Susie's 2022 campaign

[ladyfelsham]

Thanks Clareel - things didn't go quite to plan, ended up having lunch at 3pm and wolfing it down, followed by some bad pastry cheese bite things - so, no dinner for me or syns!

But at least i have a chance to even things out before Monday .

 

[tipperary]

What tea did you order?

 

[Clareel]

Have a good weekend on plan, plenty of water and green tea - as you say there is time!

 

[ladyfelsham]

What tea did you order?

The Wellness set - Detox, Be Calm, Boost, BB Detox and Sweet Love. Need a bit of wellness today - took the day off with an upset tum, think it might have been because I scoffed my lunch late yesterday in such a hurry.

Not much in the way of food but I'm drinking lots of water!

Have a good one.

 

[ladyfelsham]

Just emerged from another mammoth sleep, and had the first Kusmi tea - the BB Detox. Nice, I liked the grapefruit flavour.

Tipp - which one do you like the best out of all their teas?

Dinner will be chicken pieces with veg stir fry, so 100% on plan today.

 

[Monkey_Monkey_Underpants]

Food sounds better today.
I hope you manage to pull it back and turn it around in time for Monday's weigh in.

 

[tipperary]

I only got green teas, which it seems you might have too. I have green tea with spearmint, the mint taste I'd amazing and fresh in it. I have one of the detox, not the bb one but one with mate tea, green tea and lemongrass. I got green tea with seaweed...I mean that has too be good for you. Green tea with toasted rice, a very unusual.flavour. And the reason I ordered them was the green tea with rose, a totally luxurious taste altogether, better than any cake I've ever had...and no calories
I know they are expensive but I have found the taste to be very clear and fresh, and I much prefer tea leaves to tea bags. And I don't drink coffee or bottled water or other packed drinks. It cost me €80 for 5 tins but I reckon I have enough for at least 4/5 months now, compare that to €2.50 every day for a takeaway coffee.

Did any samples arrive with yours, I got a fruit tea and a Russian morning tea but gave them.ro y husband.

 

[tipperary]

Is dieting just an excuse to.go shopping?

 

[tipperary]

Oh, and I hope your tummy feels better

 

[ladyfelsham]

Did any samples arrive with yours, I got a fruit tea and a Russian morning tea but gave them.ro y husband.

I got mine from Amazon - cheaper but no samples. LOL on the seaweed one - but the Aquarose I do like the sound of. I'll get through the five small tins I've got and see how I feel about getting more.

Is dieting just an excuse to.go shopping?

Yep, my guilty secret .

Oh, and I hope your tummy feels better

It does, thanks, I managed brekkie this morning yaye. I used to have a cast iron stomach but as I get older I find a lot of things upset it - another joy of ageing....

Morning all - was up early today and so my two loads of laundry are done and hung up, so now time to relax before throwing dinner in the slow cooker.

B - bacon and eggs, coffee
L - spicy meatballs with toms and spinach
D - beef goulash - a new recipe but it does sound lush - will have with cauli rice, not pasta - https://www.slimmingworld.co.uk/recipes/beef-goulash-with-tagliatelle.aspx

 

[tipperary]

The shipping from amazon to Ireland was ridiculous so I went to the French website. I got 5 small tins in paris airport in January and loved them and cant buy them here.

 

[ladyfelsham]

Shout if you want me to get you some, Tippy.

Change of menu order, I made the beef goulash, partly to the recipe, added broccoli and a green pepper and it was nice. Did it on the stove in a cast iron casserole dish which I haven't used much, and which it turns out cooks things really quickly, so the veggies were overdone and the beef could have done with a bit longer. But still nice .

Also found some cod in the fridge which I need to use, so it might be breaded fish and chips for dinner and I'll have the meatballs tomorrow - they are always better after a night in the fridge anyhow . Just found a recipe using Smash for the coating, instead of breadcrumbs, so will try that - and on the same blog I found a yummy sounding soup that happily uses all the stuff I need to use up in the fridge! https://basementbakehouse.com/2017/11/best-ever-spinach-carrot-leek-soup-slimming-world/ - so that's tomorrow sorted too!

Later - I have been a real busy bee in the kitchen, made the spicy meatballs in tom sauce (two serves, now in the fridge) and did the Smash fish and chips, with roasted carrots and watercress/spinach/rocket salad leaves and I am well proud of myself, it was lovely! Two syns for the lighter than light mayo, and another portion also in the fridge for Monday night after WI. Apparently using Smash like this isn't a tweak - and it saves my HEB - in fact, I've had neither HEA or B today, and 2 syns. Will have cheese and crackers later if I'm peckish - but right now I'm stuffed!

Amazing what happens when you actually follow a recipe ...

 

[Tibbs]

HelloI'm back and look at how marvellous you're doing️Fantastic that you almost scooped slimmer of the year, what an achievementso very proud of you sis..you're a superstar It looks like it's spurred you on too as your menus are brilliant and great to see that you're easily sticking to plan. Buddying up at lunch time is a great idea and I bet a lot of people could benefit from doing that...Big well done hugs
At last work has come through and given you a contract instead of keeping you hanging on..pleased you finally realised your worth and you got your wish.
If we head down south for a holiday it's usually Dorset and I've never checked out St Leonard's or Deal..will be looking those up
Loving that you're posting photos of your meals, it's an inspiration and even though I wouldn't eat the egg bake it looks devine I like the recipe link too and plan on making that using lentil meatballs..keep the links coming please as I'm switching back to a broad SW approach..I haven't time for the prep on WFPB at the minute until the pup is settled.
BTW, re SW chips..I usually prep a load of chips & wedges at the weekend, store them in Tuppware with water so they're ready for cooking when I back in. I change the water every couple of days so they don't go stinky and only fit for the bin.
Enjoy your day X

 

[ladyfelsham]

Awww thank you Sis, I must say I've surprised myself by being so good on plan but I am also really enjoying the food. Going to try two of the meals out of the Take 5 books (like Jamie's one by SW friendly), so that's pretty much all my meals done for the week. I've decided to bring back my target weight to 12 stone. Right now I can't imagine myself looking very well at 10 stone - and 6 stone is a very doable halfway target! Might feel differently when I get there, of course.

B - omelette with garlic mushrooms and bacon, lush!
L - cheesy chicken risotto (Take 5 book), parmesan as HEA
D - sweet chilli sausage casserole (also Take 5 - so no links yet, but will type up if I like them)

And yeah thank goodness work is sorted for a bit. The contract goes until March, to fit in with the 12 month cycle of the FareShare Go contract people (where the job is 'located' on paper), but all being well it will then just be renewed each year. I'll be going up to Sheffield once a month - who's close to there, maybe we can do a meet up if I have to stay over?

Coffee morning chat time now - settle back with a cuppa and relax, because this is a long one and opinions will be sought . I had a VERY illuminating chat with a mortgage broker friend last night. I'd used him years ago, we got on brilliantly, and he rang to see where things were at for me post Italy - so I explained the Deal or St Leonard's thing - but by him asking me some rather pertinent questions, I think I've changed my mind. Again.

 

[ladyfelsham]

Sorry for some reason it wouldn't let me put all my incredible dialogue in one post hmmm...

And where were we?

You know how it is when you're convinced of something and then it just takes one person to peel away the blinkers and point out something really obvious? Yep, one of those. He said "All the time I've known you, you've wanted to own the house you live in. How is renting going to work for you?" and i said "Not great, I do crave the security of bricks and mortar, but I can't afford to buy down the coast and keep London - which is my pension." And then he said "Well you need to think about buying somewhere else that you CAN afford..." and then (which kind of rocked me) "How long do you think you're going to live, in terms of how long do you need to see London as pension income?". After I spluttered for a bit, he asked how long I wanted to work for, etc, we crunched some numbers, and it would seem that the best outcome to give me the lifestyle I want (not a luxurious one by any means) is to buy somewhere cheaper, rent it out for five years, then sell London and live on part of the proceeds, which would easily get me to pension time in another five years' time. Jake also challenged me about the coast because in my mind it's close to London - but he asked me when was the last time I actually went into London for anything and it has been months! So maybe I don't need it as much as I thought...

As is my wont, I then immediately thought back to Whitehaven in Cumbria (Northumberland is out of my price range for a nice area, sorry Sis), jumped on house selling sites, and found a lovely house there - it's in a good area (although it looks a bit shabby and windblown) - https://www.primelocation.com/for-s...h_identifier=a7ef62a186340ab86fea7b5508a09e1e - seaviews, 1/2 a mile to Whitehaven itself, and with loads of potential, good sized garden for the cats, room for a downstairs loo - all important considerations . I'm thinking of going up there for a long weekend in September, so hopefully it will still be available and I can see it. Tidied up a little, it should rent for about £400 a month, which covers the B to L mortgage, and then I can redo the kitchen and bathroom when I'm ready to move up there.

It's not my number 1 option, but with just one salary I can't afford number 1. Thoughts? Sxxx

 

[tipperary]

So is London your location because of work and then retirement will be elsewhere? Of are you looking at commuting to work?

 

[ladyfelsham]

Staying in London for work hun and then retire elsewhere. Early retirement again - I am so not waiting until 67 - but it won't be like Italy, there's a million more things to do here. Whitehaven has a very active older population so there's lots of walking clubs round the Lake District, etc, and the University of the 3rd Age is big there too - so they already have card clubs, Mahjong, reading groups (stuff I like doing), etc, all set up.

And I could volunteer at FS Cumbria . No, not really, they are based in Preston, which is a two hour drive, but I could do social media remotely for them.

 

[ladyfelsham]

Lunch has turned out just like the picture in the book! .

Cheesy chicken risotto from Take 5 - tastes good too!

 

[Tessa2000]

oh that looks really nice xx

 

[ladyfelsham]

Thanks Tessa, it was lovely and very simple - and filling!

- Chop chicken breasts (1 per person) into pieces and brown in Frylight.
- Add to a casserole dish or larger saucepan, and add 350g dried risotto rice and 1 litre of chicken stock and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add 2 leeks, sliced thinly, and simmer for another 10-15 minutes until the stock has been absorbed.
- Serve, with cracked black pepper and 2 tsp grated parmesan, and enjoy .

I was so full I decided not to make the sausage casserole and just did a veg soup - threw a packet of soffrito (chopped carrots, onion and celery) with two sliced carrots, a handful of peas and some skinny noodles into the soup maker, and it was lovely - but the noodles have really filled me up! Got more for tomorrow, so that's a nice light day with lots of speed.