Alli takes the scenic route to maintenance
- Thread starter herewego
- Start date
bleurgh - my eating isn't improving and I feel bloated and slightly out of control. It's not that I'm binging really, just overeating despite starting every day with the intention of sticking to my calories.
Oh well - will be on shakes for breakfast and lunch tomorrow and Sunday as I find that pretty easy at weekends, but I doubt it will make up for 5 days of massively overeating.
I've just made the dough for Swedish ginger thins (like the ones you get at IKEA at Xmas) and the house smells wonderful. You make the dough by melting all the ingredients together so the spices really infuse with the sugar / syrup / butter etc. It's the best smell in the world. No doubt I'll be cursing this time tomorrow as the dough will make around 350 ginger breads and my arms will hurt and I will be sick of the sight of it all. God knows where I'm going to store them all as I don't have enough tins. Might have to beg borrow and steal from neighbours.
That's pretty much it for this weekend. We need to do some de-cluttering before Xmas so might make a start on that. Will get a few walks in as well if the weather is good.
Hope everyone's well - it's been a mad week for me and i'm looking forward to some down time. I wish it was a bit busier here on the boards though but I guess it will be more quiet now in the run up to the holidays
.:xmastree:
Oh well - will be on shakes for breakfast and lunch tomorrow and Sunday as I find that pretty easy at weekends, but I doubt it will make up for 5 days of massively overeating.
I've just made the dough for Swedish ginger thins (like the ones you get at IKEA at Xmas) and the house smells wonderful. You make the dough by melting all the ingredients together so the spices really infuse with the sugar / syrup / butter etc. It's the best smell in the world. No doubt I'll be cursing this time tomorrow as the dough will make around 350 ginger breads and my arms will hurt and I will be sick of the sight of it all. God knows where I'm going to store them all as I don't have enough tins. Might have to beg borrow and steal from neighbours.
That's pretty much it for this weekend. We need to do some de-cluttering before Xmas so might make a start on that. Will get a few walks in as well if the weather is good.
Hope everyone's well - it's been a mad week for me and i'm looking forward to some down time. I wish it was a bit busier here on the boards though but I guess it will be more quiet now in the run up to the holidays
.:xmastree:
Of course you can! Although if you by some bizarre coincidence ever meet my Dad, don't tell him! It's an old family recipe and I only found out the recipe a few years ago after my Dad considered me worthy (he's a superb cook and baker!) 
The recipe is easy:
2 1/2 dl sugar (caster / muscovado / dark muscovado - according to preference)
1 1/2 dl syrup
2 1/2 tsp of each ginger, cinnamon and cloves
3/4 tsp of bicarb mixed with a small amount of water
250g butter
1 egg
Around 1 litre flour (at a guess it's around 1lb flour)
Put the sugar, syrup and spices in a sauce pan and melt together.
When melted together take off the heat and add the bicarb mix.
Melt the butter and add.
Whisk the egg lightly and add
Pour into a large mixing bowl and then add sifted flour little by little until you have a soft dough (not too stiff as you will need to add flour when rolling out).
Put clingfilm over the bowl and leave in cool place (eg fridge) for at least 12 hours.
Take dough out 1 hour before rolling. Roll as thin as possible (1mm thick if you can) and cut out shapes (stars, hearts etc).
Bake in a 200°C oven for 4-5 minutes. They burn really easily so keep an eye on them.
Leave on rack until completely cool and keep in tins...
Swedish recipes tend to be by volume rather than weight. 1 decilitre equals 100ml...
The recipe is easy:
2 1/2 dl sugar (caster / muscovado / dark muscovado - according to preference)
1 1/2 dl syrup
2 1/2 tsp of each ginger, cinnamon and cloves
3/4 tsp of bicarb mixed with a small amount of water
250g butter
1 egg
Around 1 litre flour (at a guess it's around 1lb flour)
Put the sugar, syrup and spices in a sauce pan and melt together.
When melted together take off the heat and add the bicarb mix.
Melt the butter and add.
Whisk the egg lightly and add
Pour into a large mixing bowl and then add sifted flour little by little until you have a soft dough (not too stiff as you will need to add flour when rolling out).
Put clingfilm over the bowl and leave in cool place (eg fridge) for at least 12 hours.
Take dough out 1 hour before rolling. Roll as thin as possible (1mm thick if you can) and cut out shapes (stars, hearts etc).
Bake in a 200°C oven for 4-5 minutes. They burn really easily so keep an eye on them.
Leave on rack until completely cool and keep in tins...
Swedish recipes tend to be by volume rather than weight. 1 decilitre equals 100ml...
Katycakes
Stubborn tortoise
Imagining the smell... heavenly. At least i know I am too busy to even think of trying to make them! Think a few of us are in the same boat with the 'out of control' bit, still not panicking, will leave that till I have found the courage to jump back on the scales. Yikes.
Have a fab Saturday Alli!
xxx
Have a fab Saturday Alli!
xxx
I hate it when I write a long post and somehow push the wrong key and it disappears!!
I'm in the middle of baking and I'm so bored of it. I've nibbled far too much and even though I've had a shake for lunch to minise the damage I feel really bloated. The children are getting hyper as they need fresh air and I just need this finished!
Right, back to the baking! No more nibbling!
I'm in the middle of baking and I'm so bored of it. I've nibbled far too much and even though I've had a shake for lunch to minise the damage I feel really bloated. The children are getting hyper as they need fresh air and I just need this finished!
Right, back to the baking! No more nibbling!
Speaking to myself today as everyone else obviously has a life
I've finished baking for today. I have a load for the scool Xmas party on Monday and 3 cake tins full for us. It might sound like a lot but they soon go, although the way I feel now I don't ever want to see another one - I must have eaten around 20 over the past few hours.
I've emptied the content of the welsh dresser and it's now sitting in the front room. I have no idea what to do with it all, but I'm sure I'll find a temporary home for it. Having a quick coffee before dragging the dresser into the hall so that I can get the tree in.
I'm glad we don't have any money as otherwise I'd be tempted to get a takeaway tonight...
Time to get back to it!
I've finished baking for today. I have a load for the scool Xmas party on Monday and 3 cake tins full for us. It might sound like a lot but they soon go, although the way I feel now I don't ever want to see another one - I must have eaten around 20 over the past few hours.
I've emptied the content of the welsh dresser and it's now sitting in the front room. I have no idea what to do with it all, but I'm sure I'll find a temporary home for it. Having a quick coffee before dragging the dresser into the hall so that I can get the tree in.
I'm glad we don't have any money as otherwise I'd be tempted to get a takeaway tonight...
Time to get back to it!
Speaking to myself today as everyone else obviously has a life
I've emptied the content of the welsh dresser and it's now sitting in the front room. I have no idea what to do with it all, but I'm sure I'll find a temporary home for it.
:8855: This made me laugh!
Thanks for the recipe, I've printed it out and shall try them soon, sound lovely to me.
You have to remove the dresser to get the tree in? Where on earth will you put it?
I bought some really pretty Christmas lights to put around the window next to the door we use. There's not a pink one in sight, just red, yellow, green and blue and they don't move around or flash or do any of the other thngs that I don't like. I have a bit of a thing about pink lights. Nuts, really, don't know why, just don't like them.
As I've been travelling round working lately, I've noticed all the lights people have outside their houses - well you can hardly miss them. Even saw a huge blow up Homer Simpson Father Christmas! Takes all sorts I suppose, but some of then are really pretty. There's a beautiful tree with twinkly lights that do go on and off very gently on a traffic island, I was stuck in traffic staring at it last night and someone pipped me to move, I was mesmerised!
I've been doing what you are, full of good intentions each morning and overdone it each evening. Shall have to get a grip, but when? All my big clothes are gone and I'm not buying any more, so I'd better get on with it or I'll be going out starkers!!
*butterfly*
Silver Member
Oooh, Alli, i am pinching your recipe. How long do they keep? i'd like to give as gifts. I'm with you on getting a bit out of control. Must be good is my constant mantra, but my hand and mouth isn't really listening to me.....! Liniting damage as much as possible. Be easier once this xmas malrky is out the way.... but, i do love xmas and i'm all excited so part of me just wants to say, stuff it! and have a good time.. Sorry, i am not much inspiration at the moment. Have a nice quiet moment hun, life sounds hectic! xx
Feeling slightly more in control today so that's good! Maybe reading Katy's and KD's posts over on Katy's thread helped, I'm not sure, but
I'm not complaining!
Butterfly - the ginger thins (pepparkaka = pepper biscuit) should last for at least a month or so in sealed tin. They would make lovely presents!
I'm aiming for 1300 calories today although think I may go over slightly as I succumbed to a chocolate at work. I don't mind as long as I stick to the plan for the rest of the day. I'm having Chilli tonight so am looking forward to that. I'd love a glass of wine, but that might push me over the edge completely...we'll see.
The dresser is in our spare bedroom upstairs after a lot of swearing from my DH helping to carrying it upstairs. Maybe it is a lot of effort for just a few week's pleasure, but I want to create magic for the children and seeing their faces when the tree was up and they could decorate it with all their home made decorations was priceless. I'm having to restrain myself from removing some of the horrible things that they've made and put some nice baubles on it, but they love it so will resist. Instead it's full of gingerbread shapes decorated with sprinkles. weird shapes made out of coloured card and tissue paper and pom pom balls. Oh well, I'll have my tastefully decorated tree when they are teenagers and have lost interest in the tree - although suspect by then I will remember with fondness this tree with all the decorations down the bottom and piled on the one high branch they could reach from the chair
Feeling relaxed today after a stressful week last week. Am starting to slow down now and will try my hardest not to get stressed over Xmas preps...
Hope you are all having a great Monday - isn't it cold!! I love it
I'm not complaining!
Butterfly - the ginger thins (pepparkaka = pepper biscuit) should last for at least a month or so in sealed tin. They would make lovely presents!
I'm aiming for 1300 calories today although think I may go over slightly as I succumbed to a chocolate at work. I don't mind as long as I stick to the plan for the rest of the day. I'm having Chilli tonight so am looking forward to that. I'd love a glass of wine, but that might push me over the edge completely...we'll see.
The dresser is in our spare bedroom upstairs after a lot of swearing from my DH helping to carrying it upstairs. Maybe it is a lot of effort for just a few week's pleasure, but I want to create magic for the children and seeing their faces when the tree was up and they could decorate it with all their home made decorations was priceless. I'm having to restrain myself from removing some of the horrible things that they've made and put some nice baubles on it, but they love it so will resist. Instead it's full of gingerbread shapes decorated with sprinkles. weird shapes made out of coloured card and tissue paper and pom pom balls. Oh well, I'll have my tastefully decorated tree when they are teenagers and have lost interest in the tree - although suspect by then I will remember with fondness this tree with all the decorations down the bottom and piled on the one high branch they could reach from the chair
Feeling relaxed today after a stressful week last week. Am starting to slow down now and will try my hardest not to get stressed over Xmas preps...
Hope you are all having a great Monday - isn't it cold!! I love it
sleepybird
wants a pony
Its blooming cold, not so much fun being outside pushing cars off wet carriageways after their idiot drivers decide to drive like the very devil, despite fog and rain! If I do die at work, I bet it will be at the hand of some stupid motorist :-(
Aggh! Sorry,better now! Glad you feeling all christmassy Alli, I bet your childrens memories will be of the wonderful christmases you gave them, good for you xx
Aggh! Sorry,better now! Glad you feeling all christmassy Alli, I bet your childrens memories will be of the wonderful christmases you gave them, good for you xx
Oh well, I'll have my tastefully decorated tree when they are teenagers and have lost interest in the tree - although suspect by then I will remember with fondness this tree with all the decorations down the bottom and piled on the one high branch they could reach from the chair
No you won't! We still have the margarine lids decorated with sparkly bits that the girls made when they were little on our tree each year. There's also my favourite bauble from my childhood, pink with a dimple and so precious to me!! You wouldn't want a characterless tree that anyone else could have I'm sure!! Long live the pom pom balls!! xx
Poor you Sleepy, hope you get a decent break at Christmas though? x
Love the pingpong idea...where's the nearest sports shop
. We have been making shrinklies tonight. I "borrowed" a hole puncher from work and made holes in them so we can hang them on the tree. It's looking very busy now LOL.The main reason I haven't been around is that I've been absorbed in reading. I get like this when it's cold outside. TV loses its appeal and i just want to sit and read. The downside of this is that I end up picking on food but it hasn't been that bad.
Friends are coming round tonight after dinner. They are bringing an apple and blackberry crumble - YUM! It won't do my diet any good but as I had a big lunch I won't need any dinner.
Just 2 more days at work now before 2 whole weeks off! I'm almost dreading the holidays starting as it means that they will soon be over. I just hope DH will be able to relax as he has been so stressed at work recently and I can see him constantly logging on etc.
Anyways, hope you are all well! Katy - it's nice to see you in control again. I'm not quite there, but considering the time of year I'm not doing too badly.
Sleepy - my Dad is a Policeman and I remember when I was little and he was on traffic duty (he was a mc driver) he'd come home frozen to the bone and burdened by the horrible accidents he'd been called to. Hope it won't be too bad over Christmas for you!
The children and DH are having a balloon fight (typical DH to encourage this when just before bedtime
). His turn to put them to bed me thinks...Shrinklies are plastic sheets that have images printed on them. Basically you colour in the picture, put it in the oven for a few minutes and it shrinks down to about a 10th of the original size and becomes hard plastic. Punch a hole in the sheet before it goes in the oven and you have a "nice" tree decoration
Off to bed now - Night Night!
Off to bed now - Night Night!
*butterfly*
Silver Member
Hi Alli,
Just wanted to say a huge thankyou for your pepperkaka recipe. I made the dough the other day and spent about 2+ hrs yesterday making more thins than i would care to count. All in little xmas shapes. I didn't realise it would make so much though! They turned out perfectly, and although i had reservations about the cloves when i read the recipe they taste divine. (i ate way too many!) They even passed the child test, my daughter is so fussy and she came back several times for more stars and trees! I normally do not allow her biscuits regularly but i was quite happy and proud to see her eat my own handiwork. Can you freeze the biscuits or dough?
I've got to go home now from work to a bit of crafty snow pics with DD who has been driving me mad to be able to cause glueing chaos, fun times! Hope you have a good day xx
Just wanted to say a huge thankyou for your pepperkaka recipe. I made the dough the other day and spent about 2+ hrs yesterday making more thins than i would care to count. All in little xmas shapes. I didn't realise it would make so much though! They turned out perfectly, and although i had reservations about the cloves when i read the recipe they taste divine. (i ate way too many!) They even passed the child test, my daughter is so fussy and she came back several times for more stars and trees! I normally do not allow her biscuits regularly but i was quite happy and proud to see her eat my own handiwork. Can you freeze the biscuits or dough?
I've got to go home now from work to a bit of crafty snow pics with DD who has been driving me mad to be able to cause glueing chaos, fun times! Hope you have a good day xx
Butterfly - you can freeze the dough. I've frozen mine for a few months before and it was fine. I'm not sure about the biscuits, but they last quite a long time in a air tight tin so freezing shouldn't be necessary (it's not like they last that long ).
I weighed myself this morning and was horrified! I have put on 4lbs and am the heaviest I've been since August. I've been getting away with overeating for some time now without the scales showing it, but clearly my body has had enough and told me loud and clear!
I'm going to set my calorie allowance to 1400 from now to Christmas day and hope that I can get rid of a couple of lbs. I usually set my cal allowance at 1200 but after reading KDs post about going too low in maintenance and then swinging from one extreme to the other (I really identified with this) I decided to try and keep stable from now on and to do that successfully I need to feel satisfied with the amount of food I eat. I think I can feel that on 1400...if not I'll have to reassess.
I'm not doing anything much today. A bit of tidying and pottering this morning and maybe a walk with the children later. We have a Xmas dinner in a restaurant tonight so will eat lightly today so that I can really enjoy my food tonight - no guilt.
Tomorrow the children are going to a Xmas disco locally with some friends so will by Mummy cab for a chunk of the day. Then I'm babysitting for friends tomorrow night so lots of reading time *YAY*. She always buy loads of choccies though so will have to hide them.
Hope you are all having a nice Saturday. The weather is beautiful here in Kent this morning. It's all white and sunny and I can't wait to get out for a walk!
).I weighed myself this morning and was horrified! I have put on 4lbs and am the heaviest I've been since August. I've been getting away with overeating for some time now without the scales showing it, but clearly my body has had enough and told me loud and clear!
I'm going to set my calorie allowance to 1400 from now to Christmas day and hope that I can get rid of a couple of lbs. I usually set my cal allowance at 1200 but after reading KDs post about going too low in maintenance and then swinging from one extreme to the other (I really identified with this) I decided to try and keep stable from now on and to do that successfully I need to feel satisfied with the amount of food I eat. I think I can feel that on 1400...if not I'll have to reassess.
I'm not doing anything much today. A bit of tidying and pottering this morning and maybe a walk with the children later. We have a Xmas dinner in a restaurant tonight so will eat lightly today so that I can really enjoy my food tonight - no guilt.
Tomorrow the children are going to a Xmas disco locally with some friends so will by Mummy cab for a chunk of the day. Then I'm babysitting for friends tomorrow night so lots of reading time *YAY*. She always buy loads of choccies though so will have to hide them.
Hope you are all having a nice Saturday. The weather is beautiful here in Kent this morning. It's all white and sunny and I can't wait to get out for a walk!
