Moonwatcher's Atkins Diary

[moonwatcher]

Ooh lavender earl grey, il have to try that is it nice?
im on around 6-7 coffees and need to cut them right down.
I love having a pre breakfast too, need to around here because I'm up early and people don't arise until later hahaha hope you have a good day today? Weather is rank here

It is one of a range from Twinings, but not always easy to find in the shops. The others are rose earl grey, (my favourite) blossom (slightly orangey) and jasmine. I really like them because I feel they are something a little bit special to have when I am cutting my hot drink consumption down! I'm a bit of a pushover for buying flavoured teas, but often the taste doesn't live up to the promise of the packet! I have lavender in the garden, so I am thinking of adding some to some loose earl grey this summer and making my own.

 

[moonwatcher]

....and some eggy pics...

No, you don't have to eat a lot of eggs on Atkins...



The paler shelled ones in the the tray look the same size as the brown ones, but don't be fooled by the perspective. They were free range, £2.75 a tray of twenty from a local garage, and so far every one has been a double yolker.

No wonder the chickens in Norfolk have a pained look on their faces!

 

[moonwatcher]

Right. I have done the online banking, downloaded some free recipe books and a free kindle photo editing app from Amazon (had to be free ones, after doing the banking!), printed off some vouchers - one is for a river punting trip at the weekend - hope the rain stops! I've also applied for some items on freegle, answered a load of emails and 'thought' about having some sort of curry tonight. Help me everyone. If I can't find anything else to do then there will be no choice - I will have to get on with the housework!

 

[Goldilukes]

Haha housework, what's that? My motto is people only ever notice the dirt if its always kept clean until one lazy ay slip up curry sounds nice, how do you do the sauce on Atkins?

 

[Atomic pink]

Looks like a very very constructive half term so far, when does the "holiday" part start???

Mousakka looks very nice indeed. OH hates aubergines with a passion so it isn't something I get to make very often.

Those are some HUGE eggs, no wonder the chickens look in pain! Brilliant that so many are double yolkers though

 

[moonwatcher]

Haha housework, what's that? My motto is people only ever notice the dirt if its always kept clean until one lazy ay slip up curry sounds nice, how do you do the sauce on Atkins?

Well I actually put the curry off until tomorrow as am defrosting some chicken for it. I usually make up my own curry spices from a mixture of some or all of turmeric, cloves, fenugreek, chilli, garlic, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, coriander, cardamom, curry leaves, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and anything else that takes my fancy from the spice and herb rack, star anise and five spice plus schezuan peppercorns if it is a Chinese style curry. To thicken it on Atkins I will probably use an egg and/or cream, sour cream or cream cheese, sometimes a little xanthan gum. The egg works quite well - just take out a little of the sauce, let it cool a bit, then whisk it with the egg and whisk back into the curry, reheat until it thickens. It will 'go'' all of a sudden.

 

[Goldilukes]

Thanks for sharing that. Il definitely give it a whirl. Just found some xanthan gum in Sainsburys and was wondering what to do with it

 

[moonwatcher]

Looks like a very very constructive half term so far, when does the "holiday" part start???

I have been wondering that myself! Although had an easier day today with a bit of mooching in the kitchen which I always enjoy. OH has split 6 giant bags of kindling and mown half of the lawn, as well as sharpened his chain saw for tomorrow. Oh deep joy - I can hardly wait!

Mousakka looks very nice indeed. OH hates aubergines with a passion so it isn't something I get to make very often.

Those are some HUGE eggs, no wonder the chickens look in pain! Brilliant that so many are double yolkers though

Well you never know Atomic - you may get a surprise. For over 20 years I have thought my OH disliked aubergines, but he announced last night that moussaka was one of his favourite meals? On further interrogation, it turned out that he likes aubergines when they are fried, which these ones were, but hates them cooked with no, or very little fat, which is how I had always cooked them when we first met, because I was always dieting! You could have knocked me down with the proverbial feather!

 

[moonwatcher]

Thanks for sharing that. Il definitely give it a whirl. Just found some xanthan gum in Sainsburys and was wondering what to do with it

Only use a tiny amount of the xanthan - obviously depends on how much sauce you have, but I start with a quarter of a teaspoon first, sometimes less than that. Too much and your sauce will go really gloopy - like the cheapest possible tinned soup!

Sometimes I mash up a little of the veg I have used as a thickener too - especially cauli.

 

[moonwatcher]

Food for today, Wednesday 29th May

Breakfast - one of the giant eggs, hard boiled, with butter and salt 'n' pepper

Lunch - cheese and egg mayo salad, piece of the flourless chocolate cake with a little cream

Dinner - tuna, chorizo and cauliflower fishcakes with lime and smoked paprika, with red pepper and green beans, roasted with black garlic and ginger, all topped off with home-made horseradish and nutmeg sauce. Getting a bit carried away with the flavours there, but it all went together really well.



Snack - 'fessing up to one piece of really, really dark chocolate. I know, I know, but it was delicious.

Drinks - water, earl grey with unsweetened soya milk, two coffees and cream. After having the flavoured fizzy water yesterday evening I was so thirsty - woke up about 5 times in the night and had to get water every time - mouth so dry couldn't even swallow at one point.

 

[Goldilukes]

It is one of a range from Twinings, but not always easy to find in the shops. The others are rose earl grey, (my favourite) blossom (slightly orangey) and jasmine. I really like them because I feel they are something a little bit special to have when I am cutting my hot drink consumption down! I'm a bit of a pushover for buying flavoured teas, but often the taste doesn't live up to the promise of the packet! I have lavender in the garden, so I am thinking of adding some to some loose earl grey this summer and making my own.

Oooooh I love the sound of those. I agree the taste is usually not as promising as the packaging with most teas. I'm not a huge fan of herbal or fruit teas but can't drink loads of coffee and would be nice to hold something warm and low carb since I'm constantly freezing on this diet Nd water just makes me freeze hahah

 

[Goldilukes]

Those fish cakes look amazing! Just my type of food. Don't feel bad about fessing up on the chocky, it's your dairy plus it shows me and I'm sure others that you are human hope it was nice? I found some 85% from the co-op it was lovely but I'm understanding my limits because I could have easily eaten 4 instead of 2 and do not want to go back down that route even if its not cadburys massive bars like I used to scoff.

 

[moonwatcher]

Oooooh I love the sound of those. I agree the taste is usually not as promising as the packaging with most teas. I'm not a huge fan of herbal or fruit teas but can't drink loads of coffee and would be nice to hold something warm and low carb since I'm constantly freezing on this diet Nd water just makes me freeze hahah

I like Lidl's own brand green tea with vanilla. I can drink it black (well technically that should be drink it green, I suppose) but I should think it would also work with soya milk. The vanilla mellows out the astringent taste of the green tea

 

[Goldilukes]

I like Lidl's own brand green tea with vanilla. I can drink it black (well technically that should be drink it green, I suppose) but I should think it would also work with soya milk. The vanilla mellows out the astringent taste of the green tea

I shall give it a go then, hate astringent teas but vanilla sounds nice and manageable

 

[moonwatcher]

Those fish cakes look amazing! Just my type of food. Don't feel bad about fessing up on the chocky, it's your dairy plus it shows me and I'm sure others that you are human hope it was nice? I found some 85% from the co-op it was lovely but I'm understanding my limits because I could have easily eaten 4 instead of 2 and do not want to go back down that route even if its not cadburys massive bars like I used to scoff.

They were delicious Goldi. Think I will post them on the recipe section later. No I don't feel too bad about the choc. I can usually stick to just one square of dark choc, unlike Cadbury's (hmmm, Cadbury's Dairy Milk, drool), unless the dark choc is wrapped around something, like ginger or raisins, or a jaffa cake, or a dark chocolate hob nob, or a ...* shakes self out of chocolate induced stupor and takes a glug of water* I don't think one square will put me out of fat burning mode, at least I hope not.

 

[Goldilukes]

They were delicious Goldi. Think I will post them on the recipe section later. No I don't feel too bad about the choc. I can usually stick to just one square of dark choc, unlike Cadbury's (hmmm, Cadbury's Dairy Milk, drool), unless the dark choc is wrapped around something, like ginger or raisins, or a jaffa cake, or a dark chocolate hob nob, or a ...* shakes self out of chocolate induced stupor and takes a glug of water* I don't think one square will put me out of fat burning mode, at least I hope not.

Lol lol lol drooling now and can see the choc isle with all those purple wrappers....:slap face:
i used to eat at least one family sized cadburys per day, sometimes more....no wonder I was a fat spotty faced pig...
they have just opened up a Krispy Kreme stand over the road at the services too since I started dieting, another of my weaknesses terrible, just terrible.

hVe you tried choc bark with coconut oil? It's ok and very few carbs, there is loads of recipes online for it and when you move to owl you an also add crushed nuts etc. coconut is meant to help with weightloss too
yes definitely put that recipe up, I'm so up for something different for dinner

 

[moonwatcher]

Lol lol lol drooling now and can see the choc isle with all those purple wrappers....:slap face:
i used to eat at least one family sized cadburys per day, sometimes more....no wonder I was a fat spotty faced pig...
they have just opened up a Krispy Kreme stand over the road at the services too since I started dieting, another of my weaknesses terrible, just terrible.

hVe you tried choc bark with coconut oil? It's ok and very few carbs, there is loads of recipes online for it and when you move to owl you an also add crushed nuts etc. coconut is meant to help with weightloss too
yes definitely put that recipe up, I'm so up for something different for dinner

Never actually indulged in a Krispy Kreme - love the ring doughnuts you get in paper bags at the coast though. I have just found a gluten free recipe for them, but am doing my best to pretend I haven't seen it, as it uses coconut flour and almond flour, neither of which I am on to yet. It also uses honey, but I will swap that for sweetener syrup instead. They are most definitely on my treat list for the summer!

I am going to make some of the cocoa bark. I need to get some more cocoa as I have used mine on the chocolate cake. Also I didn't want to make it until the other dark choc in the house was gone, in case we ended up eating both! I love chocolate ginger, so am considering poaching some root ginger in water with a bit of sweetener until it is soft, like ginger in syrup, and then mixing it into the cocoa bark. Voila, chocolate ginger!

I have just posted the fishcake recipe in the Atkins recipe section. I tend to make recipes up as I go along, but I think I've included everything you need to know there!

 

[Goldilukes]

Yum choc ginger I love messing around like that. Do you know much about the davinci syrups? They have loads and I would like to get orange, peppermint Nd some art of caramel ones for my coco bark.
I was reading on low carb friends last night And there were threads upon threads on coco bark recipes Nd loads included the coconut flour and almonds. Not sure if I want to GO full force in to them just yet either as I've been at a sticking point for a month and would like a wee budge on the old scales.

 

[moonwatcher]

I've heard about the syrups but not tried any. You could probably try grated orange zest for the orange flavour in cocoa bark. I have no idea if it has carbs in, but I would think if it has, it would be low. Also peppermint essence - although I have no idea at all if that has carbs in, but you would use a tiny amount as it is very strong. Or... (got me thinking now!) what about finely chopped real mint?

I have just had a piece of the chocolate cake with cream, after a late dinner. I think if I had cocoa bark in the house too I would be tempted to continue on the chocolate theme! Definitely better for me to have just one 'treat' at a time available!

 

[moonwatcher]

Thursday 30th May

Didn't have a breakfast as such in the end as we wanted to get out to the tip and several other things to do in the afternoon, so food a bit hit and miss today...

Snacks spread throughout the day - cheddar cubes, ham slices, pepperami

Dinner was quite late as we went to the tip this afternoon with another van load of hedge! Then went to collect our greenhouse doors etc., and stopped off at Tesco for some shopping. Several cheeses on '3 for the price of 2.' Heaven! * Today we were mostly buying cheese! * After the shopping went to Costa and managed to only have one coffee with cream which I was pleased with, especially as we hadn't really eaten well today. Home, shopping unpacked, greenhouse doors unloaded, garden bench moved to its new position (don't ask me why we suddenly decided to do this at 8.30pm, we just did!)

Finally... dinner - roast jogan rosh chicken thighs with spicy roast cauli and spinach and red pepper curry, sour cream. After listing the spices I use to make my own curry powder yesterday, today I went for a pre-made one as I just wanted to EAT!!! Lol!



Followed this with flourless chocolate cake and a little cream.

Drinks - Water, one lavender earl grey with a splash of soya milk, two coffees with cream