chicken.html?view=classic
 

Lemon Loaf - 8 syns (1 syn per slice)

http://eatingyourselfslim.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/lemon-drizzle-cake-pops.html

Chocolate Weetabix Muffins
http://eatingyourselfslim.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/weetabix-brownies.html

Low Syn Chocolate Cake - 8 syns in total (1 syn per slice)
http://eatingyourselfslim.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/low-syn-chocolate-cake.html?view=classic

Cinnamon Swirls - 1 syn each
http://eatingyourselfslim.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/cinnamon-swirls-1-syn-treats.html

I would whole heartedly recommend Slimming World to anyone, if you have any questions feel free to leave a comment here or on my instagram and I'll get back to you!

x

Slow Cooker Chicken

I was a bit skeptical about this but it was amazing! It took about 3.5/4 hours on high (I thought I had it on low, luckily I went to check) so would take approx 7 on low. The meat literally fell off the bone. Would happily cook a chicken like this again. 

Syn Free Pancakes

it's come to my attention that I don't seem to have ever posted the syn free pancake recipe that I use!

Here you go... I've also included some other recipes that seem to be popular!

 I use option one!

Option 1: Syn Free / No Healthy B usage

Recipe:
Makes 2 pancakes

6 tbsp sweetener
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 egg
Fry Light

Method:
1. Whisk egg and sweetener in a bowl until you see soft peaks forming.
2. Stir in vanilla essence and mix well
3. Spray a pan with frylight
4. Pour half the mixture into a frying pan and fry for about 3 mins each side.
5. Serve with a topping of your choice



Option 2: Syn Free with Hex B usage

Recipe:
Makes 4 pancakes

35g porridge oats (organic are nicer in my opinion)
1/2 muller light yoghurt (vanilla or banana custard are the job!)
2 eggs
2 tbsp sweetener (candarel or such, granulated)
Frylight

1. Mix the porridge oats and frylight and leave in the fridge overnight. They need time to - quite literally - bond :)
2. The following day, whisk two eggs with the sweetener until you are seeing soft peaks forming. add to the oat mixture
3. Spray a pan with frylight, and pour about 1/2 of the mixture into the pan. Fry for 4-5 mins each side.



OPTION 3: 2.5 syns per pancake
Makes 2 pancakes:

1 banana
Pinch of cinnamon
2 eggs
Frylight


1. Mash the banana (5 syns as it is mashed)
2. Whisk two eggs until you are seeing soft peaks forming. Add your pinch of cinnamon
3. Spray a pan with frylight, and pour about 1/2 of the mixture into the pan. Fry for 1-2 mins each side. Repeat!
Anyone have any other tried and tested recipes?

X

Low Syn Chocolate Cake

Obviously the one on the right above, I need to take a picture next time I bake it! Would highly recommend!

Ingredients:

• 6 eggs
• 1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 70g sugar substitute (eg. Splenda)
• 60g cocoa powder

 

Method:

• Preheat over to 185°C (fan)
• Spray a little Frylight in a loaf tin and line with greaseproof paper
• Separate the eggs and in one bowl, mix the egg whites until they form soft peaks.
• In another bowl, mix the other ingredients together – the eggs yolks, Splenda, vanilla and cocoa. You may find the mixture a little stiff so it’s OK to add a little splash of water at this stage.
• Fold in the egg whites, a little at a time.
• Pour mixture into your tin.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes.

 

Game Day!

Last Saturday I went to watch the football and blew 60 syns on next to nothing. I got a pie peas and gravy and wasted at least 30 syns. Then 20.5 for a galaxy and God knows how many on the hot chocolate. So today I made this for 1.5 syns before the game, took a flask to the game using my hex a milk and took Hifi bars as my hex b. I'm so happy with myself today. Determined not to be beaten and I won't see a gain on those scales next week!

Today's food!

Breakfast was this...

2.5 syns for goodies yoghurt, strawberries and 2 Weetabix. Forgot half my lunch so only had a packet of Piri chicken, so used half a punnet of strawberries and a 0.5 Syn yoghurt to get me through the afternoon. 

Had 2 Hifi bars aswell as was doing an SP day. 

Made some chicken and tomato soup, will post the recipe and picture of that later!

Perfect for an SP day packed full of S and P foods! Was absolutely delicious! 

Drank 4 pints of water too and hex a was for milk!

Portion size!

I get lazy and have to keep reminding myself of this. Do any of you find yourself doing the same?

Lunch Time

Lunch time!

Used the SW Tikka Sauce and some chicken in the slow cooker and then chucked in onions and peppers for the last hour, I was pleasantly suprised at how tasty and easy this was to make! Will definately be using my slow cooker a lot more to batch cook and stay on plan!

 

Steak Bake!

Lots of people had been posting about these and I finally got round to trying them. Cannot fault them at all! One thin would be your Healthy B choice and the stewed steak is from ASDA and is SYN FREE! The syn free ones are currently from ASDA/Morrisons/LIDL, all the others carry some syns with them!
Simply spoon the stewed steak into the thin, dab with egg wash and pop in the oven for approx 15-18 mins until golden brown. So nice and feels like a treat!

Chicken & Tomato Soup

This recipe is freezer friendly too!

Ingredients

1 onion peeled and finely chopped

2 carrots peeled and grated

2 lean back bacon, all fat removed, cut into small pieces

2 chicken breasts cut into thin strips

600g chopped tomatoes

400ml chicken stock

1tbsp chopped rosemary

Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

Salt & pepper to taste

Parsley to garnish

Method

Place the onion, carrots and bacon in a saucepan and stir fry for 2-3 mins. 

Add chicken, tomatoes, stock, rosemary and lemon zest/juice. 

Bring to boil and cover then simmer on medium heat for 15 mins stirring occasionally. Season to taste and sprinkle with chopped parsley then serve.

Perfect for those wintery days where you want something more substantial than just soup!

Lunch time!

I made a soup using one of those prepped vegs packs from asda, and it was vile! would definately rather make my own! so having to use ALL my fruit, blancmange and yoghurt for my lunch today! Feeling good and staying on plan!

Weekends & Not Being Well

Saturday was my hardest day this weekend, I really wanted to just eat rubbish because I felt rubbish. Even though I knew it wouldnt make me feel better. Instead I managed to throw together some pasta and meatballs and made enough for 3 portions which have already gone! Packed full of speed and thoroughly enjoyed it. Desperately want to be in the next stone range on Thursday! Got a zumba class tonight, first time for everything!
X

Onion Bhaji Recipe

Ingredients

1 sweet potato
1 red onion
1 white onion
1 tablespoon of curry powder
1 egg

Method


Grate the sweet potato
Spray onions with frylight and cook until brown
Mix in a bowl with sweet potato
Add a pinch of salt and the curry powder
Add half the beaten egg and mix together
Spray a baking tray and spoon the mixture in balls
Cook in oven at 200 degrees for 25 mins turning halfway
Leave a little longer to get them crispy!

Mayflower Curry - Beef

My other half fancied a chinese beef curry, I have to say I was reluctant to make it as I don't often cook with beef but it was yummy! 4 syns each for the mayflower Curry Sauce but SO worth it! Everything else was free!

Cauliflower Cheese Soup

What you need: 

Low calorie cooking spray 

One chopped onion 

Smoked paprika 

Cauliflower florets 

200ml vegetable stock 

2-3 extra light cheese triangles 

What to do: 

 1. Spray a large sauce pan with low calorie cooking spray and add chopped onion and smoked paprika and cook for 5 minutes. 

 2. Add cauliflower florets, around 200ml vegetable stock and simmer for 15 minutes until the cauliflower is just tender.    

 3. Stir in 2-3 extra light cheese triangles and blend until smooth. Season and serve.

Breakfast

I don't always feel like having much for breakfast but I can never get bored of these.
Loads of sliced strawberries, yoghurt & an alepn bar broken up on top.
Absolutely yummy!

IMAGE therapy

I've seen a lot of negative comments on social media about people not liking image therapy or not receiving the support they want/need from the consultant but rather than speaking to someone they just post it online. 

This solves nothing. 

I have the most amazing consultant and I'm pretty sure I would have given up by now if it wasn't for her. She is there constantly whenever you need her and I would consider her a really good friend. She looks after more than 500 of us, God knows how! 

I find myself extremely lucky to have such a supportive group and all I would say to anyone who doesn't feel like that, is speak out. Say you're not happy. If you don't say anything then nothing can be fixed. And if you're feeling like that there could be others around you feeling the same way. And it definately hinders your progress. 

I don't think I'd have gotten as far as I have if it wasn't for the constant support of the other women (and men) in my group and if I inspire just one person the way people in my group inspire me id be happy!

X

SW Beef Burgers

I was ridiculously skeptical about the quality of the SW Burgers especially when it said fry from frozen, but I was really suprised with them! They were lovely! My only comment would be that they were a little dry, but if you are putting relish etc on your burger then it is fine! Would definately buy these again!

Strawberries!

Snacking on SW has never been so easy. I live on strawberries a lot of the time which is awesome because they're a speed fruit. Got a new little gadget to slice them up from ebay for just over £1, bargain!
having them with yoghurt & a sprinkle of cinammon is one of my favourite snacks. And all free!