Lost 4lbs in a year!!!!!!!!

[bellybling]

This is one of my favourite pulaos. I haven't syned it up or made it sw friendly but it's the nicest brown rice I've ever tasted.

2tbsp veg oil
1tspn ghee
1 onion
2 garlic cloves,crushed
3 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 cup brown basmati
1tsp ground coriander
1tsp ground cumin
2 carrots grated
11/2 pints veg stock
10oz young spinich leaves
2oz unsalted cashews, roasted
salt and black pepper

Soak rice over night.Heat oil + ghee fry onions and garlic,add toms and cook 4mins.Drain rice and add to pan. Stir in coriander+cumin. Add carrots salt and pepper.Pour in stock and mix. Bring to boil, cover then simmer 20-25 mins.Layer spinich on top of rice, cover again and cook 2-3 mins, Fold spinich in, check seasoning, add cashews.

 

[bellybling]

Curly wurly only 5 1/2 syns

 

[drumsrevolver]

That curry looks delicious bb yum! I haven't tried brown basmati before - do you still get the slight fragrance to it that you would with a normal brown rice? I might try it with just brown long-grain rice - be great for a Green day.
If it's going to have oil in - I think I'd lightly cook the cashews first in a bt of ghee or oil - so much more flavour to the nuts but your recipe is definitely a goer for me - thanks ever so much for it x

 

[bellybling]

I dry fry the nuts. You might need to cook the long grain for slightly longer. The whole thing is quite 'nutty' and ia delicious with a tomatoey curry. It makes quite a lot so I usually 1/2 the ingredients. I am going to try it with frylight.

 

[bellybling]

This is lovely too.

courgettes in tom sauce

11/2 lbs courgettes
3 tbsp veg oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
i onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4tsp ground turmeric
1/4tsp chilli powder
1tsp ground coriander
1tsp ground cumin
1/2 salt
1tbsp tom puree
14oz chopped toms
1/4 pint water
1 tbsp fresh coriander
1tsp garam masala

slice courgettes. Heat oil in wok. Fry seeds for 2mins.add onion and garlic and fry for 5mins.add salt and other spices except garam masala, fry 2-3 mins.Add courgettes and cook 5mins.Add toms and puree. add water cover and simmer 10 mins. stir in fresh coriander and gm and cook 5 mins.

I used to make this when my son was at college. I don't think I've ever had ALL the ingredients though!! but it's always tasted good. Goes well with the rice.

 

[drumsrevolver]

You've actually made courgettes look like they could be tasty! I only ever use them in a bake with aubergines and mushrooms. I will give this ago next time we have a glut of them - thanks bb.

 

[bellybling]

One or two plants can go mad.

I succumed to the other 1/2 of the slice of cake so I'm ending the day on 14 1/2 syns and not having hot choc at bedtime

I've been hungry all day, funny how some days are like that. I negotiated it quite well but in the end the cake won and I would have eaten it whether I could afford it or not syn wise.

Planning a green day on Thurs. Looked at my food diary and a lot of days could be counted as green if you wanted to. Not sure what to have yet. Either a nice veg curry or egg n chips. The world is my oyster.

 

[crispy]

At least you didn't gain anything bellybling but I know its frustrating when your trying to lose it and it doesn't go off fast enough. I put on over half a stone over Christmas so I decided to do something about it now. Best of luck with slimming world

 

[bellybling]

Well crispy I'm enjoying the sw diet. It's not pushing as many buttons as calorie counting did.

 

[drumsrevolver]

Best of luck to you crispy - have you only got 2lb left to go of that 0.5 stone if you've lost 5lb already? A great loss!

bb - I've had a hungry day today too. Had oatcakes and cracker in the day as a snack - didn't realise oatcakes are 2 syns each! Also the coconut milk again is way high in syns so all in all 22 syns today. Think it'll even out in the week - I'm sure yours will too.
Don't forget your 2 HEx's on red and green days - so nice not to syn an extra slice of bread at lunchtime. 'Night all - I'm cream crackered!

 

[crispy]

Thanks drumsrevolver Yeah I lost 5lbs in my first week I have a long way til my goal yet but Im delighted it's a good start Just hope I can keep on track!

 

[bellybling]

What diet are you on Crispy?

 

[crispy]

I'm just counting calories really, trying to stick to around 1250.

 

[drumsrevolver]

5lb is wonderful - I'm sure you'll get to goal just fine. I used to calorie count on MyFitnessPal at around that amount - although I did lose my choices weren't so good ie a chocolate bar would figure most days I'd just fit it into my calorie allowance and then my losses would bounce up and down.
Interestingly for me my calories are roughly 12-1400 but on SW it's more satisfying as I'm eating more food for the same allowance - esp. the Super-free foods - never eaten so many green beans!

So what's for dinner tonight ladies?

I'm having mushroom risoniotto - which is like a normal risotto but made with tiny rice shaped orzo pasta - first time making it so it's hopefully a goodie!

 

[bellybling]

Same here DR. I lose steadily counting calories but I'm always having to exercise strong will power. Really had to exercise very little will power with sw, even if I do joke about crunchies and cakes. I do think it is good to know how many calories are in things though so you can tweak your diet if you plateau. I may have a slight addiction to fry light at the moment but I'm sure the novelty will pass.

5lbs is a good start Crispy.There is lots of tips and support on here that will help.

Tonight is Gammon steak with parsnip chips, roasted red peppers and a baby spinich salad with toffee rice pudding and banana for pud.

 

[crispy]

Thanks DR My choices aren't great, I'm cutting down rather than cutting out, but I was thinking of joining SW if I get stuck. I've tried WW and it never seems to work because there's so much emphasis on filling up on veg which I hate so I'll just keep goin the way I am for now and if I fall off the wagon I'll try SW. Enjoy your mushroom risoniotto

 

[crispy]

Thanks for all the advice and encouragement bellybling. You've lost 46lbs so far that's a massive amount

 

[porkscratching]

2 costumes for swimming - do you do a mid-poolchange? Reminds me of when I was little - I had one swimming costume my entire school life ie ages 9-15 and nearer the end of it's life I once wore it back to front! Thank goodness I was wearing a t-shirt else the other pupils would have got a right eye-full!
well done for the good intentions - today's been the warmest dryest day so far and I actually enjoyed my walk home - hill and all.

Today's dinner is the same as yesterday: Beef Massaman curry with steamed green beans and basmati rice. Maybe a FF Activia later - lots of syns in coconut milk + a few peanuts so can't afford any other treats.

Dinner sounds gorgeous.
I meant I had darling daughter number one's cossie and darling daughter number two's cossie .... making 2 cossie's in total for 2 kids .... not sure I could manage one cossie between them !!! lol.

 

[bellybling]

Crispy, it's pretty hard to keep your calorie count down and still feel full without eating veg. If you find you are too hungry on 1250 bump it up a bit with extra protein ,meat, fish, nuts, seeds,and accept a slower loss.

DR have we talked about orzo pasta before or is it a case of great minds thinking alike as I'm waiting for some to come from asda!!!!

 

[crispy]

Thanks for the tips BB I'm so impatient when it comes to weight loss and I'm the pickiest eater - don't like veg, salad, fish, pasta, rice, nuts, seeds or anything that's good for me lol