Sarah83's Food Diary 2014

[sarah83]

Your mushy pea curry looks so appetizing. When I made it it didn't look that nice. I didn't really like it but that was because my head was telling me that its wrong to have mushy peas in curry.x

Haha I know what you mean. I wasn't too bothered about the mushy peas as I'd have normal peas in a curry anyway, it was the baked beans which took some getting used to! But I blitzed it all up so you wouldn't know! Hubby loved it too which is a bonus xx

 

[tinks*]

That curry looks amazing! I need to get the courage to try it. Hope you have had a good day x

 

[sarah83]

That curry looks amazing! I need to get the courage to try it. Hope you have had a good day x

You'll have to try it it's really good and the plus side is that it's really cheap if you don't - I used Aldis beans, toms and mushy peas so the sauce only cost about £1. I made the sauce first so I knew I liked it before adding the mushrooms and chicken

 

[tinks*]

That's a good idea, as it saves wasting the other bits. Ive got all that in, so I might make some this week. I don't think I will tell the Mr what is in it, as he will turn his nose up and not try it lol. x

 

[sarah83]

I didn't tell my hubby just let him taste it and tell me how nice it was first! He was quite surprised when I told him.
There are a few recipes around but what I did was:
Fry onion and garlic until soft (would have added ginger if I'd had any)
Add 1 tin each of chopped toms, baked beans, mushy peas.
Add a couple of spoons of curry powder.
Let it cook for about 15mins, then blitz it up! I also added a pinch of Splenda as it needed a bit of sweetness.
I watered it down a bit when it came to adding the other bits as it's quite thick.

Think it would also be nice with other veg fried instead of mushroom, peppers would be good. And stir fried chicken would be nice too but I had cooked chicken which needed using. I imagine it would fe quite nice if you fried off some mince then added the sauce too...

 

[sarah83]

Tuesday 21st January - EE

Breakfast: FF Yoghurt, banana

Lunch: Couscous, chicken, veggies - celery, peppers, carrot

Dinner: Slow cooked pork chop, mushrooms and potatoes which I cooked Sunday. With carrots and green beans

Snacks, syns etc: Milk in coffees (HEXA), Apples. 2 glasses wine - 12 syns, boubon biscuit - 3.5syns. No HEXB :-(

Syns: 15.5

 

[sarah83]

Urgh, I've done so much chopping tonight. I wish I was rich enough to buy ready chopped fruit and veg!
Tonight I have made:
* 2 portions tuna and sweetcorn pasta for hubby's packed lunches
* 2 tubs of mixed salad
* a batch of smoked salmon pate
* third of a melon chopped up for tomorrow's brekkie.

I am very glad I had a ready cooked dinner otherwise I might have caved! Although it wasn't great, the pork was a bit dry, the potatoes were a bit soggy. It wasn't awful but I won't be rushing to make it again...

 

[littlemissnaughty]

Well done you. Now you've got no excuse to pick up junk food tomorrow x

 

[sarah83]

I know, I'm looking forward to lunch tomorrow - smoked salmon pate, ryvitas and salad. It wasn't as nice as last weeks smoked mackerel pate but that was 2 syns a portion and this is free...

 

[tinks*]

That's what I will do. I'll be like try this! Wow well done you that's lots you have done. I'm only just getting to cooking dinner lol
X

 

[sarah83]

It is lots but i feel guilty then for spending too long in the kitchen.

I get serious working mum guilt everyday anyway (we're all out of the house from 7am - 6pm, us in work, daughter in crèche), so I only really have an hour to spend with her before she goes to bed, so I feel a bit bad spending that time stood in the kitchen chopping! Trouble is I tend to be too tired by the time we've had dinner, vicious circle lol.

That's why it's good to get a load out the way in one night I guess!

I'm going to make lentil Dahl for tea tomorrow, from an old recipe I posted on here a couple of years ago. I'll make plenty so we've got lunchtime leftovers too. It's lovely and comforting with a pile of rice so I'm looking forward to that!

Tired now, time for another decaf coffee to try and sway this tickly cough I have, then bed xx

 

[sarah83]

Wednesday 22nd Jan - EE

Breakfast: Melon

Lunch: Mixed salad, smoked salmon pate, 3 ryvitas (HEXB)

Dinner: Lentil dahl, rice, broccoli and cauli for superfree

Snacks etc: Milk in coffees (HEXA), apple, pear, banana, grapes, turkey slices with chutney - 1 syn, 4 biscuits - 14 syns

Total syns: 15

 

[Trefoil]

Looks lovely!!

Ruth
xx

 

[tinks*]

I'm going to be the same when I go back to work. I go back on March, as inl couldn't see us affording for me to be off for a year. As the bills go from my account. Going to miss her so much. but I want to give her the best. X

 

[sarah83]

well last nights dinner was horrible, I made it too spicy and somehow the spices were really bitter too.
So I ate all my veg, a bit of rice, then the biscuit monster got me :-(

Also I had a sneaky weigh in (naughty I know) and I'm the same weight I was on Saturday. Would love to pull off 1-2lb loss by Saturday but not sure it's doable... we shall see.

I'm late home tonight after my Welsh lesson, so hubby is cooking meaning nice easy staple of jacket potato with beans yum yum can't really go wrong with that (I hope!!)

 

[sarah83]

I'm going to be the same when I go back to work. I go back on March, as inl couldn't see us affording for me to be off for a year. As the bills go from my account. Going to miss her so much. but I want to give her the best. X

It is really hard. I was made redundant when I was on maternity leave as the office I was working in closed, so I chose to have a year off after she was born, plus another 2 months before (I had a hard pregnancy - pregnancy didn't like me lol!), with 4 months of those on job seekers allowance.
I found that really hard as I didn't really have an end in sight if that makes sense, rather than planning to return to work, I was having interviews and knowing I'd have to be in work within a month if I got the job! Which is exactly what happened, I had the interview for my current employer, then when I found out the same day that I had the job I had a week to psych myself up for a new job and find a full time childcare provider with space, while fitting in 'settling in sessions', it was really tough, but at the same time I didn't really have time to worry about it so I'm not sure which is better lol!

I would have loved a part time job or one with condensed hours, but there just wasn't anything out there that was right for me or the right hours (i.e. I would have been working 4 hours in the middle of the day but still have to pay for a whole day of childcare).

How are you feeling about it hun? Are you going back full time or part time? What are you going to do for childcare?xx

 

[sarah83]

Thursday 23rd January: EE

Breakfast: FF yog and banana

Lunch: salmon pate, salad, ryvitas (HEXB)

Dinner (green): Jacket potato with beans and cheese (Half HEXA)

Snacks etc: Milk in coffees (Half HEXA), grapes, chocolate - 3.5syns

Total syns: 3.5

 

[tinks*]

It is really hard. I was made redundant when I was on maternity leave as the office I was working in closed, so I chose to have a year off after she was born, plus another 2 months before (I had a hard pregnancy - pregnancy didn't like me lol!), with 4 months of those on job seekers allowance. I found that really hard as I didn't really have an end in sight if that makes sense, rather than planning to return to work, I was having interviews and knowing I'd have to be in work within a month if I got the job! Which is exactly what happened, I had the interview for my current employer, then when I found out the same day that I had the job I had a week to psych myself up for a new job and find a full time childcare provider with space, while fitting in 'settling in sessions', it was really tough, but at the same time I didn't really have time to worry about it so I'm not sure which is better lol! I would have loved a part time job or one with condensed hours, but there just wasn't anything out there that was right for me or the right hours (i.e. I would have been working 4 hours in the middle of the day but still have to pay for a whole day of childcare). How are you feeling about it hun? Are you going back full time or part time? What are you going to do for childcare?xx

Sorry to hear that.

I've got to go back full time, as there arn't any part time ones for the position I do. I could do another position but that would mean targets and working on commission. We can't afford for me to go part time.

We always said that if any thing had to change it would be his shifts, as I get paid monthly and have the direct debits etc.

Luckily, at the moment it's going to be 1-2 days a week at a nursey. I work Monday to Friday so does him, but he is going to try working a Saturday and have Monday off. So would cut child care. My mum works from home one day a week, some times too. The FIL had two week days off so they have offered to have her. We're quite lucky really, I've never asked them to have her, they offered which is a bonus. It might work out we won't need to use childcare, we shall see.

Im just not looking for to the late shifts as I'll be home when she's in bed

I do like my job, and do miss working, but I know I'm going to miss her so much. I'm going to feel guilty going back. If that makes sense.

X

 

[sarah83]

Sorry to hear that.

I've got to go back full time, as there arn't any part time ones for the position I do. I could do another position but that would mean targets and working on commission. We can't afford for me to go part time.

We always said that if any thing had to change it would be his shifts, as I get paid monthly and have the direct debits etc.

Luckily, at the moment it's going to be 1-2 days a week at a nursey. I work Monday to Friday so does him, but he is going to try working a Saturday and have Monday off. So would cut child care. My mum works from home one day a week, some times too. The FIL had two week days off so they have offered to have her. We're quite lucky really, I've never asked them to have her, they offered which is a bonus. It might work out we won't need to use childcare, we shall see.

Im just not looking for to the late shifts as I'll be home when she's in bed

I do like my job, and do miss working, but I know I'm going to miss her so much. I'm going to feel guilty going back. If that makes sense.

X

The thing is I was quite happy to go back to work to be honest, a year off work was long enough for me. It would just be nice to have more than 2 days a week with her!
You'll love going back to work I'm sure and I'm sure it'll be easier than you think. Have you started to have any odd days back, is it 'settling in days' they call them? That might make you feel a bit better as you can see all your colleagues again.

How often will you have to do late shifts? Will you be able to spend some time in the morning with her if you're starting late? I feel awful on Thursday's when I have my Welsh classes as I don't get to see my daughter that evening so I know what you mean.

That's great you have those options for childcare - will be nice for her to see different people every week too, and I guess you could always put her in nursery for a day or two if you can't get people to have her everyday. You'll save a fortune not having to pay for nursery though - we pay £42 a day and she's in full time so it costs an absolute fortune. Trouble is we really don't have an option as all of my family are on the other side of the country, and my MIL works full time. The nursery we use is fantastic though so that makes it a bit easier!

 

[sarah83]

Yay it's Friday! Hope you've all got fab weekends planned! Friday 24th Jan - EE

Breakfast: Banana

Lunch: turkey salad from e sandwich shop with veggies, pasta, couscous, beans etc

Dinner: Egg fried rice with stir fried chicken with sweet chilli, honey and sesame oil (using my HEXB for that which I know is a bit of a cheat) - 3 syns

Snacks etc: Milk in coffees (HEXA), apple, grapes, vino...

Total syns - 3 planned for food, then I'll prob have approx 12 on wine tonight